Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 297 What's with this arrogance, you disgraced official!
Liu Bian stroked his chin, his gaze falling on Lu Zhi with a slightly probing look.

Is this my teacher?

Could it be that he has been possessed by a competitor?
How could my upright and prudent Master Lu say such a thing?

The number "100,000 households" gave Liu Bian a jolt.

He had not yet had time to access the detailed household registers of the three prefectures in the Central Plains, nor had he carefully investigated the specific number of wealthy households.

The idea of ​​restarting the mausoleum system was only a temporary one that came to mind in the last two or three days.

According to ancestral rules, the construction of the mausoleum must begin on the first day of the second year of the reign, which is only fifteen days away.

Time was of the essence, so Liu Bian had no choice but to hastily propose and implement this matter at the grand court assembly.

However, no matter how alarming the figures reported by Lu Zhi were, they were by no means a reason for the court officials to wantonly insult the Grand Tutor of the court!
In the imperial court, he was the only one who could curse!
My teacher, at most I would call him a "country bumpkin," so what right do you have to insult his ancestors for eighteen generations?
"Where is the Wuwei Battalion!" Liu Bian shouted suddenly, breaking the noise in the hall.

Heavy footsteps and the crisp sound of metal armor plates colliding immediately rang out at the palace gate.

A group of soldiers from the Wuwei Battalion, who were guarding the palace gates and corners inside, rushed into the palace with their hands on their swords, led by a dark-skinned man.

The man was burly and muscular, almost as strong as a wild boar, and his every step seemed to exude a savage energy.

"Commander Dong Huang of the Yue Cavalry is here!"

His physique, as robust and imposing as a wild boar, stood before the emperor like a docile hunting dog, bowing respectfully with his hands clasped in front of him, his posture utterly humble, without a trace of arrogance.

Compared to last year, Dong Huang is now less frivolous and more mature. He has transformed from "Grandma Dong" who had just entered the Grand View Garden in Luoyang into a trusted former official of the Prince's residence.

Since the emperor formally ascended the throne, countless people have come to curry favor with Dong Huang, and all of them are willing to offer their legitimate daughters to Dong Huang as his principal wives.

Recalling the disdain he received when he first entered the capital with his uncles Dong Zhuo and Dong Min, if he were still in Longxi, he would have tied those scholars who mocked them to the back of his horse and dragged them to their deaths!

But the three of them, uncle and nephew, endured it; they didn't want to go back to that poor village.

Having witnessed the prosperity of Luoyang, who would want to return to the harsh and cold land of Longxi to eat sand?
Now that he has finally achieved great success, all the generals and officers of Liangzhou have been rewarded, and his uncle Dong Zhuo has even been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Taixiang. Who would dare to underestimate the Dong family of Longxi!
Although his current status is vastly different from what it used to be, Dong Huang is very clear about who he has everything he has today!
This is all thanks to the Emperor's divine grace!

Although both his uncle Dong Zhuo and he were very capable fighters, what could they possibly plan?
There are many capable generals among the former officials of the emperor's former residence. Even without them, the emperor would not lack generals and officers who are good at fighting!

Without the emperor's favor, what is the value of martial arts skills?
Therefore, from then on, Dong Huang adhered to one principle—never to disobey the emperor's orders!

loyalty!

Dong Huang's fierce eyes swept over the court officials on both sides of the seats, especially lingering on the faces of those who had just been shouting the most.

As soon as the emperor gave the order, he would immediately have all these people, along with their entire clan, finely chopped into minced meat!
Liu Bian glanced at Dong Huang, whose undisguised killing intent caused the temperature in the hall to drop sharply, but it was still manageable for Liu Bian.

The scene of charred corpses littering the battlefield after the Battle of Changshe was still vivid in his mind. These killing intents, which were not directed at him, were not enough to move him or make him uncomfortable.

Liu Bian gently raised his hand and patted Dong Huang's strong arm to signal him to stand up. However, his gaze turned to Guo Hong, the Commandant of the Capital Region, and he said in a calm and even voice, "Commander of the Capital Region, you have insulted your superior, shown no respect for rank, and behaved improperly in front of the palace. According to the law, what should your punishment be?"

Guo Hong and Guo Tu, who was standing to the side, exchanged a quick glance and immediately understood each other.

The emperor did not wish to impose severe punishments!

If severe punishment is truly desired, then Guo Tu, known for his ruthlessness, should be the one to convict him.

No one doubted Guo Tu's cruelty and madness. In Guo Tu's presence, any remonstrating official who advised the emperor could be accused of "great disrespect" and beaten to death at any time.

Therefore, the emperor did not choose Guo Tu but instead consulted Guo Hong, the Commandant of the Capital Region, the meaning of which is self-evident.

Guo Hong would not take this lightly. Moreover, as a subject, all he had to do was to state the facts according to the law and report to the emperor without any compromise.

If the emperor intends to show leniency, this benevolence should be bestowed by the emperor himself, not by someone else pleading on his behalf.

However, the courtiers were unaware of the tacit understanding between the emperor and his ministers. Upon hearing this, many of them paled slightly. After all, thirty strokes of the cane could be fatal!

If a court official was physically weak, thirty strokes of the cane would kill him on the spot.

"Thirty strokes? That's going to kill someone! Fine, let's halve it. Anyone who insults the Grand Tutor, drag them out and give them fifteen strokes."

Liu Bian waved his hand, signaling Dong Huang and the soldiers of the Wuwei Camp to take action.

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers of the Wuwei Battalion pounced like wolves and tigers, dragging or carrying away the court officials who had just uttered abusive words from the ranks.

Some people refused to submit, howling and struggling like fat pigs about to be slaughtered.

But it was no use; futile resistance only provoked the soldiers to treat them more brutally.

However, most people are rational; what's the point of resisting? It would only make them lose face.

Furthermore, the emperor is not the retired emperor; if he were to be killed, it would be a true death sentence. He would not kill someone under the pretext of a "living punishment" simply because of political disagreement.

Although the emperor acts eccentrically, he ultimately adheres to the rules of the game.

Xiao Yuan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was the latter.

With a cold face, Xiao Yuan slapped away the soldier's hand that was trying to restrain him, slowly straightened his slightly crooked official hat, and carefully smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles on his official robe, as if he were a loyal minister who was about to die for his remonstrance. He even gave a disdainful snort to the soldier next to him, and strode out of the hall on his own.

Dong Huang was momentarily stunned by Xiao Yuan's disdainful gaze. Then, a surge of anger rushed to his head, and he almost couldn't resist kicking the other's pretentious buttocks!

What's with this arrogance, you disgraced official!
Seeing Xiao Yuan do this, several others followed suit. If they weren't inside the Jiade Hall, they probably would have spat a mouthful of phlegm at these Wuwei Camp soldiers.

But the soldiers of the Wuwei Camp didn't care about being a scholar or maintaining decorum. Seeing that they were dawdling and acting arrogantly, they forcibly grabbed these people with extremely rough movements, twisting their arms and dragging them away. Some of them even had their hats thrown to the ground and were dragged in a sorry state to the small hall next to the Jiade Hall.

Doctors are exempt from punishment!
In order to preserve the dignity of the scholar-officials, these punishments would naturally not involve forcing officials to stand in front of the palace and beating them with sticks, as depicted in TV dramas.

According to the rules, each minister to be punished should be given a quiet room to be executed alone, so as to save face.

However, Dong Huang stated that there weren't enough rooms available, so he decided to put everyone together for the execution.

No matter how much the court officials protested, the soldiers ignored them and forced them onto the long table that had been prepared beforehand. Several soldiers holding wooden sticks were already waiting nearby.

The eunuch in charge of supervising the execution, Zhao You, quietly approached Dong Huang and whispered the emperor's message.

Well, the emperor doesn't want anyone who, after receiving fifteen strokes of the cane, still has the strength to get up and go back to the Jiade Palace to make a ruckus.

Dong Huang was already furious about the attitude of these court officials. With Zhao You's hint, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and the soldiers of the Wuwei Camp who were carrying out the executions naturally swung their clubs with force, and the wooden sticks in their hands slammed hard into the buttocks of these court officials with a whooshing sound!

Through the hall door, a series of mournful howls immediately emanated from the small hall next door.

"what!"

Xiao Yuan, who had endured the pain until the eighth stroke, finally succumbed to the burning pain in his buttocks, breaking his resolve and causing him to cry out in agony.

Xiao Yuan turned her flushed face to the side, tears welling in her eyes, and glared fiercely at Dong Huang, who stood to the side with his arms crossed and a cold smile on his face.

They wanted to put on a show of defiance against power, but who knew these "lackeys" would be so ruthless!

That's so undignified!

Seeing that he still dared to glare, Dong Huang's sneer widened, and he gave the executioner a wink.

The soldier from the Wuwei Battalion understood immediately and swung his staff even more forcefully and fiercely!
These elite soldiers of the Wuwei Battalion are all fierce warriors who have been forged in the blood and gore of the battlefield. They have amazing strength, have received ample nutrition and relatively scientific training. Now that they are exerting their full strength, how can these pampered scholars withstand it?
The piercing cries of pain pierced through the cracks in the palace doors and clearly echoed back into the Jiade Hall.

The officials who hadn't yet joined the crowd in insulting Lu Zhi felt a chill run down their spines. Their faces turned ashen, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on their foreheads. A chill ran through them.

(End of this chapter)