Chapter 194: Each One More Ruthless Than the Last
The emperor thought for a moment, then looked at the Duke of Dingguo and Prince Gong: "Do you two uncles really want to save the Eighth Prince's life?"
"It's not that we want to protect the Eighth Prince, but rather that we, your humble servants, are more concerned about Your Majesty's reputation for benevolence!"
The emperor fell silent, his brows furrowed, looking quite troubled.
Mei Xijie stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I do have a method that can both deal with the Eighth Prince properly and preserve Your Majesty's reputation for benevolence."
"Speak quickly."
"I think that the Duke of Dingguo and Prince Gong have a very deep affection for the Eighth Prince, comparable to that for their own son. Since you two value the Eighth Prince so much and are his elders, then let the two elders take the Eighth Prince home and educate him if he is not properly taught."
"Oh? Just education?"
“Yes, of course it’s just education, otherwise how can we highlight Your Majesty’s benevolence?” Mei Xijie said, covering his mouth and chuckling.
Let Prince Gong and the Duke of Dingguo take the Eighth Prince home and discipline him.
Putting aside the reactions of others, these two were at least stunned.
“It seems that the Prince and the Duke are not happy about this,” Mei Xijie sighed. “It would be easy to resolve the current predicament by simply taking the person back, but neither of you is willing to do so. It seems that your feelings for the Eighth Prince are not as deep as you claim!”
Prince Gong, though old, was still hot-tempered and immediately shouted, "Who said I'm not willing? Your Majesty, I'll take the Eighth Prince back right now!"
The emperor nodded: "Alright, take it back then. However—"
Prince Gong's heart skipped a beat as he heard the Emperor say, "Minister Chen just explained it very clearly. If the Eighth Prince is alive, others might follow suit. Although it's only a 'possibility,' what if it happens? Moreover, the Eighth Prince's power has not yet been completely eradicated. Perhaps once he arrives at Prince Gong's residence, he will immediately plot a second operation."
Therefore, I require you, Uncle, to swear that you will keep a close watch on the Eighth Prince. If the Eighth Prince behaves suspiciously, the entire Prince Gong's Mansion will be considered an accomplice and punished along with the Eighth Prince.”
"Your Majesty, this old minister—"
"To be honest, I didn't want the Eighth Prince to die. I also wanted a reputation for being kind and benevolent. Thank you, Uncle Wang, for your understanding." The Emperor spoke quickly. "Now that the matter of the Eighth Prince has been discussed, everyone may disperse!"
Everyone was about to leave when Prince Gong suddenly realized what was happening and shouted, "Your Majesty, wait a moment!"
"Is Uncle Wang worried that Prince Gong's mansion isn't big enough and that the Eighth Prince won't be comfortable? That's easy. The Duke of Dingguo's mansion is right next door. Duke of Dingguo, when you go back, knock down the wall between the two houses and merge them into one. They can share the courtyard and garden, which will make it easier for you two to discipline the Eighth Prince. At the same time, it will also strengthen the relationship between the two families. It's a win-win-win situation. Mei Xijie, I will remember your merit!"
Prince Gong's mouth gaped open, unable to close it for a long time. It was Duke Dingguo who reacted first, shouting, "Your Majesty! This won't do!"
“Your Majesty, after some thought, I believe that Zhao Yunjing and this Lord Chen are quite right. Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. The Eighth Prince's private army and rebellion are tantamount to treason. Throughout history, those who betray their country have been executed along with their entire families!”
After Prince Gong finished speaking, he clutched his chest and extended Er Kang's hand to Duke Dingguo: "Fourth brother, fourth brother, my chest hurts, quick, quick, help me up!"
The Duke of Dingguo helped Prince Gong run away.
The Duke of Dingguo and Prince Gong are now one entity. If Prince Gong cannot escape, he will have to share the risks with him. The death of the Eighth Prince is not a pity. But what did they do wrong?
Seeing that the two leaders had left, the rest of the royal family members, regardless of whether they were uncles or grandfathers, immediately took their leave, running away faster than rabbits.
Mei Xijie clicked his tongue: "I was just about to praise them as saints, and they've already run away."
Young Master Chen said quietly, "When your own interests are threatened, your lover can turn into an enemy at any time, and even your own father and son can turn against each other immediately."
The emperor is still here, so you're talking nonsense!
Vice Minister Lin quickly dragged the two troublemakers out, and didn't forget to call out to the other, even more troublesome one: "Yun Jing, hurry up and follow, I have something to say to the three of you!"
Zhao Yunjing didn't follow, but Lin Shilang and the others were kept behind by the emperor.
This time, only the six Grand Secretaries and the Ministry of Revenue were mentioned, referring to Zhao Yunjing's departure in ten days to promote autumn rice cultivation in Jiangnan.
Although Jiangnan is the first stop, Zhao Yunjing will definitely promote it in the surrounding towns along the way. He will also leave people behind to take care of the later stages until the autumn harvest. Then, depending on the yield, he will decide whether to stay or move on to the next place.
Zhao Yunjing chose the Jiangnan region as his first stop after he had finished reading and studying the local chronicles of all the prefectures and counties in the Great Liang Kingdom.
The Jiangnan region is rich in water, which makes it prone to flooding. However, compared to other places, it still has a clear advantage in growing rice. It's not that Zhao Yunjing is unwilling to take on the challenge of growing rice in more difficult places, but as the first shot, it must be fired successfully. If this first shot doesn't work, it will only become more and more difficult to promote it in the future.
When they left the palace, all three of them carried a list. Zhao Yunjing had the overall list of the people accompanying them, while Young Master Chen and Mei Xijie had the lists of the members of their respective squads. As for Minister Lin, he left empty-handed, but he was overjoyed.
Ten days later, those three troublesome men were finally able to leave, and he could finally focus on being the Vice Minister of Revenue. As for whether he could achieve great merit, it didn't matter. As long as those three didn't make any mistakes, and even if they did, he just hoped the blame wouldn't fall on him.
The six scholars were also completely at ease.
They couldn't understand why these people, who had worked so hard to pass the imperial examinations and achieve the highest rank, didn't seize the opportunity to make more connections and accumulate more experience in the capital. Instead, they went to work in agriculture. Although food is the most important thing for people, the Great Liang Kingdom wasn't that short of food. Wouldn't it be a waste of talent to have the top three scholars do the work of agricultural officials at the same time?
However, after thinking about the grain yield report submitted by Zhao Yunjing's hometown, Taohua County, the previous year, he felt very encouraged. Having surplus grain at home would put his mind at ease.
Regardless, once you've passed the imperial examinations, you're obligated to share the emperor's burdens and work for the benefit of the people. Hopefully, these three people will remember their feelings today ten or twenty years from now and won't go astray.
Three days later, the emperor's edict of repentance and the punishment of the Eighth Prince were announced to the world. After being paraded through the streets, the Eighth Prince was taken to the execution ground and beheaded on the spot. His sons wept bitterly and cried out for mercy from the emperor before being beheaded. All the boys and girls under the age of eight in the Eighth Prince's household, as well as the elderly, women and children, were exiled three thousand miles away.
Zhou Mujiao stood by the execution ground and silently watched the whole thing. On the way back, she said to Zhao Yunjing, "Although the emperor is too benevolent, we should still avoid beheadings."
"I still want to grow old with my wife, and I will cherish this life."
A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day arrived for Zhao Yunjing and his group to set off for Jiangnan.
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