Chapter 115 Deathly Remonstrance and Exposure
In short, the public opinion nowadays is that everyone holds his own opinion, and no one can convince anyone else.
After being in a coma for a day and a night, the head of the Cui family also woke up.
After knowing that he was poisoned and the poison had penetrated deep into his bones, and that he would not live long even if he found the antidote, Patriarch Cui went completely crazy.
He ordered a search of the entire mansion, and finally the court doctor discovered the poison in the incense burner in his study.
The person who poisoned the food was extremely clever. He mixed the poison with the incense that Patriarch Cui liked the most. It was lit for such a long time, but no one noticed that there was anything wrong.
When the Cui family went to look for the maid who was in charge of managing the incense burner in the study, they learned that she had found an excuse to go out after the head of the Cui family fainted and was sent back home, and she never came back.
There was a letter under the maid's pillow. When she opened it, she found that it was not written by her. The name of Master Cui was written at the end of the letter.
The second young master Cui said in the letter that this was the last gift he left for his father, and it was also his final calculation towards the Cui family, because the reason for the tragedy of his life, in addition to the calculation of the eldest young master Cui, was the indifference and inaction of the head of the Cui family.
This was a plan arranged by the Second Young Master Cui based on his understanding of his father, because the maid who managed the incense burner was personally selected by the head of the Cui family. The head of the Cui family was extremely confident and would not doubt his choice. Therefore, before the poison took effect, the head of the Cui family would definitely not know that there was a problem with the incense.
Even if Patriarch Cui discovered that something was wrong with his body during the poisoning process, this poison would just trigger a person's negative emotions, and Patriarch Cui's inner arrogance, temper, irritability, and sinisterness would be magnified hundreds or thousands of times.
Young Master Cui bet that he would not admit that he was sick.
The result now is that Mr. Cui made the right bet.
The head of the Cui family tore the letter into pieces with red eyes in anger. After checking the background of the maid, he found out that she was actually the sister of the servant who had been with the second young master Cui for many years.
That year, their family was rescued by the Second Master Cui, and they have been loyal to him ever since. The maid was a chess piece arranged by the Second Master Cui to be beside the head of the Cui family, with the original intention of just monitoring him and passing on messages for himself.
Unexpectedly, in the end, she became the sharpest knife that the Second Young Master Cui used to stab the head of the Cui family.
Before taking poison, the second young master Cui asked the servant to go home and say goodbye to his family, meaning that he wanted him to send his family away first. Now, unless the Cui family searches the entire Dasheng inch by inch, it will be impossible to find this family.
With such a sophisticated layout, it has to be said that the Second Young Master Cui is indeed the most successful heir cultivated by the head of the Cui family.
It's all his fault that he cared too much about interests and ignored family affection, which forced the Second Master Cui to retaliate and vent his anger.
The head of the Cui family looked haggard, holding a pile of shredded paper, with an expression of anger and despair.
At this moment, he just wanted to dig up his second son's grave, grab him and ask him why he wanted to harm his father!
But he also realized that no matter what he did, it would be useless. He was destined to die, and the Cui family was destined to decline from his generation...
"No, no..." Suddenly, Patriarch Cui seemed to remember something, and his expression suddenly changed from sad to ferocious. He laughed, and his laughter was extremely terrifying.
"Even if I die, I will drag Rong Yin and Zong Zhengxiao with me. If it weren't for them, our family, my Cui family, wouldn't be like this now!"
He raised his hand to wave away the shredded paper, his eyes gradually becoming sinister, and he said to the steward beside him: "Go call the eldest young master, I have something to say to him, and then send someone to contact Prince Ning, prepare a generous gift to apologize, and tell him that I want to meet with him to discuss important matters together."
When the steward saw that Patriarch Cui walked out of the shadow of death so quickly, he understood that Patriarch Cui was planning to burn his boats. Even though he didn't support it in his heart, he knew that if he dared to deny Patriarch Cui's idea, he would die, so he had to obey his orders.
When the news that Patriarch Cui had been poisoned and was dying reached the palace, Zong Zheng Xiao had just put down a secret letter. He and Rong Yin smiled at each other, their eyes filled with the confidence that they were determined to win.
"People and things are on the way. Now everything is ready, only the east wind is missing." Rong Yin said.
Zong Zhengxiao smiled: "The second Cui's scheming is truly terrifying. If he were not around, Old Cui would probably act more cautiously. It will definitely take us some time to deal with him."
Rong Yin said: "Perhaps this is the power of hatred. Even if it means burning myself to ashes, I must kill all my enemies."
Zong Zhengxiao nodded: "If Old Man Cui had not abandoned Cui Laoer because he had lost his value, and had shown more concern for him, perhaps things would not be like this now."
"If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked." Rong Yin curled her lips, "Neither of them is a good person. They only deserve a dog-eat-dog ending. They don't have love."
Love can melt hatred, but hate only breeds more hatred.
The confrontation between the royal family and the Cui family became increasingly tense. To those who did not know the inside story, even Prince Ning, a member of the royal family, betrayed Zong Zhengxiao, which showed that Zong Zhengxiao was at a disadvantage in this game.
I heard that Prince Ning went out a few days ago and was met by people from the Heroic Officials Group. The two sides had a big quarrel and finally parted on bad terms. It was a very ugly scene.
Rumor has it that the Ning Prince's Mansion has been silent for so many years just because of this moment.
At first, they had to sever ties with their eldest son. In fact, Prince Ning's family hated Zong Zheng Xiao to the core, otherwise why would they help the Cui family's opponents Zong Zheng Xiao and Rong Yin.
There are even more exaggerated ones, saying that Prince Ning's eldest son and daughter-in-law appeared in Princess Ning's dreams and told her that they hated Zong Zhengxiao very much and that he must die to relieve them.
Princess Ning asked a monk to interpret her dream, and the monk replied that if the hatred of the wronged soul was not resolved, the soul would never be reborn.
Everyone in the capital knows that Princess Ning has become obsessed with Buddhism, and she is heartbroken about her deceased relatives, so the couple will definitely risk their lives to avenge Zong Zhengxiao.
Since they were all rumors, Zong Zhengxiao could not find any concrete evidence and could not punish Prince Ning's Mansion. It was said that he was furious.
Under such circumstances, the connection between the Cui family and the Ning Palace has become increasingly close. I believe that sooner or later they will take action against Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin again.
Jiaofangsi, in He Yan's room.
He Yan looked at the letter that Ning Yue returned to her and held her forehead helplessly.
"This is the seventh letter this month, and every other one has been returned." He Yi'er no longer had any thoughts of gloating at this moment, because she felt that if this situation was not handled properly, the relationship between her sister and Ning Yue would really be over.
You have to know that He Yan spent a lot of time and energy to pursue Ning Yue, who doesn't like girls. Their sweetness has only lasted for a short time, so how come it is heading towards tragedy?
He Yan looked solemn: "She and I finally came to this point."
He Yan understood that Ning Yue was forcing her to make a choice. Either she let go of her hatred and hand over the evidence, and the two of them could still be together; or she would be stubborn and watch Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin being bullied by the Cui family, and they would go their separate ways.
He Yan had expected this choice, because Ning Yue had come to her just to collect evidence of the family's crimes.
Later, when the two were together, Ning Yue guessed that she and her sisters really had evidence left by the head of the He family.
Ning Yue must have wanted to exchange evidence for something with Rong Yin, and Rong Yin was Ning Yue's friend. Now that he was in trouble, she couldn't just turn a blind eye.
Regardless of the purpose, Ning Yue must let He Yan make a choice, otherwise it will be too late to wait any longer.
He Yi'er looked at her sister's sad face and sighed, "The messenger heard from Sister Ningyue's maid that Sister Ningyue has been crying all day and can't sleep at night. Therefore, she can't receive guests normally during the day. Not only is she disliked by the guests, but she has also been scolded by the boss several times."
Hearing Ning Yue suffered, He Yan frowned.
He Yi'er struck while the iron was hot: "Sister, the reason why father left these things to us was to prevent other noble families from breaking their promises and harming us. If we hand these things over, the royal family will definitely spare our lives."
As He Yan's eyes were lost in reminiscence, He Yi'er continued to persuade her, "In these years, the sisters refused to hand over the evidence even if they died, because they felt that the Zongzheng family was also the enemy of the He family. But if it weren't for Sister Ningyue's help, we would have died under the persecution of the family. And why was Sister Ningyue able to help us? Because the Zongzheng royal family stood behind her."
He Yan's eyes were confused: "What about the He family's revenge? Aren't we going to take revenge?"
"Silly sister, why are you so confused at this moment?" He Yi'er held her sister's shoulders, frowning slightly, "Father didn't want us to take revenge back then. After all, our He family was defeated because we violated the law. The purpose of these evidences is to protect us. Since now is the best time to hand them over, why should we miss the opportunity because of stubbornness?"
When you miss a good opportunity, you may also miss a good relationship.
He Yier patted her sister on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, sister. I have already asked other sisters for you, and they are all willing to hand over the evidence. Sister, the past is the past. We are still alive, so we should look forward."
He Yan looked out the window, as if trying to convince herself.
An hour later, the maid who delivered the letter for He Yan went to Qingqiu Pavilion again, but this time there was no letter, only a sentence that He Yan wanted to say to Ning Yue.
He Yan said she was willing.
The maid relayed the words to Ning Yue without understanding what was going on. Ning Yue burst into tears of joy, clasped her hands together towards the sky, and raised the corners of her lips, "Thank you, God, for your blessing."
…
Almost a month had passed since the last morning court session between Patriarch Cui and Prince Ning. After that, both of them used the excuse of being seriously ill to not attend court or go to work, and stayed at home to rest.
As the New Year approaches, Zong Zhengxiao is about to put down his writing and spend the New Year with Rong Yin in peace.
Early that morning, before daybreak, high-ranking officials were preparing to go to the palace to attend court, while lower-ranking officials were also riding in ox carts and horse carriages to go to their respective departments.
Inside the main hall, Zong Zhengxiao sat on the throne, and the chief eunuch announced the start of the morning court session.
The court meeting was halfway through, the sky was gradually brightening, and everyone was discussing the disaster relief situation. However, a eunuch hurriedly came up to Si Xi from behind and whispered something in his ear.
Si Xi was startled and looked at Zong Zheng Xiao who was sitting on the dragon throne. After getting his permission, he went up to report the news brought by the eunuch.
Zong Zheng Xiao was not panicked when he heard this. Instead, he said calmly, "Finally he's here."
There was still a light snowfall and a cold wind was blowing, and people who were wearing light clothes could not help but shiver.
The head of the Cui family brought the sorcerer and his followers. Behind Prince Ning were two high monks from the Buddhist temple. Led by the two of them, everyone sat quietly in front of the palace gate with firm expressions.
Not far behind them were the spectators who had rushed over after hearing the news.
Someone asked, "The Cui family and Prince Ning's Mansion, are they trying to force the emperor to deal with Boss Rong?"
"Isn't this obvious? But the Cui family themselves are not clean, how can they have the nerve to say that Boss Rong is a monster? And Prince Ning, his eldest son and daughter-in-law were beheaded because they made mistakes, not because of your majesty's accidental killing. How could he betray his own brother for such a thing?"
Someone murmured quietly: "Could it be that there was a hidden story back then?"
"No matter what the situation is, they brought so many people to block the palace gate. The emperor cannot turn a blind eye. The right and wrong will be determined today."
Before he finished speaking, an excited voice suddenly said, "They came out! The Emperor and Rong Yin are both out!"
Everyone looked up and saw Zong Zheng Xiao and Rong Yin walking side by side in front of the palace gate, followed by civil and military officials. They came step by step in front of Patriarch Cui and Prince Ning with great momentum.
Zong Zhengxiao was wearing a dragon robe and had a solemn look on his face. He lowered his eyes and looked down at them. He asked in a cold voice, "Master Cui, what do you mean by this?"
Without waiting for Patriarch Cui to respond, one of the followers behind him suddenly pointed at Rong Yin who was standing beside Zong Zhengxiao and shouted, "It's all this monster's fault. He caused our Dasheng to suffer endless disasters. He deserves to be burned to death!"
The surroundings were so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard, so the man's voice traveled far away and sounded particularly harsh.
Rong Yin's expression remained unchanged, but Zong Zheng Xiao turned his head and glanced over.
His majesty as a superior was like a sharp sword. A single look from him was enough to cut into the throat of the man who had spoken. Even though his face turned red, he dared not utter a second word.
"Go on." Zong Zhengxiao retracted his gaze and looked at Patriarch Cui.
Patriarch Cui was dressed in black, with his hair tied up with a cloth. Because he had been sitting for a while, his head and body were soaked with snow, which made his haggard face look even more haggard.
Patriarch Cui looked up at Zong Zhengxiao with a righteous expression, "Your Majesty, the evildoer is a disaster to the country and must not be allowed to stay. I have brought many people here today to ask Your Majesty to get rid of the mermaid monster, appease the wrath of heaven, and give us the people a peaceful and prosperous world!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the believers followed suit and said in unison: "Your Majesty, please eliminate the mermaid monster! Calm the wrath of heaven!"
These people kept saying "please", but every time they did something, they were using the excuse of life's wish to force Zong Zheng Xiao to obey their demands.
Zong Zhengxiao raised his lips, but the smile did not reach his eyes. He said, "Lord Cui is really capable. He can motivate so many people to serve you. You are more powerful than me, the emperor."
A hint of coldness flashed across Patriarch Cui's eyes. He understood that Zong Zhengxiao was setting a trap for him, and he quickly said, "I have never acted presumptuously. I am also a subject of your majesty. My worries and fears are the same as those of the subjects present here. I am only afraid that the evil spirits will bring disaster to the country, so I come to ask your majesty to eliminate the mermaid monster, that's all."
"Oh, so this is what Lord Cui thinks." Zong Zhengxiao's tone was full of sarcasm, and he seemed not to care about his words or him as a person.
The head of the Cui family was filled with hatred. He gritted his teeth, suddenly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve, and held it across his neck.
He shouted, "Your Majesty! You have been deceived by the evil spirit and cannot see the truth. I do not blame you, but if Your Majesty still refuses to change his ways and does not kill the mermaid to appease the wrath of heaven, then I will have no choice but to offer blood to the heavens and ask all the gods in heaven to kill the evil spirit for the people of the world!"
His words were like a signal. As soon as he finished speaking, the believers behind him took out daggers from their sleeves and pointed them at their necks resolutely.
It seemed that as long as the head of the Cui family gave an order, they would immediately be covered in blood and complete their death-defying remonstrance.
Seeing this, Zong Zheng Xiao, Rong Yin, the civil and military officials, and the onlookers were all shocked. These people had been deceived to such an extent that they would rather risk their lives to force Zong Zheng Xiao to submit!
If they really died in front of Zong Zhengxiao, not only would Rong Yin not be able to wash off the reputation of a monster, Zong Zhengxiao would also be defined as a tyrant in history books, and all the efforts of the two before would be in vain.
Zong Zheng Xiao lowered his eyes and happened to meet the proud eyes of Patriarch Cui.
Patriarch Cui knew that he was going to die soon. He would die sooner or later anyway, so he might as well use his death to pour a basin of dirty water that would never dry up on the two people he hated.
If he succeeded, in a sense, he would still have won the game between the aristocratic families and the royal family.
So he is not just threatening, he really dares to kill you.
Zong Zhengxiao clenched his hands at his side into fists. He did not immediately respond whether he would agree to kill Rong Yin or not. Instead, he looked at the solemn and sacred old Taoist priest behind Patriarch Cui and asked, "The reason why Lord Cui and the people firmly believe that Rong Yin is a demon who brings disaster is because of the Taoist priest's assertion, right?"
When Patriarch Cui saw that he turned his attention to the Taoist priest, he was afraid that something might happen, so he tried to explain, "The Taoist priest's words are only one of the reasons. The facts also prove that Rong Yin is..."
Zong Zhengxiao interrupted him directly, and said in a loud voice: "I just want to ask, you came here to ask me to get rid of Rong Yin, is it because he said that Rong Yin is a demon who brings disaster to the country and the people!!!"
Patriarch Cui was so frightened by Zong Zheng Xiaoling's aura that he trembled and almost dropped the dagger in his hand.
Zong Zheng Xiao: "Why is no one answering? Are you dumb? Weren't you very talkative just now!!!"
Lord Cui did not say anything, and the believers were too intimidated by Zong Zhengxiao's majesty to dare to respond. Finally, it was Prince Ning, who had remained silent, who spoke.
"Your Majesty, it was indeed this Taoist priest who solemnly told the people that the dark clouds swirling in the direction of the palace were caused by an evil spirit, and the evil spirit was Rong Yin. The floods and droughts that occurred in recent years, as well as this year's snowstorm, were all caused by him, so Rong Yin must be eliminated to appease the wrath of heaven."
After saying this, he turned around and looked at the believers and the onlookers, and added: "The people can all testify that what I said is what the Taoist said."
Zong Zhengxiao looked at the believers with a cold expression and said, "Since no one refutes me, then what I said just now is correct. The reason why you believe this Taoist priest is because you think he has superb skills and is a true Taoist, right?"
As Zong Zheng Xiao spoke, his gaze fell on the sanctimonious Taoist priest. The Taoist priest lowered his eyes and dared not meet Zong Zheng Xiao's gaze, cold sweat already breaking out on his back.
It was still Prince Ning who responded to Zong Zhengxiao: "This Taoist priest has traveled to many places in Dasheng in the past few years, helping people catch ghosts and monsters, diagnose and prescribe medicine, and cure many difficult and complicated diseases. In the capital alone, he has had three ghost-catching experiences and prescribed medicine for dozens of patients, and all the patients were cured. That's why many people trust him very much, right, Taoist priest Wuxu?"
Hearing Prince Ning calling him, Wuxu cursed inwardly, but with so many people watching, he couldn't pretend to be deaf, so he put on his usual superior attitude.
"I, the Taoist priest, was inspired by the Heavenly Lord to save the people of the world from danger. Whether it is killing demons or curing illnesses, it is my duty."
As he spoke, the believers holding daggers looked at him with admiration.
Zong Zhengxiao sneered: "Killing demons and monsters, curing diseases and saving lives, haha..."
Wuxu felt guilty when he laughed at him, as if he had been seen through, and he began to feel uncomfortable all over.
At this time, Patriarch Cui finally came back to his senses. He asked, "Your Majesty, are you questioning the Taoist's ability?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of those believers looking at Zong Zheng Xiao suddenly became fierce, as if they were looking at the enemy who killed their father.
At this time, the "evildoer" Rong Yin, as they called him, stood up and looked at Wu Xu with a smile: "Master, you came here today to get rid of me, as you called me, so before you take action, could you please give me some face and let me introduce a few people to you?"
Rong Yin claimed to be asking for Wuxu's opinion, but in fact he did not give him the chance to choose. It was just like them saying "please" but actually forcing Zong Zhengxiao.
After Rong Yin finished speaking, he immediately said to the guard beside him: "Bring the person up."
Before Patriarch Cui and Wuxu could react, a group of people came to them in a huge crowd.
When he saw the faces of those people, Wuxu gasped and was so scared that he almost fell to his feet.
The person walking in front was an old woman. She was dressed simply, had a head full of white hair, and needed someone to support her when she walked.
But when she saw Wuxu in the crowd, her eyes widened with anger. She struggled to break free from the guards' support and rushed forward, shouting, "You evil Taoist! Give me back my daughter! Give me back my daughter's life!!!"
Wuxu was so frightened by the woman that he could no longer sit still and shrank back in fear.
Fortunately, the woman was pulled back by the guards, otherwise he might have jumped up.
Rong Yin said to the woman, "Old lady, the emperor is here. You can tell him any grievances you have, and he will definitely clear your name."
The old woman who was still struggling was stunned for a second when she heard Rong Yin's words. Then she turned to look at Zong Zheng Xiao. After discovering that he was indeed wearing a dragon robe, she knelt down in front of him and cried, "Your Majesty! That evil Taoist priest killed my daughter. Please help me!"
Although the woman was crying, her voice was loud and her logic was clear, and she quickly explained the whole incident.
It turned out that she was originally from the south. After her husband and parents-in-law passed away, she took her only daughter and worked diligently on the farm to make a living.
Five years ago, fishermen in the big river near their village had their boats capsized for unknown reasons and were attacked by dark shadows. Several of them lost their lives.
No one could see clearly what the black shadow was, and the rumor spread that it was Ha Bo's anger.
It happened that Wuxu passed by their village at that time, so the village chief paid him a large sum of money to help him figure out what was going on.
Wuxu ate and drank his fill, took the silver, and then slowly pinched his fingers. He concluded that it was indeed Hebo who was angry. A virgin needed to be sacrificed to Hebo as his wife in order to appease Hebo's anger. Otherwise, there would be constant disasters on the river.
The villagers asked Wuxu who to choose. Wuxu cast his eyes on the old woman's daughter without hesitation and said that he had calculated and the girl's birth date and time were exactly compatible with He Bo, so she had to be the only one to be sacrificed.
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