Chapter 721

The civil officials immediately turned their heads and looked at Duke Cao with judgmental and hostile gazes.

In this struggle to redress the grievances of three hundred and eighty thousand wronged souls, the structure of the radical civil officials was complicated. Some did it for justice, some did it to live up to the sacred books. Some did it for fame and fortune, and some followed the trend.

The radical faction was led by Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen.

The structure of the opposition faction was also complicated. First was the imperial family. There were definitely good people among them, but sometimes, identity determined one's position.

Once Duke Huai was convicted, it would be an unimaginable blow to the reputation of the entire imperial family. To describe it in the words of the marketplace, they would never be able to raise their heads again.

Normal people still wanted face, let alone the imperial family.

The King of Zhenbei could die, but he could not be convicted.

Next was the noble group. The noble group was naturally close to the imperial family. As long as one understood the nature of the title, they would understand that the noble group and the imperial family were in the same camp.

In one word: nobility!

The civil officials were like leeks, changing wave after wave, and there would always be new forces entering the imperial court. When they were in power, they held the imperial court alone. When they were down, their children were no different from commoners.

Only the hereditary nobles were born nobles, and were on a different level from the commoners. The hereditary title, the right to have children, was bestowed by the imperial family.

Therefore, even if there were people in the noble group who did not agree with Duke Huai or the Yuanjing Emperor, they would mostly remain silent.

Finally, it was a group of civil officials who wanted to be promoted, or those who were in a bad situation, who secretly made a deal with the Yuanjing Emperor, spoke for him, and became his weapon.

The imperial family, noble group, and some civil officials formed the opposition faction.

At this time, Duke Cao stepped out, representing the noble group, and their will.

"Your Majesty, these years, the imperial court has been plagued by internal and external problems. Droughts in the summer and floods in the rainy season. The people's livelihood is difficult, and the taxes have been delayed year after year. Even though Your Majesty has continuously reduced taxes and rested with the people, the people still complain."

Duke Cao was heartbroken, and said in a low voice, "At this time, if the King of Zhenbei massacred a city comes out again, how will the people view the imperial court? How will the low-ranking officials view the imperial court?

"Will they think that the imperial court is rotten, so they are even more unscrupulous in plundering the people?"

"Bastard!"

Emperor Yuan Jing was furious. He pointed at High Duke Cao's nose and scolded, "Are you mocking me as a fatuous ruler? Are you mocking all the officials in the hall as fatuous people?"

Duke Cao said loudly, "But right now, aren't you doing this?

"But right now, aren't all of you doing such a muddle-headed thing? They kept on talking about redressing the grievances of the common people and wanted to convict Duke Huai, but did anyone ever consider the bigger picture? Duke Duke duke duke duke duke duke? All of you are officials in the imperial court, don't you know that the imperial court's reputation is your reputation? "

The two of them echoed each other, putting on a two-man show.

The officials in the court began to whisper to each other.

Minister Zheng shivered inwardly; he was shocked and angry at the same time. He had to admit that Minister Cao's words were not sophistry. On the contrary, they were very reasonable.



Duke duke duke duke duke.

In the hearts of the officials, the dignity of the Imperial Court was above everything else, because the dignity of the Imperial Court was their dignity. The two were one and inseparable.

Even Zheng Xinghuai himself couldn't help but think about how the imperial court could save face and restore the image in the hearts of the people.

The Yuanjing Emperor lamented bitterly, and let out a long sigh, "But, but Duke Huai, he … was indeed wrong."

Duke Cao said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, Duke Huai … is already dead!"

The sounds of discussion suddenly grew louder. Some of them were still discussing in whispers, but some of them began to argue fiercely.

The old eunuch held the whip and was about to lash the floor tiles subconsciously to scold the officials.

However, the Yuanjing Emperor glanced at him coldly and the old eunuch understood the Emperor's meaning. He immediately remained silent and allowed the debate to ferment and continue.

That's right, Duke Huai was already dead, the greatest "honor" was gone, and there was no longer a general who could ride on top of their heads … Since that was the case, was it still worth it to trample on the dignity of the imperial court for the sake of a dead man?

This thought flashed through many of the officials' minds.

The Yuanjing Emperor said angrily, "Can the matter be erased just because he's dead?"

Duke Cao bowed and said, "Yes!"

Wei Yuan narrowed his eyes, and his cold gaze swept across Duke Cao.

Wang Zhenwen took a deep breath and sneered silently.

The two seemed to know what Duke Cao was going to say next.

The Yuanjing Emperor was surprised, "Why do you say that?"

Duke Cao said seriously, his face solemn, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten who destroyed Chu Zhou City? It was the Barbarians. It was the Barbarians who turned Chu Zhou City into ruins.

"This matter, can we look at it from another angle? The Demon and Barbarian Allied Forces captured the city, and the King of Zhenbei resisted with all his might, guarding the gates for Daibun. In the end, the city was destroyed, and the people died. They sacrificed themselves. "

At this point, Duke Cao's voice suddenly rose, "However, the King of Zhenbei's sacrifice was worth it. He fought the leaders of the Demon and Barbarian Races alone, killed Ji Jili Zhigu, and severely injured Zhu Jiu.

"He killed one of the two powerhouses of the north, and injured the other. After this battle, the north will welcome more than ten years of peace, maybe even decades. The King of Zhenbei died a worthy death, and he is Daibun's hero. "

When he reached the last sentence, Cao Guogong was so emotional that his blood was boiling, and his voice reverberated in the hall.

Duke Cao gave the officials two choices. One, stick to your own opinion and convict the fallen Duke Huai. However, the royal family's reputation was greatly damaged, and the people's trust in the court was in crisis.

Two, change the situation to the Demon and Barbarian Races destroying Chu Zhou City, and the King of Zhenbei died defending the city, and sacrificed himself.

All the officials had to do was to clear the name of a dead prince. This way, not only could they save the court's reputation, they could also go one step further and establish the court's prestige and strength.

At this time, a miserable laugh rang in the hall.

Zheng Xinghuai looked around at the silent officials, and then at the faces of the Yuanjing Emperor and Duke Cao. This scholar was both sad and angry.

"Your Majesty, Duke Cao, have you forgotten that I'm not the only one who witnessed all of this? There were also the envoys and the twenty thousand soldiers of Chu Zhou City. There were also the thousands of people in the capital who knew about this, and the young students of the Imperial College. "Zheng Xinghuai suddenly sneered.

"Can you stop these people's mouths?"

The Yuanjing Emperor looked down at him, and there was deep mockery in the depths of his eyes. He said lightly, "Dismissed, we will discuss this tomorrow!"

…

Huaiqing's Mansion.

In a pavilion in the back garden, Huai Qing and Xu Qi 'an were playing chess by the stone table.

"The day before yesterday, I heard that Lin 'an went to find father to ask the truth, and was stopped outside the imperial study. She was stubborn and refused to leave, and was fined two months' allowance. I thought she would go again, but the next day, the Crown Prince was assassinated. "

Huai Qing's fair and slender fingers twirled the white chess piece as she chatted with a cold expression.

"The Crown Prince is still alive, right?" Xu Qi'an stared at the chessboard for a long time, and then he asked casually.

"It's just a minor injury," Huai Qing said lightly.

The two played for a while, and then she seemed to have lost interest in playing chess with Xu Yinluo, so she changed the topic. "Have you heard about what happened in the court today?"

Xu Qi'an nodded with a gloomy face. "The officials were defeated, but the Emperor did not get anything out of it either. I think it will be a long, drawn-out battle. "

Huai Qing raised her elegant and refined face. Her eyes were as black and bright as a clear lake after autumn. She stared at him and actually mocked, "You are indeed not suited for the court."

“？”

Xu Qi'an frowned. "Did I say something wrong? Why don't we talk about what happened in the court today?"

"This game of chess is boring. I'm not in the mood anymore. Why don't we review what happened in the court today?" Princess Huai Qing gently threw the chess piece into the bamboo chess box.

Xu Qi 'an's spirits rose.

"Today, the court was discussing how to deal with the Chuzhou case. The officials asked father to confirm Duke Huai's crime, demote him to a commoner, and hang his head in the city for three days … Father lost control of his emotions and started to criticize the officials."

Huai Qing smiled, "What a good trick. First, he closed the palace for a few days to avoid the brunt of the attack, allowing the angry civil and military officials to punch cotton.

"After they calmed down and stabilized their emotions, they lost their unstoppable drive. At the start of the court, they did it again. Not only did it destroy the officials' last bit of courage, it even turned the tables on them, making them cautious and cautious … "

It was like two people fighting, and one of them suddenly went crazy and hit his own head with a brick. The other person would instinctively be cautious and think that the other person was crazy. It was not a clever trick, but it worked … Xu Qi'an had to admit that the Yuanjing Emperor had some skills.

"Then, Yao Lin, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, accused Wang Shoufu, and Wang Shoufu became a beggar. This was father's plan to kill two birds with one stone. First, he defeated Wang Shoufu, and then he would have one less enemy in the court. Also, he could intimidate the officials and make an example out of them. "

Huai Qing took a sip of the tea and said calmly,

"Fortunately, Duke Wei acted in time. Didn't he want to punish Wang Shoufu? Then don't leave any room. But this was contrary to father's original intention. He didn't really want to get rid of Wang Shoufu, so that Duke Wei would have a monopoly. Oh, for Duke Wei, it was a good thing to take the opportunity to get rid of Wang Shoufu. "

Xu Qi 'an swallowed his saliva and unconsciously straightened his posture.

"The plan to make an example out of him failed. Father immediately asked the Left Imperial Censor Yuan Xiong to make a move and raise the face of the royal family … You should know that since ancient times, the dignity of the royal family is second only to the dignity of the court. It has a natural pressure on the officials." Princess Huaiqing said in a low voice.

As an official, he wanted to make the royal family lose face, which would undoubtedly make the officials feel psychological pressure … Xu Qi'an nodded slowly.

The struggle between people was nothing more than a battle of force and a psychological game.

Just like a word he often heard before he came to this world: pua.

"This is to pave the way for King Li's subsequent appearance. After all, Yuan Xiong is not a member of the royal family, and father is not suitable to be the one to scold. The well-respected King Li is the best role. Even though this move was countered by Duke Wei. "

Huaiqing said as she packed up the chess pieces, "But King Li's action did have some effect. And this is all to pave the way for Cao Guogong to appear later.

"He used the face of the court and the royal family to move people. He used the ending of killing the barbarians and monsters to reason with them. Although the Chu Zhou City is gone, it was all done by the monsters and barbarians.

"The people have long been used to the brutality of the monsters and barbarians, so it was easy for them to accept this outcome. But the monsters and barbarians didn't get any benefits, because the King of Zhenbei killed the leader of the Green Face Tribe of the barbarians and severely injured the leader of the northern monsters, Zhu Jiu.

"Let me ask you, if the people heard the news and were willing to accept it, what would happen?"

Xu Qi'an said bitterly, "The fall of the Chu Zhou City is not so unacceptable. Because all the sins were attributed to the monsters and barbarians, to the war.

"The King of Zhenbei has also changed from a murderer to a hero who guards the gates of Daibun. He also killed a level three Overlord of the barbarians, which is a great contribution. "

Princess Huai Qing nodded. Her voice was clear and beautiful, but the topic she asked was particularly provocative. "If you were me, what would you choose?"

Xu Qi'an didn't answer.

The King of Zhenbei was just a dead man. If he was alive, the people would do everything they could to bring him down.

But he was dead now. How could a dead man be a threat? Therefore, the core motivation of the people would be halved.

If they could really reverse the truth of the massacre in the Chu Zhou City as Cao Guogong said and turn the incident from a scandal to a victory worthy of praise, then why not?

But why not?

Huaiqing said, "Father's next solution is to promise benefits. In the court, benefits are eternal. If Imperial Father wanted to change the outcome, he would have to make enough concessions in addition to the above strategy. The people will think, if they can really turn the scandal into a good thing and there are benefits to be gained, will they still be so persistent? "

Xu Qi'an's face darkened.

"Once the majority of people change their minds, Duke Wei and Wang Shoufu will be the ones to face the tide. But they can't close the palace gates, and they can't stop the surging momentum. "Huai Qing's cold smile carried a hint of ridicule.

Xu Qi'an couldn't tell if she was mocking the Yuanjing Emperor, the officials, or Wei Yuan and Wang Shoufu.

Maybe both, or maybe she was mocking herself.

"No, this incident has become so big that it can't be solved by a public announcement. The rumors in the capital are spreading like wildfire. There must be a reason to reverse the rumors. He can shut the mouths of the court officials, but he can't shut the mouths of the people. "Xu Qi'an shook his head.

"Father still has a backup plan …" Huaiqing sighed, "Although I don't know, I have never underestimated him."

The two didn't say anything else. After a long silence, Huaiqing said in a low voice, "This matter has nothing to do with you. Don't do anything stupid."

She doesn't think I can play any role in this matter. That's right, I'm just a small viscount with a small silver gong. I can't even enter the throne room. How can I fight with the ruler of a country?

I'm still too young to fight. Huaiqing also thinks I'm not good enough … Xu Qi'an grinned, revealing an ugly smile.

But I'm the hero who killed Jili Zhigu.

…

Night watchman yamen, Building of Noble Spirit.

After lunch, Wei Yuan took a short nap before he was woken up by an official who came in.

"Duke Wei, His Majesty has sent someone to summon you to the palace." The official bowed.

Wei Yuan was silent for a few seconds, then said in a gentle voice, "Prepare the carriage."