This flattery left the surrounding civil and military officials in shock. Was this really Jia Renyi? Could he really say such things?
What utter nonsense is this? Continue taking concubines? There are so many beauties in the entire harem, and everyone is hoping they won't have an heir. You bastard, you've really betrayed us, actually starting to speak up for the tyrant!
As expected, Qin Yu's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he pretended to be very interested and was about to ask questions, but was interrupted by Sima Lie, who had been unable to contain himself any longer.
"Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report. The matter of taking a concubine is indeed related to the foundation of the country, but if the treacherous officials in the court are not eliminated, our Great Xia will never have peace!"
But at that moment, Jia Renyi couldn't wait and spoke first again.
"Your Majesty, there is one more thing, which is my son's mistake."
After a pause, gathering his emotions, Old Man Jia began to weep uncontrollably.
"Your Majesty, you are unaware of the truth! My son has never suffered much hardship since childhood. He is of pure and kind nature and has never done anything immoral or immoral, let alone committed any crimes. This time, his interruption of the Imperial Concubine's bath was simply because he was eager to save His Majesty!"
The more he talked, the more upset Old Man Jia became. He lay on the ground and sobbed, as if Jia Zhengjin had truly suffered an injustice.
Every official in the court, both civil and military, knows what kind of person his son, Jia Zhengjin, is. How dare this old bastard say such things? He has no shame at all.
"Your Majesty, please spare my son, considering my years of dedication and hard work for the Great Xia Dynasty!"
"I will definitely pay every penny of the atonement, but the amount is indeed enormous, and I cannot raise it all at once. I will have to sell my property first!"
"Your Majesty, rest assured, once my son is released, I will certainly educate him properly, so that he may know his mistakes, correct them, and serve Your Majesty even more diligently!"
Such a tearful and persuasive speech, appealing to both emotion and reason, would have garnered a large following in the past.
But for some reason, not a single official in the court spoke up for him today. After he finished speaking, the entire hall fell silent, leaving Jia Renyi extremely embarrassed.
Looking around, especially at Sima Lie, Jia Renyi kept giving him meaningful glances.
But Sima Lie did not react at all, standing there like a statue.
Such a reaction showed that even if Jia Renyi was stupid, he would know that he and his son had been abandoned by these bastards!
Just as he was secretly filled with resentment, Sima Lie stepped forward and pointed at Jia Renyi, cursing him with righteous indignation.
"Your Majesty, please do not listen to the nonsense of that old bastard Jia Renyi."
"What kind of pure and kind nature? Only that old dog Jia Renyi would have the nerve to utter such a word. Jia Zhengjin has committed numerous crimes. Just the things he did, like forcibly taking women from the common people, oppressing the people, and committing murder and robbery, are only minor matters. He also caused chaos in the palace, secretly possessed dragon robes, and even wore a crown in front of many people!"
"This commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is a tyrant inside and outside the palace. When His Majesty can't see him, this villain is incredibly arrogant. Anyone who doesn't know him would think he's the emperor!"
These words immediately drew many people to agree, and in an instant, Old Man Jia was stunned, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
These bastards didn't just want to abandon him; they wanted to completely kill him and his son.
The evidence mentioned earlier at most resulted in Jia Zhengjin's death, but the evidence that followed was enough to warrant the execution of his entire family!
If these charges are proven true, tonight even an egg in the entire Jia family will have its yolk broken, and an earthworm will be split in two.
This reversal was too big! Even Jia Renyi was a little overwhelmed.
What's going on? Didn't all the officials stand by him when it came to killing his own son?
Why go to such lengths to exterminate them?
Why does it seem like these people are all in cahoots with the emperor these days?
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't listen to their nonsense! I can hand over the money, I can hand over all the money! These charges are completely fabricated!"
Seeing Jia Renyi's tearful appearance, a soft-hearted person might have believed him, but Qin Yu knew very well what kind of face this beast in human form really had.
Although she looked down on Jia Renyi, she still smiled and comforted him.
"Lord Jia, please rise. I believe in you, and I also believe that my mentor would not do such a thing. There must be some misunderstanding. Perhaps Prime Minister Sima has misheard the rumors. I will investigate and clear Jia Zhengjin's name. Of course, the atonement money cannot be less."
This guy is just greedy for money!
Sima Lie was immediately filled with anger. Jia Renyi, that old dog, had indeed betrayed them and colluded with the tyrant. He acted so convincingly that anyone who didn't know better would really think that the two of them hadn't made any deals in private!
Just when Jia Renyi thought he had escaped a desperate situation, Sima Lie immediately undermined him.
"Your Majesty, you have definitely been deceived by Jia Renyi! That old dog is not telling the truth. Even if the entire Jia family were sold off, it wouldn't be enough to raise this amount of money. How could he possibly pay it? Even selling off ancestral property wouldn't be enough! Your Majesty, Jia Renyi is deceiving the emperor!"
Since the tyrant loves money, then he'll start with that and make it clear to the tyrant that the old man in front of him is definitely useless!
But Qin Yu said it nonchalantly.
"Your Excellency is overthinking this. How could my mentor possibly expect me to live up to his expectations? Even if the household is currently short of funds, I have heard Xuejian say that the Jia family has been meritorious for generations. Not only do the living enjoy wealth and honor, but even their burial items are extremely luxurious. I wonder if this is true or not!"
Good heavens, upon hearing this, the entire court was utterly shocked.
Is this something a supreme ruler would say?
This is a bit too outrageous! Not only has he set his sights on the money of the living, but now he's not even going to let go of the money of the dead?!
This is unbelievable! In the hundreds of years of the Great Xia Dynasty, this is simply unheard of. How could there be such a bizarre emperor? This tyrant is far too heartless.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Jia was struck dumb, frozen in place, tears slowly streaming from the corners of his eyes.
He was a scholar, after all. If he were to do something as treasonous as digging up his ancestral graves, he would be completely nailed to the pillar of shame in the officialdom of the Great Xia Dynasty. For a Confucian gentleman like him who valued his reputation more than anything else, this would be nothing short of a bolt from the blue!
After a long period of difficult contemplation, Jia Renyi closed his eyes in anguish and slowly began to speak.
"Your Majesty, I will go back and check the situation. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I, Jia Renyi, will definitely raise this money no matter what!"
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