Chapter 549: Selling indulgences and sacrificing one’s life for assassination (4k)
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by another angry minister: "What are you considering? Are you considering compromising with these two witches? If this matter is not pursued, wouldn't everyone be able to follow suit and act recklessly in the future?
After committing the crime of Luo Zhi and killing Zhongliang?"
"Queen of Zhongliang? Where did Queen of Zhongliang come from?"
Xia Mi turned his head slightly, glanced at the angry minister, and the smile on his face became brighter: "This gentleman speaks so righteously, he must be an upright family, and his wife, son, and nephew have not been involved in the case, right? In this case, then you
Why are you so excited?"
"Could it be that...we are crying out for the sinners who have been killed by Master and the families behind them? People who betray the interests of Da Chu can be called 'loyal', and they are loyal
It can’t be Da Qin, right? Liang’s… and what is it?”
Her words were so subtle that the minister's face immediately turned red, as if he was greatly humiliated. The fingers pointing at Xia Mi were trembling: "You...you don't want to spit on others! How can I stand for those sinners?"
Calling for injustice? I'm just discussing the matter, and I won't allow you to trample on the court's laws wantonly!"
"Great answer."
Xia Mi nodded, with a mixture of sarcasm and pity on her face, as if looking at a funny clown. She glanced at the other person's anxious hands, then sighed and read the Jade Talisman she had just passed.
Relevant information obtained from Zhao Qing:
"Fang Xuanyuan was born in the seventh year of Wu Lie. His ancestral home is Fengqing County, Hele County. He was born as a disciple of Nanquan Academy. He is currently the Deputy Mine Inspection Officer of the Gou Chi Division. He is a low-ranking disciple in the fifth realm. He has a wife, three concubines, two sons and a daughter."
"Your eldest son Fang You just turned twenty last year. He first entered the Three Realms and passed the craftsman assessment organized by the General Supervisor. He became an official craftsman of Tiangong Pavilion. His talent and talent were rated as '
Excellent, the future is bright."
"It's just how you got this 'future', I think you know it in your heart."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Xuanyuan's face suddenly turned pale, his body trembled involuntarily, and his eyes showed indescribable fear. He opened his mouth, but it seemed that he was choked by something, and he could not make any sound.
"Your second son Fang Chi is seventeen years old this year. Although he has no talent in spiritual practice, he has 'quite an understanding' of how to do business."
"While he was using the names of you and Gou Si to run a monopoly ore business in Hele County, forcing many miners to lose their families, he was also fighting for wealth in the underground gambling houses in Yingdu, spending extravagantly, and losing every time.
It has to be so clean that it leads to high debts."
"In order to make up for the huge financial gap in the family's business, he frequently relied on the power of some 'Qin friends' to secretly reveal information about some of Da Chu's precious ore resources to them in exchange for the reduction of gambling debts and more wealth.
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"As for your daughter Fang Jin, she has just turned fifteen this year. She is tall and pretty, and she is quite pretty. She is involved in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but she is the most daring among them. She is secretly following your clan uncle Fang Qihai.
Under the operation, he had affairs with many young officials serving as generals and supervisors at the same time to seek personal gain."
"And Fang Qihai happens to be one of the core figures in this workshop corruption case. He not only enriched himself, but also colluded with Qin spies to continuously deliver our country's confidential information to Qin. You said,
Does this count as a family 'working together' to jointly contribute to the 'prosperity and stability' of Dachu?"
"Please... stop talking..." Fang Xuanyuan's legs weakened and he collapsed on the ground, with tears streaming down his face: "I plead guilty, I plead guilty! Girl... No, sir, please spare my family, they
It's just... they were just confused for a moment, please give them a chance to change their ways."
"Have you regretted it now? It's too late!" Xia Mi smiled coldly, not even looking at the miserable look of the other party crying, begging and wailing: "These three people have all been executed and beheaded in the Fang family's mansion, by those in your family who are complicit in the crime.
House servants and bodyguards accompanied them to the underworld."
"Oh, by the way, there are also your wife and three concubines. They also chose to die to apologize, which saved the last face of the Fang family. If you rush back now, you might still have time to meet these people.
Corpses, of course, provided you can get out of this Chu Palace alive."
After saying that, she waved her sleeves in the distance, rolled up Fang Xuanyuan who was lying on the ground like a dead dog and threw him to the side of the hall. He was escorted down by several green-armored guards who appeared from the side door in time. Then she looked around, her eyes
Slowly scanned the faces of other ministers.
Everyone who was touched by her eyes lowered their heads involuntarily, or turned their faces sideways, not daring to look at her. They could not help but feel a deep sense of fear and sadness in their hearts.
Most of these courtiers who were making accusations not long ago had pale faces and cold hands and feet, fearing that they would be like Fang Xuanyuan, who looked young and looked like a fairy, but in fact had a heart of stone and a ruthless means.
What unsavory scandals and crimes were revealed on the spot.
For a moment, the huge Jinluan Palace was completely silent. You could hear a needle drop. Only Fang Xuanyuan's intermittent crying and pleading sounds were left. As he was carried out of the palace door by the guards, he walked farther and farther away, getting lighter and louder.
Eventually it disappears completely.
Emperor Chu sat on the high dragon chair and had a panoramic view of this scene. He couldn't help but secretly admire Zhao Qing and Xia Mi's agility and courage. With the help of the isolated environment inside and outside the Jinluan Palace, they used the time difference to create information asymmetry.
Use verbal traps, apply psychological pressure, and break them one by one.
In such a situation, those who have evil intentions in their hearts are in danger and suffer extremely, and must make a decision in a short time. Either like Fang Xuanyuan, he tries to resist stubbornly, but his crime is exposed, his reputation is ruined, and his family is destroyed; or he takes the initiative
If you plead guilty and submit to the law, you may be able to get a lighter sentence and save some face.
And those courtiers who thought they were not involved in the case and were innocent on the inside would be horrified by this series of thunderous methods and Xia Mi's terrifying intelligence capabilities, so much so that they would not dare to do anything in the subsequent discussions.
It’s easy to speak out and object.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! In this way, Zhao Qing and Xia Mi completely controlled the right to speak in this evening meeting, even though they did not receive any official
Although he was still a "guest" of Emperor Chu and Concubine Zhao Xiang in name, he was actually a key figure who could influence the direction of the government.
Seeing that the time had come, Xia Mi smiled slightly and spoke again, his voice returning to its previous softness and gentleness, as if the harsh methods just now were just an illusion:
"My lords, I know that many of you are in a similar situation to Lord Fang. Maybe you yourself are not involved in the case, but your family members, relatives, disciples and former officials may not all be as honest and upright as you.
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"Although it is said that all the officials and nobles involved in the case who have accumulated a certain degree of guilt have been executed, and there is no chance of resurrection. However, if the crime is not serious enough and the evildoers are limited, they are actually only detained and supervised.
Their relatives, friends and cronies can help reduce the punishment."
"How to alleviate it? It's very simple, it is to exchange for 'credit'. For example, take the initiative to report and expose other people's crimes and provide effective clues and evidence; or donate your family property to the national treasury to provide relief to the victims.
Repairing rivers, strengthening city defenses and other things that benefit the country and the people..."
"After all, neither 'Master' nor I are cold-blooded people. As long as the conditions are right, everything can be discussed. If you miss this last chance, you will be hopeless in the future!"
She paused for a moment and then added: "However, before you commit crimes and meritorious service, it is recommended that you first assess the size of your crime and the distribution of your family property, and atone for the death of the deceased and reduce their sentence, or use the money that has been confiscated to
It's useless to use your wealth to pay for your crimes, don't even think about taking advantage of the imperial court."
"At most, it can only be seen as a positive confession attitude, which will have an effect on the living ones, barely leave some reputation for the deceased in the family, and provide some coffins for burial, ceremonial fees, and the convenience of incense sacrifice, so as not to let people
Their bodies were exposed in the wilderness or buried hastily."
"If one's 'credit' is worth one's sin, and if patchwork is not enough, then here is my friendly suggestion, it is better to give up."
Hearing this, Emperor Chu couldn't help but feel happy: he was determined to report his accomplices, and he reluctantly donated hundreds of thousands or millions of wealth to the family, and then waited uneasily in the Jinluan Palace, but in the end he might just get a simple place.
In this world's "forced buying and selling", is there anything more extreme than this?
However, on second thought, for these officials and nobles involved in the case, this difficult choice is, after all, the only straw that can save their family and their own destiny. Although the conditions are harsh, it is better than sitting back and waiting for death, with everything in vain.
Much more.
Of course, all things are not that simple. After atoning for the "merit", trying to deprive it of power and resources, and removing the threat, there will be opportunities for further manipulation.
Sure enough, soon a slightly fat and fair-faced minister knelt down with a plop:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I am willing to confess everything. I only ask that your Majesty be given a lighter punishment. I have accepted bribes from Fang Qihai many times and had contact with Qin spies, but I have not betrayed Da Chu's core secrets."
"...The gold, silver, and jewelry I have saved at home total about 536 million yuan. There are more than 5,000 acres of fertile land in Yingdu, and about 70,000 acres of farmland in Xiyuan County... There are also underground banks.
I am willing to donate a lot of my savings to the court, just to ask for pardon for my family."
"Very good, you are the first minister to stand up and 'make a meritorious service'. Your courage is commendable." Xia Mi nodded, with a look of approval on his face: "As long as the clues you provide and the evidence are conclusive,
The transfer of the family property goes smoothly, and the imperial court will definitely consider it appropriately and deal with it leniently."
Then, she took out a blue silk ribbon with the words "Mid-grade Indulgence" written on it from her sleeve, and threw it casually, causing it to fly out smoothly and land in the man's hand.
This minister felt as if he had found a treasure, clutching the ribbon tightly and kowtowing like he was pounding garlic.
"Your Majesty, I am also willing to confess."
An old minister in green robes who was over sixty years old also stood up tremblingly: "My dog was involved in the counterfeiting in the workshop, and I cannot blame him for his lax discipline. I have a number of rare ancient books and countless famous paintings and antiques in my home."
, I am willing to donate all of it, I just hope that your majesty can be lenient."
With these two people taking the lead, there was a slight commotion in the palace. Several ministers stepped forward one after another, either to report or expose the crimes of others, or to confess their own mistakes. They all expressed their willingness to donate their property to atone for their sins, and the same was true.
He received various "indulgence coupons" distributed by Xia Mi.
For a time, among the many officials, cries, shouts, begging for mercy, and accusations were intertwined, turning into a mess.
Taking advantage of the chaos at this moment, a young man with pale gold dragon and phoenix patterns embroidered on his robes, who was obviously a member of the royal family, quietly turned his head and winked at the officials nearby and in the distance.
It seems like some secret order was given.
"Witch! Do you think we will really surrender to you? Don't even think about it!"
Suddenly, a burly, rough-faced veteran stood up abruptly. His voice was like a bell, overwhelming the voices of the others. At the same time, he pulled out a gleaming dagger from his waist and struck Xia Mi fiercely.
Throw it hard!
"Is there any reason in the world to indulge the treacherous ministers and force the loyal and good? Today, follow me to kill the foolish king, kill the witch, and protect the country!"
"Don't you hear what Wei Yunshuigong learned from before? Relying on the power of one sect and one sect, undermining the ministers and vassals internally, and cutting off one's own arms. This is the disaster of ruining the country!"
"The traitors are in power and the imperial court is in ruins! How can we turn a blind eye and sit back and wait for death?"
"If we don't get rid of this problem, Dachu will fall into eternal catastrophe. We would rather die than surrender, and our blood will be splashed on the golden sword!"
Following several loud shouts, several officials stood up in unison, some pulled out their swords from their waists, some waved their hands to grab the halberds held by the guards next to them, and some directly lifted the heavy bronze tripod in the hall and pointed towards it.
Emperor Chu and Xia Mi rushed over to where they were.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Some criminal officials, knowing that their merits were not worth their weight in crime, rushed out of the palace regardless, apparently wanting to escape from the Chu Palace and summoned their own private soldiers and guards.
As for whether to take the opportunity to break out of Yingdu and escape, or to lead an army to attack the imperial city, it is difficult to say.
"Protect Your Majesty!"
"There is an assassin, quickly escort him!"
"Be bold!"
These seven or eight officials who suddenly took action to assassinate were all powerful practitioners of the sixth realm and above, and one of them was already a veteran grandmaster of the middle grade of the seventh realm. Even though there was a magic circle suppressing it in the Jinluan Palace, a raging wave broke out in an instant.
The storm of vitality cannot be resisted by any cultivator below the fourth realm.
Thousands of gossamer-like tiny lightnings filled the space between heaven and earth, separating the self-operating Fengming magic array that enveloped the entire palace. It seeped out from the relief patterns of the beams and pillars in the palace, like thousands of pieces flying.
The scattered feathery golden light also resisted the black light that shot from Emperor Chu's fingers for almost half a breath.
He had never expected that something like this would happen. Fan Wugou was originally discussing with a few officials who he thought were talented but had gone astray, and was considering whether to pay for them himself to intercede and atone for their sins, but he was suddenly interrupted.
A muscular military attache rushed forward and hugged his thigh.
Extend the time a hundred times and look at it.
The dagger that was first thrown towards Xia Mi was shattered into pieces by a flick of his fingers, and then flew back at a much faster speed than before, cutting off the head of the burly old minister, but he had already died.
This person who had destroyed his meridians fired countless crystal sword streams from the acupoints all over his body, killing and indiscriminately.
The sturdy military attache who managed to hug Fan Wugou's thigh was running some kind of evil technique that turned his body into crystal, making him almost indestructible. However, he was quickly eroded and expanded by the dust-free sword energy.
It was wiped out and turned into dust flying everywhere, but it was delayed for a moment after all.
The royal family member who planned the assassination shouted the word "Father" in his mouth, and flew towards a bronze round tripod that weighed more than ten thousand kilograms and was thrown into the air, as if he was going to risk his life with his own body.
Blocking this blow, there was actually a dark light flickering in the palms of both hands.
This is one of the profound ghost secret techniques originated from the Daqi Dynasty, the "Heart Curse Technique". Once it comes into contact with the enemy's skin, it can temporarily taint the nearby true energy with a bit of death, and lose the ability to maintain vitality.
This ability is undoubtedly extremely fatal to Emperor Chu who relies entirely on his cultivation.
It can be said that the anxious prince on the scene has probably been planning to kill his father for a long time because he is getting further and further away from the throne of Chu. He has long practiced this secret that is not conducive to the practice of orthodox true energy skills.
He does not hesitate to harm his body and delay his progress in cultivation, just to gain a chance to gain a higher position.
At the same time, this attack seemed to be aimed at Emperor Chu and Xia Mi, but Xiao Xiao knew that the former had always been the number one master in Chu, and the latter was probably a Seventh Level Grandmaster, so he actually did not hold out much hope.
Therefore, these people have used the secret method of true energy retrograde and meridians disintegration before taking action. If they are unable to succeed, the assassination fails, and when their minds and hearts are exhausted and it is difficult to maintain, they will enter the "self-destruction" stage and try to take away as many nearby people as possible.
The lives of the ministers.
Although officials in all major dynasties give priority to practitioners, there are still only a small number of people above the fourth and fifth realms, and civil servants with no cultivation are also common. If they encounter such a disaster, they will inevitably suffer heavy casualties.
It took a lot of effort to design such an exquisite occasion, so that the officials and nobles involved in the case could take the initiative to plead guilty, cooperate in meritorious service, and recover the stolen money. In the end, they were all killed by suicide attacks. This not only made Xia Mi and Chu Di two
Was the person roasted on the fire?
At that time, whether it is the relatives and friends of those involved in the case, or those Qingliu officials who were "beaten to death with a stick" without having time to participate in corruption, they will all point their anger at Emperor Chu, Xia Mi, and Zhao Qing.
Zhao Xiangfei truly set off a nationwide rebellion that could overthrow a dynasty.
It has to be said that these attackers were still very naive, thinking that this would destroy Zhao Qing's plan, or at least make her and Xia Mi's life in Chu country much more difficult. However, they did not know that everything was under their control.
middle.
"Zheng——"
A clear and passionate sword cry suddenly resounded across the nine heavens, instantly overwhelming all the sounds in the Jinluan Palace.