Chapter 522: Bearing Brambles to Plead for Forgiveness

The area around Wei Renpu's residence was mostly occupied by official families. Combined with Wei Renpu's increasingly prominent position at court, the news of Wang Yansheng's unauthorized intrusion into the Wei residence simply could not be concealed, and the specific details spread rapidly the very next day. Naturally, it could not escape the ears of the Son of Heaven either.

"Utterly audacious! Outrageous!" Liu Chengyou was naturally furious about this, his tone exceptionally severe: "Send someone to Wang Yansheng's residence to see if he's sobered up yet. If he has, tell him to roll over here to see me!"

"Yes!" Having served His Majesty for a long time and knowing his temperament well, Zhang Dejun dared not entertain any other thoughts while the Son of Heaven was in such a rage, and hastily made the arrangements.

Before long, Wang Yansheng came rushing over in a panic, crossing one palace wall after another with hurried steps, his face grim, his rough features revealing deep anxiety. After sobering up, merely recalling fragments of last night was enough to make him uneasy.

Facing the Son of Heaven's urgent summons, Wang Yansheng had slapped himself several times on the spot, then berated the retainers and household servants accompanying him, scolding them for not stopping him last night... But no matter how much he regretted it, it was useless—he still had to pull himself together and enter the palace.

Arriving at Chongzheng Hall, Wang Yansheng discovered that Sun Li was already kneeling there, putting on the appearance of a man honestly confessing his faults. Hearing the commotion, Sun Li glanced sidelong at Wang Yansheng twice, revealing a look of schadenfreude. But at this moment, Wang Yansheng had no mind to tangle with Sun Li over anything.

After the announcement was made, he entered the hall for an audience, behaving with complete obedience and propriety—a stark contrast to the arrogant, overbearing Commander Wang of last night who had been insufferable in his pride.

Liu Chengyou rose, walked from behind the imperial desk to the middle of the hall, and looked at Wang Yansheng kneeling there with head bowed low, his voice light and airy: "Wang Yansheng! I hear you accomplished quite a great deed last night! A stalwart warrior, awe-inspiring and mighty—now, in all the Eastern Capital, from court to commoners, who hasn't heard of General Wang's great name?"

Though the Son of Heaven's voice was soft, Wang Yansheng could still tell good from bad at this moment. His face bore a fierce look, but his expression was bitter as he forcefully knocked his head to the ground: "Your subordinate was drunk for a moment and acted willfully and recklessly, committing a grave error. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

Hearing his words, Liu Chengyou remained unmoved. He directly crouched down, looking at Wang Yansheng whose head was buried deep: "Raise your head!"

Wang Yansheng raised his head, meeting the young yet deeply dignified face of the Son of Heaven. To be honest, this was the first time Wang Yansheng had been in such close contact with the Emperor. He glanced at Wang Yansheng's forehead—there were already bloody marks on it.

Liu Chengyou asked him: "Wang Yansheng! Let me ask you! Do you know who Wei Renpu is?"

Averting his gaze, not daring to meet the Son of Heaven's eyes, Wang Yansheng subconsciously replied: "Lord Wei is the Minister of War, a chancellor of the Great Han."

"Ha!" Liu Chengyou let out a sneer: "Did you know that last night?"

"I... I knew." Wang Yansheng buried his head again.

"Then I find it strange! Who gave you the courage to barge into a chancellor's residence and speak reckless nonsense? What do the laws of the court and the rites of rank and hierarchy mean in your eyes, Wang Yansheng? Hm?" Liu Chengyou stood up, his piercing gaze falling upon Wang Yansheng as he circled around him, saying:

"Let me tell you, Lord Wei is not just a chancellor of the court—he is my good teacher and friend, a meritorious minister of the Great Han, my Xiao He and Zhang Liang. Even I rely on him as a model of learning, seeking his counsel constantly, fearing any slight or neglect, never daring to show him disrespect!

Yet you, Wang Yansheng, dared to break through his door at night and run wild in the Wei residence! What audacity!"

Hearing the Son of Heaven's tone, Wang Yansheng's heart grew even more uneasy. From the Emperor's attitude, he could tell the problem was more serious than he had imagined. With two thuds, he knocked his head forcefully twice more: "Your subordinate lost all sense of propriety for a moment and offended Chancellor Wei. I now acknowledge my crime and beg Your Majesty to mete out punishment!"

But Liu Chengyou paid no heed to that, continuing his rebuke on his own: "At last night's banquet in Chongyuan Hall, in such a setting, you dared to argue openly with Sun Li before the assembly, spouting complaints, arrogant and rude—what do you take me for?

Do you think that because you've won a few battles and built up some military merit, you can look down on everyone and do as you please? Hm? Now with a bit of wine in you, you dare to barge into a chancellor's residence—will you next be daring enough to force your way through the palace gates?"

"Your subordinate would never dare!" Wang Yansheng's protest carried considerable conviction—he truly would not dare.

"I hear that you, from the moment the edict was proclaimed last night, were full of discontent, voicing complaints repeatedly, belittling your colleagues and slighting your comrades in arms. Thinking yourself highly meritorious, you scorned the court's rewards. You seem to look down greatly upon my edicts of reward, believing my distribution of rewards and punishments to be unjust!" Liu Chengyou looked at Wang Yansheng with indifference and asked: "Am I wronging you in this?"

At this, Wang Yansheng could no longer hold himself together. Carefully tallying it up, his crimes were indeed numerous, and none of them light. Prostrating himself completely, Wang Yansheng kowtowed and said: "Your Majesty! Your subordinate was momentarily confused, his mind clouded. I now feel my crimes are too great to atone for, and I am willing to die to make amends!"

Watching Wang Yansheng with cold eyes, Liu Chengyou slowly walked back to the imperial desk. After pondering for a while, having vented his anger through this outburst, his mood seemed considerably improved.

Leaving him kneeling there, Liu Chengyou approved two memorials before finally speaking: "You think the post of Defense Commissioner of Chizhou is a sinecure? I'll give you a real one. No need to stay in the imperial army—go to the northwest, to Yanzhou, and serve as an Army Commander!"

Hearing this unexpectedly, Wang Yansheng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief—it seemed the Son of Heaven had no intention of killing him. He immediately petitioned: "Your Majesty, I hear that Shu has invaded and the enemy has not yet withdrawn—that is a place where arms are needed. I beg to go to the southwest to kill enemies and earn merit to atone for my crimes!"

"What! You still want to bargain with me?" Liu Chengyou glanced at him.

Wang Yansheng shook his head repeatedly, not daring to say more: "Your servant is willing to go to Yanzhou!"

"This matter is not yet finished. Leave the palace, go kneel before the Wei residence's gate. Only when Chancellor Wei forgives you may you rise!" Liu Chengyou instructed calmly: "Also, take half of the rewards you received from the southern campaign and use it to make amends to Chancellor Wei!"

"Are you convinced?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"Your servant submits in admiration!" His life was preserved—for Wang Yansheng, nothing else mattered.

Exiting the hall, Wang Yansheng, who had killed countless men on the battlefield, found his legs somewhat weak, as if he had just walked through the gates of hell. Sun Li was still kneeling there. Seeing Wang Yansheng, he asked Zhang Dejun, who had followed him out, with a beaming smile: "Deputy Director Zhang, is His Majesty going to have this audacious fellow beheaded and displayed as a warning?"

"Chief General Sun jests!" Zhang Dejun replied.

Anger flashed across Wang Yansheng's face as he regarded Sun Li with even greater disgust. Had it not been for last night's argument with Sun Li in the hall that threw his composure off balance, he would never have barged into the Wei residence. Giving Sun Li a cold glare, Wang Yansheng said disdainfully: "Sorry to disappoint you! His Majesty is magnanimous—not only has he forgiven me, he has also assigned me another important mission!"

With that said, he flicked his sleeves and strode away.

Sun Li stood there stunned for a moment, watching his retreating figure and blinking a few times. He turned to Zhang Dejun, puzzled: "That fellow is arrogant and overbearing, and his crimes are such that even death would not be excessive punishment. Why has His Majesty forgiven him? Letting him off like this—won't it only fuel his arrogance?"

As he spoke, Sun Li himself felt somewhat unbalanced. He had come to kneel here since early morning—over an hour now—and his knees were both sore and numb.

"Chief General Sun, please rise quickly!" Zhang Dejun made no comment, merely helping Sun Li up, then conveyed Liu Chengyou's oral decree: "His Majesty fines you half a year's salary, and additionally orders you to reflect on your conduct behind closed doors for one month!"

In broad daylight, the area before the Wei residence was quite lively. Wang Yansheng, bare-chested with his body bound, carrying brambles on his back, knelt with his head buried beneath the stone steps—putting on quite the performance of bearing brambles to plead for forgiveness. Passersby stopped, and many gathered to watch the spectacle. Amid the murmuring discussion, quite a few people recognized Wang Yansheng. The clever ones guessed what had happened.

It continued until dusk, when the "audience" before the gate had changed over and over, leaving only a few stragglers, along with some children from the neighborhood playing about innocently and mischievously.

Wei Renpu returned to his residence, alighting from his carriage, and witnessed the scene before him. After making inquiries and learning that Wang Yansheng had been kneeling before the gate for a full two hours, a hint of surprise crossed his face, and he hurried forward.

The people still watching the spectacle all bowed to Wei Renpu in unison. Wei Renpu, without the haughty air of a chancellor, returned the greeting warmly to the crowd: "It is getting late, everyone. Please disperse and stop gathering here to watch!"

Wei Renpu had a very good reputation. Hearing him say this, though somewhat curious, the crowd dispersed, looking back with every few steps.

Only after the crowd before the residence had dispersed did Wei Renpu step forward, his face full of warmth, and try to help Wang Yansheng up: "General, please rise quickly! This old man cannot bear such treatment!"

Looking up at Wei Renpu, a trace of shame surfaced on Wang Yansheng's otherwise stern face. After knocking his head three times in succession, he turned his face away and said: "Chancellor Wei, I will not speak at length. Last night I was out of line, offending your household and disturbing you. I humbly beg your forgiveness!"

"General, please rise!" Wei Renpu did not put on airs, trying to help him up, but could not budge him at all.

"I beg Chancellor Wei to forgive me!" Wang Yansheng did not move an inch: "If you wish to pursue my faults, I am at your command!"

"It was but a misunderstanding—how could this old man be overly harsh? I only hope that from now on, the General will discipline himself well, be loyal to His Majesty, and serve the court with dedication!" Wei Renpu said.

"Yes!" Wang Yansheng bowed in submission and only then rose, saying to Wei Renpu: "Last night I frightened your household and caused you grievance. Once the court's rewards are distributed, there will also be reparations offered!"