Chapter 52 Cleanup
Emperor Zhongzong scrutinized him closely, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Zhao Shuming valued you highly, so why did you kill him instead?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Suisheng across from him let out a sneer.
“Zhao Shuming is narrow-minded,” Yu Suisheng replied. “He is suspicious and heartless.”
Born into a poor peasant family, decades of social class determined that he was fundamentally unable to integrate into the Zhao family.
We cannot just stand by and watch our subjects suffer; we cannot be without a clear conscience.
He was solely focused on providing a better life for his family and had served Zhao Shuming for many years. In the end, he was just a stray dog on the roadside, summoned at will and dismissed at will.
If it were only him, he could tolerate it. But to treat his family the same way was something he couldn't stand.
When he fled back to the capital of Zhao, he was not met with the monarch's trust, but with tests, suspicions, and constant control.
Of course, there's no need to say any of this.
King Jungjong didn't ask any further questions; he was still deep in thought. King Jangshi arrived upon hearing the news, and his first words upon entering were, "How can we trust you?"
Yu Suisheng didn't even bother to look at him, his eyes fixed only on Emperor Zhongzong.
"Please make a decision as soon as possible, Your Excellency."
"I can't just listen to your opinion."
Yu Suisheng nodded: "Of course I understand your concerns, sir. Besides, I am a traitor who seeks personal glory, so it is understandable that you do not believe in me."
After Yu Suisheng left, Zhuang Shi immediately stepped forward and said, "I don't think he's a good person."
Emperor Zhongzong remained silent.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Zhuang Shi immediately jumped up and down: "If this is true, he would even kill his own master! If it's false, I think he's just trying to frame us!"
“You’re right.” Emperor Zhongzong opened the window and looked at Yu Suisheng’s back. “Then take him with you.”
"...Zhou Xingyuan?"
“We were going to attack anyway,” King Jungjong told him. “You must carefully guard our retreat route for me. If what he said is true, then it is indeed a golden opportunity.”
The Zhao brothers tried to cover up the matter, but Emperor Jungjong had already received the news and immediately decided to continue south to take over the entire Zhao regime while they were fighting for power.
The two good-for-nothing sons of the Zhao family watched helplessly as Emperor Zhongzong's army marched in, unable to even escape. After months of siege, with ammunition and food running out, they decided to give up and surrender.
As the secret talks unfolded under the sky, Zhou She was leading Yu Suisheng into the reception room.
Unlike Tianmu, Liang Xiao was now by his side.
Liang Xiao, oblivious to everything, waved her hand and found a place to sit down: "Hey, don't mind me."
Zhou She glanced at him, knowing the old man had something to ask him, and simply asked, "Does the old man want me to help him publish a book?"
He couldn't think of any other reason.
To everyone's surprise, Liang Xiao chuckled and said, "I haven't finished writing it yet." It's all because Tianmu wouldn't let him borrow anything.
"That……"
Liang Xiao waved her hand and said, "I'm curious, I'll come stay at your house."
Okay.
Zhou She gave up on communicating with him and turned to look at Yu Suisheng. In those few short steps, Yu Suisheng had already composed himself: "Lord Zhou, I can do things for you."
The things he mentioned that Zhou She could ask anyone to do were actually things he could ask for.
But that's not what Yu Suisheng was talking about. He emphasized, "I can do anything."
Zhou She suddenly realized that this person was actually very similar to the future Yu Suisheng.
His purpose was very clear, and his ability to act was exceptional. He was the first person to come straight to him in all the time since he'd heard of Tianmu.
Zhou She understood him well. He thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you stay here with me for now? Maybe you can pass the imperial examination in three years."
"ah?"
Yu Suisheng was stunned; he hadn't come here to borrow money.
But Zhou She had already made his decision. He said to Liang Xiao, "Old man, there is actually another thing I would like to ask you to help me with."
Liang Xiao looked at him, trying to refuse: "I'm seventy or eighty years old..."
"There's a patient I'd like you to take a look at."
Dr. Liang couldn't refuse. Treating the sick and saving lives was addictive for him; he slammed his hand on the table and said, "I want payment."
Zhou She replied without any hesitation, "Of course."
It's not like they're looking at his family members; they'll just ask the emperor to pay for it later.
With this decision finalized, Tianmu then said:
What's rather surprising is that even their surrender was quite stylish. The eldest son of the Zhao family was prepared to surrender with his entire family, while the second son would rather die than surrender. But if you think he was just showing some backbone, you'd be wrong.
Zhao Er said to his brother, "Zhou Bapi is petty and resentful of the rich. If you surrender, you'll definitely suffer. If you don't want to be in trouble, let's fight our way out together." Zhao Da thought about it and felt that his younger brother made a lot of sense, so he shouted from the city wall, "The Zhao family will not surrender!"
After saying this, they returned to their residence together. Just as they were about to discuss how to resolve their current predicament and whether to seek help from He Jingcheng, Zhao Er circled behind his elder brother, drew his sword, and stabbed him through the heart.
Zhao Shuming: "?"
Zhao Da: "?"
Zhao Er: ...
Emperor Hong'an thought and thought, but he couldn't understand why anyone would do this.
Everyone had this question, and Tianmu promptly provided the answer:
[Zhao Er's main goal was to highlight himself; even if he surrendered, he wanted to do so with credit. Clearly, his brother's actions were credited to him.]
This is simply not the way a normal person thinks; everyone was stunned.
Even the princes, when thinking of their brothers, felt that compared to them, the older brother/younger brother was truly a normal person.
After hearing this, Zhao Shuming suddenly stood up from his seat, rushed to the wall in a few steps, and when he turned back, he was holding a long stick and lashed it hard at his two sons.
Zhao Er was struck with a stick, leaving a bruise, and howled like a pig being slaughtered: "Father?!"
Zhao Shuming didn't say anything, and then struck him with the stick again.
Zhao Da let out a scream, feeling utterly innocent: "Father!!"
In the end, Zhao Shuming was exhausted. He threw down the stick and slumped back into his chair.
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard a commotion outside the door, with chaotic footsteps and a few sharp curses.
The heaviest footsteps stopped outside their door.
With a loud bang, the door swung open. Zhao Shuming looked up and saw a middle-aged man in armor who smiled slightly at him.
"I am acting on His Majesty's orders to eliminate the traitors. If you have anything to say, please go to the capital and speak with His Majesty."
Outside the door, a motley crowd of people came and went. The Zhao family members were all driven together in one place, and the soldiers were like wolves and tigers. The courtyard was filled with broken and shattered furniture.
Zhao Shuming instantly went limp.
Compared to Zhao Er, the women of the Zhao family were actually more principled. On the day Zhao Er surrendered, the eldest wife of the Zhao family heard that her husband had been killed. She left behind the words, "The situation is hopeless. How can I live on and be humiliated by the enemy?" and set herself on fire at home.
After learning of her husband's surrender, Zhao Er's family waited for him at the door. Seeing his panicked yet barely concealed joy, she felt a deep disappointment. Suddenly, she drew the sword from his side, still stained with Zhao Da's blood, and said to him, "With the city fallen and our home destroyed, you deserve to die in battle! If you choose to live on today, you will be ridiculed by all the heroes of the world!"
Having said that, he raised his sword and committed suicide. Zhao Er was caught off guard; blood splattered everywhere, soaking Zhao Er's head and face.
The victor takes all, the loser is condemned—this is the way of the world. Preferring death to bowing to the enemy is their final choice.
Compared to the Zhao brothers, who desperately tried to survive and displayed their ugly side, they chose to uphold their dignity by dying.
Zhou She could only express his admiration for this kind of person.
The women who had just been ushered together did not hear this.
In the chaos, someone came to report to the commander: "The missing few... their bodies were just found over there."
In that short period of time, they may have thought a lot, and finally chose a rope to hang themselves.
As the general listened to the soldier's report and heard the voice from the sky, he couldn't help but think: He is indeed tougher than these men.
Looking at his wife's corpse, Zhao Er felt nothing. His only thought was that the blood was an eyesore, and he needed to take a bath. Indeed, from beginning to end, he had never considered the possibility that Emperor Zhongzong would not accept him.
What a joke! We're all from powerful and influential families. Although the Zhao family has fallen, they still have soldiers and generals under their command. Surrendering was a last resort; they wouldn't accept it without a high-ranking official position and generous rewards!
He Jingcheng scoffed: "He who becomes emperor early dies quickly."
They really have no self-awareness.
He felt a surge of mockery towards his opponent, and then looked at his own son, who, though foolish, had not yet reached the level of the Zhao family.
Zhou She was also pondering this. He was thinking, weren't the aristocratic families supposed to have a high level of education? How come it seems that very few of the descendants of these high-ranking officials, nobles, and imperial relatives are actually capable?
Emperor Jungjong did not agree.
He resorted to his usual method of settling old scores. Since Fang Jingruo was not present, he had Yu Suisheng take charge and meticulously investigate the Zhao family's problems, examining every single one of their past heinous acts.
Yu Suisheng, this former loyal minister and now a traitor, knew all too well about the Zhao family's secrets. He even had an account book. Hearing that the old case was to be reopened, he pulled out his little account book and examined it line by line, infuriating Zhao Er, who cursed him as a treacherous wolf and wished him a terrible death.
Yu Suisheng sat expressionlessly on the high platform, with a tall stack of files beside him.
He read it aloud one by one; countless pieces of evidence were laid out before him, irrefutable, so there was no need to struggle.
But Zhao Er continued to struggle. Not only did he struggle, he also cursed: "Yu Suisheng, do you think you're a lackey of the Zhao family? Do you really think you're some clean and innocent person?! You've harmed the Zhao family. Sooner or later, you'll be the one kneeling here!"
Yu Suisheng smiled sarcastically and remained silent.
Instead, it was Emperor Zhongzong, who was standing beside him, who looked up.
People came and went outside the door, but there was no sound. Everyone was listening to Yu Suisheng read: "On the 21st day of the eighth month of the 21st year of Hong'an, more than ten acres of farmland belonging to the Li family west of Hengshan City in Wanzhou were seized."
...
"On the 24th day of the eighth month of the 21st year of Hong'an, the Wang family of Zhuoyang in Xianzhou was seized..."
"On the 23rd day of the ninth month of the 21st year of Hong'an, the Chu family of Dongshan in Liangzhou was captured..."
The silence was terrifying. Zhao Er wanted to turn around and look back, but the soldiers on both sides held him back. When he looked at the people sitting on the high platform, he felt a surge of hatred and fear.
I hate it to the extreme, and I fear it to the extreme.
He hated Yu Suisheng for betrayal, hated Zhou She for killing surrendered soldiers, hated his brothers for being heartless, his father for being unkind, his family business for not being deep enough, and hated himself for making the wrong choice.
But in the end, all he could do was watch as Emperor Zhongzong slowly descended from the high platform, the long sword at his waist swaying slightly, the cold light of the hilt flashing before his eyes.
"Zhou She! You can't kill me!" Zhao Er shouted, brandishing his claws. "If you kill me, who in the world will dare to surrender to you?! My Zhao family has a long and distinguished history; how dare you—"
Emperor Zhongzong looked down at him.
His gaze sent chills down one's spine. Only when Zhao Er dared not speak again did he leave with the words, "When you committed these crimes back then, why didn't you know fear?"
She then lifted her leg and walked past him.
Yu Suisheng stood up almost immediately, his voice trembling slightly: "Multiple crimes combined, sentence to immediate execution!"
The silence outside the hall turned into a burst of joyful cheers.
Yu Suisheng looked around. Emperor Zhongzong had long since disappeared without a trace. He shuddered amidst the cheers, and felt a faint sense of loneliness.
Meng Yuexian ordered his soldiers to take Zhao Er away. As they passed each other, he said to Zhao Er, "If I were you, I would have just smashed my head against a block of tofu and died. Why bother rubbing the Zhao family's face in the ground like this?"
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