Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Xiao He, who had assumed they would be plotting in the cave, was briefly surprised before looking around.

Inside the dusty thatched hut, there were no exquisite copper candlesticks, only two grooves carved into the mottled earthen wall, each holding a torch that was burning brightly. The acrid smell of burning pine resin mixed with the aroma of dry grass filled the air, making it fairly bright.

In the corner, there were several worn-out straw mats, worn smooth and patched in several places, which looked like they had been used for a long time. In the center of the room, there was a long table made of thick wood, with rough edges and raised wood grain. It was not very neat, but it was spotless.

On the table lay several scrolls of silk filled with writing and a stack of neatly cut draft paper.

A person sat steadily at the desk, back straight, head down, focused on writing something, the pen tip gliding across the paper, making a soft scratching sound.

Shen Liang stepped forward lightly, gave the man a slight bow, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Hu, everyone has arrived."

The man then slowly put down his pen, gently placed the penholder beside the inkstone, and then slowly raised his head.

It was not a young face, about forty or fifty years old, with a thin and gaunt face, slightly protruding cheekbones, and the weariness between his brows and eyes from years of working at his desk and worrying day and night. His temples were already tinged with white, and he was unremarkable, with nothing special about him at first glance.

The moment Xiao He saw the man's face, his pupils suddenly contracted, and Cao Can's breath caught in his throat. The two looked at each other and saw deep shock and disbelief in each other's eyes.

After a moment of deathly silence, Xiao He was the first to suppress his turbulent emotions. His voice was extremely low, yet filled with undisguised astonishment, as he uttered that name, word by word:

"Hu Kui, Prefectural Assistant of Chen Commandery."

As soon as he finished speaking, the people who had been standing quietly in the corner of the room stirred slightly. Lu Wan's eyes widened instantly, and she subconsciously took half a step forward, only to be pulled back by Liu Bang's sleeve without him noticing.

Fan Kuai raised his thick eyebrows and was about to speak in a gruff voice, but was stopped by a sharp look from Cao Can, who stared intently at Hu Kui in front of the table, his face full of confusion and wariness.

Who wouldn't be shocked?

Everyone in Chen County knows that this Prefect Hu came from an ordinary background, with no powerful family connections. He only had the meager military merits he earned fighting on the frontier in his early years. If it weren't for the promotion by Prefect Song Yun of Chen County, he would not have been able to reach the position of Prefect Hu today.

This person always acted subserviently and obsequiously in front of Song Yun, trying his best to curry favor and fearing that he would not be able to please him enough.

Xiao He had repeatedly deduced that the person who had invited them was an official in Chen County who knew the inside story, but he never expected it to be this person.

It should be noted that when they were sorting out officials and identifying those on the black and white lists, they did not include Hu Kui at all, but directly classified him as Song Yun's faction and regarded him as a loyal black henchman.

Who would have thought that this man, whom everyone considered "the prefect's puppet, a useless spineless coward," would be hiding in this desolate, abandoned kiln's underground secret place, teaming up with Shen Liang, the former county magistrate who had escaped death, waiting for them, a group of outsiders who had infiltrated Chen County.

After sitting at the long table, Hu Kui took in all the shock, wariness, suspicion, and uncertainty on everyone's faces, but his own face remained calm and composed, without the slightest panic or attempt to conceal anything.

"No need for surprise, Xiao Yuan, it is indeed I." He spoke slowly, raising his hand to gesture gently, his tone calm and composed. "You all have had a long journey, please take a seat and let's talk."

Somewhat unexpected, but... also reasonable, Xiao He thought to himself as he glanced at the people in the thatched hut who claimed to have died.

Indeed, if it were a prefectural magistrate, then it would make sense.

He nodded slightly, signaling Liu Bang, Cao Can, and the others to sit down and calmly observe the situation. He himself was the first to step forward and sit directly opposite Hu Kui, his eyes fixed on him.

Hu Kui met Xiao He's insightful and sharp eyes, and suddenly chuckled softly, his tone carrying a hint of self-mockery, yet also revealing a sense of composure and weariness that came from seeing through everything.

"Is Xiao Yuan wondering what's going on with this old man, the prefect's dog, here?"

Xiao He frowned, seemingly disapproving of his self-deprecation, but ultimately did not respond. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly, waiting for him to continue.

Hu Kui wasn't in a hurry. He slowly withdrew his gaze, picked up the bowl of coarse pottery tea that had long since gone cold from the table, and took a small sip.

"Actually, that's not wrong. Over the years, if Song Yun says go east, I dare not go west; if he says go south, I dare not go north. My hands are stained with countless blood. My sins are grave, and I deserve to die."

He lowered his head, a look of sorrow and grief flashing across his eyes, and looked at his hands.

"Perhaps that is why my most outstanding son... was ruined by his father."

"No, Mr. Hu!" Shen Liang stepped forward, his voice suddenly tightening, his eyes surging with unbearable pain and bitterness, even his voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "Please don't say that. If anyone is to blame, it's me."

He slowly turned to Xiao He and the others in the room, took a deep breath, as if he were to tear out the grief and tears that had been suppressed in his heart for half a year, word by word, from his chest.

The firelight flickered on his face, clearly illuminating the guilt and respect in his eyes: "Back then, Liang was young and impetuous, unaware of the dangers of officialdom, and unwilling to be bribed and humiliated by Song Yun. So he joined forces with the local gentry and elders to write a letter exposing his crimes."

He paused, his eyes red-rimmed, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice hoarse: "But we didn't know that the Censor had long been in cahoots with him. That memorial, in Song Yun's hands, became his weapon to make an example of him."

"He actually wanted to massacre Yangcheng County, slaughter all the officials and people who had jointly petitioned and refused to submit, and kill everyone in the entire Yangcheng so that no one could stand up and say a word against it."

As Shen Liang finished speaking, his whole body twitched involuntarily, and his voice was already like a mournful cry of blood.

The entire city was ravaged by blood!

"hiss--!"

Lu Guan gasped, Liu Bang slapped his thigh and stood up in a rage, while Fan Kuai clenched his fists so tightly that the veins bulged and the fists cracked.

Cao Shen's expression instantly turned serious, his fingertips unconsciously clenched, and his aura became heavy.

Shen Liang took a breath and continued, "At that time, it was because Mr. Hu could not bear to see the people of the city suffering so much that he abandoned all his integrity and dignity and humbled himself before Song Yun to pledge his loyalty, hoping to take on the task of dealing with Yangcheng and gain a chance to survive. However, Song Yun was suspicious by nature and ruthless as a scorpion. He would not believe him at all unless there was a dead end."

"It was General Hu Ze who stepped forward!"

At this point, Hu Kui closed his eyes tightly, his fingers resting on the table trembling slightly.

Xiao He slowed his breathing, a bad premonition creeping in.

"General Hu Ze understood his father's forbearance and hardship. He took the initiative to devise a self-inflicted injury plan, publicly denouncing his father for associating with wicked people and disgracing the family. He stated that he would rather sever his father-son relationship than associate with wolves and tigers."

Sure enough, Xiao He slowly closed his eyes, already guessing the ending.

"Mr. Hu had no choice but to harden his heart and go with the flow. He publicly denounced Hu Ze for being young and foolish, unfilial and disrespectful, and declared that he didn't need another son. He would pretend that he had never had such a rebellious son. He even personally presided over the beating, giving Hu Ze a full fifty strokes of the cane until he vomited blood and fainted. He then personally escorted Hu Ze into the prison cell."

Liu Bang couldn't bear it and turned his face away, sighing softly, "The Hu family father and son are truly heroes."

"I thought that by defaming myself and cutting off all my escape routes, the world would believe that Hu Kui was willing to disregard even his own son for power, and no one would want to associate with him. He would have no choice but to cling to Song Yun and there would be no possibility of rebellion. He should finally gain their trust."

"Unexpectedly, Song Yun was truly ruthless and vicious, and secretly killed Hu Ze, causing him to die from his injuries in prison. Mr. Hu was branded as someone who sold his son for personal gain, separated from his son, and his reputation was ruined."

The room was completely silent, save for the heavy breathing of the crowd and the cracking sound of clenched fists.

Shen Liang closed his eyes, and two lines of clear tears slid down his cheeks.

"In the end, it was Mr. Hu who, despite the pain of losing his son, managed to take charge of the Yangcheng case. He secretly maneuvered to protect everyone in Yangcheng, allowing them to fake their deaths and escape, barely surviving until now. He also saved countless innocent souls from Song Yun's blade, preserving his usefulness for the future."