After saying those words, Li Mu turned and left the Zhou family.
After he left, a few figures walked out from the back hall.
Zhou Xiong looked coldly at Zhou Chen and asked, "Is what Li Mu said true?"
Zhou Chen nodded and said fearfully, "But back then, when I hired the assassin, I did not reveal any of my identity!"
Zhou Xiong sat in his chair and said weakly, "How much leverage does he have on the Zhou family …"
Most of the conflicts in the Imperial Court could not be seen in the open. These conflicts in the dark were filled with blood and filth, and could not be shown in front of others.
With the Xiao clan's existence, the Zhou family could not avoid such filthy matters. Once they were exposed and seriously investigated, there was no doubt that the fate of the Old Party officials would be the fate of some of the New Party members.
Zhou Chuan said, "I'm guessing that Li Mu is lying to us. Even the Old Party does not have any evidence. How would Li Mu know?"
Zhou Xiong looked at him and asked, "What if?"
He looked at Zhou Chuan and said, "Even if he does not have more leverage, just the crime of assassination is enough to send your son to his death."
Zhou Chen trembled and hugged Zhou Chuan's thigh. He said fearfully, "Father, I don't want to die. I'm your son. You have to save me …"
Pa!
Zhou Chuan slapped him away with a gloomy face and did not say a word.
Li Mu's request for Zhou Chen and the other members of the New Party to be spared was that Zhou Chuan himself had to request to be banished to the army. The place of banishment was either the Demon Nation or the Ghost Realm. Any sinner who went to such a place would have a slim chance of surviving. Some would even die ten times out of ten. This unfilial son wanted him dead …
At that moment, Zhou Chuan regretted giving birth to this son for the first time.
At that moment, a figure slowly walked in from outside.
Zhou Xiong stood up and said, "Big Brother …"
Zhou Jing said, "I know."
Zhou Xiong thought for a moment and asked, "Big Brother, can you divine if Li Mu is bluffing? Does he really have leverage on us?"
Zhou Jing shook his head and said, "He has a magic treasure that can shield him from the Heavenly Secrets. I can't calculate anything related to him. Even if I didn't have that item, I might not be able to calculate these things."
Zhou Xiong sat back down and asked worriedly, "What should we do now?"
If Li Mu had come to the Zhou Family to spout nonsense without any basis, there was a ninety percent chance that he was bluffing. However, he had directly pointed out the secret things that Zhou Chen had done, which made Zhou Xiong feel uncertain.
If what Li Mu said was true, then they would have to give up on Zhou Chuan and be banished to the army.
If they don't do as Li Mu said, Zhou Chen will die. Not only that, there is a certain possibility that the other officials of the New Party will also be implicated. If Li Mu really has something on them …
Within the scope of the law, Li Mu could do whatever he wanted. This was something that everyone in Luoyang was aware of.
How arrogant was the Xiao Royal Family? They were even capable of doing things like forcing the emperor to abdicate the throne. However, in the end, they still had to watch the heads of over twenty officials from the old faction fall to the ground. Even the Duke of Nanyang could not be saved.
Once Li Mu made public the evidence in his hands, the New Party would probably follow in the footsteps of the Old Party.
If Zhou Chuan did not leave, Zhou Chen would definitely die. Perhaps even more people would die.
If Zhou Chuan asked to be banished, only three of the four brothers of the Zhou Family would be left.
This was a dilemma that only the head of the family, Zhou Jing, had the right to make.
In the hall, everyone's gaze was on Zhou Jing.
Zhou Chuan could not help but say, "Even if Li Mu really has something on us, can we trust what he says? What if he goes back on his words …"
Zhou Jing looked at him and said, "No matter what decision you make, the Zhou Family will agree."
Zhou Chuan's voice gradually became softer as a bitter smile appeared on his face.
If his eldest brother was not threatened by Li Mu, he would have clearly told him that the Zhou Family would not be threatened and would not agree to Li Mu's request.
Other than that, any decision he made would actually lead to another choice.
Sacrificing him in exchange for the stability of the Zhou Family and the New Party.
It turned out that he had been abandoned like the Commandery Prince of Nanyang.
Zhou Chuan took a deep breath and said, "Let's do as Li Mu says. For the Zhou Family, for the New Party, and for our great cause …"
Zhou Jing was silent for a moment before he said, "The family will prepare some things for you so that you can protect yourself. When the time is right, you can return to Luoyang."
Zhou Chuan cupped his fists and said in a deep voice, "Thank you, eldest brother."
…
The third of the four brothers of the Zhou Family, the former Minister of Works, Zhou Chuan, felt guilty for framing Li Yi. Although he had been pardoned by the death exemption medallion, he still asked to be sent to prison and left Luoyang. This became another eye-catching event after the execution of the Commandery Prince of Nanyang and the others.
Back when they framed Li Yi, they were all sentenced to death. Later, they were all pardoned by the death exemption medallion.
The common people thought that this would be the end. They did not expect that it was only the beginning.
After the Commandery Prince of Nanyang, Xiao Yun, and Old Concubine Gao's elder brother, Gao Hong, were pardoned by the death exemption medallion, they were sent to the execution ground for other crimes. In the end, they could not escape death.
Although Zhou Chuan did not die, the crime of being sent to prison was not much different from delaying the execution of the death penalty. It was just that he would die a little later.
At this point, all the main culprits and accomplices in Li Yi's case had paid the price with their lives.
The other three fish that escaped the net, the Marquis of Zhongyong, the Earl of Ping 'an, and the Marquis of Yongding, disappeared from Luoyang overnight after hearing and witnessing these things.
Someone saw them leave Luoyang with their family the night before the execution of the Commandery Prince of Nanyang.
Li Residence.
After Li Mu heard these things, he heaved a long sigh of relief.
He pulled Li Qing into his arms and whispered in her ear, "It's all over …"
Li Qing was silent. Not long after, a wet mark appeared on Li Mu's chest.
After fourteen years, the injustice of the Li Residence was finally redressed. Those people who had inflicted suffering on them back then had finally received their overdue judgment fourteen years later.
Li Qing could only completely let go of certain things that she had been carrying in her heart at this moment.
Li Mu hugged her. After a while, when he lowered his head, he realized that Li Qing had fallen asleep in his arms.
He carefully carried her back to her room and placed her on the bed. He kissed her forehead gently and left the room.
Zhou Chuan had volunteered to be banished. Li Mu had no intention of continuing to fight the Zhou Family to the death.
Firstly, he did not have anything on the Zhou Family. He could trick them once, but he might not be able to trick them a second time. Secondly, two of the four brothers of the Zhou Family had already died at the hands of Li Mu. Zhou Chu had even died at his hands. If he continued to be aggressive, he might be driven into a corner.
Most importantly, he had to consider the Empress.
After all, that was the family that had raised her. Even if this family had betrayed her and made her watch helplessly as the Zhou Family was destroyed at the hands of Li Mu, it was still a form of torture for her.
He had used less than a year to go from a nameless minor official to a person that both the new and old parties feared.
In less than a year, too many changes had happened in Luoyang.
As Li Mu walked on the streets, he no longer saw numb faces. The people's backs were straight, their eyes were bright, and they smiled from the bottom of their hearts. All of this showed that the Luoyang of today was no longer the Luoyang of the past.
An old woman with a walking stick was walking on the street. She accidentally fell. A young man and a young woman passed by quickly helped her up and helped her to the side of the road to rest.
The old woman rested for a while, then leaned on her walking stick and slowly walked on the street. When she reached the corner of the street, she saw a beggar in ragged clothes. She thought for a moment, then took out a few copper coins from her sleeve and threw them into the beggar's bowl.
The beggar kowtowed in gratitude. He took two copper coins and bought a bun from a bun shop by the street. He saw the shop assistant from the shop next door struggling to carry a box onto the carriage. He held the bun in his mouth and went forward to help carry the box onto the carriage.
The shop assistant took a deep breath. Just as he was about to thank the beggar, he realized that there was no one behind the box. At this moment, a man in green walked over and asked, "Brother, may I ask where Restaurant Ruyi is?"
The shop assistant smiled and said, "I happen to have something to do near Restaurant Ruyi. Follow me."
The man thanked him and followed the shop assistant to Restaurant Ruyi. He happened to see a young man and a young woman's kite hanging on a tree. The two of them stood under the tree and waited. The man leaped up and easily plucked the kite. He smiled and handed it to the young man and the young woman. He said, "Go over there and fly it in an empty place …"
Li Mu was greeted by the people along the way. He could clearly feel the changes in Luoyang half a year ago.
Li Mu was not the only one who could feel the changes. The people of Luoyang could feel it too.
In the past, there was no good or evil in Luoyang. There was no right or wrong. It was chaotic and dark.
Until half a year ago, a ray of light shone through the darkness.
From then on, good and evil were separated in Luoyang. The officials and nobles who broke the law were punished the same as the common people. Be it the hedonistic sons of rich parents, the students of the academy, the important officials in the court, the nobles of Luoyang, or even the descendants of the royal family, they could no longer trample on the law and oppress the common people.
This ray of light allowed the common people to walk out from the darkness and into the sunlight.
Looking at the figure walking slowly on the street, countless people had reverence in their eyes.
That was the light in all of their hearts.
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