"Where do people's hearts lie?"
The prefect's voice carried a hint of mockery, a cold smile playing on his lips, as if he were ridiculing the emptiness and powerlessness of the word.
"If everyone present, and indeed all the people of the Southern Dynasty, can uphold justice and turn their hearts toward the light, then that will truly be the direction of the people's hearts."
If Your Highness's actions today are merely to punish me alone, or to use me as a pretext to give His Majesty a reason to purge the old faction, but you have failed to see the deeper issues behind it, I fear it will only damage the true hearts of the people and dishearten many more.
These words sounded righteous and awe-inspiring, but upon closer inspection, he completely ignored the heinous things he had done, and only attributed Rong Ning's current actions to the new emperor's persecution of old officials in order to consolidate his position.
They do know how to twist the facts.
Rong Ning found it absurd. "Hurt people's hearts? May I ask whose hearts were hurt?"
Rong Ning's voice was as cold as ice, and her eyes flashed with an undeniable light, "It is the heart of you parasites who are indulging in the lust for power and who regard the suffering of the people as nothing."
If that's truly the case, I think this kind of 'wound' might just be the opportunity for the Southern Dynasty to be reborn.
Her words conveyed a sense of determination and resolve, as if announcing the arrival of a revolution.
Upon hearing this, the prefect showed no fear whatsoever; instead, he burst into laughter, his laughter tinged with self-mockery and helplessness.
"Your Highness always attributes the decline of the Southern Dynasty to the monopoly and weakness of the civil service group, but little do you know that there are more complex historical reasons behind it."
Emperor Taizu established the country through military force, and his iron cavalry swept across the four directions. How glorious was that!
However, as time passed and imperial power changed, the status of military generals was gradually weakened, while civil officials gradually rose to prominence.
This was not achieved overnight, but rather the result of several generations of emperors and countless political struggles.
His words revealed a profound reflection on the past and a sense of helplessness, as if he were defending the entire civil service group, or as if he were denouncing the coldness and ruthlessness of imperial power.
"Your Highness may think that it is because we civil officials have forgotten our original aspirations and our duties as subjects that the Southern Dynasty has declined."
But Your Highness, please consider this carefully: if the royal family had not repeatedly weakened the power of military generals and elevated the status of civil officials for its own safety, how could the Southern Dynasty have come to this point?
The cause and effect involved here cannot be simply summarized by the phrase "civil officials dominate the court."
The prefect's eyes flashed with desolation and determination, as if he had seen through the tragedy and helplessness of this era.
He looked up at Rong Ning, his eyes, which had once gleamed with shrewdness only when navigating the officialdom, were now filled with mockery.
"Your Highness, do you think you can change this deeply entrenched situation by your own efforts alone?"
You are wrong!
The Southern Dynasty's court was already deeply entrenched in problems, and this was not something that had happened overnight.
Civil officials have their own hardships and helplessness, and military generals have their own bitterness and sacrifices. In this era of absolute imperial power, each of us is merely a pawn on a chessboard.
His words conveyed a profound sense of despair and powerlessness, as if his most sincere emotions had erupted at that moment, issuing a final accusation and cry to this indifferent and cruel world.
It was not merely a lament for personal fate, but a powerful denunciation of the injustice and darkness of the world.
But what gives him the right?
What is the root cause of all this?
As a prefect, he should have been a protector of the people and a pillar of the nation.
However, he deviated from this responsibility, failing to seek the well-being of the people and instead abusing his power for personal gain, placing his personal interests above the greater good of the nation.
His actions have undoubtedly caused great harm to this land and its people.
In the battle against Da Jing, the northern lands suffered the ravages of war, with countless lives lost and people displaced.
At such a time, the North needs an official who cares about the people and is responsible to take charge and lead everyone out of the predicament.
But what did this prefect do? He not only failed to fulfill his responsibilities, but also exacerbated the suffering in the north.
What face does he have to protest the injustice of this world?
His accusations were merely because his own crimes had been exposed, and the person who exposed him was none other than Rong Ning, a woman of noble birth and prominent status.
Faced with such an opponent, he had no room for maneuver and could only allow his crimes to be exposed one by one.
Imagine, what would have happened if Rong Ning hadn't lingered in the North and hadn't made up his mind to expose these sordid affairs?
He will only continue to evade the law and enjoy the comfortable life brought by power, so why would he think of making any accusations?
How could they possibly think of fighting for a moment of peace for the people of the North?
That's utterly absurd.
Rong Ning was too lazy to waste any more words with him, so she ordered her men to tie him up and take him back to the state prison in the city.
The prison was cold and damp, and the prefect was pushed in, staggering as he went.
Rong Ning casually toyed with the instruments of torture and said, "I have all the evidence against you."
If you don't want to suffer any physical pain, like General Bai, write a confession yourself. If you can name the person backing you up, I might show you leniency.
Faced with this situation, the prefect knew he was going to die either way, so he didn't want to argue anymore.
He readily pleaded guilty.
His downfall also implicated a group of Mingzhou officials who blindly followed his lead.
Rong Ning acted swiftly, arresting all the officials and sending them to prison to await their fate.
Before taking action, Princess Rong Ning had already notified the camp of General Wang, the northern garrison closest to Kangye City.
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