Xie Ming

"Actually, the idea was already there."

Upon hearing this, Yao Zuyin knew that Xiao Lang was mindful of the current predicament and that urgent matters still needed to be addressed.

Then, out of the blue, he uttered this startling remark.

"Oh? How... how do you say that?!" Zhi Zhong was worried about Xiao's urgent situation, but he was also struggling to come up with a good solution.

Seeing the master's confident demeanor, he quickly followed up with a conversation, not letting up for even a moment.

Upon hearing this again, the old monk, maintaining his composure, stroked his beard, his smugness overflowing. Unable to conceal it, he simply revealed the truth.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Xiao Chuan, you haven't forgotten that just two days ago, you led Armored Guards to break into the palace at night and forced Ma Shiying to his death!"

"As an aside, the two high-ranking officials, Qiu and Gao, have been thrown into prison and are now awaiting execution."

For no apparent reason, Yao Zuyin suddenly brought up this matter, bringing together two thorny lawsuits.

Upon hearing this, one should immediately ponder and debate.

Xiao Jingchuan answered without thinking.

"Uh, yes, so what?"

“A minister who plots rebellion is not worth worrying about.”

"If it really was these bastards who brought the Fujian troops here to cause trouble, once the mutinous army is dealt with, we can bring the guilty ones to justice."

While they were talking, unable to figure out the connection, Xiao Lang looked embarrassed and gave a wry smile, asking for clarification.

"you"

"You're bringing this up now with such seriousness."

"The key point is, even if we sold these three old bastards by weight, it wouldn't be enough to buy grain, right?"

"This"

Xiao Jingchuan handed the matter back to the old monk and listened attentively.

After a brief pause, silence returned to the table in the front hall.

After Master Hongren had pondered for a while, he smiled and then revealed the mystery again.

Hehehe, hehe.

"I have to say, Xiao Chuan, you're still a bit green."

"you"

"Don't underestimate Ma, Chou, and Gao."

"Some people and some things are scary because they're so thorough."

"Don't be fooled by the endless beauty of the lotus leaves reaching to the sky."

"In reality, it is nothing more than the very tip of a towering tree."

"The real whole picture is behind the unseen rear end."

"That guy, he really knows how to pull up a whole bunch of vines at once, huh? Hahaha."

Yao Zuyin explained the key points in detail, and Xiao and Qiu seemed to understand but not quite, so they didn't interrupt and just listened to the old monk continue.

"Uh, haha."

"This is about bringing those involved in this case to justice."

"If you ask me, if you've offended someone and are going to deal with them, why not be more decisive and wipe them out completely!"

"Ah, you should know that we have Zhizhong by our side, secretly accusing him of the serious crime of treason and rebellion."

"What Fujian soldier? Zheng Zhilong's? Too young."

"If you're going to drag this into something, drag it north."

"With the nation in peril, they colluded with the Jurchen barbarians to plot treason and overthrow the court."

"They destroyed the land and state of our ancestors, and brought suffering to the people."

"Humph!"

"Such a serious crime involving multiple people has enormous implications, and once the case is settled..."

"Having grasped this principle, we shall exterminate their entire clan, arrest those suspected of treason and collusion, confiscate their property, and behead them."

“If you’re going to kill him, then wipe out his entire clan and all his collateral branches.”

“We must hold onto this line and uproot part of the Southern Party’s forces.”

"Isn't this more effective than any imperial sword?"

Suddenly, the blind monk appeared, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

His face was fierce and his lips were wicked, which made him look even more ferocious.

"Xiao Chuan, you probably don't know, but these powerful families are all incredibly wealthy."

“Kill all those who should be killed, and confiscate everything that should be confiscated.”

"Now your perplexing issue of provisions and pay is completely resolved."

"In the short term, we'll have more than enough to live on."

"The extra silver can be added to the national treasury, used to collect debts and settle outstanding salaries in various regions and cover daily expenses of the court."

"Why wouldn't you do it?!"

The wicked monk Yao Zuyin's method is vicious and ruthless. He's truly willing to use any means necessary to escape this predicament, resorting to deadly methods.

After he finished speaking, both Xiao and Qiu gasped involuntarily.

After all, doing it this way would have far-reaching consequences, involving both the guilty and the innocent. Once a major case is initiated, the law will not tolerate any leniency.

This... this really turns into treating human life like dirt.

Moreover, the so-called crime of treason was entirely fabricated.

After hearing this, Qiu Zhizhong, who prided himself on his gentlemanly demeanor, jumped out to express his opposition.

"what?"

"This, this is not good."

"How can one knowingly break the law and resort to such underhanded tactics? This..."

As the words slipped out, when he looked up and saw that Old Monk Yao was sitting right in front of him, he felt that he shouldn't contradict him too much in terms of his teachings.

Hesitantly, he decided to express his true feelings in a more tactful way.

"kindness"

"Furthermore, even if Ma Shiying, Qiu Weizhen, and Gao Hongtu deserved their punishment."

"but"

"Alas, in the end, the whole clan and its members will not be harmed."

"Moreover, with such a pretext of framing someone for a serious crime, once the case is settled, chaos will surely ensue, the whole household will be in turmoil, and many people will be implicated."

"Even if you want to stop by then, it will be very difficult to do so."

"That's a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family."

“If we really do that, from both a moral and logical standpoint, I… I feel it’s inappropriate.”

"Moreover, the court officials are already in a state of panic and fear."

"Such actions have a truly egregious impact."

"I fear that one wrong move could lead to chaos, alienation from everyone, utter ruin, and all our previous efforts would be in vain."

The words spoken in the letter are carefully chosen out of concern and caution, and the meaning of the words must be carefully considered.

However, it is clear that Yao Zuyin was very certain about his plan.

Qiu Zhizhong's intentions seemed to have been expected.

"Hahahaha, it's alright, it's alright."

"Young Qiu, you're overthinking it."

"It's not as serious as you think." He laughed it off, easing the awkwardness.

"This old monk has wasted decades of his life. He may not be good at anything else, but he has long seen through the ways of the world and people's hearts."

Upon hearing this, Yao Zuyin let out a long sigh, clasped his hands together, and the prayer beads on his left wrist emerged from his sleeve, swaying from his fingertips.

"What did the Six Dynasties accomplish? They only served to pursue their own private interests."

"Even if one day the sky really does collapse, a thief will put a gleaming guillotine against the back of your neck."

"They, too, remained timid and cowardly, living day by day."

"Nothing compares to the word 'comfort'."

Even when facing death, they would still think this way.

"So, you can rest assured."

Then he spread his hands and rubbed them together, then reached up to his knees and patted them.

"Treason and rebellion are nothing but a pretext for murder."

“Give them a reason to feel justified, and this matter can be accomplished.”

"This"

"Hehe, Xiao Chuan, what do you think?"

Suddenly, a thought struck him: to appease one side and break free from his reverie. He turned his head and looked towards Xiao Jingchuan.

Seeing that it concerned his own opinion, Xiao Lang felt uneasy.

For a moment, he was torn between two options, pondering and hesitating.

"Uh, this, this."

"It is indeed a solution." This statement first expresses affirmation.

"But, Master, isn't doing this a bit too ruthless?"

Xiao came from a military background, having fought in battles.

If it's just about killing or beheading, as long as the reasons are sufficient and it's for the greater good of the country, killing one or two culprits who have brought disaster to the country and its people will not cause them any psychological burden whatsoever.

However, what Yao Zuyin is proposing now is to have Qiu Zhizhong fabricate a serious crime, implicate his entire family, and spare no one, including women, children, or the elderly.

This whole thing is something that's hard to say right now, and it's also involved far too many people.

Once it starts, it could lead to the deaths of hundreds or even thousands of people, including entire families. It's not impossible that such a business could end up like that.

Such behavior is certainly not the act of a gentleman.

Therefore, both Xiao and Qiu have unfulfilled wishes, mainly due to this obstacle. (End of Chapter)