Outside the prison.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, Yang Lin, shook his head at Wei Peng and said, "It's useless. Once we reach the golden palace, we just need to search his soul and the truth will be revealed. Have you forgotten what happened five years ago?"
Wei Peng patted the thick "Law of the Great Zhou" in his arms. He looked at the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice and said meaningfully, "Sir, times have changed."
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice sighed and said, "I don't know if times have changed or not. I only know that during this year of tribute, the Shen Kingdom has always had ulterior motives. They will definitely use this as a pretext to make a fuss. This time, they will definitely not let go of this opportunity …"
He patted Wei Peng's shoulder and said, "Let's go. You also go to the palace. You know more about this case than I do. When we reach the palace, be careful what you say."
The young man looked nervously at Wei Peng and asked, "Sir, I, I have never been to the palace. What should I do later?"
Wei Peng said indifferently, "It's very simple. When we reach the palace, don't say or do anything …"
Palace, Crepe Myrtle Palace.
Today's lunch banquet was already nearing its end. After the emergency of the Shen Kingdom people dying in the Great Zhou's Shendu, the important officials of the Great Zhou all moved to the Crepe Myrtle Palace. The envoys of the various countries also followed.
At this time, most of the officials still didn't know what had happened.
Soon, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice brought two people into the palace. After the report, everyone knew what had happened.
This Shen Kingdom person had stolen a precious piece of jewelry from a jade shop in the Shendu. After being discovered by the shopkeeper, he fled through the door.
The shopkeeper went out to chase after the thief, but because of his old age, he was left further and further behind by the thief. A passerby saw injustice on the road and helped the shopkeeper chase after the thief from the Shen Kingdom. Unexpectedly, the thief panicked and accidentally fell. Coincidentally, his head hit the top of the stone steps on the street. Immediately, his brain splattered and he died.
As a result, the courageous citizen of the Great Zhou became the murderer of this person.
In the palace, many of the officials of the Great Zhou had extremely gloomy expressions.
Every time the various countries paid tribute, other than diplomatic missions, there would also be some merchants accompanying them, bringing goods from various countries to be sold in the Divine Capital.
In the beginning, when Great Zhou was at its peak, all countries, regardless of whether they were diplomatic missions or merchants, were well-behaved and abided by the laws of Great Zhou. They didn't dare to do anything that violated the law.
But in the past fifty years, with the decline of Great Zhou's national power, the intervals between tributes from other countries gradually increased, and the tributes gradually decreased. The actions of foreigners in Great Zhou also became more and more unbridled. By the time of the previous Emperor, Great Zhou had completely lost the spirit of a great country.
Furthermore, in order to rope in these small countries and prevent them from leaving the Great Zhou while he was in power, the previous emperor even gave them a lot of preferential treatment.
From the beginning, merchants from other countries were exempted from all taxes in the Great Zhou, to indulging them in breaking the law and even committing crimes within the Great Zhou's borders. The "Law of Great Zhou" could govern the citizens of Great Zhou, but it couldn't govern the citizens of other countries. This caused the previous Emperor's reign to be the most aggrieved period for the citizens and officials of Great Zhou.
This aggrieved feeling reached its peak five years ago.
Five years ago, the last time the various countries paid tribute, a merchant from the Shen Nation raped a woman in the Divine Capital and was injured by a righteous man. The Shen Nation diplomatic mission flew into a rage and threatened that if Great Zhou didn't give them a satisfactory explanation, they would sever their tributes with Great Zhou. In order to maintain stability, the previous Emperor publicly executed that righteous man, but released the criminal from the Shen Nation. This became the most humiliating diplomatic incident in the history of Great Zhou. It forcefully broke the backbone of the citizens of Great Zhou, causing the citizens of other countries, especially those from the Shen Nation, to act recklessly in Great Zhou. However, the citizens of Great Zhou didn't dare to voice their anger.
Five years later, this scene repeated itself once again. Perhaps Shen Guo had done it on purpose.
In the Crepe Myrtle Palace, the Shen Nation diplomatic mission said with a cold expression, "A citizen of my Shen Nation died in your Great Zhou. The Great Zhou court must severely punish the murderer and give us an explanation!"
At this moment, under the gazes of the people in the Imperial Court, a figure slowly stepped forward.
Wei Peng looked at the Shen Nation diplomatic mission and asked, "Murderer? What murderer?"
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission said, "Of course it's the murderer who caused the deaths of our citizens."
Wei Peng shook his head and said, "A merchant from your country committed a theft in the Great Zhou's Divine Capital. When he was escaping, he accidentally fell and hit the stairs and died. What does this have to do with others? How can there be a murderer?"
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission said coldly, "Who are you? What does this have to do with this case?"
Wei Peng said indifferently, "I am the head of the Ministry of Justice, Wei Peng. I have been invited by my client to act as his defense in this case. I will speak on his behalf."
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission pondered for a while before he understood that this official from the Great Zhou was trying to exonerate this person. His expression became even more unfriendly as he said, "Even if he stole first, according to the laws of your Great Zhou, this crime does not warrant death. If that person did not chase after him, he would not have died. In the end, this person is still the murderer who caused his death!"
When the Shen Nation diplomatic mission said this, the officials in the Imperial Court could already confirm that the Shen Nation had come prepared this time. They actually knew the laws of the Great Zhou so well. If this kind of thing happened to a citizen of the Great Zhou, it would be somewhat unclear. Furthermore, it was a foreigner. This case became somewhat difficult to judge.
At this moment, Wei Peng looked calmly at the Shen Nation diplomatic mission and asked, "Who said that my client was chasing after him? My client was just in a hurry. Your merchant was panicking and died from hitting the stairs. What does this have to do with my client?"
When Wei Peng's words came out, whether it was the officials in the Imperial Court or the envoys from the various countries, they were all stunned.
This reason was really amazing …
Prince Shou was so shocked that his mouth opened wide. He said in surprise, "This kid is a talent …"
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission quickly reacted and said coldly, "He was running while shouting 'Stop' and 'Don't run'. Could it be that he was also in a hurry?"
Wei Peng said indifferently, "He was in a hurry and was thirsty. He happened to see a vendor carrying tea and wanted to ask for a cup of fermented rice wine to quench his thirst. Is that not allowed?"
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission glanced at him and said coldly, "You can quibble. As long as you let us search his soul, the truth will naturally be revealed!"
"Impudent!"
Another figure walked out from the crowd. Zhang Chun's face darkened as he said loudly, "Who do you think you are? A barbarian country. Are you worthy of searching the souls of my Great Zhou's citizens?"
After the various countries' envoys arrived in the Great Zhou, they realized that the Great Zhou had changed greatly in the past few years. Naturally, they did a detailed investigation of the Great Zhou court.
They all knew the identity of the person who was reprimanding the Shen Nation diplomatic mission.
Zhang Chun was the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and the Minister of Imperial Ancestral Temple. He was loyal to the Empress of the Great Zhou and did not belong to either the old or the new party. At the same time, he was also the most loyal dog under the powerful minister Li Mu.
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission's face was extremely cold. He gritted his teeth and said, "The citizens of the Shen Nation died in the Great Zhou's Shendu. Is this the attitude of the Great Zhou?"
After a short silence, a majestic voice finally came from behind the curtain at the front of the hall.
"The people of the Shen Nation stole first and accidentally fell to their deaths while escaping. They brought this upon themselves and cannot blame others. There is no need to discuss this further." The Empress's voice echoed in the hall. In the end, she only left two words, "Court dismissed!"
The Empress's words undoubtedly determined the nature of this case.
After the court was dismissed, the officials of the Great Zhou walked out of the Crape Myrtle Hall and couldn't help but straighten their backs.
Although the Great Zhou had been the most powerful country on the Zu Continent for the past hundred years, it had been a long time since they had straightened their backs in front of the envoys of these small countries.
At this moment, there was only one thought in the minds of the many officials.
The Empress was mighty!
The envoys of the various countries walked out behind the Great Zhou officials with different expressions on their faces.
It had also been a long time since they had seen such a powerful Great Zhou.
The Empress of the Great Zhou did not give any face to the Shen Nation. She did not even search the soul of the Great Zhou citizen and directly ended the case. She was not afraid of the threats of the Shen Nation diplomatic mission and did not give them a chance.
They had once thought that the Great Zhou's national fortune had declined and would not last long after a woman ascended to the throne, reversing Yin and Yang and reversing the universe.
No one had expected the Empress of the Great Zhou to be so powerful. They once again felt the aura of the ruler of the Zu Continent from her.
The Shen Nation diplomatic mission left without a word. It was not until this moment that they realized that the Great Zhou of today was no longer the Great Zhou of five years ago.
The man from the Yong Kingdom breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Five years ago, the people of the Great Zhou were cold and heartless. They did not help the elderly on the road, and they did not stand up for injustice. I once saw with my own eyes that the people of the Shen Nation dragged a woman from the Great Zhou into a dark alley. The onlookers ignored them. I did not expect that five years later, a frail scholar would have the courage to step forward. The times have truly changed. The seriously ill lion of the Great Zhou has once again stood up …"
The young man beside him took a deep breath. The dignified voice of the Empress of the Great Zhou still echoed in his ears. He raised his head and resolutely said, "There will be a day when I will also become that kind of person …"
After the envoys of the various countries returned to the Chamberlain of Dependencies, they closed their doors and did not leave. This trip to the Great Zhou was full of surprises. They needed to plan carefully.
Li Mu did not go to the Changle Palace. Instead, he walked out of the Imperial Palace with the other officials.
Outside the Imperial Palace, there were already many commoners waiting to see what was going on.
They did not dare to approach the other officials. When they saw Li Mu come out, they immediately surrounded him, all of them talking at once.
"Official Li, how was it?"
"How did Her Imperial Majesty decide?"
"Will that righteous man pay with his life?"
…
Li Mu looked at their earnest gazes and smiled. "It's been so long. You all still don't understand Her Imperial Majesty's temperament. How could she allow us, the people of the Great Zhou, to be bullied by outsiders on our doorstep? Her Imperial Majesty has already said that the people of the Shen Nation apologized first. They only have themselves to blame and deserve to die. It has nothing to do with others. That righteous and courageous young man has already been acquitted and will leave the Imperial Palace in a moment.
The commoners around him all cheered and jumped for joy when they heard this.
"That's great!"
"Her Imperial Majesty is mighty!"
There were also some commoners who thought further and asked Li Mu worriedly, "Official Li, if the people of the Shen Nation use this as an excuse to stop paying tribute to the Great Zhou, what should we do?"
Li Mu said calmly, "They can choose to pay tribute or not. If they don't pay tribute, would our Great Zhou not be the largest country in the Zu Continent? Great Zhou has vast lands and abundant resources. Do we lack their tributes?"
The commoners were stunned for a moment. After thinking about it, they quickly came to their senses.
"Official Li is right!"
"Our Great Zhou has vast lands and abundant resources. Do we need their tributes? They can ride on our heads and ride roughshod over us. We don't need such tributes!"
"If we take their tributes, we have to be bullied by them. We don't need their tributes. They can pay whoever they want!"
…
In order to record him well in the history books, and to prevent the other countries from breaking away from the Great Zhou, the former Emperor tolerated the other countries. God knows how much the people of Shendu suffered and how much suffering they suffered.
When the merchants of other countries bullied the people of Shendu, the commoners dared not speak up.
When the people of Shen raped women, the former Emperor, who was muddle-headed, actually executed the righteous people who saw injustice.
Great Zhou was a great country. As the people of Great Zhou, they could have been proud and arrogant. However, under the former Emperor's muddle-headed policies, the commoners of Shendu were inferior to the people of other countries. The commoners had long had enough of this.
Li Mu originally wanted to keep the tributes from the other countries. After all, it was the symbol of Great Zhou as the most powerful country in the Celestial Empire.
After this incident, he had changed his mind.
It was better not to ask for tributes. The former Emperor wanted to use this method to gain a good reputation in the history books. However, he was scolded even more harshly by the historians. He was completely nailed to the pillar of shame in history.
During his reign, the Great Zhou's national strength declined the fastest. The faith of the people declined the most. He even lost the throne of the Xiao family. If nothing went wrong, he would be the most humiliated emperor of the Xiao family.
If he kept the tributes, the commoners would not praise him. If the Empress did not want the tributes, she would have won back the dignity of the commoners. The commoners would not scold her.
The tributes from the other countries should be paid willingly. They used the tributes in exchange for the protection of the Great Zhou. This was a kind of transaction. It was also their recognition of the strength of the Great Zhou.
Li Mu had to let the commoners understand this principle. In the future, even if they did not pay the tributes, the commoners would not think it was the Empress' fault.
He looked at the commoners in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, remember that the former Emperor has passed away for five years. Great Zhou is no longer the Great Zhou of the past. From now on, no matter where you are in the Great Zhou, you can straighten your backs. You are the people of the Great Zhou. Behind you is the most powerful country in the Zu Continent …"
When he said this, he used a trace of his Dharmic powers. His voice echoed in the ears of the surrounding people.
"Yes, the former Emperor has passed away for five years …"
"Now our Emperor is Her Majesty the Empress …"
"What right does a barbarian country have to ride on our heads?"
"It should have been like this long ago!"
…
As the commoners thought about this, many of them breathed rapidly. Their eyes started to turn red. "You are the people of the Great Zhou. No matter where you are, you can straighten your backs …" They had been waiting for this sentence for a very, very long time.
Lord Li was right. The former Emperor had passed away for five years.
The people of the Great Zhou could stand up.
At this moment, all the commoners present subconsciously straightened their backs.
Seeing the two people walking out of the palace gates, Li Mu said, "Lord Yang."
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice immediately walked forward and asked, "Lord Li, what are your orders?"
Li Mu said, "The Great Zhou Laws are used to protect the people of the Great Zhou. From now on, no matter which country you are from, as long as you dare to violate the laws of the Great Zhou in the Great Zhou, you will be severely punished!"
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice immediately bowed. "I understand."
Li Mu patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "You have a high rank. You don't have to call me 'I' in the future …"
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice only gave a simple and honest smile. Rank did not explain everything. Everyone in the court knew that Lord Li and the Empress wore the same pants. It was not excessive to respect him as much as the Empress. Moreover, in his lifetime, he still wanted to rely on Li Mu to get promoted and move to a bigger residence …
At the palace gates, the commoners had already dispersed.
Li Mu's words were still echoing in their minds.
The news spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred. It wouldn't be long before everyone in the Fairy's Capital knew what he had said.
Not long after, in a restaurant.
It was lunchtime. The restaurant's business was good, and there were no empty seats.
At some point, a few dark-skinned men wearing strange clothes walked into the restaurant. They glanced at the customers who were eating in the restaurant. One of them walked up to the counter and said to the manager in bad Great Zhou language, "We are from the Shen Dynasty. Ask the rest of the people here to go out and arrange a good private room. We will serve all the dishes you have here …"
The manager of the restaurant had just heard Lord Li's words at the palace gates. He was overwhelmed with excitement. He glanced at the men and said coldly, "I've only heard of the Great Zhou. I've never heard of the Shen Dynasty. Which barbarian country are you from? There is a seat in the corner over there. If you can sit, then sit. If you can't, then leave. Don't disturb our business here …"
The Shen Dynasty merchant was used to running amok in the Great Zhou. This time, he brought his friends with him. He did not expect the lowly commoners of the Great Zhou to be so impudent to him. His face instantly darkened. He said sternly, "How dare you! Do you know who you are talking to?!"
Bang!
"You want to stir up trouble?" The manager slammed the abacus on the table and sneered, "Fellows, report this to the authorities!"
Inside the Chamberlain of Dependencies.
In the courtyard where the Yong envoy resided, a middle-aged man stood on the roof, overlooking the entire Divine Capital.
A strange light flashed in his eyes. The Divine Capital of the Great Zhou, which was surging with psychokinesis, shone with a golden light in his eyes.
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