Chapter 5 Guilty, but Not Wrong
He has great ambitions and vows to deeply expose the root causes of corruption within the Qing Kingdom.
And news came that the Control Yuan had quietly obtained a detailed list of a group of corrupt officials. As soon as he said this, Emperor Qing frowned and asked Chen Pingping sternly:
"Is what you said true?"
Facing the majesty of the emperor, Chen Pingping looked embarrassed, with a hint of helplessness in her tone:
"Your Majesty, what you said is true, but this matter is complicated and involves a wider range of things than you can imagine. It is difficult for me to give a comprehensive report at the moment, and I am afraid there are some omissions..."
Just when Emperor Qing was about to have an attack, Li Chengze spoke at the right time, with a calm and rational voice:
"Father, please calm down, what Dean Chen said is true. There are many details to this case, and the officials involved are all over the government and the public. It is really difficult to deal with... "
He paused for a moment, as if he was considering his words, and finally plucked up the courage, knelt down on his knees, and confessed frankly: "Furthermore, among the officials accused, there are many colleagues who have interacted with Erchen.
This feeling and this scene have mixed emotions in my heart. "Li Chengze's astonishing move instantly stunned the entire audience.
Everyone fell into an incredible silence. Is this the path he is seeking for self-salvation? Or did he foresee that he could no longer hide it, so he took the initiative in an attempt to gain Emperor Qing's tolerance? Fan Xian was filled with doubts, knowing that Li Chengze's behavior was impeccable, but this behavior was really contrary to common sense and puzzling.
Chen Pingping's eyes shone with a cold light as she secretly speculated on the second prince's true intentions and the motives behind them. Then he looked at Fan Xian.
He knew that Fan Xian had been to the second prince's house.
At the same time, a more serious problem emerged in my mind——
What are the second prince and Fan Xian plotting?
It seems that it’s the sensitive list Fan Xian gave him?
Is there someone hiding inside the Control Yuan?
Lin Ruopu was startled and quickly adjusted his posture. The original layout seemed to be disrupted by this sudden change.
But he also quickly caught a hint of a turning point and waited to see how Li Chengze would explain himself.
Other officials were in an uproar, and their whispers were full of consternation and speculation:
"Which song is the second prince going to sing?"
"This is great. Not only did you deceive the emperor, but you were also charged with forming a clique for personal gain."
"The Second Prince's lineage is probably going to be in turmoil."
"It seems that it is safer to follow the prince closely."
Emperor Qing's eyes were as bright as fire as he scanned the whole place, and a cold snort silenced everyone. He asked Li Chengze in a deep voice: "Chengze, do you want to plead guilty and face the law?" As soon as he said this, the air was filled with tension and uneasiness.
Li Chengze bowed again and saluted, with a hint of joking and provocation in his tone:
"I know my crime and am willing to accept any punishment from my father. Hey, if you want to use this to get rid of me, then I will take the initiative to put my neck on the line." I'll put you under the knife, it's up to you what to do.
I plead guilty and accept the punishment I deserve, but..."
His words revealed a profound insight into Emperor Qing's character, and he seemed to have everything under control.
The other party will obviously not take extreme actions against him. As shown in the original storyline, even if he commits a major crime of rebellion,
It just resulted in the fate of house arrest. What really led to the tragedy was that the character in the previous life had too strong self-esteem and chose to commit suicide. Today, charges of corruption and cliques for personal gain pale in comparison to rebellion.
Prince Li Chengqian witnessed the scene of the second prince kneeling on the ground and felt secretly proud, thinking that this was the best opportunity for him to show his kindness and wisdom.
He hurried forward, knelt in front of Emperor Qing, and begged:
"Father, I kindly ask you to treat your second brother lightly..."
Before he finished speaking, he was severely interrupted by Emperor Qing, who scolded him for his untimely intervention with an unhappy look on his face. The situation was extremely embarrassing for the moment. Li Chengqian was stunned and didn't understand what he was doing wrong. He turned to look at the eldest prince Li Chengru and saw a joking look on his face, as if he had anticipated his actions.
Alarm bells went off in my heart, realizing that I might have been misunderstood. However, once the words were spoken, it was impossible to take them back, and he was caught in a dilemma.
At this time, Emperor Qing turned to Fan Xian for his opinion:
"Fan Xian, how do you think we should deal with the second prince?
" Fan Xian pretended to be helpless and deftly pushed the question to Lai Mingcheng, who was proficient in law, and secretly laughed at his clever response.
Lai Mingcheng responded quickly, proposing that the illegal income of the second prince should be confiscated according to Daqing law, and suggested that he be sent to the frontier to serve.
However, as soon as this statement came out, Emperor Qing was immediately offended, and the atmosphere became tense again.
Lin Ruopu stepped forward with a firm voice: "Your Majesty, the second prince is of royal blood. His punishment should not be rash. He should follow extraordinary principles."
He changed the topic and said, "Besides, although the second prince has confessed his crime, the evidence is still lacking. I sincerely ask your majesty to wait until the truth is revealed before letting the Holy Spirit judge him."
Chen Pingping followed closely and echoed: "What Prime Minister Lin said is absolutely true. I also believe that we should act with caution to avoid accidentally injuring our flesh and blood."
When Emperor Qing heard this, he waved his hands with a hint of impatience and determination:
"Check? It just adds to the chaos and exposes only the internal flaws of our family. How do you want the people of the world to view my royal family?
Where is the dignity of Daqing? Where does my face belong? "
As soon as these words came out, the whole palace was silent, and then all the ministers knelt down and shouted in unison: "I am guilty!"
Everyone knew that there was no way to investigate this matter. As the second prince was a royal family, behind him was the foundation of the entire Qing Kingdom. The theory that the royal family accepted bribes was tantamount to destroying the Great Wall.
Emperor Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes like torches, turned to Li Chengze, and asked in a deep voice:
"Chengze, please tell me clearly why you want to make friends with those officials?
And why are there financial entanglements? What are your real intentions? Have you ever realized your mistake? "
This question struck a chord in his soul, and Li Chengze thought to himself that if Emperor Qing ignored family ties, he must be prepared.
He secretly made up his mind that if it was absolutely necessary, he would have to fight to the death and fight his way out of the encirclement.
At this moment, time seemed to have frozen, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Chengze, waiting for his answer.
Use both hands to make your whole body full of strength...
But I just don’t know if I have the strength of a grand master at this time! But after the entire palace, except Emperor Qing in front of me... I’m afraid no one can stop me?
Is it a waste of fame to have both hands?!
Having strength... means peace of mind!
He figured out the way out and replied directly: "My son is guilty, but he doesn't think he is at fault..."
Emperor Qing was stunned for a moment, are you stupid when you read a book?
What difference does it make?
At this time, you still want to make excuses?!
I will give you a chance to defend yourself. See if you can name the flowers...
"Guilty, but not entirely wrong?"
Fan Xian's eyes were full of inquiry as he examined Li Chengze.
This person usually seemed casual and uninhibited, but at this moment he showed extraordinary eloquence and shamelessness, which made Fan Xian secretly look forward to his next "performance".
(End of chapter)