Chapter 39: Execution of the Witch on the Altar If you are accused of harming the country for no reason...
"Sixth Princess, you are so brave." The emperor threw the teacup in his hand, and the fragments of the teacup instantly exploded all around.
His eyes were so dark that it was hard to tell what he was feeling. "You colluded with important officials in the court, intending to disrupt the government." The emperor's tone was even deeper than usual. "Sixth Princess Qin Yuqing, you've done well. Aren't you afraid of my punishment?"
Qin Yuqing was not a fool. She had thought of this possibility on the way here, but when she recalled the scene where the emperor came to her in the rain not long ago, she wanted to take a gamble.
It's not a bet on her cheap father's feelings for her, nor is it a bet on the emperor's love for Chen Cairen, but a bet on a king's responsibility to the common people.
"I'm afraid, but I understand my responsibilities. As the Sixth Princess of the Great Yin Dynasty and a minister of the Great Yin Dynasty, I should care about the people of the world. Isn't this the topic of debate in your father's imperial examination? Now, those with ulterior motives in the capital are trying to use the gods to frame me. I can't guarantee that they won't use the same tactics against other ministers next time."
Qin Yuqing knelt down after saying this. After so many days of experience, she had seen too many people bleed and sacrifice their lives for the highest position. Even though her future was still full of white fog, she didn't want to sit and wait for death anymore. She wanted to take the initiative back into her hands.
"Once this time in the capital is over, I will volunteer to go to the southern part of Great Yin and thoroughly resolve the natural disaster problem in the south."
Qin Yuqing's eyes were firm. The person behind the scenes must be someone she knew, but so far she couldn't figure out who did it.
However, she suspected that the Second Prince and the male protagonist of the original book were working together to set up this scheme. What happened in the past few days was similar to their style of doing things, especially the things that the male protagonist of the original book could do.
"But rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not be leaving with Lu Jingchuan." Qin Yuqing observed the emperor's expression and saw that he had relaxed a little. He continued, "Lu Jingchuan will stay in the capital. I understand your concerns and worries. If Lu Jingchuan stays in the capital, he can also communicate with you in time to deal with any emergencies."
Qin Yuqing did not forget the emperor's fear and murderous intentions towards the Lu family at the birthday party she attended when she first traveled through time. If Lu Jingchuan had not been loyal to her all these years and had never crossed the line, the Lu family would have been lost long ago.
What she has to do now is to take advantage of the emperor's sense of indebtedness to her, so that he can once again see the importance of the Lu family, and make him understand that she and Lu Jingchuan are loyal to the royal family and that they are people he can trust.
"The journey to the south is full of dangers. If no one helps, are you still willing to go, Aruan?" The emperor's implication was that he really wanted to keep Lu Jingchuan in the capital, and he would not openly give Qin Yuqing any help.
"Everything is for the sake of Great Yin and the people of Liming. Qin Yuqing volunteered to go."
Qin Yuqing did not blame the emperor's choice. If she were the emperor and had not had a close relationship with Lu Jingchuan, she would also remain suspicious of the Lu family.
"Tomorrow is the election for the National Master. A'ruan, I heard that this time the candidate for the National Master will be a capable and ambitious person. Once the new National Master is confirmed, even I will not be able to protect you." The emperor looked up at the sky with a slightly cold gaze.
Qin Yuqing nodded. She glanced at Lu Jingchuan and saw him nod at her. Qin Yuqing understood what was going on, so she continued to speak to the emperor, "Your Highness, I know. Because of this, I beg you, Father, to detain me as a criminal at the center of the election platform during tomorrow's Imperial Master election."
"Nonsense! Do you know what the election platform is?" The emperor scolded without thinking, "You are my Xiaoliu. No matter what, I will not let you suffer any injustice again!"
Qin Yuqing felt warm in her heart, but some things could not be changed once they were decided, and if she did not go on stage, the show would not be exciting.
"Your Majesty, I have my own plans. Tonight is destined not to be a Christmas Eve. Tomorrow I need a reason to silence the gossips of the crowd, and I happen to be that reason. Your Majesty has done so much for me, so this is the little I can do for you."
Qin Yuqing told the emperor about tomorrow's plan, but omitted the identities of the Alhan twins, saying only that they were a pair of poor children who lost their father and mother at an early age.
After hearing this, the emperor's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by relief and happiness. He could feel that compared to the first time he met Qin Yuqing, she had grown a lot.
"Regarding the Lu family's matter, I promise you that if you can resolve the natural disaster in the south, I will grant the Lu family a golden medal of immunity from death." The emperor did not believe it completely. He chose to wait and see. This matter concerned the country and people of Dayin. He could not just listen to the one-sided words of Qin Yuqing and Lu Jingchuan.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Jingchuan kowtowed to express his gratitude immediately. His folded hands were shaking constantly. He could hear that the emperor still had doubts about the Lu family, but the current result was the best.
Lu Jingchuan didn't believe that Qin Yuqing's simple words tonight could make the emperor change his mind. Emperors have always been suspicious, and he has never forgotten this sentence.
Qin Yuqing reached out and patted Lu Jingchuan on the back. The emperor was a wise monarch. This was the first thing she could confirm. If he was not a wise monarch, then the plan would have to be modified, and there would not be the opportunity to fight for the study room now.
After the banquet game, Qin Yuqing used various methods to hint to the emperor that the capital needed a lone minister, and gradually narrowed down the candidate conditions, finally settling on Lu Jingchuan and Shen Yanqing, and then gave it to the emperor to choose.
The emperor sat on a high throne, watching the interaction between Qin Yuqing and Lu Jingchuan. Both as an emperor and as a father, he knew clearly that it was Aruan's deliberate guidance, and he could understand Aruan's thoughts, but he had no way to make a promise to Aruan like a normal father.
Shen Yanqing is the only daughter of the Shen family. She has led troops to garrison in the south since she was a child and has made many achievements. She is someone the court dare not touch and cannot touch at present. The southern part of Dayin still needs the garrison of the Shen family army.
On the other hand, Lu Jingchuan, who was sent to the palace in another active way and grew up under surveillance, is like a sharp blade. As long as the person who uses him controls the strength well, he will be an excellent weapon.
The emperor could see that the existence of the Lu Mansion was the handle of this weapon, and the Sixth Princess Qin Yuqing was the sheath of this weapon. As long as the Sixth Princess was there, Lu Jingchuan would not lose control.
At night, icy rain suddenly fell, quickly turning into a downpour, and strong winds carried the rain across the capital.
Because the rain was so heavy, some low-lying areas in the capital were flooded. For a while, the cries and curses of children spread quietly in the capital.
On the second day, Qin Yuqing was wearing plain clothes, her hands were shackled behind her back, her hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, and she was escorted by four soldiers. She looked coldly at the people wearing straw raincoats around the altar.
"Here she comes, this is the witch!"
"The witch is here! If it weren't for her, the gods wouldn't be angry!"
"What can we do? Many people have been drowned in the south of the city."
At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "For the sake of Great Yin! Kill the witch and appease the wrath of the gods!"
Everyone seemed to be awakened, with one hand raised high, murderous intent revealed in their cold eyes, as if Qin Yuqing was an unforgivable sinner, and they kept shouting.
"For the sake of Great Yin, kill the witch! Appease the wrath of the gods!"
Qin Yuqing immediately saw the person who was making a fuss in the crowd. She curled her lips slightly and calmly accepted the people's abuse. Her cold and ruthless eyes further ignited the people's anger.
Qin Yuqing was pushed all the way to the altar. Today's selection of the national master was finally held on the altar. One reason was to kill the witch, and the other was to let the gods elect a new national master.
"Sixth Princess, you'd better restrain yourself." The soldier tied Qin Yuqing to a wooden pillar and advised her in a low voice.
"Oh?" Qin Yuqing raised an eyebrow and looked at the raindrops falling on the soldiers. "I am a demon girl, aren't you afraid of me?"
"Don't be afraid." The soldier shook his head slightly, not tightening the rope. "We all remember what you did. If it weren't for you, my son wouldn't have passed the imperial examination this year. Those high officials don't like people like us who were born into the military."
After the soldier finished speaking, he left the altar. Qin Yuqing looked at the soldier's back thoughtfully, and suddenly she laughed out loud. Although being tied to the altar was a step in the plan, after hearing the soldier's words, Qin Yuqing suddenly felt that things were not as bad as they seemed.
The people below were talking in low voices, not knowing what the Sixth Princess was laughing at. They were afraid that she had gone completely crazy.
Qin Yuqing was tied to a wooden stake. The heavy rain had already soaked her whole body. She looked at the people below, listened to their undisguised malice, and watched the rain and wind gradually decrease. It was almost time.
"Witch Qin Yuqing, do you admit your guilt?" The speaker was a young Taoist priest from the National Master Tower.
The emperor, the prince and their entourage sat on the high platform, and everyone looked at Qin Yuqing with different eyes, some with sadness, some with pity, and some with gloating.
Qin Yuqing sneered and looked at the little Taoist priest with unruly eyes. Her fox eyes were full of sarcasm. She raised her tone and asked, "I wonder, Taoist priest, what have I done wrong?"
"Evil woman, you still refuse to repent! You are bloodthirsty and cruel by nature. You even attempted to participate in the imperial examinations as a woman, causing chaos in the court. The deaths of ministers and the imperial teacher are all due to you, and you still don't know your crime!"
"So? You want me to confess right now? I'm afraid that's not enough." Qin Yuqing's ears were almost callused from listening to the same old talk. "I didn't kill the man, so how can I confess? Why, instead of asking the Dali Temple or the Ministry of Justice for the truth after he's dead, you believe the rumors and make me take the blame?"
"Little Taoist priest, your Taoism is still not up to par. You should practice more, otherwise you won't even be able to tell the fake oracle written by your master."
The young Taoist priest flew into a rage: "What do you mean? I won't let you slander the Imperial Master!"
Qin Yuqing looked at Lu Jingchuan below, and seeing him nod at her, she smiled and said, "What's the point? You feel it's unfair and you feel wronged. If you were labeled a national evil woman for no reason, how could you not feel wronged?"
"You are just a demon girl. If it weren't for you, how could the capital city have suffered such a disaster? The people in the south of the city who were flooded are the best proof!" The little Taoist pointed at Qin Yuqing and shouted, holding a talisman, "Today, I will enforce justice on behalf of the Imperial Master and the deceased ministers!"
"Doing justice for the heavens, how funny." Qin Yuqing sneered with disdain.
She looked around at everyone around the altar and saw the secret guards nodding at her from a tall building not far away. Countless ropes were covered by dark clouds. It was now!
"Gods, although I, Qin Yuqing, cannot be said to be righteous, I have never done anything that is against the will of heaven. I even lied and said that it was a witch who caused the disaster. From the beginning to the end, everything I did was only for the Great Yin!" Qin Yuqing said loudly.
"If the gods appear and Qin Yuqing lies even a little, he will be struck by lightning and die miserably!"
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