Chapter 384: The Dust Settles Down [Part Two]
Silence!
transfixed!
The courtiers were truly taken aback by this turn of events. They had assumed that no matter how treasonous Zhai Huan was, at most the king would be placed under house arrest—those who knew a little about the feud between the Zhai clan, Zhai Huan, and the royal family might at most speculate that Zhai Huan would use this to blackmail the king into ordering the execution of Consort Shu to avenge himself—this was the worst-case scenario they could imagine. But, but—
The maternal uncle obeyed Zhai Huan's orders and killed his nephew.
This was far beyond their imagination. At this moment, an old man with white hair and beard got up from the mat in anger, waved his hand to remove the knife that was held to his neck, and shouted angrily.
"You brat Zhai, do you know what you've done!"
The old man had worked with Zhai Huan's grandfather for a time, but Zhai Huan's grandfather was imprisoned during the power struggle in the court and died of the plague. Many members of the Zhai clan also perished in that turmoil.
This old man was somewhat special; he was well-connected among the imperial relatives, eunuchs, and gentry. It was through his persuasion that many members of the Zhai clan, including Zhai Huan's father, were spared from disaster.
Zhai Huan respected this old man.
But that's all.
He said, "I know very well."
The old man angrily rebuked, "Do you know what you just did?"
Zhai Huan scoffed, "I know."
The old man was almost driven to despair by Zhai Huan's nonchalant attitude. His face turned ashen as he pointed at Zhai Huan.
"You, of the Zhai clan, murdered the emperor in the palace. From your great-grandfather to your generation, how much favor have you received from the Shen state, living off its stipends?"
Zhai Huan scoffed at this.
He said indifferently, "You're wrong. The Zhai clan has never been supported by the royal family. My clan has contributed to the rise and fall of the Shen Kingdom. Their salaries and favors were all earned through their abilities and loyalty, exchanged with the royal family. They have lived up to the royal family's expectations, the common people under their rule, and their own conscience. On the other hand, can the royal nobles say they have lived up to the Zhai clan's expectations?"
In Zhai Huan's view, the old man had simply gone mad from studying the power of the Star Thief's Words. The continent was vast, and there were countless countries like Shen. Shen could be replaced at any time.
It's laughable that a dynasty that has existed for less than fifty or sixty years is acting like it has existed for hundreds of years.
"One who eats the king's food must serve the king faithfully." Zhai Huan looked at the old man, whose blood pressure was soaring with anger, with amusement. "Although the Zhai clan is not as powerful as it used to be, it still has a few acres of clan land and surplus grain in its granaries. Is this 'salary' from Shen Kingdom something to covet?"
Furthermore—
Was he the one who murdered his lord in front of the palace? His hands are not stained with such disgusting and filthy blood!
The old man and the assembled court officials looked grim, yet dared not make a move. The Imperial Seal was useless in the hands of the incompetent ruler, but now it was in the hands of Zhai Huan, one of the two outstanding members of the Zhai clan, and tens of thousands of elite troops were watching fiercely outside the hall…
If they really angered her, none of the people in the hall would be able to leave alive. At this moment, several courtiers who knew the inside story cursed Shuji in their hearts—it was one thing for her to bully women and dominate men, but who told her to be the king's most beloved younger sister.
Most of those male concubines were sycophants, each taking what they needed, and it was all a mutual harm.
But of all people to target, they targeted Zhai Huan.
Good heavens, they've probably lost their lives this time.
On second thought, even without this incident, with the extravagant and greedy Queen Dowager, the suspicious and bloodthirsty King who was incompetent in everything he did, and the Lady Shu who couldn't resist the sight of a man, the State of Shen would have been doomed sooner or later. It was just a matter of time.
Just as the atmosphere fell silent and stiff again, Zhai Le, one of the main characters of today's wedding, dressed in festive red and black, picked up the pale-faced Shuji like a chick and carried her over.
His voice was strong and cheerful.
You can hear it clearly even from a hundred paces away.
"Brother, I've brought the person to you!"
Still reeling from the shock, Shuji was thrown down by Zhai Le. Her magnificent jewels and gold jewelry scattered across the ground with the force of the fall, and her knees ached. Even with her pride and lack of political acumen, she knew this was a terrible situation. When her gaze fell upon her brother, his body severed and lying at Zhai Huan's feet, she screamed in terror.
Her instinct was to call upon the guards to avenge her brother!
But before she could finish speaking, her face turned pale as she remembered that she and her new husband, Zhai Le, had bid farewell to her mother and brother, and were riding together in a magnificent carriage out of the palace to her incomparably luxurious princess residence to enjoy a sweet night together.
No sooner had she stepped out of the palace than countless armored soldiers leaped out to assassinate her. The princess's guards tried to protect her, but they were all killed by her husband, Zhai Le. Even after becoming completely isolated and helpless, the princess still couldn't accept the sudden change in reality.
Why is this the case?
The envoy who had been sent by Shuji to the Zhai residence to show off his power was stabbed through the head by Zhai Le right in front of her.
The latter, finding the corpse in the way, casually kicked it, striking the corpse squarely on the head. The corpse rolled all the way to the princess's arms. Looking at her male favorite, whose head was caved in and whose original appearance was unrecognizable, her mind went blank, a deafening roar filling her senses. When she came to her senses, she was already in the palace.
The wedding banquet decorations were still in place.
The officials barely touched the food on the table.
It's almost exactly the same as when she said goodbye to her relatives not long ago.
so--
What exactly happened in such a short period of time?
Shuji managed to regain some of her composure.
Weak and limp, she crawled to her brother's body, cupped his still-bleeding head in her hands, and held it tightly in her arms, weeping bitterly. Her tragic and heartbreaking state resembled that of a wild goose that had lost its mate.
Zhai Huan found the situation both amusing and ironic.
He said, “I heard from the common people that the former king and Shu Ji were very close siblings. They ate and slept together since childhood, and after they grew up, they did not care about the separation of men and women. The palace maids once heard strange noises in the palace. Such sibling affection is probably rare in the world.”
The court officials in the hall: "..."
Those with a thin skin couldn't bear to listen any longer.
Even after they're dead, they still bring up their dark past. If this part of Shen Kingdom's history were to be passed down to future generations, the reputation of this brother and sister would be ruined for posterity. But that wasn't all. Zhai Huan then coldly asked, "By the way, where is the Queen Mother?"
The groom, Zhai Le, felt only joy.
She stood with her hands on her hips, her smile brighter than any flower.
He replied, "She has been confined to her own chambers by the palace maids. Would you like to see her, brother? I will bring her here."
Zhai Huan rolled her eyes at her cousin.
Why would he see the other person if he had nothing to do with them?
They're just using this as an excuse to gain leverage, and they need a stepping stone.
"It is said that the Queen Mother and the former King had a deep mother-son bond. When Consort Shu stayed out of the palace at night, her mother often accompanied her. The two of them were not bound by worldly customs, and the palace maids had heard strange noises coming from the palace. Such a mother-son relationship is rare in the world."
Zhai Le nodded with emotion, sighing from the bottom of his heart, "Putting everything else aside, this mother and son have a pretty good relationship."
Zhai Huan: "..."
The court officials: "..."
Are Zhai Shuangxiu's brains all grown on Zhai Huan's head?
You call this a good mother-son relationship?
For a moment, the court officials couldn't tell whether Zhai Le's praise was genuine or just the sarcastic tone typical of the Zhai family. Looking closely at Zhai Le's gleaming eyes, the former seemed more likely.
Shuji's sobs gradually subsided.
Pointing at Zhai Huan, he roared at the court officials who remained seated, "Why don't you kill him? Why don't you protect your lord with your lives? This is regicide! Why don't you kill this traitorous villain!"
At this moment, I noticed that my maternal uncle was also present.
She crawled two steps, her bloodied hands weakly gripping her uncle's armor; the icy heat of the metal shards seemed to pierce her heart through her palms. She pleaded desperately, "Uncle, uncle, please, please avenge my brother..."
But the only response was a cold rejection.
The king's uncle frowned, looking with disgust at the fake head, which was so stained with blood that its original appearance was unrecognizable, his expression cold.
"This is nothing but a lowly bastard. How can you, a princess, kneel down and beg for mercy from such a person?"
Zhai Huan looked down at the farce with her head slightly lowered.
My mind is racing with uncontrollable guesses.
How desperate and helpless Ah Jing must have felt when she was threatened by the people sent by Shu Ji? Thinking of this, his heart ached intensely. He could only suppress it by frowning slightly, but his hand in his sleeve was already clenched into a fist.
After calming down a bit, I continued to think.
Given A-Jing's temperament, she would rather die standing than beg for mercy and live. Moreover, given Shu-Ji's temperament, she had no intention of letting A-Jing live at all.
Zhai Huan's eyes grew even colder.
The courtiers were surprised by the words of the king's maternal uncle, but when they thought that the other party's condition was related to Zhai Huan, they were not surprised.
Every scholar's path to becoming a scholar is unique; their abilities may be similar, but they will never be the same.
Because of his grandfather, Zhai Huan was very indifferent to the royal court. Although he was of age to serve in the government, he had no intention of entering the court, and did not even ask his family for help.
He took his younger cousin and ran off to travel across the mainland...
Therefore, apart from those close to him, outsiders had no idea what his scholarly way was...
The most troublesome thing is the unknown ability.
Sook-hee was so provoked by the words of the king's uncle that she lost her composure on the spot.
She pulled a dagger from her bosom and stabbed straight at Zhai Huan, her expression ferocious and twisted. Her mind was filled with nothing but revenge for her brother, and she had lost all reason. But the ensuing excruciating pain calmed her down a bit; her dagger didn't even touch the hem of Zhai Huan's clothes before her uncle ruthlessly kicked it away.
She collapsed to the ground in pain.
His face was full of sorrow and resentment.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Zhai Huan, who was so close yet he couldn't kill him, his heart filled with resentment that he couldn't vent.
"If only I had known this would happen—"
She cursed through her gasping breaths, enduring the pain.
"...Haha, I shouldn't have let that woman die so easily. I should have subjected her to all sorts of cruel tortures, stripped her naked, and thrown her into the street so that everyone in the world could see what kind of woman Zhai Yuewen's woman looks like!"
The court officials could no longer bear to listen. They had committed such an outrageous act and still showed no remorse, yet dared to utter such arrogant words.
Even they didn't dare to provoke Zhai Huan any further. What was this Shu Ji thinking? Did she think she would die too quickly?
Zhai Huan remained expressionless.
He said, "Originally, I only intended to take the lives of your family of three, and I didn't intend to humiliate you any further. A white silk ribbon hanging from the palace gate would be enough. After all, you are a beast, but I am not. You should die the same way as A-Jing."
However, the other party was clearly not satisfied with the outcome.
They also showed no respect for the deceased and no remorse.
Since that's the case, Zhai Huan would be letting down his deceased wife if he continued to be merciful, so he turned to ask the king's maternal uncle.
"Did you hear that?"
The king's maternal uncle hesitated: "This, after all, she is..."
Zhai Huan sneered, "If we don't deal with it, will we just wait for her and that man's scandalous sibling relationship to 'go down in history'?"
The king's maternal uncle hardened his heart.
He waved to his left and right hands who were waiting in line.
Do as instructed.
Shuji stared in astonishment, her eyes wide open. Even as she was being lifted up and dragged away, she couldn't understand how her uncle could be so heartless.
Zhai Huan showed mercy and didn't order anyone to actually torture Shuji, but her fate wasn't much better.
Because the palace maids who once served the princess used the same methods the princess used to humiliate and amuse the palace servants on her.
It can be considered an eye for an eye.
Consider it an effort to seek justice for other victims.
"Use them all?"
Zhai Huan said, "Use it."
If a person dies, there's no need to strip them naked; just dump the body on the street...
Only afterwards did he learn of Shu Ji's fate.
Those palace maids were quite resourceful and had countless tricks up their sleeves.
Using needles to prick the ten fingers is considered a gentle method; other methods include covering the victim with a blanket and beating them three inches below the abdomen, plucking each hair of a prisoner and making them count it, and slapping them for counting it wrong...
Until they breathed their last, their bodies were unrecognizable. And this was just the basic method the princess and the king used to humiliate the palace servants for amusement. The former king had also invented nearly a hundred different cruel tortures. The brother and sister learned from each other and improved together.
Compared to the former king, the princess's methods can be described as "benevolent" and "gentle," which is also outrageous.
Zhai Huan: "..."
Although he holds the imperial seal, he has no intention of taking over the throne and becoming king on the spot, because that is unrealistic.
His control over the king's maternal uncle was limited. Once that time was up, the uncle would realize he'd been tricked and would definitely turn his troops against him, putting him in a very precarious situation. This fellow wasn't worth continuing to waste his lifespan on; he planned to control the army first before pursuing other schemes.
then--
Here comes another unexpected move by the minister.
Zhai Huan proposed that Xun Wang be made the next king. Considering that the king was too young to manage state affairs, he and several high-ranking officials who had grudges against each other would assist him until the king came of age and took over the government.
The court officials looked at each other in bewilderment.
The king's maternal uncle was the first to object.
"No, how old is Prince Xun?"
Still in swaddling clothes, she relied on her wet nurse for three meals a day.
Zhai Huan smiled without saying a word. The king's uncle realized what was happening, weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and agreed to the matter.
His "nephew" had just been found, the imposter had just died, and the court was in a state of instability. If Zhai Huan were to rashly assume the throne, it would inevitably cause controversy among the people. In addition, the imposter had done many things that angered both heaven and man, leaving behind a lot of messes. There were also powerful clans in various parts of Shen who held their own armies and were acting independently. He would be busy from now on. It would be better to wait until the situation was more stable before making any further plans...
The credit for following the dragon's rise is inseparable from my own efforts.
How could an infant in swaddling clothes possibly govern the government?
How to handle it is up to Zhai Huan.
The king's maternal uncle had come to a realization.
The king's maternal uncle was granted an extremely high title and appointed Grand Marshal of the Shen Kingdom's army, while the original command of the capital's guards was handed over to Zhai Le and the king's maternal uncle's confidants.
Then--
The king's maternal uncle died on the seventh day.
He died at the hands of what he considered his "nephew".
The body was thrown away along with the Queen Mother who had died of fright.
Zhai Le frowned slightly when he saw the list of promotions on the table. Zhai Huan explained, "There are too few people we can use. All the old foxes in the court will fear me, but they won't do anything for me because of that."
The royal court officials adopted a non-violent non-cooperation approach.
One by one, they were ill and unwilling to go to the government office to report for duty.
Zhai Huan couldn't conjure up enough men to replace them. Having murdered the emperor in front of the court, how could the ambitious powerful families throughout Shen Kingdom remain uneasy? They would use the pretext of "avenging the emperor and killing the treacherous officials" to stir up trouble. If the court couldn't stabilize the situation, it would spiral out of control... Zhai Huan's desire for revenge was genuine, but his desire to restore order was also genuine.
He didn't mind throwing out some feed to appease these old foxes first.
Zhai Le remained silent for a long time.
After a while.
He said, "Brother, the Zhao family of Xunnan can be won over."
The Zhao family of Xunnan has many capable people.
|ω`)
Here's a clip for you:
The Book of Northern Qi states: "Run was handsome and beautiful. When he was fourteen or fifteen years old, his mother, Consort Zheng, slept with him, and there were foul noises."
So don't be surprised, once a pervert starts to become completely perverted, even a pervert will think the other person is perverted.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
