northernbook Chapter 238 Who! Who betrayed me!
Chapter 238 Who! Who betrayed me!
After spending the past two days with the Emperor and the other officials on their southern tour, the ministers below were no longer as cautious as when they first met, and they felt much more relaxed.
Once the children were outside, they felt much more at ease. Seeing the emperor slowly drinking from a bowl of wine, looking quite content, they breathed a sigh of relief and began their own social interactions.
The emperor sipped his wine leisurely, tapping his fingers lightly, completely at ease.
The head of the imperial guards entered from outside the door, leaned down and whispered a few words in the emperor's ear, which made the emperor's smile even wider.
He raised his hand and smiled:
"My beloved ministers, you have all prepared this for me these past few days. Today, I also invite you all to watch a good show."
After saying that, he clapped his hands, and the door was pushed open. A group of guards pulled several people in.
The ministers below were all surprised. What was going on?
Some ministers were unaware of what had happened.
Some ministers, however, saw that the man who had been rushed in, his hands bound and mouth gagged, was deathly pale; he sobered up instantly.
"This, this, this isn't it!"
The person who was brought in had his hands tied, and upon seeing the emperor, he immediately knelt down with a thud, trying to say something while sobbing.
The Emperor laughed and said:
"My beloved ministers, take a look at the people below. Are there any familiar faces among them?"
After the Emperor finished speaking,
Thump! Thump! Several more people knelt down.
The emperor was so angry he laughed.
"Haha, you haven't even said anything yet, why are your legs going weak? Have you drunk too much? Quick, quick! Help me up, help me up."
His knees were so weak they were trembling, and he couldn't stand up.
He could only stand by being supported, trembling, desperately pinching his legs to stay upright.
"Your Majesty, I am puzzled. What is going on?"
Minister Zhang came out and asked.
"Don't be impatient. I've gone to great lengths to entertain you all with wine!"
The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; no one dared to breathe too loudly. The only sound was the pounding of their own hearts, which they pressed firmly for fear of disturbing His Majesty.
The emperor sat down, and the guards next to the kneeling man removed the cloth from his mouth.
The person kneeling was not wearing official robes, but rather a nightgown. He was plump and fair-skinned, clearly someone who had lived a life of luxury.
His face was pale from the ordeal along the way, and he was trembling. As soon as the cloth was removed, he immediately kowtowed and cried out that he was innocent.
"Your Majesty! I am innocent! I was sleeping soundly at home when suddenly someone broke in, and without asking any questions or distinguishing right from wrong, they tied me up. I have no idea what happened!"
"Oh, really? Then it seems I've wronged you."
The people below immediately looked up and shouted:
"Your humble servant is innocent! No matter what, I am an official of the imperial court, yet I have been bound like this!"
Isn't this tantamount to disrespecting the Emperor?
The emperor raised his hand, and the chief imperial guard beside him took out a book and began to read.
"The cavalry commander of Yecheng County has heard of your arrival!"
During his seven-year reign, he abducted ten women from respectable families and murdered their relatives, totaling 107 people.
They forcibly seized over one hundred mu of farmland, and a search of their home yielded one hundred thousand taels of silver, various jewels, books, ancient texts, and paintings, totaling twenty boxes.
After these words were read, the military governor of Jinan immediately knelt down, not daring to utter another word.
Such a serious incident has happened to the people under his command. He can't escape it today, no matter what.
He only hoped that the Emperor would spare his life, considering his diligence in leading the troops!
Wen You trembled and couldn't utter a single word. How did the Emperor know? He'd only been here two days!
They live in a small, remote place. Could someone have reported him?
Wen You's gaze swept directly across the ministers beside him. Who was it? Who had betrayed him?