Chapter Thirty-Four: To Put Him to Death

"Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing these words, Yang Chuan knelt before Tian Yueying for the first time. He then clasped his hands in a salute, his eyes filled with profound emotion as he looked at her.

"Your Majesty, I do not fear these sycophants. Why, then, would you wish for me to withdraw from the court?"

Tian Yueying was stunned. She had not expected that Yang Chuan, in accompanying her to Great Qi, would have resolved himself to such an extent. Even though the officials held grievances against him and the Empress of Great Kang pressed him at every turn, he remained so steadfastly loyal to her.

Looking back, she realized that Yan Wugou was truly a fool. What did it matter if a minister of such loyalty possessed power that eclipsed the throne? When he had resigned as Grand Chancellor of Great Kang, he had not taken a single coin from his estate. On the journey to Great Qi, he had worn only simple garments, and the only woman he kept by his side was she, Tian Yueying.

Recalling these past events, she felt a sudden ache in her nose, and two lines of tears fell silently. She quickly crouched down to help him up, then firmly wiped away her tears, looking at him with equal resolve.

"Chancellor Yang, no matter how high the mountains or how long the road, I shall walk by your side!"

"Your Majesty, I shall serve Great Qi with my utmost devotion until my dying breath!"

After rising, Yang Chuan placed one hand behind his back and looked forward, speaking with great solemnity. "However, at tomorrow’s morning court, the officials will certainly petition you to remove me, citing my personal feud with Great Kang."

Hearing this, Tian Yueying immediately replied, "Young Master Yang, rest assured. I will never place you in such an awkward position as Yan Wugou did."

"No!" Yang Chuan countered. "This time, I ask Your Majesty to use your discretion. Either strip me of my title as Chancellor or revoke my status as your equal, so that the civil and military officials may have an outlet for their frustrations."

Yang Chuan had actually taken the initiative to ask Tian Yueying to dismiss him in court. Though they had only worked together in the Great Qi court for two months, in the three years they had known each other, he had long since gained insight into the Empress's heart. This woman was not like the selfish, greedy, and controlling Yan Wugou. On the contrary, she was as gentle as water off the throne, clear and bright like the moon in the sky—not dazzling, but possessing an immense, natural affinity. Three years of time had filled Yang Chuan with absolute confidence in her.

He firmly believed that while Tian Yueying might temporarily dismiss him to appease the complaints of the officials, she would never, like Yan Wugou, seek to destroy him.

...

The following morning, all the high officials of Great Qi were present. Today, as if caught in a cycle of fate, Yang Chuan, sitting on the high platform beside Tian Yueying, witnessed a scene eerily similar to the one he had experienced in Great Kang.

"Your Majesty! The Chancellor, Yang Chuan, is arrogant and unruly, ignoring protocol and repeatedly provoking the Great Kang Empire, causing Great Qi to suffer endless disasters!"

"We humbly implore Your Majesty to strip Yang Chuan of his position as Chancellor so that he may no longer hold sole power over the government!"

Just as Yang Chuan had predicted, the officials seemed to have colluded. Regardless of their usual factional rivalries, they were now united in kneeling before the throne, seeking only his removal. Thanks to Yang Chuan’s warning the previous day, Tian Yueying did not lose her composure.

Even with his counsel, as the Empress of Great Qi, she had to assert her imperial authority. If she were to comply whenever the officials petitioned her, her power would eventually be eroded and hollowed out by them.

"Oh? You are all quite united today, aren't you?"

With a cold expression, Tian Yueying stepped out from behind the curtain and walked down to the floor, her hands behind her back. After circling the ministers, she began to call them out one by one.

"Secretariat Chancellor Fang Shan, do you not usually despise General Liu Jian? Why are you kneeling side-by-side today?"

"And you, Chief Justice Xue Shuping, you are a man of Duke Sun Xin—why are you whispering with the cohorts of the former Minister of War, Cao Ding?"

Her words left all four men flushed with shame. In the past, they were bitter enemies, and because of their different factions, they could never agree on any affairs of state. It was precisely because these officials never yielded to one another and never considered the collective interest that the national strength of Great Qi had failed to develop for years. Yet today, to drag Yang Chuan from his position, they had set aside their grievances and knelt together in the hall.

"I will not name the rest of you one by one."

"When it was time to develop the strength of Great Qi, you were all sluggish and opportunistic. Is it only now, seeing someone who is incorruptible and capable of keeping you in check, that you have become so united?"

The officials remained silent. Tian Yueying’s words struck deep into their hearts. Looking back ten years, Great Qi had been the strongest nation in the Nine Provinces. The former Grand General and the late Emperor had fought side-by-side against the Great Kang army, marching all the way to their capital, Ping Tian. Not only did the Great Kang Emperor die, but all nine princes were gravely wounded in the campaign. Furthermore, the late Emperor had abducted a young, unknowing Yan Wugou from Great Kang and brought him to Great Qi.

However, after the late Emperor's death, several founding ministers had sought to seize control of the government. Tian Yueying was no naive monarch; she saw clearly the selfish motives and limited governance capabilities of those old ministers. If she had not lacked loyal support when she first ascended the throne, she would not have bided her time for so many years, waiting for the right moment to reclaim imperial power with a loyal minister she could fully trust! That man was the current Chancellor, Yang Chuan.

Yet these old ministers of Great Qi still evaded their duties whenever the nation required effort, only showing such unity when it came to bringing down Yang Chuan. How could Tian Yueying not be heartbroken?

As the dozen or so officials knelt in silence, unable to respond to Tian Yueying's rebuke, the Prime Minister, An Xunlu—who had not attended court in years—stepped forward.

"Your Majesty!"

"The officials are only so harmonious because of Yang Chuan; he is the one hindering the development of our Great Qi, Your Majesty!"

After speaking, An Xunlu wept, as if in great pain. Truth be told, since returning from Great Kang with Yang Chuan, this was the first time Tian Yueying had seen the Prime Minister since the banquet for the Great Kang envoys.

"Oh? Prime Minister."

Facing his heartfelt "confession," her face remained impassive as she walked straight toward him with her hands behind her back.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen you in many years, Prime Minister."

"Could it be that you have come to court today solely to see the Chancellor dismissed?"