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In addition to the official defense seal as evidence, the imperial envoy can adjust soldiers and horses, and Shangfang sword can cut first and then play.

Huo Zhaowen refused: "My king will not hold you accountable for using me as an envoy some time ago, and you should stop meddling in the Liangjiang case as before. Now that you have withdrawn, do so cleanly and without dragging your feet."

Zhao Baiyu: "Up to now, you don't want to get nothing. If the case is not dealt with seriously, Liangjiang's officialdom is still difficult to control, and there is no way to be your strong backing. If you deal with it seriously, how can you grasp the scale to satisfy His Majesty? , and you can still retreat unscathed?"

Huo Zhaowen's expression darkened: "You—"

Zhao Baiyu interrupted him: "Leave it to me."

Huo Zhaowen was slightly surprised, then hesitated.

Zhao Baiyu: "The court officials all know that I am Jiangxi's envoy, and I was actually ordered to investigate the two rivers. If it wasn't your Majesty's intention, why bother to emphasize that it is cheap to do it? Exposing the indiscriminate killing of innocent people, the collusion between the two rivers officials and businessmen, and witnessing the sight of the mountains and Guizhou. There is no way to kill the person who is the fifth-rank magistrate, it is you, and you are imprisoned because of this. These are real political achievements, no one can say anything about it, even if you don’t personally come forward to close the case, no one can take away the fruits in your hands.”

Huo Zhaowen moved.

Zhao Baiyu: "You just need to push me to the front to be a knife, and pretend to be deaf and dumb, and at worst, you will get caught. It doesn't hurt or itch. There are many people in the temple who are willing to speak for you... If you retreat completely, you are not afraid of being robbed of your merits, and you can perfectly solve the Liangjiang case, wouldn't you kill three birds with one stone?"

Huo Zhaowen: "After all, I am the imperial envoy who presided over the Liangjiang case. It would be outrageous for you to turn your back on the client."

Zhao Baiyu: "It's much better than riding a tiger and making it difficult to get off now, or can His Highness have a better way? Time waits for no one, the news of the two rivers will soon be transmitted back to the capital, and you haven't shown up for a long time, the East Palace will soon guess You are in Liangjiang, won't they take advantage of your indecision?"

Huo Zhaowen was persuaded: "What do you want Shang Fangjian to do?"

Zhao Baiyu raised his eyelids: "What can be done? The fox pretends to be the tiger, and the case is settled."

Huo Zhaowen thought for a while, but still nodded, left and right are the usual questioning process, Zhao Baiyu was already a good knife in the hands of his father, who would use it or not?

What's more, Zhao Baiyu recommended himself, and he is really good at investigating cases.

He called Yan Duwei: "Take him to get the Shangfang Sword." After a pause, he asked: "What else do you need?"

"Soldiers and horses that can be used by me are even better."

"allow."

"The relevant suspects were summoned to Hongzhou for questioning, and they may need to be called as imperial envoys."

"……allow."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Zhao Baiyu cupped his hands, "I will take my leave."

After saying that, he backed away. Seeing that he was quickly retreating into the torrential rain, Huo Zhaowen quickly stuffed the oil-paper umbrella into his hand.

"Since you want to be a good knife, you should pay more attention to your body and don't fall ill first."

Zhao Baiyu didn't refuse, and submerged in the hazy rain with an oil-paper umbrella, and his figure disappeared quickly.

Huo Zhaowen went to the corridor to hide from the rain, and stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the gray sky with an indifferent expression. Captain Yan Du, who had returned to his command, approached quietly and was immediately spotted.

"Didn't you personally send the person back to the mansion?"

"Master Xiao Zhao has masters around him, so he declined the humble position."

"Afterwards, if Zhao Baiyu makes any movement, you don't have to actively cooperate, but you don't have to stop him either. Let him go. If there are orders, just obey."

The sky was dark, and according to the time, it should be dawn, but the pouring rain flooded the sky and the earth, as if it would never leave.

"Actually, I can't tolerate Changping's evil."

He is a prince, ambitious and wants to be the crown prince, which is very common, so he weighs the pros and cons first, and puts good and evil aside, it is a habit engraved in his bones, and he is not alone.

Looking around the world, how many Zhao Baiyu are there?

But Huo Zhaowen is not without a sense of justice.

Changping was trapped in his own logic and packaged her as a hero who endured humiliation, but neither the Sansi nor the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty lived on dry food. Reducing military resources will not cost much money.

Besides, the extravagant Princess Mansion even painted gold in the cracks between the floor tiles, so much extravagance and waste, how dare Changping say that the money she earned was not spent on herself?

At the beginning of her father's ascension to the throne, the great situation was in turmoil. Perhaps she had indeed relied on Changping, but killing innocent people indiscriminately and despising the court by any means were her undeniable crimes.

Although he couldn't tolerate it, he couldn't kill her.

"This king has to find ways to save her life."

Huo Zhaowen muttered to himself, quite helpless.

***

Wei Bo and the secret guard were injured when they captured Li Deshou, and they were recuperating in the mansion. The people who came to pick up Zhao Baiyu were Wu Duyu and Yanbing.

Zhao Baiyu leaned against the corner of the carriage, holding Shang Fangjian, and stared absently at the heavy rain outside the window.

Yan Bing came in with a clean cloth towel, wrapped Zhao Baiyu distressedly, and said in a low voice, "There are dry clothes in the car, Goro put them on."

Zhao Baiyu pressed Yan Bing's hand, and summoned Wu Duyu to come in and ask, "Have Shui Honglang, Shanqian and Jiangxi Tixing been arrested?"

Wu Duyu: "They're all locked up in the Yamen Prison."

"Didn't the Yamen be burned?"

"The rescue was timely, and the burn was not too serious."

After a moment of silence, Zhao Baiyu said, "The criminal evidence Wang Yueming gave me recorded all the officials who accepted bribes from the second-rank officials to the ninth-rank sesame officials in the 38 prefectures of the four provinces, from the Cao Si, the Shipping Department to the yamen of each government. I transcribed them overnight. Make a copy, and you can borrow it from the imperial envoy if you take the troops to fetch people. In addition, inform the people of Hongzhou that after five days, I will interrogate the southeast officials on behalf of the imperial envoy."

"Order."

***

Wu Duyu's execution was efficient, and he set off overnight after getting the list. Without shortage of manpower, he successively summoned 38 and eight criminal officials from 910 prefectures in four provinces to Hongzhou prefecture.

Hongzhou Yamen.

A group of officials kneeled in the front yard of the yamen. In front of it was a plaque hung high by a bright mirror. Below the plaque was a bright yellow Shangfang sword.

The weather in the south in May and June is particularly weird. It is still raining heavily in the morning, and at noon there is a scorching sun. The air is sultry and there is no wind at all. In the clear sky, it is really clear.

Knowing that the official who knelt on the tree and knelt for more than an hour, still wearing a thick official uniform, couldn't bear it anymore, his lips were pale, and he couldn't help wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

The imperial envoy did not show up, only a Shangfang sword was held, but no one dared to move it.

Until someone couldn't stand it and fell to the ground, and was woken up by a basin of cold water from the battalion soldiers, drenched and embarrassed, Shan Qian, who was at the front with disheveled hair, sneered and said: "If the imperial envoy wants to arrest someone, he will arrest him, and if he wants to ask questions, he will ask questions." Why bother to abuse others like this? They are all disciples of the Son of Heaven, and they are all candidates who have passed the examination of the Eight Classics. If they don't kneel when they see an official, how can they allow the imperial envoy to behave like this?"

"They are all animals that are not as good as animals, who can be nobler than them?"

A sudden voice came from the side, and Shan Qian looked up, surprised that the person who came was not an imperial envoy, but Zhao Baiyu.

"You are the presiding judge?" Shan Qian sneered: "Even you can't sit still, are you thinking of taking this opportunity to earn some merit?"

Zhao Baiyu stood in front of Shanqian with his hands behind his back, looking down at him: "Jiangxi Anshi Shanqianshan, Mr. Shanqian, has accepted the silver from Jiangxi merchants for four years since you took office, and turned a blind eye to the crimes of Jiangxi merchants' joint shipping department using water boats to smuggle. , perfunctory, with a vegetarian meal, killed his whole family, slandered the Yang family, and turned a deaf ear to the private salt well of the county magistrate and salt merchants united with ordinary people. You are afraid that things will happen, and you will try your best to prevent the magistrate of Jizhou , The magistrate of Hongzhou overturned Yang's case, and even killed Guan Wenbin directly to silence him. The crime is heinous, he should be executed! He should be executed!"

Shanqian's cheeks twitched, as if he was a man who was not afraid of death.

"Shanqian, can you plead guilty?"

"Winners and losers, I, Shanqian, are not people who are greedy for life and afraid of death. If you want to kill, you will kill!"

Zhao Baiyu leaned over and stared at Shanqian: "The crime you committed is enough to ransack your family and exterminate your family—"

Shanqian's face changed, and he glared at Zhao Baiyu fiercely: "It has nothing to do with my family! I am also a good at solving cases and prosecuting prisons. I know that my crimes will not harm my family at all, so stop bluffing me!"

"I'm the presiding officer. If I say yes, I can. If I say innocence, they will be exempted from being held accountable! Either tell the evidence of you colluding with Princess Changping to murder innocent people or corruption and bribery, and I will keep your family safe, or you will be punished Resist, wait for your three generations and nine clans to accompany you to the execution ground, and sue Zhao Baiyu to the king of hell, anyway, I don’t lack you!"

Shan Qian glared at Zhao Baiyu, the latter's cold eyes did not move at all, so cold that his psychological defense was defeated.

"Okay, I'll write. I will bear my sins alone. If you dare to break your promise and lose weight, even if I become a ghost, I will crawl back to the underworld to kill you!"

Zhao Baiyu: "Come here, I will serve you with pen and ink."

After examining a mountain and Guizhou, it is Shui Honglang.

Shui Honglang refused to plead guilty, affirming that he had nothing to do with the Gan merchants, and the Yang case had nothing to do with him. Although he was a bystander when Shanqian killed Guan Wenbin, he was deceived and tried to dissuade him, but Shanqian and the others didn't listen.

"At best, I would just refuse to help, and refuse to report what I know, but my crime is not worthy of death!"

Zhao Baiyu took out the account books that Wang Yueming gave him, and read out the amount of corruption and bribery that Shui Honglang had received over the years.

Before he finished reading, Shui Honglang's spine collapsed, and his upper body fell directly on the ground, so soft that he couldn't move.

"I can't listen anymore? You are also guilty, and you know that the money you are greedy is enough for you to cut off ten heads?" Zhao Baiyu snorted coldly, and kicked him when Shui Honglang was trembling and grabbing the hem of his clothes to plead for mercy. Drive, and walk to the trembling Tang Tixing.

Before he could ask a question, Tang Tixing rolled his eyes and fainted from fright.

Zhao Baiyu: "Being corrupt and breaking the law, committing crimes, collusion between officials and businessmen, killing kindness by mistake, being stupid and stupid, and doing punishment for you, Jiangxi Province may have more grievances than the sand in the Ganjiang River! My official I don’t need you like this, I’ll kill you!”

There were three masters writing confessions next to him, one of them looked up at Tang Tixing, didn't say much, thought for a while and wrote quickly, and quickly completed an indictment against Tang Tixing.

The yamen servant held Tang Tixing's thumb to charge him with the charge.

Next was the commander-in-chief of Guangdong and the former Jiangxi envoy of punishment. Knowing that the matter had been exposed, his face was gray and he did not struggle. He took off his official hat and robe, exposing his gray temples, kowtowed tremblingly and said: "The guilty minister wrongly convicted the unjust case of Yanjing in Jizhou, and he was willing to plead guilty and submit to the law."

Zhao Baiyu's eyes were cold, and he walked towards the next one without moving.

"Hu Heyi."

Hu Heyi held his head high and held his chest high, rather dissatisfied, because he refused to kneel down before coming, and one leg was broken, and at this moment, no matter how straight his back was, it would still be crooked.

"The five lives in Quarry 310 were caused by me alone, and have nothing to do with Princess Changping!"

"It is still registered in the government's account books that the quarry is under the name of Li Deshou, and Li Deshou was also present that day. Can you figure it out?"

"Your Excellency, I don't know. It's probably because I have admired His Highness Changping for a long time. Then Li Deshou used the quarry to implicate His Highness as an excuse to deceive me. I didn't realize I was fooled until I killed all the people. A man does things alone. Since you have committed a heinous crime, you should be killed and cut into pieces, and it is up to you, but if it has nothing to do with others, it has nothing to do with it, and my lord should not seek personal revenge and wrong the innocent."

"Aren't you afraid of hurting your family?"

Hu Heyi closed his eyes: "I have been in this officialdom for 20 years. Who can believe that I have nothing unclean in my hands? I don't believe it! I dare not ask for a court from the Qing Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty. I worked as an official for others, and the benefits were distributed to my family and relatives. They also took advantage of me to enjoy the glory and wealth that ordinary people did not have. Naturally, I should think that something happened They also have to bear it with me. They are mentally prepared, and adults don’t worry about how they should be sentenced.”

Zhao Baiyu sneered: "You are sincere to Changping."

Hu Heyi remained silent.

"Enjoy the high-ranking officials and rich salary given by the imperial court instead of doing practical things, and reserve positions to make up for the number. Take 310 five lives and the lives of your family members to protect your selfish and disgusting love. Calling you a pig and a dog is an insult to a pig and a dog."

No matter what scolding is right now, Hu Heyi doesn't feel pain or itching. This person is greedy for power and fame, and even works for Changping for profit. He is really willing to put all his eggs in one basket for Changping.

Too bad it's disgustingly selfish.

In addition to Hu Heyi and others, Zhao Baiyu also questioned and interrogated six people, all of whom had killed innocent people in vain. The evidence of the crime was conclusive and undeniable.

"Is the confession finished?"

One of the masters stepped forward and said: "I've drawn all the marks, and I can send it directly to the Ministry of Punishment after I make a copy."

"En." Zhao Baiyu stood in front of the officials, silent, and the atmosphere was rigid.

The officials who had not been interrogated tremblingly swallowed their saliva, and did not even dare to wipe the sweat dripping into their eyes. They couldn't guess who Zhao Baiyu would be interrogated next, and he didn't know why he suddenly turned his head to ask for a confession. trial?

Yan Duwei stepped forward and called: "My lord?"

He thought that Zhao Baiyu wanted to collect evidence of Princess Changping's crime through interrogation, but it seemed that the sixth prince didn't want to kill Changping. Maybe he was afraid of the Queen Mother and the Holy One, but it was a pity for Zhao Baiyu's painstaking efforts at the moment.

"The clouds are thick and the sparrows are flying low. I'm afraid it will rain again."

The implication is to urge him to hurry up and continue to ask questions.

"Don't ask for now, rest for two hours."

As soon as Zhao Baiyu said this, the officials who were not interrogated were all relieved, and it was only a while.

"Tie up Shanqian, Hu Heyi, Shui Honglang, Tang Shoutian and other evil officials and officials whose paintings are all over the place, and push them out, and face the two-faced, two-headed stone statue of Xiezhi at the gate of the yamen—"

Yan Duwei bowed his hands and was ready to listen to the order, Shanqian and Hu Heyi didn't react much, Tang Tixing was in a coma, Shui Honglang and others held their breath, and their hearts were lifted, thinking that Zhao Baiyu was going to let them shackled and swim 1 Street publicity, suffered all kinds of insults.

Even Yan Duwei had the same idea.

"Cut off!"

"—"

"!!"

Shui Honglang and other officials were paralyzed, and even Shanqian and Hu Heyi, who had already accepted their fate, stared at Zhao Baiyu in disbelief, as if asking how dare you?

Lieutenant Yan Du was puzzled: "My lord, after making a confession, the offender should be imprisoned first before being sent to the Ministry of Criminal Justice for trial, and beheaded after Zhu's approval. Did you make a typo?"

Zhao Baiyu: "Are you deaf at such a young age? Can't hear clearly? Okay, I will say it again, take them out one by one and behead them in public! You don't need to be taken to the execution ground, just at the gate of the yamen, in front of the people, to appeal for grievances The drums and the stone statues of Xiezhi who are debating right and wrong, let me chop off all their heads!"

Captain Yan Du saw the murderous intent gushing out of Zhao Baiyu's eyes, so he nodded subconsciously in horror: "You have to order for a lowly position." He turned around and raised his hand to order the battalion soldiers to drag him to the gate of the yamen.

Shui Honglang and his ilk kowtowed in fright: "Forgive me, my lord, I was wronged..." Until they were dragged far away, they could still hear a mournful cry: "I am wronged—"

Shanqian and Hu Heyi, who were dragged away with a broken leg, looked up to the sky and laughed wildly, talking hysterically one after the other: "We are still officials, even if the imperial envoy has evidence of our confession, we have to send it to the Ministry of Punishment and report it to the Ministry of Criminal Justice." Your Majesty, wait for Zhu’s approval before we can be shackled and beheaded for public display——Zhao Baiyu! What are you? One is not an imperial envoy, and the other has no emperor’s life in your body. How can you have the power to kill first and then play? It’s just a fake tiger, Take advantage of the power to gain power, and the officials avenge themselves!!"

"You can kill us, but you can't kill the person you really want to kill!"

"Lynching execution, there is no law, Zhao Baiyu, you want to fight for power with the emperor—you want to rebel—"

"Zhao Baiyu, you are not clean. Do you dare to say that you killed us because you were blinded by personal feelings? If you are really upright, you should be executed by the law of the country. You are just enraged and let your hatred run its course to satisfy you with the anger of the common people." The thrill of life and death!"

"Hahahaha... I, Shanqian, are waiting for you in the Palace of the King of Hades, waiting for you to go to hell with dirty hands and blood!"

The scene was silent, and some timid officials had fainted from shock. Even Captain Yan Du, who survived the battle on the battlefield, was disturbed by the atmosphere. On the other hand, Zhao Baiyu's expression was cold and calm, and he couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of his heart.

Out of duty, he just wanted to persuade him, but a problem arose outside the Yamen.

The 12 people who were pushed out were all in official robes, and the youngest was from the fourth rank. It may be the closest the battalion soldiers have been to high-ranking officials in their lives. At this time, Shanqian and Hu Heyi sang and bluffed, for fear that Zhao Baiyu would bend the law for personal gain and murder criminals privately, and if he blamed them, would they be implicated?

There are four second-rank officials among them, and the next step is the position of prime minister, and they would not dare to kill them if they were given the courage.

Therefore, no one dared to do it.

Lieutenant Yan Du breathed a sigh of relief, reported the matter to Zhao Baiyu, and persuaded by the way: "Shanqian and others have lives in their hands. The evidence is solid, and you don't have to worry about your majesty pardoning them—"

Before he finished speaking, he saw Zhao Baiyu enter the courtroom and draw out his Shangfang sword, and walked out of the yamen, holding up the sword in his hand, as precisely and neatly as he had beheaded Li Deshou before, and beheaded Hu Heyi unexpectedly.

Hot blood splashed out instantly, staining the clean stone statue of Xiezhi at the door red.

-

A silence.

Zhao Baiyu raised his eyes, his pupils were thick black and his complexion was porcelain white, with three drops of blood spattered under the corners of his eyes.

"Do you still need me to demonstrate a second time?"

Everything was silent and no one answered.

Yan Duwei opened and closed his mouth twice, unable to say anything, but the admiration for Zhao Baiyu in his heart turned into awe.

Zhao Baiyu took a sword flower, shook off the blood on the sword, and stood at the gate of the yamen, watching the soldiers execute the sentence without blinking. Twelve heads rolled to the ground, and the expression on his face was fixed Frightened, stunned, or dissatisfied, the two stone statues of Xiechi and the steps at the gate of the yamen were covered with sticky and dense blood, and even the drum of grievances was stained with blood.

Yan Duwei's voice was a little trembling: "My lord, it's all finished."

Zhao Baiyu: "Put their heads up, find a few bamboo poles, and hang them at the gate of the Princess Mansion."

Yan Duwei: "This..."

Zhao Baiyu: "I don't like to repeat my orders a second time. Today you questioned my words again and again. If you can't follow the most basic orders, go back to your master and tell him, and get someone else."

Yan Duwei's heart trembled, he quickly bowed his head and cupped his hands: "I know my mistakes in a humble position, if I don't dare to do it again, I will make people do it."

***

The sky is gloomy, the dark clouds in the east are gradually engulfing the clear sky in the west, and the wind is gradually increasing. It is seen that another heavy rain that will wash the earth is coming.

Yan Duwei drove a scooter to the gate of the Princess Mansion. There were twelve bamboo cages on the cart. Inside the cart were heads that had just left their necks. The young man in front of him was still dressed in green clothes, and his back was as straight as a bamboo. That was Zhao Bai. fish.

Although the two armies did not fight without showing their heads before the public, it was an enemy who hated them deeply.

Before today, the head on the cart was still a minister of the four provinces who called the wind and rain. Ordinary people couldn't match it. I'm afraid they would never see each other in their whole life. As a result, they ended up with a dead body in a different place and hung it on a bamboo pole for public display.

Just hang it up, it's not a minister who hasn't had his home ransacked.

It's just that other people's heads are hung on the execution ground, but Master Zhao is cruel and bold, and hangs them at the gate of the Princess Mansion. Why is there such a big enmity between mother and child?

Zhao Baiyu: "Go ask Princess Changping to open the door."

Yan Duwei didn't act stupid this time, he made people knock down the gate of the Princess Mansion, and the servants and maids inside hurried out to stop them, and they screamed in fright when they saw the head hanging high behind them, and stepped back step by step. Dare to move forward.

Zhao Baiyu was not afraid of the stalking soldiers, striding forward, he came to the terrace and waterside pavilion where Princess Changping often stayed. of bamboo poles.

The hideous face of the head hanging from the bamboo pole is clearly visible.

Princess Changping sat slumped on the chair, the general situation was gone, and her capable confidantes were either missing or dead, and were threatened by more than a dozen heads, so that her mood was depressed, her spirit was sluggish, she lost her usual brilliance, and became pale, showing a few Divide the phase of decline.

She stared at Zhao Baiyu who was walking towards him and said, "Are you crazy?"

Holding on to the handrail tightly, he broke his nails painted with Kodan because of too much force, but the piercing pain couldn't divert Changping's hatred for Zhao Baiyu at the moment.

"Zhao Baiyu, are you crazy? What are you doing here? I ask you what are you doing here!"

"Let me tell you how easy it is to kill a high-ranking person. With a knife in your hand, you drop it, click it--the head falls and turns around, and you don't even have time to close your eyes. Just like the common people of ants, they are also human beings... Do you see that? You can't rest in peace, staring at you."

Changping sneered, with a crazy look on his face: "Do you think I will be frightened stupid by a few heads? Zhao Baiyu, you are stimulated crazy, right? Ah? Don't you naively think that a few heads can disturb my conscience and make me I bow my head and plead guilty?"

"Not a few." Zhao Baiyu came behind Changping, and looked at the high-hanging head in the distance from her angle. "The first batch killed ten people, the second batch killed twenty, and the third batch killed thirty... From now on, you will sit here, sleep here, eat here, and look at those heads that are dying , remember that you should be like them, show your head to the public, and be cast aside by everyone!"

Changping's composure could not be maintained for an instant, and he roared in a low voice: "Zhao Baiyu, you dare to humiliate me! Gu is still the princess of Dajing, your mother!"

"Mother?" Zhao Baiyu looked down at her, and said in a calm voice with sarcasm, "You probably don't know that I was born knowing it."

Changping froze, unbelievable: "You...you know?"

Zhao Baiyu turned and left, and ordered the guards at the gate without looking back: "From today on, Princess Changping is not allowed to leave this place, even if she is sick or dies, she must die here!"

***

"All killed?"

Huo Zhaowen was astonished.

Lieutenant Yan Du swallowed and described the scene at that time: "He was holding the Shangfang sword, raised and lowered the knife in his hand, without blinking his eyes, the bright red hot blood splashed on the stone steps and stone statues at the gate of the yamen, somehow, but It’s more shocking than me beheading hundreds of enemy soldiers in a row on the battlefield.”

Huo Zhaowen was in a trance, was this Zhao Baiyu's choice?Is he going to die with jade?

If a few heads could frighten Changping, she would not have committed evil for many years and still died without repentance.

What exactly does Zhao Baiyu want to do?Is it just for a moment of pleasure?

Yan Duwei persuaded: "Although evil officials and murderous officials deserve to die, beheading on the spot is also very satisfying, but even if the imperial envoys on behalf of Tian Xunhun want to kill ministers above the third rank, they have to ask the Holy One for instructions. , You need to have solid evidence to ensure that you will not hurt yourself. Your Highness, if Zhao Baiyu is allowed to lynch and execute Liangjiang officials like this, the consequences may be difficult to deal with."

Huo Zhaowen supported his forehead and thought: "If I came to kill, the East Palace will definitely make a fuss about it afterwards. If it is sent to the Ministry of Punishment to wait for Zhu's approval, I don't know what will be done during the period. It would be better if someone kills for me, not to mention the Shanqian group. The evidence of the crime is convincing, and he should be killed if there is no verdict!"

He suddenly slapped the table and reprimanded: "If I didn't worry about Donggong, I would have killed them long ago!"

Lieutenant Yan Du understood Huo Zhaowen's plan, he wanted Liang Jiang to kill a small number of people before the case was brought to the Hall of Wende, to free up the official positions he wanted, but he didn't want to do it himself, at least he couldn't kill people.

He is also an imperial envoy, he is the chief judge, and he is also in charge. Whether to kill or not is a difficult problem. It just so happens that there is another Zhao Baiyu who was also ordered to come to Liangjiang's officialdom. The other party is quite active as a good knife. It was a matter of course and pushed through.

For a moment, Yan Duwei felt sympathy for Zhao Baiyu.

As an official, one has to do the duty of the sword in the hands of the emperor. If the sword is used too much, it will become blunt and will be damaged. Therefore, [-]% of the ministers and ministers know how to protect themselves wisely. Courtiers who don't know how to push each other are either dead or buried in the corner. Li is depressed and frustrated, who else in the officialdom will take the initiative to take the initiative to solicit troubles these days?

How could someone take the initiative to take this deadly hot potato, just for the sake of justice for the people?

Yan Duwei thought he couldn't do it, and he had heard storytellers in restaurants impassionedly describe such righteous people, but at that time he just sneered, thinking that it was a scholar who failed to make up such a false plot that didn't touch the ground.

But when he saw with his own eyes that such a person really existed in the world, although he could not agree with him, he could not restrain his admiration.

"You still listen to Mr. Zhao's order in a humble position?"

"Where does he point, where do you fight." Huo Zhaowen threw the official seal letter to Yan Duwei: "I heard that there is a Youmin Temple in the local area that is very effective, and I am going to ask for a safe talisman for the emperor's grandmother and father. Ignore the trivial matters of Liangjiang for the time being."

It meant throwing the power to Zhao Baiyu.

"Your Highness, after all, you are the imperial envoy in charge of the Liangjiang case. Even if you have a reason to step aside, you cannot prevent Zhao Baiyu from killing people. The East Palace will use this to accuse you and Zhao Baiyu of being in the same party."

Huo Zhaowen was silent, he knew that if he delegated power, he might be caught by the East Palace, but——

"After all, I am still the prince of Dajing. He, Zhao Baiyu, a courtier, is still able to do justice for the people without fear of killing or the power of the sky. I don't have the courage to break the boat. I can't even dare to bear the challenge? If you are so weak , am I worthy of you to follow me?"

Yan Duwei bowed his head: "Decree."

After leaving the front hall, Yan Duwei suddenly realized that it is probably the nature of most people to yearn for beautiful and bright people and things.

Because they can't do it, because they are rare, they will be afraid, disdainful, and disapproving, but no matter what, they can't erase the spontaneous respect from their nature.

***

The night was shrouded in darkness, but Changping, who should have closed his eyes, couldn't sleep, his eyes were bloodshot, staring at the bamboo cage hanging from the flagpole outside the Princess Mansion.

It was not supposed to be seen, but Zhao Baiyu made people light candles on purpose, and it must be bright day and night.

Changping was locked in the tower, she was not given a candle, and no one was sent to attend her. No matter how much she shouted, no one would appear.

Never before had she felt that the terrace was too big, too high, and too quiet, and never before had she felt that the night was too dark, too cold, and too long.

But she will not admit defeat, she will not allow herself to be afraid, let alone feel guilty, even if she bows to Emperor Yuanshou, she will never be defeated by Zhao Baiyu, and she will not give Xie any chance to win her.

She was expelled from Kyoto 20 years ago, and under the difficult predicament of being surrounded by enemies, she can still plant a murderous intention beside Xie that can defeat everyone in the Zhao family. In such a desperate situation, she can turn back and kill everyone, and they are still winners. , How can the bastard who has been tricked by her for 20 years win her?How to win her?

Changping sneered nervously, forced himself to stare at the head on the flagpole and said to himself: "Fight with me? If I, Huo Qinghui, were afraid of ghosts and gods, I wouldn't be able to make it to where I am today. I would have died in the strife in the harem! Died in the court 20 years ago. Fighting in government, let alone live today! Evil ghosts are afraid of evil people, and I am evil. I was born in the royal family and gave me the power of life and death. Why can't I use it to seek power and profit? There are so many corrupt officials in the world, and there are people worse than me There are so many people, why should I have to sacrifice my life to pay off the debt if they can die?"

"Zhao Baiyu, let's see who can last till the end!"

"The more officials you kill, the closer your death will be. How dare you kill Liangjiang officials if you have no power, no power, no name?"

Changping sat on the couch, staring at the bright part of the night sky until dawn and still could not fall asleep.

***

Even at night, the government office of Hongzhou is still brightly lit.

Zhao Baiyu was tireless, sometimes resting for an hour, sometimes resting for two hours, it can be said that he interrogated all the officials in the southeast almost non-stop, and batch after batch of officials were changed in the courtroom.

From sunset to sunrise to dusk, the kerosene lamps were dried up and refilled, and the lantern flowers were cut again and again.

Every time the evidence was obtained, Yan Duwei would ask Zhao Baiyu how to deal with these officials who had fallen off the horse and committed crimes.

Zhao Baiyu faced the plaque hanging high in the mirror with his hands behind his back, and without exception, he said "behead for public display".

Captain Yan Du didn't show the turmoil in his heart at first, he just obeyed orders, pushed the first batch of officials to the gate of the yamen and beheaded them, or put their heads in a bamboo cage and hung them on the flagpole at the gate of the Princess Mansion.

As more and more people were killed, at the time of the fifth alternation of the sun and the moon, Yan Duwei's hands and feet were already weak, and his heart was jittering, no one dared to do it again.

In the corner of the front yard of the yamen, thirty large machetes were discarded. The machetes were full of gaps. They were the mountain of knives accumulated by beheading two hundred officials.

At this time, it was raining and the sky was hazy.

The blue bricks and white tiles in the distance are shrouded in the rainy season in the south of the Yangtze River. A pink and white magnolia whose petals have been pierced by the rain timidly sticks out of the wall, facing the gate of the yamen.

Swallows flew low, skimmed the magnolia branches, flew obliquely into the eaves to comb their wet feathers, and couldn't smell the bloody smell that permeated the air.

Yan Duwei persuaded with a trembling voice: "Master Zhao, you have already killed two people in 210. If you continue to kill, most of the southeast officialdom will be involved in this big case."

Throughout the past and present, except for the emperor building a big prison or his courtiers seeking to usurp the throne, no one can escape unscathed after slaughtering hundreds of officials.

Zhao Baiyu didn't do his best for Emperor Yuanshou, he was risking his life!

"Are you afraid that you won't be able to close the game? Are you all afraid of being held accountable?" Zhao Baiyu glanced at Captain Yan and the battalion soldiers, who lowered their heads and did not dare to answer.

Laughing, Zhao Baiyu said: "If the sky falls, I will be responsible for it. If you want to judge the crime, you will not be able to blame it. Don't worry about your master being implicated by me. I said that if you bear the consequences with all your strength, you will never renege on your promise and become fat." .”

"We are not greedy for life and afraid of death..." Captain Yan Du said in a low voice, "It's just that this group of evil officials have committed many crimes, and the evidence submitted to the Ministry of Criminal Justice and before the imperial court is also a death sentence. Wait for a while, why does your lord need to stain your hands with blood, hurt yourself, and be criticized by others for being a cruel official and contemptuous of imperial power?"

"It will take half a year to send for interrogation and then have a big quarrel in the court hall, and then wait for Zhu's approval, and maybe we can do something in it, let other death row prisoners or innocent people replace them on the execution ground, and it will take another half a year. There will be unjust cases again, and amnesty is suddenly encountered during the period, so what should I do if I let the tiger go back to the mountain? There are too many changes, and it is easy to cause extra problems, and I can't wait."

Repeated questioning made Yan Duwei speechless.

Zhao Baiyu took two steps forward, swept past the corrupt officials in the rain curtain at the gate of the yamen, and said to the battalion soldiers who were afraid to kill them, "The one on the left is the county magistrate of Fengxin County, who accepts money from the accused bullies. He hanged the plaintiff’s tenants from the beams and threw them to death. He is the magistrate of Gao’an County, relying on the height of the sky and the emperor’s distance, he ignored the tax amount stipulated by the court and raised the people’s taxes privately. Last year, [-]% of the farmers’ grain was confiscated. Many people died of starvation in Dong. He is..."

After counting six people in a row and counting their crimes, the fear of the battalion was quickly overwhelmed by anger, and the sore arms were about to move again.

"The law is not noble, and there are no grades of punishment. Since you violate the law, you should be killed!" Zhao Baiyu drew out Shangfang sword, threw away the scabbard without looking back, and stepped into the rain curtain. His sonorous voice couldn't stop his sonorous and forceful voice: "If you dare not take responsibility, I will take responsibility. If you dare not beheaded, I will behead you. One day when you enter the underworld and want to settle the account, but my name If you report it, you can appeal to ghosts and gods, and you can even accuse me of grievances and grievances. If you are thrown into the animal life, or you will fall into the eighteen purgatory, I will bear it!"

Click!Boom!

All of a sudden, lightning flashed, thunder burst, and dark clouds rolled, as if the heaven, earth, ghosts and gods were silently and solemnly watching this scene.

When Zhao Baiyu held up the Shang Fang sword and was about to be stained with blood again, a voice suddenly came in from the side: "My lord, I'm coming!"

Looking back, he was just an ordinary battalion soldier.

The battalion soldier drew out the ring sword and said: "Your Excellency is the blue sky high in the temple, and the hand is used to hold the pen. I should have left the killing with the axe and the ax to me. You stand in front of the people and face the thunder and heavenly power." If you are not afraid, why should I be afraid?"

The battalion soldiers who had flinched before came out, looking at Zhao Baiyu silently but resolutely.

Yan Duwei put his hand on the ring-shou knife at his waist. If he hadn't been worried, he would have been full of enthusiasm, willing to be the knife holder.

rain from Zhao