Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Chapter 711: Chapter 561: Emperor Yanping’s Control over the Court

Emperor Yanping stroked his beard, shaking his head, ”Not a single new idea!”

He closed the memorial and picked up another one impeaching Zhou Yunsong. Compared to the one impeaching Yang Zhenshan, the ones accusing Zhou Yunsong were varied and numerous.

All sorts of accusations were made, various hats were placed onto Zhou Yunsong’s head, some even bigger than those once placed on Yang Zhenshan.

Among them, the biggest accusation was conspiracy to rebel.

Someone actually impeached Zhou Yunsong for rebellion, making it sound plausible and credible, almost convincing Emperor Yanping to believe it.

However, it was clear that this was all nonsense. If someone said Zhou Yunsong was forming a faction, Emperor Yanping would believe it, as it was indeed a result of his own deliberate creation.

But to say that Zhou Yunsong was plotting rebellion? Even a fool wouldn’t believe it.

What could Zhou Yunsong possibly rely on to rebel?

On his few hundred servants, or on those civil servants under him?

Emperor Yanping, while flipping through the memorials, stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.

He liked to play the balance, and indeed a balanced situation had emerged in the court, with Song Yuange and Zhou Yunsong being evenly matched, neither able to gain an advantage over the other.

Yet at this moment, Emperor Yanping noticed that the current situation seemed to be developing in an uncontrollable direction.

Dozens of memorials arriving all at once, what did that signify?

It signified that Song Yuange had linked up with too many officials in the court.

”It’s time for a change!” Emperor Yanping murmured quietly.

He could tolerate strife within the court, but he would never allow the conflict to exceed his control.

After a moment of thought, he said, ”Send these memorials to Marquis Jing’an and Elder Zhou!”

”As you command!” Zhang Mingzhong replied.

...

It wasn’t long before Yang Zhenshan received memorials delivered by the eunuch from the emperor’s presence. He glanced over four memorials, and with an unconcerned curl of his lips, said, ”Only four? Heh, Zhou Yunsong, that old fox, is really quite cunning.”

Could Zhou Yunsong not allow officials to impeach Yang Zhenshan in droves?

Of course not, if Zhou Yunsong wished, he could rally dozens of officials to impeach Yang Zhenshan within a day, but why didn’t he do so? Because he understood not to make Yang Zhenshan an enemy.

Although Yang Zhenshan had impeached him and caused him a lot of trouble, Zhou Yunsong didn’t see Yang Zhenshan as an enemy, just as a domineering troublemaker.

Continuing to provoke Yang Zhenshan was of no benefit to him and could even bring about a fiercer counterattack from Yang Zhenshan, so he did not organize officials to impeach Yang Zhenshan. Those four memorials were merely privately submitted by a few officials who wanted to curry favor with Zhou Yunsong.

”Eunuch Li, how many memorials are there impeaching Elder Zhou?” Yang Zhenshan asked, looking at Li Shangxi, the eunuch from the emperor’s presence who sat beside him.

Li Shangxi was in his twenties, looking very young. He was Zhang Mingzhong’s godson and also a young eunuch valued by Emperor Yanping.

Although this one had little seniority within the Imperial City, his future was boundless, and he might well become the next Chen Zhongshu.

Why not the next Zhang Mingzhong?

Because Zhang Mingzhong’s cultivation level was not high, making it very hard for him to become an Innate Martial Artist in his lifetime.

However, Li Shangxi’s talent for cultivation was quite remarkable. In his early twenties, he had already attained the Postnatal Second Layer, and with Emperor Yanping’s favor and no lack of resources, there was a great chance for him to become an Innate Martial Artist in the future.

Li Shangxi smiled calmly and said, ”This servant doesn’t know, but my godfather couldn’t carry them alone, he specifically called two attendants to bring the memorials to the Imperial Study Room!”

”Oh, how did His Majesty deal with these memorials?” Yang Zhenshan became interested.

”All were sent to Elder Zhou,” said Li Shangxi with a smile.

Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard, pondering, and felt that Emperor Yanping intended to take action against Zhou Yunsong.

Previously at the morning court, Emperor Yanping had shown no indication of moving against Zhou Yunsong, but these memorials seemed to have changed his mind, suggesting that Zhou Yunsong had a lot of dirty laundry.

Yet these matters no longer had anything to do with Yang Zhenshan; he had become an outsider.

Zhou Yunsong had no intention of dealing with him, and with Song Yuange relentlessly pursuing Zhou Yunsong, it was inevitable that the two would have a big fight, perhaps even a deadly struggle.

Having figured all this out, Yang Zhenshan revealed a smile and reached into his sleeve to take out a porcelain bottle, saying, ”I heard Eunuch Li has reached the Postnatal realm, and I have recently concocted some Nine Treasures Refining Strength Pills, which are just right for Eunuch Li’s use!”

”There are three inside, Eunuch Li can take them, and if it’s not enough, you can always come to me.”

Yang Zhenshan smiled and handed the porcelain bottle to Li Shangxi.

The Nine Treasures Refining Strength Pill was effective in condensing Jin Qi and was most suitable for those at the Refining Power Level and Martial Artists in the Postnatal Early Stage.

Li Shangxi took the bottle, ”Thanks for the generous gift, Marquis!”

”Hahaha, Eunuch Li is busy with many affairs, I shall not keep you any longer!” Yang Zhenshan said.

Subsequently, Li Shangxi stood up, clasped his hands, and took his leave.

...

In the following days, just as Yang Zhenshan had predicted, the two factions in the court almost came to blows, with one side impeaching the other.

One side roped in the Imperial Censors from the Imperial Examination Hall to submit memorials, and the other did the same.

One has the Ministry of Revenue to cut off my funds and provisions, I have the Ministry of Personnel to inspect your service performance.

Back and forth they went, the battle raging fiercely.

As the struggle between the two sides became more intense, more and more officials were drawn into the midst.

Until the day of the early morning court session arrived again, Zhou Yunsong and Song Yuange unexpectedly asked to resign at court, and Emperor Yanping actually granted their requests.

This outcome shocked everyone in the court, and even Yang Zhenshan was incredibly surprised when he heard about it.