One of the crimes that brought down the Wang family is now that the irrefutable evidence of the last private coining of old money has to be made public, and the mastermind behind the murder is Wang Yuan, the founding prince of the Jinyang Wang family.
This person has already arrived in Chang'an. From the time when the scholars of the Imperial Academy and Hongwen Palace died, it was entirely his decision, and then Suo Yuanli came to make plans and implement them. But now if you want to convict Wang Yuan of murdering the students, you have to wait for Suo Yuanli. 's confession.
For the Jinyang Wang family, they can find a scapegoat for the crime of secretly minting old money, as long as they have nothing to do with Wang Yuan. In this way, the Jinyang Wang family still maintains great attraction and appeal to the world's scholars. Influence.
Similarly, in the Taiyuan Prefecture and even the entire Tang Dynasty, the influence of the Jinyang Wang family will not be greatly damaged, and the reputation of the wealthy family is still as good as before.
But if Wang Yuan is found guilty of murdering students from the Imperial Academy and Hongwen Hall, will the scholars in the world continue to respect and respect the Wang family of Jinyang? The answer is naturally not to praise the Jinyang Wang family anymore, and this crime is the most fatal for the Jinyang Wang family.
Wang Yuan's face was gloomy. At this moment, the stakes in the court could be known without detailed analysis. Neither the private coining of old money nor the exploitation of the common people could shake the Wang family, a century-old family.
But if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince proves his crime of murdering students from the Imperial College and Hongwen Hall, once it is made public, the Jinyang Wang family will become the target of public criticism. Once the world's literati are denounced verbally and written, it will really be the end of the Jinyang Wang family.
With a carefully planned layout, the city's profound ingenuity, and ruthless and sharp methods, His Highness the Crown Prince fully demonstrated his strategy and ambition, which was to make the Wang family of Jinyang become the target of verbal and written criticism by scholars all over the world from now on, and completely defeat the Jin Dynasty. Yangwang family.
"Mr. Jianguo, what else do you have to say? Do you admit that you are the mastermind of the murder of the Imperial College and the Hongwen Palace?" Li Hong glanced at Di Renjie. Suo Yuanli had been arrested and was on his way over.
As long as there is a confrontation in the court, in front of hundreds of civil and military officials and meritorious wealthy families, the Jinyang Wang family will decline from then on, and this big tree that always threatens the Tang Dynasty will fall and disperse.
"I have never instigated others to murder the students of the Imperial Academy and Hongwen Hall. I don't even know about it. I hope that His Highness the Prince will not criticize the Wang family of Jinyang. The Wang family has been committed to exporting a large number of talents to the imperial court for a hundred years. The top priority is to treat the scholars of the world, how could he do such a thing that makes people and gods angry! The old minister will never admit that it is nothing." Wang Yuan's gray beard looked a little depressed, and his whole face was full of unprecedented emotions. of solemnity.
He needs to handle this moment carefully. No matter what, he cannot let the Jinyang Wang family's foundation, which is longer than the Tang Dynasty, be destroyed in his own hands.
Wang Yuan was also very arrogant. Not only the Tang Dynasty, but also the former Sui Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, and Han Dynasty all treated the Jinyang Wang family with great courtesy. Every dynasty that wanted to last for hundreds of years could not do without these powerful families. They provide talents. Even if the imperial court now institutes the imperial examination system in order to suppress their prestige among the scholars in the world, how many people can there be in the imperial court now? Not all of them are recommended by family members!
Li Hong looked at Wang Yuan playfully, and then slowly glanced at several other families. He stood up and walked around the court hall and said: "I don't admit to secretly minting old money. I don't admit to murdering students from the Imperial Academy and Hongwen Hall. I don't admit to impersonating students and others." The second person does not admit that whether the Wang family is really as upright and upright as the founding father-in-law said, perhaps the real answer can be known only by finding the person who killed the student. "
Li Hong walked down the steps again, looked down at Wang Yuan and said: "As the head of the Wang family in Jinyang, you enjoy the prosperity and stability provided by our Tang Dynasty and the support and love of our people." , and then did the shameful thing of colluding with foreign countries, do you understand that Kong Zhiyue was recommended by your Wang family, but Lin Shiling was rejected, and your grandson Wang Ming was recommended. He is a direct descendant of your Wang family. You are divided into three, six or nine levels. Some people are even proud to have the surname Wang, but if they know that the dignified founding prince is the mastermind behind the murder of all the scholars in the world. , what will you think? Don’t say that I am trying to incriminate, how about we deal with the problem on the spot once the witness arrives?”
"I am willing to accompany you. As long as I can clear the Wang family's century-old reputation, it doesn't matter if I risk my life!" Wang Yuan wanted to show off his arrogance and noble aura as the head of the family, but when facing Li Hong, he still He couldn't help but feel a little weak, unable to overwhelm His Highness the Crown Prince in terms of momentum.
After Queen Wang was executed for fighting with Wu Mei in the harem, Wang Yuan had already had a premonition that the royal family would be dissatisfied with the Wang family. However, relying on the shadow of a hundred years and the support of scholars all over the world, as long as he did not make any mistakes, then Wang Yuan would The family name is still the same Wang family.
Li Hong also knew very well that the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng System, a system that relied on the clan system to recommend officials, had made the reputation of the Five Surnames and Seven Families deeply ingrained in the hearts of scholars all over the world. Even the Emperor Father had explicitly banned them from the Five Surnames and Seven Families. Even now, they have turned a deaf ear to the intermarriage order and are still going their own way. Relying on their seemingly superior class status, they regard other surnames in the world as inferior.
This is why the late emperor ordered Gao Shilian to compile the "Chronicles of the Clan". However, Gao Shilian, who was only 250 years old and had a royal salary, still ranked the Wang family with five surnames and seven families first in the first compilation, and the royal Li family Ranked second!
After being reprimanded by the late emperor, the Royal Li family was re-ranked from second place to first place. From this, it is enough to imagine how influential the Jinyang Wang family was among the literati.
Di Renjie whispered to Li Hong, and Wang Yuan, who was standing not far away, heard very clearly that Suo Yuanli was arrested by Dali Temple and had entered the palace at this moment.
"Bring it with you." Li Hong said calmly.
"Zhongshu, Menxia, Shangshu Zuopushe, Dali Temple, Yushitai, and the Ministry of Punishment, in view of the great impact of the murder of students from the Imperial College and Hongwen Hall, I order you to join the trial of the murders of the Imperial College and Hongwen Hall students in the court hall today. Regarding the student's case, the rest of the royal family, the four surnames and six families, and the wealthy nobles should listen to this case, hoping to learn from this case and restrain the people in their own clans from committing such illegal things today. "
In the eyes of everyone, Li Hong's move was obviously killing the chicken to scare the monkeys. Wang's operation was used to warn them that the country under the rule of the Tang Dynasty was based on the royal family. Those who obey me will prosper, and those who go against me will perish.
Suo Yuanli was a barbarian from the Western Regions. As for when he came to the Tang Dynasty, Li Hong didn't know how he became a guest at Princess Qianjin's house. Li Hong didn't know either. He only knew that Suo Yuanli had already Revealing his true colors as a cruel official, several people in Princess Qianjin's mansion were tortured to death by him.
Two jailers escorted Suo Yuanli to the entrance of the Xuanzheng Hall. Wang Yuan's face immediately became even more ugly. Kong Zhiyue, Wang Yifang and Cao Wang Li Ming began to tremble. They all understood that once Suo Yuanli If they admit that they were the instigators, they will be brought to justice.
Lin Shiling was still standing at the door. Just as the jailer was escorting Suo Yuanli to the palace, Lin Shiling suddenly stepped forward and blocked Suo Yuanli's way.
Although Suo Yuanli was in custody, his deep-set blue eyes still shone with cruel light, while Lin Shiling was content and undaunted. There was even a smile on the corner of his mouth, and he whispered: "Student Lin Shiling is polite. I have seen him before." Mr. Suo."
"What do you mean?" Suo Yuanli asked lightly, not knowing the Confucian scholar in front of him.
"Oh, the student is just very interested in the two sets of torture instruments developed by Mr. Suo. Although he has never seen them in person, he has been fascinated by them for a long time. Although your 'prisoner' does not make people feel the pain, it is better than torturing people. Mentally, the interrogation was repeated day and night, and no food or drink was provided. The students liked it very much. By the way, your student was even more delighted by the 'prison guard', who put the iron box with a square hole on his head. Then use a wooden wedge to wedge it inward from the square hole. This is more interesting, but students still think it is a bit simple, because as long as the nail is driven in, the person will die and cannot feel the pain behind it. The person who is being tortured can feel it. The painful time is much shorter..." Lin Shiling looked at Suo Yuanli sincerely with a smile on his face. He found that Suo Yuanli's pupils were getting smaller, which meant that he was also afraid.
"What do you think?" Suo Yuanli tried his best to make his voice sound cold, which could help him relieve his tension, just like in the princess's mansion, after seeing the iron box put on the human head, he He was very excited, but the more excited he became, the colder his voice became.
"In the student's opinion, the student has also developed a torture instrument. The disadvantage is that the person who uses it will live for a long time before dying, and will feel the pain from shallow to deep. The advantage... is that at least one hour after being tortured, the person will be tortured." He won't die easily." The smile on Lin Shiling's face became even stronger, but it made Suo Yuanli want to bite him.
"May I ask what your name is?" Suo Yuanli asked coldly.
"Please enter the urn." Lin Shiling said lightly. Looking at Suo Yuanli's confused expression, he reached out and pointed to a large urn next to him: "This torture instrument does not need to be specially made. It is simple and convenient. Have you seen that urn? Just put the person in it. , use shackles to fix the human head outside to prevent the prisoner from standing up from the urn, then fill the urn with water, start adding some firewood from the bottom, and cook slowly, no one will die within an hour, but I guess all the lower limbs will be cooked, right?”
Facing the smile on Lin Shiling's face, Suo Yuanli's face suddenly turned pale. He knew the torture tools he had developed best, but he knew even more how painful it would be for this scholar to "invite you into the urn"!
"I will confess, truthfully!"
"Then thank you sir." Lin Shiling watched Suo Yuanli walk into the Xuanzheng Hall, then controlled his weak legs, held the door frame of the Xuanzheng Hall with a trembling hand, his face covered with sweat, and slowly Lean against the wall and slide down.
(End of chapter)