A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 93 Gongsun
Dark clouds, rising from the southern mountains, quietly enveloped the walls of Chang'an.

The palace was rife with witchcraft.

Officials from the Court of Justice conducted a nationwide search.

Hundreds of marquises, members of the imperial clan, and ministers were implicated and subsequently executed by Zhang Tang, the Minister of Justice.

The entire city of Chang'an was filled with the stench of blood, even the wind carried it, and everyone lived in fear.

Court of Justice.

Zhang Tang interrogated Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng. It was clear that the father and son had not been tortured, but they were not in good spirits and were somewhat thin, as if they had not slept well for a long time.

However, how could he possibly get a good night's sleep? Out of consideration for Empress Wei, the officials of the Court of Justice did not use torture, and even served her with good food and drink. But if they wanted to torment someone, they could use not only physical methods, but also psychological ones.

Witchcraft has been discovered in Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace. The Court of Justice has arrested so many people that the prison cannot hold them all. What should be done?
Let's arrest and kill at the same time!
The prisoners surrounding Gongsun He and his son Gongsun Jingsheng changed almost daily. Since many of those executed were marquises, members of the imperial family, and ministers of powerful clans, even if they were not familiar with each other, they were at least acquainted with them.

As the Gongsun father and son watched familiar faces appear and disappear, even the strongest hearts could hardly bear it.

Moreover, those nobles and nobles who entered the Court of Justice knew they could not escape death. Before their deaths, they went mad, howled, scratched the walls, and stinged at the door. From morning till night, the father and son did not know what the underworld was like, but they imagined it was the scene in the Court of Justice.

When the Gongsun father and son saw Zhang Tang again, it was as if they had seen the Lord of the Underworld; fear almost overflowed from their bodies.

They instinctively wanted to rush forward, but the jailer grabbed them first, saying, "Behave yourselves!"

Gongsun He stumbled, but didn't care. He looked at Zhang Tang and pleaded, "Minister of Justice, for the sake of our many years as colleagues, I beg you, give me pen and ink. I want to write a letter to the Empress."

When I return to the court one day, I will make sure the Empress rewards you handsomely!

Please, give me a pen, please give me a pen.

"Minister of the Imperial Stud, although I really want to help you, you are now a serious criminal of the court. If I help you communicate with the outside world, wouldn't I be courting death? Do you dare?"

Zhang Tang stared coldly at the father and son. What he wanted was something even the Empress couldn't give him. "I ask you, Minister of the Imperial Stud, have you ever seized farmland, forcibly abducted women, accepted bribes, or arbitrarily appointed officials?"

Relying on the indulgence of Empress Wei and taking advantage of the power of the Emperor, the Grand General, and the General of Wei, Gongsun He and his son, along with the entire Wei clan, acted with utmost arrogance.

"I don't!"

"And what about your son?"

Zhang Tang pointed directly at Gongsun Jingsheng, who was trembling with fear and unable to control himself.

Seeing his son so weak, Gongsun He was truly disappointed and decided to answer for him, gritting his teeth and saying, "No!"

"No?"

With a sweep of his hand, Zhang Tang scattered a large number of files and evidence on the desk to the ground, and the crimes committed over the years immediately came to the attention of Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng.

Bright red and glaring.

It contains detailed records of the Gongsun family's crimes, including but not limited to bullying men and women, causing havoc in the countryside, how Gongsun He and his son bribed and threatened local officials when victims complained, and how they dealt with the victims' viciousness and intimidated other people.

Even more critically, Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng accepted bribes on a large scale before and after Empress Wei assumed power, promising others official positions and titles.

It wasn't entirely a wish; after obtaining the power to preside over the confiscation of wealth, Gongsun He and his son simply sold off the positions of officials who went to various places to preside over the confiscation of wealth, according to the different levels of wealth in each place, at varying prices.

In a short period of time, Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng amassed 19 million coins!
If the ruler hadn't suddenly cleared the area, giving Gongsun He and his son enough time, the money could have multiplied several times, dozens of times, or even hundreds of times.

Zhang Tang slowly stood up, his killing intent palpable, and said, "Gongsun He, you really think the Han Dynasty is your home!"

Gongsun Jingsheng collapsed to the ground.

Gongsun He's fear reached its peak. "Please, give me a pen! Give me a pen! I need to write a petition to the Emperor, I need to write a petition to the Empress! Give me a pen!" "No need, there is an imperial edict!"

Zhang Tang took the imperial edict from the Crown Prince and said coldly, "Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng, receive the decree!"

Gongsun Jingsheng was already in that state, and Gongsun He stood there stunned for a long time before kneeling down.

"I have thoroughly examined the historical records and found that corrupt officials of every dynasty were not uncommon."

At the beginning of the founding of our great Han Dynasty, there was a man who embezzled 100,000 coins. Emperor Gaozu immediately skinned him alive and stuffed him with straw. The ancestral rule was indeed strict.

Now, the Grand Master of the Palace, Gongsun He, and the maternal relative, Gongsun Jingsheng, have encroached upon the prestige of the state and embezzled a staggering amount of money from the people, amounting to tens of millions!
Not only was I terrified upon reading it, but if it were recorded in history, no one in later generations would not be terrified upon reading it!
"If we follow the laws of the founding emperor, even if you two had a hundred bodies, wouldn't it be enough to skin you alive?"

At this point, Zhang Tang paused intentionally and looked at the two of them.

Gongsun Jingsheng seemed to have used a great deal of effort to support himself as he knelt there, sweat dripping onto the ground like rain.

Gongsun He was somewhat better, but only very slightly. His eyes were fixed on the imperial edict, and he was lying flat.

Zhang Tang then read aloud, “I, the King, inherit the virtues of my ancestors and have always upheld the idea of ​​governing by non-interference. I cannot bear to harm even one life. What are the crimes of you two?”

Although he is a relative of the emperor, I cannot indulge him!

"Immediately remove Gongsun He from all his posts. Gongsun Jingsheng, being a relative of the empress, is hereby dismissed. The Minister of Justice, Zhang Tang, is hereby ordered to thoroughly investigate your embezzlement. If you and your son still possess even a shred of conscience, you should confess completely and hand over all the embezzled funds. Perhaps Heaven will grant you a sliver of hope!"

That concludes the order.

Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng remained stiffly lying on the ground.

Zhang Tang, unfazed, sneered, "Guards!"

Hear the words.

Four jailers immediately came in.

"Take the prisoner back to jail."

"Yes!"

The four jailers shouted at the same time.

Gongsun He slowly stood up, and looking into Zhang Tang's emotionless eyes, he knew that his death was imminent.

His nephew, the crown prince, was a recognized "benevolent ruler." A benevolent ruler like Emperor Xiaowen would never kill his own blood relatives.

But it couldn't stop a blood relative from committing suicide out of guilt!
Considering Wei Zifu, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing, even if the ruler was very dissatisfied with the Wei clan, he could not purge them like he would the marquises and ministers of the royal family. He said that he would let the father and son confess their crimes and other crimes in order to save their lives. In reality, it was a warning not to implicate others. In prison, they must have been prepared to commit suicide.

Is it a hanging rope, a bottle of poison, or something else?
Gongsun Jingsheng remained kneeling there, and Gongsun He helped his son up and headed towards the prison cell.

Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng hanged themselves!

“It was presented to Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace.”

Zhang Tang didn't glance at it again. He organized the documents, his heart pounding with excitement. Now, it was time for the final assault.

Grand Master of Ceremonies, Wei Buhai!
Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, Liu Shou!

as well as.

Imperial Censor Mei Gao!
(End of this chapter)