Chapter 85: Reflect on It First (asking for monthly tickets)
Zhao Yuanxi gave them a provocative look. You little bastards, you want to make fun of her? Wait until their hair grows a little longer!
"Hurry up and eat your own food! Don't waste it!"
There was no chance anymore, so the two children reluctantly continued to eat obediently.
You returned a short while later. She spoke hesitantly, "Empress Dowager, it's the Mo family members from yesterday who want to see you."
Zhao Yuanxi's face turned serious. He stopped eating and followed You out.
Fusu and Ziying looked at each other, put down their chopsticks, jumped down from their seats, and hurriedly followed.
Li was standing at the front, blocked outside by Zhang Han. He looked anxious. When he saw Zhao Yuanxi coming out, he immediately knelt down with his men, "Empress Dowager, help!"
Behind him were the Mo family, as well as some faces Zhao Yuanxi had never seen before.
"What's going on?" Zhao Yuanxi asked.
"Because of yesterday's sacrificial ceremony, the king wants to imprison the county magistrate, the inspector general, and the people responsible for guarding the Prayer Hall. They will all be executed soon. Please, Queen Dowager, save them!"
If Li had not participated in the construction of the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests and had even made a contribution this time, they would probably have been implicated based on their close relationship with the Minister of Works.
There are at least thousands of people arrested this time. Most of them will be executed, and a small number of those who are merely implicated will be sent to do labor.
Zhao Yuanxi remembered what Ying Zheng said yesterday. Could this be his explanation?
Thousands of lives were lost. Zhao Yuanxi took a deep breath and asked with difficulty, "Where are they now?"
"The craftsmen were taken away by the court officials and are now imprisoned in Yongcheng's prison. The county magistrate is with the king."
As long as you are not dead, there is still hope.
"Take me to the King!"
"The king is now in the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests."
In the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests, the palace that was magnificent yesterday has now been mostly demolished, with rotten wood piled up layer upon layer.
Ying Zheng's face was cold, and there was no warmth in his gray-brown eyes as he stared indifferently at the Yongcheng County Magistrate in front of him.
The Yongcheng County Magistrate, who was kneeling on the ground, had lost all color in his face, his body was shaking uncontrollably, and beads of sweat the size of beans were appearing on his forehead.
When he saw with his own eyes the bronze lamp hitting the Queen Mother and the King yesterday, the Yongcheng County Magistrate knew that he was finished.
He was afraid of death, but he was even more afraid of dragging his family down with him.
"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty. I beg Your Majesty to spare the lives of my wife and children, considering my loyalty to Qin over the years!"
Ying Zheng raised his eyes slightly, passed the person who was begging for mercy, and his gaze fell on Meng Xi.
"Meng Xi, how long ago was the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests renovated?"
Meng Xi knelt on the ground, his lips dry and his words stuttering, "It was repaired a year ago."
"Then explain to me why the palace has become like this in just one year." Ying Zheng put his hands behind his back and looked at them quietly.
Meng Xi's breathing became rapid. He felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his back, and his body became extremely heavy. "The insect plague has appeared recently. It is due to my negligence. I beg the king to forgive me. I beg the king to forgive me!"
The Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests is not used frequently. Except for the time of sacrifice, when the King of Qin would come, the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests is usually sealed.
The Kaogongling was not only responsible for building these palaces, but also for supervising the repair of the main halls.
At the beginning of this year, Meng Xi sent people to check the condition of the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests. Although the wood was a bit old, it was still usable normally. Meng Xi thought that it would be in time to repair the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests after a few years when the court allocated funds.
But he really didn't expect that the accident would happen so soon, and right at the time of the King's New Year's Festival!
If the Queen Mother and the King were not seriously injured, he would have been beheaded by now. But even so, he still had no chance of survival today.
Meng Xi felt sad and no longer had the energy to argue. His eyes were filled with despair.
When Zhao Yuanxi arrived, he saw them kneeling on the ground crying.
"Greetings to the Queen Mother!" The palace maids knelt down and said in unison.
Ying Zheng looked at her, and his cold eyes startled Zhao Yuanxi. She was about to speak but held back the words for the time being.
"Why are you here?" Ying Zheng asked calmly, his face showing no emotion.
Zhao Yuanxi laughed dryly twice, "Let me take a look."
Ying Zheng's eyes fell on her tightly bound arm. "Since the Queen Mother is injured, she should go back and recuperate. Don't worry about other things."
This was already Ying Zheng's kindness to her, but it was absolutely impossible for him to pardon these people.
Seeing Ying Zheng's unwavering attitude, Zhao Yuanxi felt disheartened. She could only try to struggle a little longer, "Your Majesty, although they made mistakes, they are not guilty of the death penalty."
"If they don't die today, I will be the one to die tomorrow." Ying Zheng sneered.
If the Queen Mother had not intervened yesterday, even if he had not died, he would have probably lost half his life. For such a serious crime, it was already merciful for Ying Zheng not to exterminate their three clans.
Zhao Yuanxi had nothing to say. This was the truth, but it was so cruel for her to see thousands of people being executed.
Although the county magistrate and his men were indeed derelict in their duties, the insect infestation appeared suddenly and was not intentional on their part.
Zhao Yuanxi whispered, "They are wrong, but aren't you wrong too?"
Ying Zheng was so angry that he laughed. What had he done wrong? Was it him who built this palace? Was it him who brought the insect plague?
"You don't have to beg for them here."
Zhao Yuanxi straightened her back and began her performance. "I'm not just pleading for them. I'm just analyzing this matter objectively! First of all, this Qi Nian Palace is yours, right?"
Ying Zheng didn't understand what she wanted to say and frowned.
"You don't even care about your own house. How much money have you spent on the Temple of Prayer for Good Harvests over the years?" Zhao Yuanxi analyzed.
The quality of this project depends on money. If you don’t pay, who will work for you?
"Think about it again, how many people have you sent to the Temple of Prayer for Good Harvests over the years?"
Except for the guards at the door, the Palace of Prayer for Good Harvests was empty and uninhabited all year round, which led to no one noticing that there was an insect plague in the palace.
"Also, you've used all the manpower and financial resources of the Qin State to build the Xianyang Palace and your mausoleum. How could they care about the old house here?"
There were only so many craftsmen in the Qin State, and the King of Qin often killed them, which led to fewer and fewer craftsmen. Without people, money, and energy, it was natural that the house would have problems.
Ying Zheng gritted his teeth in anger, "So, no matter how many mistakes I made, it's still all my fault?"
Zhao Yuanxi stepped forward to comfort them, "It's not entirely true. This is a natural disaster combined with a man-made disaster. You can't put all the blame on them, and you really need to reflect on it first!"
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