Chapter 421 This king is irreconcilably opposed to you!
Once the footsteps of the imperial entourage had faded into the distance, the Prince of Lingnan suddenly grabbed a celadon cup from the table and smashed it to the ground, shattering it into pieces. His knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and he stared at the doorway with a grim face, his aura of violence almost overflowing.
Although he had anticipated the situation and prepared himself mentally, watching helplessly as his beloved son, whom he had cherished for many years, was taken away bound hand and foot, his life now in grave danger, even the shrewd and calculating King of Lingnan, with his rock-solid temperament, felt his anger erupt like a volcano, impossible to suppress.
His eyes were red, and he looked like a caged beast that had been provoked. His eyes were filled with a sinister and ruthless aura, and his whole body was shrouded in a chilling pressure. Even his breath was filled with unreleased ferocity.
At this moment, Zhu Junning and Zhu Huai'an walked in. Seeing his barely suppressed rage, the two bowed and stood aside, not daring to even breathe loudly. The gaze that the Prince of Lingnan cast at them was still full of coldness and ruthlessness.
Upon seeing this, Zhu Junning quickly walked to the King of Lingnan, lifted her skirt, and knelt down. Zhu Huai'an followed closely behind, kneeling beside her as well.
“Father, my second brother took the blame for the sake of the Lingnan Prince’s Mansion and for your sake. The entire mansion remembers his sacrifice and will never let him suffer in vain.”
Zhu Junning knelt on the ground, his back ramrod straight, his tone respectful yet calmly reassuring, “Second brother still has a young son in the manor, so why not put more effort into his upbringing? When that child grows up and understands his father’s sacrifices, he can serve the manor in the future—this is both an explanation to second brother and a way to preserve a strong foundation for the manor.”
She looked up at the reddened eyes of the King of Lingnan and spoke more gently: "Father, the court is pressing us step by step. We must swallow our anger for now in order to protect the foundation of Lingnan."
We will remember this humiliation, and when the time is right, we will avenge it all. If you get angry and harm your health, you will only make a fool of yourself in front of the court and betray your second brother's sacrifice.”
Upon hearing these words, the King of Lingnan's fierce expression softened considerably. He let out a long sigh and said in a deep voice, "You two, get up."
Zhu Junning stood up, and Zhu Huai'an followed suit. At this moment, the steward, carrying a carrier pigeon, hurried in and bowed urgently to the Prince of Lingnan: "Your Highness, a letter from the capital!"
The Lingnan Prince's spies in the capital never used carrier pigeons. This method was far too easily intercepted. But if carrier pigeons were used, it meant something serious had happened.
The King of Lingnan's expression, which had just softened, instantly turned serious again. He reached out his hand, and the steward quickly took the rolled-up strip of paper from the carrier pigeon's leg and presented it with both hands.
The King of Lingnan took the note and unfolded it. It contained only a few words, but they made his vision go black and he almost collapsed: "The Duke of Chu has obtained evidence of Pu Tonghe's crimes, and his mansion has been confiscated."
"Jiang Yu!" the King of Lingnan roared, his eyes flashing with even more ruthlessness. "I will never let you get away with this!"
...
Go to Beijing.
As dawn broke, the Imperial Guards surrounded the Pu residence's gates tightly. The red-lacquered gates were smashed open with a loud crash, and chaos erupted in the courtyard—maids and servants screamed in fright, and the sound of shattering porcelain filled the air.
The imperial guards ransacked the mansion according to the confiscation list, leaving no stone unturned. All the gold, silver, jewels, and valuables, even the account books, were loaded onto carriages and taken away. The entire Pu family was forced to sit on the blue brick floor, heads drooping, too afraid to move.
Jiang Yu, dressed in official robes, stood in the main courtyard of the Pu family. Looking at the chaotic courtyard, the Pu family members being held down on the ground, and the hurried figures of the Imperial Guards moving things, her face remained completely expressionless.
Whether in her past life or this one, those who commit crimes deserve this fate. She had done this many times in her past life, so she was used to it.
"Jiang Yu!"
A voice filled with overwhelming hatred suddenly rang out. Jiang Yu turned around and saw Pu Tonghe being escorted in by two soldiers with his arms tied behind his back. His clothes were disheveled, his hair was messy, his bloodshot eyes were staring intently at Jiang Yu, his teeth were grinding, and his face was full of ferocity as if he wanted to devour someone alive.
Meeting Jiang Yu's indifferent gaze, Pu Tonghe roared with bloodshot eyes, "I have no grudge against you, why do you want to kill me like this?"
“We have no enmity whatsoever,” Jiang Yu said calmly. “But as an official of the court, I am obligated to serve the emperor, and my heart is set on the emperor and the laws of the country. And you, Pu Tonghe?”
Upon hearing this, Pu Tonghe lowered his eyes, and his body instantly went limp.
Jiang Yu's gaze swept over him, her tone still calm, yet carrying a chilling coldness: "Buying and selling official positions, embezzlement and bribery, any one of these offenses is enough to wipe out your family and clan."
"Where's the evidence? Without evidence, don't you dare make baseless accusations!" Pu Tonghe suddenly looked up and roared at Jiang Yu, forcing himself to stay alert.
Jiang Yu snorted coldly: "You'll see the evidence when you meet the Emperor. Take him away!"
Jiang Yu strode out, followed closely by several soldiers escorting Pu Tonghe. Upon reaching the entrance of the Pu residence, Jiang Yu bent down and sat in the sedan chair. The sedan chair bearers then lifted the chair and steadily headed towards the palace. Pu Tonghe, being escorted, followed behind the sedan chair.
A large crowd had already gathered on the street. When they saw Pu Tonghe being led away with his arms tied behind his back, they all moved to the side of the road and crowded around, pointing and whispering.
Some whispered among themselves, "Isn't that Lord Pu from the Ministry of Personnel? Why is he tied up like this?" Others sighed, "Just a few days ago we saw him leaving the mansion in a grand sedan chair carried by eight men, and now..."
Among the crowd, the servants of the powerful and wealthy families in the capital, after seeing the situation clearly, hurriedly pushed through the crowd and ran into their mansions. Their steps were fast, and they were eager to report the news that "Minister Pu has been escorted to the palace by the Imperial Guards" to their masters.
A little over fifteen minutes later, Jiang Yu's sedan chair arrived at the palace gate. Upon seeing her, the guards immediately opened the palace gate, allowing her to enter with the men escorting Pu Tonghe behind her.
After passing through a long corridor, the group arrived at the Imperial Study. The Emperor, the Prime Minister, and the heads of the three provinces and five ministries, except for Pu Tonghe, were already waiting inside.
All eyes were on Jiang Yu, but she seemed oblivious, calmly bowing to the emperor: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
The emperor glanced at Pu Tonghe, who was kneeling on the ground in a disheveled state, and then looked at Jiang Yu with eyes full of approval: "Minister Jiang, please rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Jiang Yu stood up and walked to a seat to the side. The heads of the three provinces and five ministries present all followed her closely until she sat down and looked up, at which point they slightly withdrew their gazes.
The news of Pu Tonghe's house being raided came suddenly, shocking all the officials in charge. They never expected that Jiang Yu, who was in charge of the reform of money shops and trading companies, could so quietly bring down Pu Tonghe, the Minister of Personnel.
Looking at Jiang Yu now, everyone's eyes were filled with a fear that dared not be underestimated. They no longer dared to regard her merely as a minister relied upon by the emperor; instead, they were even more afraid of the ruthless methods hidden beneath her calm exterior.
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