RPAGF Chapter 132 The Emperor's White Moonlight 14
Chapter 132 The Emperor's White Moonlight 14
The next day, sunlight streamed down the stone pavement leading to Ganquan Palace. Lingjiu, dressed in a gorgeous palace attire, walked toward the palace with a light yet undeniable aura. Before long, they arrived at their destination and successfully secured the evidence provided by Xiao He.
Before leaving, Lingjiu's eyes fell on Concubine Xu and she said calmly, "Within three days, I will arrange for you to leave."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Xu was stunned for a moment, her eyes flashing with surprise and disbelief. Then tears welled up in her eyes. She immediately knelt down and kowtowed in gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your kindness and virtue will never be forgotten. I thank you here and wish you good health and happiness in everything you do."
Lingjiu nodded slightly: "Get up, just wait patiently for the next few days."
After Lingjiu returned to Guangling Palace, she gently opened the box. Inside, she saw numerous booklets, some of them somewhat worn. She picked one up at random, flipped it open, and began to examine it carefully. The booklet detailed all the evil deeds committed by Grand Tutor Liu over the years, such as the seizure of vast tracts of land and the embezzlement of vast sums of money. She was mesmerized.
At this moment, Ji Heng walked in. His footsteps were very light. Seeing Lingjiu's focused look, his eyes were full of tenderness, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously raised. He asked softly, "What are you looking at? You are so focused that you didn't even notice me coming in."
Lingjiu raised her eyes to look at him, a glint flashed in her eyes, the corners of her mouth rose slightly, then she closed the booklet, stood up and walked to Ji Heng, stuffed the booklet into his arms, and said with a bit of ridicule: "Zi Yan, I am looking at those termites. These people are so audacious that they are almost eating away the court. From now on, it depends on you, Zi Yan."
Ji Heng took the booklet, flipped it open, and began to read. The more he read, the more his smile grew, yet within it was a deep chill, like an undercurrent hidden beneath an iceberg. He read as he said, "Hmph! These people, who usually speak righteously in the court, appear to be loyal ministers and good generals, yet they do such heartless things. Look, the money in their pockets is probably more than the national treasury."
Lingjiu slowly sat down, and Shi Wu came forward to pour her tea. Lingjiu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "If that's the case, then let's confiscate their property! Make them pay back all the money they've plundered from the people over the years."
Ji Heng nodded slightly, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes: "Confiscate the property, okay, let's do as Jiuer said. These people must pay the price for their actions. I can't let them continue to go unpunished and damage the foundation of our dynasty."
The next day, in the magnificent court, Ji Heng sat on the dragon throne, his face as gloomy as the sky before a storm. He slammed the chair's armrests, his face filled with rage, his voice reverberating like a bell in the courtroom: "Hmph! Taifu Liu, the evil deeds you committed over the years are simply too numerous to list!"
The ministers in the court were stunned for a moment, then suddenly in an uproar. Some of them stared with wide eyes, their faces filled with astonishment, as if they couldn't believe that the usually righteous and righteous Master Liu could have done anything so evil.
Some ministers frowned and felt uneasy, secretly wondering whether their relationship with Tutor Liu would be implicated. Other ministers whispered to each other, wondering how solid the evidence in His Majesty's hands was.
Ji Heng surveyed the crowd with a dignified expression, then proceeded to recount the numerous atrocities committed by Grand Tutor Liu over the years, from the seizure of land that displaced the people to the corruption and bribery that disrupted court discipline. Each crime was appalling. With a wave of his hand, his attendants presented a thick stack of evidence. The evidence was laid out in the center of the court, silently denouncing Grand Tutor Liu's crimes.
Liu Taifu's face turned pale, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. He knew in his heart that his sins were as grave as a mountain, and in the face of such irrefutable evidence, any excuses were futile, so he immediately confessed.
As Liu Taifu's crimes were exposed, Ji Heng did not give up. He knew that there were still many people in the court who were tied to Liu Taifu. These people were like ulcers attached to the bones. If they were not eradicated, there would be endless troubles.
As a result, all officials involved with Grand Tutor Liu, regardless of their rank, were sentenced to confiscation of property and exile.
In an instant, all the ministers in the court and the country who were on good terms with Grand Tutor Liu felt insecure and panicked. The tranquility of the court in the past was no longer there, replaced by an atmosphere of tension and panic, as if a storm was mercilessly sweeping across the entire court.
Some ministers broke out in cold sweat, secretly thanking their luck that they had nothing to do with Master Liu; some were filled with despair, knowing that they were doomed; others tried to defend themselves, but in the face of irrefutable evidence, it was all in vain, and they could only wait for the judgment of fate.
Compared to the embarrassment of Liu Taifu's faction in this court turmoil, the Prime Minister's faction was completely out of the picture, watching the show leisurely. After all, his evidence had long been destroyed.
Meanwhile, Concubine Liu, in the cold palace, was still immersed in the fantasy that her father would come to rescue her. Her heart was filled with anticipation, and she kept repeating, "Father will definitely come to save me, he will definitely come."
Seeing that the time Zheng Da Ying usually came to help her wash and brush her teeth had long passed, but she still hadn't shown up, Concubine Liu's anger suddenly flared up. She stood up abruptly and stormed out the door, cursing as she walked, "That slut, how dare she treat me like this? I'll skin her alive!" She was thinking that she would teach this ungrateful Zheng Da Ying a lesson and let her know the consequences of neglecting her.
When she pushed open the door, she saw Zheng Da Ying carrying a bucket of water, staggering towards her. Concubine Liu's eyes widened in anger, and she shouted, "You lowly servant, why are you so slow? Are you trying to starve me to death? Do you really want to die?" Her once beautiful face was now distorted by anger.
Zheng Da Ying, however, seemed oblivious to her outburst. His expression remained unchanged as he silently set the bucket down and slowly poured the water into the wooden basin. Seeing this, Liu Fei snorted coldly and walked over to the basin, just as she was about to bend down to wash. At this moment, Zheng Da Ying suddenly stretched out his hands and forcefully pushed Liu Fei's head into the water.
Concubine Liu was horrified and began to struggle, waving her hands wildly in the air. However, Zheng Da Ying seemed to have exhausted all his strength to hold her down tightly. In the panic, the wooden basin was knocked over, and water spilled all over the floor. Concubine Liu struggled out of the water, coughing non-stop, her hair wet and sticking to her face, looking extremely embarrassed. Her eyes widened, filled with fear and anger, and she pointed at Zheng Da Ying and cursed: "You bitch, are you looking for death? How dare you murder me? Do you know what this crime is? I will cut you into pieces!"