eurekapd Chapter 509 Resignation?
Chapter 509 Resignation?
Yun Shang's eyes darkened slightly as he gently stroked the teacup in his hand with his slender fingers.
Why did Prince Ying do this?
Because human greed never disappears; it is only temporarily hidden beneath the skin.
During the reign of the late Emperor Wenjing, only Prince Ying remained after the previous emperor died. Prince Ying did not want to die, so he deliberately transformed himself into a stupid and incompetent useless prince.
This is why he was able to stay safely in Shengjing City for decades.
However, after the new emperor ascended the throne, Prince Ying discovered that the new emperor was actually sickly, and most of the court affairs were handled by Yun Shang, an outsider. After that, the ambition that had been buried deep in his heart began to take root and sprout.
Prince Ying currently has no intention of usurping the throne; he wants to be the regent, second only to the emperor.
Therefore, Yun Shang became his biggest obstacle.
The new emperor's high regard for Yun Shang aroused Ying Wang's jealousy and anger. As long as Yun Shang was by the new emperor's side, the new emperor would not be able to give important positions to anyone else. Therefore, whether it was the women in Zuiyue Tower or the things that happened in the workshop, they were all aimed at Yun Shang.
Prince Ying intended to cause Yun Shang to make mistakes little by little, so that the new emperor and Yun Shang would drift apart, and then drag Yun Shang down from the heights to the depths of despair. However, he did not expect that Prince Ying's plan would fail before it even began.
Yu Wan was stunned. "So, we should thank Xiao Tao."
If they hadn't stumbled upon Xiao Tao running away, they might never have discovered the women at Zuiyue Tower.
Is this what they mean by good deeds being rewarded?
Yu Wan sighed inwardly and frowned. "What are you planning to do next?"
The candlelight cast the man's shadow on the wall, like a lurking lone wolf, carrying a deadly danger.
Yun Shang put down his teacup, his voice cold and indifferent, "If Prince Ying wants to ruin my reputation, then I'll play along."
He looked at Yu Wan, his gaze suddenly softening.
"I will voluntarily resign from all official duties at tomorrow's morning court session."
“Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, I have been busy with official duties and have not had much time to spend with you. I’ll take this opportunity to show you around the other cities of Da Zhao.”
Yu Wan's eyes lit up, but after a moment she lowered her head and muttered dejectedly, "But I still have things to do at the workshop, I'm afraid I can't leave."
“The workshop is running smoothly, and the people you chose are very capable. I will arrange for a few more capable people to keep an eye on the workshop. If anything happens that Xiao Huanyan and Su Qingchan cannot handle, I will have them step in to help.”
Yu Wan shamelessly fell for him.
Three years ago, when she was rushing from Huizhou to Shengjing, she didn't even have time to properly appreciate the scenery along the way. Now that she had this rare opportunity, Yu Wan didn't want to miss it.
After only a moment's hesitation, Yu Wan agreed.
But then she thought of something and couldn't help but ask, "But wouldn't your resignation be exactly what Prince Ying wanted?"
“That’s exactly what I want him to think he has the victory in his grasp.” Under the candlelight, there seemed to be an undercurrent in Yun Shang’s eyes. “Although the Emperor trusts me, Prince Ying is still his only imperial uncle. If I go directly to him to accuse Prince Ying, the Emperor may not completely believe what I say.”
“If even the slightest mistake is made, a rift could easily develop between me and the Emperor. So rather than risk exposing Prince Ying’s ambitions, it’s better to give him the opportunity to reveal them himself.”
"Because of the late emperor's difficult situation, the current emperor hates his ministers for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices. If Prince Ying sees that I have lost power, he will definitely be eager to recruit court officials."
"Once his ambitions are exposed, I will strike, and we'll have him trapped like a turtle in a jar."
After hearing Yun Shang's words, Yu Wan smiled and praised him, but in her heart she couldn't help but think to herself, "Sure enough, you can't offend the male lead."
As Yu Wan was secretly sighing, Yun Shang gently pinched her cheek.
"What are you thinking about?" he chuckled softly, the scent of tea still lingering on his fingertips.
Yu Wan blinked and deliberately said, "Since Lord Yun is so shrewd, I'd better be careful in the future, lest I be sold out by you and still be counting the money for you."
Upon hearing this, Yun Shang's smile deepened.
He suddenly leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear: "Sell you? How could I bear to?"
This sudden intimacy made Yu Wan's heart skip a beat. She hurriedly pushed him away, trying to remain calm, and said, "We're talking about serious matters! You...you really want to resign from your post tomorrow?"
Yun Shang sat up straight, his expression returning to normal: "Of course. But before that, some arrangements need to be made."
He got up, walked to his desk, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a few lines on the paper.
Yu Wan leaned closer to look and saw several names listed, all of whom were important officials in the court.
"these are..."
“The people His Majesty has placed around Prince Ying,” Yun Shang said softly. “After I leave court tomorrow, they will keep a close eye on Prince Ying’s movements.”
Yu Wan suddenly realized: "So the Emperor was prepared all along!"
Yun Shang lowered his eyes slightly: "Sitting in that position, anyone would become suspicious, and the Emperor is weak, so his suspicions will only be stronger."
"How could he really be without any suspicion towards Prince Ying? It's just that he can't take direct action because of blood ties."
He folded the note, placed it in an exquisite copper tube, and handed it to the guard waiting outside the door.
As night deepened, the candlelight flickered.
Looking at the bright moon outside the window, Yun Shang suddenly asked, "Where does my wife wish to go?"
Yu Wan was still secretly complaining about how ruthless these politicians were when she suddenly heard this and paused, asking, "Where are we going?"
“Hmm.” He turned to look at her, his eyes reflecting the moonlight. “Huizhou is desolate, but besides Huizhou, Dazhao also has Lingzhou and Yangzhou in March, with willows and painted bridges, and green curtains in the wind. We can stay there for a while, and after you’ve had your fun, we can go to Xiaozhou to see the snow-capped mountains and to Yongzhou to admire the lone smoke rising from the desert.”
He spoke with such seriousness that it was as if he were not planning a temporary retreat in a political game, but rather orchestrating a genuine romantic adventure.
Yu Wan felt a warmth in her heart, and suddenly felt that exposing Prince Ying's conspiracy was completely insignificant.
She smiled and nodded, her eyes sparkling like falling stars: "I've never been to any of them, but I want to go."
Yun Shang's eyes were filled with tenderness as she gently nodded, "Whatever you say."
The following morning at court, Yun Shang indeed submitted his resignation.
The new emperor and all the officials were extremely shocked. The usually good-tempered emperor turned pale and left abruptly.
Duke Anguo was even more astonished, and after the emperor left, he couldn't help but ask, "What...what are you trying to do?"
Yun Shang bowed respectfully to the Duke of Anguo, "It has been a long time since I visited my father-in-law's home. I wonder if today is a convenient day?"
Duke Anguo's eyes flickered slightly, and he agreed.
After that, Yun Shang requested to resign each time he attended court three more times.
The emperor flew into a rage in the court, frightening all the court officials into silence.
Seeing this, Yun Shang did not bring it up again, but everyone could see that the relationship between the emperor and his minister was not as harmonious as before. After a stalemate of nearly half a month, just when all the ministers thought that the matter would not be resolved, news suddenly came that the emperor had approved the resignation of the second minister.
For a time, there was an uproar in the government and the public.
All the officials thought Yun Shang had gone mad. He had only been the second-in-command for a short time, barely settled in, and now he was resigning? He must be crazy!
King Ying also felt that Yun Shang was quite mad, but unlike the others, he was very happy and thought that Yun Shang's madness was for the best.