Chapter 423 The winds of change in the imperial court are truly about to shift.
The silent exchange between the Prime Minister and Pu Tonghe, though only a moment, was understood by everyone present, including the Emperor, who were all seasoned "old foxes" in the court.
The Prime Minister was well aware that this glance would inevitably be noticed, but he had no choice but to do it. Moreover, he knew in his heart that the Emperor and Jiang Yu had probably already figured out his connection with the Prince of Lingnan. Now that Pu Tonghe had been suddenly arrested, they must have also found out about Pu Tonghe's entanglement with the Prince of Lingnan.
Therefore, although he maintained a facade of respectability as a subject and colleague with the Emperor and Jiang Yu, and hadn't completely broken off relations, the situation was already an open confrontation. So, facing the Emperor's questioning, he wasn't particularly nervous. He also believed that with the Emperor and Jiang Yu's wisdom, they wouldn't harm him now, much less truly break ties with the Prince of Lingnan.
A delicate balance is currently being maintained between them, but when and by whom this balance will be broken depends on their respective abilities. As for Pu Tonghe, things have come to this point, and there is no longer any point in trying to salvage the situation.
So without the slightest hesitation, he said directly, "Execute his entire family."
Upon hearing this, the emperor clenched his fist again under his desk. He believed he knew Pei Chengkun well. He was resourceful, ruthless yet not ruthless, and even after many years in office, he still possessed a benevolent heart.
The reason he had previously trusted Pei Chengkun was largely due to this kind heart. Because a kind-hearted person would neither betray the court's years of cultivation and trust by doing something ungrateful, nor would he shake the foundation of the country or harm the court's interests for personal reasons.
But now it seems that Pei Chengkun's previous "benevolence" was probably all a pretense, a means to deceive him. As the emperor, how could he tolerate the repeated betrayals and deceptions of one or two trusted ministers?
As for the crimes committed by Pei Chengkun and Pu Tonghe, he felt that even executing their entire families would be too lenient, and he even considered digging up their ancestral graves for three generations.
Suppressing the surging anger in his heart, the emperor said calmly, "If the prime minister says to execute nine generations of his family, then let it be done as the prime minister wishes. This matter will be left to the prime minister to handle."
These words made Pu Tonghe, who was prostrate on the ground, feel his blood boil, and he wished he could tear Pei Chengkun's hypocritical face off on the spot. The Prime Minister's expression also stiffened slightly upon hearing this, but he quickly regained his composure and respectfully bowed to the Emperor: "Your subject receives the decree."
The emperor grunted in acknowledgment, glanced at him with a deep look in his eyes, and waved for him to sit down. Then, his gaze swept over the heads of the three provinces and six ministries present, a single glance that made even the most cunning and calculating "foxes" tense up.
"Officials should uphold their duties, be loyal to the emperor, and love the people. This is their duty and their bottom line." The emperor's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "But there are people like Pu Tonghe who pretend to be respectful and law-abiding on the surface, but behind the scenes they are corrupt, colluding with others, deceiving the emperor, and treating the court rules and my trust as worthless."
His gaze slowly swept over the crowd, his tone becoming increasingly cold: "His fate today serves as a reminder to everyone. You all hold power in your respective departments; you should know what respect is and what the bottom line is. If you dare to emulate his hypocrisy and disregard for the law, although I value talent, I will never tolerate it."
Upon hearing this, the ministers present immediately rose and knelt down, shouting in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" They all knew that the Emperor was truly enraged this time.
The emperor, sitting behind his desk, coldly scrutinized the kneeling crowd. After a long while, he told them to rise, then said, "Duke of Chu, please stay. You may all leave."
The ministers bowed respectfully once more before leaving the Imperial Study. As they stepped out of the hall, their eyes met, but none of them dared to speak; only after walking a short distance did their expressions relax slightly.
The Minister of War looked at the Minister of Revenue and laughed, "Brother Zixing, you're really tight-lipped. You haven't let us know a word."
The Minister of Revenue, Zi Zixing, looked bewildered upon hearing this: "I only just learned about Pu Tonghe's matter; how could I have revealed it to you beforehand?"
His words drew the attention of the other officials. Seeing this, the Minister of War glanced at everyone and said, "The Duke of Chu just clearly stated that the evidence against Pu Tonghe was first found in the case files. Aren't all the important government case files stored in the archives of your Ministry of Revenue? Do you dare say the Duke of Chu didn't check there before?"
When questioned, the Minister of Revenue's face darkened immediately. He snorted and said, "His Majesty issued an edict saying that the Duke of Chu was going to the Imperial Archives to review documents, and that I should cooperate fully. But the edict didn't say what he was going to review, so how would I know?"
In truth, the Minister of War had no intention of blaming anyone; it was just that Pu Tonghe's sudden downfall had shocked him too much, and coupled with his straightforward nature, he hadn't quite tactfully chosen his words. Seeing that the Minister of Revenue was upset, he quickly smiled and smoothed things over: "I meant no harm, I just think the Duke of Chu is truly swift, accurate, and ruthless in his actions!"
These words instantly resonated with everyone present. Pu Tonghe's actions had once again shattered their understanding of Jiang Yu. This time it was Pu Tonghe, but who would it be next? Thinking this, everyone's hearts tightened.
At this moment, the Minister of Rites spoke leisurely: "With Pu Tonghe gone, will the Duke of Chu take over the position of Minister of Personnel?"
These words silenced the room instantly. After a moment, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat asked, "How old is the Duke of Chu this year? Is he twenty-one or not?"
Silence fell again. Jiang Yu's exact age was irrelevant; he was younger than all of them anyway. In his early twenties, if he could truly ascend to the position of Minister, his future prospects... were too unthinkable to contemplate.
"Shouldn't we be focusing on the Duke of Chu right now?" The aged voice of the Grand Chancellor rang out. "Without the Emperor's authorization, would the Duke of Chu dare to touch Pu Tonghe?"
Everyone was taken aback, then fell silent. They were all seasoned veterans of the court, and they quickly grasped the crux of the matter: Pu Tonghe must have offended the emperor, but what exactly had offended him?
Their eyes met for a moment, then they all looked at the Prime Minister's back as he walked ahead. After that, they didn't exchange any more words and silently quickened their pace to leave the palace.
A thought flashed through everyone's minds: the winds of change in the imperial court are truly about to shift!
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