Chapter 47 Chapter 47 16
People often died in the Jiaofangsi, and he had seen all sorts of strange ways of dying. Death by seven swords wasn't something that couldn't be dealt with.
As he was thinking of this, a young eunuch found him a sword that could cut through iron like mud.
It was not until Nan Xu drew his sword that Bai Yunmeng realized that there was really no room for bargaining in this multiple-choice question.
Nan Xu performed a few moves with the sword. He actually had never learned to use a sword, but weapons were basically the same. He had martial arts skills, so he could perform a few moves casually.
When the tip of the sword flashing with cold light was about to fall on Bai Yunmeng's chest, she seemed to have made up her mind.
"I choose the second way!" Bai Yunmeng shouted loudly with her eyes closed.
The sword suddenly stopped. Bai Yunmeng breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
Nan Xu smiled and gently put away his sword.
Ruo Ruo, who had been watching this scene not far away, also smiled, and the depression in her chest was relieved a little.
See, she's not the only one who knows the importance of life, her sister also knows it.
Of course, there are certainly many who value chastity as much as their life, but that's merely a personal attachment. How many people would make decisions for others and take their lives based on uncertain future events? If Ruo Ruo hadn't been so high-sounding, her obsession might not have been so deep.
In fact, if Bai Yunmeng chose to die rather than surrender today, Ruoruo would have pleaded for her and saved her life, but she chose to go and entertain the guests, so there was no need for Ruoruo to intervene.
The "several" people chosen by Nan Xu were, to be precise, three businessman brothers. The oldest was forty years old this year, and the youngest was in his thirties.
They played very freely, and their favorite thing was to find a woman to accompany the three of them, but they were also quite generous. However, the person they were generous to was Nan Xu. After all, they knew very well who was the mastermind of the Jiaofangsi.
The three of them are old, of low status, and look very ordinary.
But what happened after that had nothing to do with Ruoruo. Anyway, not only did Bai Yunmeng not die, but because she was now receiving clients, her quality of life was much better than when she was tortured by the old nanny.
Prime Minister Qi did not come the next day because the Fourth Prince was captured.
The court was now divided into two factions. One faction believed that the princes were guilty of the same crime as common people, and that the Fourth Prince had committed a crime that should be punished by the extermination of all his clans. Of course, the extermination of all his clans was impossible, but from the Fourth Prince down, all his family members should be punished, even beheaded in public.
However, some people believe that the Fourth Prince is His Majesty's biological son and has a noble status. Even if he made a mistake, it is enough to imprison him and provide him with honor for the rest of his life. Moreover, even if the Fourth Prince cannot be spared, his family members are all of royal blood and should not be implicated so much.
The emperor had been ill for a long time. Seeing the fourth son crying in front of him, humble himself, and confess his mistakes, he naturally softened his heart.
But too many people are unwilling to let him go.
It would be fine if it were the other sons who competed with him, but even Qi Xunjing kept biting the fourth son, saying that the country has its own laws and the family has its own rules, and that big mistakes should not be tolerated.
Even among the people, there were rumors that the fourth brother had rebelled and killed countless people, but now he might be safe and sound.
The people were in turmoil, loyal ministers spoke frankly, the prince was watching covetously, and other court officials also had their own ulterior motives. Some even mentioned the Bai family and Bai Jing. Some wanted him alive, while others wanted him dead.
The court is no different from a vegetable market.
Unfortunately, his physical condition was such that he couldn't even get angry.
The emperor couldn't stand these people, so after leaving the court, the first thing he did was to keep Qi Xunjing.
He still wanted to try to save his fourth son, and Qi Xunjing was crucial in this because the emperor needed him to calm the people.
Qi Xunjing refused to do so.
The king and his minister argued from day to night, neither of them giving in.
Although his illness had left him somewhat confused, he still understood Qi Xunjing's importance to the court and dared not blame him. After all, he could torture his sons to his heart's content, as they all had their eyes on his throne. But Qi Xunjing was different. Aside from serving the people, he had few desires. In the past, the emperor had only tried to persuade him from the perspective of the people. But now, nearing death, how could he have the time to argue from their perspective?
Although he was loyal to the emperor and patriotic, he also recognized his own reasons. He was a little curious about why Bai Jing supported the Fourth Prince, and thus suspected whether Bai Jing was really involved in the rebellion, but he had no empathy for the Fourth Prince at all.
To be more precise, he'd long been displeased with him. He exploited the people's wealth, acted without restraint, and used despicable tactics. What was the point of keeping a prince like him around? Waiting for him to stir up trouble again?
Qi Xunjing does not support any prince, he only supports his own principles.
As for the Bai family, they were ignored in this rebellion and might be the first to be severely punished.
Because the emperor wanted to find a scapegoat, after searching for a long time, it seemed that only Bai Jing was suitable.
Although Bai Jing had made great contributions to him and even saved his life, one was a prestigious old minister and the other was his own son, born to a concubine he once loved very much. It was difficult for the emperor not to be biased.
Of course, the emperor had many favorite concubines, and some of them were even forced to death by him. But when a person is about to die, memories become good things. Thinking of the fourth prince and his mother, the emperor wanted to save the fourth prince.
This wasn't just a sentimental gesture, it was also a way of proving that he was still the unwavering emperor. No one should challenge his authority or go against his ideas.
After much deliberation, he decided to portray the situation as Bai Jing bewitching the Fourth Prince, causing him to commit such a grave mistake. Only in this way could the Fourth Prince possibly alleviate the public and official anger.
He did not tell his other sons about this idea, nor did he tell Qi Xunjing, who always advocated fairness and openness. Instead, he directly ordered people to spread it among the people.
However, the man was stopped by Qi Ruiyi's men.
So it’s true that older ginger is spicier, but dried ginger is another matter.
"My father is such a kind-hearted person, but isn't he a little too cruel to his former loyal ministers and generals?" Qi Ruiyi sighed casually, not knowing how long this farce would last.
"My cousin, why do you want to stop this rumor? In fact, as long as General Bai is dead, the Fourth Prince is nothing to be afraid of. At worst, we can kill him later." Murong Bai didn't understand.
He was very impatient now and seriously needed Ruoruo's voice to heal his sleep. Then when he thought of Ruoruo, he couldn't help but think of Bai Jing, the old cow eating young grass.
Bai Jing had merits, but his mistakes were also real, and the two should not be confused. Speaking from a perspective not belonging to the Fourth Prince, to be honest, he truly felt that Bai Jing's death was indeed well-deserved.
As for the Fourth Prince, to be honest, as long as the current emperor dies, no matter who ascends the throne, the Fourth Prince's life will be difficult to save.
After all, he was truly unethical in his actions. It was common for him to randomly drug the princes. They say that misfortune doesn't extend to family members, but not the Fourth Prince! It was because Qi Ruiyi had no backyard or children, otherwise, who knows how many of his wives and children would have died. Or perhaps, some of the women in the backyard were arranged by the Fourth Prince. This kind of thing didn't happen to Qi Ruiyi, but it did happen to the other princes. It was shameful to talk about it, and no one could tolerate him for just one of his stories.
Even though Qi Ruiyi leaked the news about the Fourth Prince to the people during the arrest process and made great efforts to capture the Fourth Prince, he actually hated the Fourth Prince the least among the remaining princes.
Of course, there were some, but it was because of the things soaked in various poisons that the fourth brother sent to his house, and the things that happened between his mother and the concubine in the previous generation.
"General Bai can die, but there is no need to die in such rumors." He lived a clear-minded life, loyal to his country, and finally chose to participate in the battle for the throne.
Even if one day Qi Ruiyi ascended the throne and Bai Jing died, Qi Ruiyi would not feel sorry, after all, the fight for the throne has always been so cruel.
He couldn't possibly reuse someone who had given the tiger talisman to another prince. He also couldn't possibly keep the Bai family who dared to participate in the struggle for the throne.
Some families are destined to be extremely cautious and careful at every step because they are too prominent and have too great a reputation and prestige. The slightest mistake could lead to them falling into an abyss.
No matter how broad-minded one is, it is impossible to show leniency to such a family and such a general. This is not being broad-minded, but looking for trouble.
Letting Bai Jing and the Bai family go is equivalent to opening up a new path for rebellion for future generations.
As for whether the fourth brother had used despicable means to steal it, Qi Ruiyi actually hadn't thought about it.
After all, the Bai family has held the tiger talisman for generations. If it could be stolen by despicable means, Daling would probably have been destroyed countless times.
Qi Ruiyi respected Bai Jing, but at the same time, he did not think that his death was unjust.
However, such a hero should not be charged with any false charges.
Whether he lives or dies is his fate and is determined by his actions, but Qi Ruiyi cannot at least watch him add to his stigma. This is Qi Ruiyi's respect for a hero and also Qi Ruiyi's own bottom line.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
