"The murderer must pay with his life?" The emperor sighed and laughed when he heard the eunuch's words. "I'm afraid this principle won't work in the Wei Dynasty."
Everyone in the Wei Dynasty admired the heroic spirit, even the scholars carried swords and knives when they went out. Everyone was full of passion, and this was the trend of the whole society from top to bottom.
Even though they know that the murderer must pay with his life, there are still knights and heroes who kill people every ten steps, and they are admired by the people of the world. What the young man in Princess Danyang's mansion did might cause him some trouble, but it just fits the character that the whole society admires.
Under this premise, the possibility of paying with one's life is not high.
The emperor said slowly: "Believe it or not, even if the Ministry of Justice arrests someone and puts him in jail, they dare not treat this person as a criminal, but will invite him to jail honestly and provide him with good food and drink.
"This matter is a bit tricky. On the one hand, it is the law and regulations, and on the other hand, it is the will of the people. The young man who dared to kill people in public is courageous, but I don't know if the Ministry of Justice has the courage to withstand the pressure and kill or release the person."
The eunuch thought for a moment and said, "The Ministry of Justice is under the jurisdiction of the King of Qin. I'm afraid the King of Qin will have a headache as to whether or not to make that man pay with his life."
The emperor sighed and said, “That’s why I say it’s so bold.
"Killing only one person dragged all the people hiding in the situation into trouble. The matter became a big deal and was exposed to the public. Under the watchful eyes of the public, it became difficult for the people behind the scenes to operate.
"He even killed the Patriarch of the Zheng Family. He took the head of the Patriarch of the Zheng Family to apologize to King Jin. Does King Jin have any reason not to accept the apology? The Patriarch of the Zheng Family is dead. I'm afraid someone really has some conspiracy against this matter. This move cuts off the source of the trouble and directly cuts off the way, making it impossible for the conspiracy behind to continue.
"Even if the princess's own people killed her own people...Princess Danyang's courage will also bend for the people of the world. In silence, even Yaoyao's reputation will be wiped out.
"Everyone can't stand the powerful, and everyone knows that they exploit the common people. But the powerful cling to the aristocratic families, after all, they are powerful... To be able to make such a decision in a moment, this courage and broad-mindedness is unmatched by ordinary people.
"It's better for such a person not to be an official. As long as he survives this imprisonment, he will be popular with the public once he enters the court. His good start in the court is much better than what others would get after working hard for most of their lives."
The more the emperor analyzed, the more emotional he became, so he simply sat up.
There are many smart people, and few ministers in the court are stupid. But being smart is one thing, and everyone knows that doing so will bring a good reputation... but whether you have the courage to do it is another matter.
After all, no one can guarantee that the murderer will not pay with his life. No one can control public opinion or the central government's judgment.
Since it cannot be controlled, one has to admire the fact that one dares to do it.
Over the years, the emperor had not paid much attention to state affairs. This was the first time that the emperor became interested in a person.
The emperor asked, "Who is this person? How did he become Yaoyao's aide? Why didn't anyone recruit him to serve as an official? How did the prince manage to govern the country if the court didn't use such a talented person?"
The eunuch bowed and smiled apologetically: "Your Majesty, his name is Yan Shang, he is just eighteen this year, and his courtesy name is Suchen."
The emperor was puzzled: "Yan Shang? The name sounds familiar."
The eunuch laughed dryly and reminded, "He is this year's third place winner. His Majesty wanted to arrange a marriage for him with Princess Danyang, but Princess Danyang refused."
emperor:"……"
His expression suddenly became strange.
The eunuchs also found it strange.
The eunuch said dryly, "Perhaps it was because your Majesty's arranged marriage failed that he and Princess Danyang got together? Did he go to work as Princess Danyang's aide?"
The emperor's expression became more and more strange, as if he had a lot to say, but he forced himself to suppress it.
After a while, the emperor said, "So this Yan Suchen will be Yaoyao's assistant now?"
The eunuch had naturally checked on this man a long time ago: "Yan Suchen and the champion Wei Qilang have both signed up for the Boxue Hongci exam in October this year. If Yan Lang can survive this jail time, he will surely get a good rank in this year's Boxue Hongci exam. No one will hold him back."
The emperor said: "If he could get ashore, his official position would not be too low at the beginning."
The emperor suddenly asked, "Does Yan Suchen have no connections in Chang'an? Is there no one behind the scenes telling him how to act?"
The eunuch replied, "He does have many friends, but they were all made after he arrived in Chang'an. As for his connections in Chang'an... he only has one teacher, Mr. Dou, who is a doctor of the Imperial College. I'm afraid that apart from teaching him academic knowledge, there are no other connections for this young man to use."
The emperor seemed to be thinking: "Then the noble families will keep an eye on this kind of person and rush to use him."
The noble families who were able to stay in Chang'an might have some little thoughts, but none of them were fools.
The eunuch observed the emperor's expression and saw that he was looking downcast with a gloomy face. He suggested: "If Your Majesty does not want this young man to be snatched away by a noble family, it would be better for you to take direct action and personally summon this young man to serve Your Majesty directly."
The emperor thought for a moment, but still shook his head.
The emperor lay back down and said slowly, "No need. It's just that I have the courage to kill someone in public... I have to wait and see how this drama goes."
-----
In the countryside governed by Zheng family in Wannian County, the fields are green and the wind is blowing and the clouds are rolling.
Duke Zheng was killed in public and fell to the ground.
Everyone looked up and saw Yan Shang still holding the deadly crossbow in his hand, pointing it at the Zheng family.
Everyone was stunned.
The Zheng family guards who followed Duke Zheng had blank minds, thinking in panic that the head of the family had been killed in front of them... It was over, everything was over.
Impulsively, they wanted to rush up and capture the murderer, tie him up and take him to the Zheng Family Ancestral Hall to give an explanation to the Zheng family. But when these guards looked up, met Yan Shang's calm gaze, saw the iron crossbow on his arm... and then saw the princess guards behind Yan Erlang, they all drew their swords.
Yan Shang still pointed the crossbow at them and said slowly: "Mr. Zheng must be killed by me, otherwise I will not be able to give an explanation. If you resist, I have killed people, and I will not hesitate to kill a few more."
The Zheng family guards became even more confused.
One of them gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, and trembled as he roared, "You dare to kill Lord Zheng! The local tyrants of the Zheng family will not let you go!"
Yan Shang smiled: "I'm waiting to see the power of the powerful!"
He turned around and looked at the guards following him, and ordered in a calm voice: "Cut off Duke Zheng's head, wrap it up and take it away for me."
He looked at the Zheng family guards again and said, "I will go here today with Duke Zheng's head to atone for my sins to the King of Jin. If you want to kill me today, come and kill me."
After saying that, he turned and left.
The people in the surrounding fields looked at him with admiration and kept asking who the man was and why he was so arrogant that he even dared to kill Duke Zheng.
The Zheng family had been operating in Wannian County for so many years, relying on the Li family and the royal family, and no one dared to resist. Those who really dared to resist fled Wannian County and became bandits or refugees. Anyway, the Zheng family did not stop people from living, and the people just endured it... But this young man said a few words and killed people!
Yan Shang turned around and left, with no intention of going back to the Zheng family mansion. Judging from his posture, he was ready to go directly to visit Prince Jin with the head of Duke Zheng.
The staff members were trembling with fear, and followed him smartly. They saw that the young man still had a clear and handsome face, and there was no blood on his jade-like face. His eyes were still bright and clear... But Yan Shang had just killed someone!
They were shocked, and in their hearts they admired the young man's bravery, but were also afraid of Yan Shang's bold actions.
They chased Yan Shang: "The Zheng family will not let you go. They dare not touch the princess, but they might make things difficult for you."
There is no word yet.
The staff members trembled again: "Erlang, if you do this... you will go to jail! Even Her Royal Highness the Princess can't protect you!"
Yan Shang glanced at them and nodded slightly: "I know."
Looking back at the people gathered in the fields who were left behind, and the Zheng family guards who turned around and ran to report the news to the Zheng family, Yan Shang's eyes were somewhat deep.
He said: "So we must hurry up and finish what His Highness has asked us to do."
-----
In the Zheng family mansion, the Zheng family members were anxiously waiting for the people sent by the princess to come and settle accounts with them.
In their minds, they were the princess's people, and even if the princess was furious, she would at most kill a few people... They had already planned to hand over the Zheng family members who had occupied Chunhua's brother's farmhouse and the member who had shot and injured the King of Jin. Even if these people were killed, they would endure it.
They hid in the ancestral hall and discussed how to beg for mercy from Her Royal Highness the Princess.
Then a guard rushed in with a pale face and knelt down tremblingly: "Mr. Zheng, Mr. Zheng... was killed by Yan Erlang who was sent by the princess!"
Zheng Family Ancestral Hall, for a moment I thought the guards were joking. How could a family head be killed...
How could His Highness treat them like this?
The guard was about to cry: "That Yan Erlang stood six feet away, asked about the Zheng family's actions, and after knowing that the one leading the way was the head of the family, he directly raised his crossbow and killed people. Those people were still cheering on the side, and now they have mounted their horses and are probably going to leave..."
"What?!" The Zheng family was suddenly angry.
He was so angry that he was shaking: "He is just a small staff member, but he is so bold! Don't the government care? Is there no law in this world? Justice is clear, but he actually defied the law openly... My Zheng family will never forgive him!"
When several brave young men heard that Duke Zheng was dead, they were about to rush out with swords in hand to take revenge, but they were stopped by some older men, who told them to ask the government to take charge.
A prince who kills someone is guilty of the same crime as a commoner!
How can there be such wanton killing in the world?
-----
In the Prince of Jin's mansion, the Prince of Jin was recuperating from his injuries. With a pale face, he welcomed Yan Shang and others into the room.
A sea of fresh blood was flowing in the opened package, and Duke Zheng was staring at the King of Jin with his bronze bell eyes, unable to close after his death.
The King of Jin was not frightened to death by the previous arrow wound, but he was frightened to death by this head.
King Jin's face turned pale: "What does Yan Erlang mean?"
Yan Shang said gently: "This is what Her Royal Highness Princess has told you. Lord Zheng is the head of the Zheng family, and he has been executed. If Your Highness has any other needs, please let me know. Our Princess and Your Highness have a deep relationship as siblings, and we definitely have no intention of hurting Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will think about it carefully."
After a long while, the Prince of Jin forced a smile and said, "I accept Yaoyao's kindness... I never meant to blame Yaoyao... This is all caused by the servants..."
The King of Jin acted so submissive, and after seeing Yan Shang and the others leave, he was extremely angry and ordered someone to throw the head away. But when he closed his eyes, he seemed to see Duke Zheng staring at him... The King of Jin was so scared that he trembled.
Mu Wanyao apologized so much, what else could he say?
He even cut off his own arm... If the King of Jin does not accept the apology, it would seem that he is heartless.
-----
When Yan Shang left the Prince Jin's Mansion, people from the Ministry of Justice were already standing at the gate, waiting for them.
The guards of the Princess's Mansion who followed Yan Shang put their hands on the hilts of their swords at their waists and looked at each other warily. The staff behind Yan Shang looked at each other and sighed, knowing that what was coming was coming.
An official from the Ministry of Justice, with a stern figure and a dignified face, stood in a box outside the Prince of Jin's mansion with his hands behind his back, looking at the murals painted on the wall.
Yan Shang came out, his clothes flying.
The official from the Ministry of Justice turned around and looked him up and down: "Are you Yan Erlang? The one you killed in public?"
A man who followed him, probably a member of the Zheng family, jumped up and down, pointing at Yan Shang and said excitedly: "My lord, it's him! He was the one who killed our master!"
The senior official from the Ministry of Justice showed disgust.
Although he had some friendship with the Zheng family and was invited by the Zheng family to handle this case, after hearing the whole story on the way, he knew that he was cheated by the Zheng family... How could this kind of case be easy to deal with?
This senior official paid no attention to the noise coming from the Zheng family members next to him, and stared with his fierce eyes at the skinny young man coming out of Prince Jin's Mansion.
Yan Shang bowed and clasped his hands, his sleeves fluttering, and said in a gentle voice: "It is me."
The official from the Ministry of Justice sighed, feeling that the other party did not change his expression when facing him and others. His expression was not so serious, and he just said: "Yan Erlang, we are investigating a case. We heard that you killed someone in public. We have to ask you to cooperate and go to the Ministry of Justice with us."
As if he was afraid that the other party would not agree, he actually added: "If you are innocent, we will naturally let you out after verification."
Yan Shang said, "That's how it should be. I dare not hinder you from handling the case."
Seeing that the other party was so easy to talk to, the official from the Ministry of Justice breathed a sigh of relief and quickly signaled the officials behind him to arrest the man.
But on the way back to the Ministry of Justice, the bold and gossipy people in Chang'an had obviously heard the news and gathered in the streets to watch. The Ministry of Justice did not dare to tie up Yan Shang, but only let him ride on horseback. Even so, the people were still angry and accused:
"Shouldn't the Zheng family be killed? Yan Erlang is a hero, but you want the murderer to pay with his life. How can you be an official?
"Are you in collusion with the Zheng family?
"The powerful are so majestic! Even the noble families wouldn't dare to do this!"
The toughness of the people of Chang'an and the boldness of the people in a country's capital are far beyond what can be compared to other places... The people in the Ministry of Justice were arresting people according to common sense, but now they all looked pale, as if they were bad people, and were very angry.
The Zheng family members were hiding in the crowd. Seeing the situation, they also panicked and quickly ran out to inform their families.
The official from the Ministry of Justice had a sullen face and told his people to leave quickly and not let anyone watch anymore.
Some young men from noble families who were curious about the topic were sitting on the upper floor of the tavern, and they could not help but sneer at the difficult situation the criminals from the Ministry of Justice were in when they were blocked by the people.
Said: "It's going to be difficult for the Ministry of Justice this time."
However, there are still some who are still frightened: "I didn't expect the people to hate the powerful so much. It seems that the Zheng family has not had a good reputation for many years.
"The Zheng family is finished this time."
Everyone was silent.
Someone else asked, "Are there any noble families who want to save the Zheng family this time?"
Several people looked at each other and couldn't help but sneer: "Isn't the Zheng family Princess Danyang's? How could a noble family want to get it?
"And even if we are reluctant to give up the powerful... our family is not the enemy of the people. Seeing the people so angry, we know that Zheng must have gone too far. We don't want the people to suffer like this."
Everyone was silent. After quickly drinking two glasses of wine, they went home to report to their own masters.
-----
In the East Palace.
When the people from the Ministry of Justice took Yan Erlang away to the Ministry of Justice, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace learned that Yan Erlang had killed someone in public.
Yang Si was originally drowsy and bored listening to the prince discussing state affairs with the ministers. After hearing what happened to Yan Shang, Yang Si couldn't help but cheer, startling everyone who was in deep thought.
The prince looked at Yang Si unhappily: "...Sanlang, did you just wake up?"
He was mocking Yang Sanlang for being in a deep sleep while others were discussing government affairs, and only waking up suddenly after hearing about Yan Shang's matter.
Having known the prince for many years, Yang Sanlang had become extremely thick-skinned and didn't care at all about the prince's mild sarcasm.
Yang Si stood up and paced in the meeting hall wearing only white socks.
He was bold and unrestrained by nature, and he liked this kind of heroic spirit the most in his life. Yan Erlang's actions always gave him a sense of conspiracy, which made him dislike it. Only this kind of young heroism could be admired by him.
Yang Si clapped his hands and cheered: "The head of the Zheng family deserves to be killed! He has wasted the people's time and space, and he has taken over other people's farmland without any remorse. He even wants the princess to cover for them... It is most satisfying to kill such a person! Yan Suchen's actions are what a real man should do!"
The prince looked at him and said, "You seem to have forgotten that the reason why Zheng family occupied other people's farms was to collect rent and money. And the reason for collecting rent and money was to give it to the Ministry of Revenue to make up for the lack of money in the Ministry of Revenue. You are befriending Yan Erlang like this, aren't you saying that I am wrong?"
Yang Si said: "Your Highness, you are wrong for not being able to distinguish between the people you employ and causing this kind of trouble!"
Everyone present took a breath.
I sigh at how courageous Yang Sanlang is to say this in front of the prince.
Yang Si pushed the door open and was about to go out: "Those people from the Ministry of Justice might embarrass Yan Erlang, and I'm afraid that Erlang will inevitably go to jail. No, I have to go to the Ministry of Justice to take a look. If they dare to embarrass Yan Suchen, I will teach them a lesson."
No one in the hall could stop him, and they just watched Yang Sanlang walk away.
They looked at each other, then turned back to look at the crown prince, thinking that Yang Si's behavior represented the crown prince. Didn't Yang Si's running to the Ministry of Justice and causing a scene prove that it was the crown prince's instigation?
They looked at the prince and saw that he was thoughtful and did not send anyone to bring Yang Sanlang back.
Everyone said: "Your Highness, I'm afraid that this matter will bring trouble to the East Palace..."
The prince said, "Not necessarily. This matter... let's see if anyone continues to suffer."
-----
Naturally, some people continued to leave.
In Fanchuan's summer resort, when Mu Wanyao heard that Yan Shang had killed the head of the Zheng family, his vision went dark and he fell to the ground.
She was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
Hate Yan Shang for completely distorting her meaning!
She asked him to suppress the matter...but he was exaggerating it.
It would be fine if it was exaggerated, but he also sent himself to jail!
Mu Wan shook his head in anger: "Yan Shang, Yan Shang... bastard!"
While she was gritting her teeth, she also admired the man's courage. He knew what she meant, but he still confronted her... Was he taking revenge on her for ignoring him?
Mu Wanyao was so angry that she had a headache. If possible, she really wanted to rush out and scold him. However, Mu Wanyao covered her heart and convinced herself not to be angry, not to be angry... At this point, in order to maximize the benefits, she could not be angry and could not act on impulse.
Yan Shang set such a trap for her... No matter how much she hated it or how reluctant she was, she had to cut off her arm to show the world!
Mu Wan paced back and forth for a long time, trying hard to think about how to turn the situation into what is best for him.
After a long while, she gritted her teeth, tidied her clothes, and went to see His Majesty.
However, the eunuch stopped her, saying that His Majesty would not see anyone.
Mu Wan's expression changed over and over again. After the emperor's way was blocked, she simply returned to her room, returned to her desk, and began to write a letter to the East Palace:
“I am willing to cut off my own arm, punish the Zheng family, draw a clear line with the Zheng family, and never use this family again.
"I wish to use the Zheng family's misfortune to warn the world's powerful people! Do not treat the people as slaves, do not treat the people as meat...
"I beg the East Palace to discipline the powerful people in the world, and ask the noble families to examine their own powerful behavior. The powerful people have been causing trouble for a long time. We should take this opportunity to investigate the accounts of the powerful people in the world over the years..."
-----
Late at night.
The lights in the East Palace remained on all night.
The ministers sat on both sides. The prince took the letter from Princess Danyang and passed it to the ministers after reading it.
The ministers were delighted: "The princess' kindness and generosity should be a model for the whole world!"
The prince nodded.
He smiled slightly, because he had been waiting all day to see if Mu Wanyao would take action.
Mu Wanyao took it.
Her political awareness...finally reached a higher level, and she finally knew what was best.
The prince said, "Tomorrow at court, Princess Danyang's request will be passed on to all the ministers. The trend of tyranny should indeed be rectified."
With this governance, the wealth that the powerful have plundered over the years will be confiscated, and the Ministry of Revenue will no longer be short of money...
The prince said: "Since we want to punish the powerful, the bad behavior in the world is not limited to the powerful."
The ministers tried to guess the prince's intentions, and one of them thought of something and said, "The Princess of Luling has been keeping beautiful young men in captivity for many years, occupying the people's fertile land, and allowing her own people to bully the people and cause trouble... The Princess has angered the people for many years, and Your Highness must investigate."
The prince was waiting for these words.
Since we have to take action.
Words still need reputation.
I want fame in the evening.
Doesn’t the Eastern Palace want it?
The prince said, "I hope my aunt will have the awareness to cooperate like this."
-----
When Princess Luling's residence was surrounded by officials and monks, she almost went crazy, realizing that the prince was going to kill her.
Originally it was a matter between powerful people, and she was just watching from the sidelines. But now it seems that the prince wants to punish her and the powerful person together?
Princess Luling then realized that she had wrongly trusted Yan Shang from the very beginning.
Yan Shang said that the prince would protect her.
She believed it too.
But the prince came again and again... This time he came directly to punish the crime, to arrest the offender from her house, and to investigate the eldest princess's cases over the years!
Princess Luling was furious: "I want to see His Majesty! I want to complain to my brother! Mulang! You are such a bastard! You are so cruel... You even didn't let your own aunt go!"
Mulang is the name of the current crown prince.
No one dared to shout.
It can be seen how angry Princess Luling was.
The people who came to search the princess's mansion dared to touch others, but they did not dare to stop the eldest princess. The eldest princess was so angry that she drove herself to Fanchuan to meet the emperor and complain to him.
She had driven half a mile when her carriage was stopped.
Thinking that the group that searched the Princess's residence would not even spare her, the Princess was so angry that she whipped out. She jumped out of the carriage and whipped out, hitting the people who stopped the carriage.
But he was a handsome young man. After being whipped by her, his long hair fell slightly on his cheek, leaving a bright red streak.
Feng Xianyu looked at her in surprise.
When the princess saw that it was him, she was shocked at first, then angry: "Why, you want to stop me too? Get out of here!"
Feng Xianyu grabbed the princess's hand and forced her back into the carriage, away from the crowd. In the carriage, he lifted his robe and knelt in front of the princess, looking up and pleading: "Your Highness, this is a rare opportunity for you to make a good name for yourself, how can you let it go? This is the most important part of the cooperation between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and you, how can you give up halfway?"
Princess Luling sneered: "Cooperation? At this point today, I can see that no one wants to cooperate with me. They are all trying to deceive me and use me..."
As she spoke, her face turned pale and her whole body trembled.
I just felt that if the emperor died, I would really die with him...
Feng Xianyu said urgently, "Your Highness, don't do this! I can go to see the Crown Prince for you and have a private talk with him. If the Crown Prince really doesn't want to leave you a way out, it won't be too late for you to complain to His Majesty. In this world, the Zheng family is despised by people. How can Your Highness put yourself on the same level as the Zheng family and lose the support of the people?"
Princess Luling looked at him blankly.
After a long while, she nodded hesitantly: "Feng Lang, I will trust you just once. The prince doesn't treat me as his aunt... In the end, I have to rely on my lover to save myself."
She smiled sadly and leaned her head against the car wall. Her usually bright and charming face was now extremely dim.
Feng Xianyu lowered his head and said softly, "Your Highness, there is no need to be so desperate. Things have not come to that point... The prince must have recognized you as his aunt. The prince is using a knife on you, but he is just not avoiding suspicion. Only if you cooperate well, you will have a way out in the future."
Princess Luling looked down at him and said quietly, "Then go ahead and do it. I have so many concubines, but none of them are useful. When the people who were searching the princess's mansion arrived in front of the mansion, they were all scared and fled. But you still dared to come to me, not afraid of being implicated by me... Feng Lang, thank you very much."
Feng Xianyu's eyelashes trembled slightly.
He turned his head slightly and kept his face tight, not allowing himself to look at the woman's bleak expression.
He did this because he didn't want her to fall. He relied on her to become an official, and he would have to rely on her to continue to rise in the future... But her loneliness also made him feel gloomy. Thinking about the situation in the world, it was hard to say whether it would be a blessing or a curse.
-----
And so, everyone took action.
At night, the eunuch once again reported the latest developments to the emperor.
It tells how Yan Erlang was imprisoned and how the people pleaded for him;
It talks about how Mu Wanyao was so determined that he cut off his own arm to plead for the people and requested that the world's tyrants be investigated and punished;
It talks about how the crown prince affirmed Princess Danyang's petition in the court, and how the crown prince attacked Princess Luling...
The emperor exclaimed: "Brilliant.
"No one is left behind, no one is lagging behind. The situation is changing in an interesting way. It was originally a maid's pregnancy issue, but it has become such a minor issue. I am becoming more and more interested in them."
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