newbobooks Chapter 1421 Powerful Reckoning
Chapter 1421 Powerful Reckoning
Murong Yan stood on the edge of the Phoenix Terrace, looking down at the group of "loyal ministers" who were crying and wailing below.
"Now you know you were wrong?" Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chill. "I gave you chances, but you didn't cherish them."
She turned and walked back to the phoenix chair, the five-zhang-long dark gold trailing behind her making a soft scraping sound as it passed over the ground.
"Zhao Gao, do as I say." Murong Yan looked at Zhao Gao.
"Yes!" Zhao Gao waved his hand, and the imperial guards who had been waiting outside the hall filed in.
"No! Your Majesty! Your Majesty, spare my life!" Wang Yun was lifted up by two imperial guards. "Your Majesty! I am willing to atone for my crimes by performing meritorious service! I know the secrets of Yuan Wei and the Wang family! I will tell you everything!"
He roared, trying to use his last bargaining chip to buy a glimmer of hope.
But Murong Yan didn't even lift her eyelids.
"Drag down."
Three words sealed Wang Yun's fate.
The other dozen or so officials were also dragged away by the Imperial Guards. Their cries gradually faded into the distance and eventually disappeared outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The entire hall fell silent once again.
All the officials lowered their heads, not daring to breathe, finally realizing that the young empress before them was no pushover.
Her methods were even more ruthless than those of the late emperor.
Grand Tutor Yuan Wei stood at the front of the officials, his wrinkled old face revealing no expression.
But his hand holding the imperial tablet was trembling slightly; today's performance was aimed at their three great families.
Wang Yun and his ilk were just appetizers; the real main course was yet to come.
"Grand Tutor Yuan".
Murong Yan's voice suddenly rang out.
Yuan Wei's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward.
"The old minister is here."
"Do you think Zhang Aiqing's impeachment is justified?"
Murong Yan's clear, cold phoenix eyes stared straight at him.
Yuan Wei felt a chill run down his spine from her stare.
He knew this was a life-or-death question.
To say it makes sense is to admit that the three great families colluded to rebel; to say it doesn't make sense is to publicly slap the Empress in the face.
"This old minister..."
He had barely opened his mouth when Lin Zhen interrupted him.
"Grand Tutor Yuan, don't be nervous."
Lin Zhen leaned lazily against the armrest of the phoenix chair, a harmless smile on her face.
"His Majesty just wants to hear your opinion, he's not going to behead you, right?"
His words were spoken lightly, but to Yuan Wei, they were sharper than knives.
Yuan Wei took a deep breath, bowed, and said, "This old minister believes that everything Prime Minister Zhang said is true, and those parasites should indeed be killed, but..."
He then changed the subject, saying, "In my opinion, this matter involves many aspects and requires careful consideration. If it is not handled properly, it may cause turmoil in the court."
This was said with perfect accuracy.
This both demonstrated their stance and left a way out for the three major families.
He truly is a cunning old fox who has been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades.
Unfortunately, he encountered Murong Yan.
"Take it a long way?" Murong Yan sneered. "Ha, Grand Tutor Yuan, are you trying to teach me how to do things?"
Yuan Wei's expression changed, and he immediately knelt down, "This old minister dares not!"
"I dare not?" Murong Yan stood up and slowly walked down the Phoenix Terrace.
With each step she took, a section of her five-zhang-long train stretched out behind her, like a long black river that covered the entire floor of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
She walked up to Yuan Wei and looked down at him.
"Grand Tutor Yuan, you have served in the court for more than forty years, and your students and former officials are all over the country."
"I ask you, how many of your former students and officials are like Wang Yun, engaging in shady dealings?"
Yuan Wei's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"This old minister...this old minister does not know."
"I don't know?"
Murong Yan smiled, "Then I will tell you."
With a wave of her hand, Zhao Gao immediately handed her a list.
"These are 137 people in total, all former protégés and subordinates of your Yuan family. Some are corrupt and lawless, some oppress the people, and some even collude with foreign enemies. Tell me, how should I deal with them?"
Yuan Wei looked at the list, his face turning ashen. This was the Empress's way of making a show of force.
"This old minister...is willing to cooperate with Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter."
"it is good."
Murong Yan took back the list and turned to walk back to Fengtai.
"I'm giving you three days. I want to see all 137 of them in the Ministry of Justice's prison, not one less!"
"This old minister... obeys the decree."
Yuan Wei's voice trembled slightly; this time, the Yuan family was going to suffer a major blow.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.
A commander of the Imperial Guards strode into the main hall and knelt on one knee.
"Your Majesty, the entire Li family of Jiangxi has been escorted back to the capital!"
These words caused another uproar in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Everyone looked out of the hall in shock as dozens of prison carts slowly drove into the palace.
Inside the prison cart were the entire Li family, young and old, led by the patriarch, Li Yuan.
He was disheveled, and his prison clothes were tattered. He had no semblance of the dignity of a noble family head.
Murong Yan looked at the prison carts.
"By imperial decree, the entire Li family shall be imprisoned in the imperial prison and executed in the autumn."
"As for the Li family's assets..." she paused, "they were all confiscated and used to provide relief to the soldiers stationed on the border."
"Yes!"
Zhao Gao accepted the order and left.
Yuan Wei looked at the prison carts and felt a chill in his heart.
He knew that the Empress was making an example of someone to warn others, and wondered if the Yuan family would be next.
Just then, Lin Zhen suddenly spoke up.
"My beloved ministers."
He lazily glanced at the officials below, a harmless smile on his face.
"There is one thing I do not understand. The three great families have been operating in the Great Qian Dynasty for a hundred years, with their disciples and former officials all over the world. Why would they choose to support Prince Cheng's rebellion?"
As soon as he said this, everyone was stunned.
Lin Zhen smiled and slowly said, "Because they are afraid. They are afraid that Her Majesty, the Empress, will shake their foundations. They are afraid that Her Majesty will implement new policies and weaken the power of the aristocratic families. So they are willing to risk treason to bring Her Majesty down."
As he spoke, he looked at Yuan Wei.
"Grand Tutor Yuan, am I right?"
Yuan Wei's face turned ashen, but he was unable to refute her.
Because what Lin Zhen said is the truth.
"Hehe, so," Lin Zhen chuckled, "I think Your Majesty did the right thing this time in purging the aristocratic families."
"The land of the Great Qian belongs to His Majesty and the people, not to you aristocratic families. Anyone who dares to oppose it is an enemy of the Great Qian and an enemy of His Majesty."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Murong Yan.
"Your Majesty, what do you say?"
Murong Yan looked at him, a hint of a smile flashing in her phoenix eyes.
"Your Majesty is right."
She stood up, her voice clear, cold, and authoritative.
"From this day forward, I will thoroughly investigate the three great families. Anyone involved in treason will be severely punished without exception. I want the whole world to know that the Great Qian Dynasty cannot tolerate corrupt officials!"
Her voice echoed throughout the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
All the officials lowered their heads.
Yuan Wei stared intently at the imperial couple on the Phoenix Terrace, a sinister glint in his eyes. The Yuan and Wang families had to join forces to fight back.
Otherwise, they will be the next ones to have their homes ransacked and their entire families wiped out.