Sign a Lu Fengxian at the beginning

Chapter 176 Is this how you repay me?

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

A few minutes after the Minister of War took Zhang Guojiu away, an eunuch from the Cining Palace came to the Yangxin Palace to deliver a message.

"I have met Your Majesty." The eunuch from the Cining Palace walked into the Yangxin Palace and saluted Zhou Chen who was sitting on the dragon chair.

Zhou Chen raised his eyes and looked at the eunuch of Cining Palace and asked, "How is the Queen Mother?"

"You came to see me at Yangxin Hall. Do you need anything, Queen Mother?"

Zhou Chen looked at the eunuch of Cining Palace seriously.

When the Queen Mother was in a coma, Zhou Chen had already visited the Queen Mother once in Cining Palace.

The Queen Mother had just woken up from a coma, and Zhou Chen also received the news immediately.

Zhou Chen originally planned to go to Cining Palace immediately, but when he thought that the Queen Mother might not want to see him now.

Zhou Chen temporarily gave up the idea of ​​going to Cining Palace.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, everything is well with the Queen Mother."

"The Queen Mother learned that her uncle's palace was raided and asked her servant to send a message to Your Majesty."

The eunuch of Cining Palace bowed down and repeated the Queen Mother's original words.

After finishing speaking, the eunuch lowered his head.

When Zhou Chen heard this, his expression didn't change much.

From the moment Zhou Chen issued the order to arrest Zhang Guojiu, Zhou Chen had already expected that the Queen Mother would definitely not remain indifferent if she knew the news.

After all, that is the Queen Mother's natal family.

No one can see through the world and not miss the old love in this world.

"I understand, please step back!"

Zhou Chen was silent for a moment, waved his hand and said.

The eunuchs of the Cining Palace bowed and exited the Yangxin Palace.

The words have been conveyed, and the eunuch's mission has been completed.

As for the outcome, it's not something little people like them can worry about.

After the eunuchs from Cining Palace left, Zhou Chen sighed quietly.

Now that the Queen Mother has spoken, Zhou Chen has to consider the Queen Mother's feelings.

This gives the Zhang family a way to survive.

However, death penalty can be avoided, but living crime cannot be avoided.

Zhou Chen thought to himself.

…

Two days flew by.

In the past two days, the entire city of Luoyang was in turmoil.

Every day, soldiers and factory guards are constantly searching for traitors, and people are being arrested every moment.

Especially court officials and noble relatives are in danger.

In just two days, both the Criminal Department Prison, the Dongchang Prison, and the City Defense Prison were overcrowded.

There has been no morning pilgrimage for two days, which is usually the daily morning ritual.

Fortunately, this state of affairs only lasted two days.

On the third day, everything returned to normal.

Jinluan Palace.

Morning starts.

The civil and military officials walked into the Jinluan Hall along both sides of the royal road.

Zhou Chen, who had not gone to court for two days, walked out of the special royal road next to him, stepped onto the dragon platform, and sat on the dragon throne.

"Kowtow to Your Majesty."

"Long live Long live Long live."

After Zhou Chen sat on the dragon throne, all the officials knelt down and shouted.

Zhou Chen raised his eyes and looked down at the kneeling civil and military officials below, and saw that there were many fewer officials in the hall than before.

However, it was still within the acceptable range of Zhou Chen.

This is all due to Du Ruhui.

If Du Ruhui hadn't filled the vacant official positions in time, after this clean-up, I'm afraid it would be good to have half of them in the court today.

But now, only some of the civil and military officials in the court are missing, and it will not paralyze the center of the court.

Of course, some impacts still exist.

Without the person in charge of important positions such as the Prime Minister, the Minister of Household Affairs, and the Minister of Punishment, some things will still have a considerable impact.

Zhou Chen looked down at the kneeling civil and military officials below; "Long live?"

"Haha, you are shouting long live, but in your heart you are probably wishing that I would die soon!"

This time Zhou Chen did not let the officials stand up, but said directly with a sneer.

"I don't dare."

Without Zhou Chen's permission, the officials were still kneeling on the ground.

Don't dare?

"What are you afraid of?"

"The prime minister of Zhou Dynasty, the Minister of Hubu, the Minister of Punishment, and even the Minister of Work all dared to collude with the King of Shu to rebel and usurp the throne."

"Even the Yuan family of Runan, the Zheng family of Rongyang, and other wealthy families from the seven great families of Zhou Dynasty are involved."

"You tell me, is there anything else that you court ministers dare not do?"

As soon as Zhou Chen said these words, the expressions of the civil and military officials kneeling below changed.

What?

The Prime Minister and the others rebelled against the King of Shu and usurped the throne?

Are the Yuan family of Runan and the Zheng family of Rongyang also involved?

This news was like a bombshell, exploding among the hundreds of kneeling officials below.

Most people did not expect that Prime Minister Yuan Bo and others actually colluded with the King of Shu to rebel and usurp the throne.

No wonder, in the past two days, all officials related to Prime Minister Yuan Bo and others were arrested.

Before, they thought something had happened.

Unexpectedly, it turned out that it was Prime Minister Yuan Bo and others who were treacherous and colluded with the King of Shu to rebel and usurp the throne.

Some ministers had already heard the news, but when they heard the news again from the mouth of the emperor Zhou Chen, they still couldn't hide their shock.

"I really didn't expect that these important ministers who are the pillars of my great Zhou Dynasty would actually rebel against me?"

"Is it because I'm not good enough and am ignorant?"

"You are still in a high position and have forgotten your duty as a minister, let alone your duty and original intention of being an official."

Zhou Chen glanced coldly at the civil and military officials kneeling below, and his sharp eyes sent a chill down the backs of the civil and military officials kneeling below.

"I have given you high officials and generous salaries and placed you in high positions in the hope that you can contribute to the great Zhou Dynasty and benefit the people."

"But is this how you contribute to the great Zhou Dynasty and benefit the people?"

"Is this how you repay me?"

"Do you think I don't know about the shameful things you do?"

"How many of you have clean asses?"

Zhou Chen's cold voice echoed in the hall.

The civil and military officials kneeling below felt a chill in their hearts, and they all couldn't help but tremble.

Even people like Wei Wuhou and the Minister of War are no exception.

They are loyal veterans who are loyal to Dazhou, but this does not mean that their butts are also clean.

To put it bluntly, being a loyal veteran is nothing more than having the same interests and goals.

As the saying goes, if you are not an official for power or money, then why should you be an official?

The breeze on both sleeves is only for the benefit of one party.

There are only a few officials who can do this.

"Liu Ye, how is the inventory carried out by the Ministry of Household Affairs so far?"

Zhou Chen looked down at Liu Ye, who was kneeling in front of the officials.

Now that the four major auxiliary ministers are gone, the six ministers are at the top of the list of hundreds of officials in the court.

"Your Majesty, the household inventory has been basically completed."

"In addition to the officials I identified and captured before, I also identified many officials in the court."

"Many officials in the court have committed corruption and bribery."

"This is the list of officials that I have found. Please take a look at it."

Liu Ye heard Zhou Chen's question and immediately said loudly.

After finishing speaking, he took out a memorial and raised it high.

The expressions of the civil and military officials kneeling in the hall changed immediately after hearing Liu Ye's words.

Most of the officials' faces turned pale, and they broke out in cold sweat for no apparent reason.

Some officials even shook their bodies a few times and almost fell to the ground unable to hold on.

Because none of them can guarantee whether their names will be on Liu Ye's list.

Once their names are on Liu Ye's list, their results can be imagined.

Upon seeing this, Cao Shaoqin, who was standing next to Zhou Chen, walked down and took the memorial list from Liu Ye's hand, returned and delivered it to Zhou Chen who was sitting on the dragon chair.

Zhou Chen took the list from Cao Shaoqin's hand and glanced at the civil and military officials kneeling below.

Zhou Chen did not open it immediately to watch, but looked at the Secretary of the Ministry of War and the Eight Wise Kings Zhou Xian: "How is Li Yuan, the Eight Wise Kings, the King of Shu and the Prime Minister going to suppress the rebellion?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the rebellion of the King of Shu and the Prime Minister has been eliminated."

"Some of the arrested officials confessed to the court and some officials were involved with them."

"This is the result of the interrogation and the list."

The Minister of War and the Eight Sages Zhou Xian said, and each took out a memorial and raised it.

Because the official position of Minister of Punishment is vacant.

Therefore, Zhou Chen temporarily asked the Eight Sages King Zhou Xian to supervise the Criminal Department.

Those imprisoned in the prisons of the Ministry of Punishment were under the charge of the Eight Wise Kings.

Cao Shaoqin walked down again, took the memorial from the hands of the Minister of War and the Eight Sage King Zhou Xian, and returned to deliver it to Zhou Chen.

Now, some of the officials kneeling below turned even paler.

This is really life-threatening!

Some of them were indeed involved with the arrested officials, but they did not rebel and usurp the throne!

If this happens, they will all have to finish the game.

This kind of thing is something you would rather kill by mistake than let it go.

Zhou Chen took the two memorials from Cao Shaoqin's hand again, but still did not open them immediately to read, but glanced at the kneeling civil and military officials below.

"In these three memorial lists, I believe that there should be many of your names in them."

"As long as I open it and take a look, you should know what your end will be."

Zhou Chen shook the three-cent memorial in his hand and glanced coldly at the kneeling civil and military officials below.

"But I don't plan to open it and read it."

"I intend to give you an opportunity to contribute to the Great Zhou Dynasty and benefit the people."

Having said this, Zhou Chen glanced at Cao Shaoqin next to him.

"Cao Shaoqin."

"Go bring up a brazier."

Cao Shaoqin immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Cao Shaoqin turned and left.

In less than a minute, Cao Shaoqin brought a brazier in front of Zhou Chen.

Without saying a word, Zhou Chen directly threw the three-cent memorial in his hand into the brazier.

Seeing this scene, the civil and military officials kneeling below breathed a sigh of relief.

Many people quietly wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

They were all a little afraid, afraid that their names would appear in the list of three memorials.

In that case, they would all be dragged out directly, and there is no need to say more about the result.

Well now, your Majesty burned the three-third memorial list, which means that your Majesty will not pursue them anymore.

Then they can feel much more at ease.

After the three lists of memorials were burned to ashes, Zhou Chen looked up at the kneeling civil and military officials below and said, "I hope you remember that I burned the three lists today. This opportunity is given by me."

Yours."

"I don't require you to be able to have a clean look on your sleeves, but you must at least be worthy of the official hat on your head and the official uniform on your body, worthy of the words 'a mirror hanging high'."

"If I find in the future that you have failed the opportunity I gave you, then I will take back double the amount from you."

Zhou Chen's majestic voice rang in the ears of the officials and echoed in the hall.

Zhou Chen is not a saint, nor is he an emperor who can let officials go if they commit serious crimes and save all sentient beings.

The reason why he directly burned the three memorial lists was because the officials on the three memorial lists were all selected through layers of competition and could be used by the emperor Zhou Chen.

Only then was Zhou Chen willing to give these people a chance.

As for those officials who could not be used by Zhou Chen, and those who were involved in the King of Shu's rebellion and usurpation of the throne, they had all been taken down directly.

There is no chance to even enter the gate of Jinluan Palace again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"I understand."

All the officials bowed their heads and said in unison.

At this moment, whether it was true or false, at least on the surface, Baiguan's mental arithmetic was temporarily contained by Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen looked down at the kneeling officials below and spoke again, "From now on, the rebellion and usurpation of the throne by the King of Shu and the Prime Minister will be jointly reviewed and dealt with by the six ministries, and supervised by the East Factory."

"Those who deserve to be killed will be killed, those who should be exiled will be exiled, and those who should have their families exterminated will be confiscated and exterminated by me."

"Take care of this matter for me as soon as possible."

Although King Zhou Zhi of Shu died, all the masters of the three great families were wiped out.

But Prime Minister Yuan Bo and other officials involved are still alive.

These people must act according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The mastermind, the one who committed the most serious crime, naturally had his family confiscated and his family exterminated.

Those who committed minor crimes were just implicated and could survive, but they had to be exiled.

Zhou Chen will hand it over to the six ministries to determine how to convict.

You can't, just kill all these people and annihilate the nine tribes!

"I obey the decree."

Liu Ye, Du Ruhui, Minister of the Ministry of War, and Eight Sages Wang Zhou Xian immediately accepted the order and said.

Currently, among the six ministers, there are only three, namely Liu Ye, Du Ruhui, and the minister of war.

Zhou Xian, the Eight Sages King, is temporarily under supervision of the Criminal Department, and he can be counted as one.

Therefore, it was Liu Ye and the four of them who really made the decision on how to deal with this matter.

"Retreat from the court."

After giving this decree, Zhou Chen retreated directly from the court, stood up and left.

After the emperor Zhou Chen left, many of the civil and military officials kneeling below could no longer hold on and suddenly sat down on the ground.

There were beads of sweat on their foreheads.

The three memorial lists just now scared them a lot.

Until now, they all have a lingering feeling of fear in their hearts.

Fortunately, the man on the throne did not open the three memorial lists to read.

Otherwise, I don’t know how many of these officials would have been dragged out to confiscate their homes and exterminate their families.

After relaxing for a moment.

The officials left the Jinluan Palace one by one and left the palace.

(End of chapter)