You've Got Mail: Cautionary Tale (YGMCT)

Chapter 105 - Wrapping Up

The case of Yan Wenxin conspiring to betray the country created a storm in court. At first, there were still his allies who wanted to speak up for him, to exonerate him. However, they did not expect that the Emperor had such irrefutable proof in his hand, the evidence concrete. There were even letters Yan Wenxin personally wrote to the confidants of the southern barbarian king. In an instant, all the voices fell silent.

Having been a court official for twenty years, Yan Wenxin’s power in court was like the roots of a towering tree, deep and complicated. However, this tree still could not escape lightning, and in one breath, from crown to root, it was split in two.

His allies cautiously shrunk into themselves. Afraid to be dragged in to face the might of the Emperor, around a dozen people called in sick at once and another dozen sent up appeals for their own retirement. Their replacements this time were all people with no strong family backgrounds, and they were a bunch of young talents who were mindful about the rules and regulations.

Amongst the people in court, which one of them was not clever? Previously, the Emperor held great trust in Yan Wenxin, favouring him in particular, and rumours had spread both in court and in the country about how the Emperor and his official shared a homosexual relationship. After all, not too long ago, when that thing with Yan Wenxin’s adopted son happened, the Yan family had completely escaped unscathed from it and great sympathy was even shown to Yan Wenxin.

Now, looking back at it, the Emperor was actually leading him to destruction by lauding him to the skies! There was no need to mention how his actions were so swift and resolute, the trap had definitely been in place for a long time already. Just look at how quickly the Lord Protector had recovered from his illness, and how his son had been reinstated as the Great Southern Garrison General. The ones who should be rewarded and favoured, none of them had been missed out, and there was no need to name who were the ones who were truly trusted by the Emperor.

As such, in less than seven days, all the voices that were ready to start trouble, planning on probing into the matter, fell silent. Yan Wenxin had been crippled, and more than half of the alliance had been eradicated without even a drop of blood being spilled. Despite the storm in the court, things were completely unruffled, and the storm subsided silently.

Yan Wenxin had relied on the Yue family for the foundation of his base and he did not have any other relatives. Once this matter happened, before Yan Wenxin had even been sentenced, Madam Yan had her divorce papers notarised, then brought her daughter along with her to a Guanyin Temple that was a day’s journey away in a carriage from the capital to seal herself shut in meditation, removing her ties completely from the incident. As for their sons, Madam Yan’s abilities fell short of her desires, and she could only watch as her two sons had all their achievements stripped off and were locked in jail. She did not know if in the end, they would be able to even keep their lives.

The Emperor did show the Yan family a last shred of benevolence. The lives of the two Yan sons were kept, but they were then designated as untouchables, and were sent to the northwest borders as slaves, leaving once winter ended. As for what exactly would happen to Yan Wenxin, the Emperor still did not mention a word, and no one dared to ask. After some time passed, it seemed as though the entire court had forgotten that there was once the existence of a powerful minister like Yan Wenxin.