To the side, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Da Xingguo, hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although they are in the wrong, they don't deserve to die. It was just that the enemy was far too cunning this time. They plotted against them, causing the Laundry Yard to fail miserably. Now, those thieves are still at large and they are the backbone of the Laundry Yard. This is the time for them to atone for their crimes. If we execute them now, it will only make our enemies happy. "
Jin Xizong hesitated for a moment before replying, "Fine, then we will allow them to atone for their crimes. However, while they may be spared the death penalty, they cannot escape punishment. Pucha and Pusan Hutu have left their posts without permission. They will be demoted by three ranks and their salary will be forfeited for a year. They will also be dragged out and flogged 80 times. As for Wanyan Ping, she will be handed over to the Imperial Clan Court. "
When he said that he would drag these people out and execute them, he was only putting on an act. Wanyan Ping was his blood sister, and Pucha and Pusan Hutu were the heirs to the great families of the Jin Kingdom. If he really killed them, these great families would turn the heavens upside down. Thus, when Da Xingguo pleaded for mercy, he took advantage of the situation and went down the slope.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy." Pucha and Pusan Hutu secretly wiped away the cold sweat on their faces. In these past years, Jin Xizong had killed many ministers. The two of them were worried that he would execute them in a fit of anger.
Guards had already come up to drag the two away, bringing them to the door to be flogged as punishment. Although the two of them were skilled in martial arts, they were still unable to withstand being flogged by a ten foot long board. The two of them were able to endure the first 20 floggings, but after that, they couldn't bear it any longer. The two of them couldn't help but whimper.
"Eh, isn't this General Pucha and General Pusan? What's going on?" Suddenly, a familiar voice came from not too far away. The two of them looked up and saw that it was the Hai Ling King, Wanyan Liang.
"Greetings Hai Ling King, please forgive this lowly official for not being able to greet you right now." The two of them bitterly smiled.
"There's no need, there's no need." The Hai Ling King hurriedly signaled for the executioner to pause. He moved closer to the two of them and asked, "Why were you flogged?"
"Don't mention it. It's all because of the Laundry Yard." Fu San Hutu sighed.
"I've also heard about the incident at the Laundry Parlor. The other party's plan is very thorough, and it's not something you could have predicted …" Wan Yanliang comforted the two of them for a while, then suddenly pretended to inadvertently mention it. "From what you've said, when you left, you were sure that the Princess of Qi Country was still around. That's why you left. In that case, the one who bears the greatest responsibility should be the Duke of Qi Country.
Lord, how did His Majesty deal with her? "
Pucha Shijie's face darkened, and he kept his mouth shut. Pusan Hutu, on the other hand, indignantly said, "She's His Majesty's sister. What can we do with her? We just handed her over to the Imperial Clan Court …"
"Hu Tu!" Pu Cha hurriedly cut him off.
Fu Sanhutu also realized that if his words were to reach the ears of the Emperor, he would not be able to bear the consequences. He hurriedly laughed a few times and said, "Wangye, I was just speaking casually. Please don't take it to heart."
Wan Yanliang said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I won't speak of it." He then stood up and pulled the executioner to the side, whispering to him. He even secretly stuffed a large wad of banknotes into the executioner's hands. This scene was witnessed by Pu Cha and Fu Sanhutu, and the two of them looked at each other in dismay, not knowing what the other was thinking.
"I still have to enter the palace to meet the Emperor, so I can't stay here for long. I've already discussed it with them. When the execution is carried out, it'll be all thunder and no rain, so that the two of you won't have to suffer too much."
Hearing Wan Yanliang's words, the two of them were moved. "Wangye …"
"There's no need to be so polite. We're all officials of the same court, so I'll definitely help you if I can." Wan Yanliang smiled at the two of them, then hurried towards the Hall of Benevolence.
Looking at his back as he left, Fu Sanhutu couldn't help but sigh, "Among all these princes, only the Hailing King treats the wise with respect."
Pu Cha had a complicated expression as well. "That's right. It's a pity that he's a bastard."
\ t …
After Wanyan Liang arrived at the Hall of Benevolence, Jin Xizong pulled him over to play chess as he asked, "Hailing King, who do you think is behind the incident at the Laundry Yard?"
Wanyan Liang smiled awkwardly. "Your Majesty is wise and knows what to do. This subject doesn't dare to speak carelessly."
"Just say what I want you to say. Don't beat around the bush." Jin Xizong glared at him. Among all the princes in the capital, the one he trusted the most was Wanyan Liang. First of all, he was indeed very capable, and he was also the eldest of his generation, so he had high prestige. Second of all, Wanyan Liang's family was a bastard, so they didn't have the qualifications to fight for the throne. Thus, after the incident at the Laundry Yard, the first official he summoned was Wanyan Liang.
"As Your Majesty commands." Wanyan Liang hesitated for a moment, then organized his thoughts and said, "I heard that His Majesty has sent the Laundry Yard to investigate.
Regarding the matter of Wei Wang, in the end, something happened in the Laundry Yard … Heh heh, this matter can be complicated, but it can also be simple. His Majesty doesn't have an heir, so who benefits the most? "
Jin Xizong's pupils shrank. "Are you talking about Changsheng Wang?"
"This subject didn't say that. Everything needs to be decided by Your Majesty." Wanyan Liang was an old fox, so he didn't want to get himself involved. He wanted to sit behind the scenes and watch Jin Xizong and Changsheng Wang fight to the death. He didn't want to get himself involved.
Jin Xizong nodded thoughtfully. "Let's continue playing chess."
After a while, Jin Xizong looked at Wanyan Liang's departing figure and waved to the air beside him. "Have you found the person who sent the letter to Pucha and Shijie?"
Da Xingguo flashed out from the shadows and said, "Your Majesty, we've found them. Although those people have changed hands several times, we followed the clues and found out that they are from Prince Changsheng's Mansion."
"Wanyan Yuan!" Jin Xizong's eyes were filled with killing intent. He thought about how he had suppressed his love for Tao Yao for the sake of the country and his brothers. He didn't expect that the other party would make the first move. Since that was the case, he couldn't blame him for bringing up the past again.
… …
"If everything goes according to plan, Jin Xizong will definitely suspect Changsheng Wang. The brothers have been suspicious of each other for a long time, and this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Changsheng Wang's fate is already sealed, and with Wei Wang's death, you are the most likely candidate to succeed to the throne." In Prince Xu's residence, Zhao Min was analyzing the current situation to Wanyan Yong.
"Your Highness's foresight is truly divine. This Prince admires you from the bottom of my heart." The throne, which he hadn't even dared to think about before, was now within reach. Wanyan Yong looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, his heart filled with admiration and fear.
Jin Xizong and Changsheng Wang's father was the second son of Jin Taizu, and with Wei Wang's death, the second branch was destined to be cut off. Wanyan Yong's father was the third son of Jin Taizu, and with the second branch killing each other, he was the first in line to succeed the throne. As for Wanyan Liang, because his father was a concubine, he was not considered in the family tree.
… …
After sending off Zhou Zhiruo, Song Qingshu returned to Tang Kuo's residence in low spirits. Just as he reached the door, he saw Wanyan Ping glaring at him with a frosty expression.
(End of Chapter)
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