Chapter 285 The Black Pot Hero
"This old minister has failed to perform his duties effectively and has failed Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Now whatever is said is wrong, those who should confess should confess.
I only hope that His Majesty will forgive him this time for the sake of our many years of master-servant friendship.
He would never dare to treat the Beijing Camp badly again.
Chen Zhao looked at the Minister of Revenue who was sweating profusely. Wouldn't it have been better if he had realized this earlier?
The old emperor did not immediately attack the Minister of Revenue, but looked at the Minister of Works who was acting like a turtle.
The Minister of Works suddenly stiffened.
[I really am a victim of injustice! Even more so than Dou E!]
Hmm? Shen Zhao listened to the Minister of Works's thoughts. Was he also pretending to obey but secretly disobeying?
But no, the craftsmen sent by the Ministry of Works were helping the soldiers in the Beijing camp to build houses.
"Minister of Works!" The old emperor called out, and the Minister of Works quickly stood up.
He knelt beside the Minister of Revenue very tactfully.
He confessed his guilt, saying, "I am guilty, Your Majesty, and I beg your punishment. However, I have not been neglecting the Jingzhong Camp. It is just that the heavy rains of the past two days have caused the water level of the moat to rise, destroying the embankment. Most of the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works have been transferred to the moat to repair the embankment, so the Ministry of Works can only send a small number of people to help the Jingzhong Camp build houses."
The Minister of Revenue standing by glared at the Minister of Works.
[This old fellow is trying to trick me. What does he mean by "he didn't treat me badly"? He means I treated him badly. Although it's true that I did treat him badly, we are officials in the same dynasty. How could this old fellow put me in an unfair position?]
The Minister of Revenue suddenly widened his eyes. His Ministry of Revenue had not allocated any funds, so where would the Ministry of Works get the money to repair the river embankment?
The Minister of Revenue looked at the Minister of Works secretly.
He usually appears to be honest and upright, but could it be that he is a two-faced person?
I don't know how much money he embezzled in secret.
So they were able to repair the river embankment without saying a word.
Huh!
The river embankment was originally built under the full authority of the Ministry of Works. If he had not cut corners, how could he have concealed the fact and paid for it out of his own pocket?
He was the first to be unkind, so don't blame me for being unjust.
Shen Zhao was also very curious. The Minister of Works was not in the court to report that the river embankment was washed away, nor did he ask the Ministry of Revenue for money to repair the river embankment.
Where did the Ministry of Works get the money?
Could it be true, as the Minister of Revenue thought, that the Minister of Works cut corners and embezzled public funds?
Just when the Minister of Revenue was about to explode and Shen Zhao was puzzled.
Li Yuwan's inner voice suddenly rang out.
[It's bad, it's bad, it's bad! How the hell did I forget such a crucial plot point?
He must have been irritated by the ruthless and invincible Li Zhan, and he must have been irritated by the old and confused emperor to the point of losing his mind.
I forgot about this important matter. It’s definitely not my fault.]
Chen Zhao listened to Li Yuwan's rambling nonsense.
What's broken?
What did Li Yuwan forget?
Still a big deal!
Could it be related to the construction of the moat embankment?
[At this point, it seems too late to speak out. I can only do my best to follow Feng Li and save those unfortunate people.]
[Sigh, I wonder how many craftsmen will die this time. Why didn't the old emperor wipe out those black-hearted bastards who took innocent lives for power?]
Li Yuwan looked at the Minister of Works with pity in her eyes.
[Black Pot Hero, you are in trouble this time. You trusted someone you shouldn't have.]
At this moment, the Left Vice Minister of Works appeared outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, covered in mud.
The palace maid immediately went to report.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Works urgently requests an audience."
The Minister of Works frowned slightly. Didn’t he ask the Left Vice Minister to supervise the repair of the river embankment?
Why did he come to the palace to ask for an audience with the emperor?
"Xuan!"
The old emperor also looked at the Minister of Works with a serious expression. As an emperor, he could of course guess what the Minister of Revenue could think of.
He was the one who promoted the Minister of Works. If he has any other intentions, I will kill all nine generations of his clan!
The Minister of Works entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony with trembling legs, and was stunned for a moment when he saw the room full of ministers.
This...what happened?
Almost all the high-ranking ministers have arrived.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty."
When everyone saw the Minister of Works covered in mud, they all had doubts in their minds.
The Minister of Works felt a pang in his heart.
What happened? Why did the Left Minister become like this?
The old emperor said, "What happened? Where did you get all this mud?"
The Minister of Works' eyes turned bloodshot instantly.
"The riverbank was severely damaged, and pirates took advantage of the situation to enter the city. More than 30 craftsmen were swept away, and over 100 were killed by the pirates. Your Majesty, please intervene on behalf of the craftsmen and arrest Pei Yuanyi."
The Minister of Works trembled violently.
He is Pei Yuanyi.
"Minister Zuo, do you know what you are saying?" The Minister of Works glared at Minister Zuo.
"What on earth happened? The riverbank was already under repair, so how could such a huge damage have occurred? There are patrols inside and outside the imperial city, so how did those pirates evade the patrols and enter the moat?!"
It would have been fine if Pei Yuanyi hadn't asked, but as soon as he did, Zuo Shilang's eyes seemed to penetrate him.
"I have to ask you, Pei Yuanyi!"
The Left Vice Minister angrily remarked, "The riverbank was destroyed due to the rapidly rising water level. Lord Pei did not report this to the court, but instead colluded with the pirates. He ostensibly donated materials and money to help the Ministry of Works rebuild the riverbank, but in reality, he used inferior materials to have the Ministry's craftsmen do the work."
At this point, the Minister of Works shed tears.
"The craftsmen used inferior materials to repair the riverbank, but the more they worked, the faster it broke. Unfortunately, the craftsmen were swept into the moat. They could have saved themselves, but the men Pei Yuanyi had found took advantage of them and slaughtered them, preventing them from reaching shore. They struggled in the river until they were exhausted and drowned."
Thinking of the scene at that time, the Minister of Works shed more and more tears.
He came from a poor family and was close friends with the craftsmen.
Watching them drown in the moat with his own eyes, his heart felt as if it were crushed and it hurt so much.
"Several boats sailed upstream to meet the bandits. Some of them had already entered the inner city. The remaining craftsmen fought desperately to prevent them from reaching shore. However, they were no match for the pirates and were brutally killed one after another."
"Your Majesty, please seek justice for the craftsmen who died unjustly and apprehend Pei Yuanyi and those pirates."
The Minister of Works slumped to the ground.
how so!
how so!
The Minister of Revenue quietly moved his body. Who knows if Pei Yuanyi will use him as a shield to protect himself.
Pei Yuanyi, ah Pei Yuanyi, you are really so brave.
The old emperor was furious when he heard this and hundreds of craftsmen were beheaded.
If he can't seek justice for them, he's not worthy of being the emperor!
"Pei Yuanyi, what else do you have to say!"
[Poor scapegoat! According to the plot, all 317 members of the Pei family will be killed.
Hey...ah...damn it, you shitty system! I was just thinking in my heart and didn’t say the plot out loud, yet you still want to electrocute me!
It’s better not to do this mission. It’s inhumane. Those are hundreds of lives. So many people have died. Do you still want me to watch innocent people die in vain?
Ah... Such a crappy mission and plot, so many people died, don't you have any empathy?]
Pei Yuanyi opened his mouth, he really couldn't defend himself.
He is the one who found the man and brought disaster upon him.
It was he who caused the tragic deaths of those craftsmen, he deserves to die!
When the old emperor saw that Pei Yuanyi had no explanation, he said angrily:
"Come here, imprison the traitor Pei Yuanyi in the Heavenly Prison."
"Your Majesty, please wait a minute. I have something to say." Chen Zhao stood in front of Pei Yuanyi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
