"Just behead them as much as you like!" Huang Yifu said coldly: "I'm not like your ministers who do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Even if I hate someone, I won't deliberately slander them."
These words were obviously intended to refute Emperor Zhaowu's previous suspicions. Seeing that Emperor Zhaowu could not get anything out of his mouth, he simply waved his hand and ordered: "Come here, drag him down and execute him in Lingchi, so as not to make me feel bad."
!”
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Huang Yifu was picked up by the soldiers on the spot and dragged out of the Jinluan Palace. As he left, he kept cursing and full of anger and despair.
Shi Chunfen lowered her head tightly, not daring to raise her eyes to look at him again. This enemy who had threatened her at every turn was helping her before he died, but she was helpless. She couldn't even say a word of mercy. She hated herself.
She was cowardly and hated the emperor's injustice even more. From the time she walked into the Golden Palace to now, the emperor was targeting them every word. No matter how stupid she was, she understood the emperor's intention at this moment.
This is simply an accusation that does not require evidence. The emperor has already determined that they want to rebel, and the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty will be their enemies. They are completely besieged on all sides!
Even she could see things, how could the rest of the Chu family not see it?
But even if they figured it out, they could only pretend to know nothing and wait for the Lord of Huating County to intercede for them.
The head of Huating County took several deep breaths before she managed to calm down her mood. Before today, she already knew that the emperor's brother had ill intentions towards the Chu family, but it wasn't until she saw his aggressiveness with her own eyes that she realized that he was
How cruel her heart was, she closed her eyes and pulled out a sarcastic smile on her lips, "The witness has made it so clear. Brother Huang still thinks that the Chu family has colluded with him, right?"
Emperor Zhaowu's eyes darkened and he said nothing.
Taifu Liu quickly said: "Don't be impatient, county magistrate. We have only cross-examined one witness in total, and it is not time to draw a conclusion yet."
The head of Huating County frowned, "What do you want?"
Taifu Liu sneered, "The county leader made serious remarks. I don't dare to do anything to the county leader. It's just that for such a serious crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason, we should cross-examine a few more witnesses before we can reach a conclusion."
"Taifu is right." Emperor Zhaowu said solemnly: "Qingqing, don't worry, let me listen to the testimonies of a few more people before making a decision."
The emperor had already spoken, and the head of Huating County could only compromise, "I wonder whose testimony your brother would like to hear?"
Emperor Zhaowu glanced at Taifu Liu, who quickly said: "Since all members of the Chu family are present, presumably the instigator must also be present. Why not listen to their speeches and then make a conclusion?"
"Yes." Emperor Zhaowu nodded slightly, "What the Grand Master said is true."
His eyes swept around the Chu family, and he said coldly: "Who are the second wives of the Chu family? Come forward and let me see!"
Hearing his words, Chu Shun and others were so frightened that their legs weakened. How could they dare to stand up?
Seeing this situation, Chu Ling and Chu Run took action at the same time and pushed them out.
Chu Run took the lead and said: "Your Majesty, the common people are Chu Run, the second son of the Chu family. These three are my father Chu Shun, my mother Xue Jinxiu and my eldest brother Chu Quan. The whole city's iron conquest that day was all because of them.
He was greedy for life and afraid of death, and was coerced by the rebels, so he had no choice but to act as a helper."
"Oh?" Emperor Zhaowu raised his eyebrows, "Is that so?"
From the moment he was pushed out by Chu Run, Chu Bian knew that he had no way to turn back, so he could only nod his head, "That's it. Your Majesty, please take a closer look."
Mother and son Xue Jinxiu and Chu Quan hugged each other. They were used to being arrogant in the Chu family, but they did not dare to act arrogantly in the Jinluan Palace. When they heard what Chu Shun said, they nodded quickly, "Your Majesty is aware of this, please forgive me!"
Seeing their trembling family, looking greedy for life and afraid of death, but not like a mastermind who dared to collaborate with the enemy and betray the country, Emperor Zhaowu narrowed his eyes and turned to Chu Run, "Since you are the second wife, why didn't you participate?
"
Chu Run didn't expect that Emperor Zhaowu would care about this. Although he was a little surprised, he still replied in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Majesty, because the common people are born as commoners, they have no right to interfere with the affairs of their father and brother. The entire Liuzhou City knows that my father is very important."
He is a concubine, so my two younger brothers and I were not directly involved in this matter."
Seeing that he unceremoniously cut off his relationship with Chu Shun, the civil and military officials in the entire court were in an uproar. They had seen unfilial sons who were greedy for life and afraid of death, but never such an obvious one.
Emperor Zhaowu was stunned. He did not expect that the relationship between their father and son would be so bad. He frowned and said, "He is your father. He was coerced by the rebels to do such a thing. Don't you worry at all?"
"Of course the grass-roots people are worried." Chu Run replied: "But the more worried the grass-roots people are, the more they will become their father's weakness. Before his father helped the rebels, he had repeatedly warned the grass-roots people not to show any nervousness, so as not to
One more person is captured by the rebels to do something."
Seeing that he was going around in a big circle, it turned out that he wanted to prove the loyalty of the Chu family. Chu Ling raised his eyebrows and gave his cousin a rare look.
After hearing this, the head of Huating County quickly said: "Brother Emperor, do you believe it now? The Chu family is so sincere to the court that they would rather pretend that father and son are against each other in order not to help the rebels. This is such a great sentiment."
In my opinion, not only should they not be blamed by the court, but they should be rewarded. Otherwise, wouldn’t they chill the hearts of thousands of loyal and loyal people in the world?”
"Not only will you not be convicted, but you will also be rewarded?" Taifu Liu sneered at the side and said dissatisfied: "I have been serving as an official in the court for so many years, but I have never heard such ridiculous remarks!"
"Taifu Liu!" The head of Huating County became anxious, "Since I returned to the capital, you have always been against me. I don't know where I have offended you. You want to be so aggressive?!"
"The county master's words are serious." Taifu Liu bowed his hand to her and said bluntly: "The county master has never offended an old minister. It's just that the state has national laws and the family has family rules. The emperor's violation of the law is the same as the common people. What's more, this group of businessmen, how can it be
Just because they are the county lord’s family, the civil and military affairs of the court and the emperor’s laws must all be compromised for the county lord?”
"You?!" He said so righteously that the head of Huating County couldn't find the words to refute.
Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Emperor Zhaowu coughed lightly and said calmly: "What the Grand Tutor said is true, but what Qingqing said is not unreasonable. If the Chu family is really loyal, I don't want to chill the hearts of the people in the world."
Hearing what he said, the head of Huating County felt relieved and asked him tentatively: "What does the emperor mean?"
Before Emperor Zhaowu had time to answer, Taifu Liu rushed to say: "Your Majesty, I have witnesses in my hands. Please ask your Majesty to send them to the palace."
"Oh?" Emperor Zhaowu glanced at Huating County Lord and said in surprise: "Are there any witnesses?"
"Exactly." Taifu Liu explained: "Originally, the evidence of the Chu family's collusion with the enemy and treason was conclusive. The old minister did not want the family affairs of the Huating County Lord to cause trouble, so he did not escort the witnesses to the palace. But he did not expect that the County Lord, she
Confusing right and wrong, he went so far as to exonerate the traitor family in front of the civil and military officials of the court. The veteran couldn't bear it anymore, so he decided to make the truth public."
"Bastard!" Huating County Lord became angry, "Since there are witnesses already, why didn't you report them to the main hall from the beginning? Could it be that you, Mr. Liu, knew you were in the wrong and didn't dare to summon them for confrontation from the beginning?!"
"Whether I am in the wrong or not will be clear when the few witnesses come to the palace." Taifu Liu said calmly: "Your Majesty, please call the witnesses to the palace to clear my mind!"
He had said so, and Emperor Zhaowu naturally would not refuse, and quickly said: "Everything will be done according to what the Taifu said, and the witnesses will be summoned to the palace."
After the emperor finished speaking, a eunuch soon called in the witnesses Liu Taifu said. When those people stood in front of the Chu family one by one, Shi Chunfen and others knew that something was wrong.
"Common people come to see the emperor and wish the emperor long live, long live, long live!"
"Okay, okay, no need to be too polite." Emperor Zhaowu said impatiently: "Who are you, and what do you want to prove when you go to the palace?"
Hearing his question, those people glanced at Taifu Liu subconsciously. Seeing him nodding, they stood up and said: "The civilian girl Hongxing was once the personal maid of the eldest mistress of the Chu family. That day the rebels entered the city, and the entire Liuzhou
There are rumors in the city that the eldest mistress of the Chu family, Hongxing, is out of the wall because she holds a grudge because my eldest son shot an arrow at her during the siege of the city, and secretly colludes with the leader of the rebels, Huang Yifu, to act cunningly."
"You're talking nonsense!" Shi Chunfen became anxious. She hated the most in her life when someone framed her for cheating on Hongxing, so she didn't care about being in the Jinluan Palace at this moment. "For your Majesty, this Hongxing was sold to the seller for glory."
She was driven out of Chu's house by a common woman. When the rebels entered the city, she was not at Chu's house at all. Naturally, she did not know what was going on. Please don't listen to the slander and wrongfully accuse a common woman."
"I was indeed not in the Chu family at that time!" Hongxing gritted her teeth and said, "Because I had already been sold to Hualiu Village by you, and I was tortured there!"
As she spoke, she suddenly pulled down her sleeves and showed the flowers on her body to the civil and military officials of the court. "These are the proof that I have stayed in Hualiu Village. This eldest mistress of the Chu family has a human face and a beast heart. She has been with the Chu family long before the rebels entered the city."
The Fourth Young Master and her maternal second cousin don’t know each other. Is it any wonder that such a woman would betray her country and seek glory?!"
"The fourth young master of the Chu family?" Emperor Zhaowu frowned and subconsciously looked at everyone in the Chu family, "Who is the fourth young master?"
Chu Run had no choice but to stand up and replied: "It's just the grassroots people."
"It's you again?" Emperor Zhaowu looked him up and down, and suddenly realized: "No wonder you don't get along with your father and brother. It turns out that you colluded with the eldest mistress of the eldest room, so..."
"It's unjust, Your Majesty!" Chu Run knelt down quickly and interrupted: "The common people are willing to use their own heads to guarantee that they have no personal relationship with my hall sister-in-law!"
"Your Majesty!" Shi Chunfen also said excitedly: "She sold Hongxing to seek glory. She is not upright, so she deliberately wronged me and Fourth Master. Her testimony cannot be trusted!"
"Yes, Brother Huang." The Lord of Huating County also stood up, "I have heard about the incident between Chunfen and Arun for a long time. She is my daughter-in-law. Don't I still know who she is?"
Is it good? There is nothing personal between them."
"Since she is the county lord's daughter-in-law, the county lord naturally favors her." Among the group of witnesses Liu Taifu found, someone else soon came forward.
Emperor Zhaowu glanced at the man and frowned on the spot, "Who are you? Why are you covering your face with a silk scarf and not daring to show your face?"
Hearing his question, the man suddenly knelt down and cried bitterly: "Your Majesty, the civilian girl Kong Youlian is the daughter of the Qingqi General under the county lord. That day in Huating, the county lord wanted to give birth to his eldest son Chu Ling.
Looking for a concubine, they specially selected folk girls. Wang Jixue and Jiang Ya served Chu Ling together. Unexpectedly, Chu Ling's wife Shi Chunfen was a jealous woman.
In order to protect his daughter-in-law, the county magistrate personally suppressed the matter and did not allow the daughter-in-law to mention it again. The life of the daughter-in-law was ruined by them. Please ask Your Majesty to make the decision for the daughter-in-law.
Justice for the daughter of the people!"
As she spoke, Kong Youlian quickly pulled off the silk scarf on her face, exposing the scars on her face to others.
Everyone was in an uproar after seeing it, and even Emperor Zhaowu took a breath, "How unreasonable!" Emperor Zhaowu became angry, "The scar on your face was really caused by the Spring Equinox? How can there be such a jealous woman in the world?!
"
"Of course not." Chu Ling stood up and defended the Spring Equinox: "Your Majesty, I know the situation clearly. The entire county government can testify for the Spring Equinox. The wound on Kong Youlian's face is definitely not her fault.
for."
"The County Lord's Mansion is all your subordinates, so of course they will speak for her." Kong Youlian sneered: "You dare to say that the wound on my face was not caused by the County Lord's Mansion? If it wasn't her, then who could it be?
!”
"I sent someone to do it." The Lord of Huating County couldn't bear it anymore and said in a deep voice, "It's because you are shameless in my house and tried to seduce my son. I can't see it, so I punished you with a small punishment.
Commandment, I didn’t expect that two years later, you would go to the Jinluan Palace and give false testimony to frame my daughter-in-law. I really regret that I didn’t strike harder and take your life!”
"Did the County Lord do it?" Kong Youlian looked at the other party blankly, suddenly screamed, and rushed towards the County Lord Huating, "Why did you do this? It was obviously you who sent me to seduce your son, you
Why do you do this and directly ruin my life?!"
Seeing that she was about to meet the head of Huating County, Chu Ling kicked her to the ground with his quick hands and eyes, "With such a vicious heart like yours, my mother will never fall in love with a woman like you!"
Kong Youlian was kicked several meters away by him, but she still struggled to get up and kept shouting in the palace, "You Chu family are all devils and have no humanity. I have never offended you, but you are going to ruin my life.
You are not human, you will not die well!"
Seeing her spitting filth, each sentence becoming more unpleasant than the other, Emperor Zhaowu frowned and said dissatisfied: "Come here, stop her mouth and drag her down, so as not to dirty my ears!"