Chapter 191: Zhang Qian Retires

On the imperial court, the gloom of Huo Guang's arrest had not yet dissipated, and Wei Qing's resignation dealt another heavy blow to everyone.

Liu Ju was also somewhat caught off guard, but he did not explain too much to everyone; he naturally had his own plan to implement.

Abolishing the Chancellor system concerns the foundation of the state; we cannot lose the overall situation because of a change in one or two persons.

Zhang Qian stood among the officials, his face solemn, watching the complacent Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian, etc., and then looking at the situation in the imperial court thrown into chaos by these successive changes, he secretly made up his mind.

After court was dismissed, Zhang Qian alone went to the front hall of Weiyang Palace to request an audience with Liu Ju.

After seeing Liu Ju, Zhang Qian lifted his robe, knelt down, and said, 'Your Majesty, I, Zhang Qian, have an important matter to report.'

Liu Ju slightly raised his eyebrows, gesturing for him to rise and speak.

Zhang Qian rose, took a deep breath, and said, 'Your Majesty, since Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian, etc., have come to power, the imperial court has been filled with corruption and foul air; loyal and good officials have repeatedly suffered persecution. Lord Huo Guang, who wholeheartedly serves the state, has been wrongfully imprisoned; Chancellor Wei Qing, pained by the chaos in the court, has already resigned and returned to his hometown.'

He again took a deep breath, feeling sorrowful, and said, 'I know well that Your Majesty is sagacious; it must be that treacherous villains have blinded your eyes. Now, to express my opposition to what Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian, etc., have done, I earnestly beg Your Majesty's permission to allow me to resign my office.'

Zhang Qian's gaze met Liu Ju's, without a hint of retreat in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ju's face showed surprise; he leaned forward and asked, 'Zhang Aiqing, why is this again? I have already ordered a thorough investigation of this matter; I will surely restore clarity to the court. Why then do you resign at this time?'

Wei Qing's resignation already put him in a difficult position, and now Zhang Qian also comes to join the fun!

Zhang Qian slightly shook his head, his eyes full of disappointment and helplessness, and said, 'Your Majesty, I have followed you for many years, wholeheartedly expanding territory for the Han and seeking welfare for the people. But now the state of the court makes me feel utterly powerless. I have repeatedly admonished, hoping you could see the true nature of Chen Wenjin and others, yet the words of treacherous villains clamor loudly, and loyal advice goes unheard by your ears. If I remain in this position, I can neither share your burdens nor stop the court from further decline; I would truly betray your trust.'

Zhang Qian's voice trembled slightly, his words full of worry for the court and self-reproach for his own helplessness.

Liu Ju leaned back in his chair, fell into thought. After a moment, he spoke again: 'Zhang Qian, I keep in mind your contributions to the Han; the court now needs a capable official like you. Think again, do not act on impulse.'

Liu Ju tried to persuade Zhang Qian to change his mind.

However, Zhang Qian's resolve was firm; he knelt again and kowtowed heavily: 'Your Majesty, my decision is made; I hope you will fulfill it. When you have purified the court, if you still need my service, I will surely not refuse even to die. But at this moment, I truly cannot remain.'

Liu Ju let out a slight sigh and said, 'Zhang Aiqing, in this way you are like the Prince of Wei as well; wait a few more days, and I will myself give you an explanation.'

Zhang Qian hesitated for a long time, then turned and left; his back view expressed an indescribable firmness and desolation.

Liu Ju slightly shook his head, then summoned Zhang Tang into the palace.

After handling some matters, he alone stood by the window, gazing at the gradually lit lights of Chang'an City, lost in thought.

In the dark, damp imperial prison, a nauseating stench of decay permeated the air.

Huo Guang was tightly bound by heavy iron chains, his limbs forcibly pulled apart, his whole body suspended in a '大' shape against the wall.

His originally neat official uniform had been torn to rags; lash marks and club prints crisscrossed, where skin split and flesh burst, blood flowed freely, dripping down his body and pooling on the ground into a dark red pool.

The official in charge of interrogation, at this moment holding a thick whip, stood before Huo Guang with a ferocious expression.

His eyes held no pity, only greed and ferocity blinded by money.

'Hmph, Huo Guang, I advise you to obediently confess and admit your collusion with Sang Hongyang. Otherwise, today you won't even think of walking out of this prison alive!'

That official spoke viciously, the whip in his hand waving in the air, making a 'whoosh whoosh' sound.

Huo Guang closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, endured the intense pain, and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: 'I... I have not... you gang of treacherous villains...'

Before he finished speaking, the official flew into a rage, fiercely swung the whip, and heavily struck Huo Guang's back.

With a crisp 'crack', the whip tore open Huo Guang's skin and flesh, and another bloodstain appeared.

Huo Guang's body jerked violently, he let out a muffled groan, and large beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead, soaking his disheveled hair.

'Still not confessing? It seems your bones are too hard!'

The official said, then picked up a nearby red-hot branding iron and slowly approached Huo Guang.

'Ah!'

When the branding iron touched Huo Guang's skin, a smell of burning flesh spread; Huo Guang let out a painful wail that echoed throughout the prison.

His body struggled violently, yet the iron chains bound him tightly, leaving no escape from this cruel torment.

The official, however, remained unmoved, a faint smug smile on his face: 'If you confess, you won't have to suffer this pain. Chancellor Chen gave plenty of money; if you don't cooperate, don't blame me for being impolite.'

Having said that, he again directed a nearby jailer to pour a bucket of cold water over Huo Guang.

The icy water stimulated Huo Guang's wounds; his body convulsed again, nearly fainting from the pain, yet he stubbornly held on, refusing to yield.

This iron-willed son of the Huo family is a relative of the Han imperial house, a minister who is the emperor's right and left hand; he is innocent, and we must not let the villains' plot succeed.

Huo Guang fainted several times from the abuse, regained consciousness a few times, yet still showed not the slightest sign of yielding.

The next day, when Zhang Tang came to the prison and saw Huo Guang beaten to a sorry state, he instantly flew into a rage.

Zhang Tang, clear-minded as a mirror, knew this was surely the doing of Chen Wenjin behind the scenes.

Usually he is impartial and stern, yet he also upholds the bottom line of justice, absolutely unwilling to tolerate such trampling of law and abuse of private punishment.

Zhang Tang opened the heavy iron door of the prison, approached Huo Guang, saw his horrible state, and his eyes instantly turned sharp as a blade; he sharply turned, glared at the interrogating official, and shouted loudly:

'Who gave you the gall to dare to privately apply such torture to a court senior official? Where is the law?'

The interrogating official turned deathly pale, his legs went weak, and with a 'plop' he knelt down begging for mercy.

'Sir Zhang, it is Chancellor Chen… he gave this lowly person a large sum of money; I was momentarily confused…'

Zhang Tang let out a cold snort, waved his hand, signaled the personal troops to take that official down, and shouted: 'Take him to the great prison, await punishment!'

After dealing with the interrogating official, Zhang Tang slowly walked to Huo Guang, saw his former vigorous comrade now covered in wounds, and his heart involuntarily stirred with pity.

He spoke softly: 'Huo Guang, things have come to this; you might as well confess, so you can suffer a little less. In this world, sometimes admitting a mistake is not necessarily a bad thing.'

Huo Guang raised his head, his eyes full of stubbornness, his voice weak yet firm: 'I have done no wrong; why should I confess? I believe Your Majesty will surely investigate minutely and restore my innocence.'

Zhang Tang slightly furrowed his brows, a fleeting unnoticeable glint in his eyes, and deliberately lowered his voice to say:

'Hmph, Son of Heaven? The Son of Heaven now listens to the likes of Chen Wenjin's treacherous words, has locked you up in this prison, and still expects him to vindicate you?'