Chapter 205 I'll ask you one last time, are you really going to keep being stubborn?
Duan Wu and Qi Zhan were both stunned.
"General Mu, you've only just arrived in our Great Xuan, how can we let you go and die? No, no!"
"General Mu, if anyone should go up, it should be us two juniors first."
Mu Cheng waved his hand and said, "The younger generation is truly formidable. I see the future of the Great Xuan Dynasty in you. You are still very young and have plenty of time to contribute to the people of the world. Don't waste it."
He then looked at the young, upright figure sitting on the throne, his eyes revealing a look of satisfaction and determination.
“The Great Xuan King is willing to risk his own royal family to rid the people of this scourge. No other monarch in the world can match his courage. I am willing to die for him.”
After saying that, he took a deep breath and solemnly began to walk.
"General Mu, I appreciate your kindness on behalf of His Majesty," Li Yao stopped him again and said solemnly, "Whether it's the two of them or you, if any of you were to kill Rong Ruigong now, the many civil officials would still put enormous pressure on His Majesty, and the court would inevitably be in turmoil."
“This…” Mu Cheng frowned, his expression becoming serious.
Duan Wu was about to explode. "This won't work, that won't work! Lord Li, you'd better come up with a solution!"
Li Yao sensed Duan Wu's anger and resentment and comforted him, "Calm down, calm down. His Majesty already has a plan, but he is still observing the situation and giving the ministers a chance."
"Really? Don't lie to me." Duan Wu narrowed his eyes.
Li Yao smiled. "Don't you believe in His Majesty's abilities?"
“That’s true…” Duan Wu scratched his head, “I was just confused because I was worried…”
Inside the main hall, two-thirds of the ministers present were now pleading for Rongrui Gong.
The remaining third did not plead for leniency, but chose to remain silent.
Only a very small number of people wanted to support Xiao Qidi, but due to the current one-sided situation, they could only remain silent and anxious.
Rong Ruigong gradually regained his composure and his confidence returned.
He slowly sat down, supporting himself on the chair with both hands, wiping the cold sweat from his face with his sleeve. He subconsciously revealed a smug look, but after being swept by Xiao Qidi's seemingly emotionless gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head.
"This kid..."
Duke Rongrui gritted his teeth and analyzed to himself, "This kid's cold-bloodedness is truly rare. Perhaps... if he gets angry, he won't care about the thoughts of these ministers."
"Hiss... No, no, I underestimated him. I need to give him a way out."
"Otherwise, the Xiao clan of the Great Xuan Dynasty would truly be wiped out by this heartless wretch."
After some thought.
Duke Rongrui composed himself, forced a tearful expression, and suddenly knelt on the ground, wailing, "Your Majesty! I was wrong! I was wrong!"
His shout startled the other ministers who were earnestly trying to persuade Xiao Qidi, causing them to fall silent.
The hall fell silent instantly.
"It's really strange that Rong Rui Gong actually knows he was wrong? What was wrong?" Xiao Qidi finally spoke, his smile enigmatic and meaningful.
Rongrui Gong pressed his forehead to the ground and said in a mournful, wailing voice:
"My mistake was... my mistake was taking myself too seriously!"
"Your Majesty's father, Your Majesty's grandfather, and even Your Majesty's great-grandfather have all warned me more than once that hundreds of years ago, it was only because of the help of my relatives that I was able to have a place in this world!"
"Countless members of the Xiao royal family sacrificed their lives for the Great Xuan, which is how the Great Xuan gained everything!"
"Therefore, Your Majesty's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all instructed me that no matter what, I should continue to protect the Great Xuan and take good care of the members of the Xiao royal family!"
"These three former kings all warned me that I must do my best to ensure the livelihood of the royal family, otherwise I would be ashamed of my ancestors and relatives."
"I regard the late king's entrustment as my lifelong wish, and I have devoted myself to planning and strategizing for the royal family. This is also to relieve the king's burden, so that the king does not have to spend time and energy taking care of the royal family, and can concentrate on governing the Great Xuan Kingdom!"
Rong Ruigong became more and more agitated as he spoke, gradually shifting from feigned crying to genuine tears streaming down his face.
The powerful voice brought tears to the eyes of some ministers.
Xiao Qidi remained completely unmoved, resting his chin on his hand, and said calmly:
"Lord Rongrui, stop crying for a moment. Don't stop. I've never heard of the late king entrusting you with the care of the royal family. I have heard that my father, grandfather, and even great-grandfather all reminded the royal family that the more noble one's status, the more self-disciplined one should be, and the more compassionate one should be towards the common people. Why is it different from what you're saying?"
Duke Rongrui quickly replied, "Your Majesty spent a long time in a remote country during your childhood, so it is normal that you did not know about the late king's instructions that I just mentioned. It was only because those were instructions given privately by the late king that I would not have spoken of them if I had not had no other choice."
"Fine, very well, I'll take what you said as true," Xiao Qidi's smile turned cold. "Then tell me, what does the late king's entrustment have to do with what you and the royal family have done? And what does it have to do with your initial statement that you knew you were wrong?"
Rongrui continued, weeping, "It is precisely because I kept the late king's entrustment in mind that I spared no effort to seek the well-being of the royal family. Unconsciously, I went a little too far... This is where I went wrong. Your Majesty, I meant well, but I was too eager for the royal family and lost my sense of proportion. I beg Your Majesty... to give me and the Xiao royal family a chance to make amends, considering that I did not have malicious intent."
Upon hearing this, many ministers burst into tears on the spot.
They all wiped away tears, praising Rong Ruigong's painstaking efforts.
He also said that what he did was all excusable and should not be punished as a crime, otherwise it would be disheartening.
Some even say that the royal ancestors sacrificed too much for the Great Xuan, and now that the Great Xuan is strong, it is an honor for the people to suffer a little so that the royal family members can enjoy their blessings.
Without the Great Xuan royal family, where would the people of Great Xuan have a home to live in?
Even if they use their hard-earned money to support the royal family, it is only right and proper. If the people of Da Xuan are dissatisfied, it is because the people are not enlightened, and they should not blame the royal family instead.
Listening to the heartfelt words of the many ministers, Xiao Qidi's expression remained calm, but his back teeth were practically grinding to powder.
Even before he met Ning Jinli, he was already aware of the drawbacks of royalty and nobility.
After meeting Ning Jinli, he not only listened to her talk about many things from later generations, but also learned the language of her era with her help.
Therefore, even though Xiao Qidi has been busy with many national affairs for the past few months, often going days and nights without rest, he still tries his best to squeeze out time to read the books Ning Jinli gave him.
When it's inconvenient to read physical books, she uses her phone to read the electronic documents that Ning Jinli downloaded for her.
He worked tirelessly, like a sponge that could never be saturated, constantly absorbing knowledge and ideas from the modern world through those endless books.
The essence of culture accumulated over thousands of years has been thoroughly understood in his mind.
This also made him realize more deeply that the era he lived in had far too many limitations and constraints.
This further strengthened his resolve to break free from constraints.
If even he doesn't break through, then no one in the world can do it.
If he knowingly fails to break through the limitations and constraints of his world, then... even if his world eventually unifies China, countless tragedies will be repeated over the next few thousand years.
It would be better if, at the beginning of his unification of China, he used the ideas he had absorbed that spanned thousands of years to lay a more complete foundation for China.
"It's a good thing Jinli wasn't allowed to sit in on this..." Xiao Qidi rubbed his forehead, amused by the ministers' comments, and muttered to himself, "If Jinli heard these words, she would probably get sick from anger."
Gradually, the wailing in the main hall subsided.
The ministers who were pleading for leniency finally stopped and took a breather after they had exhausted themselves.
Xiao Qidi rubbed his buzzing ears and said quietly:
"Your stamina has exceeded my expectations. Although those who were shouting and yelling just now were all civil officials, your energy and physique seem to be exceptionally strong. It would be a waste if you didn't go to the battlefield. If you have so much energy that you have nowhere to vent it, how about I take you to fight a few battles?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the remaining few ministers who still had some energy and were still chattering hurriedly covered their mouths in fright.
Xiao Qidi breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, it's quiet. I was really having a headache from all this noise."
Immediately, another minister said, "Your Majesty, we were only so agitated and impolite because we were concerned for the stability of the Great Xuan Dynasty. Please forgive us, Your Majesty—"
"Shut up!" Xiao Qidi's face darkened, and he suddenly roared.
An overwhelming aura of dominance instantly spread, enveloping the entire hall.
Everyone present was overwhelmed by this invisible and powerful pressure, and hurriedly prostrated themselves on the ground.
Xiao Qidi glanced around and called out the names of several ministers in turn, asking them to stand up.
“Just now, you few gave the longest speeches and wailed the most enthusiastically,” Xiao Qidi stared at them and asked slowly, “Now I ask you to think about it, if you were not ministers in the court, but ordinary people, how would you feel?”
The ministers who were named lowered their heads and remained silent.
Xiao Qidi continued:
"Imagine this situation, listen carefully."
“You live in a thatched hut with bare walls, your parents are bedridden and dying, your wife has to take care of your two children who are still breastfeeding, and go up the mountain every day to collect herbs to brew medicine for your parents to keep them alive. You barely manage to grow some grain from your few acres of poor land. After the family can finally eat a few mouthfuls of food to barely fill their stomachs, there is still a little left over to ask a doctor to treat your parents.”
Upon hearing this, the ministers' expressions turned solemn.
Xiao Qidi continued, "Finally, your parents started to get better. You and your wife no longer have to wake up hungry in the middle of the night or suddenly faint from hunger while working during the day. Your two toddlers, who were almost starving to death and had become skin and bones, no longer need you and your wife to cut your own blood to feed them. The two children can finally get some milk and survive again."
Upon arriving at this point, a slight sigh of relief rippled through the hall.
Before they could even exhale, Xiao Qidi's voice turned cold and he said sternly, "But at this very moment, a group of yamen runners rushed into your house and took away all the food you had stored up to save your family for the winter! They said it was to be offered as tribute to the higher-ups!"
“Tell me, without this little bit of food, your whole family will die this winter! I beg you, officers, to show mercy and give your family a way to live!”
"You still say that such a small amount of grain is nothing to the nobles and princes? They won't suffer any loss if they lose a little bit. But let me tell you, every little bit counts. Anything that can be scavenged must be handed over! You can starve to death, but how can we let the royal family be unable to eat and drink their fill?!"
"Then... the constables thought that there was too little grain in your house, not even a single valuable item. So, they forcibly kidnapped you, your wife, and your children to sell for money. Whether you were eaten as food or enslaved was none of their business."
"And your parents are old and sick, useless to them, so they'll just burn them down along with the thatched hut where you've lived for half your life..."
At this moment, the ministers were trembling all over and drenched in sweat.
Xiao Qidi waited a moment, then asked the ministers he had singled out, "Tell me, when you were in such a situation, being exploited and robbed of your families by the nobles, would you feel honored? Wouldn't you blame the royal family for their insatiable greed and insane cruelty? Wouldn't you hate the Great Xuan Kingdom to the core?!"
thump--
Several ministers' legs went weak, and they knelt down, supporting themselves with their hands on the ground, their whole bodies trembling.
"Answer me!" Xiao Qidi stood up and glared at them.
Lord Wen was among these people, and he forced himself to speak:
"Your Majesty... Your humble servant... Your humble servant believes that even so, Your Majesty... I will not hate the royal family. Because... the royal family is noble... If I were an ordinary citizen, I would... I should willingly serve them..."
Xiao Qidi narrowed his eyes. "And the rest of you? Do you still think so?"
The others, heads down, glanced around furtively, exchanged secret looks, and stammered:
"Your Majesty, we... deeply agree with what Lord Wen said."
"Whether we are ministers or commoners, how can we disobey the royal family... We should dedicate everything to the royal family."
Xiao Qidi slowly walked down the steps to the side of the ministers, looking down at their kneeling backs. "Lord Wen, and you all, since you've said so, I will dismiss you from your posts, confiscate your property, and make you start from scratch as ordinary people. What do you say?"
“We are willing!” the men replied immediately.
"Hahahaha!" Xiao Qidi burst into laughter. "You're willing? You could never be willing!"
"You all know all too well that in this world, even those who can read are one in a million. People like you, who are well-versed in literature and can also govern a country, are even more precious and rare!"
"I cannot easily let the court lose a minister, at least not now. So you are fearless, assuming that I will not dismiss you just because you risked your lives to remonstrate! Otherwise, not only will the Great Xuan court be unstable, but it will also be even more difficult to find learned people to serve in the future!"
Xiao Qidi's every word precisely struck at the hearts of these ministers.
Although the ministers felt a chill run down their spines, they were at least somewhat at ease.
Xiao Qidi paced slowly, his dark eyes filled with a mixture of coldness, anger, and helplessness. "I'll ask you one last time: are you really going to keep being stubborn? Are you really going to stop me from executing Rong Ruigong? If you have any change of mind, stand up. This is your last chance before you regret it."
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