ITOTIABSAM | The Tyrant in the Deep Palace | 70
"The final decision?"
It was clearly meant to find a scapegoat to bear the blame.
Sitting on the dragon throne, all he heard were pretty words meant to appease a child. Over time, Xie Ye became increasingly lazy to deal with court affairs. Considering the timeline, it was indeed about time for a relatively important plot point from the original work. No wonder these ministers, who usually had no need for the emperor, would bring their troubles to him.
Having a headache and having to listen to a bunch of old men with white beards argue endlessly was not something Xie Ye, the original owner of this body, was interested in either. But just the thought of the expressions of Prince An and the ministers after he brought Xie Ye to the Hall of Government made even the most boring things seem a bit more interesting.
The court attire was cumbersome and heavy, and Xie Ye had no intention of wearing it. Under normal circumstances, no one dared to stand up and intervene, given the risk to their own lives.
After changing his shoes, he helped Xie Ye to his feet with his arm and said, "Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll give them face."
"As for Eunuch Li, there's no need to inform him."
With this statement, the palace attendants waiting outside the Mingguang Hall all changed their expressions.
In the past, no matter how favored Xie Ye was by the emperor, it was only within the confines of the harem, considered the emperor's private affairs.
However, throughout history, eunuchs who were brought by the emperor to attend court were all experienced and capable individuals, deeply trusted by the imperial family. Even the high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks would give them some respect.
But Gu Cong...
Such treatment had never been seen before, not even by Pei Yi, who came from a prestigious family.
However, regardless of their inner doubts, no one dared to question Xie Ye's decision. Instead, they eagerly prepared a sunshade umbrella for Gu Cong as well.
Intentionally intercepting the attendants who were planning to inform others early, when Xie Ye, dressed in red, entered with Gu Cong, the entire Hall of Government fell silent for a moment.
"Well, are you going to speak or not?" Leaning back against the dragon throne, Xie Ye brushed his sleeves leisurely, exuding an aura of a tyrant.
Furrowing his brows, Xie Ye scrutinized Gu Cong from head to toe. One of the imperial censors standing on the left seemed to want to say something, but recalling the fate of his former colleagues, he reluctantly closed his mouth.
Standing among the court officials, Xi Jinyu's eyes darkened.
As a prince with an idle status, he only appeared in court on a few important days, such as the first and fifteenth of each month. The fact that the tyrant had come today was already beyond his expectations. Furthermore, the substitution of Eunuch Li with Gu Cong, who now stood beside him, added another unexpected twist to the situation.
Suddenly brought to the Hall of Government to face the court officials, Gu Cong showed no signs of nervousness or prideful arrogance. Instead, when he noticed Xi Jinyu's gaze, he simply lifted his eyes slightly.
"Summoning me all the way here just to look at your heads?" Xie Ye casually picked out someone who seemed somewhat familiar among the various figures of different heights and builds, and addressed him, "You, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, isn't it? Come forward."
He didn't expect the current emperor to remember his name. The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward, looking worried. "Your Majesty, recently there has been a severe drought in Jiangzhou. The Ministry of Revenue has already allocated funds, but General Ning insists on demanding another fifty thousand taels of silver from us."
"The national treasury is empty, and we simply cannot produce so much money."
Dressed in the highest-grade deep purple court attire, although he couldn't be described as having a sharp mind, his belly strained against the belt, making the words "empty national treasury" sound particularly unconvincing coming from his mouth.
The other figure mentioned, General Ning Wei, was the most brave and skilled commander in the Chen Dynasty, with a martial appearance and over forty years of age. Due to the recent stability of the border, he had remained in the capital to report on his duties.
According to the setting in the original work, he had previously served as a captain in Jiangzhou. Therefore, it was not surprising for him to stand up and oppose the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
"Your Majesty, I absolutely did not intend to make things difficult," Ning Wei's face turned red with anger, as he had already argued over this matter before. "Yesterday, I received a letter from an old friend. In Jiangzhou, famine is widespread, and the relief grains sent by the court, at least half of them are filled with sand and stones."
Hearing this, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue raised his voice immediately, "Old friend? I doubt it's a friend from the military. General Ning, now that you have returned to the capital, why are you still in private contact with the garrison in Jiangzhou?"
In terms of eloquence, most military generals couldn't match up to civilian officials. Knowing that the current emperor was young but highly suspicious, Ning Wei was at a loss and had to kneel down with a thud, "I absolutely did not intend such a thing!"
"No such intention? Among all the officials in the capital, why did General Ning Wei alone receive a letter from Jiangzhou? Why is it only General Ning Wei who claims that the people in Jiangzhou are suffering?" Seizing the opportunity, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue spoke sharply, "Your Majesty, observe carefully. Throughout history, hoarding silver and grain without reason often signifies rebellion!"
Like cold water poured into a hot pan, there was a buzzing sound, and the officials began to discuss fervently.
Under the jade steps, a hidden murderous intent flickered in Ning Wei's eyes.
If Xie Ye remembered correctly, this was the moment when Prince Xi Jinyu should have stepped forward before Ning Wei erupted, sternly rebuking the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
However, being a "leisurely prince" with "no real power," he would ultimately leave in anger, never returning to court for another month.
Not to mention treason, even factionalism and private dealings were not things to be brought to light. The Prince An lineage was well aware that he was just playing a role, but Ning Wei was unaware.
Moreover, later on, Xi Jinyu secretly diverted his own salary to provide supplies under the pretext of lacking manpower for escort, and asked Ning Wei to deliver them to Jiangzhou. With these clever maneuvers, he completely won Ning Wei's favor, securing the support of this crucial military force in the later stages.
At this moment, Prince Xi Jinyu did indeed have such intentions: the Ministry of Revenue controlled grain, money, and land, yet its leader was a greedy and cowardly fence-sitter, not someone he could use.
If he could seize the opportunity to eliminate this person with Ning Wei's help, he would have the confidence to promote his own candidate to the position, killing two birds with one stone and greatly advancing his own ambitions.
As for how much relief his private supplies could provide to the famine-stricken, that would ultimately depend on fate.
However, just as Xi Jinyu was preparing to express his emotions and step forward, the young emperor seated on the throne suddenly spoke up: "Too noisy."
Normally, the highest seat in the court hall was vacant, and with the fervent debates ongoing, everyone seemed to forget that there was someone sitting there today.
Appearing both irritated and perhaps a bit naive, the young emperor, without even wearing court attire, tugged at his collar, squinting his phoenix-like eyes, effectively silencing whatever Xi Jinyu was about to say.
Tick, tick.
In the pin-drop silence, he descended the steps of the throne, passing by Ning Wei. Before anyone could react, he drew the sword at Ning Wei's side and, with precision, stabbed it into the throat of the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.
—--This sword was a reward bestowed upon Ning Wei for his military achievements. While it could be brought into the court, it was more decorative than functional, its purpose more ornamental than for combat.
But it was still a sword.
A sword with its blade exposed.
Blood gushed out, only to be blocked by the cold metal, eventually flowing out along the edges, staining the Minister of Revenue's hands as he desperately tried to cover his neck, as well as his luxurious deep purple official robe.
"So noisy," the young tyrant muttered, repeating himself with disdain as he loosened his grip and rubbed his forehead.
The warm, sticky liquid gradually soaked through the hem of his outer robe, but he remained oblivious as he turned and addressed Ning Wei: "You want money, don't you? Seize his assets, take as much as you need."
As he spoke, a few minutes ago, the Minister of Revenue, who had been so domineering and aggressive, had completely breathed his last, collapsing to the ground like a slaughtered pig.
Having experienced grand scenes on the battlefield, while the other ministers were silently kneeling and trembling like quails, Ning Wei had already regained his composure and bowed in gratitude, "I obey your command!"
"Long live His Majesty!"
Whether the emperor had truly gone mad or was simply taking advantage of the situation, as long as it could save the people of Jiangzhou from famine, Ning Wei was willing to accept this emperor and chant these words.
"What long live?" The emperor scoffed. "If you want to thank someone, thank my new eunuch," he said, but without looking into Gu Cong's eyes. "I remember, aren't you also from Jiangzhou?"
Gu Cong bowed. "Yes."
A hint of relief crossed Xi Jinyu's face:
The timing of this madness was too coincidental, inevitably arousing some suspicion. However, if Gu Cong was involved, it made sense that his cousin would do something like this.
Moreover, according to his investigation, Gu Cong's identity was not fabricated. With the relief aid settled, it was probably just Ning Wei's good fortune. Blind luck.
"Is there anything else you want to argue about?" The emperor's mood was unusually good today, and he was in the mood to settle things one by one. He casually pulled out the sword that had been stuck in the Minister of Revenue's neck, twirling it with amusement. With a smile on his face, stained with the same color as his clothes and blood, he asked, "What was it called again?"
"The holy judgment."
Silence filled the grand Hall of Audience, so quiet it seemed like a tomb.
To be honest, Xie Ye didn't want to kill in front of Gu Cong. But just like showing Gu Cong the photos of his emaciated self in the previous world, no matter how much he delayed, it was something he couldn't escape.
Gu Cong was not someone who would passively accept being protected and hiding behind others.
Similarly, Xie Ye detested deceit.
When he went to see the protagonist in Jingxue Pavilion, he deliberately kept him away, but he still found his way there. Where there's a will, there's a way. Sooner or later, it would happen.
With the tyrant going mad and killing with bloodshot eyes, who would dare to risk their lives? Everyone shook their heads frantically like they were playing the drums, and the morning court session hastily came to an end.
The grand hall emptied, leaving only Xie Ye and a corpse.
But soon enough, the familiar sound of footsteps echoed again.
Gu Cong had never expected such a turn of events. Unable to find a replacement outfit, he could only dampen a handkerchief with water and hastily return.
Xie Ye still held the blood-stained sword, adorned with jade stones, as if emphasizing and reminding at the same time.
But Gu Cong paid no heed, even daring to boldly pry open the slender fingers, taking the sword and wiping away the bloodstains unintentionally splattered on it.
The once-clean soles of his shoes were stained with crimson. Xie Ye lowered his gaze, staring at Gu Cong's boots. "I killed someone," he said.
"Indeed," Gu Cong didn't intend to deny it. As he squatted down to tidy up the Emperor's robes, he looked up earnestly. "But Your Majesty saved more people."
Xie Ye: "How can you be sure?" What if what Ning Wei said was a lie?
Gu Cong: "Because I believe in Your Majesty."
He believed that the young Emperor wouldn't simply kill someone over a headache.
Whether it was naivety or foolishness, regardless of how the outside world judged, he believed that the fleeting moment of tenderness he glimpsed last night was the true essence of "Xie Ye."
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