He did not come to interrogate people, but to be the one being interrogated.

Although Zhao Zhongcong was a senior official, his rank was lower than that of the Duke of Wei County. These members of the imperial clan would still follow some ordinary rules on a daily basis.

But now that it involves a capital offense, it will be very difficult for Zhao Zhongcong to suppress it.

Therefore, it was necessary for the emperor to step in and intimidate the situation.

Zhao Zhongcong sternly said, "Your embezzlement of imperial grain is outrageous! Six million shi in three years—do you know there are still people starving? According to clan rules, you should be given a white silk noose!"

Duke Lu suddenly looked up and said, "There is no such rule in the clan rules!"

Zhao Zhongcong said sternly, "It was just changed!"

Therefore, when this matter reached the imperial clan, they would say that Zhao Zhongcong used his own life to force the emperor to change the clan rules in order to kill them.

When the story reached the scholar-officials and the common people, they would say: "The emperor was forced into a corner and was extremely saddened, but he put the people first and put the greater good before his own family. He was a good emperor."

However, in some third-rate discussions in later generations, there might be another version of the story: the emperor was not actually that powerful; he was sometimes quite weak, and was even forced to kill people by the Grand Minister of State, and these people were his own clansmen.

The Duke of Wei angrily shouted, "Zhao Huan! You want to kill us! What right do you have to kill us! Aren't you afraid of the wrath of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong!"

Duke Lu seemed to have gone all out. He had been so compliant just moments before, but now he immediately turned hostile: "Zhao Huan, I am a descendant of the founding emperor! Your imperial throne belongs to me!"

The moment he said those words, the entire Chuigong Hall seemed to instantly turn chilly.

The emperor's face immediately turned as cold as iron!

P.S.: I'm surviving on coffee right now, so please support me! I'm working on boosting my metrics, so the pressure is immense! Please subscribe!