Chapter 27: The Trap
"Yang Yan, why did you submit this memorial to the Emperor?" He Xueyi began the interrogation.
Chu Ge raised his head with effort. "As a subject of the Great Wei, it is my duty to present a memorial to the Emperor—to uphold the principles of a ruler, fulfill the responsibilities of a loyal minister, and impeach traitors. It is simply my duty!"
He Xueyi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Very well, let me ask you this. Who instructed you to submit this memorial?"
Chu Ge smirked disdainfully. "Does Lord He require someone to instruct him every time he submits a memorial to the Emperor?"
He Xueyi let out a cold chuckle. "Fine. Then explain this line in your memorial: 'I implore the Emperor to heed my words, investigate Chong's treachery, or summon Prince Jing for questioning.' Why should the Emperor summon Prince Jing?"
Chu Ge knew that from this line onward, the hardcore test was beginning.
If it were a first-time player in this scenario, they might stumble through the initial question by chance, but the subsequent ones would be different. Each question required meticulous answers. An incorrect answer, or even no answer at all, would lead to Yang Yan's death and a failed trial.
The first question made it clear: He Xueyi's line of inquiry revolved around "political turmoil." Yang Yan's memorial was a death memorial—a document he'd prepared at the risk of his life, intending to criticize the Emperor Wei Zhao and the highest-ranking minister, Wang Chong.
The title "Emperor Zhao" was only bestowed posthumously, and while Emperor Wei Zhao was widely regarded as an unwise ruler, he wasn't entirely foolish. Though he neglected state affairs and was obsessed with grand projects, he allowed his ministers to drain the people's resources but was still concerned with appearances.
In the culture of that time, where subjects often covered up their ruler's faults, Wei Zhao was posthumously given the title "Zhao," meaning clever and perceptive—a euphemism at best.
The line He Xueyi referenced, "Investigate Chong's treachery," was an accusation of Wang Chong, branding him as a traitor. Yang Yan's memorial directly insulted Emperor Wei Zhao, who took immediate offense, but executing him would mean acknowledging Yang's accusations, thus damaging his own reputation. Therefore, the Emperor ordered him to be beaten severely but not killed outright, intending for Yang to endure humiliation and have his memorial discredited, which would restore the Emperor's dignity.
The high minister Wang Chong, on the other hand, wanted Yang Yan dead. Yang's bold impeachment threatened Wang's power, and any incident could give Emperor Wei Zhao an excuse to remove him. Thus, he saw Yang's memorial as a direct threat to his position and wanted to eliminate him swiftly.
There were also some loyal ministers who respected Yang Yan's courage but dared not speak up for him, fearing they'd be accused of forming factions and making Yang's sacrifice meaningless.
Lastly, there were officials like He Xueyi, who remained neutral but opportunistic. For him, the incident posed both a threat and an opportunity to remove his political opponents. It was almost impossible to overthrow Wang Chong, but He didn't want to fully align himself with Wang's faction either. His best chance to advance was by implicating Yang in a conspiracy.
Chu Ge's first failure had come from making a mistake in this aspect. Careless words allowed He Xueyi to connect Yang's memorial to Prince Jing, the Emperor's son, thus shifting suspicion onto the Crown Prince's advisors, leading to utter failure.
Chu Ge knew every word he said would be recorded by Eunuch Shi and relayed directly to the Emperor, so he had to choose his responses very carefully.
He responded with a sneer. "The court is filled with Wang Chong's cronies. Apart from Prince Jing, who else would dare to oppose Wang? How could His Majesty possibly find the truth if he asked anyone else?"
Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed He Xueyi's face. Yang Yan hadn't fallen into his trap after all.
He'd thought Yang was merely a straightforward official without political acumen, who'd be easily manipulated into directing the issue toward Prince Jing or other prominent figures. But Yang Yan had avoided the bait entirely.
Before the interrogation, the Emperor, Wang Chong, and He Xueyi had all secretly investigated Yang Yan, searching for any connection to specific officials. Any association might have sealed his fate, but Yang Yan, well aware of this, had left no such openings.
He Xueyi, hoping to catch him off guard during questioning, had aimed to find a loophole. Yet, Yang Yan had shown remarkable caution.
Having failed with his best strategy, He turned to his backup plan. His primary goal was to implicate Prince Jing or high-ranking ministers, positioning himself for a promotion. Since that had failed, he would now try to resolve the issue by thoroughly discrediting Yang Yan.
He sneered. "No accomplices? Very well, I'll believe you, for now. But that only proves your foolishness! You claim it's your duty as a subject, but that's just an excuse. Your real motive for submitting this memorial, regardless of external influence, can only be one thing: to gain fame by criticizing the Emperor and posing as a noble critic of the court.
"Who are you, a lowly official, to criticize the Emperor and the court ministers with such presumptuousness?"