Silence!
transfixed!
The ministers really didn't expect things to develop like this. They thought that no matter how treasonous Zhai Huan was, at most he would put the king under house arrest. Those who knew a little about the grudge between Zhai Huan and the royal family at most guessed that Zhai Huan would use this as a threat to make the king order the execution of Shu Ji to avenge his hatred. This was the worst case scenario they could imagine, but, but -
The uncle followed Zhai Huan's order and killed his nephew.
This was really far beyond their imagination. At this moment, an old man with white hair and beard got up from the mat in anger, waved his hand to push away the knife on his neck, and shouted loudly.
"Zhai's son, do you know what you have done?"
The old man once worked with Zhai Huan's grandfather, but Zhai Huan's grandfather was imprisoned and died of plague during the struggle within the court. Many members of the Zhai family also suffered in that turmoil.
This old man was somewhat special. He was able to get along well with the foreign relatives, eunuchs and the gentry. It was also because of his lobbying that many members of the Zhai family, including Zhai Huan's father, were spared.
Zhai Huan respected this old man.
But that's all.
He said, "The boy knows it very well."
The old man shouted angrily: "Do you know what you just did?"
Zhai Huan sneered, "I know."
The old man was almost heartbroken by Zhai Huan's indifferent attitude. His face turned pale and he pointed at Zhai Huan.
"King-killing in front of the palace, you, Zhai, have been receiving salaries from the State of Shen since your great-grandfather. How much favor have you received?"
Zhai Huan scoffed at this.
He said indifferently, "What you said is not right. The Zhai clan has never been supported by the royal family. My clan has worked for the prosperity of Shen State to the current shortage. Didn't they get their salaries and favors from the royal family by relying on their abilities and loyalty? They are worthy of the royal family, the common people under their rule, and their own conscience. But do you, the royal nobles, dare to say that you are worthy of the Zhai clan?"
In Zhai Huan's opinion, the old man was just crazy from studying the words of the thief star. The mainland is vast, and there are so many countries like Shen State? Shen State can also be replaced at any time.
How ridiculous is it that the dynasty that has been passed down for hundreds of years has already been passed down for less than 50 or 60 years
"Eat the salary of the emperor, be loyal to the emperor." Zhai Huan looked at the old man whose blood pressure was soaring with amusement, "Although the Zhai family is not as good as before, we still have a few acres of family land and surplus grain in the granary. Is this 'salary' from the Shen Kingdom worth cherishing?"
Furthermore—
Was he the one who murdered his master in front of the palace? His hands were not stained with such disgusting and dirty blood!
The old man and the court officials looked unhappy, but they did not dare to act rashly. The national seal was useless in the hands of a useless king, but now it fell into the hands of Zhai Huan, one of the two outstanding men of the Zhai family, and there were tens of thousands of elite soldiers outside the palace staring fiercely...
If she really pissed people off, no one in the palace would be able to leave with their heads held high. At this time, several court officials who knew the inside story cursed Shuji in their hearts - it would be fine if she bullied women and men on a normal day, but after all, she was the king's favorite sister.
Most of those male favorites were people who curry favor with the powerful, and they took what they wanted from each other, even at the cost of harming each other.
But why target Zhai Huan when there are so many other people to target
Oh my god, my life is over now, right
On second thought, even if this incident had not happened, with the extravagant Queen Mother, the suspicious and bloodthirsty King who could do nothing, and Suk-ji who could not walk at the sight of a handsome man, the Kingdom of Shen would have been finished sooner or later, it was just a matter of sooner or later.
Just when the atmosphere fell into silence and stiffness again, Zhai Le, one of the protagonists of today's wedding, dressed in festive red and black, picked up Shu Ji, who was pale with fright, like a chicken.
The voice was full of energy and joy.
You can hear it clearly even from a hundred steps away.
"Brother, I've brought the person to you!"
Shu Ji was left behind by Zhai Le, her hair full of gorgeous pearls, jade, gold and silver falling to the ground by inertia, and her knees hurt from falling. Even though she was spoiled and didn't understand government affairs, she knew that this was not a good situation. When her eyes fell on her brother's body lying at Zhai Huan's feet, she screamed in fear.
Subconsciously, she wanted to call on the guards to avenge her brother!
But before she could say anything, she remembered with a pale face that she and her new husband Zhai Le bid farewell to her mother and brother, and rode out of the palace in a luxurious carriage to her extremely luxurious princess residence to enjoy a sweet night of love.
As soon as she left the palace, countless soldiers in armor jumped out to assassinate her. Wang Ji's guards tried to protect her, but they were all killed by her husband Zhai Le. Even when she was completely isolated and helpless, Wang Ji still couldn't accept the sudden change in reality.
Why is this so
The envoy who was sent by Shuji to Zhai Mansion to show off his power was stabbed in the head by Zhai Le in front of her.
The latter thought the corpse was in the way, so he kicked it randomly, hitting the corpse in the head. The corpse rolled all the way into Wang Ji's arms. Looking at the male favorite with a sunken head and no longer recognizable appearance, her mind went blank with a loud bang. When she came to her senses, she was already in the palace.
The wedding arrangements have not yet dispersed.
The ministers didn't even touch the delicious food on the table.
It was exactly the same as when she said goodbye to her relatives not long ago.
so-
What happened in such a short period of time!
Shuji managed to regain some of her sanity.
He crawled to his brother's body with weak hands and feet, held up the still bleeding head with both hands, held it tightly in his arms and cried bitterly. His miserable and sad state was like a wild goose losing its mate.
Zhai Huan found this situation funny and ironic.
He said, "I've heard before that the former king and Suk-hee had a deep brother-sister relationship. They ate and slept together since childhood, and even after they grew up, they didn't have to keep men and women apart. The maids once heard dirty noises in the bedroom... This kind of brother-sister relationship is probably rare in the world."
The court officials in the palace: "..."
Those who were a little thin-skinned couldn't bear to listen any further.
Even after death, they still talk about their dark history. If this part of Shen State's history can be passed down to future generations, the reputation of this brother and sister will be tarnished for generations to come. But this is not the end yet. Zhai Huan asked coldly, "By the way, where is the Queen Mother?"
The groom, Zhai Le, just felt happy.
With her hands on her hips, her smile was brighter than the flowers.
She replied, "She has been locked up in her own chamber by the maids. Brother, do you want to see her? I will bring her here."
Zhai Huan rolled his eyes at his cousin.
Why would he see the other person if he had nothing to do
It's just that I need a ladder to make use of the topic.
"It is said that the Queen Mother and the former King had a deep mother-son relationship. When Suk-ji stayed outside the palace at night, she was usually accompanied by her mother. The mother and son were not bound by worldly rules. The palace maids had also heard foul and strange noises coming from the bedroom... This kind of mother-son relationship is rare in the world."
Zhai Le nodded with emotion and sighed from the bottom of his heart: "Apart from anything else, the relationship between mother and son is quite good."
Zhai Huan: “…”
All the ministers in the court: “…”
Are the brains of Zhai Shuangxiu all on Zhai Huan's head
You call this a good mother-son relationship
For a moment, the court officials could not tell whether Zhai Le's praise was from the bottom of his heart or the unique sarcasm of the Zhai family. Looking closely at Zhai Le's sparkling eyes, the former was more likely.
Shuji's crying gradually faded away.
He pointed at Zhai Huan and screamed at the court officials who were sitting still: "Why don't you kill him? Why don't you protect your master with your own bodies? It's a heinous crime to kill the king! Why don't you kill this traitor who is so rebellious!"
At this time, I noticed that my uncle was also present.
She took two steps on her knees, her bloodstained hands weakly grasping her uncle's skirt armor, the cold temperature of the iron plate piercing through her palm into her heart. She begged bitterly: "Uncle, uncle, please, please avenge my brother..."
But the only response was a ruthless kick.
The king's uncle frowned and looked with disgust at the counterfeit head that was so stained with blood that it could not be recognized as its original appearance, with a cold expression.
"He's just a lowly bastard. How can you, as a princess, kneel down and beg for mercy for such a person?"
Zhai Huan lowered his head slightly and watched the farce.
The mind is guessing uncontrollably.
How desperate and helpless must Ah Jing have felt when she was threatened by the people sent by Shu Ji? Thinking of this, his heart ached even more. He could only suppress it by frowning slightly, but his hands in his sleeves had already clenched into fists.
Calm down a bit and continue thinking.
With Ajing's temper, she would rather die standing than beg for mercy and survival from others in a humble manner. What's more, with Shuji's temper, she had no intention of letting Ajing survive.
Zhai Huan's eyes became three points colder.
The court officials were surprised by the words of the king's uncle, but when they thought that the other party's condition was related to Zhai Huan, they did not find it strange.
The way of every scholar is unique; their abilities may be similar, but they are definitely not the same.
Because of his grandfather, Zhai Huan was very cold towards the royal court. Although he had reached the age to serve as an official, he had no intention of doing so, and he did not even ask his family for help.
I took my cousin and went to travel around the mainland...
Therefore, except for those close to him, outsiders have no idea what his way of writing is...
Unknown abilities are the most troublesome.
Suk-ji was so irritated by the king's uncle's words that she lost her composure on the spot.
She pulled out a dagger from her bosom and stabbed Zhai Huan directly, her expression ferocious and twisted. Her mind was full of revenge for her brother, and she was no longer rational. But the severe pain that followed made her calm down a little. Her dagger didn't even touch the corner of Zhai Huan's clothes, and she was kicked away by her uncle mercilessly.
She fell to the ground in pain.
His face was filled with sadness and reluctance.
With red eyes, he looked at Zhai Huan, who was so close to him but he could not kill him, and his heart was filled with resentment that he could not vent.
"If I had known this—"
She cursed under her breath.
"...Haha, I shouldn't have let that woman die so easily. I should have tortured her with all kinds of torture, stripped her naked and thrown her into the street, so that everyone in the world can see what your woman, Zhai Yuewen, looks like!"
All the ministers in the court could not bear to listen any longer. He did such a heinous thing and still did not repent, and even dared to speak such nonsense.
Even they didn't dare to further provoke Zhai Huan. What was this Shuji thinking? Did she think that her death would be too easy
Zhai Huan had no expression on his face.
He said, "I originally only intended to kill the three of you, and I didn't intend to humiliate you any more. A white silk hanging on the palace gate is enough. After all, you are a beast, but I am not. You must die the same way that Ah Jing died."
But the other party was obviously not satisfied with the outcome.
He also showed no respect for the deceased and had no remorse.
In this case, Zhai Huan would be doing an injustice to his deceased wife if he continued to be merciful, so he turned around and asked his uncle, the king.
"Did you hear that?"
The king's uncle hesitated: "After all, she is..."
Zhai Huan sneered and said, "If we don't deal with it, will her and that man's unbearable brother-sister relationship be recorded in history?"
The king's uncle made up his mind.
He waved at his left and right hands who were on standby.
"Do as you wish."
Shuji opened her eyes wide in shock, and even until she was dragged out by people on both sides, she still couldn't understand why her own uncle could be so heartless.
Zhai Huan still showed mercy and did not torture Shuji, but her fate was not much better.
Because the maids who once served Wang Ji used all the methods that Wang Ji used to humiliate the palace maids for fun on her.
It can also be considered as returning the favor in his own way.
Just think of it as seeking justice for other victims.
"Use them all?"
Zhai Huan said: "Use it."
If a person dies, there is no need to strip him of his clothes, the body can be thrown directly onto the street...
Afterwards, he learned about Suk-hee's fate.
Those palace maids have many tricks and countless uses.
Using needles to prick the ten fingers was considered a kind method, as were beating the prisoners three inches below the abdomen while covered with a blanket, pulling out the prisoners' hair one by one and asking them to count. If they counted wrong, they would be slapped in the face...
Until she died, her body could no longer recognize her original appearance. However, this was only the basic method that Wang Ji and the king used to humiliate the palace ladies for fun. The former king also invented nearly a hundred different tortures. The brother and sister learned from each other and made progress together.
Compared to the previous king, Wang Ji's methods can be considered "kind" and "gentle", which is outrageous.
Zhai Huan: “…”
Although he held the imperial seal, he had no intention of taking over the throne and becoming king right now, because this was unrealistic.
He had a time limit to control the uncle of the king. Once this time was over, the other party would know that he was being tricked and would definitely lead his troops to turn against him. This situation was quite bad. This guy was not worth wasting his life on. He planned to control the troops first and then plan other things.
then-
The next move that exceeded the minister’s expectations is coming.
Zhai Huan proposed to make Prince Xun the next ruler. As the ruler was too young to manage state affairs, he and several important ministers who had grudges against each other would assist him until the ruler came of age and could rule the country.
The courtiers looked at each other in bewilderment.
The king’s uncle was the first to disagree.
"No, how old is Prince Xun?"
He was still in swaddling clothes and depended on a wet nurse for three meals a day.
Zhai Huan smiled but said nothing. The king's uncle reacted, weighed the pros and cons in his mind, and agreed to this matter.
His "nephew" had just been found, the impostor had just died, and the government was unstable. Zhai Huan's rash ascension to power would inevitably cause public criticism. In addition, the impostor had done things that angered the people and left a lot of messes. There were also powerful people in various parts of Shen State who had their own troops. They would be busy next, so it would be better to wait until the situation stabilized before making further plans...
To succeed in following the dragon, one must have oneself.
How can a baby in swaddling clothes be in charge of government
How to deal with it depends on Zhai Huan.
The king's uncle figured it out.
The king's uncle was conferred a very high title and was appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Shen State's Army, while the original power to guard the capital was handed over to Zhai Le and his cronies.
Then-
The king's uncle died on the seventh day.
He died at the hands of his "nephew" in his eyes.
The body was lost along with the frightened Queen Mother.
Zhai Le frowned slightly when he saw the list of candidates for promotion on the table. Zhai Huan explained, "There are too few people available. The old foxes in the court will be afraid of me, but they will not work for me because of this."
The royal court officials practiced non-violent non-cooperation.
They were sick and refused to report to work in the government office.
Zhai Huan couldn't find enough people to replace them. He killed the king in front of the palace, so how could the ambitious tyrants in various parts of Shen State sit still? If the court could not stabilize, the situation would get out of control... Zhai Huan's revenge was real, but his heart to restore order was also real.
He doesn't mind throwing out some feed first to steady these old foxes.
Zhai Le was silent for a long time.
After a while.
He said, "Brother, the Xunnan Zhao family can be won over."
The Xunnan Zhao family also has many people who can be used.
－－－－－－－Off-topic－－－－－－－