Chapter 570: Wang and Han Demoted

A joyous Mid-Autumn imperial banquet ultimately ended in awkwardness and discomfort, like a fine dish that had been half-eaten when a dead fly was discovered—utterly off-putting.

As the banquet dispersed, Liu Chengyou's expression was extremely grim, the gloom on his face nearly congealing into something tangible; anyone could feel the fury in the Emperor's heart.

Wang Jun demanded that Han Tong be punished, but Han Tong was no pushover either; he presented his case before the hall, saying that Wang Jun's words were arrogant, insulting to a senior general, and that he had shown discontent toward the Son of Heaven, uttering disrespectful remarks.

The two of them directly argued in the great hall. As for this, what else could Liu Chengyou do? He had not originally wanted to lose his temper in court, but pushed to this point, he simply granted both their requests, ordering the guards to seize the two on the spot and throw them into the imperial prison.

As a result, Wang Jun felt a sense of harming others without benefiting himself—Han Tong had been taken down, but he had dragged himself in as well. As he was being escorted away, his face could not have been uglier.

"These military men are far too presumptuous—arrogant, overbearing, acting wantonly, with no regard for their sovereign, ignoring court decorum. What sort of occasion was tonight, that they dared to be so brazen? A perfectly good Mid-Autumn banquet, ruined just like that!" Vice Censor-in-Chief Zhao Li was full of indignation.

He looked toward Censor-in-Chief Bian Guidang and said: "Lord Bian, we must impeach Wang and Han!"

"Go back tonight and write the impeachment memorial; present it first thing tomorrow morning!" Bian Guidang said directly, quickening his pace as he spoke.

The nobles and high officials leaving the feast, civil and military alike, gathered in twos and threes, and what they discussed was nothing other than what had happened in the hall.

"The chief and deputy commanders of the Imperial Guard Command taken down in one stroke—there's bound to be turmoil in the army!" Zhao Hongyin and his son walked out together, and Zhao Hongyin could not help but sigh.

Zhao Kuangyin glanced toward the censors and replied in a low voice: "Commanders Wang and Han went too far—truly discourteous, not even giving His Majesty face. Judging by the censors' reaction, there will be no small stir in court starting tomorrow!"

"Commander Wang is arrogant about his merits, and Deputy Commander Han has a rigid temper. They've clashed before in the command headquarters, but to erupt here at Chongyuan Hall—they picked the wrong occasion!" Zhao Hongyin said.

Zhao Hongyin's current military post was Chief Inspector of the Imperial Guard Infantry, and he and Zhao Kuangyin were known as "two chief inspectors from one household." Zhao Kuangyin's expression, however, was not relaxed; he lowered his voice further and said: "Your son only worries that unrest in the army might sweep up us father and son!"

"What do you mean, my son?" Whether it was the cold wind or the influence of Zhao Kuangyin's words, he perked up somewhat.

Zhao Kuangyin truly had a good tolerance for alcohol; just now at the banquet he had been drinking bowl after bowl with the generals of the imperial army. His face showed signs of drink, but his gaze was perfectly clear.

He looked around left and right, then simply leaned in to support Zhao Hongyin and said: "After tonight, no matter how His Majesty handles Wang and Han, they can no longer hold the high posts of the Guard Command. This will inevitably bring changes to the senior military positions of the Imperial Guard Command.

Father is Chief Inspector of the Imperial Guard, and I am Chief Inspector of the Palace Command—already a subject of criticism. I fear that when military posts are reshuffled, we will inevitably be targeted. Consider Commissioner Guo of the Bureau of Military Affairs and his son—when Commissioner Guo took charge of military affairs, the Duke of Xingguo voluntarily requested to leave the capital. Why? To avoid suspicion.

Our father-son reputation cannot compare with Commissioner Guo's, but in court and army, how could there be a lack of jealous people..."

Whether one should call Zhao Kuangyin clever or sensitive, judging from his solemn expression, he was clearly serious.

And at Zhao Kuangyin's words, Zhao Hongyin also became alert. After pondering for a while, he said gravely: "What you worry about, my son, is right! Very well, I'll request to resign my post in a few days and go to the provinces!"

"That's not what your son meant!" Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly said upon hearing this: "Father is advanced in years and not in good health. If anyone is to resign and leave the capital, it should be your son who takes the initiative!"

Zhao Hongyin shook his head: "Precisely because I've reached my age, going to the provinces is a good way to retire. The current Son of Heaven has his heart set on the realm, and you, my son, also have great ambitions. In the capital there are more opportunities—it's where you can display your talents. If you leave the capital, you might well be forgotten. If the Emperor can't remember you, wouldn't that be wasted time, squandered years!"

Hearing Zhao Hongyin's words, Zhao Kuangyin felt a deep surge of emotion in his heart, and the hand supporting his old father became steadier and firmer.

On Liu Chengyou's side, after leaving the feast, he walked toward Chongzheng Hall with a cold, stern expression, his steps swift as the wind.

"What exactly happened between Wang Jun and Han Tong—has it been clarified?" Liu Chengyou asked Zhang Dejun.

Zhang Dejun replied: "This servant has questioned the eunuchs in attendance. The cause lay with Commander Wang—his sarcastic words provoked Deputy Commander Han!"

"I asked for the specific details!" Liu Chengyou said coldly.

Zhang Dejun hurriedly reported the exchange between Wang and Han. Though it was difficult to reproduce completely, the general gist was quite clear.

"Yes!"

Back in the hall, Liu Chengyou's anger had still not subsided; it was as if a weight was pressing on his heart. Shortly after taking his seat, he suddenly swept his hand across the imperial desk, scattering memorials all over the floor, startling the eunuchs in the hall into bowing their heads.

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects!"

He looked up and saw the elder Lady Fu approaching with dignity. Her beautiful eyes swept over the scattered memorials, and she gestured slightly; the eunuchs hurried forward, quickly tidied everything up, and retreated as if fleeing.

"Why have you come?" Liu Chengyou asked in a low voice.

The elder Lady Fu sat down beside Liu Chengyou and asked softly: "Still angry?"

"How could I not be angry? How could I not?" Liu Chengyou gestured with his finger toward Chongyuan Hall: "To dare behave so brazenly before the full assembly of courtiers, completely disregarding me as Emperor. The Mid-Autumn imperial banquet, meant to share joy with Heaven, for ruler and ministers to celebrate together—turned into a laughingstock! Where is my imperial prestige? Where is the dignity of the court!"

Seeing the Emperor in such a fury, the elder Lady Fu could not help but cover her mouth and laugh, which made Liu Chengyou start: "Why do you laugh?"

"My lord is usually dignified and composed, steady and solemn; rarely have I seen you so furious that it shows on your face. I find it quite surprising, and so I laughed." The elder Lady Fu replied.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou could not help but look at the elder Lady Fu. Meeting her gaze, he noticed those eyes that seemed almost capable of speech, and he could not help but shake his head, stroking his stubble, and said: "It seems I've lost my composure!"

The elder Lady Fu reached out and gently stroked Liu Chengyou's chest, as if trying to smooth away the anger in his heart: "When ministers err, my lord need only punish them according to the law. Why get angry and harm your body? It's not worth it."

"I'm not that fragile!" With the elder Lady Fu's soothing words, Liu Chengyou's mood gradually calmed. He took a deep breath and said to her: "What angers me is not just Wang and Han. When I think of the root causes of order and chaos in the realm, arrogant soldiers and ungovernable generals must be one of them. Because the realm is not yet pacified, I have always treated the generals with generous salaries and preferential treatment, tolerating and even indulging them. But I never expected that this would only fuel their arrogance!"

"Han Tong—I knew him in the army. When we marched east out of the Taihang Mountains, he followed me on campaigns far and wide. At the Battle of Luancheng, he narrowly escaped death, fighting until he was spent. In five years, I promoted him from a cavalry squad leader to Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. He has always been respectful toward me in ordinary times, but if he truly held awe in his heart, how could he not know the occasion? To erupt over a bit of sarcasm—unacceptable!"

Liu Chengyou berated Han Tong at some length, but did not mention Wang Jun at all. Still, having vented before the elder Lady Fu, his mood seemed considerably improved.

He glanced at the memorials on the imperial desk, took the Empress's hand, and rose, saying: "Come, let's go to Kunming Hall!"

"My lord will not attend to affairs of state?" The elder Lady Fu was somewhat surprised.

Liu Chengyou said: "I'll slack off tonight!"

The next day, Liu Chengyou gathered the senior generals of the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Ministry of War, and the Palace Command and Imperial Guard Command. Wei Renpu, Zhe Congruan, Guo Rong, Shang Hongqian, Murong Yanzhao, and others sat in attendance, their expressions grave.

Liu Chengyou swept his gaze around the room, his eyes cold and sharp. He picked up a stack of memorials from the desk, held them up before everyone, then tossed them back down, saying: "These are the impeachment memorials from court officials and censors against Wang Jun and Han Tong—more than twenty in all, all urging me to punish these two severely! What do you all think?"

"They should be severely punished!" The first to step forward was Guo Rong, his expression cold and stern.

"To uphold the legal order of the court, they should be disciplined, as a warning to those who come after!" Wei Renpu's tone was milder, but his stance was clear.

Liu Chengyou then looked at the other generals. Naturally, under his imposing presence, everyone wisely made the correct choice.

"Issue the edict: demote Wang Jun to Prefect of Shangzhou, to depart for his post as soon as the edict arrives!" Liu Chengyou waved his hand and made the decision directly: "As for Han Tong, demote him to Army Commander of Xiangzhou!"

"Your Majesty, with both Wang and Han demoted, who should take charge of the Imperial Guard Command? We await Your Majesty's decision!" Guo Rong requested of Liu Chengyou.

Upon hearing this, Liu Chengyou furrowed his brow in consideration, seeming somewhat hesitant. After pondering for a moment, he said: "Let the Duke of Wei, Fu Yanqing, serve as Chief Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry and Infantry, overseeing the training of the guard troops. Let Wang Yin, Chief Commander of the Xingjie Army, serve as Deputy Chief Commander, assisting the Duke of Wei in commanding the army!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" As Liu Chengyou finished speaking, Wang Yin, who was present, immediately rose, his face beaming with joy.

Having muddled along in the imperial army for so many years, never sent on southern campaigns, never earning any merit, he had been worrying about advancement—yet unexpectedly, such good fortune had descended upon him.

Of course, with the Duke of Wei, Fu Yanqing, in charge of the Imperial Guard Command, Yecheng and the Tianxiong Army naturally fell under the court's control.