Chapter 129 Planting the Seeds of Suspicion: She took advantage of the cruelest aspects of this era...
Zhao Yunfu's intention to place Xiao Chengyan under house arrest is obvious.
With the Southern Yin's northern expedition imminent, Xiao Chengyan, as the prince of Southern Yin, was still a potential threat during wartime, even though he was related to Zhao Yunfu by marriage and had grown up in Beiye.
Zhao Yunfu's move was simply to eliminate internal risks, prevent Xiao Chengyan from being used as an inside agent when his brother led troops on the northern expedition, and also to prevent him from being used or assassinated by a third party, which could lead to turmoil in the capital.
The important thing is that by controlling Xiao Chengyan, we have gained a crucial bargaining chip.
Whether it's pre-battle negotiations or reserving room for future peace talks, Xiao Chengyan's safety will become a powerful weapon for Zhao Yunfu to restrain Xiao Daozun.
The secret house arrest, rather than a public one, was a key move by Zhao Yunfu. This not only maintained the superficial friendship between the two countries, but also prevented Nan Yin from realizing that Bei Ye knew about their plan to launch a northern expedition, and also kept the people's hearts at ease.
Only by making Nan Yin mistakenly believe that Bei Ye is still in a state of complacency and completely unaware of the potential risks can Bei Ye gain absolute initiative before the war begins.
Two shocking pieces of news arrived in quick succession, and even though Yu Nie wanted to remain calm, he couldn't help but feel shocked and dizzy at this moment.
At that moment, she suddenly realized that the chaos and war depicted in the annals of history were no longer distant words, but a monstrous wave about to engulf her.
She paced slowly through the hall as if in a daze. She wasn't worried about Xiao Chengyan's safety. Zhao Yunfu wouldn't touch him for the time being; he was safe enough, especially with the Empress Dowager above him keeping things under control.
Xie Cheng's voice continued in her ears: "My master has informed me that he is aware of the changes at Master Shen's place. There are now heavy guards outside the courtyard, and sending messages by carrier pigeon is extremely dangerous. He specifically instructed that the princess and Master Shen must not attempt to contact each other again during this period. Once the situation calms down or a suitable opportunity is found, my master will inform Your Highness of the next course of action."
Huan Xunshu's words were for safety reasons, and Yu Nie naturally understood.
What she feared was not the temporary loss of contact, but the fact that time was running out. Although Langxi had said in her letter that Zhao Yunfu had promised her that she would only be allowed to enter the palace after Li Xing's matter was settled.
The emperor's heart is unpredictable. What should we do if Zhao Yunfu loses patience and forcibly brings up the matter of sleeping together before Langxi can give her consent?
That man held Xu Jingyang's blood in his hand. If Langxi were forced to serve him in bed and face her enemy every day, wouldn't that be even more unbearable than killing her?
Thinking about it this way, Yu Nie realized that he should make sure Zhao Yunfu didn't have time to go to the courtyard.
Now, the only things that can attract Zhao Yunfu's full attention are matters related to the national crisis.
She looked at Xie Cheng, and right in front of her was a case that could ignite a crisis in Zhao Yunfu's mind.
She composed herself and asked, "Guard Xie just said that the Gao family was arrested. What was the reason for this?"
Xie Cheng recounted everything he knew in detail: "Your Highness, when Lord Gu returned from Shuoyang, he discovered that a batch of warhorses that were supposed to be transported to the Northern Frontier were all thin and weak, far from meeting the standards for deployment. The Northern Frontier battlefield is usually equipped with Mongolian horses, but what Lord Gu saw were inferior steeds with soft hooves and grime, clearly tampered with."
Yu Nie frowned: "The Gao family would even consider transporting horses such a menial task?" In her mind, aristocratic families had always been aloof and disdained such menial work.
“It wasn’t Gao Chou who personally handled it,” Xie Cheng explained. “The person transporting the horses was a distant relative of his clan who came from another place to Jian’an to make a living. Gao Chou, out of consideration for their shared surname, entrusted him with the task of escorting the warhorses.”
"On the surface, Gao Chou seems like a kind person who cares about family ties. But according to Lord Gu's secret investigation, that relative was actually reselling warhorses for the Gao family and making huge profits from it. That person has been brought before the Emperor by Lord Gu, and in order to save his life, he confessed all the details of how Gao Chou instructed him to resell warhorses. It was because of this that the entire Gao family was arrested."
After hearing Xie Cheng's words, Yu Nie felt a sense of bewilderment, unsure whether this was divine intervention.
Before the Li family could even make a move, the Gao family was imprisoned.
Currently, the aristocratic families are the pillars of the court, and the Gao family holds a higher position than the Li family. Yet Zhao Yunfu dared to imprison the entire Gao family with a single move. Such swift and decisive action directly shattered the power balance that had been maintained for centuries, and was reckless to the point of being reckless.
Although it is no longer the era when the aristocratic families were the only dominant force, people from humble backgrounds can now compete with the aristocratic families by virtue of their military achievements, as well as through previous examinations and military examinations. The power of the aristocratic families is not what it used to be, but even a centipede that has died does not fall down, and still retains some influence.
The Gao family's in-laws, protégés, and former officials remain a deeply entrenched power. How could the old foxes of the Wang and Chen families not have reservations about Zhao Yunfu's actions? If they can treat the Gao family this way today, they might be next.
"This move was really risky..." Yu Nie murmured.
It seems that Zhao Yunfu has decided to break the tacit understanding between the imperial power and the aristocratic families that has lasted for years, and to take advantage of the eve of the Northern Expedition to achieve his goal in one battle.
Xie Cheng's expression was solemn as he said in a deep voice, "Who can argue with that? But Your Majesty's actions have truly forced you into a corner with no way out. In the past, Your Majesty could weigh the pros and cons and temporarily tolerate the gentry's embezzlement of grain and salary, their encroachment on military farms, and their private hoarding of tenant farmers. But this time, the resale of warhorses is a direct attack on the foundation of the nation, tantamount to colluding with the enemy."
"In the war on the northern frontier, the outcome is inseparable from the influence of warhorses. If the warhorses are weak, at best thousands of soldiers will die on the battlefield, and at worst the entire army will be routed, leaving the country's gates wide open. This crime is even worse than corruption; it is a crime that can destroy the country. If even such a crime can be tolerated, how can Your Majesty command the three armies? How can you face the people of the world? What the gentry previously embezzled was the wealth of the country; what they are destroying now is the very foundation of the nation."
"In my opinion, His Majesty is not targeting the Gao family, but rather using this as a prelude to establish his authority. He is drawing a line: corruption may be temporarily de-punished, but those who disrupt military affairs and threaten the foundation of the nation will be executed without mercy. This is no longer a factional struggle, but a battle for survival against internal and external troubles."
Xie Cheng's gaze darkened: "Your Majesty's actions are both to intimidate all the officials and to make our stance clear to the court and the public. Although the chaotic world has not yet arrived, we cannot afford to fail in our war preparations, and the imperial authority cannot be challenged. It is better to be ruthless now than to wait until something happens before taking action."
Yu Nie gazed at the sky outside the palace, his thoughts in turmoil.
Xie Cheng's words reminded her that Zhao Yunfu was an emperor responsible for the entire country. When the fate of the nation was truly at stake, how could he possibly take a conservative approach or play any games of checks and balances? He would never show the slightest weakness.
This time, he wanted more than just to severely punish the Gao family; he wanted to use this incident to serve as a warning to everyone.
Thinking of this, she turned her head and asked, "How is the palace now? I mean, have Wang Situ and his men entered the palace?"
“They went, not only them, but also Yang Zhongshu, who was investigating Li Xing’s case, and all the civil and military officials were present.”
She nodded, and a plan immediately came to her mind: she would add fuel to the fire by pouring hot oil on it.
This at least prevented Zhao Yunfu from having the energy to focus on the small courtyard anymore.
Yu Nie understood that she couldn't start from the court; she had to start from the hearts of the people.
She turned around and paced back and forth in the hall.
The upheaval brought by the Gao family, the disaster in Jincheng County, the predicament of Langxi... countless clues swirled and collided in her mind.
Public opinion... a word suddenly jumped into her mind, and those vague and chaotic thoughts instantly became clear.
She stopped, recalling the nursery rhymes and prophecies she had read in historical records. The beauty of public opinion pressure lies in its ability to precisely strike at an emperor's sense of crisis without resorting to direct confrontation.
These things, at crucial moments, can often stir up more storms than a thousand troops, and can more easily penetrate palace walls, spreading by word of mouth among peddlers and commoners, ultimately becoming the last straw that breaks the back of an emperor.
In historical records, some seemingly intentional or unintentional folk songs can often be like a silent knife that can kill without leaving a trace.
Thinking of this, she suddenly understood.
A clear plan quickly took shape in her mind.
Zhao Yunfu's weakness is now very clear. With the Southern Yin's Northern Expedition imminent, he needs the court to be stable and the people's hearts to be united. He must not allow anything to disrupt his plans.
If rumors were already circulating that the Zhao family's rule was unstable, how could he possibly have the mind for romance and leisure? At that point, he would have no choice but to grit his teeth and quell the internal strife, preserve his empire, and fend off the northern invasions of the Southern Yin. After all, this was the only way for him, the emperor, to save his own life.
Suddenly, she stopped and looked at Xie Cheng: "Guard Xie, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us."
Xie Cheng didn't understand what he meant and stared blankly at her.
She continued, "The Gao and Li families have been imprisoned one after another. We should let this fire of 'internal strife' burn even brighter, so that His Majesty will have no reason to give these aristocratic families a way out, and so that these jackals will never have the chance to bully the common people again."
In her eyes, Xie Cheng saw a resolute force; his back straightened instinctively, and his expression became solemn.
He bowed respectfully and said, "Your subordinate is ready to obey the princess's orders."
*
The sky outside the Dongguan Pavilion gradually darkened.
Zhao Yunfu rubbed his temples and closed his eyes.
The memorials piled on the emperor's desk cast heavy shadows in the candlelight; most of these memorials were pleading for the Gao family's life, and he hadn't read a single one of them.
Consort Gao had been kneeling outside for four days. Princess Hua Ru cried and made a scene, wanting to break into the pavilion to see him. In the end, she was half-supported and half-carried back to the palace by the guards.
Without exception, he ordered all of these people to return to their respective residences and be kept under strict guard, forbidding them from taking another step out.
Switching warhorses during wartime is tantamount to undermining the foundation of the nation. Even if Wang and Chen wanted to speak up for Gao Chou, they were speechless in the face of overwhelming evidence and could only leave with heavy hearts.
Previously, Zhao Yunfu tolerated the aristocratic families because he did not want them to become too powerful and feared internal strife. However, the Gao and Li families had committed such serious offenses one after another, which made him unable to tolerate them any longer. He had to eliminate these stubborn individuals.
The emperor's coldness and hardness seemed even more chilling at this twilight hour.
This swift and decisive action caught the Gao family completely off guard.
Those secret letters exchanged with them for the resale of warhorses were never destroyed, not to mention that the person they sent to escort the warhorses still held solid evidence of their instigation of the fraud.
Gu Xiangzhi's trip to Shuoyang lasted only seven days, yet he was able to deliver such a fatal blow to the Gao family. To outsiders, this seemed unbelievable.
But only Gu Xiangzhi himself knew that his ability to get so close to the Gao family's Achilles' heel and investigate so quickly was entirely due to the secret assistance of an old friend.
He thought he would never meet her again in this life, but he never expected that she lived in Shuoyang.
Gu Xiangzhi recounted these points one by one during Zhao Yunfu's questioning.
Zhao Yunfu was no mediocre ruler. He knew that the Gao family was deeply rooted and had been operating in the court and the country for decades. Yet, they were uprooted in just seven days. There was definitely more to it than met the eye.
While Gu Xiangzhi's abilities are undoubtedly outstanding, the speed at which this case was solved and the solidity of the evidence suggest that it was like a pre-woven net, just waiting for someone to catch it. Gu Xiangzhi's trip to Shuoyang made him that catcher.
Zhao Yunfu's decision was not based on imagination, but on the conclusion reached during interrogation.
"What was his name again, that distant relative of the Gao family?" He put down the secret letter in his hand about the Gao family's resale of warhorses, picked up another statement signed by a distant relative of the Gao family who was escorting the warhorses, and glanced at the name on it: "Oh, Gao Ge."
Zhao Yunfu's gaze slowly moved down, landing on the latter half of the confession.
The contents recorded there are far more shocking than the corruption evidence in the first half.
In his confession, Gao Ge stated that he was not a distant relative of the Gao family at all, but rather Gao Chou's illegitimate son who had been living away from home.
He came to Jian'an for help when he was desperate in Huaiyuan, but his biological father was afraid of ruining the family's reputation, so he only dared to treat him as a "distant relative" and even gave him the hardest and most tiring job of escorting warhorses.
For an educated person, living with livestock and laborers every day, this humiliation was like a thorn, which had long since pierced his heart with hatred.
He deliberately handled the task flawlessly in the early stages, gradually gaining Gao Chou's trust. Then, he secretly left loopholes in the account notes and horse quarantine records, hoping that some officials would notice something amiss and report it. But even if those people discovered the problem, no one dared to offend the Gao family. Instead, they privately thought that he hadn't been careful enough and had given himself away, reminding him to be careful.
These words were like a bucket of cold water, completely extinguishing his pent-up hatred.
It wasn't until Gu Xiangzhi appeared, and his meticulous questioning finally gave him the opportunity to speak directly to the Emperor. Gao Ge wasn't forced to confess under interrogation; instead, he proactively and meticulously presented the entire chain of evidence that had brought down his family.
After reading it, Zhao Yunfu closed the confession, his face illuminated by the candlelight in the hall.
He never expected that beneath this case lay such a ruthless plot of patricide.
"What a fine Gao Chou," the emperor muttered to himself, his voice unreadable, whether it was praise or something else. "Gao Chou probably never imagined that he would be defeated by an illegitimate child."
Feng Changshi's eyes darted around: "Then how does Your Majesty intend to deal with the Gao family this time?"
He continued, "Including the Li family, Grand Eunuch Chang has already sent back some of their confessions. Yang Zhongshu has also found some things, as well as Master Shen's technique of calcining and identifying soil. His Majesty has already experienced these things. What does His Majesty intend to do with these people?"
After a long pause, Zhao Yunfu remained silent.
After a long while, he said, "Bring Li Xing and Gao Chou here."
Upon receiving Zhao Yunfu's order, Feng Changshi bowed and replied, "This servant will go immediately," before quickly leaving the East Pavilion with his whisk in hand.
Silence returned to the hall. Zhao Yunfu glanced at the piled-up memorials, his gaze deep.
A slender figure had just arrived at the pavilion entrance.
Yu Nie looked at the person sitting in the main hall, paused slightly, and then went inside.
"Royal brother." She bowed softly.
Zhao Yunfu raised his eyes, the fierce look in them not yet completely gone: "Imperial sister, is something the matter that brings you so late?"
Yu Nie: "Well... nothing important. I came to the palace to see Sister Hua Shu, and remembering how busy the court has been these past few days, I thought I'd drop by to see my brother, the Emperor."
"It's kind of you to think of me." He lingered on her face for a moment, his words weary, but he could still see something unusual in her expression: "In my opinion, my sister's visit today is probably more than just to see me."
He leaned back in his chair: "Tell me, what is it about?"
Yu Nie lowered her head in a panic, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Your Majesty, I am only worried about your health."
"Speak," the person seated said, clearly intending to get to the bottom of it.
After listening, she seemed to have struggled with the situation and replied uneasily, "Today, I overheard some unpleasant songs circulating in the streets, and I am truly uneasy about it..."
"Folk songs?"
“Yes, they are just some ignorant nursery rhymes.” She was terrified: “They are just nonsense, saying things like ‘the king is not a king, the minister is not a minister,’ ‘let’s replace the old smoke with new fire’… such absurd things, Your Majesty need not take them to heart.”
With a "smack," Zhao Yunfu slammed the brush in his hand heavily onto the imperial desk.
His face was icy cold, making it impossible for anyone to look him in the eye.
After a moment, he said, "Read it to me in its entirety."
Yu Nie dared not refuse, so she recited the nursery rhyme:
The king is not a king, and the minister is not a minister.
The king is not a king, and the minister is not a minister.
A poor horse will trample the land.
Let's replace the old smoke with new fire.
As soon as she finished speaking, he slammed his hand on the table, making a loud noise that startled everyone so much that they didn't even dare to breathe.
“A giant tree falls, the central beam rots… Very well, very well. Does this ‘giant tree’ refer to my empire, or the termites that infest it?” His voice was calm, but beneath that calm lay a chilling, oppressive atmosphere and a sense of vigilance.
For Zhao Yunfu, this was not just a few nursery rhymes, but someone trying to seize his empire. Yu Nie, standing below the hall, watched his reaction.
After a long silence, the sound of guards' footsteps could be heard outside the pavilion.
She turned around at the sound and saw Gao Chou and Li Xing, both wearing shackles, being forced to enter.
Gao Chou, who was walking in front, had his usually sleek and shiny hair disheveled and his neck stiff.
Compared to him, Li Xing's face was much calmer, or rather, numb. He only turned his eyes once when he stepped through the door.
The two men did not look at Yu Nie when they passed by.
After the two entered, Yu Nie moved aside at the opportune moment.
After the two men finished their greetings, Zhao Yunfu, sitting on the dragon throne, still had the prophecy of "new fire replacing old smoke" echoing in his mind. Every word felt like a red-hot iron branding his heart.
His gaze pressed down on the two of them, his expression not one of immediate rage, but one of intense restraint.
After a long while, his extremely authoritative voice finally rang out. The rage that had been ignited by the nursery rhyme had now transformed into a solemn judgment on the person before him.
"Gao Chou," he called out, "you have been smuggling warhorses, passing off inferior ones as superior ones, and undermining the foundation of the nation. Do you admit it or not?"
Gao Chou protested his innocence: "These are all fabrications, Your Majesty, I am innocent."
“Fabricated?” Zhao Yunfu sneered: “The transaction ledgers that the Imperial Horse Administration found in your study bear your personal seal. The man you sent to transport the horses personally identified himself as the one who ordered him to cover it up. The secret letters you wrote to this man are all in my possession.”
After saying that, he threw the battle report on the table to the ground: "No wonder Yan Yue said that the war was fierce a few days ago, and even Tingxian wrote to say that his warhorses often could not charge, saying that most of them were sick horses. I thought that there was a problem with the climate in the northern border, but I did not expect that you were the one who switched the blame."
Hearing this, Yu Nie was surprised.
This was the first time she had heard of Duan Tingxian's report to the court about the problems with the warhorses. She wondered if Huan Xun had also just learned of this matter.
It seems that Zhao Yunfu might have a secret contact that none of them know about.
The hall was silent for a moment, then Gao Chou’s rough voice broke the annoying silence as he shouted that he was innocent.
Enraged, Zhao Yunfu ignored his words and instead questioned Li Xing: "Li Huangmen, you colluded with your clansmen to embezzle disaster relief funds, causing banditry and shaking public morale. Now, Grand Supervisor Chang has returned the evidence of your embezzlement of grain and salary with your clansmen. In addition, Yang Zhongshu has found out that your son Li Yunsheng disregarded human life. There is no evidence to prove that you have embezzled public funds. What else do you have to say?"
In less than half a month, Yang Du and others investigated day and night and had already obtained the evidence chain of Li Xing's false report of the disaster. The execution of his entire family was inevitable.
Li Xing raised his head, his tone neither loud nor flustered: "Your Majesty, I am innocent. The embezzlement of disaster relief funds was done by my clansmen without my knowledge. By the time I found out, it was too late to reverse the situation. I was only confused for a moment and covered it up for my clansmen, but I was forced into it. My son, Yun Sheng, is young and impetuous, and may have acted inappropriately, but he was by no means disregarding human life. As for the bandits, Jincheng County is known for its fierce and insatiable people who want to obtain more money and silver. This has nothing to do with me."
He paused, then tried to exonerate himself: "Lord Yang and the others investigated for half a month, perhaps they were too eager to settle the case, which caused the chain of evidence to deviate. I have served Your Majesty for many years, how could I do something that would shake the foundation of the country? I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly." After saying this, he knelt down.
Hearing this rebuttal, Yu Nie clenched her fists tightly.
She hadn't expected that Li Xing could still be so calm and distort the truth at this point.
After listening, Zhao Yunfu suddenly chuckled: "It seems that Li Huangmen doesn't believe in admitting defeat until he sees the coffin. In that case, I will make you admit defeat today." He gave Feng Changshi a wink: "Show Li Huangmen all the evidence that Yang Zhongshu and Chang Dajian presented."
Soon, Attendant Feng led in two junior eunuchs, carrying a stack of documents, which he spread out in front of Li Xing.
At the top was a confession signed and sealed by his clansmen, every word pointing to him. Below were accusations that Li Yunsheng had forcibly seized fertile land, that he had killed an old woman, and many other charges, including bribes he had received over the years.
As Li Xing scanned the files, his hands began to tremble.
He shouted, "These, these are all fakes made by others! They're all fake!"
“Forgery?” Zhao Yunfu’s tone suddenly rose: “Attendant Feng, summon Master Shen in and have her bring in the soil sample from Jincheng County. You go outside and fetch some more soil.”
"Yes, Your Majesty." Having received the order, Attendant Feng bowed and withdrew.
Hearing him call out to Langxi, Yu Nie, who hadn't contacted Langxi for several days, was overjoyed and looked towards the door.
A moment later, Langxi walked in, followed by a maid carrying a wooden tray.
The two women exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with excitement.
Suppressing his inner joy, Langxi stepped forward and bowed to Zhao Yunfu.
At the same time, a young eunuch entered carrying two earthenware bowls.
A bowl was filled with dark brown soil, freshly taken from outside. The little maidservant placed the empty bowl on the wooden tray.
"I have already verified Master Shen's technique of calcining and identifying soil." Zhao Yunfu gestured for Langxi to step forward: "Master Li Huangmen cannot recognize the truth. Please, Master Shen, demonstrate it to Master Li Huangmen."
Langxi nodded and calmly had two stoves brought over for decocting medicine. He then put the sample soil from Jincheng County into the stoves and heated it with charcoal.
In less than half an incense stick's time, the soil from the Yellow River gradually turned a dark brown and mixed color. She then put the soil from Jian'an into another furnace, as well as the soil from Jincheng County itself. Soil from three different places was more convincing.
After all three types of soil were heated, the soil from Jincheng County remained a pure, unblemished reddish-brown without any change, while the soil from Jian'an County was moist and darker in color.
She followed what Yu Nie had taught her, saying, "The Yellow River silt has been washed over for many years and contains a variety of substances, so it has a mottled color after being calcined. The substances contained in Jian'an soil are completely different from those in the Yellow River silt, so the color is different. Therefore, if Jincheng County was really flooded by the Yellow River, their colors should be the same."
After the demonstration, Langxi looked at Li Xing and said, "Lord Li, you previously lied about the disaster in Jincheng County, but the soil in the two places is clearly different. Why do you think that is?"
Faced with irrefutable evidence, Li Xing's expression finally changed, but he still refused to confess: "It's definitely...it's definitely because someone put something in this soil! Perhaps it was Master Shen who deliberately added something to the soil sample to curry favor with His Majesty!"
Langxi: "Our Taoist method of calcining and testing soil never lies."
Zhao Yunfu suddenly stood up, walked to Li Xing, looked down at him with an imperial air of authority: "Lord Li, do you know who sent people to fetch the soil samples from Jincheng County and the Yellow River?"
Li Xing's lips trembled, and she didn't dare to reply.
"It was my own decree, ordering men to rush to Jincheng County overnight and collect soil samples to bring back to Jian'an." His voice was firm and resolute. "The Imperial Guards were on full display throughout the process. Tell me, who could possibly tamper with the soil right under my nose?"
Upon hearing this, Lang Xi looked up at him. He hadn't participated in the process, yet he had unexpectedly spoken up for her.
Lang Xi, standing outside the door, was taken aback, quite surprised by Zhao Yunfu's behavior.
His gaze swept over the two kneeling men, his expression imposing: "I have treated you well."
With just this one sentence, the air inside the hall seemed to freeze, awaiting the arrival of a massive storm.
Zhao Yunfu: "This country is my country, and it is also the foundation of your existence! I always thought that you would at least have some regard for the relationship between ruler and subject, and for the graces bestowed upon you by Emperor Taizu, Emperor Gaozu, and Emperor Taizong."
Suddenly, his voice rose: "But what about you? Do you deserve these official robes? Do you deserve the world, the common people, and even your ancestors?!"
His pent-up emotions erupted like a volcano: "You all keep talking about loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, but what have you done behind the scenes? What have you done that is worthy of me?! What have you done that is worthy of the royal family?!"
"I can tolerate your embezzlement, bribery, and land grabbing! I can also tolerate your forming cliques and eliminating dissidents! But you should never have reached out your claws to the warhorses and the disaster! You are not only shaking my empire, but also the defense line of Beiye and the livelihood of millions of people!"
"The world is in turmoil and people are filled with fear because of your greed!" With that, Zhao Yunfu kicked the burning stove to the ground, causing everyone in the hall to kneel down in fright.
They shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger..."
A loud bang echoed in the hall, startling Li Xing and Gao Chou so much that they almost collapsed.
They had never seen the emperor unleash such fury.
Zhao Yunfu's chest heaved violently, his eyes bloodshot, filled with the despair of being driven to the brink of despair: "It was you... who forced me. I originally wanted to leave you, and your families, a way out. But you insisted on destroying this empire. You don't care about the lives of the people, so don't blame me for not caring about the lives of your entire clan!"
"Since you are so heartless, don't blame me for not showing any mercy for our past friendship!"
After he finished speaking, the emperor's murderous intent instantly enveloped the entire Dongguan Pavilion.
That ominous nursery rhyme now haunted his mind like a ghost; he would never allow this empire to fall into the hands of these parasites.
All the shock and anger transformed into a ruthless determination to purge the internal forces at all costs.
He must personally sever the root causes of all internal troubles before launching his northern expedition against the Southern Yin.
"Attendant Feng!" He suddenly turned and walked towards the throne, his voice as cold as iron: "Issue an edict to the Censorate and the Court of Justice: the Gao and Li families have shaken the foundation of the state, and their crimes deserve to be punished. They shall be escorted to the marketplace immediately, the ringleaders shall be executed by slow slicing, their three clans shall be exterminated, their mansions and residences shall be confiscated, and their registered residences shall be removed from the official register."
He paused briefly, then said resolutely, "From this day forward, anyone who pleads for leniency, claims innocence, or feigns illness to abstain from court will be considered an accomplice and punished for treason, with their entire family implicated. All vacant positions in the court will be filled by candidates recommended by Yang Du. Tell Yang Zhongshu that I only need those who are capable, willing, and dare to be employed."
Listening to these words, Yu Nie felt neither excitement nor anything else.
In one fell swoop, not only were two aristocratic families wiped out, but their entire clans were exterminated, and their entire families were implicated... Behind these cold words lay countless splattered blood.
A chill suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She exploited the cruelest rules of the era, becoming the mastermind behind this bloody purge.
But once this path has been opened, there is no turning back.
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