"Then... I wonder, Prime Minister, what crime does Commandant Zhong Ji also intend to accuse?"
Liu Bian felt uneasy. Even the first prince, Wang Zifu, had been punished so severely, yet it was still not enough to quell Zhao Hao's anger.
Where did these people offend Zhao Hao? They keep saying they are loyal to me, so why did they attack Zhao Hao without telling me?
At this moment, Liu Bian was truly in a state of utter chaos!
“Zhong Ji, I ask you. Is your eldest son named Zhong Qing?”
Zhong Ji's heart skipped a beat when he heard Zhao Hao's words.
Will what's meant to happen still happen?
"Your Excellency, my eldest son is named Zhongqing, courtesy name Ziyan. Perhaps Ziyan has somehow offended Your Excellency? I, Zhongji, am here to apologize..."
Zhao Hao smiled and said, "Your eldest son is only 21 years old this year. But he is quite lucky with women. He has married thirteen concubines at a young age, and just a few days ago he brought in another one, making a total of fourteen concubines."
"Captain Zhong, what I said is absolutely correct, isn't it?"
Zhong Ji nodded, outwardly unmoved, but inwardly he was extremely distressed.
He already knew what Zhao Hao wanted to investigate.
"That's true, but... why discuss such a trivial matter in the imperial court?"
"If the Prime Minister wishes for us to be frugal and have few desires, I, Zhong, will certainly respond willingly. There is no need for the Prime Minister to do so."
Zhao Hao snorted, "Stop giving me this nonsense. Someone, summon my personal guard, Wu Song!"
It seemed as if Zhao Hao had taken control of Xiao Huangmen's brain. Upon hearing Zhao Hao's words, he immediately started to speak in a hoarse, raspy voice.
"It is hereby announced that the Prime Minister will personally guard Wu Song!!"
Soon, Wu Song, his eyes bloodshot, carrying an old but huge wheel on his back, walked into the main hall.
"Greetings to the Prime Minister, greetings to all officials, greetings to His Majesty, Empress Dowager..."
Zhao Hao nodded, "Tell me everything that young master did to you."
"With me here today, not one of them will escape judgment!"
Wu Song cried until his voice was hoarse, and then he recounted his grievances.
"Wu accused Zhong Qing, the son of the Zhong family, of conspiring with the wicked Jinlian to murder Wu Dalang, the elder brother of Wu."
Li Ergou, a villager, and Wang Dawan, a child, were framed for trying to stop the evil deeds of the young master of the Zhong family!
"If this thief doesn't die, it will be an outrage against Heaven!"
Zhong Ji frowned slightly, but felt that going against Zhao Hao now would only lead to the same fate as Wang Zifu's family.
"Hmm? Is that so?! Prime Minister, may I go back and question this beast carefully to find out if he has done such a heinous thing."
If this is true, then I will punish him severely without exception.
"Heh, Captain Zhong, you don't know how to teach your son? Then I'll teach him for you today!"
Slap! Slap!
This time, Zhao Hao did not speak to the eunuch.
The deterrent effect has already been achieved; now, all that's needed is to show them the bloody reality!
"Ugh! Ugh!!"
A young man, his abdomen covered in blood, was carried into the main hall by two of Zhao Hao's personal guards.
Zhang Rang and Zhang Gong were overjoyed. "Prime Minister, if this man is not killed, this old man can wield the knife a few more times!"
Zhao Hao nodded, and the two of them, seeing this, wisely shut their mouths.
Zhong Ji was the only one who stood there stunned. After he came to his senses, he glared angrily at Zhao Hao and then looked around at the court officials, but no one spoke up for him.
Finally, he could only look at his eldest son with disappointment and frustration, then knelt down in front of Liu Bian and said in a desperate gamble.
"Your Majesty, even if my son is at fault, he should not be treated so cruelly and inhumanely by the Duke of Qin! I beg Your Majesty, I beg the Empress Dowager, please do justice for me!"
Liu Bian couldn't stand it any longer. A few lowly commoners had died, but Zhong Ji and his son were pillars of the nation.
They just castrated someone without saying a word; that's really something!
"Prime Minister, now that Young Master Zhong will suffer the pain of being unable to have sex for the rest of his life, this punishment is enough!"
"Guards, summon the imperial physician and take Young Master Zhong away for treatment!"
Zhao Hao chuckled. Those who died, several lives lost.
How could that be? Just because you say so doesn't mean it's okay.
"Your Majesty has misspoke. In a country governed by the rule of law, even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners!"
Zhao Hao's eyes flashed with murderous intent, giving Liu Bian no room to refute.
"Today, I will ask you, Zhong Ji, whether you plead guilty or not. You, Zhong Qingcheng, do not admit the trouble you have caused!"
Zhao Hao winked at the two guards, and the cloth strip stuffed in Zhong Qing's mouth was removed.
"Zhao Hao! You shall die a horrible death! I have committed adultery with your mother, and I wish I could eat your flesh and sleep on your skin..."
Bang!
Zhong Qing unleashed a torrent of abuse, but his guards wouldn't tolerate it.
After being punched hard in the abdomen by Zhao Hao's personal guard, his already pale face turned even paler.
Zhong Qing could clearly feel the wound between his legs beginning to burst open, and the waves of pain became increasingly clear.
"Father, save me!"
Zhong Ji's eyes widened in fury. "Zhao Hao, what else do you want?!"
Zhao Hao, expressionless, coldly recounted a story.
Wu Dalang was just an ordinary villager who sold pancakes.
And those villagers who still had a shred of conscience were beaten to death by you.
Today, you, the Zhong family father and son, have defied the law and committed unforgivable crimes!
"Wu Song, put the wheels down!"
The huge wheels were instantly laid flat on the ground, making a tremendous noise.
“Once, I, Zhao Hao, slaughtered countless barbarian invaders in the northern frontier.”
This wheel was the one used on the day the Xianbei and Xiongnu were wiped out; "anything taller than a wheel was left untouched."
Everyone looked at the rusty wheel and seemed to have guessed what was going on.
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