On July 7th, during the morning court at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, many people thought that today would be a bloody day.
When Du Hanfei's crimes were laid out one by one and the emperor formally issued a decree, what was surprising was that no one interceded on his behalf.
Those disciples of Prime Minister Du who blocked the emperor from returning to the palace at the wedding banquet last night and were full of righteous indignation. They were brought back to the palace by the emperor and they didn't know what they said. Today, there was silence in the court. They all lowered their heads as if they didn't hear anything and turned a blind eye.
Xiao Yanjun originally promised Li Fei that he would be with them today to intercede on Du Hanfei's behalf, but no one had spoken at the moment. He couldn't just be the one who stood out on his own.
Therefore, Xiao Yanjun also fell silent.
The Prime Minister, who used to be so powerful that he could turn his hands to make clouds and rain, fell from power in such a spectacular scene yesterday, but today he didn't even make a sound.
It is said that a centipeded insect never dies, but Du Hanfei is more than just a centipede. He has been immersed in officialdom for decades, and has many gangs and disciples all over the world. There should be no one to speak for him.
But such a strange scene happened. There was no resistance from the ministers, no remonstrance with death. In a peaceful atmosphere, the emperor dispersed the morning court, leaving behind a group of courtiers who looked at each other.
The courtiers looked at the prime minister's party with dark faces. Although they were curious, no one dared to go forward and ask. In the end, everyone had dispersed. Only then did Xiao Yanjun grab Master Min, the Minister of Civil Affairs, and asked: "What's going on? You are considered the most considerate and eloquent person in this court, Prime Minister Du. Why don't you say anything?"
Min Zhisong had a clear look of embarrassment on his face. He opened his mouth several times and hesitated, but finally swallowed it back. He looked like he was hesitating to speak and couldn't finish the words.
"Master Min, what do you think?" Xiao Yanjun became more and more curious when he saw his expression.
"His Royal Highness King Yu, please don't embarrass us. It's not that we don't want to save him, but it's because our personal safety is small. But who can speak for Prime Minister Du now who is not a high-ranking official? It is inevitable that he will have to take care of his family at the expense of himself. I'm afraid of disturbing my family." Min Zhisong shook his head, turned around and walked out of the hall.
The emperor took a group of them to the Qingxin Palace yesterday, but before they could open their mouths, they started to threaten them.
Fortunately for the emperor, he told each of them one by one, which was enough to have their homes confiscated and their families exterminated. They were so frightened that they all fell to their knees with a 'plop'.
The emperor even put on a magnanimous look and said to them: "If you don't want to be an official, I don't mind replacing a batch of fresh blood in this court."
Min Zhisong and others looked at each other, feeling cold in their hearts.
Originally, they planned to pull Duhan Fei out even if they were fighting for the official position. As long as Du Hanfei doesn't fall down for a day, they can really enjoy the shade with their backs against the big tree.
If Du Hanfei really falls, they, as Du Hanfei's accomplices, will one day be removed by the emperor sooner or later.
They were ready for bloody remonstrance, but who would have thought that the emperor had already figured out their weaknesses.
There are no people who can climb up to the official position of early emperor. If they don't have this weakness to be taken advantage of, they will be able to use their bodies as advice and find a loyal protector. The emperor has to worry about the lives of so many courtiers, so he has to Don't worry about the mouth of this world.
But now it’s time to stop talking. If they insist on doing this and the emperor makes their crimes public, they will be criminals. It is only right for the emperor to arrest them, detain them, and kill them.
At that time, the people will only clap their hands and applaud, and they will not have any words to complain about the emperor's cruelty. They will only say that they are the ones to blame.
Before they could even open their mouths, the emperor had forced his words back into his stomach. They could only tremble and beg the emperor for forgiveness and mercy.
The emperor took a sip of the Biluochun that Eunuch Li had just presented, and glanced at Wu Yangyang, who was kneeling below: "I am also a person who misses old friendships. After all, some of you have been in power for many years. I owe all the money to the court. Spit it out for me and serve as an official well in the future, and I will forget about it."
Min Zhisong and others were dumbfounded, originally thinking that the emperor would take this opportunity to uproot them.
But he didn't expect that the emperor would actually raise his noble hand even though the thunder was loud and the rain was small.
"Of course, if any of you can't tell who the master of the Xiao Kingdom is, I don't mind. I'll let you take the whole family to bury your master!" Just when they felt that the emperor was kind and kind, the emperor was cold and bitter. An extremely clear sound reached their ears.
The ministers who listened trembled again, kowtowed and shouted: "The emperor is my master."
The emperor looked at the prostrate ministers under the case with satisfaction: "I will give you seven days. If you can't fill your own hole, just bring your official hat and head to fill it."
The ministers didn't dare to say anything, they all agreed.
"Do you have anything else to report?" the emperor asked, raising his eyebrows.
The ministers were agitated when asked: "No, no, I will leave."
Min Zhisong and others looked at each other after leaving the Qingxin Hall, feeling miserable in their hearts. Before they could even rise up, they had already stopped.
Now, even Min Zhisong suspects that all this was not planned by the emperor early in the morning, otherwise how could he have managed everything just right. The last move was a combination of kindness and power, which is even more impressive.
Du Hanfei is afraid that he is really in trouble this time, and they and his associates are still busy looking for cash for their own holes. They can't protect themselves, so how can they take care of Du Hanfei.
Xiao Yanjun half-squinted his eyes, looking at the figure of Min Zhisong who shook his head helplessly in the morning light and became more and more desolate.
He was full of doubts. Although he didn't know what method the emperor used, it was really a good method to deal with Du Hanfei so bloodlessly.
Xiao Yanjun thought about his mother and concubine's instructions last night, Du Hanfei must be saved.
He withdrew his gaze and walked towards the Jade Palace. He had to explain to his mother and concubine. At the moment, it seemed that Du Hanfei's downfall was a certainty, and he was afraid that there was nothing he could do to save it.
After hearing what happened in the morning, Concubine Li's expression changed suddenly.
There was a trace of panic and worry on a gorgeous face.
"Mother, although it is a pity to lose Du Hanfei, a powerful ally, but now that his position is vacant, we can support others to come up. After thinking about it, I think it is not a bad thing. At least he is easier to control than Du Hanfei. ." Xiao Yanjun persuaded her nonchalantly.
If his mother and concubine hadn't indicated that she wanted to keep Du Hanfei safe, he wouldn't have bothered to deal with it. After all, he had been ignored by Du Hanfei's disrespectful attitude several times and he would have been dissatisfied.
If he hadn't been concerned about the real power in his hands, he wouldn't have been able to smile at all.
Now that Du Han is imprisoned, as far as Xiao Yanjun is concerned, there is really no big disappointment.
(End of chapter)