Chapter 451: Activating the Torturers and Investigating to the End
Chapter 451 Enable cruel officials to investigate thoroughly
After returning to the capital, Xiao Cheng hurriedly met with the ministers in the capital. After briefly explaining to them how to bring order to the capital, he hurried toward the palace.
Nan Jiyun, who had received the news that Xiao Cheng had returned to Beijing, rushed to the palace gate to greet him.
As soon as he saw Xiao Cheng's face, Nan Jiyun knelt down on the ground and saluted:
"My lord, see your majesty!"
Immediately, Nan Jiyun looked extremely ashamed and accused Xiao Cheng:
"Because of your majesty's trust, I appointed you as the Central Protector to be in charge of the Imperial Guards in the capital. But now I fail to protect you, causing the situation in the capital to be turbulent. I am incompetent, so please punish me!"
Xiao Cheng looked at Nan Jiyun in front of him, frowned, and said:
"I also received the secret message you gave me some time ago..."
What Xiao Cheng said was that Nan Jiyun, under Lu Bing's persuasion, had made up his mind to participate in the struggle for the position in the harem. After having this idea, Nan Jiyun submitted a memorial to ask Xiao Cheng to be exempted from the crime.
He holds the position of guard in the army.
The Central Guards are in charge of the imperial army and guard the palace and the capital. They have important responsibilities. Such a position must require someone who has no position and is only loyal to the emperor!
Nan Jiyun's loyalty to Xiao Cheng is naturally unquestionable.
But Nan Jiyun's origins from the Ailao clan, as well as his temperament, obviously make it impossible to remain neutral in the upcoming battle for harem positions. So no matter how you look at it, the position of the guard has already
Not suitable for Nan Jiyun anymore.
Xiao Cheng glanced at Nan Jiyun again at this time, pondered for a moment, and then said:
"I am quite pleased that you have nothing to hide from me... Well, this time I will hold you accountable for your unfavorable crimes in guarding the capital, and then you will be relieved of the duty of guarding the army. You can choose a front line to lead the troops, or
You can choose suitable positions among the five military governors' offices!"
Allowing Nan Jiyun to choose an official position that suits his heart is an unprecedented grace. This is Xiao Cheng's reward for Nan Jiyun's full loyalty and frank attitude.
When Nan Jiyun heard this, he immediately clasped his fists in surprise and shouted:
"My lord, thank you for your grace!"
After handling Nan Jiyun's matter, Xiao Cheng spoke again:
"Where are the two empresses and the prince now?"
"Your Majesty, everything is well with the two empresses and the two princes. They are all settled in Yongxin Palace."
In the Yongxin Palace, there is a secret passage left by Xiao Cheng's advantageous father, leading to the outside of the palace. Xiao Cheng did not kill all of them, just for safety and confidentiality, and later had the exit of the secret passage modified to prevent
just in case.
Xiao Cheng knew that Bian Liuyun and Nan Rongshu moved from Kunning Palace to Yongxin Palace because they were worried about the unstable situation in Beijing!
After receiving the answer, Xiao Cheng sighed softly, then nodded, without any further hesitation, he immediately reined in his horse and galloped towards the palace.
"Dong, dong, dong," the sound of iron hoofs hitting the ground and war horses galloping past was unheard of in the palace. After all, there were rules in the palace, and horses were not allowed to ride.
But when the people in the palace saw Xiao Cheng's figure on the horse, they hurriedly knelt down on both sides of the road and greeted each other respectfully, without daring to say a word.
Nowadays, no one in the palace has the courage to stop His Majesty from admonishing or admonishing those who behave in the palace.
The war horses galloped, and in just a moment, Xiao Cheng had arrived in front of Yongxin Palace.
The Imperial Guards, Dongchang Fanzi, Niangan Department Guards, and many palace people who had not yet withdrawn in front of the gate did not expect Xiao Cheng to arrive at Yongxin Palace so quickly.
Seeing Xiao Cheng arriving at this time, he hurriedly knelt down on the ground and shouted "long live the mountain".
Xiao Cheng got off his horse and walked quickly into Yongxin Palace. He bumped into Concubine Zhang, Bian Liuyun, Nan Rongshu and others who were rushing out.
When Mrs. Zhang saw Xiao Cheng returning, her heart that had been falling finally fell to the ground. She breathed a long sigh of relief and said:
"Your Majesty is finally back!"
Xiao Cheng bowed slightly and said:
"Let the concubine worry about it!"
Upon hearing this, Concubine Zhang showed a smile on her face and said warmly:
"I don't have anything to worry about here. I just helped take care of the two little princes for a few days."
Hearing this, Xiao Cheng raised his head slightly and looked behind Concubine Zhang. He saw Bian Liuyun, who was a little thin and looked slightly tired, and Nan Rongshu, who was wearing a smart outfit.
Looking at Xiao Cheng, whom she hadn't seen for many days, Nan Rongshu quickly adjusted her mood. Her big round eyes suddenly became misty, revealing a look of grievance.
Just when she was about to throw herself into Xiao Cheng's arms to act coquettishly and complain, Bian Liuyun, who had always maintained her etiquette in the past, suddenly stepped forward and threw herself into Xiao Cheng's arms first.
Bian Liuyun didn't have as many facial expressions as Nan Rongshu, full of emotions. She just buried her face softly in Xiao Cheng's arms and didn't speak. Only her body was trembling slightly. The feeling of weakness made people couldn't help but
Compassion in my heart.
Nan Rongshu froze on the spot, the emotions that had just been brewing were interrupted, and the corners of her eyes couldn't help but twitch a few times.
You Bian Liuyun, you still have two faces. Before His Majesty returned to the capital, you didn't behave so delicately...
Xiao Cheng patted Bian Liuyun's back with his right hand to comfort him. Then he raised his head and looked at Nan Rongshu, who was still standing there with a strange expression. His eyes blinked twice with a smile, and then he raised his left hand as if to hug.
.
When Nan Rongshu saw this, the complicated thoughts in her heart immediately dispersed. She smiled brightly at Xiao Cheng, then quickly stepped forward, got into Xiao Cheng's arms, and said softly:
"Your Majesty, I really miss you so much, eh eh eh eh..."
Xiao Cheng really didn't want to ruin the atmosphere at this moment, but listening to Nan Rongshu's artificial voice, he couldn't help but shudder and gritted his teeth and said:
"How many times have I told you, don't talk with your voice down!"
"It's indeed a bit disgusting." Bian Liuyun lay in Xiao Cheng's arms and refused to raise her head, but still answered in a muffled voice.
Nan Rongshu raised her head suddenly, looked at Xiao Cheng with a wrinkled face, then looked at Bian Liuyun beside her, and said reluctantly:
"But it sounds so cute... Tsk, okay!"
Concubine Zhang stood there and looked at Xiao Cheng and the others, with a smile on her lips and a look of reminiscence between her brows.
After sighing softly, she waved her hand, signaling for all the palace attendants to leave, and specifically told the maid next to her to take away the two princes in the palace together...
——
The news of His Majesty's return spread throughout Zhongqing City within a short period of time.
All the ministers in the court were astonished at the speed of His Majesty's return. At the same time, they did not dare to neglect. They quickly put on their court clothes and hurried to the palace gate to wait for the call.
After all, such a big thing has happened. After His Majesty returns, he will definitely summon the courtiers and hold a grand meeting as soon as possible.
In front of the palace gate, a group of courtiers from the capital soon gathered.
At this time, the person who was at the top of the list of hundreds of civil servants in the court was not Wen Tiren, the previous Minister of Punishment. It was the two former Ministers, Yizhou Ma Minwen, who had resigned long ago and ignored the government affairs and raised their families at home.
, Yongdehou Qucheng.
These two people had not been involved in government affairs for a long time, and there were rumors that they were involved in the turmoil in Beijing. At this time, they suddenly appeared in the queue of officials, which naturally attracted the officials to watch secretly and discuss privately.
But at this time, Ma Minwen and Qu Cheng obviously did not take these secret prying eyes to heart. They just stood at the strongest side of the queue and whispered something.
"The Imperial Guards accompanying him revealed that this time due to the urgent situation in Beijing, His Majesty, after disembarking from Jiangyang County, abandoned the carriage of the accompanying officials and only led thousands of elite cavalry to rush back all the way."
Having said this, Ma Minwen lowered his voice again and whispered:
"This time, Your Majesty is obviously really angry because of the affairs of the empress and the prince in the palace!"
Your Majesty, since he came to the throne, has never been so out of his mind, not even in the early summer, when the two countries of Li and Li attacked together, there was a hint of rebellion in the border troops, and the country was in danger.
How can this emperor's wrath be calmed down without killing people and pouring blood on them?
When Qu Cheng heard this, his heart sank slightly, and he couldn't help but whisper:
"Then this matter probably won't involve you and my four families..."
Qu Cheng's confidence was really lacking. Among the rumors widely circulated in Beijing, it was said that the four families of Yang, Ma, Qu, and Tao were secretly involved in the assassination for the sake of the Yang family's daughter's status in the harem.
Among the concubines in the palace, Zhaoyi of the Yang family was the only one who was not pregnant, so she took advantage of the opportunity of traveling with His Majesty to assassinate the two empresses and the two princes in the palace.
Secret rumors about the royal family are already popular with the common people. This rumor is so popular that many officials in the DPRK and the Central Government believe it without a doubt.
At this time, Qu Cheng was naturally afraid of being blamed for this incident.
After hearing Qu Cheng's words, Ma Minwen also hesitated slightly and remained silent for a long time.
Each battalion of the imperial army in this palace has elites, numerous masters are worshiped, and the defense is extremely tight. The assassination rumored in the capital cannot be achieved simply by buying a few palace people!
But before that, why did Bian Liuyun, the master in charge of the palace, make the decisive decision to take Nan Rongshu and the two princes to live in the Kunning Palace, with the same food and drink, and be extremely careful? In the end, they even moved to the Yongxin Palace to be ready at all times.
Escape from the secret passage?
Is he a Bian Liuyun who comes from an elite background in a hundred schools of thought? He is timid and can’t help but be frightened?
No! Isn't it because of the rumors that there are hidden forces in the civil and military classes in the court, and the four influential families of Yang, Ma, Qu, and Tao are also involved.
Bian Liuyun didn't know whether it was true or not, but she didn't dare to be careless in her heart. She could only be wary of everything around her, being extremely cautious.
The ladies in the palace all have doubts in their hearts, and I am sure that your majesty also has doubts!
Thinking of this, Ma Minwen couldn't help but sigh and said worriedly:
"Your Majesty has always been wise and cherishes old friendships. It is impossible for you and our family to be held responsible for the crime without thorough investigation."
In fact, if he was really worried about the four powers, when the Qu family was involved in the grain and grass corruption case, His Majesty could have directly eradicated it without investigating. At that time, there would never have been a big disturbance in the government and the public.
But in the end, Xiao Cheng did not. He just asked Qu Cheng to retire from the court, and also gave him a title and reward. He never forgot it every year and festival, and the several families continued to reward him.
So even though Ma Minwen felt a little uneasy, he didn't panic.
When Qu Cheng heard this, he couldn't help but nod.
At this moment, the jade bell above the palace gate, symbolizing the gathering of courtiers, was heard ringing.
The officials gathered in front of the palace gate quickly stopped their secret discussions, straightened their clothes, and adjusted their queues.
With the sound of "squeaking" the palace door opening, a eunuch from the palace walked out quickly and said in a sharp voice:
"Announce the official meeting!"
The majestic sounds of rituals and music sounded in response. The numerous palace palaces opened one after another.
The officials lined up in a neat and solemn manner. Under the guidance of the etiquette officer, they slowly walked into the Xuanzheng Hall. They all bowed down and worshiped, and the mountain shouted:
"My ministers, please see your Majesty! Long live, long live, long live your Majesty!"
The long-lost cry of long live the mountain resounded in the palace again.
But at this time, Xiao Cheng, who had hurriedly summoned all the officials, did not even put on his crown robes. He was still wearing the dragon robe that could only be said to be the emperor's regular clothes, and sat on the dragon chair with a cold face.
Without the twelve draped crowns to cover his face, Xiao Cheng's fierce and angry look was revealed in front of all the officials.
"Marquis Changzhou!" A heart-chilling voice came from Xiao Cheng's mouth.
Among the hundreds of officials, Yao Guangxiao, who was wearing a red official robe patched with unicorns, walked out quickly, leaned over and knelt on the ground, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, Yao Guangxiao, pays homage to your Majesty!"
Xiao Cheng looked at Yao Guangxiao and said coldly:
"Can you tell the crime?"
Yao Guangxiao leaned on the ground and said in a deep voice:
"I was negligent and soft-hearted, and failed to obey His Majesty's will, which caused chaos in the capital. I am responsible for the crime and cannot be forgiven. Please punish me severely!"
Yao Guangxiao, the evil monk who has always been vicious and calculating, failed to be ruthless this time and failed to wipe out the three forces of Confucianism, Legalism and Ming Dynasty with thunder after his return. This led to the destruction of hundreds of forces.
People provoked people to fight against the imperial court.
But speaking of it, the reason why Yao Guangxiao acted like this this time was not because he was soft-hearted!
But because the influence of the three schools of Confucianism, Legalism, and Ming is really not small, even Yao Guangxiao did not dare to intimidate too much, so as not to affect the prestige of the Yun Kingdom and Xiao Cheng's reputation as a virtuous and benevolent person, which led to the development of the situation.
of.
Xiao Chengzai understood the development of events in Beijing these days, so he naturally knew what Yao Guangxiao was thinking.
It's just that Yao Guangxiao failed to obey the imperial edict, which is also true and must not be punished!
Xiao Cheng said coldly:
"Demoted to the first rank, except for the special promotion to the title of Yin Qing Guang Lu doctor, and fined half a year's salary as a warning!"
The false titles and fines are nothing. It is only regrettable that the title of Marquis of Cheung Chau has been turned into the title of Earl of Cheung Chau.
Yao Guangxiao immediately bowed and said in a deep voice:
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! I am willing to take the blame and make meritorious service. Please allow Your Majesty to continue to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
At this time, Yao Guangxiao still had not given up the idea of carrying the name of murder for Xiao Cheng and killing a lot of people in order to frighten the forces of various schools of thought.
When Xiao Cheng heard this, he said coldly:
"You are not familiar with this matter, let others investigate!"
After saying that, Xiao Cheng's voice was sharp and he shouted again:
"Where are the Dali Temple and Zhidu of the sixth rank, Zhang Tang, the head of the criminal department of the sixth rank, and Zhao Yu, the supervisory censor of the Gyeonggi Prefecture of the sixth rank?"
Among the crowd, three people walked out quickly, bowed and saluted, and said:
"I'm waiting here!"
[Blue training card, strict laws and cruel officials
Card effect: After use, you will have Zhidu, Zhao Yu, Zhang Tang
Card description: The phoenix will not come if it destroys the nest, and the dragon will not swim if it empties the lake. The sage will return to his destination, and the one who will be the winner is the dragon and phoenix.
Zhidu, a native of Yang County, Hedong County during the Western Han Dynasty, advocated harsh punishments and harsh laws...]
Unlike Song Ci, who was good at investigating evidence, and Di Renjie, who was good at judging cases, these three people had average attributes, but they were all cruel officials recorded in the history of the Western Han Dynasty. They were harsh and harsh in their usage, and even had a reputation for being cruel and violent.
Even if they are the core disciples trained by Baijia since childhood, once they fall into their hands, they will use all kinds of tricks to find out how many times those people peed in bed as children!
Xiao Cheng's eyes flashed with a hint of violence, and his voice was extremely cold and authentic:
"This matter will be thoroughly investigated by the three of you! I don't care about any cruel methods. As long as you get to the bottom of it, no one is allowed to let go!"
When the three of them heard this, their bodies trembled, and they immediately saluted in unison:
"My lord, please obey your order!"
In the court, there were also officials who were sympathetic to the Bai family, or simply officials from the Bai family, who were willing to go out to persuade.
But before he could speak, Xiao Cheng, who was sitting on the dragon chair, glanced at everyone present with eyes full of violence, and said with murderous intent:
"Not killing everyone is my last show of respect for all the families! Sirs, do you have any opinions?"
Those officials who were about to step forward immediately stopped their movements, bowed their heads, and did not dare to look at His Majesty.
Of course it is an opinion, but since you are so unrestrained in hiding your murderous intentions, does anyone dare to raise it...