Zheng Ji quickly arrived at the altar in the city and saw Zheng Chao kneeling on the altar, stating the many faults of the Zheng family and begging God for forgiveness.
Emperor Zheng Ji ordered Zheng Chao's servant to be captured.
Then, he went up to the altar in person and faced the crowded victims and people below the altar. Looking further into the distance, he saw more people gathering towards here.
Most of the people under the altar are victims of the disaster. Under the impact of the flood for more than half a month, they have no home, no food to eat, and have long lost their image and appearance.
At this moment, they looked up at the tall man with neat robes and neat buns, and long gown with wide sleeves. They were suddenly shocked to realize that those who had truly withstood this natural disaster did not seem to include these nobles.
The noble man's tone was normal, but he still had an innate sense of superiority, as if standing here talking to them was condescending.
"I am the head of the Zheng family. Since my brother was deposed as the head of the family, he has behaved erratically because of his hatred for the family. He often makes crazy remarks that are not consistent with reality. You do not need to take his words and deeds today seriously."
He didn't care whether the people believed it or not, he only needed to give an explanation, deny what Zheng Chao said, and then label him crazy.
He walked up to the kneeling Zheng Chao, lowered his eyes and said, "Brother, the clan is busy with things and it's not appropriate to make any more trouble. Please come back with me."
As he spoke, he extended a hand to Zheng Chao.
Zheng Chao looked at the exceptionally clean hand. He had been working on the embankment with Cui Jing these days, and he had not seen such a clean and white palm for a long time.
But this cleanliness and nobility are only superficial, just like the high-class nobles in his eyes.
Zheng Chao looked at the hand and asked: "Jianzhi, do you still remember when we were studying together when we were young, what did we hear and learn the most?"
Zheng Ji said nothing, or in other words, he had always ignored Zheng Chao.
"This is the way of a gentleman." Zheng Chao grabbed the hand offered by Zheng Ji and stood up slowly with some difficulty. He let go of Zheng Ji's hand and said, "What we have learned since childhood is all the best."
The way of a gentleman.”
"Just like your word, Zheng Ji, Jianzhi, it means Jianji. What is Jianji? To benefit all living things in the world, it is Jianji." As Zheng Chao spoke, he looked at the people behind Zheng Ji.
They said: "I always thought this was the truth. When we grow up, we can use what we have learned to benefit the world."
"But when I grew up, they all suddenly changed their words for some reason!" Zheng Chao said, feeling ridiculous: "The way of a gentleman does not exist, only self-interest! If I talk to them about being a gentleman again, they will take it for granted.
I'm a crazy person!"
"Why is this? Why is there such a truth in the world!" Zheng Chao's voice became louder and louder, his expression became more excited, and there was pain hidden in his red eyes: "The so-called high-grade nobles are just a seemingly noble thing.
They think they are noble, high in the clouds, and cut off the road to the clouds. In their eyes, those ordinary people and students who have suffered injustice are as humble as ants, dirty as mud, and ignorant as livestock!"
Zheng Ji was untouched by his pain. He just wiped the dirt on his fingers with a handkerchief and curled his lips sarcastically: "Brother, why don't you come back with me to talk about these innocent words?"
Zheng Chao took a few steps back: "Such a noble family should not exist in the world!"
He suddenly reached out and pointed at Zheng Ji: "But if it weren't for you, it wouldn't have disappeared in this way. It was you who colluded with Xu Zhengye, and it was your blind and arrogant ambition that brought the Zheng family and even the entire gentry in the Central Plains to a dead end! Those
Innocent tribesmen should not be buried with your mistakes!"
Zheng Ji's expression finally changed.
The people behind him were talking noisily. His eyes were dark, and he walked towards Zheng Chao. His voice was low and cold: "No, the Zheng family has not lost yet, nor has it reached a dead end."
Zheng Chao's eyes were sad and angry: "How do you count as a loser? Seeing all the Zheng family members buried with you, all dying in front of you, does it count as a loser until no one is left alive?"
To this day, his cousin is still trying to take the lives of innocent Zheng clan members as a final act of resistance!
Zheng Ji looked firmly into Zheng Chao's eyes and said word by word in a voice that the two of them could hear: "What about brother? Does brother think that just because he donates food and prays here, he can save the Zheng family?"
?”
Zheng Chao also looked into his eyes: "No, this alone is far from enough. Two more things need to be done, one of which needs me to do..."
Zheng Ji frowned subconsciously. Just when he was about to speak, Zheng Chao suddenly raised his hand without any warning, and an extremely sharp dagger appeared in his hand without any warning——
"Pfft——"
Zheng Chao suddenly thrust the dagger into Zheng Ji's chest.
"Ling'an told me that I must first lure you here, then let you relax your vigilance, and then hit the vital point in one fell swoop..." Zheng Chao's voice was trembling, but his eyes were extremely firm.
"You..." Zheng Ji's expression was shaken, his eyes were about to burst, and his complexion suddenly turned pale. He raised his hand with all his strength, held Zheng Chao's hand holding the dagger, and tried to push Zheng Chao away.
Zheng Chao held his hands together and pushed the dagger in again with such force that Zheng Ji staggered back.
"thump!"
Zheng Ji fell to the ground, and Zheng Chao also fell on him, still holding the dagger, tears rolling out of his eyes: "Jianzhi... I didn't expect that I would kill you, even I didn't expect it myself!"
He suddenly pulled out the dagger and stabbed it in again.
Below the altar, screams suddenly erupted.
Just now, Zheng Ji had been standing with his back to the people. Only now did the people under the altar see clearly what was happening.
Several tribesmen who came with Zheng Ji were also horrified: "Zheng Chao, how dare you murder the head of the family!!"
They were about to rush to the altar, but were stopped by strange faces guarding the altar.
The Zheng family members were extremely angry: "It was planned long ago... Zheng Chao had planned it long ago!"
"Go quickly and invite the clan leader!"
There was a panic everywhere, and the expressions of the monks who were sitting cross-legged on the altar chanting sutras also changed, and they chanted the Buddha's name repeatedly. When they were about to walk down the altar from behind in panic, they were stopped by a girl holding a sword.
"Masters, don't be alarmed. This is just a part of offering sacrifices to heaven."
All the monks: "...!"
I never mentioned this beforehand!
But seeing the sword in the opponent's arms and the entourage behind him, the leading monk forced himself to calm down and recited a Buddhist sentence, and tactfully asked the opponent whether a "ring" like this would appear again in the future.
The youngest monk looked the most horrified. When the killing came, he would have killed them too to offer sacrifices to heaven!
Could they be part of it?
"No." Chang Suining looked at Zheng Chao, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "No more people will die."
Zheng Chao cut off a piece of Zheng Ji's sleeve, held it high together with the bloody dagger, and said in a trembling voice: "By God, I have killed the culprit!"
This scene revealed a strange piety, and some frightened people said: "Don't you think he is really a madman..."
"Looks like you're really crazy?"
"..."
"No, he is not a madman!" Suddenly a young man said with a shocked expression: "He is Mr. Caotang!"
Mr. Thatched Cottage?
How could it be Mr. Caotang?
Most people in Xingyang have heard of this name, especially scholars.
About seven or eight years ago, in an abandoned thatched cottage outside the city, a man suddenly appeared here giving a lecture. At first, no one went to listen, but because he did not practice meditation, and everyone could listen, once he came and went, people started to listen.
several students.
Later, the name of Mr. Caotang spread, and more and more students came to attend his lectures. However, the time for his lectures was not fixed, and sometimes no one came for three to five days. Even so, there were still some studious scholars who admired his reputation.
Come.
However, no one knows the name of this Mr. Caotang, and he has never been seen in person. He usually wears a dusty robe, and covers his face with a hat and soap gauze. He claims that his face is damaged and should not be shown to others.
He was recognized now because of his voice.
The face can be hidden, but the voice cannot be hidden from the students who often attend the lectures.
The dozen or so literati who gathered in front of the altar were all shocked.
They never thought that what was hidden under Mr. Caotang's hat was actually the identity of a descendant of the Zheng family.
"The eldest master of the Zheng family is Mr. Caotang!"
This voice quickly spread among the crowd, attracting more and more scholars to come.
Also coming were the soldiers and horses brought by Li Xian.
The anxious Zheng family members were shocked when they heard that Li Xian was here: "How could it be so fast..."
The head of the family clearly arranged for men to ambush Li Xian on his way into the city! Where are those people?!
Seeing the people being forced to move to both sides, and the soldiers and horses approaching quickly, the Zheng family members turned pale for a moment.
The head of the family is dead, and the butcher's knife has arrived...
A tribesman staggered back and took out something from his sleeve, his eyes gradually becoming determined.
For a moment, a harsh blaring sound suddenly sounded above everyone's heads, three sharp and loud sounds in succession.
The location of this altar is the only way to the Zheng family.
This place was crowded with people and the atmosphere in the city was strange. Li Xian had already learned about Zheng Ji's murder before approaching this place.
At this moment, approaching the altar, his horse slowed down.
He raised his head and glanced at the gloomy sky above his head, before the last sound of chirping dissipated.
"Don't you think it's too late to report the news now?" Li Xian smiled nonchalantly, looked at the situation above the altar, the smile dissipated in his eyes, and said loudly: "The Yuan clan of Luoyang has confessed, and the Central Plains gentry colluded with Xu
Everything we do for our business is under the direction of Zheng Ji, the head of the Zheng family in Xingyang!"
After saying that, he gave an order in a cold voice: "Capture all the Zheng clan members! Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"
As his voice fell, the soldiers behind him immediately surrounded the altar.
At the same moment, hearing the three beeping sounds, the people in Zheng's house who knew about it looked shocked and hesitant.
These three beeps signify defeat... But how could it happen so quickly? How could it be ineffective if they had clearly arranged for an ambush?
The next moment, they learned from the servants who rushed into the hall in a panic that the head of the family, Zheng Ji, was dead, and he died at the hands of Zheng Chao!
"Heaven is going to kill me, the Zheng family...!"
The elder tribe vomited blood from his mouth and was supported by the panicked people.
"The Zheng family can cut them off... but they must not take advantage of those shameless thieves!"
"Now that the matter has come to this, we will follow the family master's final instructions!"
Several tribesmen rushed out of the hall quickly.
Historically, the true heirloom of the gentry was not money and houses, but the precious books handed down from dynasty to dynasty.
As the head of the Central Plains gentry, the Zheng family collected countless books.
The storage of these books that have been passed down from generation to generation has always been a secret within the clan. They are divided into several libraries for storage according to their rarity. The location of each library is secret, and there are agencies and people guarding it day and night.
.
Not only the Zheng family was like this, but also most of the other noble families. Therefore, during these days, Li Xianwei asked about the location of the collections of books of each clan, interrogated and forced to kill countless children of the noble families.
The key to the Zheng family's library has always been kept by successive family heads, but last night, Zheng Ji handed the key to his clan members.
"I have killed the culprit Zheng Ji! In terms of bloodline, now I am the head of the Zheng family!" Above the surrounded altar, Zheng Chao kowtowed his head on the ground: "I am willing to give up all the land and houses of the Zheng family.
I am willing to make the Zheng family of Xingyang become a commoner with my family property and collection of books. I am willing to carry my descendants with me to teach and preach all over the world, and I am willing to return my body to the world to atone for the Zheng family's sins!"
After saying this, he kowtowed again, stirring up drops of water.
At this moment, the Zheng family's book collection that he was willing to dedicate will be burned to the ground.
The three library pavilions of the Zheng family were all doused with pine oil.
"...It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!"
"Today, I will live here forever with my Zheng Clan School!"
A member of the Zheng clan looked sad, mad and in tears. When he was about to take the torch from the servant's hand, he was suddenly shot through the knee by a sharp arrow from behind. He knelt forward and fell to the ground.
Solemn footsteps soon entered the library. The servant was frightened and dropped the torch in his hand.
A figure quickly flew forward, caught the torch, and breathed a sigh of relief: "It's okay..."
Yuan Xiang handed the torch to the person beside him and asked him to take it out and put it out.
The tribesman who had an arrow in his knee dragged his injured leg and struggled to stand up. He looked at the tall figure who walked in, his eyes trembled: "It's you..."
"Cui Ling'an!"
He asked angrily: "What are you going to do!"
The other party has already taken action against him, so naturally he will not imagine that this person is here to help his Zheng family!
Cui Jing ignored him and only ordered an investigation. All the candles were extinguished and removed, and the kerosene was cleaned up, and the inside and outside were guarded.
The tribesman was quickly dragged out and thrown on the stone steps.
"It was you, the master's plan was disrupted...it was you!"
"This is your maternal home! I have the same roots as you!"
"Cui Jing, you are a disgrace to the nobles by helping the emperor to do evil... You will not die a good death!"
"..."
Listening to the curses of the tribesmen, Cui Jing never looked back.
Soon, he saw the Zheng family members running away in a hurry, a woman running with a child in her arms, her bun unraveled, and her hairpin falling off.
Some tribesmen rushed to him and yelled curses.
A young man rushed out from the side and ran toward Cui Jing with his sword raised.
Cui Jing didn't let anyone hurt him. He raised his hand to hold the sword blade, and used force in his hand to break the sword body.
The young man was bounced away by this force, staggered back, broke the sword with his hand, and gritted his teeth: "Cui Ling'an, you will be punished by heaven!"
The young man's deep and cold brows were as calm as the abyss: "I alone have been punished by God, and you can live, so why not?"
Seeing that the young man left without stopping, the young man held the broken sword and stood there with a blank expression. Finally, he knelt down weakly and screamed in pain.
At the altar, when Li Xian wanted to capture Zheng Chao, he was blocked.
Looking at the girl who suddenly appeared above the altar, Li Xian's eyes moved slightly: "General Ning Yuan, why are you here?"
