Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 266 A storm is brewing, and undercurrents are surging!
Wende Hall.

The candlelight blazed brightly, and the imperial steps shone brilliantly.

All the civil and military officials stood in orderly and solemn silence.

At a glance, one might see anger, horror, solemnity, doubt, or a silent bow of the head.
On the imperial steps, Emperor Zhao Ceying rested his hands on his knees, his head adorned with twelve tassels. His face was ashen and cold, and his dragon eyes gazed down, chillingly cold and intimidating.

Below it is the imperial altar.

A vermilion-lacquered wooden chair stood horizontally, where Grand Master Jiang Zhao sat solemnly with his eyes closed, his face expressionless and devoid of emotion.

The emperor, the prime minister, and all the civil and military officials remained silent.

From top to bottom, there was a deathly silence, a chilling atmosphere, and an indescribable sense of oppression.

You could hear a pin drop, not a single word was wrong!
From beginning to end, there was a sense of impending doom.

The civil and military officials stood on the left and right.

Civil officials would occasionally glance at the military generals, their eyes filled with apprehension and anger.

Not long after rumors of military reforms surfaced, the Grand Chancellor was openly assassinated. It was immediately clear whether the murderer was a civil official or a military general.

Of course, given the nature of civil officials, they would not usually resort to assassination, as this would be a way to disrupt the rules of political struggle.

Only crude and vulgar brutes, with their boundless audacity and disregard for the law, dare to engage in shocking and outrageous actions.

just
This is my husband!
He was a high-ranking official who enjoyed the emperor's favor for two generations, the leader of all officials who controlled the country, and a rare reformer in history.

It's astonishing that a military general would dare to assassinate someone like that!

Looking back to the eighth year of the Qingli era, someone used the Imperial Guards to assassinate the late emperor.

Now, they have even openly attempted to assassinate the Grand Chancellor.

How outrageous!
The civil officials watched intently, while many military officers lowered their heads in surprise and uncertainty.

Who on earth is so audacious as to dare to assassinate even the eldest son?

It's just military reform, isn't it?

If the Grand Master wants military reform, then let's reform the military!

Even if there are conflicts, we can talk about them!

Why would someone commit assassination openly during a sacrificial ceremony in the southern suburbs?

For a moment, the emperor, prime minister, civil officials, and military generals all turned their gazes around, but no one took the initiative to speak.

It's not hard to see that many people are harboring anger.

It wasn't like a loud, shouting rage, but the anger it contained was no less intense.

The officials, the chief minister, and those who benefited from the reforms were particularly furious.

The emperor was furious, mainly because his expectations of becoming a great emperor for all time, Emperor Shizong, had almost become a pipe dream.

In fact, it was no secret that the emperor had lofty ambitions and aspired to achieve unification.

Even the promise of becoming the "Emperor of a Thousand Ages" that the Grand Chancellor made to the Emperor wasn't a big secret. While not everyone knew it, at least everyone had heard of it.

However, the important thing is to have self-awareness. Just because the Grand Chancellor can make empty promises to the government doesn't mean that others can do the same.

The emperor was happy to accept the promises made by the Grand Chancellor, mainly because the Grand Chancellor truly had the ability to help him achieve unification.

Others lack such ability; to rashly draw up a picture of a pie in the sky is nothing more than a poor imitation, which will only annoy the king.

The Grand Chancellor was furious, naturally angered by the assassination attempt and the fact that his life was hanging by a thread.

Those who benefited from the reform were furious, mainly because their interests had almost been wiped out.

The Grand Chancellor was the sole core of the reform; this is beyond doubt.

Given the current situation, if the Grand Chancellor is assassinated, there will be no one who can stabilize the reform.

The ultimate result was that the benefits of the reform were squeezed, or even completely disappeared.

Who wouldn't be furious?
"call!"

The Duke of Gan let out a soft breath, holding his tablet, his face full of anger, but a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.

The assassination attempt failed, and the assassin was captured!
If nothing unexpected happens, the authorities will definitely have someone pry the assassin's mouth open.

If the assassin were to actually vomit something, the consequences would be absolutely unimaginable!

The problem is that he has no way to stop it.

The emperor decreed that all officials would not be dismissed until the true culprit was found.

The civil and military officials didn't even have a chance to retreat, let alone obstruct or hinder the investigation of the real culprit.

"Ugh!"

With a sigh, the Duke of Gan lowered his head slightly and prayed silently.

In this situation, apart from the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor, no one else has any freedom. Even the Duke has no choice but to surrender and pray for divine intervention!
“Sizzle~!”

“Sizzle~!”

A cool breeze blew gently, and only the faint candlelight burning made a sound in the hall.

However, this sound did not dispel the silence and oppression; on the contrary, it made it even worse.

Even breathing seems to have become much more difficult.

quite a while.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying broke the silence with a dark expression.

"Recently, someone submitted a document accusing me of plotting to assassinate the Grand Chancellor. Both the Grand Chancellor and I are skeptical."

Zhao Ceying said in a deep voice, "Who would have thought that there would actually be such an audacious person who would dare to defy the world and openly assassinate a pillar of the nation during the grand ceremony in the southern suburbs?"

"These actions are unforgivable and must be investigated thoroughly!"

In short, the seemingly casual remark conveyed a great deal of information.

1. Someone informed on them.

Second, the eldest son took the initiative to risk his life to lure the enemy into a trap.

Third, although the emperor knew about the incident beforehand, the assassination was an actual act that had already occurred, and he was still furious.

Among the civil and military officials, there were occasional glances exchanged.

It was just a short sentence, but its impact was neither significant nor minor.

The officials, the high-ranking officials, and those who have already benefited will still be furious.

After all, the heinous act of someone attempting to assassinate the Grand Chancellor is a fact.

The fact that the enemy took the bait after being prepared only demonstrates the Grand Chancellor's courage and resourcefulness; it does not change the fundamental nature of this heinous act.

If we have to point out any impact, it simply means that there are some grateful people among the military generals, and we can't condemn them all.

"Zhang Heng, acting prefect of Kaifeng," Zhao Ceying called out in a deep voice.

"Your subject is here." Zhang Heng was startled and strode out.

"Wang Anshi, the head of the Censorate."

"Marquis of Ningyuan, Gu Tingye".

After calling out to two people, Gu Tingye and Wang Anshi came out one after the other.

Among them, due to the impact of the major performance evaluation, Wang Anshi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Grand Master of the Palace, had already been promoted from the second rank of the Ministry of War and the Chief Censor to the second rank of the Ministry of Justice.

Of course, his position as Minister of War was merely a nominal title; his core authority remained with the Censorate.

Zhao Ceying reached out, pulled out a sheet of white paper, and handed it to the three men: "You three, spare no effort to track down and capture the real culprit."

"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!" Zhao Ceying said coldly.

The assassination attempt was tipped off, which allowed Jiang Qing to escape unharmed, but that doesn't mean he wasn't furious.

One assassination attempt might lead to betrayal, but what about ten or a hundred?
If no one informs me even once, wouldn't that mean I'll lose my "family heirloom"?
To deter villains, they should be killed!

Better to kill the innocent than to let one person go unpunished!
The king's words were filled with chilling intent.

Zhang Heng, Wang Anshi, and Gu Tingye were all taken aback.

"promise."

The three of them bowed and strode out.

Having the note is like using the answer to deduce the process, making the investigation almost effortless.

They called it an investigation, but in reality, they were just verifying a few things.

After the three left, there were some low murmurs in the main hall, but the atmosphere remained mostly quiet.

Only one person was trembling slightly.

Duke of Gan!
The Duke of Gan held his official tablet, sweat pouring down his face, his heart filled with fear.

Good news, there's no need to hinder the investigation of the real culprit.

Bad news, someone has tipped them off.

Duke Gan kept swallowing.

Didn't these ten or so纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) murder a minor official of the fifth rank as a pledge of loyalty?
How can someone actually report this?
That.
Should I turn myself in?
In a split second, the Duke of Gan secretly denied it.

No!

What if this is a trap set by the authorities to lure us in?
Moreover, since he has voluntarily surrendered himself at this point, there's probably no chance of a "reduction in sentence."

Let's hope that God will be merciful and that the Gan family is not on the list!

The drumbeats sounded three times, and the stars became sparse.

Fire raged through the long street, and spears blocked the thoroughfare.

Wisps of firelight rapidly spread from the palace into the alleys and lanes. Bows and swords were drawn, armor clattered, startling crows into flapping their wings and silencing the patrolmen who abruptly fell silent.

"Seal off the gates! Declare martial law!"

At a single command, guards stood every ten steps in this important area of ​​the capital, all armed with spears, clad in armor, and swords at their sides.

Raging firelight, dense armor

The torches stretched endlessly, illuminating almost the entire city of Bianjing.

With the economy booming, there was no real curfew in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

There is a curfew in name only, but in reality it exists in name only and is not enforced.

As a result, some entertainment venues, teahouses, restaurants, theaters, and tea gardens were almost always lit up all night.

However, today is destined to be an exception.

Junyi Bridge, the residence of the Duke of Lingguo.

A small wooden table, about ten feet long, was set with a few side dishes and a few pots of wine.

Led by Gan Ning and Luo Yi, more than ten纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) gathered together.

They are waiting for the results!
at this time
Metal and steel clashed, armor clashed.

More than ten spoiled young men were all startled and hurriedly went out to peek through the crack in the door.

But then one saw hundreds of imperial guards, one every five steps, spreading outwards, exuding the solemn atmosphere unique to the imperial palace.

"this--"

Chen Biao, the second son of the Marquis of Anning, glanced around and couldn't help but feel nervous. He whispered, "Why are the Imperial Guards here?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Gan Ning frowned repeatedly and retorted, "With the Grand Chancellor assassinated, how could the Imperial Guards not be on high alert?"

The Grand Chancellor has been assassinated. Regardless of whether the mission succeeds or fails, the Imperial Guards will certainly be on high alert.

This is not surprising.

"Ugh!"

"I wonder if the assassination succeeded?" Li You, the second son of the Earl of Pingliang, looked over with a worried expression.

The other spoiled young men were in a similar state, their faces full of worry and anxiety.

Assassinating the Grand Chancellor is a serious crime of the highest order.

In fact, not long after Luo Yi offered his "advice," he secretly began to regret it.

Unfortunately, Gan Ning had set a rule that allowed these纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) to conspire and kill a fifth-rank official in Qin Prefecture as a "pledge of allegiance." A fifth-rank official, even if he was a local official, was theoretically considered a "high-ranking official."

The assassination of a minister of this rank was a rare and serious crime.

This move effectively shut down any escape route for spoiled brats, leaving them with no choice but to go down a dark path.

"Even if the eldest son is skilled in both literature and martial arts, he still only has one life."

Qin Yan, the second son of the Marquis of Dongchang, said slowly, his eyes flashing, "With a calculated attack on an unsuspecting man, and ten people assassinating him at once, the Grand Chancellor is doomed!"

Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and visibility was extremely poor. Even though Qin Yan's eyes looked strange, no one noticed anything amiss.

Of course, even during the day, not everyone might notice anything amiss.

After all, it's normal to feel a little nervous when plotting to assassinate the Grand Master.

"It makes sense."

Luo Yi, the second son of the Duke of Lingguo, chimed in, "With my astonishing wisdom, the plan is flawless. The Grand Chancellor is doomed."

A few words of reassurance calmed the hearts of the dozen or so spoiled young men considerably.

"Keep your voices down when someone is patrolling," Gan Ning instructed, frowning.

If the Imperial Guards' patrols attract attention, things could get a little bad.

However, Chen Biao, the second son of the Marquis of Anning, suddenly changed his expression: "Something's not right!"

"Marquis Ningyuan has arrived."

The dozen or so纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) all changed color and immediately looked over.

A hundred paces away, Marquis Ningyuan, Gu Tingye, stood in armor, holding a long sword, his face solemn.

"Tap, tap, tap!"

The clanging of armor grew louder and louder.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Open the gate, Imperial Guards are here to investigate."

With a few knocks, the faces of more than ten纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) turned pale with fright.

"Could it be that we've been discovered?" Chen Biao's expression changed, and he asked in a panic.

"Don't worry."

Luo Yi, the second son of the Duke of Lingguo, quickly reassured him in a low voice: "Let alone the fact that the Grand Chancellor is doomed, even if he survives, the Imperial Guards would never be able to track down the real culprit so quickly."

"Later, just say we're drinking together, and don't say anything carelessly."

Luo Yi gave a brief instruction, his hands and feet trembling slightly, and shouted, "They're here!"

“Tsk~!”

The door latch was pulled open, and dozens of imperial guards, led by Gu Tingye, entered together.

"Yo!"

“They’re all here!” Gu Tingye glanced at them and said expressionlessly.

"Second Brother Gu".

Luo Yi stepped forward, looking extremely anxious: "What serious incident has occurred?"

"The last time the Imperial Guards were under martial law was on the day the late Emperor passed away!"

Gu Tingye looked over.

"Yes!"

"The last time we were on high alert was when the late emperor passed away!"

"I am also unaware of the details," Gu Tingye sighed, then added calmly, "Perhaps, Luo Erlang can enlighten me?"

Need clarification?

Luo Yi's expression changed, and he quickly smiled apologetically, "Second Brother Gu, you must be joking."

"You're joking."

Gu Tingye's face turned cold, and he waved his hand, saying, "Arrest them all."

At a single command, the Imperial Guards sprang into action.

"Second Brother Gu, why is that?"

"Second Brother Gu, I am a law-abiding citizen!"

"I'll confess, I'll confess everything!"

For a moment, gasps of surprise filled the air.

Late Yin hour (around 5 a.m.)

Wende Hall.

All the civil and military officials stood solemnly.

"Your Majesty, the three lords, Zhang, Wang, and Gu, have identified the true culprit and are requesting an audience outside the palace," reported the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Let them in," Zhao Ceying said, sitting up straight and waving his hand.

In an instant, all the civil and military officials were energized.

Who is the real culprit?

Duke Gan clenched his teeth, his heart pounded, and his face flushed red.

After about ten breaths, the three of them entered one after another.

"Your subjects Zhang Heng, Wang Anshi, and Gu Tingye pay their respects to Your Majesty." The three bowed in unison.

"Has the real culprit been found?" Zhao Ceying asked in a deep voice.

"I had the Ministry of Justice interrogate the assassins and arrest and interrogate the people on the list. They all confessed, and their statements were consistent and logical."

Gu Tingye bowed respectfully and said, "Besides this, the list of the real culprits has been slightly supplemented compared to the list submitted by the informant."

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying waved his hand and said, "Then let the Grand Master review it. If there are no errors, drag them out one by one and punish them."

"promise."

Gu Tingye bowed and presented the list.

Jiang Zhao picked up the list and opened his closed eyes at the opportune moment.

All the civil and military officials turned their attention to the past.

Who are the murderers?
Jiang Zhao held the list and scanned it one by one towards the group of military officers.

Finally, Jiang Zhaoping said, "The Duke of Gan and his son Gan Ning."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the officials were shocked.

It was both shocking and enlightening.

Shocked, of course, because the Duke of Gan was the real culprit.

After all, the Duke of Gan was the Deputy Privy Councilor.

In terms of status and real power, they were all among the top military generals.

This person was actually the real assassin!

Suddenly, it dawned on him that the Duke of Gan was the real culprit.

Only someone of the rank of Deputy Privy Councilor would dare to plant someone to assassinate the Grand Chancellor!
"what?"

The slightest bit of luck that had allowed them to survive eventually vanished completely.

The Duke of Gan was shocked, his legs went weak, and he collapsed.

"Your Majesty, Your Excellency, I am innocent!" Duke Gan cried out, trembling and struggling in vain.

All the civil and military officials watched in unison as the imperial guards approached and dragged away the Duke of Gan.

"Luo Yi, the second son of the Duke of Lingguo," Jiang Zhao continued reading.

"this--"

"My son was involved too?"

The Duke was shocked, his legs went weak, and he looked incredulous.

How come the Luo family is involved here?

No one answered his words.

Yes, there were only Imperial Guards who came to drag people away.

"Ugh!"

With a long sigh, the Duke of Ling collapsed, closing his eyes.

Cheating!
Damn it, what kind of crazy things does this spoiled brat do, actually trying to assassinate the young master?
In just a moment, many military generals with spoiled sons felt their hearts pounding.

He was the second son of the Duke of Ling, not the Duke of Ling and his son!
This shows that the Duke of Lingguo was not involved in the assassination attempt, but was implicated by his dissolute son.

However, being implicated does not mean that the Duke of Ling will receive a lenient sentence.

Given the importance the emperor placed on the Grand Chancellor, anyone who attempted to assassinate him would most likely be sentenced to "extermination of the entire clan."

Duke Ling, you failed to properly educate your son; you too shall die!
If the Duke of Ling is like this, then will their纨绔 (spoiled brat) son also be like this...?

Every now and then, someone would tremble inwardly, their heart pounding wildly.

"Chen Biao, the second son of the Marquis of Anning!"

"Li You, the second son of the Earl of Pingliang!"

……

More than ten names were read aloud one by one.

Until...their names are no longer spoken.

The military officers all felt as if they had been granted a pardon and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the spoiled son didn't cause too much trouble!
Standing on the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Ceying said calmly, "Arrest them!"

"For now, arrest all three clans."

"Assassinating a high-ranking official is tantamount to treason. An open assassination is a double offense; assassinating the Grand Chancellor is a double offense!"

"Whether it is to exterminate three generations or nine generations, I will discuss it with the Grand Chancellor and then we will reach a decision."

"So be it."

Zhao Ceying said indifferently, "Once the Imperial Guards have arrested the people, the officials can disperse."

"As for the city gates of the capital, entry is still permitted, but exit is not."

The king's indifference sent a chill down the spines of many generals, causing them to tremble.

Is this starting with the extermination of three generations of a family?
Even the accomplices were arrested along with their entire families!

What is the maximum penalty for a principal offender?
Given the Grand Chancellor's standing in the Emperor's eyes, the principal offender...

Execute his entire family?!

"The court session is over—"

……

For the next two or three hours, the Imperial Guards were arresting and capturing people.

Wailing, weeping, and screaming continued.

The scale, number of people involved, and speed of the operation were unprecedented in history.

The Emperor seems to be on the verge of annihilating the military family.

Soon after, the officials dispersed, and the news spread.

The capital was thrown into turmoil!
……

(End of this chapter)