Of course, no one of these officials is innocent of corruption or bribery. The only difference is who is more corrupt and who is less corrupt, and who has outstanding ability and who has the ability to fish in troubled waters.
What's more, the officials who keep shouting to the outside world that killing women is a disaster for women are actually running brothels. There are also officials who usually look honest and go to court on time and have almost no presence, but they have become shareholders. Go to the gambling house.
There are also some low-level ones that record the messy things going on in the backyards of various officials.
Who takes a concubine today, secretly hides it in an outer room tomorrow, and so on.
The emperor took a few glances and felt that if the two faces of these officials spread, not to mention the chaos in the court, even the people would gradually lose confidence in the court.
On the side, Xiao Mingxuan saw that the emperor's face gradually became colder. He raised his hand and closed the book, and looked at Hu Jue on the ground with a look that almost wished he could break his bones and spread ashes.
"Hu Jue, do you think the emperor will believe this?"
Hu Jue lowered his head and knelt on the ground.
"If your Majesty doesn't believe it, send someone to investigate and find out the authenticity."
The emperor and Xiao Mingxuan looked at each other.
Xiao Mingxuan slammed the booklet in his hand in front of Hu Jue.
"The emperor will send people to investigate, but what I want to say is not the authenticity of this booklet, but the officials in this booklet. Were they coerced by you or set up a trap by you, and had to do this?"
When Hu Jue, who was kneeling on the ground, heard Xiao Mingxuan's question, a fleeting hint of evil flashed across his lowered eyes.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have been wronged."
"The old minister was just selfish and sent people to secretly collect scandals about these officials, but he did not have the ability to cause problems of principle among all officials."
Xiao Mingxuan snorted and smiled.
"Hmph! Hu Jue, if you are wronged, then I will try all the cases in the world again."
After Xiao Mingxuan finished speaking, he turned to look at the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I think this matter needs to be verified. Although these officials have shortcomings, I believe that they would never dare to knowingly and intentionally break the law if they still care about their heads and their families."
"What's more, Hu Jue used these secrets to control the officials of the DPRK and the Central Government to do things for him, and now he uses this book as a condition of the transaction. It is obvious that he does not care about the emperor's face and the court's face."
"With such ulterior motives, if we don't use criminal trials, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find out the truth from him."
Xiao Mingxuan said while giving the emperor a look.
The emperor understood and was about to nod in agreement.
Hu Jue, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with sadness and desolation, and his face was completely cruel.
Criminal trial! He was a dignified Lord Sima, but at the end, he actually asked a group of despicable jailers to use criminal trial against him.
"Your Majesty, for the sake of my whole-hearted support of the Emperor's ascension to the throne, I'd better let me take this road by myself!"
As Hu Jue said this, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped his Tianling point!
Xiao Mingxuan did not expect that Hu Jue would suddenly make such a move, so he protected the emperor and took a step back, but was still splashed with blood.
Before the emperor could stop him, the old man in front of him, who had been calling the shots for most of his life, fell down.
After a moment of rattling of iron chains in the sky jail, no more sounds were heard.
Xiao Mingxuan looked at Hu Jue's body, and a possibility suddenly flashed through his mind. This result might be Hu Jue's real purpose in asking the emperor to come.
"Brother Royal."
The emperor let out a long sigh.
"I have told you that Hu Jue suddenly fell ill and died."
"Let his family come and collect his body!"
After the emperor finished speaking, he turned around and left the cell.
Xiao Mingxuan looked back at the corpse on the ground, leaned over to pick up the booklet, and followed him out of the cell.
When he was about to leave the prison, Xiao Mingxuan's cold eyes narrowed and he scanned the guards around him:
"Don't mention today's matter to anyone. Anyone who leaks it will be killed!"
"Yes...yes"
The jailers responded stammeringly.
Anyone who dares to reveal even a single sentence is risking his life.
There was no one outside, so the emperor lowered his voice.
"I do this..."
Xiao Mingxuan saluted.
"Your Majesty, it's natural for your Majesty to do this."
The emperor nodded and his eyes fell on the blood-stained book in Xiao Mingxuan's hand.
"Tell me, how many copies of this book does he have?"
Xiao Mingxuan looked down.
"I don't know how many more there are, but today he can take out this book to make a deal with the emperor. Obviously, the Queen Mother in the palace knows about the existence of this book."
"Besides, Brother Chen has another idea."
"explain."
The emperor is not a stupid person. When Xiao Mingxuan said this, he seemed to have noticed something unreasonable.
Xiao Mingxuan said:
"Is there a possibility that Hu Jue's suicide today was part of the conversation between him and the Queen Mother?"
"And this book may not be just a way for him to excuse everyone in the Sima Mansion. After all, most of the officials I saw just now are neutral officials."
When the emperor heard this, his face became more and more gloomy.
——
At this time, inside the Changchun Palace of the Imperial Palace.
The Queen Mother is kneeling in front of a statue of Buddha, burning incense and worshiping.
After hearing the report from the palace people, the emperor returned to the palace.
The Queen Mother's already pale face turned even paler, and her clasped hands trembled slightly unconsciously.
"Green Hairpin."
The Queen Mother called out to the eldest maid who was waiting closely.
"Queen Mother."
Green Hairpin stepped forward.
"Go and open the local Tibetan scripture. The Ai family will copy the scriptures later."
Green Hairpin lowered his head, a trace of surprise flashed across his eyes.
The Ksitigarbha Sutra is used to pray for the salvation of deceased relatives and family members. The last time the Queen Mother personally copied the scriptures, Mrs. Hu of the Sima Mansion passed away and the Queen Mother personally copied it for her eldest sister-in-law.
But this time--
Green Hairpin didn't dare to ask, and she knew she couldn't ask, so she had to turn around and get ready.
"Mother Sun."
"Queen Mother."
Grandma Sun stepped forward.
"Help the Ai family to bathe and burn incense."
"yes."
She had to copy scriptures, eat vegetarian food, fast, bathe, and release animals. For the sake of her only brother, she could not leave behind anything.
——
Guogong Mansion, Fuquyuan.
Luo Jiuli had just finished taking a bath when he saw Nan Xing walking in with a serious look on his face.
Of course, Nan Xing also had an upright face when everything was fine.
"master."
"What's wrong?"
"The Duke and the eldest son have just left the house."
Luo Jiuli was shocked.
"Where did my father and eldest brother go when they left the house this late at night?"
Nan Xing said:
"It looks like the direction of Dali Temple."
Luo Jiuli suddenly stood up.
"Dali Temple, something happened, right? The emperor and prince——"
"It shouldn't be the emperor and prince."
Nanxing quickly comforted him.
Luo Jiuli frowned.
"Could it be Hu Jue?"
Nan Xing said nothing. With her status, it was not easy for her to make random guesses about this kind of thing.