Boom!
The Gu Song Silversmith collapsed.
"Ah!"
"My leg!"
"My silver!"
…
…
…
A series of miserable shrieks came from the rubble. Outside the Gu Song Silversmith, many people who snatched the gold and silver fled in panic.
At the restaurant next door:
Gu Han also watched this scene in shock.
"Adoptive Father, why did the Gu Song Silversmith collapse?" Gu Han asked in surprise.
Gu Hai smiled coldly and said, "The Gu Song Silversmith is not only made of gold and silver. All the furniture is of the highest quality. Even the beams and pillars are made of Phoebe zhennan wood."
"Ah? They even snatched the beams and pillars? "Gu Han was thoroughly convinced by this group of robbers.
"Who would not want something obtained for free?" Gu Hai revealed a cold smile.
Rumble …!
Immediately, a large number of city guards rushed over from afar.
Whoosh!
A few people rummaging through the rubble quickly scattered, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"The city guards are here. It looks like the pot of water in Song City is about to boil. Go to the crown prince's residence tonight and add fuel to the fire. Tomorrow's royal assembly is crucial," Gu Hai said seriously.
"Yes. Adoptive Father, rest assured. This child has paid a huge price over the years for the crown prince to become the heir apparent. Although I cannot influence the crown prince's thoughts, it is not difficult for me to say a few words that the crown prince will listen to!" Gu Han smiled confidently.
News of the Gu Song Silversmith being robbed immediately spread throughout Song City.
That was the largest silversmith in Song City. The wealth hidden there was uncountable. Countless citizens rushed in, becoming rich in the blink of an eye.
Many people who could not participate in time beat their chests, feeling envious. At the same time, they waited for news from the authorities.
The people who participated in the robbery also hid their loot, waiting for news from the authorities.
Song City instantly calmed down. It was much calmer than it had been in the past few days. Everyone raised their heads in anticipation, waiting patiently.
Hence, only the Gu Song Silversmith was robbed. The citizens had not robbed the other properties of the Gu Residence yet. Everyone waited for news, for the next day's royal assembly to decide on this matter.
The news spread to the various ministers in the court. Such a huge piece of news indeed caused countless officials to suddenly have complicated feelings. They did not know how to express their stance in the court meeting tomorrow.
Many ministers were running around looking for their colleagues to discuss the matters of tomorrow's morning court session.
The news also reached the palace.
Many people in the harem applauded.
"Good, good job. Old Devil Gu's things should be snatched!"
"If it were me, I would rob as well. That is the Gu Song Silversmith. Even I have only been there a few times. It is even more luxurious than the palace!"
"This is great. Gu Hai's shop has been robbed. The Emperor will definitely be happy. He can use the people's hearts!"
…
…
…
Many people applauded, and the old Emperor was also listening to his subordinates report everything that had happened. His brows were furrowed as he analyzed everything.
"Go and invite Imperial Tutor Pang and Prime Minister Liu here for discussion!" The old Emperor ordered.
"Yes!"
In the Crown Prince's residence.
Crown Prince Song listened to his subordinates report the news from the Gu Song Silversmith.
Hahaha! Gu Hai's shop got robbed. How delightful! "Crown Prince Song said with a ferocious expression.
The death of his son, Song Zhengxi, pushed Crown Prince Song's hatred for Gu Hai to the peak. At this moment, as long as there was any bad news about Gu Hai, Crown Prince Song would vent his anger.
"Your Highness, this is not the time to be happy!" an advisor said with a bitter smile.
"Huh?" Crown Prince Song frowned as he looked at the few advisors before him.
"Your Highness, Gu Hai's shop got smashed and robbed. This is indeed delightful. However, there is a problem behind this," one of the advisors said with a bitter smile.
"What problem?" Crown Prince Song asked seriously.
"How should we determine the nature of this case? The Gu Song Silversmith is indeed Gu Hai's shop. This time, the commoners robbed it. Should we punish or reward the commoners who robbed it? Is what the commoners did right or wrong?
If we say that the commoners are wrong, they are doing their best for the nation. At the very least, they appear to be standing on the moral high ground. They are serving the nation. There is nothing wrong with serving the nation, even if they use any means. However, if we say that the commoners are right, that would be breaking the law. My Song Nation's laws are extremely strict. This is considered robbery. No matter who the other party is, they cannot rob. Robbing is breaking the law, disregarding my Song Nation's laws. The law is an important tool of the nation and cannot be messed with. The law is the foundation of governing the people. Trampling on the law is trampling on the royal authority, "one of the advisors said.
"Indeed. Your Highness, say that the commoners are wrong. The commoners are serving the nation. Say that the commoners are right. The commoners are trampling on the law. Are the commoners right or wrong? Should they be rewarded or punished? I believe that the officials are having a headache right now. Song City's commoners are also waiting for tomorrow's royal court to decide, "another advisor said with a bitter smile.
Crown Prince Song gaped, feeling shocked. Are the commoners right or wrong? This required the authorities to decide. However, how should they decide?
The room fell silent. This was an extremely thorny problem.
"If my Song Nation's authorities had raided the Gu Song Silversmith back then, there would not have been so many problems," Crown Prince Song said bitterly.
"No, Your Highness, when two nations are at war, they do not kill envoys. Gu Hai's shops are here. Without sufficient evidence, they cannot randomly raid my Song Nation's shops. Merchants do not dare to cross borders or travel between regions. Furthermore, Gu Hai's shops are too large. Once they are raided, it might mess up the Song Nation's commerce system. If the commoners suddenly find many things unavailable to buy, there will definitely be a civil unrest. Furthermore, publicizing Gu Hai's evil is just to prevent Gu Hai from scheming. The commoners will only hate Gu Hai but not fear him. If we conduct a full-scale purge, it might create a sense that the Song Nation is in danger, causing the commoners to panic. "
Crown Prince Song showed a strange expression.
"Perhaps the emperor thought of raiding the Gu Song Silversmith and even made preparations to prevent any hidden dangers. After all, although there would be losses, it might still be within control. However, in the end, he was too late. The commoners got there first. Given that, the situation became even more complicated. How should the commoners who robbed the Gu Song Silversmith be judged? Should they be rewarded or punished? "The advisor smiled bitterly.
Crown Prince Song: "…!"
The room fell silent again. This was originally a happy matter. Why did it turn so strange?
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
A servant walked in from outside.
"What's wrong?" Crown Prince Song asked seriously.
"Mister Tian requests an audience!" that servant said respectfully.
"Mister Tian? Tian Han? That merchant? "
"This Tian Han is indeed quite smart. Unfortunately, he is too focused on wealth. Although he provides a large amount of wealth to the crown prince's residence, he does not interfere with the crown prince's matters."
"It is good that he does not interfere. How can a merchant casually interfere with the crown prince's matters?"
…
…
…
As the group of advisors whispered to each other, Crown Prince Song sent someone to invite Xiao Chen in.
Soon, Gu Han was led into the room.
"This commoner greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and all the lords!" Gu Han said with a smile.
"Mister Tian, there is no need to be so polite!" the crown prince said with a smile.
The group of advisors also smiled faintly. After all, Gu Han never interfered with the matters of the crown prince's residence and did not have any conflicts of interest with them.
"Mister Tian, why are you here?" Crown Prince Song asked out of curiosity.
Gu Han smiled bitterly and said, "I believe that the crown prince already knows about the Gu Song Silversmith's matter."
"Oh?" Everyone's expressions changed.
"Mister Tian is here for this matter?" Crown Prince Song asked with a frown.
"This Tian does not dare to make a judgment on this matter. This Tian is not talented and is just a merchant. I am unable to share the crown prince's worries. This time, I am here only to bring some things that this Tian saw. Perhaps the perspective of a commoner like me is different from the perspective of all the lords. This is just for everyone's reference," Gu Han said politely.
"Oh?" Everyone looked at Gu Han curiously.
The next day, in the royal assembly in Song City:
The Song Emperor sat on the dragon throne and looked down at the officials. The officials seemed to have just gone through an intense argument. Many of them were flushed with anger. At this moment, everyone looked at Crown Prince Song, who was in the center.
"Imperial Father, fellow officials, we have already argued for a long time about whether it was right or wrong. The commoners robbed the Gu Song Silversmith, breaking the law. However, the one they robbed was Gu Hai's shop. Gu Hai has long been rumored to be a demon. Cutting off the demon's wings is upholding justice. Everyone has their own opinions. This Crown Prince is not talented. Tell me what I think! "Crown Prince Song said solemnly.
"Crown Prince, please speak!" Imperial Tutor Pang said.
The Song Emperor stared at Crown Prince Song as well.
Crown Prince Song nodded and said, "Imperial Father, fellow officials, if the commoners are guilty and robbing is a crime, Prime Minister Liu, you were the one who asked. Prime Minister Liu, you were the one who spoke the most fiercely earlier. Let me ask and you answer. Since the people are guilty, how should we deal with them according to your suggestion? "
An old official walked out from the right row of the officials.
"Return everything that was robbed back then and punish them as a warning," Prime Minister Liu said Solemnly.
"Will the commoners be willing to return them themselves? I think that no one will be willing to return them. Furthermore, it will be hard to find out who robbed them and what they stole. Are we going to search the entire city? My Song Nation just lost eight hundred thousand soldiers because of Gu Hai. Now, we are going to help Gu Hai recover his losses? What will the commoners think of this? "
"We can confiscate them and not return them to Gu Hai!" Prime Minister Liu said with a frown.
"If we don't return them to Gu Hai, they will enter my national treasury. What will be the end result of a large-scale search? Competing with the commoners for stolen goods? Competing with the commoners? Are you trying to isolate my Song Nation from the commoners? No, opposing each other? "Crown Prince Song smiled coldly.
"Ah? This old official definitely does not mean that! "Prime Minister Liu immediately shook his head.
"The commoners stole Gu Hai's things. If my Song Nation makes a move, we will have no right to deal with them. We cannot hand them over to Gu Hai, and we cannot keep them for ourselves. We will only be cursed. My Song Nation has already publicized Gu Hai's evilness. We will never change our stance. We absolutely cannot stand on Gu Hai's side and help Gu Hai recover his losses. All the more, we cannot destroy the commoners' confidence in hating Gu Hai when their morale is high. "
"The commoners hate Gu Hai. Of course, there are some who want to take advantage of the situation. However, they have this impulse because they hate Gu Hai. If we can use the popular sentiment, it means that our earlier propaganda is effective. At the very least, we can no longer use Gu Hai's schemes on the commoners. Everyone will be on guard against Gu Hai," Crown Prince Song said seriously.
"In that case, does the crown prince mean that we cannot punish the commoners?" Prime Minister Liu asked with a frown.
"That's right. They went to the Gu Song Silversmith to cut off Gu Hai's wings. Naturally, they cannot be punished," Crown Prince Song said Solemnly.
"Cannot be punished? However, they trampled on my Song Nation's laws. Could it be that they still need to be rewarded? My Song Nation's laws are sacred and cannot be trampled on. No one can! Otherwise, once the laws crumble, the commoners will lose the laws in their hearts. Then, the Song Nation will be destroyed! "Prime Minister Liu said anxiously.
"Prime Minister Liu, you worry too much. This is what I wanted to say as well. The laws are dead, and people are alive. This matter is special. Hence, we should look at it separately," Crown Prince Song said with a smile.
"Oh? Look at it separately? How do we do that? "the Song Emperor asked, feeling confused.
"Imperial Father, this son believes that the way we are thinking about this matter is somewhat chaotic. The laws clash with serving the nation because of the danger that is Gu Hai. What if we remove Gu Hai from my Song Nation's laws?" Crown Prince Song said with a smile.
"Huh?" Everyone frowned as they looked at Crown Prince Song.
"We cannot tolerate people who threaten our nation. Why should my Song Nation's laws protect Gu Hai's shop? This son feels that the commoners are doing the right thing, doing well. While we were still thinking about whether to seal Gu Hai's shop, the commoners' patriots were already one step ahead of us, taking action. This is because they firmly believe that everything about Gu Hai is harmful to my Song Nation. The commoners are with my Song Nation. Why should we harm the commoners' hearts? We should support the commoners and the people's hearts. This is because the people's hearts are firm, and the nation is strong. The commoners are on my Song Nation's side. Should we make things difficult for them? "Crown Prince Song said.
"Huh?" The officials frowned in thought.
"Earlier, we did so much propaganda to publicize Gu Hai's evilness. That was how we managed to get rid of Gu Hai yesterday. If we punish the people who oppose Gu Hai today, what would our earlier propaganda be about? A joke? Sensationalism? Or a joke? A nation cannot exist without trust! A sovereign does not joke! The nation's prestige cannot be blasphemed! "Crown Prince Song shouted loudly.
On the dragon throne, the Song Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly as he nodded.
"Your Highness, are you saying that not only should we not punish them, but we should also reward them? Reward them for robbing? "Prime Minister Liu asked with an unsightly expression.
"There is no need for rewards. Just verbal encouragement is enough. Pardon them for their crimes!" Crown Prince Song said Solemnly.
"However, Your Highness, do you know that countless commoners are waiting outside the royal court for our news? Once we decide, it will be hard to change. Pardon them for their crimes and even encourage them verbally? After today, the other Gu Hai shops in my Song City will be robbed one after another. Do you believe that?" Prime Minister Liu asked worriedly with a frown.
"Ha! Prime Minister Liu, why are you so worried about Gu Hai's businesses?" Crown Prince Song asked coldly.
"I'm concerned? Why should I be?! However, how many businesses does Gu Hai have? Do you know how much wealth he has? Why is he not going to the authorities to confiscate them? If we rob them … "Prime Minister Liu said anxiously.
Crown Prince Song smiled coldly and shook his head. "I know that there is a lot of wealth. No matter who it is, they would be envious. Even if I knew that there was so much wealth, I would still be envious. I would want to confiscate them myself. However, Prime Minister Liu, don't forget, is this wealth more important than my Song Nation? "
"Huh?" Everyone in the hall turned solemn.
"Imperial Father, while Gu Hai has a lot of wealth and everyone wants it, it is nothing compared to my Song Nation's empire. Since the Gu Song Silversmiths have already decided, just let the commoners rob the Gu Residence. If the authorities confiscate them and the commoners rob them, what should we do if there is a conflict? Fight with the commoners? What if Gu Hai makes a fuss about it? "Crown Prince Song said seriously.
"But …" Prime Minister Liu said anxiously.
"Imperial Father, the commoners rob Gu Hai's wealth because we publicized Gu Hai's evil deeds. This is in line with my Song Nation and should be encouraged. Giving Gu Hai's wealth to the commoners will make the commoners feel grateful. Convincing the commoners will make our propaganda more convincing. Although Gu Hai has a lot of wealth, my Song Nation is still more important. This son feels that yesterday's incident against Gu Hai should be encouraged and not punished, "Crown Prince Song said solemnly to the old emperor.
The officials whispered to each other for a while.
"This old official supports the crown prince's words. Although there is a lot of wealth, it is worth it to pacify the commoners!" Imperial Tutor Pang said.
"This official agrees!"
"This official agrees!"
…
…
…
Immediately, everyone in the royal court sided with Crown Prince Song.
The Song Emperor sat on the dragon throne. When he saw the officials supporting the crown prince, he finally nodded.
Indeed, what was the point of confiscating so much wealth? If Gu Hai destroyed the Song Nation, no matter how much wealth there was, he would not be able to enjoy it. As long as he still had his empire, he would have everything.
"We allow the crown prince to submit a memorial!" the Song Emperor said.
"Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"
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