"Clang!"
Xu Qi 'an flicked his wrist, and the Black Gold Long Saber made a soft sound, leaving a trail of blood on the execution platform.
His gaze slowly swept across the seven Righteous Warriors kneeling under the platform, the Imperial Guards, and the masses of people. He took a deep breath and said in a clear voice,
"Today, Xu Qi 'an killed the two thieves, not to vent my anger, not for personal grudges, but for the righteousness in my heart, to avenge the injustice of Lord Zheng, to tell the imperial court one thing …"
Everyone looked at him, and the scene was silent, listening quietly.
Xu Qi 'an's tone was sonorous, but with an indescribable depth, "If Heaven has feelings, Heaven will grow old, and the righteous path of the human world is vicissitudes."
Xu Qi 'an's gaze swept across the crowd, looking at the blue sky in the distance. Between the white clouds, he seemed to see the rigid figure bowing to him.
Xu Qi 'an returned the bow, and did not raise his head for a long time.
Lord Zheng, rest in peace.
…
"If Heaven has feelings, Heaven will grow old, and the righteous path of the human world is vicissitudes …" On the roof in the distance, Huaiqing, dressed in snow-white clothes, trembled, and murmured in a daze.
"The righteous path of the human world is vicissitudes, is this the belief in your heart, Xu Qi 'an?"
Outside the crowd, a plain-looking woman held her heart, listening to it beating wildly.
Around the entrance of the market, the people who had gathered let out bursts of sobbing. They either lowered their heads or wiped away their tears, the sound of sobbing was endless.
"Father, why are you crying? Why are all the adults crying?"
In a place that was not too crowded, a child raised his head, blinking his eyes.
The man picked up the child, put him on his shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Look at that man, remember this sentence, you must remember this sentence, and remember him. In the future, no matter what others say, you are not allowed to speak ill of him. "
"Who is he? Why should I speak ill of him? "The child asked curiously.
"He is Daibun's hero, but after today, he is likely to become a 'bad guy'."
Xu Qi'an sheathed his sword and pulled out the carving knife that was nailed to the execution platform with a clang. He held it in his palm. The dozen or so high-ranked Warrior around the execution platform were so shocked that they retreated.
He ignored it, as if it was nothing. He stepped off the execution platform and walked out step by step.
In the process, he gently opened the special sachet that Li Miaozhen had given him and put the two souls into it.
The people blocking the streets, the black mass of people, consciously retreated, opening up a straight path.
"Xu Yinluo, accept this old man's bow."
A white-haired old Confucian scholar cupped his hands and bowed.
"Xu Yinluo, accept this old man's bow."
There was no organization, no appeal. The commoners present cupped their hands and bowed. Their movements were not neat, but they were speaking from the bottom of their hearts.
On the roof, Huaiqing looked down at this scene and was in a trance for a moment. She was the eldest daughter of the Emperor, a dignified princess. Not to mention a thousand people bowing to her, she had even seen ten thousand people.
For example, the father of the monarch of the country.
However, the people only respected his power and the dragon robe he wore.
Only Xu Qi 'an was respected and loved by the commoners, not for anything else, but for him.
The Imperial Army blocking the road was in an uproar. Looking at the young man coming towards them, they did not know whether to attack or retreat.
They could not help but look at the three commanders, and found that the commander and the other Warrior were standing in the distance, not moving at all. They had no intention of stopping him.
"Neigh …"
The horses neighed and moved to the sides, opening up a path.
After walking a few hundred steps, he stopped and looked in the direction of the Imperial Palace.
'Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. If you don't admit your mistakes, someone will force you to …'
…
At this time, outside the Meridian Gate, the officials did not disperse. They were patiently waiting for the news to come back.
Moreover, if a war really broke out in the city, the safest place to stay was the Imperial Palace. There were many experts in the Imperial Palace, although they were not high-profile.
The Imperial Palace was backed by the Imperial Army Camp. The three camps of Hundred Battle, Shenji, and Cavalry had a total of one hundred thousand Imperial Army soldiers. They were directly under the Emperor's command.
Finally, among the generals and nobles, there were many experts, such as Que Yongxiu, who was at the fifth rank.
The officials were whispering to each other, discussing how to end this matter, and whether the two Dukes, Duke Cao and Duke Hu, were dead or alive.
But they were all absent-minded, their gazes frequently looking in the direction of the Imperial Palace.
Finally, an armored soldier rushed in from outside the Imperial Palace with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Wang Shoufu stepped forward and stopped the armored soldier. He asked in a deep voice, "What's the situation outside the Imperial Palace? Did the Imperial Army subdue Xu Qi'an? Are Duke Cao and Duke Hu safe?"
This Imperial Army soldier had gone to report to the Emperor, so he did not want to talk to Wang Shoufu. He dodged and continued forward.
But a few generals stood in front of him and shouted, "Speak!"
"Hualala" The sound of footsteps could be heard. Hundreds of officials and generals of different ranks stepped forward and rushed over.
"…" The armored soldier suddenly felt the pressure that his position should not have.
He braced himself and said, "Duke Cao and Duke Hu have been dragged to the market and beheaded."
After saying that, he quickly left.
Duke Cao and Duke Hu had been dragged to the market and beheaded … This news made the civil and military officials at the scene speechless for a long time.
Although the officials at the scene knew what kind of person Xu Qi'an was, especially Minister Sun and the Dali Monastery Chancellor who had opposed him before.
But when they really confirmed that Duke Cao and Duke Hu had been beheaded in public, they still felt that it was absurd.
"What a lawless man …" An official murmured.
"He is a hateful person." Minister Sun glanced at the man, paused for a moment, and added.
"But he is also a respectable person."
A few civil officials who were on good terms with Minister Sun looked at him in disbelief.
Minister Sun said calmly, "I wish I could cut him into a thousand pieces, but that is only my personal grudge. Que Yongxiu helped the tyrant and slaughtered three hundred and eighty thousand innocent people. He is a villain who cannot be tolerated by the Heavens. It is good to kill him."
"It is good to kill him …" Many of the civil officials said in their hearts.
Among them, some were willing to compromise for their own interests, some did not dare to go against the imperial power, and some did not care about it and chose to protect themselves. Some were filled with righteous indignation, but were forced by the situation to remain silent.
But right and wrong, everyone had a balance in their hearts.
Wei Yuan and Wang Shoufu looked at each other. They were not surprised, as if they had already foreseen this development.
"Is one day enough?" Wei Yuan said calmly.
"Yes." Wang Shoufu nodded slightly.
…
In the bedroom.
The Yuanjing Emperor had his back to the door, standing silently with his hands clasped behind his back. The old eunuch beside him lowered his head slightly, not daring to breathe too loudly.
He had served the Yuanjing Emperor for many years and knew his temperament well. He would flip the table to vent his emotions, but that was only to vent his emotions. After venting, he would not really take it to heart.
But if he remained silent for more than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, it meant that the Emperor was starting to become serious, seriously calculating and planning something, as if he was facing a great enemy.
It was really strange. He was not this gloomy and scary even when he was handling the case of the King of Zhenbei. But after Xu Qi'an kidnapped the two State Dukes, he actually 'lost his composure'.
Even if Xu Qi'an killed the two State Dukes to vent his anger, it would not be a loss to the Emperor. After all, the Emperor's goal had been achieved.
At this moment, the sound of footsteps approached quickly. The imperial guard stopped at the door.
The Yuanjing Emperor suddenly turned around and said in a deep voice, "Speak!"
The imperial guard stood at the door, cupped his fists and said, "Xu Qi'an killed the two State Dukes at the entrance of the market, and, and …"
Hearing that State Duke Cao and State Protector Duke had been killed, the Yuanjing Emperor's face showed anger, and he shouted, "Finish it in one breath."
The imperial guard said with a trembling voice, "And in front of more than a thousand people, he slandered Your Majesty, said … said Your Majesty condoned the King of Zhenbei to massacre the city, and that the State Protector Imperial Tower always used the knife."
The pupils of the Yuanjing Emperor suddenly shrank. A few seconds later, his hands, which were hidden in his sleeves, trembled slightly. His face was clearly twitching, and he said word by word,
"Is this dog thief still alive?"
"He, he entered the Celestial Commissioner, the commanders could not stop him, because, because he was holding a carving knife in his hand …"
Feeling the Emperor's anger, the imperial guard spoke in a trembling voice.
Inside the hall, the silence was terrible, one could hear a pin drop.
The atmosphere seemed to be frozen, the old eunuch did not even dare to breathe, his fat body slightly trembling.
After a long time, the Yuanjing Emperor's emotionless voice was heard, "Immediately send people to arrest Xu Qi 'an's family, put them in prison, and await punishment. If they resist, kill them on the spot.
"Send 500 imperial guards to the Celestial Commissioner to arrest Xu Qi 'an. Inform the Cabinet, immediately draft a notice: Silver Gong Xu Qi' an is a spy of the Witchcraft Cult, using Zheng Xinghuai's case to stir up trouble, and tarnish the reputation of the Royal Family of Daibun."
After the old eunuch received the order and left, the Yuanjing Emperor whispered to himself, "Luck can't be scattered anymore."
…
Soon, a group of imperial guards rode horses to the Xu Mansion, and the gate was closed.
The imperial guards kicked the gate open and killed their way into the Xu Mansion, only to find that it was already empty. The furniture was all there, but there was nothing valuable.
These imperial guards were the elites of the elites, so they did not smash the house to vent their anger. After a careful search, they quickly left to report to the Palace.
On the other side, the old eunuch personally brought people to the Cabinet, and saw the white-haired Wang Shoufu in the hall.
"His Majesty has a decree, quickly draft a notice: Silver Gong Xu Qi 'an is a spy of the Witchcraft Cult, using Zheng Xinghuai's case to stir up trouble, and tarnish the reputation of the Royal Family of Daibun."
The old eunuch spoke very quickly, conveying the Yuanjing Emperor's words.
Wang Shoufu listened attentively, nodded, and said, "Seal!"
The meaning of this word was: Disagree!
The Cabinet had the right to reject, and the so-called rejection was to reject the Emperor's bad and incorrect edict.
"What did you say?"
The old eunuch suspected that he had misheard. He picked his ears and said, "Grand Secretary, can you say it again?"
Wang Shoufu looked at him calmly, "Seal."
The old eunuch's face was gloomy, and he said in a threatening tone, "Grand Secretary, this is a critical time, why do you have to provoke His Majesty? Countless people are eyeing your position. "
After a pause, his tone softened, "All lands under the sky belong to the Emperor. This world, ah, is His Majesty's world. As subjects, even if we have opinions, it's better to keep it to ourselves. Why do we have to go against His Majesty?"
Wang Shoufu stood up expressionlessly and walked out.
The old eunuch saw that he did not know how to appreciate kindness, and was about to explode, but he heard the old man's calm voice, "I am not feeling well, I will return first. If His Majesty has something to summon, wait until tomorrow."
"How dare you …" The old eunuch was so angry that he was trembling.
He immediately sat on the sedan, carried by the guards, and returned to the palace, straight to the bedchamber.
In the bedchamber, the smell of sandalwood filled the air, and the Yuanjing Emperor sat cross-legged on a cattail hassock, his face calm, as if nothing had happened.
His ears moved, and then he said coldly, "Are you done?"
"Yes …" The old eunuch stammered, and said in a low voice, "Wang Shoufu, he called back your verbal order."
The Yuanjing Emperor was silent for a few seconds, and said coldly, "Summon him to see me."
The old eunuch swallowed his saliva, and his voice became even softer, "Wang Shoufu said that he is not feeling well, and returned to his residence to rest. He also said that if Your Majesty needs anything, you can look for him tomorrow."
The Yuanjing Emperor opened his eyes, and was so angry that he laughed, "Old thing, do you really think that I do not dare to dismiss him? Since he is not feeling well, then don't occupy the seat. Inform the officials to attend the court tomorrow. "
Recently, the court meetings had been one day after another, and it was even more frequent than when he was inspecting the capital. Ever since the Emperor started his cultivation, there had never been such an intensive court meeting.
At this time, an imperial guard commander came to the bedchamber, and said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty."
The old eunuch bowed, and hurried out. He whispered a few words to the imperial guard commander, and then returned with a gloomy face, and said in a low voice,
"Your Majesty, that Xu Qi 'an's family has already fled, and we do not know where they went. As for the Celestial Commissioner, the area of the stargazing tower is surrounded by a formation, and the imperial guards cannot enter. "
The Yuanjing Emperor sneered, "Sure enough, it was premeditated."
After a pause, he said in a low voice, "What else did the Supervisor say?"
The old eunuch replied, "It was not the Supervisor, it was Yang Qianhuan who made a move, and he even ruthlessly mocked the imperial guards."
Emperor Yuan Jing breathed a sigh of relief.
He did not speak anymore, and thought about how to salvage the situation.
After all, Xu Qi 'an was only a silver gong, and he could not represent the imperial court. His behavior could be defined as the Warrior breaking the law, but this was not enough. To convince the people, he had to fabricate a crime against Xu Qi' an, and make him out to be a spy of the Witchcraft Cult.
After that, he would send people to spread rumors in the capital, and cooperate with the imperial court's announcement. This way, it would be far more credible than this guy's boasting at the market.
But before that, he had to settle the civil official group. Now that the situation had been reversed, many civil officials who were angry but did not dare to speak out were very likely to "give up". Therefore, during the court meeting tomorrow, he had to kill the chicken to warn the monkey.
Wang Shoufu was the chicken he wanted to kill.
…
The Celestial Commissioner, Eight Trigrams Channel.
The Supervisor stood on the roof with his hands behind his back, and his white clothes fluttered in the wind, and he was as elegant as an immortal.
He looked down at the capital attentively, and after a while, he smiled, "The general trend has been set!"
At this time, a white clothed figure appeared. With his back to the supervisor, he stood with his hands behind his back. With the most arrogant tone, he said the most respectful words, "Many thanks to teacher for helping me. I feel much better today. En, what exactly happened? Why did the imperial guards want to arrest Xu Qi 'an, and why did you ask me to stop them? "
The Supervisor said happily, "Xu Qi 'an intercepted hundreds of officials at the Meridian Gate, kidnapped the Lord Protector and State Duke Cao, and killed them at the market entrance. He won the people's love and respect, but this also destroyed his own future. "
After saying this, he felt that his disciple was not calm enough, and was too impetuous. This was a good opportunity to knock him down, and make him realize that learning from Xu Qi 'an was a dead end.
"If it were you, would you dare to do it?"
Yang Qianhuan's body stiffened, and then he recovered, and said in a calm tone, "I see. Hmm, teacher, I'm going back to cultivate."
So calm? "It seems that he still knows what's important …" The Supervisor nodded, pleased.
Yang Qianhuan's figure flashed, and he disappeared.
Then, the Supervisor sensed Yang Qianhuan's breath, and he quickly fled to the palace …
The Supervisor's face seemed to twitch, and he lifted his foot and stomped.
Vaguely, Yang Qianhuan's heart-wrenching roar came from under the stargazing tower, "Supervisor, old … teacher, you can't do this to me, no!!!"
…
This morning, the incident that happened at the market entrance spread like lightning, and it was different from other topics that were only talked about in leisure.
The incident of Xu Qi 'an beheading Lord Protector and State Duke Cao was deliberately spread by the people who were present at the scene.
By lunchtime, the news had spread throughout the inner city, and from the inner city, and by dusk at most, the people in the outer city would also know about it.
Zhao Er was a slacker, idling around all day, and always had a lot of money in his pocket. If he wasn't going to the casino to satisfy his cravings, he would spend it on the women in the brothels.
These days, he was living a very comfortable life, because when he took a job, he only needed to move his lips, and he would be rewarded with a silver coin, which was like a pie falling from the sky.
This job came from a gang called the Green Hand Gang, and they specifically looked for slackers like Zhao Er to do it. The requirement was very simple, he only needed to spread the rumor that Yunzhou's Chief Minister Zheng Xinghuai was colluding with demons and barbarians.
Today, the Green Hand Gang released a new task, which was similar to the rumor, but the main character was changed to Silver Gong Xu Qi 'an.
After receiving the task, Zhao Er didn't start work immediately, but went to the brothels to be the God of Wealth. When it was lunchtime, he came to a big restaurant with ease.
He had been to this restaurant twice, and both times, he spread the rumor that Zheng Xinghuai was colluding with demons and barbarians.
There was no place more suitable for "work" than a restaurant. Of course, the brothels had to be a suitable place, but Zhao Er was a slacker who liked to enjoy life, and in the brothels, he only wanted to …
Another important reason was that there was a beautiful woman living in this restaurant, and she was always accompanied by an average-looking woman.
Zhao Er stepped over the threshold of the restaurant, and the hall was noisy with many diners. He looked around and saw only the average-looking woman sitting at the familiar table.
She was in a daze, and her brows were furrowed, as if she had something on her mind. She hadn't eaten a single bite of food.
"That beauty is not here …" Zhao Er was a little disappointed, so he picked an empty table and sat down. He ordered some food and wine, and pricked up his ears.
Unsurprisingly, he soon heard the discussion about Silver Gong Xu Qi 'an.
"Did you know that this morning, Xu Yinluo chopped off the heads of two state dukes at the entrance of the market? I didn't expect that the truth of the Chu Zhou City Massacre would be …"
The person who was speaking seemed to be afraid to continue, but he was unwilling to give up. He clenched his fist and slammed the table.
Suddenly, the conversation started, and the diners angrily expressed their own opinions.
"I didn't expect that none of the officials in the court would say anything."
"Xu Yinluo is not only a hero, but he is also the only conscience left in Daibun."
"That's right. Who would trade their future and life for justice? It is precisely people like Xu Yinluo who are most likely to be framed by traitors and muddleheaded...
"He is not the Silver Gong anymore. Sigh, Daibun has lost two good officials this time. That Chu Zhou City's Chief Minister Zheng is also a loyal man."
"Will Xu Yinluo be beheaded?"
"Humph! If the court dares to kill Xu Yinluo, we will block the gates of the Imperial City."
"Exactly! Kill us all if you dare. We will block the gates of the Imperial City."
At first, there were only a few diners talking about the incident, but gradually, other diners joined in. Their words were filled with indignation.
Suddenly, a discordant voice came up. It was Zhao Er.
He slammed the table and yelled, "You have all been blinded by the traitor. That is not the truth."
Zhao Er had learned that interrupting the conversation when it was at its climax could easily attract the attention of others.
He planned to repeat what he had done and smear Xu Yinluo's name like he did to Zheng Xinghuai.
As expected, all the diners in the hall looked over.
Zhao Er immediately said, "I have a relative who is an official in the court, and he told me a big secret."
Everyone asked, "What secret?"
Zhao Er spoke in a loud voice as if he was announcing something important.
"Xu Yinluo is actually a spy of the Witch Sect in Northeast China. He has been lurking in Daibun for a long time to gain popularity. This time, he finally seized the opportunity and used Zheng Xinghuai, the Governor of Chu Zhou City, to frame the King of Zhenbei. He used his own reputation to kill the Duke and discredit the Imperial Court.
"You have all been deceived by him. You can't believe his words. Think about it, why would the King of Zhenbei want to massacre the entire city? Why would the Emperor agree to it? Use your brains. "
His words drew a fierce rebuttal from the diners in the hall. "Nonsense! How could Xu Yinluo be a spy of the Witch Sect? What evidence do you have to slander Xu Yinluo? Are you tired of living?"
Zhao Er was not intimidated at all. He sneered and snorted.
"There are many talents in Daibun. Is there really only one Xu Yinluo? How is that possible? Think about it, if the King of Zhenbei really wanted to massacre the entire city, why didn't the officials in the court stand up for Zheng Xinghuai?
"Right or wrong, it's actually very simple. A smart person can see through it with a single glance. You have all been deceived by Xu Yinluo's past glory. He is a sanctimonious spy.
"I swear, every word I said is true. I have relatives who are officials in the court."
This speech was very skillful, reasonable, and logical.
"Bang!" Suddenly, a wine glass flew over and hit Zhao Er's head.
He looked at the glass angrily and saw that it was an average-looking woman.
"Bitch, how dare you hit me?" Zhao Er was furious. He rolled up his sleeves and was about to teach her a lesson.
The average-looking woman was not afraid at all. She put one hand on her waist and pointed at Zhao Er with the other.
"This is the person who spread the rumor that Zheng Xinghuai colluded with the Monster Sect yesterday. Today, he came to spread the rumor that Xu Yinluo is a spy."
Zhao Er's expression changed and he said fiercely: "I didn't. Bitch, if you keep talking nonsense, I will kill you today."
As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter of the restaurant stared at him for a long time and finally recognized him. He pointed at him and said loudly:
"Yes, yes, yes, this is the person. Yesterday, he came here and said bad things about Lord Zheng. I think he is the spy."
"Damn it, beat him up!" At this moment, the angry customers could not bear it anymore. They rolled up their sleeves and surrounded Zhao Er, beating him up.
The restaurant was in chaos. More than ten people surrounded Zhao Er, punching and kicking him.
"Don't, don't hit him anymore. He's going to die. Help, help …" Zhao Er hugged his head and curled up his body, begging for mercy.
The customers ignored him and kicked him with all their might. Someone even picked up a stool and smashed it.
The elderly shopkeeper stood at the side and said: "Hit him hard. You don't have to pay for the broken tables and chairs. If you beat him to death, just throw him on the street."
The average-looking woman put her hands on her waist and raised her chin. She snorted. She felt that she had done something great. She walked up the stairs and returned to her room.
In the big capital, similar incidents were happening in various districts.
…
At dusk, the old eunuch hurriedly entered the palace. He passed through the outer room and entered the depths of the palace. He came to the side of the Yuanjing Emperor who was sitting cross-legged.
"Your Majesty, there is news from outside the palace. The rumor cannot be spread …"
The Yuanjing Emperor opened his eyes and stared at him with a gloomy gaze. "Cannot be spread?"
The old eunuch said softly, "Most of the people who said bad things about Xu Qi'an were beaten up by the people in the city. There were even some deaths."
The Yuanjing Emperor's voice suddenly rose. "When did he gain such a reputation?"
The old eunuch could not answer.
The Yuanjing Emperor gritted his teeth and said, "An ant has unknowingly bitten me."
…
The next day, in the morning.
On the Eight Trigrams Platform, Xu Qi'an held a jar of wine and stood at the edge of the platform. He faced the wind and silently looked in the direction of the palace wall.
The drum sounded at the Meridian Gate. The civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate in an orderly manner and crossed the Golden Water Bridge. Most of the officials stayed outside the hall while the officials entered the Throne Room.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, the Yuanjing Emperor, dressed in a Taoist robe, arrived late. He was expressionless and dignified.
He sat upright on the dragon throne, looking towards Grand Secretary Wang, carrying a bit of a cold smile.
"I heard that Wang Shoufu has been unwell recently. There is no need for you to attend the court. I will give you three months to recuperate. The affairs of the cabinet will be temporarily handled by the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Zhao Tingfang. "
The officials' expressions changed slightly.
The Emperor was going to change the Grand Secretary. He was going to replace him with a mere figurehead.
This was the beginning of the meeting?
Wang Shoufu bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Yuanjing Emperor did not look at him anymore. It was too late to admit defeat now. He turned to look at the officials and said word by word,
"I am very angry!
"Because there are traitors in the court. They killed the High Duke, slandered the royal family, and slandered the court. Such treacherous traitors should have their nine generations executed! "
Inside the hall, the officials lowered their heads and did not say a word.
The Yuanjing Emperor looked at Wei Yuan and said in a deep voice, "Wei Yuan, Xu Qi'an is your man. You have to take responsibility for this matter. I give you three days to arrest this traitor and his family. "
Wei Yuan stepped out of the ranks and bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."
You, Wei Qingyi, are not as outstanding as the rumors say … The Yuanjing Emperor's eyes flashed with ridicule. He continued to ask,
"Regarding the punishment of the traitor Xu Qi'an, do you have anything to add?"
Zhang Xingying stepped out of the ranks and said, "I have something to report."
The Yuanjing Emperor looked at him and nodded. "Speak."
Zhang Xingying bowed and was silent for a few seconds. He seemed to be mulling over something and said loudly, "The King of Zhenbei colluded with the Witchcraft Cult and slaughtered three hundred and eighty thousand civilians in Chu Zhou City. The Imperial Guard, Que Yongxiu, personally carried out the murder. Then, he colluded with High Duke Cao to kill Zheng Xinghuai, the Chief Minister of Chu Zhou City …"
Before he could finish, the Yuanjing Emperor shouted, "Bastard! Zhang Xingying, you want to reverse the verdict?
"I was wondering where Xu Qi'an got his guts from. It turns out that he is colluding with you. Do you know what is the crime of slandering a King and a High Duke?"
Emperor Yuan Jing glared at Zhang Xingying angrily. The majesty of an emperor was like the tide.
Zhang Xingying raised his head and looked into the eyes of the Yuanjing Emperor. He shook his head slowly and said, "I am not trying to reverse the verdict."
The Yuanjing Emperor stared at him and said, "Then what do you want?"
Facing the Emperor's question, Zhang Xingying took a step forward as if he wanted to fight the Emperor with his own strength. He said loudly, "Your Majesty, you are guilty. First, you allowed the King of Zhenbei to slaughter the people in the city. Second, you protected the King of Zhenbei and the Lord Protector.
"Your Majesty, please issue an edict to me!"
His voice lingered in the air.
As soon as these words were spoken, the court was silent, but it was like thunder, earth-shattering and heaven-shaking.
The Yuanjing Emperor was shocked. What did he just hear?
An edict to me?
How dare this insignificant Imperial Censor ask him to issue an edict to me?
"I think you are out of your mind."
Emperor Yuan Jing was very angry. The dignity of an emperor was challenged by an ant. A mere imperial censor dared to ask him to write an edict of his own guilt.
"Zhang Xingying, I suspect that you colluded with Xu Qi'an to kill a High Duke and slander a King. Someone, lock him up in the Imperial Prison."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a man dressed in green step forward.
The Yuanjing Emperor said coldly, "I have made up my mind. No one is allowed to beg for mercy. If not, they will be punished with the same crime."
This group of officials were the best at taking advantage of others. It seemed like beating up Wang Shoufu was not enough. They had to add Zhang Xingying as well.
The man in green said, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to me."
The Yuanjing Emperor froze. He squeezed out each word through his teeth, "How dare you. What? I have helped you to this position. Do you think you can keep me in check? "
Wei Yuan did not answer.
At this time, Wang Shoufu stepped forward and said in a clear voice, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to me."
Another one … The royal family and nobles were shocked. At this time, if they still could not smell a 'conspiracy', they would be too slow.
Emperor Yuan Jing had been playing politics for decades and was more sensitive than the royal family and the nobles. He sneered, "I was wondering why you were so tough yesterday. It turns out that you have already colluded with Wei Yuan to commit this crime of disrespect this morning.
"Good, good. What a good Wang Shoufu, what a good Wei Qingyi. The two of you have been fighting for so many years. In the end, you have joined forces to deal with me. "
He slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Wang Zhenwen, you old bones, how many strikes can you withstand? Ah?!"
He was still sitting upright because he was the Emperor.
So what if Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen joined forces? If he could suppress them once, he could do it a second time.
"What other tricks do you have? Who else are you colluding with? Just use them. Today, whoever dares to step forward will be deceiving the Emperor and being disrespectful. Drag them all out and use the cane! "The Yuanjing Emperor sneered.
The cane was a common method used by the Emperor to deal with his officials. This was not a light threat. Since ancient times, many officials had been killed by the cane, beaten to death.
The Yuanjing Emperor believed that at this moment, the officials must have realized that once the cane was used, they would be beaten to death.
When the officials were united, he would be afraid and endure. But if there were only four or five of them, beating them to death would be a deterrent to the officials.
The Ministry of Justice's Minister Sun stepped out, "Your Majesty, you connived with the King of Zhenbei before, and then protected the King of Zhenbei and the Lord Protector. Please issue an edict to punish yourself."
The Right Imperial Censor Liu Hong stepped out, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
The Ministry of Rites's Minister stepped out, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
The Ministry of Revenue's Minister stepped out, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
The Ministry of Personnel's Minister stepped out, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
The Six Departments' Ministers' faces were flushed with excitement, "Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
"…"
In the blink of an eye, two-thirds of the officials in the imperial court stepped out. Among these people, some were Wei Yuan's henchmen, some were Wang Zhenwen's henchmen, and some were those who were angry but did not dare to speak up.
The officials and nobles who did not step out felt their scalps go numb.
Apart from the fight for the nation's capital two hundred years ago, nothing like this had ever happened in Daibun's history. The loyalty of the officials was deeply rooted in their hearts. How would they dare to confront the Emperor head-on?
But today, it had happened.
The Throne Room was eerily quiet.
"You, you …"
The Yuanjing Emperor, who was sitting on the Dragon Throne, felt his face turn pale. At this moment, the emperor felt a great humiliation.
He, the emperor of a country, was forced to issue an edict to punish himself by a group of officials.
The dignity of an emperor was being trampled on like this?
The Yuanjing Emperor ascended to the throne at a young age. In the past thirty-seven years, he had a firm grasp of the imperial court. Every day, the officials fought to the death while he sat on the fishing platform, as if he was watching a show.
He was so high and mighty, highlighting the humbleness of the officials. It was as if he was a monkey watching a monkey show.
At this moment, this group of monkeys actually joined forces to overturn the heavens?
He pointed at the officials in the hall with trembling lips and roared, "You all, do you really think that I don't dare to punish you? Men, men, drag these rebellious officials away and give them sixty strokes of the cane! "
His voice reverberated in the hall, outside the Throne Room, and in the ears of the officials.
This was the emperor's anger. When the emperor was angry, millions of corpses would fall.
It was as if the emperor was going against him. Under such pressure, an even more unbelievable scene happened. Outside the hall, from the Pill Emperor to the officials, hundreds of officials knelt at the same time and shouted.
"Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
"Your Majesty, please issue an edict to punish yourself."
Their voices reverberated in the air above the palace.
The Yuanjing Emperor couldn't believe his ears. In a split second, he suspected that he was hallucinating.
He slowly stood up and looked outside the hall. From the Pill Emperor to the plaza, hundreds of officials knelt together and shouted, "Issue an edict to punish yourself …"
"You all, you all …"
He pointed at the countless officials outside the hall with trembling fingers and shouted.
"What are you all doing? Are you all forcing me? Do you still have any respect for me? Rebels, traitors, traitors! "
The last four words were shouted with a hoarse voice.
In the past thirty-seven years, he had never lost his composure like this. The few times he did so happened a few days ago, but that was just an act.
After playing monkeys for thirty-seven years, he was actually played by monkeys today.
A surge of blood rushed to his heart and the Yuanjing Emperor staggered.
"Yuan Xiong, you are the Left Imperial Censor of the Imperial Censorate. Tell these traitors what they are doing."
The Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong stiffened his neck and slowly turned to look at the officials. The officials also looked at him, their gazes as cold as steel.
Yuan Xiong gulped and stepped forward with difficulty. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, since things have come to this, please don't be stubborn. Please, please issue an edict to punish yourself …"
Thump thump thump … The Emperor staggered backward and actually fell on his dragon throne, muttering, "Rebellion, rebellion …"
"I am the emperor of a country. How can I be wrong? Don't even think about making me issue an edict to punish myself … "
At this point, Yuan Jing's face suddenly turned red and he roared hoarsely. His face trembled as he roared, "Don't even think about it!"
At this moment, a sigh came from inside the hall. Light flashed and an old scholar with messy hair and an old robe appeared in the hall.
Yunlu Academy's director, Zhao Shou!
Zhao Shou looked at the Yuanjing Emperor calmly. "Yuan Jing, issue an edict to punish yourself."
The Yuanjing Emperor's face suddenly turned pale.
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