Chapter 478: Naked slander

The eunuch bowed and received the decree, exiting the hall quickly.

He stood on the Dan steps of Wude Hall, first cleared his throat, and after his breath condensed, he shouted loudly:

"Proclaim! Duke of Wei, Prince of Ancheng, Duke of Liang, Little Tomb Steward, escorting Prince Qiao, enter the hall to see—!"

Hearing this, Chen Yan turned his head, his gaze falling on Yin Shizhi who was escorting Yuwen Ang, and ordered calmly: "His Majesty summons, let him go!"

Yin Shizhi responded respectfully: "Obey!"

Immediately, he released the restraint on Yuwen Ang, retreated three steps, and stood with his hands down on one side of the steps.

As soon as Yuwen Ang was free, he broke away from the restraint like a wild horse, the previous lethargy and cowardice instantly turning into hysterical madness.

Regardless of the red swelling and stinging pain in his wrists and arms, he staggered and smashed open the hall door, his robe hem flying with full embarrassment, rushing into Wude Hall like a madman.

"Imperial Brother, save me—!" His hysterical crying and shouting penetrated the silence in the hall, carrying a trembling voice that broke, "Chen Yan, that bastard who deserves to be killed, wants to hurt this subject's life!"

Stumbling and rushing toward the direction of the throne in the hall, his hair messy, python robe covered in dust, his face full of tear stains and gray dirt.

Chen Yan stepped into Yuwen Ang's crying and shouting, walked into the hall unhurriedly, standing side by side, their movements neat and uniform, bowing to the direction of the throne, their voices loud and neat: "Subjects and others see Your Majesty!"

Yuwen Yong's gaze swept over Yuwen Ang, who was crying and howling at the steps, his brows furrowed imperceptibly, then returned to calm.

He raised his hand in a gesture of support and said loudly: "All you ministers, please rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Everyone responded in unison, their voices thick and powerful, straightening up.

Yuwen Ang lay at the steps, his hands gripping the texture of the ground tightly, crying until his nose and tears flowed, the hem of his python robe soaked in a deep color by tears.

He raised his face full of tear stains and gray dirt, his forehead hair sticking to his forehead messily, his voice hoarse yet carrying hysterical resentment: "Imperial Brother, Chen Yan, that treacherous villain, rebelled, disregarded status, harmed this subject, and wanted to hurt this subject's life. Please, Imperial Brother, kill this villain!"

Immediately, beating his chest and stamping his feet, crying and raising his voice, "And exterminate his nine clans!"

"Kill the Duke of Wei?"

"And exterminate his nine clans?"

Houmochen Yi stood to one side, his lowered eyelids lifting imperceptibly. His gaze swept over Yuwen Ang, who was throwing a tantrum on the steps below, and the corners of his mouth uncontrollably wanted to lift upward. He secretly mocked and sighed in his heart: "This Prince of Qiao is not only daring to think, but he is also truly daring to speak!"

He, Houmochen Yi, had seen those who couldn't see clearly, but it was the first time he saw someone who couldn't see clearly to such a degree...

Kill the Upper Pillar of State with great military exploits?

Moreover, this one is still the Grand Tutor's confidant and favored minister...

Do you understand the gold content of still holding the Mingjing Si as usual after being transferred to the Magistrate of Wannian?

These whimsical words, even Dugu Zhao and Zhao Qian didn't dare to say clearly when they were alive...

Exterminate Chen Yan's nine clans? You really dare to shout that!............ Yuwen Yong was startled, couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth, and rolled his eyes in his heart at the same time. He said in a deep voice: "Seventh brother, calm down first and tell this Emperor what exactly happened?"

"And what conflict did you have with the Duke of Wei?"

At that moment, Yuwen Yong only felt that his mother tongue was speechless...

This irritable and stupid younger brother didn't know, didn't he know how the late emperor died?

You guess if this order goes down, will Chen Yan be exterminated first, or who will be accidental...

Is the Duke of Wei, who looks harmless to humans and animals, some soft persimmon that is easy to handle?

Still opening his mouth to kill, closing his mouth to exterminate nine clans!

Yuwen Ang pointed straight at Chen Yan standing on one side, his knuckles turning white from force, his voice hoarse like a broken gong: "Imperial Brother, Chen Yan, this treacherous villain, colluded with the Prince of Ancheng, disguised himself, took fake land deeds to cheat our Detai Money Shop of ninety-six thousand taels of silver!"

"And indulged his subordinates to kill the subordinates I sent to collect debts, blood flowing like a river, corpses lying everywhere!"

Chen Yan heard this, the corners of his lips hooked into a smile, but there was no ripple in his eyes. He stood with his hands behind his back, not intending to interrupt at all.

Yuwen Ang cried until he almost couldn't catch his breath, his chest heaving violently, continuing to roar and accuse: "They also harbored evil intentions, calculated to lure me, and killed two stewards in front of me, arrogant to the extreme!"

He fiercely rolled up the sleeves of his python robe, revealing several dark red marks on his arms, raising his arms high, toward the direction of the throne, his crying becoming more shrill: "And drove embroidered envoys to offend their superiors and lock me up!"

"Imperial Brother, look at the scars on this subject's arms!"

"This subject almost couldn't see Imperial Brother again!"

Having said that, he collapsed on the bricks, his hands hitting the ground, tears mixed with nasal mucus flowing all over his face, crying until his heart was broken.

He is a dignified Duke of Wei, would he be short of your ninety-six thousand taels?.............. Yuwen Yong listened to Yuwen Ang's tearful accusation, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the armrest of the throne, secretly muttering in his heart, quite helpless.

These two have so many industries in their mansions, and they just returned from the great victory in Hezhou, having already grabbed a lot, would they be short of this little bit?

Changing two objects or changing a reason for accusation, it might really be possible...

He suppressed the complex emotions in his eyes, his gaze swept over Chen Yan and Yuwen Ze standing in the hall, his tone flat without ripples, unable to hear joy or anger: "Duke, Prince, is there such a thing?"

Chen Yan stepped forward, his tone ups and downs, every word clanging powerfully: "Your Majesty, this is a big mistake!"

His gaze swept over Yuwen Ang who was collapsed at the steps, then turned to the throne, righteously: "Recently, an underground money shop appeared in Huaiyuan Ward of Chang'an County, named Detai, lending usury, forcing the people to borrow, and charging high monthly interest, forcing countless Great Zhou people to break up their families and sell their children!"

"What?!" Yuwen Yong sat up straight fiercely, his hands gripping the armrests of the throne, his face full of unbelievable shock and surprise, "There is actually such a conscience-less thing?!"

Chen Yan reached into his bosom and took out a large stack of papers from the brocade bag in his inner lining, the edges of the ink-stained edges revealing regular creases.

He held them steadily with both hands, the thickness of the paper stack enough to see the quantity, loudly: "These are the loan contracts for the high monthly interest of Detai Money Shop!"

Seeing this, the eunuch hurriedly stepped forward, took the loan contracts with both hands, bowed and turned to present them to the throne.

Chen Yan watched the loan contracts being handed up, and added: "And this is only a part..."

Yuwen Yong grabbed the loan contracts, his fingertips flipping through them quickly, the handwriting on each page stinging and shocking, the fingerprints of the common people carrying heavy despair.

The more he looked, the more his complexion sank, his chest heaving with anger, the veins on his temples jumping, his hands holding the paper trembling uncontrollably.

"Bastard!" He smashed the whole stack of loan contracts fiercely toward Yuwen Ang at the steps, the papers scattering and flying, some brushing his cheeks, some falling on his shoulders.

Yuwen Yong was furious, his voice exploding like thunder: "Great Zhou law explicitly prohibits this!"

Yuwen Ang was startled, with several floating loan contracts on his face, the ink stains rubbing on the tear stains, looking extremely embarrassed. Looking at the furious Yuwen Yong on the throne, the panic and guilt in his eyes completely turned into a guilty conscience.

This young Prince Qiao never thought that Chen Yan had already prepared so well...

Chen Yan sighed lightly, that sigh wrapped in disappointment and heaviness, then said deeply: "Your Majesty, usury is prevalent, the people are not living, it has already shaken the foundation of the country."

"This subject and the Prince of Ancheng were worried, so we joined hands to set this trap, firstly to wipe out Detai Money Shop, this tumor in Chang'an, and secondly to fish out the person behind the scenes who is supporting it and indulging it to do evil!"

Having said that, he turned around fiercely, looking burning at Yuwen Ang at the steps, his face instantly switching to a look of heartache, his voice carrying a hint of heartache: "This subject never expected that after checking and checking, the owner of this conscience-less money shop—is Prince Qiao!"

Yuwen Ze stepped forward, his brocade robe dragging on the floor, his expression solemn, loudly taking over the conversation: "Your Majesty, please listen! The reason for killing the guards of Detai Money Shop is because these people saw that the matter was exposed and tried to make a desperate struggle, intentionally harming the lives of this subject and the Duke of Wei!"

"This subject and others had no choice but to defend ourselves!"

Yuwen Yong heard this, nodded slowly, and opened his mouth: "So that's how it is!"

Yuwen Ang saw that the wind direction was wrong, hurriedly raised his head, his voice carrying a hint of panic and defense: "This subject..."

Just after saying two words, he was loudly interrupted, his tone solemn, "This subject once painstakingly persuaded Prince Qiao that acting so frivolously and harming the people would never be forgiven by the Grand Tutor..."

After a pause, his gaze swept over Yuwen Ang whose expression changed suddenly, and he continued to say deeply: "But Prince Qiao not only didn't listen, but instead arrogantly shouted..."

"He said, Great Zhou is the Great Zhou of the descendants of the Founding Emperor, it is not the Grand Tutor's turn to point fingers here!"

"Also said, what is the Grand Tutor? Not even as good as the wild grass by the roadside!"

"Even without the Grand Tutor, Great Zhou would still be Great Zhou!"

"Slander!"

Yuwen Ang was struck by lightning, his whole person stiffened in place, the previous panic and guilt instantly replaced by extreme shock, his complexion pale.

He raised his head fiercely, staring fixedly at Chen Yan, his eyes wide open, almost escaping his lips and roaring: "This is naked slander!"

Immediately, he staggered to his feet, his fingers trembling and pointing at Chen Yan, his voice changing due to extreme anger and panic, "When did this Prince ever say these words!"

To be precise, he did say those words, but not a single sentence referred to the Grand Tutor!

Even if he had one hundred guts, Yuwen Ang wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to the cousin who held great power!

Chen Yan raised his hand, pointed to Houmochen Yi and Yuwen Yi who were standing on one side and remained silent throughout, and said loudly: "At that time, both the Grand Tomb Steward

"The Prince of Qiao has also confessed to his crimes without reservation!"

As his voice fell, he turned toward the throne, bowed and cupped his hands, his posture solemn: "This matter concerns the laws and discipline of the country and the suffering of the people. I ask Your Majesty to make a decision!"

Until this very moment, this man Chen finally revealed his true colors...

Solving the Detai Money Shop, dealing with the Prince of Qiao, and so on, were actually all incidental.

He went such a long way around just to test Yuwen Yong's attitude...

To further confirm whether this guy who shares the same name as Emperor Wu of Zhou has any possibility of becoming Yuan Ziyou, and to the greatest extent avoid Grand Chancellor Dad following in the footsteps of Erzhu Rong!