It's the day of the big court meeting again, and this time the courtiers don't look relaxed.
It has been a few days since Lin Mufu was killed. These days, everyone is trying their best to find out the news.
But what scares them is that they can't find out anything.
However, today when they were waiting outside Zhenyuan Palace for the palace gate to open, they saw the large group of forbidden troops being mobilized.
The adults standing at the palace gate all turned around and looked over.
The queues were neat, and the mighty Imperial Guard cavalry used their iron hoofs to crush the dawn.
They didn't know the reason for such a large-scale mobilization of the Imperial Army, but everyone was filled with uneasiness.
When the palace door opened, they were still looking back.
After all the ministers arrived, they didn't wait for the emperor for a long time, and no one came to inform them. The emperor, who was never late, why did he make an exception today.
Only then did someone realize that no one from the Cui family came.
Suddenly, things seemed to become clear.
All the civil and military officials kept waiting and waiting. No one dared to be impatient, and even whispers seemed so cautious.
After waiting for another half an hour, Gu Xiujin, the head chamberlain of the royal study, arrived.
He said that His Majesty asked everyone to wait in the court hall, and important things would be announced at today's court meeting.
At this time, hundreds of members of the Cui family had been captured by the Imperial Army, and the yard was full of cries and the sound of chains.
Lin Ye did not enter the Cui Mansion. So far, he is still like a spectator in this case.
At the same time, outside the city, there was a beautiful-looking mountain villa.
Xumi Pianruo, who was supposed to arrest someone at the Cui family, was standing outside the manor door, looking relaxed.
Lu Wei came forward and knocked on the door. Soon after, a child opened the door and asked who was coming.
Xumi Pianruo smiled and said, "Please tell Uncle Xi that the young minister of Dali Temple, Xumi Pianruo, wants to see you."
Less than two moments later, Xumi Pianruo was already sitting in the living room of the manor.
He looked around and seemed to admire the decoration of the living room.
It is very simple, with no extravagance at all, and all the furnishings are probably handmade by the owner himself.
Other people's living rooms will have some expensive porcelain, but the ornaments in this living room are mostly handmade clay pots.
Uncle Xi looked at Xumi Pianruo and asked with a smile: "Which one do you like, Master Xumi? I can help you pretend when you leave."
Xumi Pianruo shook his head: "I don't dare to ask for these things. If they are used as evidence of crime in the future, missing one thing will be a big trouble."
Xibo's expression changed slightly: "What do you mean, Master Xumi?"
Xumi Pianruo said: "Last night, I ordered to surround the Cui family. I estimate that hundreds of members of the Cui family have been arrested by now."
He looked at Xibo and blocked what Xibo wanted to say with one sentence.
"Uncle Xi, you don't have to ask me what the Cui family has committed. If you ask me, I will feel that this sentence is a bit false."
Xibo was blocked by his words, so he smiled, as if his mood was not affected at all.
Xumi Pianruo picked up the tea cup and smelled it, then praised: "The fragrance of this tea is quite special."
Xibo said: "Everything in this house is made by myself and my children and grandchildren. This tea is also planted in the backyard by my children and grandchildren, picked by myself, and roasted together. Sir Xumi has to say that there is something What’s special about it, probably, is that it’s a little more rustic.”
Xumi Pianruo said: "Uncle Xi is very interested."
Xibo said: "This is nothing but fun, my family is all busy."
Xumi Pianruo pretended to remember: "Well, I forgot, no one in Xibo's family is an official anymore?" Xibo said: "Being an official is too hard, and my children and grandchildren are not talented, so I won't force them."
Xumi Pianruo: "That's fine, after all, when officials commit crimes, they must be dealt with twice as hard."
Xibo: "Lord Xumi said this, it seems that he is here to pronounce judgment on me?"
Uncle Xi, this man was also a veteran of three dynasties and served as prime minister twice.
When the late emperor was in power, he first worshiped Lin Mufu as prime minister. Lin Mufu only served as prime minister for three years before resigning and going into seclusion. The person who succeeded Lin Mufu was Lai Zaixi.
After Lai Zaixi served as prime minister for several years, he resigned on the grounds of serious illness.
Before the emperor ascended the throne, the late emperor sent someone to invite him to go out to the mountains in the west and worship him as prime minister for the second time.
After the death of the late emperor and before the emperor ascended the throne, Lai Zaixi resigned again.
It has been more than twenty years since the emperor ascended the throne. None of his descendants have returned to officialdom in the west, and none of his children and grandchildren have entered officialdom.
So many times, there is no comparison between being in Xidu and Lin Mufu.
In the past twenty years, I don’t know how many people have forgotten this important figure who was prime minister twice.
At this moment, he looked at Xumi Pianruo with direct eyes.
"Master Xumi, if you are here to investigate the case, everyone in my family will do their best to cooperate. If you are directly convicting me, I will ask people to go down. Hundreds of people in my family, old and young, will go to the yard to wait for the sentence to be pronounced. .”
Xumi Pianruo smiled.
He pointed to the door: "I just saw a child about three or four years old. He must be Uncle Xi's great-grandson."
Lai Zaixi frowned.
After he took a breath, his words became a little chilly.
"I don't know what mistake Laijia made, and I don't know what mistake made Laijia leave no grass behind."
He looked at Xumi Pianruo: "Master Xumi, did you come with the intention of destroying my family?"
Xumi Pianruo shrugged his shoulders: "I came with the emperor's oral decree, but before reading the oral decree, I still want to have a good chat with Xibo, because the consequences of this decree are different whether Xibo listens or not. .”
Xibo's frown deepened.
After a while, Siebo looked at his family standing at the door: "Close the door, everyone stay away from this place, no one is allowed to come near without my words."
The man at the door responded and closed the door to the living room.
Xibo said: "Master Xumi, now you can speak directly if you have anything to say."
Xumi Pianruo smiled and then asked: "Uncle Xi, aren't you curious about the Cui family at all?"
Uncle Xi shook his head and said: "I have not been in contact with officialdom for more than 20 years, and I rarely interact with people. I am comfortable behind closed doors, so I really have no interest in the affairs of the Cui family."
Xumi Pianruo said: "Since Uncle Xi said so, I might as well read out His Majesty's oral instructions directly."
He stood up, and Xibo's tone softened: "Master Xumi, it's better to sit down first. Didn't you just say that if I am willing to listen, you can chat for a while first."
Xumi Pianruo sat down again.
He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, then praised the tea for how good it was.
"The matter of the Cui family is related to the major case of General Liu Jigong being betrayed and the entire Cowardly Army killed in Dongbo more than ten years ago."
Xumi Pianruo said in a very calm tone: "If the case of framing and betraying General Liu Jigong is confirmed, Cui Zhi will lose his head."
Xibo said: "If it is true, it is not an exaggeration to think that he lost his head."
Xumi Pianruo said: "But this betrayal is collaborating with the enemy."
He looked into Xibo's eyes and said, "If you collaborate with the enemy and betray the country, you will be executed."
As he spoke, his fingers tapped on the coffee table. Although it was very gentle, it obviously made Xibo feel more irritable.
Xumi Pianruo said: "Even if Cui Zhi wants to use his own death to exchange for the peace of his descendants, he no longer has the slightest chance."
Because of these words, Xibo's face became much uglier than before.
After being silent for a while, he asked Xumi Pianruo: "Now that Master Xumi mentioned it, it means that the Cui family's crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason has been firmly established."
Xumi Pianruo said with a smile: "It's true, after all, I personally designed and framed the Cui family."
Upon hearing these words, Xibo's expression changed greatly and his eyes immediately opened wide.
"Master Xumi, what do you mean by this? You cannot say this casually."
"Why would I say such nonsense? Those who testified against the Cui family were all persuaded by me after a long time of persuasion."
Xumi Pianruo said: "Lin Fangchu is not afraid of you. It was only after I persuaded him for a long time that he decided to forge evidence."
After taking a sip of tea, he asked: "Uncle Xi, why do you think I did this? Is it because I am so bold? Is it because I am crazy about trying to solve the case?"
Uncle Xi was silent for a long time and shook his head: "If you want me to die, I have to die."
Xumi Pianruo said: "Your Majesty just doesn't want the hundreds of members of the Cui family to live, so it makes no difference whether the evidence your Majesty wants is true or false."
He smiled and said: "Your Majesty entrusted me with this job because your Majesty knows that I can do any dirty work."
The corners of Xibo's mouth twitched slightly.
He understood what Xumi Pianruo said.
If you are still stubborn, Xumi Pianruo can send the Cui family to hell, and he can also use the same frame-up method to send the other family to hell.
Xumi Pianruo said: "Actually, it's not a frame-up. It's just that there's no evidence. I'll just make some evidence myself. Everyone in the Cui family deserves to die anyway."
Speaking of this, he looked at Xibo.
"Your Majesty said that the Lai family is different from the Cui family. It is not easy for the Lai family to live like this."
Xumi Pianruo said: "Your Majesty also said that when you come to the west, your descendants will not be allowed to enter the officialdom. This is a good thing."
After saying these few words, Xumi Pianruo stopped talking because he knew that everything that needed to be said had been said.
Xibo subconsciously picked up the tea cup and took a sip. Maybe even he didn't know that this action of holding the cup and drinking tea was trying to hide something.
Another long time passed, and Lai Zaixi didn't say anything. Xumi Pianruo didn't rush him, but just drank tea one sip after another.
After two more moments, Lai Zaixi took a deep breath, then clasped his fists towards Xumi Pianruo and said, "Master Xumi, please give your Majesty a message when you go back. Just say Lai Zaixi, thank you." Your Majesty, your grace."
Xumi Pianruo said: "Don't worry, Uncle Xi, I will bring you whatever you want me to bring to His Majesty, word for word."
Xibo hummed, stood up and said: "Then please forgive me for being rude. Master Xumi, please go back first. I want to arrange family affairs... I would like to return this manor to the court, and my descendants will return to it." I will go back to my hometown in Liulin City, and from now on, I will engage in farming and business, and my descendants will never set foot in Geling again."
Xumi Pianruo stood up: "Then I won't bother you any more...Since your Majesty, Uncle Xi, understands your thoughts, I expect that his children and grandchildren will also understand."
He said: "Uncle Xi knows the difference between the Lai family and the Cui family. Your Majesty knows that it is not easy for you. I hope that Uncle Xi also knows that it is not easy for Your Majesty."
After finishing speaking, he clasped his fists and said, "I wish Uncle Xi a safe journey."
After finishing speaking, he strode away.
An hour later.
A large number of the descendants who came to the house knelt down in the yard, and they were all crying. Some were sobbing silently, and some were heartbroken.
It seemed a little strange that they didn't dare to let people outside the courtyard wall hear their crying.
In that simple living room, Xibo hung himself from the beam with a belt.
People in the yard outside were crying and kowtowing, and the man hanging in the room was swaying.
