"His first offense: as an imperial prince, a foundation of the state and an heir to the Ancestral Temple, entrusted with the weighty duty of regency, he sought no improvement and disregarded ritual and law. He deserves a flogging!"
Zi Shou listened and nodded slightly.
Nothing wrong with that!
Yin Hong had always been restless and unruly. If the responsibility of regency had suddenly changed his nature, making him obediently handle state affairs and coordinate officials high and low, that would have been a problem.
Why else would I have made him regent?!
Yang Ren continued with righteous indignation, "His second offense: he is an incorrigible wastrel!"
"The New City was nearly complete, yet the second prince sent men to demolish every city wall, solely to make travel easier for his own boats and carriages!"
"He even intends to demolish Chaoge's city walls!"
Zi Shou froze as he listened.
Now... that was something new!
Yang Ren continued, bowing, "Then Fei Zhong and You Hun stirred up trouble, and the second prince ordered the demolished walls sold off in great quantities to the nobles as building stone, seeking money."
"Not only did the second prince fail to recognize the harm in this, he grew even more perverse."
Zi Shou could not help sitting up straight. He had more or less grasped what had happened.
That boy Yin Hong had demolished the walls of both the new and old cities. And demolition alone was not enough-he had sold the whole lot to the nobles for money.
Without its walls, Chaoge City was essentially as defenseless as a village or town, apart from covering more ground and having more people.
The thought stirred excitement in Zi Shou's heart. My dear boy! You actually did something even your father could not easily accomplish!
But