Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 31: The Great Prison (Part )
Wang Yi experienced ups and downs in officialdom for decades, starting as the Left Palace Attendant of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and successively served as the Imperial Doctor, the Deputy Governor of Yongzhou, and finally the Imperial Tong and the Imperial Secretary. His career climbed all the way to the top, almost reaching the pinnacle that a minister could achieve.

Being extremely sensitive to changes in the court's atmosphere, he certainly knew that since the third year of Kaihuang, Yang Jian had begun to gradually distance himself from the Duke of Yun's Mansion.

In the fourth year of Kaihuang, Wang Fengxiao died young. Although the emperor issued an edict and granted him a very grand funeral and the emperor still showed favor on the surface, Wang Yi knew in his heart that with the death of Wang Fengxiao, the last bit of dignity of the Duke of Yun's Mansion would be gone.

Wang Yi sighed deeply, his expression filled with loneliness, and murmured softly, "When the birds are gone, the good bows are put away; when the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked. In this world, it is easy to share adversity, but once wealth and honor come, it is extremely difficult to share the glory!"

The atmosphere in Daxing City had recently become increasingly oppressive, with the Twelve Guards frequently being rotated, and the Palace Guards also undergoing unusual movements. All signs indicated an impending storm. Many of Wang Yi's former confidants and subordinates had been purged in this silent game.

The court was in a state of panic. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Yang Jian was finally going to take action against Wang Yi. Judging by the current situation, Wang Yi, a founding father and close friend of the emperor, would be punished for his crimes no later than next year, and perhaps as early as this year.

"Perhaps, I can still give it another try. I just hope that Luo Yan still has some love for his child." It is said that the only hardship in life is death. Wang Yi certainly does not want to die, so he thought of his daughter-in-law Princess Lanling who was mourning for her legitimate son. Perhaps this daughter-in-law is his way to survive.

Thinking of his daughter-in-law, Wang Yi smiled bitterly. Back then, he had insisted on marrying Yang Jian, and had his legitimate son Wang Fengxiao bring the seven-year-old Yang Ah-Wu into his family. He was hoping that one day, if Yang Jian turned against him, he would still have a way out.

Although Wang Yi and Yang Jian were close friends, this friendship alone was not enough to convince him to risk his own life and the annihilation of his clan in support of Yang Jian. Yang Jian's position was precarious at the time, and Yuchi Jiong, dissatisfied with Yang Jian's authoritarian rule, had rebelled.

If Yang Jian were defeated by Yuchi Jiong, a brutal reckoning would await him and his followers. Yuchi Jiong would then replace Yang Jian as regent of the Northern Zhou court. This power struggle was essentially a brutal winner-takes-all game.

The reason Wang Yi risked his life and property to support Yang Jian was not because of childhood friendship, but because Yang Jian offered him too much. The phrase "sharing the country's fate and the world's interests" and the promise of marriage to the Wang family after the success of the plan made Wang Yi completely turn to Yang Jian.

In fact, if Wang Yi had a choice, he would rather be a spectator between the two than to get involved. However, at that time, there were only two factions in the Northern Zhou court, and without Yang Jiwei, there was no room for a centrist to survive.

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Daxing Palace, Wude Hall,
The floor is paved with jade tiles, as smooth as a mirror, reflecting all the furnishings in the hall, making them sparkle.

"Your Majesty, I am your honored minister," Yang Lin walked into the Wude Hall with steady steps. He stood straight, and the corners of his robe made a slight rustle in the wind. Although he had been tired from the journey, he could not conceal his heroic spirit and majesty.

After receiving Yang Jian's urgent document from three thousand miles away, Yang Lin did not even return to Rang County. He immediately wrote a letter and gave it to Zhao Xuanyun, asking Zhao Xuanyun to pass the letter to He Ruobi who was stationed in Hankou, and let He Ruobi take charge of the military and political affairs from Nanyang to Hankou on his behalf.

After arranging his replacement, Yang Lin sent his two hundred personal guards back to the Nanyang camp and rode back to the capital alone. The one-horned green-maned beast he rode could travel a thousand miles a day, and without his personal guards to slow him down, he could travel day and night and reach the capital from Nanyang Rang County in two days.

Yang Lin was anxious to return to the capital because he was well aware that Wang Yi wielded considerable influence within the military, with numerous followers and friends both within and outside the court. Without Wang Yi in command of the Twelve Guards and the ability to stabilize the military, Emperor Yang Jian would face considerable risk if he were to take action against Wang Yi. Although Yang Lin didn't believe Wang Yi could truly turn the tables, who knew what he might do if he were cornered? This was Yang Lin's real concern.

"Uncle, you're finally back," Yang Jian smiled as he stood up upon seeing Yang Lin. "With you away from the capital, I've always felt like something's missing. There's no one around to talk to. I'm almost feeling all alone."

Glancing at his nephew Yang Jian, Yang Lin sighed softly and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you wait until I return to the capital before launching a major prison operation? People are now in a state of panic. Since I entered Daxing from Mingde Gate, all the officials and civilians I saw along the way were in a hurry, with expressions of worry on their faces."

"This is extremely detrimental to the stability of the court and the will of the people!"

Yang Jian frowned slightly and said, "Uncle, I am forced to do this by the circumstances. Wang Yi has many followers, most of whom hold important positions. If we don't remove them in time, I'm afraid they will become too powerful to be controlled, and the situation will become even more difficult to control."

Yang Lin remained silent. He knew that Yang Jian's so-called replacement was definitely not as casual as he said. He also knew why Yang Jian had started a large-scale purge before Yang Lin returned. He was afraid that Yang Lin would plead for these old subordinates of Wang Yi and leave trouble.

You know, many of Wang Yi's former subordinates had served under Yang Lin, so Yang Lin was very familiar with them. He certainly didn't want to see these brave generals die at the hands of their own men instead of on the battlefield of the conquest of Chen.

If Yang Lin showed sympathy and pleaded for mercy for Wang Yi's former subordinates, Yang Jian would certainly show mercy given Yang Lin's status. Yang Jian still had to give face to his uncle, after all, this was the king who supported the Sui Dynasty and was someone Yang Jian regarded as a supporter.

Seeing Yang Lin's silence, Yang Jian said softly, "I was worried that Wang Yi would become desperate and start a rebellion, but now that my uncle has returned to the capital, and with him in charge of the army, I have nothing to worry about!"

With Yang Lin's presence in Daxing City, anyone hoping to take advantage of the chaos would have to consider who could withstand the Fire and Water Prison Dragon Rod. Even if Yang Lin didn't have to do anything, as long as he was in Daxing City, no one would dare to act rashly. This was why Yang Jian urgently summoned Yang Lin to the capital from 3,000 miles away.

"Uncle, with the replacement of Wang Yi's old subordinates, many positions in the Twelve Guards have been left vacant. I intend to hold a military examination and issue the Zhaowu Order, summoning all warriors from across the land to gather in Daxing, regardless of their origins, whether they are royalty or commoners."

"As long as you dare to come to the martial arts examination, as long as you have outstanding qualities, you will become a pillar of the country and will be employed according to your talents."

Yang Jian looked at Yang Lin with a piercing gaze and said, "Uncle, would you be willing to be the chief examiner for this military exam and select talented individuals for the Great Sui Dynasty?"

"Talent selection?"

Yang Lin was stunned. He obviously didn't expect that after Yang Jian urgently summoned him back to Beijing, he didn't let him directly take charge of the Twelve Guards. Instead, he made him the chief examiner of the military examination to select talents to fill the vacancies in the Twelve Guards.

(End of this chapter)