"Li Mu!"
"I order you to take three hundred Imperial Guards, subdue all of Wei's cronies and followers, and send them to the Dali Temple prison for interrogation."
"Your humble servant obeys!"
After arranging these matters, Emperor Ganwu first focused his attention on Sun Jian, and after thinking for a moment, he turned his attention back to Wang De.
"Wang De, who is the general on duty in the main hall today?"
"Your Majesty, it is General Lin Demou."
Wang De replied respectfully.
Emperor Ganwu's eyes lit up. "Good! You will follow General Demou and take three hundred Imperial Guards to the Tiger Legion to summon Wei Zhong'e and Wei Zhonghu to appear before the Emperor!"
"I'm waiting for them here!"
"This old servant obeys the decree!"
Having arranged everything, Emperor Ganwu no longer hesitated and waved his hand!
"My ministers, act swiftly and without delay!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
...
With the imperial edict issued, the men who received the orders did not hesitate any longer and quickly carried out their tasks according to Emperor Ganwu's instructions.
At this point, besides Sun Jian and Li Gancheng, only Yi Youwei and Zhuang Qishi remained in the main hall.
As for Gu Hu and Liu Shiyun, they had been waiting outside the hall. If the emperor had not summoned them by name, they would not have been qualified to enter the Taiji Hall.
Sun Jian actually held the emperor in high esteem.
Not only did he resolve the crisis with just a few words, but the edicts he just issued were also very skillful and wise.
If everyone acts according to this strategy, no matter what situation arises, Emperor Ganwu will be able to effectively control it.
The Wei family is not far from their demise!
Crown Prince Li Gancheng also breathed a sigh of relief, and when he looked at Sun Jian, the anxiety in his eyes had lessened considerably.
"Zhuang Aiqing!"
After a moment of silence, Emperor Ganwu looked at Zhuang Qishi standing to the side.
"Your old minister is here."
"You are the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Now that the Wei family has been executed, I entrust this case to you! You must investigate it thoroughly!"
"Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree!"
Zhuang Qishi bowed respectfully and accepted the task.
The Dali Temple was the highest judicial body in China. According to Sun Jian's understanding, the Dali Temple was equivalent to a combination of the highest court and the highest procuratorate of the country.
The fact that Emperor Ganwu entrusted this matter to Zhuang Qishi is enough to show how much importance he attached to it.
"only……"
At this moment, Zhuang Qishi frowned and spoke haltingly.
Despite accepting the imperial decree, Zhuang Qishi still didn't quite understand the meaning behind Emperor Ganwu's words.
How deep exactly is the investigation and digging?
What if the investigation uncovers someone who shouldn't be being investigated? How will that be handled then...?
"Just what?"
Emperor Ganwu frowned and asked Zhuang Qishi, noticing his hesitant and uncertain attitude.
"Your Majesty, the mastermind behind the Wei family's private army must have connections that reach the highest levels. This old minister... this old minister is afraid that a mere Wei Xian is not enough..."
As Zhuang Qishi spoke, he glanced at Crown Prince Li Gancheng standing to the side.
They were all intelligent people, and Zhuang Qishi's one glance was enough for them to understand instantly.
Zhuang Qishi's meaning was self-evident; he was implying to the emperor that if they dug deeper, it was very likely that one of the princes had orchestrated this incident.
Second Prince!
These three words flashed through Sun Jian's mind.
It seems that Teacher Zhuang and they share the same idea, both believing that the Second Prince is behind the Wei family.
No wonder he is the Crown Prince's teacher.
However, this old fellow was truly cunning. Afraid of offending people, he didn't say it aloud, but instead conveyed the message to the emperor through subtle eye contact.
Tsk tsk...
Emperor Ganwu's face twitched slightly. After thinking for a moment, he gave Zhuang Qishi's answer.
"No matter who it is, their crime is unforgivable!"
"Investigate! Investigate until the truth comes out! Investigate until the truth is revealed!"
"As you command! This old minister takes his leave!"
"You may all leave now; I am a little tired."
Emperor Ganwu sighed softly, slowly sat down on the dragon throne, and waved to Sun Jian and Li Gancheng below the stage.
Sun Jian and Li Gancheng dared not disobey, and both bowed and took their leave.
Just before leaving the palace, Sun Jian turned back and stole a glance at Emperor Ganwu.
At this moment, the old emperor's expression was complex, mixed with a hint of sorrow.
This was the first time Sun Jian had ever seen the wise and powerful Emperor Ganwu looking so dejected.
Sun Jian couldn't help but shake his head and click his tongue in amazement. This emperor has it tough!
...
That night, the Wei family plummeted from the heights of success to the depths of despair.
Regarding military power, Xiong Juzheng, who held the emperor's tiger tally and golden seal, first led his men to strip the Wei family of all military power around the capital.
Not only the Left and Right Guards, but also the Imperial Guards, and even the Wei family members in the Dragon Cavalry under the command of Prince Kao Shan were not spared.
Anyone promoted by the Wei family was first dismissed, then imprisoned one by one, awaiting interrogation and questioning.
In domestic affairs, all of Wei's confidants, cronies, and protégés, regardless of rank or position, were dismissed and placed under control.
Before Wei Xian could even react, his residence was surrounded by Li You's army.
All of them, including wives, concubines, maids, and servants, were imprisoned.
Seals were affixed to the door, guards stood watch, and even Wangcai, the gatekeeper, was not spared.
Needless to say, Wei Zhong'e and Wei Zhongbao were already under control before they even realized there was a problem with the ledgers.
With the downfall of the three Wei brothers, the Tiger Army also underwent a major purge.
The same outcome was dealt with as the 10,000 private soldiers kept deep in Lishan.
No one was spared from Wei's confidants and disciples. All those with the rank of centurion or above were imprisoned, and the rest were classified as slaves and forced to serve in various military camps.
Emperor Ganwu made his moves very quickly, completing all of the above tasks in just one night!
Even Sun Jian found it unbelievable...
He originally thought it would take the Wei family at least a week to deal with it, but they finished it in one night!
That old emperor is indeed shrewd and ruthless!
With the complete collapse of the Wei family, the second most powerful clan in China, people in and around the capital were filled with anxiety.
Who could have imagined that the once powerful Wei family, whose every move could make Da Gan tremble, would undergo such a transformation overnight?
Many ministers, upon hearing this news, were terrified and felt their own lives were in grave danger.
They were all afraid that the fire would spread to them.
Because many of them had flattered and curried favor with the Wei family, and even helped them with favors and cleaned up their messes.
Fortunately, the imperial court issued a notice the next day.
This relieved many ministers.
The notice not only clearly stated the evidence and charges against the Wei family, but also portrayed them as plotting rebellion, instigating a coup, and forcing the emperor to seize power.
The evidence is solid and convincing, and the story is presented in a very detailed and logical manner!
Whether the Wei family actually intended to force the emperor to abdicate or seize power is of no concern to anyone.
Now that things have come to this point, everyone is only concerned about their own safety; who cares about anything else?
Anyway, the notice made it very clear that the imperial court would not implicate the innocent. Anyone who could provide evidence of the Wei family's crimes and their imprisonment would not only be spared punishment but would also be rewarded...
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