Chapter 28 Chapter 28: Unimportant people, just die...
Mu Congmo looked at Qi Zheng who had fainted below, without any joy of success in his eyes, even though Zou Yun who sat on the position of Minister of Personnel was his man.
"Come here, Lord Qi has fainted. Carry him to the side hall and ask the imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital to treat him." Mu Congmo respected Qi Zheng very much. Apart from the fact that he was someone left behind by Mu Shaoqi, he had no faults. Instead, he had been doing his job well over the years and managing the entire Ministry of Personnel in an orderly manner.
Now that he had fainted and had no intention of resisting, Mu Conghao was about to be executed, and Qi Zheng was too old to pose a threat. It would be better to let him retire and return home, thus completing a beautiful story of harmony between the ruler and his subjects.
Although he doesn't care about the people's evaluation of him, it's just a matter of going with the flow, so why not do it?
Soon, several armored royal guards came in and carried Qi Zheng to the side hall without any delay.
After the matter was resolved, everyone quieted down, awaiting Mu Conghao's final verdict. Regardless of whether this was Mu Conghao's own decision or someone deliberately set up a trap, Emperor Mu Conghao was the biggest beneficiary.
Not only was he able to completely take control of the wealthy Jiangnan area, but he was also able to bring all the wealth of the Huai Wang Mansion and the Xingyang Zheng family into the national treasury. At the same time, he eliminated the Huai Wang, a major threat, weakened the power of the aristocratic family, and replaced the position of the Minister of Personnel with his own people.
At first glance, Mu Congmo seemed to have gained a lot from this game, but everyone didn't know that he had lost the person who was most important to him.
Everyone waited for a long time. Finally, Mu Congmo, who was in the upper seat, spoke slowly. His tone was calm, as if he was talking about something extremely trivial, but his words were ruthless: "Prince Huai, Mu Congmo, has raised private soldiers and plotted to seize the throne. He will be executed on a chosen day. All the property of the Prince Huai's mansion will be confiscated into the national treasury, and all his female relatives will be executed."
"As for the Duke of Han's Mansion, Zheng Xiuyuan defied the majesty of heaven, colluded with vassal kings, and intended to rebel, so his three clans were exterminated, his property was confiscated, and he himself will be executed on a date to be chosen. Moreover, the descendants of the Zheng family in Xingyang are not allowed to hold official positions for generations." Mu Congmo decided the future fate of these people with just a few words. Although he did not implicate nine clans, for most of these aristocratic families, not allowing their descendants to hold official positions would mean cutting off their retreat.
At this point, no one dared to speak out against it. The matter had been tried by the three courts and the evidence was conclusive. Moreover, the emperor's attitude was so tough that the young emperor in front of them was no longer a puppet that they could manipulate at will.
This nerve-wracking court meeting finally ended with the Prince of Huai and the Duke of Han being sentenced to death.
Last night, Mu Congmo sat in front of the imperial desk in Chengming Palace with a worried look on his face, holding a memorial in his hand. The memorial was about extremely important state affairs, but his mind had already flown to Jizhou thousands of miles away.
This also caused the memorials that he could usually handle in a day to pile up until today. He suppressed his other thoughts and began to deal with the memorials. As long as he waited until tomorrow, when everything was settled, he could immediately set off for Jizhou.
It was a pitch-black night outside, and the cool, bright moonlight streamed in through the small window. This moonlight was to the night what Gu Shiyan's arrival was to him, bringing hope to his originally lonely life.
A waning moon hangs on a sparse tree, the water clock stops, and the world begins to quiet. Sadly, the moon remains high, but he only has one day left; his moon has already departed. An ancient myth tells of "Kuafu chasing the sun and entering it." Today, he will follow the ancients' lead, chasing his own moon. If he fails to find it, he will sacrifice himself, a sacrifice for the young man's love.
When Mu Congmo regained his composure, he noticed a half-kneeling figure in the hall ahead. He had clearly been kneeling there for a long time, yet his face showed no sign of impatience. This figure was Yong Zhou, who had returned from Minzhou with the imperial edict. Although the Huai Prince's rebellion had been successfully resolved, the news from Jizhou had left Mu Congmo with no joy at all, and even a gloomy mood.
As a result, even their subordinates were trembling with fear, fearing that any mistake would anger the disgruntled emperor. However, this time, there was an important matter that required Mu Congmo's opinion. Before coming here, he, Mo Yu, and Chang Ye drew lots to decide who would report to the meeting.
In the end, he lived up to everyone's expectations and won this precious opportunity. When he noticed that the emperor above him was distracted while processing memorials, he guessed that he was thinking about Lord Yue Zun again. He also missed the days in Jiangnan, when Yue Zun was by his side, and the latter's face was always filled with smiles, which he had not seen in all the years he had been with Mu Congmo.
Although Lord Yue Zun was a top-notch expert in the world, he wasn't arrogant, just a little aloof. He was a very good person, so how could he suddenly...
"What's the matter?" Mu Congmo's sudden words interrupted his thoughts, and he quickly remembered the purpose of his trip.
"Your Majesty, after being tortured in the imperial prison, Prince Huai and Duke Han have both confessed." Yong Zhou spoke respectfully, and after he finished speaking, he waited on the spot for Mu Congmo to continue asking questions.
"I have no interest in what they have confessed. There is no need to report such things in the future." Mu Congmo frowned slightly, and there was no emotion in his tone.
"Your Majesty, this matter involves Yunliang Qianchi. Duke Hanguo Zheng Xiuyuan said that the reason he obeyed the Prince of Huai was because he possessed an extremely rare medicinal herb that the late emperor had accidentally obtained and left to the Prince of Huai. The Prince of Huai used this herb to make Zheng Xiuyuan obey his orders."
When he heard the words "Yunliang Qianchi", an emotion suddenly appeared on Mu Congmo's originally calm face, and he suddenly sat up from the half-leaning position.
"Then what does this matter have to do with He Yunliang Qianchi? What kind of precious medicinal herbs are they that even the Zheng family of Xingyang, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, cannot produce them?" When it comes to people and things related to Gu Shiyan, Mu Congmo's usual patience will disappear, and he even asked the latter question casually.
"According to Duke Han Guo, the substance is called Feiyun Fairy Tears, a medicinal herb that came from outside the domain. Rumor has it that it can cure all kinds of poisons and greatly improve the cultivation of warriors. The reason why Duke Han Guo needs this substance is because his family has all been poisoned by a strange poison from the Nanzhao Kingdom, and they will never be able to have children." Yong Zhou replied.
This made sense. Although Zheng Xiuyuan had little desire for power and wealth, he greatly valued family inheritance. The poison was likely administered by the late emperor, simply to ensure that Zheng Xiuyuan was completely controlled by Mu Conghao.
"As for the relationship between this matter and Yunliang Qianchi, Wu Zun Ji Ruoxi had searched for this item extensively in his early years, about seventeen years ago." Yong Zhou added.
Seventeen years ago, Gu Ayan was also around seventeen, Mu Congmo pondered. "Where is this thing now?" Regardless of whether Ji Ruoxi was looking for it for Gu Shiyan or not, he had to keep it in his hand in case the other party really needed it.
He didn't care at all about the preciousness of this thing. To him, as long as Gu Shiyan liked it or it was useful to him, no matter how precious the thing was, it would not be worth cherishing.
Yong Zhou had long suspected that Mu Congmo would ask about the whereabouts of the Feiyun Fairy Tears, so he had made preparations early on. Therefore, when Mu Congmo asked, he was not at a loss. Instead, he said very calmly, "Prince Huai said that this item was kept in the study of the Prince of Jiangnan's Palace. I have already sent people to look for it, and there will be news back in two days."
"It's just... His Royal Highness Prince Huai said he wanted to see you." Yong Zhou said hesitantly.
Mu Congmo was not surprised by this. Meeting the other party at this time was meaningless to him. It was just a waste of time. Unimportant people would die if they died.
"No need. Keep an eye on him. At least don't let him die before the dust settles tomorrow." Mu Congmo's tone was full of indifference.
A few days later, Jizhou.
The climate here is very different from the warm climate in the capital. Although it is spring, there is still constant wind and snow.
Pedestrians on the street are hurrying, wearing conical hats or holding paper umbrellas to protect themselves from the cold wind and snow.
The governor was in charge of the civil affairs of Jizhou and held a high position. Although the governor's residence was not luxurious, the two stone lions in front of the door were extremely majestic. On weekdays, the common people would avoid this place to avoid offending the nobleman.
But today, several men in black robes appeared at the door of the Governor's residence. The leader exuded a cold aura, making the gatekeeper afraid to approach.
Seeing that the identities of these people seemed quite extraordinary, he did not dare to act on his own and decided to ask the head of the family before making any plans.
Several men in black robes stood there quietly. From time to time, a few passers-by walked by and cast inquiring glances, but everyone remained unmoved.
Until the vermilion lacquered door opened from the inside, and a man walked in. He was dressed in a dark green fox fur coat, which diluted the majesty of his high position. This man was Sun Chang, the governor of Jizhou and the owner of this mansion. He heard the doorman's announcement and walked over with a puzzled look, even putting down the documents he was working on.
Sun Chang came to the gate of the mansion and looked in the direction of the black-robed man. At first he couldn't believe his eyes. After confirming it, he hurriedly prepared to kneel down and salute, but was stopped by a black-robed man with quick eyes and hands.
He was full of confusion in his heart, but he didn't dare show it on his face. Why did this person appear here now? He hadn't received any news before. What would happen if he neglected the other party?
The man in black who had helped Sun Chang up saw his hesitation and gave him a look. Sun Chang was a smart man, and he understood the other person's intention with just a glance. He quickly made a gesture of invitation and led everyone into the mansion.
Ultimately, it was his fault for not thinking things through. The visitor was of such a distinguished status that how could he just stand there in public? Besides, there were so many people walking on the street, and no matter what he said, he couldn't say it in the street.
Besides, the man, dressed in a black robe, clearly didn't want anyone to know his identity. Regardless of the man's reason for coming, he simply had to serve him attentively. Although he hadn't achieved much in his position as governor over the years, he could still be considered diligent, he consoled himself.
Soon, the group followed Sun Chang into the study. Sun Chang instructed the housekeeper to prepare a few good guest rooms, and then closed the door of the study.
No one spoke first at this time, but Sun Chang knelt down.
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