Chapter 4969 Qian Gang is arbitrary and has no authority
Having just experienced a mutiny, the army that was supposed to serve as the Dinghai Shenzhen and the King's hawk and dog was actually working outside the center, even far away from His Majesty's eyes. This situation was extremely unusual. People will speculate that the military's move may be to express dissatisfaction with His Majesty, but is it really that simple?
The civil servants stood in the hall, witnessing this situation, and they could not help but speculate and whisper.
But everyone actually ignored Li Sixun, who was still kneeling aside...
Li Sicheng, who was ignored, not only did not have any resentment, but was secretly happy in his heart. Although His Majesty had many speculations about him, but there was no conclusive evidence. Perhaps when His Majesty's anger dissipated, he could avoid death by virtue of his considerate service...< br>
However, if others can ignore him, how can Li Chengqian really ignore him?
The reason why he put it aside without paying attention to it was that this person's crime was unforgivable, but it did not matter.
He is a civil servant with little foundation, and his only brother has committed suicide. He can be dealt with in any way without any trouble.
"How to deal with this person?"
Li Chengqian stood up, intending to go to the East Palace to express his condolences to the queen, the prince, and his two younger sisters. He pointed at Li Sixian who was kneeling on the side of the hall.
When Li Sixian heard this, he trembled all over, and then paused, not daring to speak out, not even to beg for mercy, because he couldn't confirm how much His Majesty knew about his secret poisoning. What if His Majesty didn't know about it, but he confessed it out loud, Isn’t it unfair?
At this time, he was pointed out by His Majesty and asked how to deal with it. As if he was struck by lightning, he did not dare to wait for the punishment to come, so he quickly defended himself: "Your Majesty clearly knows that my brother rebelled and rebelled, ignored the king's kindness, and died unjustly. I know that I have committed a serious crime. I beg you." Your Majesty punishes you.”
"Oh,"
Li Chengqian sneered and said to the ministers in the palace: "This person is as vicious as a snake and scorpion, and his crimes are extremely evil. He will not repent even when he is about to die. If I can't peel off his skin, cramp his muscles, and cut him into pieces with a thousand knives, how can I eliminate the hatred in my heart?"
Hearing "death by a thousand cuts", Li Sixian's face turned earth-colored, trembling, and he quibbled: "Although I failed to notice my brother's disobedience in advance, which resulted in a big mistake and deserved death, I am absolutely loyal to your majesty. There is no disrespect at all, and I hope your majesty will be more generous.”
Now he no longer dares to play tricks with "advance at the expense of retreat". He is not only afraid of death, but also afraid of execution...
Li Chengqian waved his hands impatiently: "Do I have to call the imperial doctor from Tai Hospital to prove truthfully what medicine you got from there and what medicine you gave me before you give up? Are you giving me the medicine? It is mixed with chronic poison, which can be delayed for many days before the poison is released. Do you think I don’t know this? Death by a thousand cuts is not too much!”
"Come here, push this beast outside Chengtian Gate, and tomorrow morning in front of the people of Chang'an, cut it open with a light knife, as a warning to others!"
Fang Jun hesitated for a moment but did not say anything to dissuade him.
The so-called "cutting with a light knife" is a kind of punishment. At this time, there is no term "Lingchi", but this kind of punishment is very close to Lingchi.
It stands to reason that Li Sicheng deserved his death for what he did, but to be executed with such torture would harm the peace of the world. How could it be that once this step is taken, the bottom line will become shallower and harsher laws will most likely prevail? .
But now that Li Chengqian has gained the power of victory, his reputation has skyrocketed, and his self-confidence has also soared. Anyone who goes against his will at this time and gives "loyal words that are offensive to the ears" will not only fail to achieve the expected results, but will in fact anger him. .
The relationship between the two of them is very delicate. They trust each other but check and balance each other. They need to be handled carefully.
Li Sixian was completely paralyzed and was dragged out by the guards. He could only shout "Help", but Li Chengqian's face was as iron as stone and he was unmoved.
Among the crowd, Dai Zhou, the minister of Dali Temple, hesitated for a moment, stood out from the crowd, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, although Li Sixian deserves death and is absolutely unforgivable, whether the chariot is broken up or the five horses are quartered, it is just such a light thing." The punishment of "cutting with a knife and pricks" should be used with caution. In the prosperous times of ancient times, corvee was light and punishments were light, and there were no harsh laws. "
Even though he had been in charge of the judicial system of the Tang Dynasty for many years and was used to seeing various kinds of torture to execute criminals, he still had lingering fears about the "cutting with light knife" punishment. Although these punishments were written in the law, they had not been used in this way since the founding of the Tang Dynasty. As soon as this method of executing criminals is established, this method can be followed in the future. This will not only harm the peace of the world, but also leave a reputation as "cool".
Liu Xiangdao, the imperial censor, also went out to advise: "In the laws and regulations, cutting in half, splitting into chariots, and dismembering the body on five horses are already extremely harsh punishments. After the execution, the human body is not intact, and it is unbearable to witness, and the torture is even worse. How can it be carried out by a benevolent king?" ? I hope your Majesty will take back his life.”
Punishments such as splitting a chariot and quartering the body with five horses are also very cruel, but fortunately, the pain of the prisoner is very short. Even the longest-lasting death penalty is just a continuation of some pain, but the execution is not just that, the human flesh is cut off with one knife. The bones were exposed underneath, causing the prisoner to toss and wail for several days. It was really cruel.
However, Li Chengqian not only remained unmoved, he even became angry and said in a hateful voice: "This savage has a vicious heart and intends to poison me and kill me. Such crimes that are against human relations and have a heart like a snake and scorpion are committed between heaven and earth." The extreme crime must be punished with the extreme punishment. Is it true that in your eyes, my life and death are dispensable, and those who want to harm my life only need to be summarily executed?”
Dai Zhou and Liu Xiangdao were frightened and knelt down to apologize.
No one can stop it anymore.
Li Sixian was immediately dragged out of the Tai Chi Palace and hung in mid-air by a rope from the Chengtian Gate Tower. He waited until daybreak to announce his execution to the whole city.
Above the palace, although the rebellion was put down and the rebels were wiped out, the officials did not look happy. They were all worried and the atmosphere was solemn.
As the saying goes, "The one who created the figurines will have no descendants." Li Sixen certainly deserves to die today, but once the case of mutilation is introduced, it will inevitably be banned in the future.
Today is Li Sicheng, will it be his turn tomorrow?
However, at this moment, Li Chengqian, with the remaining power of annihilating the rebels, his reputation soared, and he became more and more arbitrary and insistent on his own way. He turned a deaf ear to any advice and ignored it, and decided to execute Li Sixun with the most cruel punishment in the world, in order to shock the public and serve as a warning. Follow suit.
The "forgiveness" and "benevolence" that were advertised in the past are gone at this moment...
Li Chengqian saw the expressions of the ministers in his eyes and felt very satisfied in his heart. He smiled and said: "There are these people lurking in the clan who are making trouble and are unwilling to settle down. Today we will calm them down and eradicate them. From now on, the government will go smoothly and people will be loyal to them. It is our monarchs and ministers who have created a great situation for a prosperous and prosperous era, and I encourage you all to do so!”
"Let's go to the East Palace to see my prince. Don't be disturbed by the thieves and make him cry."
Li Chengqian said with a smile and took the lead surrounded by the guards.
But his words caused huge waves in the hearts of the ministers.
Originally, it was a bit mean to place the prince in the East Palace and ignore the attack of the rebels. After all, they are blood relatives. You can use your own life to lure the snake out of the hole and put it to death to survive, but how can you make the prince willing to take such risks? Woolen cloth?
After the prince suffered great danger, the emperor should express his guilt, make up for it, and commend him.
But what was Li Chengqian talking about?
"Don't be disturbed by thieves and bandits and cry."
Is this degrading the image of the prince?
What do you want? !
Following Li Chengqian, Li Ji and Fang Jun looked at each other, and both saw the doubts and worries in each other's eyes.
Li Chengqian did not go out through Chengtian Gate and enter through Jiafu Gate as usual when going to the East Palace. Instead, he followed the direction in which Li Wenxian and other rebels fled, all the way to the arsenal, and entered the East Palace at the palace wall that Fang Jun had knocked down.
Looking at the collapsed palace wall at his feet and the shadowy palace rooms of the Eastern Palace in the wind and snow in front of him, Li Chengqian took a breath and seemed to be talking to himself, saying: "The two palaces are so close to each other that it is easy to travel, which is conducive to the love between father and son. The king and his ministers get along well with each other.”
After saying that, he walked through the palace wall, entered the East Palace, and headed towards Li Zhengdian.
Everyone, including Li Ji and Fang Jun, felt a little trembling and cold.
Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, a total of four crown princes have lived in the East Palace.
Li Jiancheng's blood spattered the Xuanwu Gate. His achievements were not yet accomplished, but he was dead. His good situation was lost in one fell swoop. Emperor Taizong led troops into the palace to kill the prince, and forced Gaozu to appoint him as the prince, living in the East Palace, and later took over the Taiji Palace. ; Your Majesty has lived in the East Palace for many years, but has never been stable for a day. He has suffered persecution, suspicion, and suppression year after month. Because of his noble status, he is fearful, trembling, and precarious...
If you think about it carefully, none of the three crown princes was safe and sound.
How come father and son love each other, and monarch and minister enjoy each other?
So, can the current prince break past conventions and inherit the throne smoothly?
When the husband and wife met each other and the father and son embraced each other in the Li Zheng Palace, there was love and harmony... The ministers could not hide their worries: Although the scene before them was harmonious and friendly, after all, His Majesty used the prince to attract the rebels first, so there must be something in his heart. Share guilt.
If this guilt is transformed, it may be doted on and compensated for, or there may be thorns in the heart and constant suspicion, and the appearance and the soul may be separated from each other.
He even developed a desire to store things easily...
Li Chengqian sat on the main seat with a smile, hugged Prince Li Xiang in his arms, lowered his head and asked with a smile: "The thieves are rampant, have my son ever been afraid?"
Li Xiang shook his head: "I'm not afraid. The master has arranged for the 'Shenji Battalion' to be in the palace before. When the war broke out, the weapons of the 'Shenji Battalion' were unstoppable. The rebels were repelled every time they charged. My child Then I know that the master’s arrangements are foolproof, so I can rest easy.”
At a young age, he is articulate and clear in speech, making him look like a wise king.
However, the ministers were not very happy to "encounter the Ming Lord" because the quickly gloomy look on Li Chengqian's face could hardly be concealed.
In the past, everyone said that His Majesty had a pure heart and was gentle and pure. However, now it seems that the city is too shallow and he will retaliate. The prince attributed the credit to Fang Jun, which made his majesty very dissatisfied.