Not long after, the final decree finally came out of the palace, and Shen Jing read out to the anxiously waiting ministers: "After inspection by Dali Temple, it was learned that Ye Yongjia was not the mastermind of the Lanyuan case, and that all instructions were given by the minister Cai Xianqing. OK, I was just deceived by him and mistakenly believed that the false accusation was true. Now I have repeatedly discussed with the executioner, and in accordance with the national law, Cai Xianqing and Cun Zhao will be punished with poison and wine for various crimes such as conspiracy and arrogance of power. Ye Yongjia will be demoted to the second rank. A fine of two thousand taels of silver was imposed on Zeng Liang. Zeng Liang was informed and did not reveal anything, and engaged in bribery for personal gain. He was removed from the post of Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and will never be used again. I admire this!"
Most of the ministers didn't know what was going on. When they suddenly heard this edict, they were all surprised and clamored to see the emperor. Prime Minister Su Zongshan was also worried and thought to himself: "I have always put harmony first, and for this I have taken care of everyone's interests." , Only then did he get today's clear hope and sit in the prime minister's position. This Zeng Liang is the most insatiable, and I socialize a lot with him. Wouldn't it be a bad thing if we find relevant documents? '
Although he thought so, he did not dare to cause trouble openly. He hurriedly gave orders and restrained everyone to obey the leader's orders, and immediately retreated. After returning to the capital, Fang sent someone to Zeng Liang to inquire about the situation and prepare for a long-term plan.
"Welcome Shi Sijin!"
Cun Zhao was in a daze in the empty prison when he was suddenly awakened by the sound. He looked over the railing and saw Shi Xiu Shen carrying a bright yellow imperial edict. The bodyguard behind him was holding a tray with wine glasses. The purpose of his visit was unknown. It goes without saying. He trembled all over, widened his eyes, stretched out his hand and shouted: "Shi Sijin! Shi Sijin! I am a clan member of this dynasty, and I have been a colleague with you. Can you please spare my life? By the way, You seem to be Party Ye, right? I hate Party Chen so much now, and if I can get out of prison, I will definitely serve Master Ye!"
Shi Xiushen stopped and glanced at him coldly: "I can spare you, but how can the emperor be so soft-hearted?"
Cun Zhao's eyes were extremely earnest: "The emperor is my uncle, and I am his nephew. Since Lan Yuan and I can only live one life, he must die! The emperor is definitely deceived, and maybe he is not. You know about me... As long as you show your kindness, the old man will definitely let go!"
Shi Xiushen shook his head: "It's impossible. You betrayed the old uncle without hesitation back then. Did you think about family ties at that time? What is happening now is just like it was then. It is based on your creed, not What’s so weird.”
After that, without looking at him again, he walked straight towards the prison cell deep inside.
Cai Xianqing sat there with her head down, not even making a sound, just holding a straw and writing on the ground, as if she was fully prepared to welcome the coming of death. Nothing else to ask for.
"Am I... going to die?" Cai Xianqing heard the slight sound of the iron door, and then pinched the straw.
"Yes, the emperor has issued the decree." Shi Xiushen walked in and said.
"Is Ye Tinglong safe?" Cai Xianqing raised his head and asked again.
"Don't worry, he's fine..." Shi Xiushen slowly squatted down with a solemn expression, "If you want to see him one last time, I can ask him to come."
"No need," Cai Xianqing waved his hand, "If I die, I will die. Why do I have to involve others! We have been friends for more than thirty years and don't care about this moment. He is an emotional person. If he is dragged down by this, he will easily mislead me. The cause of waiting.”
"That's all, let's not talk about this," Cai Xianqing rubbed his eyes, "I just wonder how I will die?"
Shi Xiushen gritted his teeth and couldn't bear to say it, but the attendant behind him brought the poisonous wine.
"Okay! Okay!" Cai Xianqing clapped her knees and looked up to the sky with a big smile. "Drink hard and you will die. Countless people can't ask for it. What a happy thing!" So he held it in the palm of his hand, shook it three times, and saw a little bit of silver flashing in the cup. Guang couldn't help but feel excited, and looked up at Shi Xiushen, his eyes still as sharp as ever: "I want to sing a show again, sir, are you willing to listen?"
Shi Xiushen smiled: "Of course, Mr. Cai can do it happily."
"Oh, I haven't opened my voice for a long time, and I'm a little uncomfortable with it! I have been acting in the world for more than sixty years, and I have been invited by many dignitaries with thousands of gold and silver, but today's swan song is priceless in the world. Looking at history Enjoy it, adults!"
He cleared his throat, held the wine cup high, held some of his sleeves, and sang in a clear dramatic tune:
"In the autumn of Chu, the mountains are covered with verdant green. I am always sad for the endless scenery! It helps me to be moved by my travel feelings, but it is difficult to become drunk. It is also in vain. Heroes with great ambitions like rainbows all do their best to help the scenery of the river and the sky..."
Cai Xianqing sang intoxicatedly, while Shi Xiushen looked at him quietly, sometimes smiling, sometimes meditating, and was fascinated by it, as if the world had been abandoned by the two of them, wandering in another paradise.
At this point, Cai Xianqing put the wine glass into his mouth, drank it all in one gulp, and poured it against the wall. He smiled in a daze, as if he was drunk. Gradually, the laughter became smaller and smaller, until it was completely silent. In the end, he still looked like he had fallen into a dream due to drunkenness.
Cai Xianqing's death brought a strange relief to Shi Xiushen. He felt that he was a tiny light, but it was being invaded by strong winds from all directions, and the light had long since dried up. He held a slip with the news of his death in his hand. After reporting to the emperor, he took off his official hat aside, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I carelessly kept the tiger tiles, and my sin will be irreparable. Please remove me together and choose another place to stay." will serve.”
The emperor was quite surprised and said calmly: "This matter has nothing to do with you, and there is no objection in the court. Please get up."
Shi Xiushen continued: "I have no rift with the foreign court, so there is no discussion. If I offend them, the matter will become a topic of discussion, and there will never be peace from now on. I beg your Majesty to remove me from my post as soon as possible and order me to return to my hometown to support my parents." , take care of yourself until old age."
When the emperor saw that he was too determined to return, he sighed and went ahead with the performance, but Ming Shen actually took back his military seal and ribbon and ordered his general Zhuang Zhang to take his place.
Ye Yongjia returned to the Ministry of War. He had heard more or less about Cai Xianqing on the way, but he still had some unrealistic luck in his heart. It was not until he entered the Ministry of War Yamen and saw a familiar figure missing from the squad room that he felt completely lost.
He walked out and saw Ming Huiguang bringing Cui Yi and others to pay homage: "Congratulations to Mr. Ye for escaping from the tiger's mouth. This is really a blessing among misfortunes!"
Ye Yongjia ignored him and asked directly: "When did Mr. Cai die?"
Everyone wanted to make him feel better, but when they heard this, their expressions suddenly fell. Cui Yi was especially sad, his eyes couldn't help but burst into tears, and his eye circles were red. He stepped forward and replied: "Not long ago."
"Then why didn't you ask me to take a look at him?" Ye Yongjia could hardly control his emotions. He sighed and sat by the wall to hide his choking.
