Outside Hanyuan Hall, officials from the poor family were at the forefront. Wang Zai, the Minister of Civil Service, was in a daze. He did not recover from the violent shock for a long time.

Ever since he saw Zhao Xuanji being pushed in front of him, he fell into deep self-doubt, and unconsciously began to doubt the fairness of the entire dynasty's treatment of the Zhao family.

He turned around and looked at Xu Lin, who was not too far away from him. Fang Bu and the others had similar expressions to his, with guilt and self-blame written almost nakedly on his face.

To be fair, he, Xu Lin, Fang Buong and others have always believed in the character and integrity of Zhao Ning, Zhao Xuanji and others, and have often admired Zhao's achievements and loyalty. But that's all.

They did not have a deep understanding of Zhao's hardships and hardships, and they did not realize the heavy price Zhao paid to achieve those outstanding achievements, and the unknown struggles and persistence he had!

"The merits of the country and the power of protecting the nation have been ignored and forgotten after the national war. Is it really true that we are all so ungrateful?" Wang Zai couldn't help but ask himself.

The answer is obvious.

It's not that they all have no conscience, but some people deliberately downplay the achievements of the Zhao family, so that people don't talk about it, pay attention to the various contributions of the Zhao family during the National War, and use various covert means to guide people not to care about the Zhao family!

This person is Song Zhi, the Emperor of Da Qi.

He is the biggest beneficiary of the victory of the National War!

After the National War, Song Zhi never mentioned the Zhao family's meritorious service in the National War. He did not use the Zhao family's people when there was a war in the dynasty. The Prince of Tang County never had the opportunity to offer advice in the court.

Wang Zai turned to look at Hanyuan Hall, his eyes flickering and his face downcast.

He had to think about some practical issues: An emperor should have an emperor's mind, but can an emperor who does not distinguish between black and white, unclear about good and punishment, and employs people inappropriately, really be an emperor who is good for the world?

Is he a qualified emperor?

The world is in chaos, who should bear this responsibility?

Who can give Daqi Tianxia a bright future?

With this in mind, Wang Zai signaled to Xu Lin and Fang BuTong, who were looking over one after another, and asked him to take He Zhenzhi and others with him and follow him to the back of the crowd. He had something to say.

...

In Hanyuan Hall.

Song Zhi, who was sitting high on the stage, watched Zhao Xuanji's eyes change continuously. After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he said calmly and with dignity: "Dong Zhen Guo came to Hanyuan Hall at this time. Could it be that he wanted to do something for you?"

Are these rebellious families justified?

"The Duke of Zhen Guo should know that they are all genuine national thieves, and the evidence is conclusive. If Duke Zhen Guo delays me in quelling the rebellion and punishing the thieves, I am afraid that it will make people doubt Zhao's intentions and damage Zhao's reputation for loyalty."

As soon as he opened his mouth, he blocked the possibility of Zhao Xuanji "doing justice".

Zhao Xuanji, who had a sallow complexion, coughed twice, gasped and spoke with difficulty:

"Your Majesty, I just want to ask, if the Chen family, Hanshi family and other aristocratic families are overthrown today, will your Majesty... ahem, have to deal with the Zhao family?"

Song Zhi's eyes narrowed.

He didn't expect Zhao Xuanji to ask the question so directly. But this question no longer poses a threat to him. Today, he already has the strength to do whatever he wants regardless of everything!

The emperor said expressionlessly: "I have always been strict about rewards and punishments. When the national war ended and rewards were given based on merit, I never treated any meritorious minister badly.

"Zhao Ning accepted the title of County Prince and became the only king with a different surname since the founding of the Qi Dynasty. This is the best proof of my attitude towards the Zhao family.

"If the Zhao family has always been a loyal minister, I will naturally have more trust. But if the Duke of Zhen wants to speak for the national traitors today and associate with the traitors, then I will have to deal with it impartially and take down the Zhao family!"

Such "selfless" words made the remaining ray of light in Zhao Xuanji's eyes disappear completely. He covered his chest and kept coughing. He coughed so fiercely that people doubted whether he could still breathe.

When the civil and military ministers inside and outside the palace heard this, their expressions changed dramatically, or their whole bodies froze.

In order to avoid being affected by the war, although they were a little far away from Hanyuan Palace, they were both masters and strong men. If they paid close attention to the movements in the palace, they could basically hear the conversation between Song Zhi and Zhao Xuanji clearly.

"What wrong has the Zhao family done so far to allow His Majesty to treat the seriously ill Lord Zhenguo so ruthlessly and say that he wants to capture the Zhao family?"

"Your Majesty has made it clear that he is going to deal with the Zhao family!"

"You have always been a loyal minister. What kind of loyal minister? A loyal minister like 'If you want me to die, I have to die'?"

Many similar voices echoed in the hearts of countless officials.

Most of them looked resentful and could not accept that facing such a great governor, the emperor still did not feel any guilt or emotion at all. There was no hint of intimacy in his words, and he did not leave any room for words.

Everyone knows that emperors are ruthless, but which emperor would really show no emotion at all? If he is not close to or trusts his ministers, and does not respect or care for his heroes, wouldn't such an emperor chill everyone's heart?

Now, Song Zhi is so ruthless that everyone feels uncomfortable.

Zhao Xuanji struggled to stand up. He tried hard for a long time but failed. Finally, he was helped by the girl in the red dress beside him, and he got up from the chair.

As soon as he stood firm, he pushed away the girl in the red dress, straightened his clothes, looked directly at Song Zhi with a solemn face, stretched out his foot with difficulty but firmness, and lowered it slowly but powerfully.

Just like that, Zhao Xuanji took three steps.

These three steps attracted everyone's attention and made many people hold their breaths uncontrollably. Many generals even shouted involuntarily: "Grand Governor!" for fear that Zhao Xuanji would fall to the ground accidentally.

Zhao Xuanji did not fall.

He faced Song Zhi. Although his figure was still stooped and thin, he stood surprisingly stable, as steady as a rock!

Just like the Zhao clan members stood at Yanmen Pass, Jingxing Pass, and at the top of Shouyang City, facing the surging Beihu army, wearing armor and standing strong!

Song Zhi felt a little nervous.

He felt a force. This was not the force of cultivation, nor the brute force of the body, but the force of will - the will of the strong!

Fearless warrior will!

The will of a patriot who would rather break than bend!

Indomitable will of a man!

Even though thousands of people are gone, my heroic will will go away!

At this moment, Song Zhi suddenly understood something.

Why were the people of the Zhao family able to face the most powerful enemy during the most difficult period of the national war, and still remain unyielding and unyielding, blocking the Beihu army time and time again, and repelling the Beihu attacks again and again.

This will allowed them to defend Hedong, north of the Yellow River, for five years without retreating. It was also this will that allowed them to defend Yanmen Pass, the northern gate of the country, for more than 130 years without any defeat.

lose!

Song Zhi did not have this will, so he felt oppressed.

A powerful practitioner in the middle stage of Wangji Realm and the supreme emperor of the Qi Dynasty dared to feel the pressure coming towards him when facing an old man who had no power to restrain a chicken!

Zhao Xuanji spoke slowly but forcefully every word: "Your Majesty, when the Chen family, Han Shi and other aristocratic families faced the invasion of Beihu, they fought bloody battles for five years, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries among their clansmen, and only then did Da Qi's country be preserved.

"Since ancient times, for those who have been ministers, thousands of achievements cannot be equaled by one failure. If a king wants his ministers to die, there will always be various reasons and means to make the ministers have to die, or even leave them with eternal infamy.

"I have been a loyal minister all my life and devoted everything to the imperial court. Even my life is running out. I never dared to disobey His Majesty's will. In the end, I did not gain His Majesty's trust.

"The aristocratic family has made great contributions to this country and this nation, and they have sacrificed their lives and blood for their contributions! But when His Majesty eradicated the aristocratic family, he did not show any pity or hesitation. He just wanted to uproot the aristocratic family!

"It is not that the noble family cannot perish. The general trend of the world and the trend of history are such that no one can do anything about it.

"But the death of the family cannot be caused by His Majesty's unreasonable and unwarranted actions, which ignore the contribution of the family to the national war, and use tactics and power to destroy it today!

"Since before the National War, His Majesty provoked the struggle between the generals and the noble families, divided and suppressed the aristocratic family, and experienced heavy losses in the National War, now, the aristocratic family is an old man, weak and on the verge of death.

"Just like the old minister.

"Now, Your Majesty has to deal with the Chen family, Hanshi family and other aristocratic families, and he will do everything at once. Please forgive me... I will be a disloyal minister today!

"Old minister, I want to stand with these heroes who were not massacred by Beihu's army, and ask Your Majesty: Where is the fairness of my noble family? Where is the dignity of my noble family?!"

The last words came out of Zhao Xuanji's mouth, full of grief, anger and unwillingness, loud and thunderous!

After speaking, he slowly opened his arms.

His arms were not raised high. He was no longer able to raise his arms. He indeed had no strength, just like those aristocratic families who were destined to perish.

But these arms were raised firmly!

Once upon a time, these hands held knives and swords, guarded the country and held great power, killed enemies and blocked Beihu's hidden arrows! Today, these hands are thin and weak, but his will to protect what he wants to protect is still as strong as ever.

.

Inside and outside the palace, all the civil and military officials who saw this scene and heard Zhao Xuanji's words fell silent.

The general trend of the times and the historical trend want the family to perish, and the family must perish.

Since before the National War, the aristocratic family had been plotted against by Song Zhi in various ways. Even if he was unwilling to do so, there was nothing to say. After all, his skills were inferior to others.

However, during the five-year national war, so many people from the aristocratic family died, and they worked so hard to save the Qi Dynasty. It is unacceptable that Song Zhi will continue to destroy the aristocratic family in this dynasty.

Can an emperor with no clear sense of right and wrong, no distinction between grudges and grudges, and unlimited rewards and punishments, and the dynasty under his rule, really be a dynasty worth trusting?

Even if you are a treacherous villain or a corrupt official who has climbed to a high position by any means, do you really want to live in such a world from the bottom of your heart?

Will the wealth they worked hard for last long in the face of such an emperor?

Look at what Daqi Tianxia has become now.

Rebellions are everywhere, the city is on fire, the strong are separatists, the weak are rebelling, the inferiors are conquering the superiors, and the defeated troops turn into thieves... Wherever the army passes, whose family, life, glory and wealth will definitely be preserved? Whose wife, children, and children will definitely be preserved

Survive?

Wherever the flood passes, is there any place that is not wet?

Who would want an unstable world?
Chapter completed!