After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Ning Nan was taken aback, then took the opportunity to straighten up and look into the other person's eyes cautiously, saying:

"Your Majesty flatters me. I am a humble and courteous subject, and I admire Your Majesty's grace. How could I dare to look down on Your Majesty?"

Yongzheng raised his two slender eyebrows and said calmly:

"Are you so smug because I haven't killed you yet? Do you really think Hongchang and my daughter-in-law can protect you? Do you think that if Seventeen comes to me and her mother to plead for you, I'll actually release you? Or do you think I'll summon you to the palace like I did with Zeng Jing, have a debate with you, and write a book called 'The Great Righteousness Awakens the Delusion'?!"

He reached out and picked up a memorial to the throne.

Bang!

It came crashing down on Ning Nan!

The sharp edge struck Ning Nan's cheek, causing him a sharp pain on his right side.

The emperor on the dragon throne, suppressing his rage, said:

"You killed Yue Le, you killed A Lin, and you plunged my capital into turmoil... Yue Le was already a rare military talent, and A Lin was a first-rate commander in my eyes! What's more, no less than a hundred Manchu cavalrymen lost their lives that night because of your treacherous scheme! Every scene of families in mourning and grief tormented me. For the past ten days, I have not thought a single day that I would want to skin you alive and tear your bones out to comfort the spirits of my Manchu descendants in heaven!"

The emperor's voice grew increasingly harsh and loud, his rage pouring down like a torrential downpour of fire from the sky.

The hall was already burning charcoal, making it quite hot, and the emperor's anger made the air even more scorching.

Ning Nan stood with his hands at his sides, and couldn't help but lower his head slightly, frowning as he said:

"Your Majesty's words have truly confused me. On that day, someone attacked the embassy at night, so I went to Yonghe Temple for help. Then, I went with the Alin brothers to capture Han Qing. Later, in Shuijing Township, the Alin brothers inexplicably slashed me with a knife, and I fell to the ground unconscious. I know nothing else about what happened."

"What Your Majesty just said truly makes this humble subject ashamed. Is it some Rakshasa traitor or a member of the Heavenly Principle Sect, that they are so arrogant and domineering, committing such atrocities in Beijing?... Has the murderer been caught?"

He looked up and asked in confusion.

Seeing that this person was still stubbornly refusing to admit his mistake, Yongzheng was so angry that the veins on his temples throbbed, and his heart skipped a beat. He exhaled a few deep breaths, slammed his hand on the imperial desk, and sneered:

"Not you?"

"it is good."

The emperor's voice was unusually cold: "Let me tell you, my main force of the Eight Banners has already marched southeast from Liaodong and will reach Shandong within a month. Next, we will march straight to Huaibei and, together with my three major camps in Huainan, annihilate your Jiangpu and Liuhe armies! Then we will cross the Yangtze River, capture Nanjing, and completely destroy your Daliang!"

The light in the emperor's eyes was as still as water.

"Do you understand now?"

Ning Nan's smile brightened:

"Your Majesty understands. In other words, Your Majesty has broken your promise. The so-called alliance with our dynasty is just a smokescreen. In reality, you are trying to start a war and slaughter the people of Jiangnan."

Yongzheng sneered:

"Do the people of Jiangnan need me to slaughter them? Your corrupt officials, bandits, thieves, and tyrants of this false dynasty, which one of them isn't drinking the blood of the people of Jiangnan? Which one isn't eating the flesh of the people of Jiangnan?"

"If it weren't for sparing the people of the North and South from the suffering of war, why would I, the ruler of the Central Plains, need to feign compliance with the Rakshasa in order to settle the score in one battle and restore unity to the world?"

"So you, the ruler of the Central Plains, have made peace with the Rakshasa?" Ning Nan retorted loudly.

"The world has been divided for a long time, and there have been years of war. The northerners regard the southerners as island barbarians, and the southerners regard the northerners as enemies."

"People yearn for stability and harmony; the unification of China is within reach."

"After I have unified the North and South with the force of thunder, I will sweep away all the corrupt officials in the two rivers, two Guangs, Huguang, Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, so that the people can live and work in peace and the world can be at peace!"

"The alliance with the Rakshasa... how is its painstaking effort different from the alliance made by Emperor Taizong of Tang at the Wei River?"

On the dragon throne, the emperor raised his chin, his voice booming like a war drum.

In the early years of Emperor Taizong's reign, the country was in turmoil.

The Turks led more than 100,000 cavalry to attack, reaching the Wei River and threatening Chang'an.

On the banks of the Wei River, Emperor Taizong rebuked the Turks, presented them with gold and silver, and made a swearing oath by sacrificing a white horse to the Turks, thus reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Four years later,

Emperor Taizong destroyed the Turks.

Upon hearing these words, he was reminded that the other party had even made a comparison with Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Ning Nan scoffed and said, "Your Majesty's words are reasonable. Your Majesty said that corrupt officials, thieves, bandits, and wicked gentry will all be executed to bring peace to the people of our Great Liang. Is that not true?"

"Exactly!"

Emperor Yongzheng's brows furrowed, and he slammed his hand on the table, saying:

"Since you are the top scholar of the Great Liang Dynasty, and have thoroughly studied the classics, you should know that there is a world of difference between a wise ruler and a mediocre, foolish, or incompetent ruler!"

Emperor Yongzheng exclaimed loudly, "I have only heard of virtuous ministers who assisted Yao and Shun, but I have never heard of fine steeds that could carry Jie and Zhou!"

"In that case," Ning Nan interrupted loudly, "I, your humble servant, plead for the people of Huainan! I beg Your Majesty to execute the corrupt official, Li Wei, the Governor-General of Jiangnan! I plead for the people of the Northwest! I beg Your Majesty to execute the corrupt official, Nian Gengyao, the Grand General of Pacification! I plead for the people of the Central Plains! I beg Your Majesty to execute the corrupt official, Wang Shijun, the Governor-General of Henan!"

"Besides these three, I beg Your Majesty to execute your four Grand Councilors! Execute your six Ministers! Execute your twelve Vice Ministers! Execute your seven Provincial Governors... I beg Your Majesty... to execute your entire court of civil and military officials!"

Ning Nan snorted and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "If Your Majesty does not know where they have embezzled, or how much they have embezzled, this humble subject is ready to serve, first eliminating this scourge for the people of the Central Plains, and helping them live in peace and prosperity!"

You said you would kill all the corrupt officials, thieves, and bandits for the people of Jiangnan, so that they could live in peace and prosperity.

If that's the case, then let's kill all the corrupt officials in your dynasty first.

Any problem, when discussed from a high-level perspective, always sounds beautiful and grand.

However, once it comes down to specific things and specific people, it inevitably becomes riddled with problems.

The young man standing below seemed genuinely angry; his face was flushed, and veins were bulging on his neck.

Emperor Yongzheng would naturally not kill all the civil and military officials.

They also wouldn't think that Li Wei, Nian Gengyao, Han officials, or Manchu officials were any kind of honest officials.

However, these people were the foundation of his throne.

It is through these roots that the power that grows from the throne can firmly control the entire empire.

So when the young man said this, the anger on his face faltered for a moment. After a few breaths, his long, thin eyebrows rose slightly, and he became a little silent.

The emperor on the dragon throne fell silent, and the young man, who was a prisoner, also became somewhat silent, not pressing the matter further.

He has never liked to be quick-witted, but when it comes to being quick-witted, there are probably few in the world who can surpass him.

He has never liked negotiating, and if he has to negotiate, he will throw out all the bargaining chips that the other party has no choice but to accept.

The current situation is almost the most difficult one he has ever encountered in his life.

Because right now, it seems he doesn't have many bargaining chips left.