Chapter 192: Wei Qing Departed

Impudent!

Huo Guang heard it, his eyes instantly blazing with anger; he struggled to sit up, but fell back again from the pain, and he gritted his teeth, rebuking:

Zhang Tang, I never expected you to be Chen Wenjin's accomplice! Your Majesty is wise, merely temporarily deceived. I, Huo Guang, have been loyal and sincere all my life, never harboring a second thought; I will not allow you to slander Your Majesty like this!

Zhang Tang looked at Huo Guang's resolute eyes, secretly sighing; he knew that Huo Guang was truly loyal to Emperor Liu Ju without reservation.

He had originally only wanted to test Huo Guang, but now it seems this loyalty truly stands up to scrutiny.

Zhang Tang shook his head helplessly and said: "Huo Guang, do as you see fit."

Having said that, he turned and walked out of the Imperial Prison, leaving Huo Guang alone in the darkness, steadfastly holding to his belief.

In the secret chamber of the Chancellor's Residence, Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian sat facing each other, both wearing sinister expressions.

Chen Wenjin lifted his teacup, took a slight sip, and slowly said: "That Huo Guang still refuses to budge in the Imperial Prison—he's a tough nut. But it's fine; we'll add some pressure and see how long he can hold out."

Li Xiangtian quickly nodded, fawningly replying: "Chancellor Chen is absolutely right; we must make sure he cannot turn things over. I just wonder what high opinion the Chancellor has?"

Chen Wenjin set down his teacup, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes, and lowered his voice: "We will forge a detailed plan of Huo Guang's rebellion. We'll say he secretly colluded with various factions, preparing to rise in revolt during the Southern Development, taking advantage of the court's dispersed forces, aiming to overthrow Your Majesty's rule and proclaim himself emperor."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangtian's eyes lit up and he gave a thumbs up:

"Chancellor Chen, this idea is brilliant! With this rebellion plan, even if Huo Guang had a mouth all over his body, he couldn't clear himself."

Afterward, Chen Wenjin summoned a clerk skilled in literary affairs from the Chancellor's Residence and gave him detailed instructions.

The clerk accepted the order, immediately spread out paper and wrote vigorously. Soon, a clear and incisive rebellion plan lay before the two of them.

The plan detailed the various factions Huo Guang intended to contact, the time and place of the uprising, and even the state name he would adopt after becoming emperor, appearing quite convincing.

Chen Wenjin carefully examined the forged plan, nodded in satisfaction, handed it to his trusted aide, and instructed: "Tomorrow morning, present this plan to Your Majesty, saying it was secretly discovered in Huo Guang's residence. Remember, you must make Your Majesty believe this is solid evidence of Huo Guang's rebellion."

The trusted aide accepted the order and departed.

Li Xiangtian asked with some concern: "Chancellor Chen, what if Your Majesty sends people to investigate—will this plan reveal any flaws?"

Chen Wenjin snorted coldly: "Hmph, once Your Majesty sees this plan, he will surely fly into a rage and have no inclination to scrutinize it closely. Even if he does, we have already arranged scapegoats; those people will insist they were acting under Huo Guang's orders, and Your Majesty will naturally believe it."

Li Xiangtian heard this, suddenly understood, and quickly flattered: "Chancellor Chen's foresight is thorough; this way, Huo Guang is certain to die." The two exchanged a glance, both wearing triumphant smiles, as if already seeing Huo Guang convicted and executed, without a thought for how their actions might disturb the court.

The next day, at Xuanshi Hall of Weiyang Palace in the imperial court, the atmosphere was solemn.

Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian exchanged a glance, silently understanding each other.

Chen Wenjin stepped forward, clasped his hands, and solemnly said to Emperor Liu Ju: "Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report. Recently I heard that Chancellor Wei Qing and Marquis Zhang Qian have successively requested to resign; Your Majesty, out of benevolence, temporarily refused. However, upon careful consideration, although Chancellor Wei Qing once achieved great military feats, he is now old, his energy waned, and he often delays in handling court affairs. Moreover, since the proposal of the Southern Development, he has repeatedly opposed it, seeming unable to keep pace with Your Majesty's drive for innovation and strength."

He paused slightly, observed Emperor Liu Ju's expression—seeing it calm—and continued: "Marquis Zhang Qian is similarly situated; having long been abroad, upon his return the court's situation has completely changed, and his ideas often clash with the current direction of the court's development. These two rely on past merits, often stubbornly clinging to their own views, and are of little use to the court. I implore Your Majesty to permit their resignation requests; thus the court can be infused with fresh blood and better carry out Your Majesty's grand vision."

Chen Wenjin spoke convincingly, appearing as if he had the court's best interests at heart.

Li Xiangtian then stepped forward, adding embellishments: "Your Majesty, Chancellor Chen is absolutely right. Although Chancellor Wei Qing and Marquis Zhang Qian have previously contributed to the court, times have changed. Now the court faces the major transformation of the Southern Development and needs enterprising individuals. Their resignation requests are actually dissatisfaction with Your Majesty's policies, leading to laziness and neglect. If Your Majesty continues to employ them, it may dampen other officials' enthusiasm and hinder the implementation of court policies. Please reconsider." Li Xiangtian spoke with fervor, his eyes flashing a barely concealed delight.

The officials in the court heard this and immediately began to discuss heatedly.

Some of Chen Wenjin and Li Xiangtian's followers nodded in agreement, praising their words as reasonable;

while the upright officials, such as Su Wu and the old retainers of Huo Guang's faction, felt indignant but, lacking a suitable opportunity to rebut, could only frown inwardly.

At this moment, the entire court seemed shrouded in a haze, the situation tense as drawn swords, everyone awaiting Emperor Liu Ju's decision, while he sat solemnly on the dragon throne, his gaze calm and contemplative, as if weighing all this.

Emperor Liu Ju sat upon the dragon throne, his gaze slowly sweeping over the officials, his voice steady yet carrying an indisputable resolve as he said:

"I have deliberated thoroughly and decided to grant the resignation requests of Zhang Qian and Wei Qing."

These words caused an uproar in the court; officials stared at one another in disbelief.

Led by the upright official Su Wu, a group of honest ministers widened their eyes, their faces full of shock and incomprehension.

Su Wu could not help but cup his hands and say: "Your Majesty! King Wei has rendered sweat-and-blood service to our Great Han, diligently assisting you in governing the court for years; Marquis Zhang Qian, moreover, opened up the Western Regions, bringing boundless blessings to our Great Han—both are pillars of the court. Now, at the critical juncture of the Southern Development, the court ought to rely on them; why, Your Majesty..."

His voice carried anxiety and regret; though his words trailed off, his inner shock could not be concealed.

Other officials also whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with bewilderment at this decision.

Those officials who usually got along well with Wei Qing and Zhang Qian stood there stunned, as if frozen;

others wore expressions of dejection, shaking their heads and sighing, grieving the loss of these two senior officials to the court.

An elderly official, eyes brimming with tears, murmured: "This court may be on the verge of upheaval..."

In stark contrast, Chen Wenjin, Li Xiangtian, and their followers were all overjoyed.

Chen Wenjin curled the corner of his mouth, revealing a smug smile, his eyes gleaming with victorious light; he slightly bowed and said: "Your Majesty is wise! Thus the court will surely be renewed, and the Southern Development will surely proceed smoothly."

Li Xiangtian, beside him, could barely contain his joy, his smile nearly splitting his cheeks, he nodded repeatedly, agreeing: "Exactly, exactly, Your Majesty's decision is truly a blessing for our Great Han!"

Their followers also gathered around, whispering flattery; the court was filled with their nauseating sycophancy, forming a stark contrast to the shock of the other officials.

The entire court seemed split into two worlds: one side shock, regret, and anxiety; the other side glee, arrogance, and greed.

Meanwhile, Emperor Liu Ju silently observed all this, his profound gaze making it hard to discern his true thoughts.