The already quiet court suddenly became even more silent. No one answered Ning Que's question. There was only a light clap. An official finally failed to hold his pen tightly and it fell into the rainwater on the ground.
In the human language, killing prisoners of war was a special phrase. It represented some of the bloodiest and cruelest scenes in history. With the passing of the barbaric era, those scenes became rarer and rarer. As for the Tang Empire, in the past several hundred years, except for Xia Hou, such a thing had never happened again.
Even Shangguan Yangyu, who was famous for his shamelessness, was shocked speechless by Ning Que's words. His pale face was full of absurdity and disapproval.
The autumn rain fell, and the strange silence continued. The silence made people feel very nervous. Finally, it was Ning Que who broke the silence.
"Why so serious? Is it hard to answer? Then I'll decide. "He looked at Shangguan and said," Let the states kill one-third first and see how it goes. "
In the war a few years ago, the Tang army captured more than 30,000 prisoners of war. Some of them were released in the peace talks because of the exchange. Now there were still many prisoners of war imprisoned in the mine. One-third of the total number … The mine would be dyed red. How high would the bones in the mine be piled up?
"Killing prisoners is ominous. Heaven will be angry. Mr. Thirteen, please think twice …"
An official said in a hoarse voice. Now no one in the Tang court dared to question the Academy's opinion, let alone oppose it. But there were still people who would show their bravery on some things.
Ning Que did not look at this brave official, but at the gloomy sky above the courtyard. There was no anger falling from the high sky, only continuous autumn rain.
Killing prisoners is ominous, so heaven will be angry? What kind of sky is that? Is it the silent sky overlooking the spring and autumn of the human world? Or is it the impartial sky that secretly presides over the natural order? In short, it is Haotian.
Then it is a joke.
He smiled and shook his head. He did not say anything, nor did he take back the order.
Shangguan Yangyu said bitterly, "I'm worried that it can't be carried out …"
Killing prisoners was indeed in conflict with the Tang people's three views, and it was seriously not in line with the Tang people's aesthetic taste. This was his worry or excuse.
Ning Que said, "Why can't it be carried out?"
Shangguan Yangyu said, "Something needs to be done. I'm afraid no one is willing to do it."
Ning Que smiled and said, "If no one is willing to do it, why don't you do it?"
Shangguan Yangyu was the Grand Secretary of the imperial court and had the full support of the Academy and the royal family. If he came forward and pushed for it, it would be possible to kill the prisoners no matter how difficult it was. But how long would he have to bear the bad reputation?
He sighed and said, "No wonder you insisted on bringing me with you today."
Ning Que said, "There are not many people who can do it well, and even fewer who have the courage to do it. You are the only one who dares to do it with a good heart and a bad reputation."
Shangguan Yangyu said with a bitter smile, "I can't say I'm in a good mood. That's too abnormal."
Ning Que frowned and said, "Why do I feel that you are scolding me?"
Shangguan Yangyu sighed, "Don't just dig the pit. You have to put something at the bottom of the pit, right?"
Ning Que said, "If the Academy can continue to exist, your family will be safe for ten generations."
Shangguan Yangyu's eyes brightened. He thought for a while and said, "Then do it."
He was a Grand Secretary, so he would not personally chop the heads of the prisoners. After giving the order, he asked Ning Que, "Piling up heads or bones?"
There were always two extremes in killing prisoners. One was to be extremely secretive, so as not to let the enemy know and to avoid being recorded in the history books. The other was to be extremely arrogant and deliberately let the enemy know. As for what would be recorded in the history books, they could only ignore it for the time being.
He and Ning Que had previously discussed that the Tang Empire was killing people to show the West-Hill Divine Palace. They wanted to kill until Haotian Taoism felt the pain. So it was not enough to just kill people. They had to let the enemy see it and let the whole world know. Only in this way could they confirm the Tang Empire's determination to kill people and feel fear. So of course, they should choose the latter.
How should they show the hundreds of cultivators and the families of the traitors who were killed and the thousands of prisoners who would die in the next few days to the world?
"We are not those primitive people on the grassland … Besides, how can we pile up so many heads? Where should I pile them? On the Vermilion Bird Avenue or under the Wanyan Tower? What if some heads roll down and scare the children? "
Ning Que looked at him and criticized, "It's too bloody! It's too cruel! "
Shangguan Yangyu felt very innocent, but thinking that many innocent people had become dead today, he decided not to make any excuses and just listened humbly.
"I know what you mean. Just like what I heard before, justice must not only be achieved, but it must also be seen. The same goes for killing people. We should find a way to let people see it, let the Divine Hall see it, but there is no need to scare our own people. There are always other ways."
Ning Que looked at the man in the chair next to him and said, "I think the Divine Hall will see it very clearly and will not misunderstand what we mean. Don't you think so?"
The courtyard was the place to kill people, and the stone steps was the place to watch people kill people. No one knew when two armchairs had appeared there. In addition to Ning Que, there was also a white-haired man.
His hair was white, but he did not look old. Fatigue was written all over his face. He was Cheng Lixue, the Grand Master of the Revelation Department of the West-Hill Divine Palace.
Hearing Ning Que's question, Cheng Lixue said after a moment of silence, "The Divine Hall will see it very clearly. But I am curious, do you know what you are doing?"
He was stationed in Chang 'an by the West-Hill Divine Palace and was in charge of all affairs. It seemed that he was in a high position, but in fact, everyone knew that he had lost his power and was exiled to the most dangerous place, the Ghost Region.
Ning Que said, "You should know what I am doing, so there is no reason for me not to know. But I do need your opinion on whether it will work or not."
Cheng Lixue said, "I am from the West-Hill Divine Palace."
Ning Que looked at the autumn rain in the courtyard and said, "The Great Divine Priest is dead. The Great Divine Priest was robbed by the fisherman from the South Sea. You are also kicked out of Peach Mountain. So you are no longer a member of the West-Hill Divine Palace."
Cheng Lixue smiled and said, "What opinion do you want?"
Ning Que said, "I want to know who the Drunkard listens to."
Cheng Lixue said, "Of course it is Haotian."
Ning Que looked at him quietly and said, "Now that Haotian is not in the human world, who is responsible for passing Haotian's words to the Drunkard? It used to be the Revelation Divine Palace. Who is it now? "
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