Chapter 158: Punish and Cannot defy the citizens
Right after the emperor received Tiancang Pavillionâs news, he immediately made a careful arrangement. But, who would have thought, that Xiao Tianyao would be this shameless and expose those evidence in this way.
After the emperor received the news, he got furious and immediately sent people to suppress Xiao Tianyaoâs plan, but he was too late. Once things got exposed, no matter how much you wanted to erase it, it wonât be easy anymore.
After an hour, the emperorâs people had collected all the papers that Xiao Tianyao has spread. But, they cannot erase the peopleâs memory and made them turn a blind eye to it.
The Chief of Investigation returns to the palace, once he made sure that no evidence could be seen in the capital anymore. But, as for the other places, they donât have enough time to collect it.
Looking at the big file of crimes of his people, the emperorâs face becomes as black as the potâs bottom: âThis is all my loyal palace ministers? You all really gave me a good face.â
No fish can survive if the water is too clean. The emperor naturally knows that his people are not clean, but not to this extent.
âThese officials are all sinners.â Left Prime Minister Lin Xiang and Right Prime Minister You said and kneel in front of the emperor.
Left Prime Minister Lin Xiang and Right Prime Minister You didnât make any mistakes, but because their servant and family member were guilty, they cannot help but also plea.
Aside from family member, Right Prime Minister Youâs young granddaughter was badly soiled by General Jiu Mei. So, to make his image good, he wanted to ask the emperor to strictly prosecute him.
Originally, for the sake of his familyâs image, Right Prime Minister You doesnât want to admit the cheap young lady was his granddaughter. But, to avoid people cursing right in front their door, he no longer denied it.
And after recognizing her, naturally, he must seek justice!
âHuangshang, for this old officialâs sake, please severely punish General Jiu Mei.â Right Prime Minister You burst into tears. He is very old but he cried like a child. So, even though the emperor was very angry, he couldnât turn a blind eye.
Seeing Right Prime Minister You crying like thereâs no tomorrow, the other palace ministers understood his intention, so they also follow and beg. To solidify and escape this disastrous incident, the emperor must show his power.
The other palace ministers were also guilty, but because their misdemeanors were not severe. They demanded to the emperor to severely punish General Jiu Mei.
These palace ministers really know who to punish and not. Princess Fushou Zhang and General Zhen were also guilty of their crimes, but to put away the emperorâs anger, they turn a blind eye to it. But, will the other people involve and the citizens also do the same?
Originally, the emperor summoned these palace ministers to solve an immediate problem. But, who would have thought that these palace ministers will seek justice and focus on a subject that he doesnât have⦠⦠any care!
Right Prime Minister You havenât attain justice, but a eunuch suddenly came and reported that Princess Fushou Zhang came to the palace crying and keep saying that she couldnât live away with her husband, Prince Hou.
Princess Fushou Zhang has never lived apart with Prince Hou. And although she was arrogant and insolent, Prince Hou has no other choice but tolerate her. However, now that she made a mistake, Prince Hou can now divorce her.
Princess Fushou Zhang keeping toy-boys in her courtyard is not a secret. After all, she was living with her in-laws, so how come they wouldnât know? However, outsiders doesnât know this secret, so her face was kept clean.
But now that Xiao Tianyao exposed her secret, whoâs Prince will still tolerate her? No one ah.
Princess Fushou Zhangâs husband is not an ordinary person. He is Northwest Viscount Houâs legitimate son. The First Emperor originally wanted to win Northwest Viscount Hou, but he could only make his youngest son as his son-in-law.
Northwest Viscount Houâs legitimate son also know that this marriage is nothing but a political marriage. So, even if he was very dissatisfied with Princess Fushou Zhang, all he could do is give her a face. However, now that her secret was exposed, he no longer wanted tolerate her and just want to keep his face.
The riot outside havenât subsided, but a civil strife strike once again. The emperor faces an endless problem, but he had no other choice but to dismissed his palace ministers and went to the inner palace to appease Princess Fushou Zhang.
Northwest Viscount Hou is not an easy man, with this incident, they cannot appease him lightly.
The palace ministers left. Right Prime Minister You, who looks like a ten-year-old with all the crying staggered while walking. But, as soon as he arrived in the palace gate, a man immediately came forward and painfully said: âMaster, Young Miss, when Young Miss woke up, she couldnât bear the humiliation, so she hit her head to the pillar and died.â
When Right Prime Minister You heard it, he fell on the ground⦠â¦
âDoctor, Doctor, quickly, call the Imperial Doctor⦠â¦â
Outside the palace, a man started shouting in panic. The crowd surrounded Right Prime Minister You. Left Prime Minister Lin Xiang also came forward to help, while waiting for the imperial doctor.
Of course, Left Prime Minister Lin Xiang only looks very concerned on the surface. But, in actuality, he was cursing Right Prime Minister You for pretending to be ill.
Well, Lin Xiang admits that he also wanted to pretend to be ill to avoid getting involved in this crisis, but⦠â¦
He is not as cruel as him, as to let his granddaughter âhit her head on the pillar and luckily died.â
What an insult! To deceive the outsiders he will go this far. Lin Xiang is also an old fox, so he understood that to keep their familyâs reputation, Right Prime Minister You force his granddaughter to âcommit suicide.â
This incident is very bad, but even if the emperor suppressed it timely. The news cannot be stopped now. The emperor can order the people not to talk about it. However, it is now very unrealistic to cover it up.
So, although the emperor wanted to protect General Jiu Mei and the others, he could no longer do so. He must give justice to his citizens, otherwise, not only there will internal conflicts, but also external conflicts⦠â¦
The Emperor ended up doing what he doesnât want.
*
Although Xiao Tianyao didnât go outside the Xiao w.a.n.gfu, he is very much aware of the situation outside.
After all, it can be said that things have only developed according to his plans. And soon after, under the emperorâs command, all the wicked government officials in Xiao Tianyaoâs list were forced to step down in their position and was imprisoned to wait for their punishment.
But, of course, such incident didnât shake much the emperorâs foundation. Because those vacant government officialâs spots will be filled as soon as he openâs his mouth.
However, what causes the emperorâs severe headache right now, is that he didnât expect that the evidence in Xiao Tianyaoâs hand is far more than that.
According to Tiancang Pavilion, Xiao Tianyao wanted to know all crimes of his government officials, from small to the biggest, to destroy them. But, who would have thought that he only used two out of the ten evidences.
âd.a.m.n it.â The emperor pounded his hand like a hammer on the table. Blood started dripping from fingers, but it seems like he doesnât feel anything.
The emperor knew very clear that Xiao Tianyao is still threatening him. Well then, he will continue targeting his confidants. Xiao Tianyao dared to expose his peopleâs crimes to the public, and so he will do the same.
And if it is necessary to take back all the remaining evidence in his hands.
Then, he will find out where Xiao Tianyao printed all of them!
He has toâ¦â¦
What can be done is done. But, some things only remain as a wish. After three days and three nights of searching, the emperorâs spies found a printing house with the incriminating evidence. But right now, it was almost empty except for some printing samples.
After three days and three nights of tracking, the emperorâs spies found some people that spread the evidence in the capital. However, they all ran to nearest river and lake, then they commit suicide. Those men all died, so they could no longer charge Xiao Tianyao.
If Xiao Tianyao moves his hands, it will always be this clean. So, even if the emperor wants to grab him, that would be very impossible⦠â¦