CH 73

The Emperor…..the Emperor is…..” The military officer burst into tears and kowtowed several times, “Prime minister! You can’t hand over the military power!”

Inside the tent, the military officer trembled, his eyes red: “This short-sighted…..”

“Quiet.” The man sat behind a low table placed with strong wine. He was in his thirties, but the hair on his temples was already graying and his once unyielding face appeared a bit old. He took a sip of wine. The strong wine burnt his throat and he coughed a few times. He said to the military officer, “That’s the Emperor.”

The Emperor could not be wrong, so only he could be wrong.

But what did he do wrong?

He tried his best to turn the tide and prolong the life of the Yuan Dynasty.

During his many years in politics, he could claim with a clear conscience that he didn’t have any selfish intentions even once. He had racked his brains for the betterment of Great Yuan, but in the end he only deserved such an edict?

When the Emperor asked him to attack Chuzhou, his words were so beautiful at that time.

“Zhen and the prime minister will govern the people of the world together.”

But now, the edict said: “In the three months Toqto’a lead the troops he has made little achievement, instead employing the country’s wealth for his own use, recruiting half of the imperial court’s officials to follow him.”

“I, Toqto’a, have always been loyal to the Emperor and this country.” Toqto’a poured a cup of wine and raised his sleeve to wipe at his face, “His Majesty will one day see my sincerity.”

The military officer seemed to finally be unable to bear it anymore and said: “Hama is now the manager of state affairs, he is not a good minister! He suppresses any dissidents, frames loyal ministers, takes away any beautiful daughters of both officials and common people to send into the palace for the Emperor and his Yi Nas’ enjoyment. The ruler does not act like a ruler and the minister does not act like a minister. They have no shame, dozens of people without a piece of clothing seeking pleasure together, such ugliness and filthy behavior causes one to feel disgust!”

The so-called Yi Na were like sworn brothers but not exactly the same. This status of “brother” was only acknowledged in bed matters.

To put it more bluntly, it was just to give their promiscuous gatherings and orgies a better sounding name.

Toqto’a said with difficulty: “His Majesty likes to have fun…..”

It was not a serious crime that the Emperor liked to have fun. The rules of the world were for restraining the subjects and people, not for restraining the Emperor.

The military officer laughed: “Prime minister, why bring suffering upon oneself, it’s not worth it!”

The military officer laughed loudly as he walked out of the tent, he hadn’t even left the tent for more than a hundred steps when he committed suicide by ramming a sturdy wooden post with his head.

As he bled profusely he said with his last breath to the soldiers who ran over: “I am a warrior of the Great Yuan. I shall wait in the underworld for Hama!”

The military officer died.

After learning the news, Toqto’a went to see the corpse of the military officer. He stood next to the coffin and looked at the young face of the military officer.

This was a good child. As a nobleman, he had never made a mistake and only wanted to make a contribution and serve his country.

Why did he die?

Toqto’a’s face turned blue.

That was the Emperor. They couldn’t hate the Emperor, they could only hate Hama.

The Emperor was only tempted into evil deeds by a villain.

With tears in his eyes, he stretched out his trembling hand and closed the eyes of his military officer.

Emperor!

He shed silent tears.

Was the fate of the Great Yuan really at its end?

——

In the fifteenth year, winter.

Toqto’a sat in the house. There was no coal or firewood in the house, and it was bitterly cold. He had now been exiled to Yunnan. The news about his family was brought to him by his former colleague and friend.

His younger brother was also exiled to Diaomen, Sichuan, his eldest son was in Suzhou, and his second son was in Lanzhou. All his family properties and wealth were seized and confiscated. His wife went to Suzhou with his eldest son.

But to this day, he still did not regret the choice of surrendering his military power.

He was a courtier. As a courtier how could he go against the Emperor?

When the Emperor humiliates the minister, the minister could not retaliate against the Emperor.

Cold rice and cold tea was placed in front of him. He laughed deprecatingly and poured tea for himself.

At this time, there was a voice outside the door. The man had lowered his voice, making it impossible to distinguish his original voice.

“Prime minister, that Hama sent people to bring an edict under the guise of the Emperor’s will to grant you death. The envoys are already on the way.”

Toqto’a overturned the teacup.

The man was afraid Toqto’a did not believe it so he said: “I cannot see you being victimized by a villainous traitor, prime minister, tonight, us brothers will help you escape.”

Toqto’a looked at the tea cup in his hand.

His wife, sons, and younger brother were all in the hands of Hama. Nowx Hama had passed down an edict under the guise of the Emperor’s will. If he escaped then his family would be dead. Even if he did not have disloyal intentions, by escaping he would be painted with having disloyal intentions.

If he did not escape then he would die but also save his family.

Toqto’a said in a deep voice: “Thank you, this righteous brother.”

The person: “Prime minister!”

Toqto’a sighed: “It is my fate.”

The person: “I know what the prime minister is worried about. Us brothers have already dispersed into several teams to save your wife and brother, as well as your two sons.”

“Prime minister! The villainous traitor brings disaster and calamity to the court, are you going to die for this villain?”

Toqto’a, who had been sitting stiffly, finally moved, standing up on weak legs: “Did you say…..my brother and my wife?”

The person: “Prime minister! You are a loyal courtier! You are the pillar of the country and must not die because of a villain!”

Toqto’a covered his face with his sleeves, breathing deeply several times.

“3am tonight!” The man said, “Prime minister must not give up lightly!”

The person left and Toqto’a listened to the footsteps of the other person leaving.

He remained motionless, memories of his entire life’s experience poured into his mind. What did he do wrong, and why did he end up with such a fate?

He handed over the military power, had his properties and wealth seized, and lost everything. But why, even now, did they still not let him go?

The person who had secretly alerted Toqto’a was surnamed Yang. Yang Shaowei bowed at the waist and walked into the small courtyard quietly. He straightened his back after entering the small courtyard. He stood outside the door and called softly: “Teacher, this student is back.”

An old man’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Yang Shaowei walked in and closed the door. The room was lit by a candlelight. Recently, the skies had been constantly overcast and the room was dark even during the day, making it difficult to distinguish between day and night. Teacher was an old man so he especially needed a lit candle for reading and writing.

“Did you give the message?” Song Shizhao asked without turning his head as he continued to look at his writing.

Yang Shaowei knelt and sat down: “I brought it, but…..”

Song Shizhao smiled and said, “He refused?”

Yang Shaowei nodded: “I’m afraid he would rather commit suicide.”

Song Shizhao: “Do you have any good solutions?”

Yang Shaowei swallowed, and he quickly said: “I can pour out his medicine, and then bribe a passerby to bring him out of the city. As long as he is hidden in a toilet bucket, no one will check it.”

Song Shizhao shook his head: “You hide him in the toilet bucket, and when he wakes up, either he will kill you or he will kill himself.”

Yang Shaowei: “…..”

In his view, survival was more important than face.

But for Toqto’a, sometimes face might be more important than survival.

He would rather die drinking the poisoned wine bestowed upon him from the “imperial edict” than escape with his life in a toilet bucket.

Yang Shaowei quickly said: “Teacher, please teach me.”

Song Shizhao: “Kill the envoys of Hama.”

Yang Shaowei’s eyes widened.

Song Shizhao chuckled and said, “In this way, there will be no retreat for Toqto’a.”

He had sent someone to rescue Esen Temur, and Toqto’a’s elder son and wife, and then dispatched people to kill Toqtoa’s younger son.

So long as the envoys were killed, in the eyes of the world Toqto’a would be as good as having rebelled, and he could foresee Hama using it to completely crush his political rival.

When the time came, he would reunite with his younger brother and his wife and son again. Even if he wanted to die, he would definitely be stopped. And on top of that there was his hatred for Hama who had ‘killed his son’.

Yang Shaowei shuddered.

Song Shizhao glanced at him: “Well, why are you still here?”

Yang Shaowei left the house.

Song Shizhao crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it aside.

Jiangnan was a really good place.

He wondered, when would this place be included under the rule of the South Bodhisattva?

Song Shizhao smiled.

Yang Shaowei left the courtyard. He was originally from Gaoyou, but he was sent to the South Bodhisattva by his family. He knew that he was going to be a male pet, but for the family, he had to grit his teeth and compete with those other young men and women for favor. So long as he managed to gain a foothold then the rest of his family would be able to ride on his success.

But after arriving, he discovered that the South Bodhisattva didn’t seem to have any intentions towards them.

Even Chu Lin, rumored to be the most popular person at the South Bodhisattva’s side, never accompanied him in bed.

Then, the South Bodhisattva had him go to work as a minor official.

Although his family was not a big, influential family, he had been studying poetry and books since he was a child and he could even discuss state affairs somewhat.

But when he became a minor official, he finally knew just how many people there were in Gaoyou and just how many were poor people. He realized that he couldn’t do anything but talk big.

This made him feel ashamed.

He had thought it was already very shameful to become a male pet.

But he did not expect that this new self-awareness made him even more ashamed.

The most useless people were scholars.

He deeply agreed.

He did the work of a small official and worked diligently, but he didn’t expect that he would be seen by manager Song and become a student of manager Song.

His world became bigger and his horizons broadened.

He suddenly understood the things that he didn’t understand before.

Then, manager Song took him to Jiangnan.

He knew about Toqto’a Temur and about the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. It made him very angry. Before the South Bodhisattva came, he was also a citizen of Great Yuan! The Emperor didn’t want to make progress, lived absurdly, was profitless to the country and harmful to the people.

How could such a person be an Emperor?

After taking off the shell of Emperor, he was just a foolish man who only indulged in pleasure and listened to the words of treacherous villains!

The stupid man was not frightening. What was frightening was that this stupid man held supreme power in his hands.

What was frightening was that he controlled the life and death of countless people.

Yang Shaowei felt anger for the common people, for the coutry, and for the loyal ministers!

When he learned that teacher was going to recruit Toqto’a, he couldn’t help but clap his hands and applaud. The Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, how was he worthy of such a loyal minister?

——

When the court envoys arrived, Yang Shaowei took people to guard outside the side door. He heard the envoy say: “Toqto’a Temur, are you aware of your crime?”

Yang Shaowei exchanged looks with the others and nodded slightly.

When the people broke in, Toqto’a had already held the goblet of poisoned wine up to his lips.

Suddenly, his wine goblet was knocked down, and the court envoys were killed almost instantly.

It seemed like a dream.

“Prime Minister! We are here to save you!”

Toqto’a’s hands and legs trembled violently.

His face was red and eyes widened, “You are ruining me!”

The place  was already thrown in chaos at this time, the flames blazing into the skies. Toqto’a looked at Yang Shaowei: “Who is your master?!”

Yang Shaowei looked at Toqto’a.

“Bring the prime minister out!” Yang Shaowei said loudly, and then people stepped forward and took a hold of Toqto’a on both sides.

If it weren’t for the fact that Toqto’a was unarmed, how could it be so easy?

Toqto’a angrily rebuked: “Your master has the ambition of wild wolves! I will not be in the company of rebel thieves!”

Yang Shaowei smiled and said: “Prime minister, open your eyes and look! As it is today, who still has any regard for the dog court? Millions of people are now fleeing and displaced, the righteousness of the world is no longer in the hands of the court.”

“Prime minister! Why not change the system? With you still alive, you can give the Mongolian people a way to survival.”

Toqto’a was greatly angered: “Shameless villain!”

Yang Shaowei said loudly: “Receiving such praise from the prime minister, my actions will not be made in vain!”