Duan Wenzhen didn't dare to say any more, bowed and retreated, and when he walked out of the door of the Liangyi Palace, he happened to see Wang Shichong in a purple robe entering the hall under the leadership of a eunuch. ”

Duan Wenzhen frowned, glanced at Wang Shichong with disgust, and said coldly: "Wang Shilang, this official sees that you are light and healthy, and you are walking like flying, but you don't look sick at all, these days the Supreme has issued an order to conquer Goguryeo, and the official is still thinking, how can a great talent like Wang Shilang miss this battle." ”

Wang Shichong replied unhurriedly: "The weather turned cold a while ago, and the lower official occasionally felt unwell, and he was bedridden for a while, unable to go to the court, but when the official heard that the Supreme had issued a comprehensive mobilization order, and ordered the warriors of the whole country to assemble in Zhuo County, the lower official could no longer lie down, and forced himself to get out of bed. It just so happened that Xia Guan had a plan to break Goguryeo, and he wanted to offer it to His Majesty, but I was afraid that it would be too late, so Yin entered the palace at night and made Duan Shangshu smile. ”

Duan Wenzhen's white beard moved with the muscles of his face, and said, "Then the official will not disturb Wang Shilang's important matter of giving advice to the Supreme, Wang Shilang please." As he spoke, he made a gesture of inviting inward, and walked out of the palace in great strides, Wang Shichong rubbed his waist behind his back and said respectfully, "Duan Shangshu is good to go!" ”

Straightening his waist, Wang Shi straightened his clothes and said to the little eunuch beside him: "Father-in-law, please report it." ”

The little eunuch was about to speak, when Yang Guang's voice came out: "Is Wang Aiqing here?" Come on in. ”

Wang Shichong walked into the Liangyi Palace. I saw Yang Guang's face calm. was looking down at the folds on the table, and didn't look up at himself, obviously, what Duan Wenzhen said outside the hall just now was deliberately said to Yang Guang, and at this time he had already decided that he was pretending to be sick, and at the beginning of today, I was afraid that it would not be so good.

Wang Shichong knelt down and kowtowed respectfully: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live." ”

Yang Guang still didn't look up at Wang Shichong. Said coldly: "Wang Aiqing, it's really time for you to get better, when I asked you to try the case a few days ago, you were bedridden, and now when I heard that there was going to be a war, I was about to enter the palace late at night to offer advice, should I treat you for the crime of bullying the king, or should I reward you for your loyalty to the country?" ”

Wang Shichong raised his head and said with a straight face: "Back to Your Majesty, Weichen does have a small illness." But it is not so that he can't go to the court to do things, and the crime of bullying the king is also punished by His Majesty. ”

Yang Guang didn't expect Wang Shichong to be so frank. was a little surprised, raised his head, and said: "Oh, it's rare for Wang Aiqing to confess so frankly, but as a criminal law official, you should know how to punish this crime of bullying the king." ”

Wang Shichong's face did not change, and replied: "The criminal minister should be punished according to the law, but the criminal minister wanted to remind the Supreme before the law, and the criminal minister could not stop the Supreme from acting rashly and making mistakes, so he had to advise in this way, but unfortunately His Majesty still insisted on seeing it, and the criminal minister had nothing to say, but I only hoped that after the death of the minister, when His Majesty made a decision next time, he could consider the words of the criminal minister today." ”

Yang Guang's face became more and more gloomy: "Wang Shichong, are you saying that I shouldn't kill Xue Daoheng?" ”

Wang Shichong raised his head and nodded seriously: "Yes, the criminal minister dissuaded His Majesty that day, and today the criminal minister still has the same opinion, Xue Daoheng is indeed guilty, but the crime is not death, killing him is not worth the loss for His Majesty!" ”

Yang Guang's hand slapped heavily on the table, and said sharply: "Wang Shichong, you are so bold, Xue Daoheng has ill intentions, used the emperor to insult me, and still misses the anti-thief Gao Xi in his words, these crimes are ironclad evidence when the three divisions are tried, Xue Daoheng himself confessed, do you want to overturn the case for him?" ”

Wang Shichong shook his head and said calmly: "No, Your Majesty, the minister said that Xue Daoheng is guilty, but the crime should not be punished, he does have contempt for His Majesty, but if he kills him on this charge, it is not in accordance with the law, if Xue Daoheng roars in court, or openly insults His Majesty, then it is indeed according to the law, but he just praises the emperor and complains when the court is indecided." ”

"In the past, when Gao Xi was in power, he personally sentenced Xue Daoheng to exile to Lingnan, so that he almost lost his life, everyone in the officialdom thought that these two were mortal enemies, Xue Daoheng also personally drafted the edict of abolishing the king of Fangling and rejecting Gao Xi's phase, how could he be Gao Xi's comrade?"

Yang Guang's expression was slightly soothed, but his brows were still tightly furrowed: "Wang Shichong, Xue Daoheng is proud of his talents, his eyes are empty, he often discussed the government in vain during the period of the first emperor, and did not respect the prince, and in my dynasty, he relied on the old and betrayed the old, I kindly took him back from exile, and also set up a secretary and supervisor for him, ready to let him continue to draft edicts for me, but how did he repay me?" If I tolerate such a fanatic, then everyone in the world will think that I can be bullied! ”

Wang Shichong nodded: "What His Majesty said is extremely true, but to punish a madman like Xue Daoheng, it is useless to kill him, it will only make those ordinary people outside think that His Majesty is intolerant, although it can be angry for a while, but it will damage His Majesty's prestige." ”

"Xue Daoheng is seventy years old, he is seriously ill, if his crime is made public, according to the law of the emperor, he will be punished for a crime without a king, and then His Majesty will come forward again, remembering his old age, and he will also be commuted for the sake of the Great Sui, and he will be exiled to Lingnan again, I am afraid that his body and bones will not be tossed for two years, and he will die in that miasma place, and when His Majesty is angry, the people of the world will only be grateful for His Majesty's benevolence and magnanimity, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?"

Yang Guang was slightly stunned and muttered: "This method seems to be indeed better than killing Xue Daoheng, but why didn't Wang Aiqing mention it to me at that time?" ”

Wang Shichong sighed: "Your Majesty is heroic, how can I not know the truth that a fool like the minister can think of, and Yu Shilang was present at the time, and the minister couldn't say anything, so he could only say that he couldn't get sick when he interrogated Xue Daoheng, so that His Majesty could understand the minister's mind, but I didn't expect it, alas, ............" Wang Shichong said this, pretending to have a regretful expression and shaking his head.

A trace of remorse flashed in Yang Guang's eyes, and after a long time, he said, "Is there really a fierce reaction to the killing of Xue Daoheng outside?" ”

Wang Shichong nodded: "No one dares to talk about it publicly, but the scholars are quietly talking about this matter, and there is a lot of dissatisfaction with His Majesty in his words. (To be continued......)