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Chapter 97: The Scholar's Parade Through the Streets, the End of the Yan Party

Chapter 98: The Scholar's Parade Through the Streets, the End of the Yan Party

Bianjing, the Prince Ping's residence.

Some time ago, during Yan Fan's rebellion, the battle at the Prince Ping's residence, apart from the capital, was the most devastating.

The guards of the manor and the private soldiers they had recruited were almost all killed or wounded.

Fortunately, Li Xuanye escaped by hiding in a secret room. By the time he came out at dawn, Yan Fan had already been captured.

He was truly terrified that night. As the eldest grandson of Emperor Xuanwu, he had never experienced anything like this before.

Emperor Xuanwu is currently in a coma.

He was the only prince or grandson of the emperor in Bianjing.

Apart from Li Chengde, who was made crown prince, the other children of Emperor Xuanwu had long since become regional princes guarding their own territories.

How could he not be excited? Li Xuanye could even see the throne right before his eyes.

Before the mourning period was over, he couldn't resist taking off his mourning clothes and putting on the imperial robes.

Zeng Shihong was summoned to the residence for discussion. Li Xuanye had an advantage that Li Chengde could not match.

That means listening to advice.

The two went to the study for a private talk.

Li Xuanye closed the door and eagerly asked, "Grandfather, the Emperor is currently unconscious, and I am extremely worried. Would you like to go to the palace to serve him?"

Zeng Shihong gave him a meaningful look, and then said, "Just stay home and observe mourning. Don't be too hasty; being impatient will only make things worse."

How could he not know what Li Xuanye was thinking? In terms of urgency, he was even more anxious than Li Xuanye.

However, it is precisely at times like these that we must not rush things, for the Emperor is in a coma and has not yet awakened.

Although Wang Xi had given a strict order not to leak any information about the palace, there were always people who wanted to gain merit and curry favor with Zeng Shihong.

The upright officials in the court are now very powerful, and Zeng Shihong is also Li Xuanye's maternal grandfather.

If Li Xuanye were to ascend the throne in the future, Zeng Shihong's power would be unmatched.

Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the order of seniority has been followed, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Li Xuanye should ascend the throne.

Although Li Xuanye was anxious, seeing that Zeng Shihong did not approve of his entering the palace, he suppressed his impatience and said, "Thank you for your advice, maternal grandfather. Xuanye understands. During this time, I will stay at home and pray sincerely for the Emperor."

O

Zeng Shihong gently stroked his white beard, smiled slightly, and nodded slowly.

"You are a promising young man. I believe His Majesty will see your filial piety."

As he expected, Emperor Xuanwu awoke a few days later.

The first thing I did after waking up was to see Yan Fan.

Zheng Jun escorted Yan Fan to Xiyuan.

The three of them stayed in the hall for several hours, and no one knows what they talked about.

All that is known is that Yan Fan was brought out with a smile on his face, laughing maniacally.

When Shen Yan saw Yan Fan being sent to prison, he was practically insane.

He kept muttering, "What did I do wrong by trying to save my life!"

Emperor Xuanwu, who had not attended the morning court session for decades, made an unprecedented move by holding one.

The first thing they did was order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest officials involved in the rebellion, and for a time everyone in Bianjing (Kaifeng) felt insecure.

Officials would go to the yamen every day to perform their duties, and if they saw that a colleague was absent that day, they would know that he had been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Yan Fan served as an official in the imperial court for decades, and his network of connections was extensive, involving a vast number of people.

Nearly 30% of the officials had close interactions with Yan Fan.

These people all became targets of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Imperial Guard's prisons were already too full to hold so many prisoners, so the less important ones were all thrown into the Imperial Prison.

The Yan faction, which had dominated the court and the country for decades, disappeared from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The happiest people were the students of the academy. Upon hearing of the defeat of Yan's faction, they all clapped and cheered.

They took to the streets to promote their cause, making Bianjing (Kaifeng) quite lively.

The students of Jinghu Academy were the most active.

After all, among the academies in Bianjing, Jinghu Academy has always been regarded as the best.

Such a grand event naturally couldn't be complete without them.

The leader of Jinghu Academy was none other than Ye Wangji, the most renowned figure of his generation.

This person was born into a poor family, but his ancestors had produced a high-ranking official of the third rank.

However, the descendants were useless, leading to a lack of successors and the failure to continue the family tradition.

Until Ye Wangji appeared, he was able to recognize a thousand characters at the age of four.

He passed the preliminary examination at the age of twelve, obtained the title of Xiucai at the age of fourteen, and had already obtained the title of Juren at the age of sixteen.

Therefore, he was noticed by Zeng Yanqiu, the vice-headmaster of Jinghu Academy, and was taken in as a disciple. When Ye Wangji was twenty years old, he participated in the imperial examination and won the third place.

However, he did not choose to enter the court as an official, but instead continued to study books at Jinghu Academy.

This street march to celebrate the downfall of the Yen Party was at his behest.

With such a grand scale, it naturally attracted a lot of attention.

Ye Wangji did not lack the desire to become an official; he simply did not wish to waste his time at the Hanlin Academy.

The downfall of the Yen Party presents a golden opportunity.

As long as he takes advantage of this opportunity to build up his reputation, relying on his teacher Zeng Yanqiu's connections.

They could then directly enter the Six Ministries as officials.

Scholars love fame, and those with a great reputation can enter the court as officials even without official rank.

This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a name for oneself is truly rare.

However, such ostentation may not necessarily be a good thing.

In the imperial prison.

The Yan Fan affair is nearing its end, as the Embroidered Uniform Guard has too many connections.

This has created a climate of fear and insecurity throughout the government and the public.

Emperor Xuanwu had no choice but to issue an order for Zheng Jun to restrain himself.

Even so, the prison cells were overflowing.

Every day, people were sent to the execution ground, and new prisoners were brought in every day.

On this day, someone came from the palace.

The newcomer was Wang Xi, followed by several eunuchs, each carrying a pot of wine.

This was the first time Shen Yan had ever seen such a display.

Ma Danian, being a seasoned veteran, whispered in Shen Yan's ear, "My lord, this is a great favor granted by the Emperor. He will be given poisoned wine to ensure that his body remains intact and that he is left with dignity."

Shen Yan nodded gently after hearing this.

The leading eunuch had a fair complexion, smooth lips, and somewhat graying hair; he appeared to be about sixty years old.

He looked at Shen Yan and said calmly, "I am Wang Xi. Take me to Prime Minister Yan's prison."

Upon hearing that the person in front of him was Wang Xi, Shen Yan couldn't help but take a second look.

The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was not just a simple eunuch; he also had discretionary power over state affairs, and his power and status were no less than that of Yan Fan.

"Please follow me, Eunuch Wang."

Arriving outside Yan Fan's cell, Wang Xi frowned slightly and asked, "How did he go mad?"

"It was already like this when Lord Zheng Jun brought it back."

Wang Xi sighed softly.

I don't know if they were feeling sorry or what.

"Give me a bar!"

Upon receiving the order, the eunuch behind him entered the cell and poured out a cup of wine.

Little did anyone know that Yan Fan had already gone mad and knocked him over with a backhand.

Although he has gone mad, he still possesses considerable strength. In Shen Yan's view, Yan Fan's current cultivation level should be at the fourth rank.

The young eunuch was no match for Yan Fan, and it was at this moment that Wang Xi made his move.

They rescued two eunuchs and subdued Yan Fan.

"What are you standing there for? Quickly invite Prime Minister Yan to drink some wine."

Shen Yan was somewhat shocked when he saw Wang Xi make a move.

"This person is actually a top-tier expert. As expected, those in high positions are never simple."

The four of them waited outside the cell until Yan Fan had completely stopped breathing.

Wang Xi ordered a young eunuch to carry away Yan Fan's body.

The Yan faction finally came to a complete end.