This was probably the fastest the government had ever handled a case.
The people who had reported the case were still at the door of the yamen. There was no need to rush to redress their grievances, but the important figures who had been lost had all been found.
Logically speaking, regardless of whether it was the government or the people who had reported the case, this was a joyous matter. The case had been solved, and everyone could go home and find their own mothers. No one would be troubled.
However, the matter was not so simple.
The people who had been tied up were all influential figures in the capital, and 40 of them had been tied up quietly. They had only been discovered in the morning. This was probably the worst case that had happened in the capital since the founding of the country.
After today, how could the other officials and nobles in the capital sleep peacefully?
After all, no one wanted to go to sleep at night and wake up the next day in a strange place. Their bodies were tied up, unable to move or speak, and they had to kneel in front of the people …
This case had to be investigated, thoroughly investigated!
If those vicious thugs were allowed to roam freely in the capital, no one would be able to sleep peacefully in the future.
This was only one of the reasons.
The papers that recorded the crimes of the officials and nobles who were tied up had long been spread by the mouth of the public. They were indeed the victims, but at the same time, they were the perpetrators. The words that were written with blood and tears could be verified to prove their authenticity.
The court was in the midst of a legal reform. Although the crimes of the nobles and nobles could not be equated with those of the common people, if a common person committed any of the crimes, they would be beheaded dozens or hundreds of times. It would not be too much to just behead them once, right?
Each of these people had committed grave crimes. There were countless eyes watching outside. Who would dare to let them go back?
Ceng Shichun rubbed the space between his eyebrows. He had already ordered the bailiffs and bailiffs to bring those people back, but other than a few who could speak, the others seemed to have been cast with a paralysis spell. Even though their noses were bruised and their faces swollen, they could not make a sound of pain, much less move.
"Sir Ceng, can I bring my master back?"
"Sir, my master is injured and needs immediate treatment!"
"Your government is not going to catch those assassins, but instead detain these officials here. What are your intentions?"
…
Ceng Shichun rubbed his temples again when he heard the shouts coming from outside the hall. Those people were either nobles or high officials. Even he couldn't offend so many clans at the same time …
Just as he was having a headache, a constable finally walked in with a happy expression and said loudly, "Sir, someone from the palace has come!"
It was not only the eunuchs who came from the Palace to announce the imperial edict, but also the medical officials of the Imperial Physician Bureau. After examining them, the Imperial Physician Liu Jimin shook his head and said, "These people have all had their acupoints sealed. It's the technique of a warrior."
A grey-robed old man walked out from the back. He stretched out his hand and pointed at one of the men's necks. In the next moment, a miserable howl was heard.
The man finally regained his freedom. He covered his buttocks and screamed miserably.
The grey-robed old man walked around the crowd and unsealed everyone's acupoints one by one. Suddenly, everyone heard a series of screams, and the situation went out of control.
Ceng Shichun stepped forward, looked at the young man at the front, and asked, "What did His Highness say?"
Liu Yichun looked at him and slowly said, "Investigate thoroughly."
Ceng Shichun nodded and said, "Forty officials have been arrested. The impact is too bad. If we don't investigate clearly, many of the officials in the court will not agree. A thorough investigation naturally has to be conducted. However, to be able to commit such a crime without anyone knowing, I'm afraid it's not the work of an ordinary person. It won't be easy to investigate this case."
"The crimes committed by these sinful officials and nobles must be thoroughly investigated." Liu Yichun looked at him and said, "These people will temporarily stay in the capital government office. The Imperial Physician Bureau will treat their injuries. The Secret Intelligence Bureau will take over everything else."
A smile appeared on Ceng Shichun's face. He placed a thick stack of papers in Liu Yichun's hand and said, "I'll have to trouble Lord Liu."
The onlookers had already surrounded the capital government office. If those wicked people who had committed heinous crimes walked out, it was likely that some uncontrollable events would occur.
Fortunately, this time, the court did not disappoint them.
Not a single one of the forty people walked out of the government office. The capital governor's manor had also put up a notice outside, expressing strong condemnation of those audacious thieves who had kidnapped officials and nobles. At the same time, it expressed that the case would be strictly investigated, and the thieves would be arrested as soon as possible, so that the capital could be restored to order.
As for the crimes that these forty people had confessed to, the government would certainly verify them one by one. Once verified, they would not be tolerated. If the people had any clues or evidence, they were welcome to provide them, and they were also welcome to supervise …
If the government handled the case like this every time, the people would naturally not be dissatisfied, and the grievances like Dou E's would probably not occur. The people were very satisfied with the way the government handled the case, and their emotions were no longer agitated. They no longer gathered in front of the government office, and gradually dispersed …
However, their attention did not shift. Overnight, the capital government office, including the forty mansions, became the focus of the entire capital.
The Cui family.
No one from the Cui family had gone missing last night, but they were even more frightened than the families who had gone missing.
Forty people, their last remaining force in the capital, their last trump card, had been wiped out in one night … in one night … completely wiped out …
It was not just forty people, it was forty families. They had spent a great deal of effort to win over the power that they had. They all had something on the Cui family, and they were bound together for good or ill with the Cui family …
They were not people in the same boat. The Cui family's ship was in front, and their small boats were connected to it. The Cui family's ship rode the wind and waves, and they could also move forward. If the Cui family's ship sank, they would sink with it … The destruction of one small boat had a limited impact on the big boat, but if all forty small boats on the big boat sank, how could the Cui family ride the waves alone?
As soon as he heard the news, the current head of the Cui family, Cui Qingming, was so angry that he spat out a mouthful of blood, and had yet to wake up.
The people of the Cui family gathered in the meeting hall, and everyone's faces were filled with panic.
In one night, in just one night, the Cui family had gone from having countless supporters to being alone. Although they could not be considered alone, there was still the Qin family, the Chen family, and the Zeng family … but at this time, they could no longer affect the general situation.
This was not the most frightening thing. The crimes of those people might be related to the Cui family in some way. If their crimes were proven, the Cui family and the Cui family would find it very difficult to escape …
Originally, because of the King of Shu's return to the capital, they had finally seen a glimmer of light, but once again, it was covered by a huge black curtain …
The Qin family.
"The daring thieves must be investigated, but as officials and nobles, they disregarded the law and acted so unscrupulously. They are destined to be punished by the law. His Majesty has already ordered a strict investigation of this case. Although it will cause a great shock in the capital, in the long run, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages." At the family banquet, Qin Xiang looked at the people below and said in a low voice, "You must all take this as a warning."
Clang!
Qin Yan's hands trembled. He could not hold the bowl in his hands, and it fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
Beside him, his two brothers, who were also officials in the imperial court, were also pale.
At the bottom of the banquet, the Qin family's Fifth Master picked up a mouthful of food and tore off a chicken leg. He threw it to the man standing in the corner and continued to eat with his head lowered.
…
The news of the kidnapping of 40 officials and nobles in the capital was known to Li Yi last night. The case that the old Emperor had ordered him to investigate was about to reach its deadline. Suddenly, the suspects turned themselves in one after another, and there was no need to investigate at all. His recent luck was simply too good.
Until the Eldest Princess, who was not in a good mood, walked in from outside and asked, "Have you forgotten what you promised me?"
Sitting across from him, Miss.Liu, who was reading a book, put down her book and raised her head to look over. Clearly, she also wanted to know what Li Yi had promised her.
Li Yi looked at the Eldest Princess, then turned to look at Miss.Liu and said, "Ruyi, can you … leave for a moment?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
