Still in that remote small room, Cai You was restless and walked around the room with a somewhat anxious look on his face.
He had not eaten since he came out in the morning, but at this moment, he was guarding the table of food, but he had no appetite at all. Sometimes he frowned worriedly, and sometimes there was a bit of regret in his eyebrows...
The sound of rapid footsteps suddenly came from outside the hospital. Cai You was startled and subconsciously wanted to open the door to greet him.
But then he seemed to have thought of something, and looked out through the window, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a familiar figure.
"Brother Lu!"
Cai You hurriedly opened the door and hurried forward to greet him. The eagerness on his face could not be concealed.
"Haha, don't worry, Brother Cai, it's done!"
"Done?"
Cai You suddenly felt happy, but looked at Lu Bu in disbelief: "Brother Lu..."
Lu Bu led him into the room and said with emotion: "This time it is really too dangerous. Both Tang Guogong and Dr. Wei have sent the documents of the judgment to Your Majesty. If I arrive a little later, Your Majesty will have someone send it to the Central Government."
The Ministry of Education is recruiting people."
Cai You's breathing was a little rapid. Even though he had just heard the result from Lu Bu, he still couldn't help but feel nervous at this moment.
"Your Majesty...what did he say?"
Lu Bu noticed the fluctuation in his mentality, laughed and patted his shoulder, pulled Cai You to sit at the table, and poured him a glass of wine with his own hands: "You kid is really lucky. Your Majesty is so angry with them."
It’s no good, I’ve been saying a while ago that I must not let them go.”
"But I don't know what happened. I went there today and the old man actually calmed down."
Cai You was also keenly aware of the change in Lu Bu's attitude, and he felt relieved a little.
Lu Bu poured himself a glass of wine and drank it, shaking his head and sighing: "Although Your Majesty dislikes your relatives very much, for some reason, he thinks you are a talent."
"Normally no one dares to bargain with the court on this punishment, but I didn't expect that this time you would really fall for me."
"The verdict document does require that the two main conspirators, Han Mulu and Song Qiaonian, be beheaded and their homes confiscated, and their descendants for three generations will not be allowed to use them. However, your majesty helped you persuade Duke Tang and Wei Dafu. Now the lives of Han Mulu and Song Qiaonian have indeed been saved.
, and no jail time.”
After hearing this, Cai You finally let out a long sigh of relief, and slumped down on the chair as if all his strength had been exhausted.
But just after falling down, he sat up straight again as if he was electrocuted, and looked at Lu Bu nervously: "Brother Lu, what else did your Majesty say? Does he think I am... too presumptuous?"
Lu Bu looked at him with a half-smile but said, "Don't be anxious yet."
"Although the death penalty of your two relatives can be avoided, they cannot escape the living penalty."
"Although there is no need to be executed, it is inevitable to have your family ransacked. You will also be demoted to common people and repatriated to your place of origin. In addition, the three generations of descendants are not allowed to use the family name and have been changed to the fifth generation... But I feel that this is nothing to you.
Bar?"
Cai You immediately said decisively: "Your Majesty can forgive their sins, which is already an ocean of heavenly grace. Now they deserve these sins and they have brought it on themselves. The common people dare not expect anything else."
Lu Bu laughed loudly: "Your Majesty is indeed right about you. You are a person who knows how to measure and how to advance and retreat."
Cai You also laughed, but the nervous look in his eyes had not yet dissipated.
What he just said is indeed the truth. As long as people don't die, these are nothing.
Having their property confiscated, demoted to common people, and deported to their place of origin may be like going from heaven to hell to other officials, but it is not unacceptable to Han Mulu and Song Qiaonian.
They are relatives of Cai Jing and the core members of Cai's party.
Even if he loses a penny and is sent back to his hometown with his whole family, can Cai Jing still let them starve and freeze?
There is no jail sentence now. What awaits them for the rest of their lives is to become rich men in their hometown, live a life of bullying men, dominating women, and molesting their grandchildren...
As for the prohibition of use in the Five Dynasties, this can be avoided. As long as one adopts his own son to a brother of the same clan, he can still take the imperial examination and become an official.
And whether it is the third generation or the fifth generation, it doesn't matter to Cai You at all, and he doesn't want to care.
Even though the two parties are close and warm now, after three or five generations, it will still be unknown whether the two families will have any contact with each other!
And by that time, Cai You will be long gone.
Therefore, Cai You didn't pay attention to this at all, and even thought that it didn't matter even if he was ten generations, as long as he didn't leave a bad impression on His Majesty the Emperor.
After Cai You thought nervously, he stood up and poured Lu Bu a glass of wine: "Brother Lu, please."
Lu Bu looked at him with a smile and did not refuse. He took the wine glass and drank it in one gulp.
"Don't worry too much."
After finishing the drink, Lu Bu placed the wine glass on the table: "I have told you that His Majesty has a good opinion of you, so don't worry too much."
"I..." Cai You sighed, but still worried: "I just feel that I have gone too far, and I am scared."
"As Brother Lu said, how can ordinary people dare to bargain with the imperial court? This is extremely disrespectful! Now I don't know how high the sky is, lest your majesty will be angry because of this..."
Lu Bu smiled and shook his head when he heard this: "Don't panic."
"Your Majesty has always been very tolerant towards his own people. As long as you are sincerely loyal to His Majesty... these are all small things."
"I..." Cai You hesitated: "Can I do it too?"
"sure!"
Lu Bu put down his wine glass, stood up, walked slowly behind him, and patted his shoulder: "Your Majesty is willing to help you this time just because he thinks highly of you. Do you think it's okay?"
"Your father is your father, your uncle is your uncle, and you are yourself. His Majesty will not confuse you two."
Cai You breathed a sigh of relief, and his eyes showed full emotion.
Lu Bu chuckled again and said, "Besides, apart from anything else, I still envy you."
Cai You's heart moved, he raised his head and said with a smile: "I should be envious of Brother Lu."
Lu Bu shook his head: "If you ask me, you are the one who truly knows how to be blessed despite being blessed."
"Your father is Mr. Cai. Mr. Cai was very powerful in the past. You will have no worries if you follow Mr. Cai. No matter where you go, others will respect you and support you."
"But to put it bluntly, in this world, no one can avoid the four words of birth, old age, illness and death. Even Mr. Cai will grow old one day."
Cai You remained silent. In fact, this was what he was worried about.
Others may not know it clearly, but as Cai Jing's eldest son, he truly knows that although Cai Jing has no serious illness now, he has constant minor problems. If this continues...
Lu Bu walked behind him and said, "But now His Majesty thinks highly of you, and you also work for His Majesty. In this way, even if something unexpected happens in a few decades, you can still enjoy the glory and wealth."
"At that time, others will no longer say that Mr. Cai is the eldest son, you will be the real Mr. Cai!"
Cai You's breathing became a little heavier.
"Brother Cai, I don't know about others, but I think you must be a smart man..." After Lu Bu said this, he stopped talking and sat back on his chair, minding his own business while drinking and eating.
Cai You's hesitation did not last long, but after a moment, he made his choice.
"Thanks to His Majesty's respect, how can a minister have the intention to shirk responsibility?"
Cai You looked firm and raised his hands fiercely: "Your Majesty, I have no intention of repaying your kindness. I can only fight to the death to follow you, and I will never give up!"
Lu Bu was secretly amused when he heard this. It would be great to be half believable in such a scene of swearing to eachother.
Of course, he wouldn't say this now.
"Okay." Lu Bu looked at Cai You in surprise: "Your Majesty is right! You are indeed loyal!"
Cai You said firmly: "This is the duty of a minister!"
"I wonder what your Majesty's orders are. What do you want you to do?"
"There's no rush."
Lu Bu waved his hands with emotion: "His Majesty told me when he came here. Although he doesn't like Mr. Cai very much, how can the world see a father and son killing each other?"
"So for your sake, Your Majesty is still willing to let Mr. Cai forget the past and forgive him for the things he did against Your Majesty."
Lu Bu sighed and said, "In the future, you should try to persuade Mr. Cai more so that he will not go against His Majesty again."
In fact, this is indeed what Li Qian said to Lu Bu, and it is also Li Qian's true thoughts.
If Cai Jing can really realize his mistake and rein in his power after suffering this loss, Li Qian is really willing not to have another dispute with him.
After all, Li Qian's age advantage lies here. As long as he survives for a few more years, he can keep Cai Jing until he retires and becomes an official. No matter what happens, he will give Cai Jing a peaceful old age.
Of course, if Cai Jing still doesn't know what's good and continues to jump up and down, then Li Qian won't tolerate him...
Cai You was greatly moved when he heard this, and immediately raised his hands and said: "Brother Lu, please thank Your Majesty for You!"
"It doesn't matter. If you are willing to be loyal to His Majesty, Your Majesty will naturally not treat you badly."
Lu Bu smiled and pointed at the food and wine on the table: "Come, eat food and drink. After you're done, I'll send someone to take you out of the palace!"
~~
On the other side, Wei Zheng and Li Yuan also brought the judgment documents to Zhongshu Province and Wenyuan Pavilion.
Qin Hui had already known the result of the verdict from his subordinates, but what surprised him at this moment was that Wei Zheng and Li Yuan personally delivered this thing, and there were traces of red ink on it.
"Relegated to common people..."
Qin Hui looked at the document and frowned.
How could Your Majesty make such a big mistake?
Now that Song Qiaonian and Han Mulu have been caught, we must do everything possible and leave no room for them to eliminate any possibility of their resurgence and comeback.
Although these two people are now demoted as common people, as long as they don't die, there will be variables, and someone may make an issue against them, so it is safer to execute them directly.
Moreover, this kind of procrastinating and leaving room for dismissal does not seem to be the style of His Majesty the Emperor to hold grudges...
Qin Hui hesitated for a moment and looked up at Wei Zheng and Li Yuan.
Could it be that the two of them persuaded His Majesty the Emperor to change this way?
It's just that the ink corrections on this book were obviously added later. If these two people had this idea, why didn't they demote Song Qiaonian and Han Mulu to common people in the first place...
"What's wrong? Prime Minister Qin?"
Wei Zheng frowned slightly: "Is there anything wrong?"
Qin Hui nodded, pointed at the ink pen on the document and said: "I am just demoted to a commoner. I am afraid the punishment is too light and cannot deter other people. I am afraid there will be people who imitate these two people in the future!"
"If the original verdict is upheld, these two men will be executed. This will serve as a warning to others!"
Li Yuan suddenly said: "This is your Majesty's decision. Mr. Wei and I are just obeying your orders."
Qin Hui's heart moved, and he looked at the two of them with a bit of probing in his eyes: "What do the Duke and Lord Wei think?"
Li Yuan replied without hesitation: "Of course it is based on His Majesty's opinion."
Wei Zheng paused for a moment and then said, "I also feel that your Majesty's decision is very prudent."
Qin Hui understood clearly that under this situation, even if he took this judgment document and went to the Ziwei Palace to argue with His Majesty the Emperor, he might not have a good chance of winning.
"It is truly a blessing for us and our ministers to have such a kind and forgiving king."
Qin Hui sighed with emotion and began to study the ink. Then he picked up a pen and paper and wrote an edict in a few strokes. He used the seal of the right minister of Zhongshu Province. After drying the ink on it, he held it up in both hands and handed it to Li Yuan.
"My lord, Lord Wei, this is the edict prepared by Zhongshu Sheng."
"Thank you, Prime Minister Qin."
He nodded inside, then picked up the edict and walked out, followed closely by Wei Zheng: "Prime Minister Qin, farewell."
"Farewell."
Under the supervision of Li Yuan and Wei Zheng, this edict was quickly spread to the Han and Song mansions.
And Cai Mansion.
Deng Xunwu and Gao Xun were already so anxious that they almost jumped. After all, they already knew the punishment of Song Qiaonian and Han Mulu when they were in the Yushitai court.
That's a total execution! Song Qiaonian and Han Mulu are both the backbone of Cai's party. Do you want to just sit back and watch them disappear?
But they were anxious, and now the two of them had nothing to do. They both walked around the study room of Cai Mansion anxiously.
"Song Budang and Han Budang were killed by traitors and are about to be executed. The eldest son disappeared in the imperial city again. What should we do?"
Deng Xunwu was like an ant on a hot pot, scolding Gao Xun angrily from time to time.
After all, Cai You followed him into the imperial city, but who would have thought that they could not find anyone after they came out. Even if they asked the officials nearby, no one would know.
It was a forbidden area in the imperial city, and everything was forbidden for officials, let alone Cai You, an ordinary person? What if he wandered around and went somewhere he shouldn't have been, and was caught on the spot by the Huben Guards? I’m not sure what the consequences will be!
What should they explain when Mr. Cai comes out?
Gao Xun's forehead was also covered with sweat: "I don't know where the eldest son has gone. Who would have thought that such an old man would be gone after being so good..."
He was also very aggrieved. Cai You was riding a horse instead of a baby, so there was no need to watch him step by step.
But who would have thought that if you dared not to look at it, he would really dare not to do so! Who can I ask to reason with you?
"Two adults! Good thing! Great thing!
"
The servants of the Cai Mansion ran over shouting, and everyone could hear the surprise in their words: "No need to die!"
"What?"
A flash of surprise flashed in Deng Xunwu's eyes, and he didn't care to be angry with Gao Xun anymore. He immediately stood up and walked out quickly. Gao Xun also hurriedly stood up and followed.