Tsai Kuo-chen was getting on in years.
Ever since Shen Yicheng's coup d 'état, he often reflected on himself late at night, wondering if what he had done was right and whether he would have to worry about losing his integrity in his old age.
The more he thought about it, the more he came to this conclusion. As Xiao Ruxun's northern expedition progressed, these thoughts occupied his mind more and more, making him regret his actions.
If he had known this earlier, why didn't he escape from the capital as soon as possible like those officials?
At the beginning of Shen Yicheng's coup d 'état, many officials knew about it and felt that the capital was no longer safe, so they escaped from the capital in advance. Li Tingji, who was now the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, was one of them. Tsai Kuo-chen also had a chance to escape, but he gave it up.
No one knew why, but he gave up such an opportunity. Although he had secured his position as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, such a beautiful scene only lasted for about half a year. Soon, Xiao Ruxun made a comeback and seized the throne, turning them all into prisoners.
When the new dynasty was established, for some reason, perhaps he wanted to stabilize the situation, the new emperor, Xiao Ruxun, used a large number of officials from the previous dynasty, including those who supported Shen Yicheng during Shen Yicheng's reign.
Shen Yicheng's right-hand men, Xiao Daheng and Luo Sigong, were killed, and Shen Yicheng himself was killed. After that, it seemed that no one else was killed. The new emperor asked everyone to force Empress Dowager Ming and Crown Prince Ming to hand over their power, and then he became the emperor and stabilized the country. For four months, everyone lived in harmony and did their work honestly.
However, when the chaos broke out, Zhao Shiqing, who had been entrusted with an important task, was killed on the street. The new emperor was furious. In front of all the cultural relics in the court, he ordered a thorough investigation of Zhao Shiqing's case.
It had only been a few days, but they had already found out that it was Duke Cheng, Zhu Yinghuai. It was said that he had accomplices, and it was unknown how many more people had been implicated.
This scene always reminds Tsai Kuo-chen of the famous four major cases during Zhu Yuanzhang's founding. The four major cases led by Zhu Yuanzhang killed tens of thousands of officials. Tsai Kuo-chen is very worried that Xiao Ruxun is also planning to learn from Zhu Yuanzhang and create four major cases.
In that case, their days would really be tough.
Xiao Ruxun wouldn't be as ruthless as Zhu Yuanzhang, would he?
Tsai Kuo-chen could only hope.
However, such expectations did not seem to be met with a response.
Xiao Ruxun still made his move.
A group of armed officers wearing black uniforms barged into the Cai residence and surrounded the main hall. A sixth rank official from the Central Bureau of Investigation appeared with a cold smile on his face. He looked at the ashen-faced Tsai Kuo-chen and his family and announced his fate.
"Marquis Zhenyuan Gu Dali has confessed that the Minister of Personnel, Tsai Kuo-chen, colluded with Duke Cheng, Zhu Yinghuai, and conspired against the law. He will be stripped of his position as the Minister of Personnel and handed over to the Bureau of Investigation for routine investigation."
After the sixth rank official finished reading the imperial edict, he sent it to Tsai Kuo-chen.
"Cai Butang, accept the imperial edict. Then, pack your things, and we can set off. You don't have to worry too much. His Majesty has instructed us to give you special treatment."
Tsai Kuo-chen's face was ashen, and his lips were trembling. He slowly reached out his trembling hands and received the imperial edict.
"This old subject … accepts the decree …"
After receiving the imperial edict, he felt as if all the strength in his body had left him. He fell to the ground, and his family members cried out in panic. They were all chased away by the officers from the Investigation Department. Then, they picked up Tsai Kuo-chen and brought him back to the Investigation Department for investigation.
The same thing happened in the house of Yu Jideng, the Minister of Rites.
Of course, this also happened in the homes of Tranquil Marquis Liu Zuochang, Tranquil Marquis Chen Yingzhao, Funing Marquis Zhu Jixun, Dingyuan Marquis Deng Shaoyu, Lingbi Marquis Tang Shilong, and Ying Cheng Earl Sun Yungong.
They were all taken away and brought to the prison of the Investigation Department in the name of assisting in the investigation.
In just a few days, three high-ranking officials were either killed or arrested, and a large number of nobles were taken away from their homes and isolated from their families. The Daqin court suffered heavy losses, but the Emperor did not seem to be worried. He immediately ordered his deputy to temporarily take charge of the affairs of the ministries and to manage the court affairs as usual.
It seemed like this storm had only affected the officials and nobles, and had not affected the court or the rest of the world.
Those who had to live their lives continued to live their lives, and those who had to do their work continued to do their work. The lives of the people of the capital did not change much, and the martial law in the capital was quickly lifted. It was as if it had never happened.
But the Emperor's anger was just as before, and he would fly into a rage even when he held a court meeting. It seemed like he was still brooding over the murder of Zhao Shiqing. It seemed like this investigation would not end anytime soon, and the longer it went on, the more worried many of the officials became.
They were very worried that they would also be implicated, and they did not know when they would be captured and tortured by the infamous Investigation Department.
There was already some inside information about the Investigation Department. It was said that the Imperial Bodyguards and spies from the East Faction Guards who had not died in the upheaval in the capital had been brought into the Investigation Department, and the new Emperor had borrowed the strength of these people to reestablish his own secret service organization.
The officials had once naively believed that the new Emperor would not reestablish a secret service organization, but it now appeared that they were wrong.
The Emperor had established his own secret service organization, and it was even more frightening than the Imperial Bodyguards and the East Faction Guards. The moment it acted, it would take down dukes and high-ranking officials. This was an unprecedented level of power.
A trifling sixth-grade official had taken down high-ranking officials. Just how frightening was this department?
Soon, the infamy of the Central Investigation Department was on par with the Imperial Bodyguards and the East Faction Guards, and the officials could do nothing about it.
This was because it carried out the will of the Emperor, and it was the Emperor who controlled everything from behind the scenes. It was the Emperor who had them act in an upright and justified manner. The Emperor, who exercised authority on behalf of the heavens, had bestowed them with the power of the heavens.
There was no solution to this.
The Central Investigation Department had become famous after this incident, but soon, other departments would become famous along with it, such as the Central Audit Department.
The high-ranking officials and nobles in the Central Investigation Department received the services that the Investigation Department had inherited from the Imperial Bodyguards and the East Faction Guards. Some were on the verge of collapse, while others were on the verge of death. Those who had originally decided to grit their teeth and endure, upon seeing the torture equipment and Zhu Yinghuai, who had been beaten beyond recognition, lost all their courage.
Several nobles who had secretly promised themselves that they would not be tortured into confessions felt their legs go soft, and when they saw the torture equipment, they were scared out of their wits.
They instantly overturned their previous decision.
The old and frail Tsai Kuo-chen saw Zhu Yinghuai's miserable state, and did not hesitate at all. Before Zhou Yao could make any threats, he had already confessed. He said that he was indeed an accomplice and was forced into the trap by Zhu Yinghuai, but he did not have a choice in the past. Now, he wanted to be a good person.
He wanted to confess all the people who had participated in the plot, but Zhou Yao did not give him the chance to make a false accusation. Instead, he took out another list and handed it to him, asking him to sign it and remember the names on it, so that he could accuse them.
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