Chapter 375 The Death of a Great Scholar
Chang'an.
Before the palace gate.
"Your Majesty, please appoint a crown prince!"
"Your Majesty, please appoint a crown prince!"
"Your Majesty, please appoint a crown prince!"
…
More than a thousand figures sat on the ground, and under the leadership of several elders, they shouted this slogan over and over again.
Their voices were not loud, but with the blessing of the majestic sound, they could be heard clearly no matter where in Chang'an.
The people had already been alarmed and took to the streets and came to the palace gate to watch from afar.
In their hearts, they naturally support these people.
You have not attended court for more than ten years and have neglected the country and the people. The people of Daxia have been dissatisfied with Your Majesty for a long time.
Today is a time of great changes that have not been seen in hundreds of years. What Daxia needs is an emperor who works hard to govern the country and make it more prosperous, rather than an emperor who is obsessed with immortality and cruelly kills people.
Unlike previous mild remonstrations, this time a great scholar from the fifth realm took the lead in sitting in silence at the palace gate, which had a huge impact.
The guards surrounded these students but did not dare to make any rash moves.
Whoever dares to take action first will probably become the target of public criticism immediately.
There has been no news from the palace, and I don’t know how His Majesty will deal with it.
Just as everyone was waiting for further developments, a passage suddenly appeared in the middle of the crowded street.
A group of figures in black appeared on the street. Wherever they went, the people looked terrified and retreated to both sides of the street.
"Mirror Division!"
"The people from the Mirror Division are here!"
The common people were not unfamiliar with these people. They were from the Mingjing Division headed by Li Xuanjing, the Minister of Dali Temple. Every time they appeared in front of people, it meant that someone would lose their head or their property would be confiscated and their family would be exterminated.
Su Daru was sitting cross-legged in front of the palace gate when a figure slowly walked up to him.
He raised his head and looked at the figure without saying anything. He just spat fiercely, a mouthful of saliva, at Li Xuanjing's feet.
Li Xuanjing looked at him calmly and said calmly: "Take him away."
Several figures in black came forward, and Su Daru slowly stood up. A powerful aura surged out of his body.
A force also surged out from the bodies of several masters of the Mingjing Division, forming a barrier that protected Li Xuanjing and offset Su Daru's momentum.
The five old men in black exuded the aura of a master and locked their eyes on Su Daru.
Even if a great scholar at the fifth level is not afraid of a martial arts master, he cannot defeat five people alone.
Su Daru looked at Li Xuanjing and asked, "Where are you taking me?"
Li Xuanjing said calmly: "Mr. Su incited more than a thousand teachers and students in the academy to attack the palace and create a mutiny. The Mirror Bureau suspects that there are forces from other countries behind you, intending to disrupt Daxia. Please come with us..."
"Mr. Su, you can't go!"
“That’s their excuse!”
"Don't go to the Mirror Department!"
Before Su Daru opened his mouth, the disciples behind him began to dissuade him.
They knew very well what Mingjingsi was, and few people who entered there could come out alive.
He simply wanted to trick Mr. Su into the Mingjing Division, just like he had treated those Confucian officials before. Once he was in the Mingjing Division, they could fabricate any crime.
Su Daru put one hand behind his back and said coldly: "I want to see whether the dreaded Mingjing Division is a dangerous place."
"teacher!"
"Su Daru!"
“You can’t go!”
Everyone tried to dissuade him anxiously, but Su Daru had made up his mind. He stretched out his hand to stop them from saying the next words, and took the initiative to follow these people to the Mingjing Division.
At this moment, countless people were discussing in low voices.
"Su Daru went to the Mirror Department."
"Master Li is not going to kill Su Daru, is he?"
"How is that possible?"
"How is that impossible? Hasn't he killed enough Confucian officials in the past?"
"This time is different. Mr. Su is a great scholar of the fifth realm. Who dares to kill a great scholar of the fifth realm?"
Over the past nearly twenty years, Dali Temple Minister Li Xuanjing has had a very bad reputation among the people and the court. When mentioning him, who would not curse him as a traitor in their heart?
But in the past two years, his reputation has reversed.
Especially after the "Rebellion of the Two Kings", he killed all the powerful and wealthy people, and eliminated all the officials of the Wang family in the court. Several major families were suppressed by him in the court and could not raise their heads. Gradually, the people began to wake up.
He has done a lot of bad things over the years.
What he was most criticized for was that he betrayed his fellow disciples who had promoted the reform together with him and killed many upright and upright people.
But he killed more corrupt officials, especially the high-ranking officials of the Great Xia, who have now completely disappeared. People have to wonder whether he was trying to achieve his goal in another way.
Especially the actions of Li Nuo, the top scorer in six subjects, have made more and more people begin to believe this point of view.
Can the only son of the most treacherous official in Daxia be a good official who always cares about the people?
Who among the people of Chang'an and even the entire capital area would not be grateful for the kindness shown by Lord Li?
Could it be that the so-called treacherous ministers were just a disguise and cover-up by the Dali Temple Minister?
Could it be that he still maintains his noble spirit?
If he really was like what the people thought, and always adhered to the Confucian beliefs, then he should not have killed the fifth level Su Daru...
At this time, in a hall of the imperial palace.
A figure slowly walked into the hall, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Su Daru has been taken to the Mingjing Division by Lord Li."
Emperor Xia, who was sitting cross-legged on a futon, slowly opened his eyes and said slowly: "Huang Jin, do you think that Li Xuanjing has been pretending and covering up as they said?"
The older eunuch was silent for a moment before he spoke: "I feel that these rumors should not be taken seriously. If Lord Li practiced Confucianism, how could he have concealed it from His Majesty and everyone else?"
“Not necessarily…” Emperor Xia’s eyes flickered, and he said calmly, “There are many things in this world that cannot be judged by common sense… I have known him for twenty years, and I still cannot see through him.”
The old eunuch thought for a moment and said, "So, in the past few years, Your Majesty has frequently asked him to kill those Confucian officials?"
Emperor Xia heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Confucians like Su Meng are not to be feared, but a Confucian who knows how to disguise and cover up must be guarded against. Even though I have tested him countless times over the years, I still cannot trust him..."
The old eunuch did not speak, and the hall fell into silence for a long time.
Chang'an.
From the court to the common people, everyone is waiting.
They are waiting for the results from the Mirror Department.
There have always been rumors that Dali Temple Minister Li Xuanjing endured humiliation and practiced both Confucianism and Legalism. However, during the last rebellion of the two kings, he killed so many powerful people. Although it was gratifying to the people, it also made people dispel the idea that he might have been practicing Legalism.
Logically speaking, it is impossible for him to have the spirit of righteousness since so many Confucian officials died because of him.
But there is still a glimmer of hope.
If he even killed the great scholar of the fifth realm, then there would really be no chance at all.
Secretariat.
The left prime minister paced in the yamen and tried to step out of the room several times, but stopped himself.
"Sir, please go and persuade the Dali Temple Minister!"
"You are the only one in the court who can persuade him."
"Nothing can happen to Su Daru!"
A group of officials stood in the government office and began to advise.
The left prime minister pondered for a moment, finally sighed, and strode away.
At this moment, Mirror Department.
Inside the prison.
Mingjing Sitian Prison, the officials of Daxia would be terrified for a while just by hearing these five words.
Rumor has it that there are hundreds of torture instruments in Mingjingsi's prison, and every prisoner who is caught in Mingjingsi must suffer all the punishments, but no one can tell what the specific punishments are, because no one who has entered Mingjingsi's prison has ever come out.
Su Daru stood in the cell, looked around, and found that it was not as scary as described outside.
The walls of the Mingjing Sitian Prison were not hung with torture instruments, and the cells were very clean and tidy, without any strange smell.
Li Xuanjing raised his hand and everyone left the cell.
Suddenly, they were the only two people left in the cell.
Su Daru glanced at him and asked, "You said that there are forces from other countries behind this old man. Where is the evidence?"
Li Xuanjing said: "The Mirror Division doesn't need evidence to arrest people."
Su Daru sneered and said, "It is indeed the Dali Temple Chief Justice who can cover the sky with one hand. I have witnessed it today."
Looking at Li Xuanjing, his eyes turned cold and he said in a deep voice: "How did Li Xuanjing, who was the top scholar in six subjects back then and had the greatest hope of becoming a great scholar among the younger generation, become like this today?"
Facing Su Daru's questioning, Li Xuanjing remained calm.
He looked into the empty space and said, "Send off your disciples and the teachers and students of the academy. Mr. Su may still have a chance to survive."
Su Daru laughed loudly and said, "I didn't expect to live this time when I forced the emperor to abdicate. Even if I die, I will make you two, a pair of tyrants and treacherous ministers, be infamous for eternity. With my death, I will establish a heart for the world and an act for all the officials in the court, so that the people of the world can see your true colors!"
Li Xuanjing shook his head slightly and said, "You don't understand His Majesty. Do you think His Majesty has been ignoring state affairs for these years just to seek the way to immortality?"
Su Daru said coldly: "Don't make excuses for that tyrant anymore. He doesn't appoint a crown prince because he is greedy for power and wants to be the emperor for eternity. We are old, and he is old too. Daxia needs a new emperor and new ideas. We absolutely cannot let him drag the entire country into decay..."
Li Xuanjing said: "Your Majesty is not as simple as you think. He cannot pass on the throne, at least not now."
Su Daru couldn't bear to hear anything he said. He looked at him coldly and said, "I will go to the palace right now and ask him in person what he really thinks!"
Li Xuanjing shook his head and said, "You can't get out of here."
Su Daru said with a smile: "I want to leave, you can't stop me."
The great scholar of the fifth realm had already comprehended the rules of "control". He was no match for those people in Mingjing Division, but if he wanted to leave, no one in Mingjing Division could stop him.
This is also the reason why he dared to come to Mingjingsi.
After saying this, he walked straight to the cell door.
When he passed by Li Xuanjing, he paused and suddenly said, "Since I dared to force the emperor to abdicate, I have no intention of living in humiliation. However, before I die, it would be a good thing if I could get rid of you, the treacherous minister, and avenge the Confucian disciples who died unjustly."
Before he finished speaking, his right hand, wrapped in a righteous aura, slapped towards Li Xuanjing's chest.
This palm landed on Li Xuanjing's chest, and the vast true energy surged into Li Xuanjing's body, exploding with a loud bang.
Unlike what Su Daru expected, Li Xuanjing's heart was shattered by the great energy, but he still stood there as steady as a rock, without even the slightest change of expression on his face.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Su Daru's left hand left a residual shadow and slapped Li Xuanjing's chest again.
This time, Li Xuanjing raised his hand and easily held his wrist.
Su Daru looked at his wrist, shocked.
Soon, the shock turned into disbelief, and then he fluctuated between confusion and suspicion. He raised and lowered his head several times, his lips trembling, and he murmured, "You, you..."
Li Xuanjing slowly let go of his hand.
Su Daru's expression gradually calmed down, but underneath this calmness, there was an excitement that he couldn't suppress. With a trembling voice, he asked, "You, what do you want to do?"
Li Xuanjing did not answer. Su Daru moved his throat with difficulty and asked again: "What do you need me to do?"
Li Xuanjing said: "I need Mr. Su to die."
Su Daru said: "Okay."
He spoke decisively without any hesitation.
Mirror Department.
The entrance to the prison.
boom!
After a dull sound, the door of the sky prison exploded.
The strong men from the Mingjing Division who were waiting in the courtyard were shocked, and when they saw the old man walking out of the Sky Prison, they surrounded him in an instant.
After a while, Li Xuanjing walked out of the prison, holding his chest. He wiped the blood from the corners of his mouth and said, "Su Meng colluded with the Wei court, trying to overthrow Daxia, attacked the court officials, broke into the Mingjing Sitian Prison, and was killed on the spot!"
Su Daru laughed loudly: "If you want to accuse someone of something, you can always find a pretext. Come on, all of you. This will be a good opportunity for me to see how capable you are!"
Li Xuanjing waved his hand, and all the strong men from Mingjing Division rushed forward.
Su Daru stretched out his hands and held up an invisible protective shield.
Although the great Confucian scholars are already able to use the Haoran Sound, it is more suitable for use in battle. Before becoming a semi-saint of Confucianism and being able to use true energy to condense arrows of righteousness, Confucianism still focuses on defense.
The weapons of the powerful men from the Mingjing Division hit the righteousness shield, making a sound of metal clashing.
Although this shield has extremely strong defense, it cannot withstand the attacks of so many powerful people. With each round of attack, it will become thinner.
As if knowing that he couldn't hold out for much longer, Su Daru's inner energy surged out, knocking everyone away. He looked up to the sky and roared, "You tyrant, Daxia will perish in your hands!"
After he finished speaking, he took one last look at Li Xuanjing and bumped headfirst into a thick stone pillar in the yard.
"don't want!"
A figure crossed the sky and Zuo Xiang dropped from the sky, but he was still a step too late.
A blood-red flower bloomed on the stone pillar in the Mingjingsi courtyard, and Su Daru's body fell powerlessly.
The left prime minister held his body, his eyes bloodshot, and suddenly turned his head to look at Li Xuanjing. His lips trembled, but he could not say anything.
Another figure appeared beside him. Although the right prime minister's expression was calm, the fists in his sleeves were clenched tightly.
Prince Chun hurriedly ran in from outside. Seeing the scene in the courtyard, he sighed and covered his face in pain. When he found that Li Xuanjing was pale and blood was flowing from the corners of his mouth, his face changed and he immediately ran forward and asked with concern: "Xuanjing, are you injured?"
The left prime minister said nothing, holding Su Daru's body, and his figure rose into thin air and disappeared into the Mingjingsi courtyard.
The right prime minister loosened his fist in his sleeve, took one last look at Li Xuanjing, and turned away.
Prince Chun supported Li Xuanjing, sighed, and said, "You shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter. Mr. Su is a great scholar. Now they will scold you again... How is your injury? I will go and ask the imperial physician to come..."
The Imperial Palace.
Somewhere in a deep palace.
Emperor Xia was meditating with his eyes closed when a figure walked in and said softly, "Your Majesty, Su Daru injured Lord Li in the Mingjing Division and tried to escape from prison, but was besieged by the strong men of the Mingjing Division and was eventually defeated and committed suicide..."
Emperor Xia opened his eyes and whispered, "Commit suicide?"
The old eunuch said, "He hit his head against a stone pillar. His body has been taken away by the Left Prime Minister and sent back to the Su family. Without Su Daru, the people sitting in silence at the palace gate were also dispersed by the imperial guards..."
Emperor Xia heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Even if he committed suicide, he was forced to do so. Could it be that I am really overthinking?"
Mirror Department.
In the corner of the courtyard, Prince Chun squatted on the ground, holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand, and boiled medicine seriously.
Not far away, Li Xuanjing stood in front of the blood-stained stone pillar, looking at the blooming blood flower, and whispered: "We will meet again..."
(End of this chapter)
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