Supreme Harmony Palace.
In the imperial court, the Emperor stood high above, and on both sides of the main hall stood hundreds of civil and military officials.
Since the death of the late Emperor last year, his younger brother Prince Fu ascended the throne, which is now the Hui King of West Wind.
The King of the Hui Nation sat high up in his throne, looking down at the many officials in front of him. However, he did not have much of a tyrannical aura. Instead, he was listless and yawning. He said weakly, "The Peacock King has summoned the Nine Nations to a meeting. Everyone, please come up with a plan. Should we go to the Nine Countries Note or not? What if we go? What if we don't go? "
"Your Majesty, the Peacock King is the Emperor of the Peacock Imperial Court, not the Emperor of our West Wind Kingdom — — he simply has evil intentions by convening the gathering. We don't need to go to the Nine Countries Note. "A young official stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, the Nine Countries Note is a gathering of the nine countries, and every contract country has the right to convene a meeting. If we don't go, and the other countries all go, does that mean our West Wind Kingdom is not among the nine powerful countries? "An old and wise official said aloud.
"We still have to go — — but what Assistant Minister Li said just now is very reasonable. The Peacock King has evil intentions. After obtaining the Thousand Spirit Jade Seal he claims to be the ruler of the divine continent, it's really ridiculous — —"
"A little divine weapon, even if it has the power to topple mountains and overturn seas, but our West Wind Kingdom has millions of soldiers, fierce generals, and Old immortal Song, a Starry Sky cultivator, what kind of storm can they set off — —"
"Just ignore it."
"If we don't go, how do we know what the Peacock King is planning?"
※ ※ ※
As soon as the Hui King's question was thrown out, the civil and military officials below were in an uproar.
The middle-aged man standing on the right side of the civil officials frowned, took two steps forward, and came to the center of the main hall, bowed, and said to the Hui King, "Your Majesty, the Peacock King has summoned the Nine Countries Note and invited the royal family of each country to participate. I think we should send someone to go. One is the etiquette of the West Wind royal family. What if the royal family of the other countries do not send a representative when the West Wind Kingdom summons the Nine Countries Note? Secondly, it is to show the prestige of the country. If we don't even have the courage to go, we will lose the etiquette of a great country. Thirdly, let us see what the Peacock King wants to do at the convention. "
"Although the Ten Thousand Spirit Jade Seal is said to be magical, and anyone who obtains it will have the chance to become the ruler of the Divine Prefecture. However, did the Peacock King really have such extravagant hopes? At that time, as long as he revealed even the slightest hint of such an intention, he would be ganged up on by the other countries … Thinking about it, it would be a good show. Regardless of whether it is the Peacock King's attitude or the reactions of the other royal families, we need to know each other well. Therefore, our West Wind Kingdom must send people to the Note of the Nine Countries. "
The speaker was the Right Minister of West Wind, Gu Qinglin. Gu Qinglin was the son-in-law of the Song family and also the head of the civil officials of the West Wind imperial court.
Before the collapse of the Lu family, there were rumors that Lu Xingkong wanted to seize the position of the Left Minister. Unfortunately, before the position of the Left Minister could be obtained, his family had already been exterminated due to the crime of treason. It was quite ironic.
It was also because of this that the position of the Left Minister was still vacant.
Hearing Gu Qinglin's words, the other officials echoed in agreement.
"Prime Minister Gu is speaking the words of loyalty."
"Prime Minister Gu's words are reasonable, I second it."
"Prime Minister Gu is thoughtful, but we are short-sighted and did not see clearly enough — —"
※ ※ ※
The King of the Hui nation had long known that this would be the case.
Whenever he threw out a question, it was fine if Gu Qinglin didn't say anything. Everyone would still discuss it symbolically. But once Gu Qinglin stood up and spoke, no one would raise any objections. The words of a Prime Minister were much more useful than the words of a Sovereign King.
There was no other way, who made him the spokesperson of the Song clan in the imperial court?
But Gu Qinglin was also extremely smart, and would not make things difficult for him in order to show his power. Most of the time, he still had to take into account the face of the King of the Hui nation and maintain the same pace. He would only stand up and make his voice heard at very rare times.
The King of the Hui nation yawned again, looking exhausted after a long period of hard work. It was indeed hard work. The recent batch of concubines in the concubine selection was quite good-looking, which made him work hard day and night. He also praised Zhang Qu, who was in charge of the concubine selection.
"Since all the ministers think that it is necessary for my West Wind to send someone to attend the meeting, then let's discuss who to send?"
As a result, the imperial court once again broke into spirited discussion.
"Your Majesty, I think General Yan Bolai is suitable for this post. General Yan has a rich experience and is mature and steady — — "
"Your Majesty, I think Lord Cheng Gang is suitable — —"
"I have a recommendation — —"
※ ※ ※
The King of the Hui nation sat up straight and looked at Gu Qinglin with a smile. "Does the Prime Minister have a good person to recommend?"
"I do have a recommendation in mind." Gu Qinglin said respectfully.
"Oh, if the Prime Minister thinks this person is suitable, then it must be suitable — — Tell me, who does the Prime Minister want to recommend for this important task?"
"General Song Yu." Gu Qinglin said in a clear voice, his face expressionless.
Hearing this name, the faces of the civil and military officials turned strange. Even the King of the Hui nation was slightly taken aback, apparently did not expect Gu Qinglin to propose such a candidate.
Song Yu, the military leader of the Song family.
This person was indeed an expert in military warfare. From a small soldier, he had accumulated military merits step by step until he became the great general of a country. Even Lu Xingkong, who was most disgusted with the sons of the aristocratic families going to the military to snatch military merits, did not suppress him, but let him be promoted.
However, this person was also criticized by others. Every time he went to war, he would kill all the captives. Every time he seized a city, he would let his soldiers enjoy three days of bliss.
The so-called bliss was burning, killing, robbing, and venting one's sexual desires. Any city that was conquered by him would eventually become a hell on earth.
He could fight, knew how to fight, and would win every battle. However, his style of doing things was extremely criticized. Not only was he notorious in the West Wind Kingdom, but even other countries also hated him to the bone.
What was the Song family planning to let such a person represent the West Wind Kingdom to participate in the Nine Countries Note Conference?
"General Song Yu — —" The King of the Hui nation chewed on the name. "Guarding the Iron Gate Pass is an important responsibility, he must not leave without permission."
"Your Majesty, the Iron Gate Pass is full of fierce generals, and there are hundreds of thousands of armoured cavalry waiting for battle. It should be able to ensure the safety of the Iron Gate Pass — — "Gu Qinglin seemed to be very insistent on Song Yu being the candidate. "Your Majesty must have confidence in the generals under your command. Even if General Song Yu is not at the Iron Gate Pass, the other generals can help Your Majesty defend the land and open up the borders, and protect our country. "
The King of the Hui nation nodded, glanced around, and asked: "Does anyone have any objections?"
After he asked, no one answered.
What a joke, who would want to go against Gu Qinglin? Who would want to offend the Song family behind Gu Qinglin? Even an Emperor does not want to go against the Song family's will, which official would want to seek their own death?
The Emperor asked a question, but no one in the crowd below answered. The scene suddenly became a little strange.
"I have an objection." Just then, a loud voice broke the silence and — — awkwardness of the Supreme Harmony Palace.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the person who spoke. Is there really someone in the West Wind court who is not afraid of death?
Zhu Yuren strode out from the crowd, knelt down in the middle of the hall, and shouted: "Your Majesty, I have an objection."
When the King of the Hui nation saw Zhu Yuren, he asked with a smile: "Zhu Yuren, what objection do you have?"
"General Song Yu is morally deficient, he is not qualified to replace my West Wind Kingdom in this important position." Zhu Yuren said in a clear voice.
This remark was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, or like pouring a large pot of vegetable oil into boiling water.
"Zhu Yuren, are you crazy? General Song Yu is loyal to the Emperor and protects the country, bravely killing the enemy at the border, when has he ever been morally deficient? "
"You have to show evidence to speak, what has General Song Yu done to make Censor Zhu attack him so crazily?"
"Is this the attitude of the patriotic men at the border? This kind of behavior will disappoint the soldiers who shed blood and shed their blood — — "
※ ※ ※
For a moment, Zhu Yuren had become the target of all the officials.
The civil officials, on the other hand, were still better. They only cursed and said some harsh words. The generals were hot-tempered, each and every one of them charged forward to give Zhu Yuren a beating.
The great eunuch Jin 'an, who served the King of the Hui nation, flicked his horsetail whisk and screamed: "Silence — — silence — —"
However, his shouts did not have any effect. The civil officials were still cursing and the generals rolled up their sleeves and were about to hit him.
If it were not for the Flying Feather Army maintaining order in the imperial court, it would have been a complete mess.
"Who is so insolent in the imperial court?" Gu Qinglin snapped. "Making such a ruckus, where is the propriety?"
With Gu Qinglin's roar, the forces belonging to the Song family naturally quietened down.
The direct descendants of the Song family did not say anything, and the officials of the other forces would not make trouble out of nothing.
When the imperial court quieted down, Gu Qinglin looked at Zhu Yuren who was kneeling on the ground and said with a smile: "The louder one speaks, the louder one speaks. In front of His Majesty, what can't be said clearly? Lord Zhu, since you said that Song Yu is morally deficient, do you have any evidence? "
Zhu Yuren was still kneeling on the ground, but his back was straight. His face was calm, and there was no change in his mood because of the farce just now.
"Your Majesty, I, General Song Yu, bullied and humiliated the officials of the imperial court, tortured and killed the daughter of an official. He also colluded with bandits to kill a family of 216 officials … "Zhu Yuren's voice was like a large bell, and he spoke word by word of the shocking remarks.
Everyone was shocked!
Some were really shocked, and some were pretending to be shocked!
Those who were really shocked did not know about the tragedy that happened more than 20 years ago. At that time, Song Yu was still a youth, and there were probably many civil and military officials in the imperial court who had not entered the imperial court to become officials. Even if someone said a word or two, they did not dare to say it thoroughly because of the authority of the Song family.
Those who were pretending to be shocked were the old officials who had been in the imperial court for decades and were used to the ups and downs of the imperial court. They were not shocked by the massacre itself, but by the fact that someone dared to expose it in front of all the civil and military officials in the imperial court.
"What is Zhu Yuren trying to do? Is he crazy? "
"Who ordered him to do this? Which faction did you become a weapon for? "
"Could it be that Zhu Yuren is from the Yan family? That's impossible, right? The Yan family would not seek death and start a war with the Song family at this time … Could it be that the Cui family is behind this? "
※ ※ ※
Hundreds of thoughts flashed through their minds, but this time, everyone remained silent. Surprisingly, no one spoke.
They all knew that a cruel palace strife was about to begin.
The winner lives, the loser dies.
The King's eyes flashed with a glimmer of light, and even his dispirited spirit was roused. He adjusted his body slightly, stood high up on the platform, and glared at Imperial Censor Zhu Yuren who was kneeling on the ground.
"Who is this person? What does he mean? "The King thought to himself.
"Is it the bait thrown out by the Song family, or a vanguard sent by other forces?"
"What should I decide? Should I take advantage of the situation to cut off the Song family's wings, or find an excuse to suppress this matter and protect Song Yu — — "
※ ※ ※
In a split second, countless thoughts emerged in the King's mind.
He had no choice, as the son of the Emperor of the West Wind Kingdom, he knew how he ascended to the throne, and also knew that the Song family's power was monstrous, and he could not easily contend against them.
If they could destroy his big brother, they could also use despicable means to destroy him — —
However, if this was the sword of the Song family's enemy, and he turned a blind eye to it, wouldn't he miss a good opportunity?
The King decided to wait and see, and first observe the situation of the imperial court before making a decision.
Having made up his mind, the King looked at Zhu Yuren, saying: "Lord Zhu, do you know what you're doing?"
"I know." Zhu Yuren bowed deeply. "Your Majesty did not forsake me, allowing me to accompany the Emperor, to discuss court matters, and to help the Emperor. I am afraid that I am untalented and incompetent, and unable to shoulder this heavy responsibility. However, I still have a heart of loyalty and patriotism, and have clear and upright eyes. Everything I see and hear, I must report to the Heavens. For Your Majesty to decide everything. Lest Your Majesty be blinded by evil people, and taint the Emperor's heart. "
"I know that General Song Yu is an important general of the country, and cannot be tainted, cannot be blasphemed. His reputation cannot be damaged in the slightest. However, I know that the more an official is, the more I have to set an example. The more important an official is, the more he has to set an example for the rest of the officials. General Song Yu's virtue is lacking. He killed an official of the imperial court, and in order to prevent his evil deeds from being exposed, he executed his entire family. It is so cruel and vicious that it makes people's hair stand on end. This is what a beast does. How can we allow a beast to hold a high official position, be condemned by the people, and be abandoned by the people … "
Gu Qinglin sneered, saying: "Lord Zhu, you don't have to accuse General Song Yu of so many crimes. Since you accuse General Song Yu of lacking virtue, you only need to point out witnesses and material evidence … His Majesty and the officials in the court will decide who is right and who is wrong. "
Gu Qinglin's eyes flashed with killing intent, and he said fiercely: "If Lord Zhu can't point out the evidence, then this act of publicly insulting and attacking an important general of the imperial court … If it causes chaos at the border and the morale of the army to be unstable, I will ask the Emperor to punish you for deceiving the Emperor. At that time, you won't be able to keep your head. "
Gu Qinglin suddenly felt a little worried.
It had been a long time since the collapse of the Lu clan, and no one in the imperial court dared to compete with the Song clan.
But now, the power of the Song family was becoming more and more stable, but someone had jumped out to impeach a general of the Song clan.
If Song Yu was captured by them, who would the Song family use to replace him as the great General? And who would lead the hundreds of thousands of proud soldiers of the Iron Gate Pass?
The younger generation of the Song family had not really grown up yet. Song Lang, who was originally leading the Qilin army, was a promising talent, but was killed by the arrogant and willful Little Gongzi of West Wind.
If they used an outsider, what if that person was not of one mind with the Song family? In the final analysis, the military power was still in the hands of one's own family. Look at the Lu clan back then, it held the military and political power, and commanded millions of soldiers. What was the result? As soon as the Lu clan fell, the generals chose to be loyal to the Song clan.
How could such a General be used?
They must not be allowed to do as they wish.
No matter who started this dispute, the other party will pay a heavy price. As for Zhu Yuren, didn't he want to redress the grievances of his old friend who had died many years ago? Then let him accompany him in the netherworld — —
Everyone understood the deeper meaning of Gu Qinglin's words. The Song enterprise naturally needed to do things cleanly and beautifully from beginning to end. If you can't produce any evidence of Song Yu's crime, then Song Yu will certainly cause some trouble in Yan Gate Pass in a fit of anger, such as hundreds of thousands of soldiers writing a blood letter, or losing the war. These things can all be pushed to Zhu Yuren.
Asking for an imperial edict to behead Zhu Yuren — — what kind of big deal is that?
Zhu Yuren calmly glanced at Gu Qinglin, saying in a low voice: "Prime Minister Gu, you don't have to threaten me, I know what I'm doing. Since I dare to stand up, I have already disregarded life and death. As for the head on my neck, if Prime Minister Gu wants it, you can easily get it — — However, I'm just stating a fact, if the truth has not been verified, my head will fall to the ground. It would most likely damage the reputation of Prime Minister Gu's thousands of years of scholarly family? Scholars in the world will also be talking about this matter. If the truth comes to light one day, Prime Minister Gu and many people — — I'm afraid they will be stared at the pillar of shame of all the scholars in the world. Why bother? "
"Lord Zhu just said I was threatening you, now it's Lord Zhu who is threatening you, right?" Gu Qinglin's face was livid. "What? Lord Zhu, you are not afraid of death, so you can unscrupulously pour dirty water on the important officials of the imperial court? "
"Yes, Lord Zhu, if you have any evidence, just show it. Don't waste your breath …"
"Prime Minister Gu, calm down. Lord Zhu is used to talking nonsense, and he can't change it today …"
"Where's the evidence? Show me the evidence of Song Yu's immoral conduct … "
* * *
King Hui knew that the Song clan was really angry this time, so he didn't try to persuade them anymore, so he asked: "Lord Zhu, since you accuse General Song Yu of immoral conduct, do you have any evidence?"
"I have evidence." Zhu Yuren said aloud.
"Where is the evidence?"
"I dare not say." Zhu Yuren said aloud.
"…"
This time, even King Hui was angry, and he shouted: "Lord Zhu, since you said you have evidence, but you are not willing to show it in court … are you deliberately making fun of me?"
"I dare not." Zhu Yuren's back was still straight, and he said in a clear voice: "I am afraid that if I show the evidence, it will be stolen. I am afraid that if I give up the witness, it will be killed. So, I dare not say. "
"…"
Hearing this, the hearts of the people in the imperial court sank.
Everyone realized that with the power of the Song clan at this moment, if they wanted to do something, no one could stop them. Not even a ruler in a high position.
What Zhu Yuren said was right, if he revealed the evidence, the Song clan would have already gone to steal it before the Emperor's Flying Feather Army arrived. If he was talking about a person, that person would definitely not survive the summons of His Majesty …
The Song Family was black and white when they said they were black. They called a deer a horse and did whatever they wanted. No one could resist them.
Was this really the blessing of civil and military officials like them?
At this time, those who were not directly related to the Song clan or loyal to other forces suddenly began to sympathize with Zhu Yuren, and also began to be wary of the Song clan.
In any case, they could not let the Song clan dominate.
Slap …
King Hui slapped the throne, pointed at Zhu Yuren in the center of the hall, and shouted angrily: "Zhu Yuren, do you think I dare not kill you? You accuse my general of being immoral, but you are not willing to give up the witness and the evidence … How do you expect me, and all the civil and military officials in the imperial court, to believe the truth of your accusation? "
"Your Majesty, General Song Yu kidnapped the young daughter of Censor Li Sanjie, Li Wan, 21 years ago and offered her to him. Later, Li Wan luckily escaped, but was chased to Antler Street and killed in public. The young girl was torn into pieces … Countless people witnessed this incident, and there were rumors in Tiandu. But at that time, someone exonerated the villain Song Yu, sent Li Sanjie and his family to Yan City, and then sent Song Yu to the border. Only then did things calm down … Because of fear of power, the people of Tiandu dared not speak out. I am afraid that many people in the imperial court also know about this matter? "
Zhu Yuren's sharp eyes swept left and right, and many senior officials avoided his eyes, unwilling to look at him.
Zhu Yuren sighed softly. He knew that it was impossible for someone to stand up and agree with him. Except for himself, the others would probably avoid this muddy water far away. He only hoped that the mastermind behind the scenes could turn the clouds and rain with one hand, and use thunderous means to take down Song Yu, so that the Li clan could avenge their great hatred, and then his sacrifice would not be in vain.
"Poor Censor Li and his family fled to Yan City, but still suffered the evil consequences of being slaughtered. It was said that it was done by the great bandit Hong Hai 'er, but in fact, it was General Song Yu who secretly instigated it … "
"Zhu Yuren, shut up."
An official rushed to the front and slapped Zhu Yuren on the cheek.
Caught off guard, Zhu Yuren suffered a heavy slap, and a palm print appeared on his face. Even the hat on his head was sent flying.
"General Song Yu defended the borders of the country, and his contributions will be remembered for generations to come. How can I allow an ignorant old man like you to slander me? I, Cai Jingcheng, will tear you apart today, lest you spit out ivory from your dog's mouth …"
"Impudent." The corner of the King's eyes twitched. He glanced at Gu Qinglin and said, "How can you be so impudent in the imperial court? Men, drag Cai Jingcheng out and beat him 20 times … "
Gu Qinglin felt a chill run down his spine, and a murderous intent surged through his body.
He was the one who had signaled Cai Jingcheng to go and beat him. On one hand, he did not want Zhu Yuren to say too much, and on the other hand, he wanted to make the scene more chaotic. Taking chestnuts from chaos was the right way to go.
He did not expect that the King would only have Cai Jingcheng, who beat him, be dragged out, but not punish Zhu Yuren, who was full of nonsense. Zhu Yuren was still in the palace, so the matter of Song Yu would continue to be pursued.
Could it be … that the King was also not willing to be the Emperor?
Gu Qinglin laughed coldly in his heart.
"If I don't want to be a son, I'm afraid I won't even have the chance to be a grandson …"
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