kvmb Chapter 275: Monitoring Cao Cao
Chapter 275: Monitoring Cao Cao
Chapter 275: Monitoring Cao Cao
Tingwei Mansion.
After Wang Lang learned the news from the palace, the first thing he wanted to do was to find Yang Biao to ask for leave.
But before he left the duty room, a clerk came hurriedly and said nervously, "Tingwei, you'd better not leave the house."
Wang Lang vaguely heard a noise outside the gate, his eyes turned cold, and he asked, "What's causing the trouble again?"
The Supreme Court was responsible for "solving cases". Regardless of whether it was successful or not, there would always be people who were dissatisfied. Those dissatisfied people would come to the door to cause trouble every now and then.
Wang Lang had only been in office for a short time, but he had already become accustomed to it and was no longer in a hurry.
The clerk's face was still tense. He glanced outside the door and whispered, "They are the parents of the farmer who was beaten to death by the servants of the Prime Minister's Mansion. They are an old couple. They came to Luoyang from Sanfu."
Wang Lang's face suddenly changed, and he said, "Didn't I ask the county magistrates of Sanfu to stop them and deal with them locally? How did they get to Luoyang?"
The clerk smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know. However, I have informed the Shangshutai, the Tingweifu and the six ministries from Sanfu to Luoyang. I really don't know how they got here."
Wang Lang sneered and said, "You don't know, but I do! Someone escorted them all the way through the customs and personally delivered them to my Tingwei Mansion!"
The clerk was startled and asked, "Are you trying to harm the Prime Minister?"
Wang Lang thought that the new prime minister candidate had been decided, and now the only goal was to let Yang Biao retire peacefully.
But it is obvious that some people do not want Yang Biao to go away peacefully and want to bring Yang Biao down!
Wang Lang's eyes flickered, his mind was as fast as lightning, and he sneered even more, saying, "This is ridiculous!"
Before he finished speaking, Wang Lang strode towards the front yard.
The clerk hurriedly followed and said, "The Minister of Justice, the Minister of Justice has said that you cannot go over no matter what. He will block everything and will not implicate the Minister of Justice."
Wang Lang seemed not to hear and strode towards the front door.
The clerk tried to persuade him earnestly but failed to stop him.
When Wang Lang arrived at the gate, he saw a white-haired old couple kneeling on the ground with a complaint written in black and white in front of them.
The two men didn't shout or yell, they just knelt there calmly, with sorrow and sadness on their old faces, as if they had lost all desire to live.
The government officials of Tingwei's Mansion did not dare to take action. They just stood around and blocked the nearby people watching the excitement.
The noise came from the ordinary people who were watching.
When the Shao Cheng saw Wang Lang coming out, he was slightly surprised. He walked over as calmly as possible and whispered, "Ting Wei, why did you come out?"
Wang Lang observed the old couple and said, "Tell everyone to stay still. I'll handle it."
Shao Cheng stretched out his hand to stop him, but Wang Lang whispered, "Be careful, there are eyes everywhere."
Shao Cheng looked around quickly and saw someone dodging among the crowd.
When he looked up, Wang Lang had already walked out the door and came to the old couple.
The old man was obviously an old farmer, with a haggard face, deep wrinkles, and cloudy eyes. He looked at Wang Lang, raised his hands, and said, "May I ask who you are, sir?"
Wang Lang lifted up the hem of her skirt, knelt down in front of him, reached out for the indictment, and said, "Tingwei Wang Lang."
When the old woman heard this, she kowtowed and shouted, "Please ask the court judge to help me. My son was beaten to death. Please ask the court judge to do justice."
The old farmer was calm, raised his hand, and said, "Tingwei, have you accepted the case?"
Wang Lang looked at the complaint. The content was actually very simple. It mainly accused the servant in Yang Biao's hometown of beating his son to death and requested an investigation.
Wang Lang read it carefully twice, frowned and asked, "What is the name of this servant who committed the crime? Has he been caught?"
The old farmer showed a delighted expression and said hurriedly, "His name is Yang Cheng. He is a servant of the Yang family. He is hiding in the Yang family. The officials of Hongnong County dare not intervene. So far, he has not been caught. Please investigate."
Wang Lang nodded, turned around, and said to the Shao Cheng: "You personally lead people to Hongnong, no, go to the Prime Minister's Mansion first, and ask them to send people to help arrest the person. If there is any situation at the Prime Minister's Mansion, you report it immediately, and I will wait for you here."
Shao Cheng's heart was pounding. He looked at Wang Lang, but seeing that Wang Lang didn't show any expression and that everyone was watching, he could only say, "Yes. I'll go right away."
He selected a few people and headed straight for the Prime Minister's Residence.
The old farmer was a little skeptical, but still said, "Thank you, Tingwei."
The old woman nodded gratefully and pulled the old farmer's sleeve, as if there was hope for her son's redress.
I am much calmer. After experiencing so much excuses and so much hope and despair, I have long since calmed down.
Wang Lang remained calm and said to the old couple, "If the Prime Minister's Office refuses, I will bring you two elders to the palace to ask His Majesty to make the decision. Do you have any objections?"
The old farmer didn't like to fight back, and said hesitantly: "It's all up to the court judge."
Wang Lang nodded, knelt down in front of them, and said, "Tell me the details of the case, especially how Hongnong acted."
The old farmer felt uneasy, but still told Wang Lang everything.
Wang Lang listened carefully, trying to figure out the trick.
The people watching from all sides were already in an uproar, with constant discussions.
"Just now, Wang Tingwei sent people to the Prime Minister's Mansion to ask for their assistance in arresting someone?"
"I think I heard it too. Are you really going to arrest the people from the Prime Minister's Mansion?"
"Isn't this Wang Tingwei the prime minister's?"
"It's fake, just for us to see, right?"
“Hey, Wang Tingwei just said that if the Prime Minister’s Mansion is not worthy, then bring this old couple into the palace?”
"Is this for real?"
"It's over, it's over. Something bad is going to happen. This Wang Tingwei is going to bite back at the Prime Minister!"
The people were talking so loudly that Wang Lang could naturally hear them. He talked to the old farmer and his wife with an expressionless face.
He sensed something from this. The Hongnong side was deliberately delaying the matter and not handling it seriously at all. It was obvious that they wanted to exaggerate the matter and send the old couple to Luoyang.
'It's simple and effective.'
Wang Lang evaluated in his mind and asked the old couple: "Besides the servant, are there other people involved in the case? For example, someone from the Yang family, or the prime minister or something?"
The old farmer raised his hand quickly and said, "I don't know. But they beat my son to death and seized our 15 mu of dry land. They were going to build a villa and said they were going to give it to a high official."
To ordinary people, there are countless "big officials", but in Wang Lang's view, the reference is very clear, that is the only "big official" - Prime Minister Yang Biao.
Wang Lang nodded and said, "I understand. I will ask the Prime Minister in person."
The old farmer was about to speak when the Shao Cheng hurried back, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and said, "Tingwei, the Prime Minister's Office has agreed and sent a manager who is willing to go with us to Hongnong to catch the murderer."
Wang Lang stood up and said, "Okay. You go there in person, take the person, and return to Luoyang immediately without delay. Also, don't get into conflict with anyone."
"Yes!" The Shao Cheng understood Wang Lang's order, glanced at the old couple, said no more, and left with his men.
Wang Lang watched them leave, knowing that there would be more trouble, and said to the old couple in front of him, "You stay in the Court of Justice for the time being, and go back after the case is decided."
The old farmer began to trust Wang Lang a little, and raised his hand and said, "If Xiao Er's grievances are redressed, I will serve you like a cow or a horse!"
Wang Lang didn't like the title of "noble", so he just nodded calmly, glanced at the crowd of onlookers, and turned away.
He is going to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
As Wang Lang "solved" the matter in front of the door, the onlookers did not disperse, but instead became more vocal in discussions.
"I don't quite understand what Wang Tingwei is going to do?"
"No, he really turned against us, right? He is the Prime Minister's man."
"Maybe there is some conspiracy. These officials are all evil-minded."
"Well, it's possible. We have to keep an eye on them and make sure we don't let the old couple die."
The people whispered to each other and nodded, thinking it made sense.
Wang Lang's actions soon spread throughout Luoyang City, and countless people became suspicious and speculated.
Wang Lang came to Yang Biao's mansion and waited for Yang Biao to come in the front hall. Just as he was about to speak, Yang Biao smiled, sat down, and laughed: "Jingxing, I have escaped a disaster!"
Wang Lang was stunned for a moment, and said in confusion: "You don't blame me for sending people to your mansion?"
Yang Biao picked up the teacup, shook his head repeatedly, and said, "You did the right thing. I'm not talking about this, but this matter."
Wang Lang frowned deeply, totally not understanding what Yang Biao said.
Yang Biao took a big sip, looked out the door with a smile on his fat face, and said, "Although I don't know who doesn't want me to return home safely, he made a wrong move."
Wang Lang was puzzled and said, "This matter is obviously aimed at you, and we don't know how many tricks are behind it. If you don't solve it properly, how can you escape?"
Yang Biao glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, still looking at the bright sky outside the door, and said: "Jing Xing, sometimes you have sharp eyes and unique insights. But when it comes to understanding people's hearts, you are a few steps behind me."
Wang Lang saw that Yang Biao was really relaxed, so he sat up straight and said, "Tell me in detail."
Yang Biao was too fat and couldn't sit still. He slowly lay back and said with a smile: "The person who attacked me was very smart. He was neither hurried nor slow. He took every step without revealing any flaws. I can't find out who it is. In the palace, Most likely we won’t be able to find out. Guess what the palace would think?”
Wang Lang thought about it reluctantly, but still felt reluctant, and said, "What does this have to do with the palace? If you are questioned, His Majesty should be happy to see it, right?"
Too many people in the court and the public knew that the emperor in the palace was deeply touched by Prime Minister Yang Biao's "inaction" and had repeatedly reprimanded him.
Only when Yang Biao was whipped in the palace would he move his hands with difficulty and do something.
In addition, the Yang and Yuan families have been related by marriage for generations, and both have three officials in four generations, so their prestige is unparalleled.
In the case of the Yuan family, the Yang family dealt with it decisively. Even Yang Biao divorced his wife himself and severed ties with the Yuan family, so he was not implicated.
But does His Majesty in the palace really trust the Yang family? Isn't he worried that the Yang family was involved in the incident, or even that the Yang family will become the second Yuan family?
Yang Biao laughed so hard that his eyes almost disappeared. He said, "That's what I said. You don't know how to guess the emperor's intention. Okay, no need to ask. You can do whatever you want and investigate however you want. It doesn't matter how big or small the matter is. When your majesty returns to the capital, it will be time for me to leave."
Wang Lang was confused. At this moment, Yang Xiu came in and raised his hand and said, "Greetings, father. Greetings, teacher."
"Sit down." Yang Biao sat up immediately and said calmly without smiling.
In front of his son, Yang Biao has always been a kind and strict father, and would not let Yang Xiu see him in such an embarrassing scene.
Yang Xiu sat down between the two men and said to Wang Lang, "Teacher, what father meant was that the palace hoped that he would retire calmly and that there would be no disturbance in the court. The manipulator behind the scenes obviously didn't understand that the more trouble he made, the safer father would be."
Wang Lang shook his head and said seriously, "If things really get serious, I'm afraid it will be beyond your control. I say, Yang Wenxian, don't be too fanciful. You must do what you should do!"
Wenxian is Yang Biao's pen name.
Wang Lang was a student of Yang Biao's father. He had known Yang Biao for more than 20 years, and there was almost no distinction between the two of them.
Yang Biao was not angry at all for Wang Lang calling him "Yang Wenxian" and said, "Mr. Wang, I am not in a hurry, so why should you be in a hurry? Otherwise, why don't you go to Hongnong in person and close the case there? When you come back, His Majesty will almost be back in Beijing, so it will be a good time for me to see him off."
Hearing the words "farewell", Wang Lang felt angry at Yang Biao and glared at Yang Xiu, saying, "Tell your father!"
Seeing the two elders quarreling, Yang Xiu dared not to worry too much. He rolled his eyes and said, "Father, teacher, I am going to Cao Cao's shogunate."
Yang Biao and Wang Lang stopped arguing and looked at each other with strange expressions.
Yang Xiu should have gone to Cao Cao's court long ago, but was stopped by Yang Biao and not allowed to leave.
As for Cao Cao, Yang Biao, like Wang Lang, believed that this man was not an ordinary person, but also an extremely dangerous person. Following him might not bring good results in the future.
Yang Biao had no ambition for a career in politics, and after becoming prime minister he wanted to retire.
Wang Lang just wanted to do things, but he didn't have a strong desire to get promoted.
Instead, it was their younger generation, Yang Xiu, who they placed their hope on.
Yang Xiu was intelligent since childhood, and his performance far exceeded that of his peers. Whether in literature or in life, he gave people the expectation of being a "talent who can assist the king".
Yang Biao and Wang Lang did not want Yang Xiu to take risks, but they also knew that they could not resist the will of the palace.
The front hall was silent for a long time before Yang Xiu spoke up: "Father, teacher, Cao Cao may not be as the rumors spread. Judging from his military exploits, he may be the key to pacifying the troubled times."
Wang Lang saw Yang Xiu's eyes sparkling with expectation, and couldn't help but sigh, saying: "You only see the surface. Looking at the Thirteen States of the Han Dynasty, how many people are vying for official positions? There are many shogunate offices in the states, counties, and prefectures, and countless extraordinary people have been recruited. How many of them are truly for the court and for the Han Dynasty? Once the court changes, there will be war and heroes will rise. Only then can we distinguish between loyalty and treachery, and distinguish between truth and falsehood."
Yang Biao replied, "Dezu, I plan to have you become Xun You's disciple."
Wang Lang frowned. He suspected that Xun You was secretly doing something, but he was just a suspicion and had no evidence at all.
Yang Xiu's expression became more determined, and he said, "Father, don't worry about me. At least for now, I won't be in danger. Besides, His Majesty probably sent me there to train me and keep an eye on Cao Cao."
Wang Lang didn't expect Yang Xiu to see so clearly. After pondering for a while, he said, "When you go there, you should be less talkative, watch more, talk less, and do less. Try to be a mute as much as possible and don't get too close to anyone. Learn from your father."
Yang Xiu didn't care at all, and said, "Student will remember it."