The Black Tortoise Gate opened.
The black armored guards stood on either side of the Black Tortoise Gate.
Du Kefa raised his head and went through the Xuanwu Gate to the Xuanzheng Hall, the main hall of the Chang 'an Royal Palace.
That was the peak of power in the Great Tang.
Du Kefa stood outside the Xuanwu Gate. He wore a purple robe embroidered with auspicious clouds and birds. The official robes of the generals were embroidered with auspicious clouds and beasts. The patterns were birds and the martial arts were beasts.
Du Kefa's current official position was the Supreme Court Official, and his rank was from the third grade.
Above Du Kefa, there were the six ministers, the left and right servants, the head of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, and the prime minister…
Power!
Du Kefa turned his head to look at the military officials, his eyes filled with gloom.
Punishing Dang Renhong had thoroughly offended Hou Junji, and in the Imperial Court, Hou Junji viewed Du Kefa as a political enemy.
In the eyes of all the officials, Du Kefa was a prominent family, a deeply rooted noble family.
Hou Junji was an upstart. Like Cheng Yaojin and Qin Shubao, Hou Junji had relied on his military achievements to reach his current position. He had no aristocratic faction behind him.
Why did Hou Junji desperately defend Dang Renhong?
The answer was simple. Dang Renhong was Hou Junji's political ally, and the two of them were each other's horns. One was in charge of the Imperial Court, and the other was a border governor. The two of them supported each other in the Imperial Court.
Du Kefa's punishment of Dang Renhong was clearly cutting off Hou Junji's arm.
Du Kefa ignored Hou Junji's gaze.
The civil and military officials stepped into the Xuanwu Gate and headed to the Xuanzheng Hall.
Du Kefa walked on the white jade stone steps among the civil and military officials. Ambition was growing in his heart.
Step by step…
Step by step!
Du Kefa's heart had already changed.
After Dang Renhong's case, Du Kefa realized that he was holding back in the court!
Today!
I will break the heaven and earth with a hammer!
Today!
I will let the sun shine on the earth in the imperial court!
From today onwards!
I want to reach the highest point step by step!
I will reach the pinnacle of power in the Great Tang Empire!
No matter who it is, you can't stop me!
……
The civil and military officials entered the Political Announcement Hall and split up.
There was a strange silence in the Political Announcement Hall. The officials looked at each other, and no one whispered.
The ministers 'gazes mostly landed on Wei Zheng, Du Kefa, and Yan Liben.
The chimes of the bells rang as Li Shimin walked into the hall with a tired face. It was obvious that he had not had a good rest last night.
After saluting, the ministers waited quietly for Li Shimin to speak first and announce the verdict on Dang Renhong.
Li Shi Min's voice was dry and hoarse, as if his mouth was filled with sand."Dang Renhong has committed a heinous crime. I sentence him to death. Tomorrow at noon, he will be beheaded outside the Vermilion Bird Gate to warn the officials.”
Although Li Shimin didn't accept Du Kefa's suggestion of a thousand cuts, he still sentenced Dang Renhong to death.
"Your Majesty, you can't do this. Dang Renhong has made a bloody contribution to the Great Tang," Hou Junji said with a mournful expression.”
Li Shimin's eyes were cold and furious as he looked at Hou Junji. Go ask the people of Chang 'an now. Which one of them doesn't want to eat him alive?”
Li Shi Min glanced at Du Ke Fa.
Since Du Kefa had been letting the people listen to the interrogation, the people of Chang 'an knew about Dang Renhong's crimes.
Hou Junji was about to speak when Li Shimin coldly interrupted him."I've made up my mind. No one can persuade me anymore. Du Kefa, tomorrow at noon, you will personally supervise the execution.”
Du Kefa walked out of the court under Li Shiming's gaze and the gazes of all the ministers."I have received the imperial edict. I would like to request Your Majesty to send a thousand soldiers to guard the execution ground to prevent some people with ill intentions from causing trouble.”
As he played, Du Kefa glanced at Hou Junji and almost said that he was afraid of Hou Junji.
Du Kefa understood that after executing Dang Renhong and seeing Hou Junji's ally, his relationship with Hou Junji was like fire and water, and there was no way to ease it. He wanted to use this opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine.
"Zhun, whoever dares to stop the execution will be killed without mercy.”
Love is deep, hate is deep. Initially, Li Shimin wanted to save Dang Renhong's life, but he was tricked by Dang Renhong. Now, he knew that Dang Renhong had committed many crimes and the law could not forgive him.
"Your Majesty, what should we do with the rest of the prisoners?" Wei Zheng asked.”
"All other officials in Nan Ning Prefecture who have committed crimes will be punished according to the Tang laws. Those who should be beheaded will be beheaded at noon tomorrow.”
Li Shi Min paused and sighed,"As for Dang Renhong's family, especially his youngest son, forgive them if you can. He was exiled to Danzhou and could not enter the Central Plains again.”
Although Li Shimin was furious, he still remembered the story of Dang Renhong's two sons sacrificing their lives for the country. He was unwilling to let the Dang family, which had made great contributions to the Great Tang, have no descendants.
Dang Renhong's youngest son was only three years old, and Du Kefa was not someone who did not care about human relations. Since the main culprit had already been beheaded, then his son would be spared from death.
Danzhou was considered a barren land in the Great Tang. This kind of punishment was considered a capital punishment for people living in the prosperous Central Plains.
"Please report." Li Shimin sat on the throne and the ministers began their daily greetings.
Du Kefa returned to the court.
After the discussion ended, the court retreated.
……
The next day, an execution platform was set up in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate. Countless people had gathered early in the morning to watch the execution.
"This is very satisfying. A corrupt official like Dang Renhong should have been beheaded long ago.”
"Your Majesty is wise. Give justice to our people.”
"I heard that it was Du Fuma who remonstrated to the death that made His Majesty change his mind and decide to execute Dang Renhong.”
"In my opinion, Dang Renhong should be cut into pieces, or at least dismembered. Beheading is too easy on him.”
"You are right, but His Majesty is merciful and is unwilling to carry out torture.”
"After killing Dang Renhong, the other corrupt officials of the Great Tang will surely tremble in fear.”
While the commoners were arguing, Du Kefa brought the officials and executioners of the Supreme Court to the execution platform, causing the commoners to cheer.
Du Kefa looked around. Groups of soldiers separated the people from the execution platform.
He looked up at the sun and asked,"Where is Dang Renhong?"”
"He's still parading through the streets."
At the end of the day, the commoners were in an uproar. A hundred black-armored guards escorted Dang Renhong and a group of officials who were executing the punishment as they walked through the crowd.
"Dog official, pui!" A few rotten eggs flew up and smashed onto the prison carriage. The egg white and egg yolk splattered all over Dang Renhong's face.
Dang Renhong was in a very sorry state at the moment. His body was covered in rotten egg liquid and rotten vegetable leaves.
The black-armored guards escorted the dejected Dang Renhong and the other prisoners to the execution platform. The Right Minister of the Supreme Court said,"Milord, it's noon."
"Let's execute him."
With this order, a few executioners carried their Ghost Head Blades and walked up to the execution platform in a fierce manner. They pulled out the execution cards from the criminals 'necks and threw them on the ground, raising their Ghost Head Blades high.
Dang Renhong knew that the situation was hopeless. He knelt on the ground and sighed at his magnificent life.
" I didn't expect that I would follow the King of Qin and fight for decades, but in the end, I died because of greed. Future generations should remember that officials should be honest..."
Dang Renhong was about to die, but he only understood this principle before he died.
The other prisoners cried loudly, but the executioner was unmoved. He decisively raised his knife and slashed down. Red blood spurted out, and heads rolled down.
……
Du Kefa, the minister of Dali Temple, became famous overnight because of the case of his henchman Du Renhong's corruption.
In the court, because Du Kefa had resisted the imperial edict and forced the palace to speak out for the sake of justice, he was secretly called the backbone of the court.
Du Kefa's backbone could not be bent by the emperor!
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。