Chapter 204 From ancient times to the present, the law has not applied to high-ranking officials, let alone royalty.

The minister was rendered speechless by these confident and assertive remarks.

Duke Rongrui sneered, "Even the monarch hasn't said anything, yet you, a mere subject, jump out to make unwarranted accusations against me. I think it's time to make an example of him for the sake of the Great Xuan royal family!"

"Imperial Guards! Drag this man out of the main hall and beat him to death as a warning to others!"

Upon receiving the order, the Commander of the Imperial Guards' expression changed slightly, and he glanced at Xiao Qidi with some hesitation.

Seeing that he did not act immediately, Rongrui Gong reprimanded him with displeasure, "What, even my words no longer carry any weight?"

The commander of the Imperial Guard could only order his subordinates to carry out the execution.

"Spare me...spare me!" The minister was terrified, his legs giving way and he collapsed to the ground. "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, save me!"

"Wait!"

Xiao Qidi waved his hand.

The Imperial Guards immediately stopped their movements.

Xiao Qidi rose and slowly descended the steps of the throne, a look of self-reproach on his face. "My ministers have offended my uncle, so I should bear the responsibility. If my uncle wishes to administer the caning, then... let it be inflicted on me..."

Upon hearing these words, the ministers present gasped in shock.

The minister, who had collapsed to the ground, immediately had tears in his eyes. "Your Majesty! You mustn't! It's all my fault for being rash and rude... Let me die!"

Xiao Qidi immediately lay down on the ground and said to the commander of the Imperial Guards, "Come on! Do it!"

"Your Majesty!" The minister cried, tears streaming down his face, his hands tightly protecting Xiao Qidi's back. "Hit me! Hit me! Don't hurt Your Majesty!"

Upon seeing this scene, many ministers were overcome with emotion and rushed over, kneeling on the ground to protect Xiao Qidi, all saying they were willing to share the punishment of caning.

Now the Imperial Guards were in a dilemma, looking helplessly at Duke Rongrui.

Duke Rongrui waved his hand, "Alright, alright, considering the deep bond between you as ruler and subject, let's skip it."

"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle." Xiao Qidi stood up and bowed.

"Hmm...you go back to your throne," Duke Rongrui nodded with satisfaction. "Let's continue our serious discussion and not let this little matter delay us."

"Yes." Xiao Qidi turned and returned to the throne.

Rong Ruigong stroked his beard and said slowly, "As I just said, Lord Renwen will be the prime minister. As for the territories of the former Yu Kingdom and the Sha Yue Kingdom, after they are incorporated into Da Xuan, we can do as Your Majesty said, one can be set up as Wangxi Province, and the other can be incorporated into Bashu Prefecture as Tianfu Province. It doesn't matter where the provincial capital is. What's important is who will serve as the so-called governor who will have the power to govern a province."

"Does your uncle have a candidate?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Duke Rongrui smiled and said, "That Duan Wu is definitely not suitable. Although he conquered Yu Kingdom, he is ultimately just a military man. He can lead troops into battle, but he is not qualified to manage all affairs in a region. In particular, the Yu Kingdom has rich iron ore deposits, which are crucial for the future ironware manufacturing of our Great Xuan. I think that Prefect You of Longyuan County is the most suitable person to serve as the Governor-General of Wangxi."

Among the crowd of officials, Duan Wu almost couldn't help but laugh.

He nudged Li Yao beside him with his elbow and said in a low voice, "That corrupt official has been cut into countless pieces. Does Lord Rongrui intend to piece him back together?"

Li Yao remained expressionless, his lips barely moving. "There's no way to even put it back together. Not only are the pieces of flesh scattered across multiple counties in Longyuan Prefecture, but they've long since turned into rotten mud."

Duan Wu said with a sly grin, "Then let's dig up some soil everywhere, make do with a human figure, and put it in Wangxi Province..."

Li Yao tried hard to suppress his twitching cheeks, "Are you kidding me? Stop being so sarcastic."

At Xiao Qidi's request, Li Yao blocked all news about the case of the Prefect of Longyuan. So even though the case was closed, Rong Ruigong, who was far away in the capital city, was still unaware of the situation.

Upon hearing Rong Ruigong's suggestion to appoint the Prefect of Longyuan as the Governor-General of Wangxi, a hint of coldness flashed in Xiao Qidi's eyes, and he asked indifferently, "Why is he suitable?"

Rong Ruigong said, "I have heard that this person is extremely capable. During his tenure as the governor of Longyuan, he worked diligently and managed the county very well. Moreover, Longyuan is close to that place, so he can take up his post quickly and save time."

“How about this,” Xiao Qidi said, his eyes deep and mysterious, “we could make him a high-ranking official in charge of a region, appointing him as both the Governor-General of Wangxi and the Governor-General of Tianfu. Wouldn’t Uncle be even more satisfied with that?”

Duke Rongrui's face lit up with joy, and he blurted out, "That would be perfect!"

"Hahahaha!" Xiao Qidi suddenly burst into laughter.

This laugh puzzled Rong Rui Gong, who frowned and asked, "Why is Your Majesty laughing for no reason?"

Xiao Qidi looked down at him, "Uncle, don't you consider the others? Oh... I suppose it's because among those local officials who are plundering money for you, the Prefect of Longyuan is the most hardworking, right? If he controls more areas, he will definitely send you more treasures, won't he?"

After hearing these words, Rong Rui Gong was stunned for a long time.

The other ministers also looked at each other in astonishment.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying?" Duke Rongrui composed himself and said in a deep voice, "What do you mean by 'plundering money for us'?"

Xiao Qidi chuckled, "Uncle, aren't you wondering why you haven't seen my aunt and uncles in the capital for quite some time? Haven't you noticed that Lord Xue, who holds the important position of Imperial Censor, hasn't come to court this time?"

Rong Ruigong frowned.

He only knew that those people said they were going to Longyuan County to handle some matters.

He didn't know what it was about, because the others told him not to worry about it and to tell him when they returned.

He guessed that it must be related to the governor of Longyuan County, otherwise even members of the royal family would not have to personally take action.

Thinking about it, so much time has passed, yet they still haven't returned... It is indeed quite strange.

In addition, there were Xiao Qidi's previous remarks...

Could it be that the royal family's secret scheme of having people embezzle funds has been exposed?

But he couldn't say it.

Moreover, even if it has been leaked, we shouldn't panic. Perhaps Xiao Qidi only knew some rumors and deliberately exaggerated to scare people?

After thinking quickly, Rong Ruigong put on a calm expression as if he knew nothing. "I have always kept to myself and do not inquire about the whereabouts of others. Your aunt and uncles are probably busy with their own affairs. It is normal that I have not seen them for a long time."

Xiao Qidi's smile deepened, but it also carried an increasingly sinister chill. "Lord Rongrui, out of consideration for your status as an elder of the Xiao royal family, if you confess everything yourself, I can still preserve some dignity for you."

"Confess?" Duke Rongrui's eyes showed slight tension. "Confess what? Why am I understanding less and less of what His Majesty is saying?"

Xiao Qidi said in a deep voice, "Do you not know where to begin your explanation? Fine, then let me ask you first, what is your relationship with Lord You, the Prefect of Longyuan? Are you acquainted?"

Rong Ruigong immediately replied, "Absolutely not! I've never even seen his face, let alone know him well."

"Then why did you immediately think of appointing him as the governor of Wangxi City?"

“Your Majesty, I have told you before that I have heard that he has considerable talent in managing local areas.”

"Isn't it true that Lord Rongrui has never been involved in state affairs? Where did you hear that?"

"I... cough, although I don't concern myself with politics, I've heard things over the years just from listening to other people's discussions."

"Ha!" Xiao Qidi sneered, "I'm giving you one last chance. Are you really unwilling to tell the truth?"

The atmosphere in the main hall instantly became quiet and oppressive.

Rong Ruigong felt a chill run down his spine. He was completely unsure of what Xiao Qidi was up to, and angrily retorted, "Xiao Qidi! What exactly are you trying to do with your ambiguous and suggestive remarks! Are you trying to make fun of the royal elders in front of all the civil and military officials?! This is utterly disrespectful!"

"It seems you're no longer able to maintain your dignity..." Xiao Qidi sighed softly, then put his hand to his forehead and ordered, "Li Yao, tell these officials in the capital the details of the case of the Prefect of Longyuan."

Li Yao stepped forward, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

The officials began to murmur amongst themselves inside the hall.

"The case of the Prefect of Longyuan? What case is that? I've never heard of it."

Which governor of Longyuan?

"Is it a former official, or... the current Lord You?"

"None of the previous governors of Longyuan Prefecture have committed any crimes... Could it be..."

"..."

"Silence!" Li Yao shouted. "My lords, please allow me to explain in detail."

Everyone immediately shut up and perked up their ears.

Rong Ruigong unconsciously clutched his chest, his unease and tension growing stronger.

Li Yao then gave a detailed and fluent oral account of how the emperor met a family of four ordinary people in Hewan County, how he discovered that the magistrate of Hewan County had set up outrageous and exorbitant taxes and colluded with human traffickers to abduct people, how the prefect of Longyuan was brought to justice, and how several members of the Xiao royal family and nobles even tried to protect the prefect and obstruct the trial, and were also arrested.

Although many dangerous moments were omitted, the story still left everyone terrified.

Especially when they heard about the heinous crimes committed by the governor of Longyuan, all the ministers present turned pale.

That was an outrageous and unspeakable crime.

Some ministers were so angry they almost fainted on the spot, calling the man worse than a beast.

When Li Yao listed the most severe punishments handed down to the group of people involved in the case, led by the Prefect of Longyuan, thunderous applause and cheers erupted in the hall.

The ministers felt as if they were there in person, shouting with satisfaction and exhilaration!

"All of the above cases have been recorded in detail, and all the evidence has been brought back to the capital." Li Yao said, deliberately looking at Rong Ruigong, pausing slightly before continuing, "Moreover, after subsequent interrogations and investigations, the members of the royal family involved in the case all confessed in detail and identified Rong Ruigong as the culprit. In addition to the prefect of Longyuan County, several other local officials also became accomplices in extorting money from the people, passing it up layer by layer to higher levels, and ultimately most of the people's hard-earned money ended up in Rong Ruigong's treasury."

The once bustling hall fell silent in an instant.

Everyone turned to look at Rong Ruigong.

At this moment, Rong Ruigong was drenched in cold sweat, and he gripped the armrests of the chair tightly to keep himself from collapsing.

"Uncle, is there anything else you'd like to say?" Xiao Qidi asked calmly.

Duke Rongrui's face turned from pale to flushed, and after a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "That...that's all nonsense! Your aunt...and those uncles, they're all...they're all desperate and making baseless accusations! How could I, the head of the royal family,...do such a thing!"

Li Yao sneered, "Those who were arrested not only revealed the location of their secret treasury, but also handed over all the relevant account books and secret letters between them. Should I just take some over and read them to you ministers so you can broaden your horizons?"

Rong Ruigong suddenly felt weak all over, even his fingers lost their strength.

He slid off the seat as if his bones had been removed.

"Imperial Guards, seize this grave criminal!" Xiao Qidi said expressionlessly. "Take him out of the palace and behead him as a warning!"

Several imperial guards standing next to Rongrui were itching to make a move, but the commander of the imperial guards stopped them with a look.

Then, Lord Wen prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed to Xiao Qidi, saying, "Your Majesty! Duke Rongrui is the head of the royal family and also your relative and elder! Please, Your Majesty, show leniency!"

Then a dozen or so ministers who were attached to the royal family also knelt down and begged for mercy.

Xiao Qidi simply watched calmly; he was not surprised at all by this situation.

These dozen or so people pleaded for mercy with tears streaming down their faces, looking as if they were suffering even more than if their parents were to be executed.

Seeing that Xiao Qidi had not spoken but seemed unmoved, some more ministers joined the plea for leniency.

Although they were not affiliated with the Xiao royal family, they believed that the royal family was the noblest of nobles, historically exceptionally noble, with an unshakeable and inviolable position.

Even if someone commits a serious mistake, they should not be punished as a criminal.

From ancient times to the present, the law has not applied to high-ranking officials, let alone royalty.

As more than half of the ministers in the hall began to speak up for Rongrui and plead for the pardon of the royal family members who had already been arrested, Xiao Qidi's eyes grew increasingly cold and dark.

These ministers, knowing full well the heinous crimes of the Xiao royal family led by Rongrui, still clung to their so-called noble royal status to exonerate him.

Xiao Qidi's murderous intent and anger surged even more fiercely.

"It's all over! So many ministers don't want His Majesty to punish Rong Rui Gong to death. His Majesty has no way to deal with him." Duan Wu paced anxiously, scratching his head vigorously. He grabbed Qi Zhan, "General Qi, why don't we just go over there and hack Rong Rui Gong to death with a flurry of blows? That would be the end of it and would solve this problem for His Majesty! It would save His Majesty from all the ministers crying and wailing!"

“Okay,” Qi Zhan readily agreed, “Let’s go from both sides and take the Imperial Guards’ swords.”

"Stop, stop right now!" Li Yao hurriedly grabbed their arms. "Don't do that! You two will become the target of everyone's criticism. Do you know how serious the consequences will be?"

Duan Wu angrily said, "I'm not afraid at all. At worst, I'll kill that old bastard and take the blame. Even if the emperor wants to use my head to silence the ministers, I'll do it willingly."

Qi Zhan nodded, "The Great Xuan royal family has fallen to this state. Since Your Majesty is determined to eliminate them, I am willing to take the lead, and someone else must step forward."

"Generals, let me do it," Mu Cheng, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.