In the palace of the Dado Dynasty.
A middle-aged official knelt on the ground. Some of the officials in the court looked at him coldly, while others were indifferent. The person sitting on the throne was fat and had a pair of dull eyes. It was the current emperor.
The Emperor said,"Zhu Qing, I followed your advice and reduced taxes in the early years. Now you're asking me to suppress the bandits?" Reinforcing the border defense? I would like to ask you, where did the silver needed to suppress the bandits and support the border affairs come from? Is my summer resort still going to be built? Should I postpone the selection of concubines for another year?”
The official on the ground raised his head and reported,""I believe that the bandits are rampant and despotic all over the country, and the people are in dire straits. The Icewind Country outside the pass has always been ambitious, and there are often incidents of them sneaking into our country's territory and robbing goods. Now, these two great disasters had caused the people to suffer greatly, and there were even signs of a rebel army. In my opinion, if you don't…"
Before he could finish speaking, a person stood out. He was dressed in the crown prince's robe. It was the current crown prince.
The Crown Prince cupped his hands and reported to the Emperor,""Imperial Father, your son thinks that Zhu Qing's words are too alarmist. The Arctic State is under the control of the Imperial Lightning Federation. Moreover, your son has built a Great Wall at the border last year, which can defend against millions of enemy troops. As for the raiders, he didn't have to worry about them, he just needed to send troops to suppress them. Firstly, it could establish the dignity of the royal family, and secondly, it could eliminate evil for the people.”
The official on the ground was named Zhu Wenxuan. He was no more than forty years old, but his face was covered in wrinkles. He is concerned about the people, worried about the world, worried about other thieves at home, and worried about evil neighbors abroad. He is really a good minister of the country.
The emperor was greedy for pleasure and had imposed all kinds of taxes on the people several times to expand Hualou and Haoyuan. Not only that, the emperor had also gone south several times to recruit beautiful women to fill the harem. Zhu Wenxuan spent a lot of effort to persuade the Emperor to exempt many miscellaneous taxes and reduce the suffering of the people.
In his early years, Zhu Wenxuan knew about the neighboring country Bingfeng and was ambitious, so he reported to the emperor about expanding the army. Who would have thought that the Crown Prince would suggest to the Emperor that he would use half of the silver that was originally used to expand the Ministry of War to build the Great Wall to defend against foreign enemies. In this way, the silver that was saved could be used as extravagant funds. When Zhu Wenxuan heard the Crown Prince's report, he was so angry that he vomited blood.
When Zhu Wenxuan heard the Crown Prince mention this matter again, the pain in his heart could not be any greater. He immediately said to the Emperor in pain,""Emperor, this concerns the survival of the country, how can we rely on a wall? Only the Great Wall built by the human heart could resist powerful enemies.”
The Crown Prince was displeased." Are you cursing us to die early?" he asked angrily.”
Zhu Wenxuan was shocked. He kept kowtowing and said in a trembling voice,""I don't dare, but…"
At this moment, the Emperor said," That's enough. I know you have good intentions, but you are too stubborn." On the first day of last month, the sun suddenly emitted a dazzling light that illuminated everything in the world. This miracle lasted for two hours, and the entire country could see it. All the ministers said that this was the God who remembered my hard work and high achievements and cared about the world, so he sent such a miracle to reward me. May I ask which emperor has such glory as mine? After the state preceptor divined, he even said that my country would last for ten thousand years! Now you want to persuade me to increase the salary of the military, what is your intention? Could it be that you feel sorry for your son who is working in the Ministry of War because his salary is too low?”
At noon on the first day of last month, the sun in the sky suddenly became abnormally bright, shooting out an extremely dazzling light. Even if they covered their faces with their hands, the bright light of the Golden Crow would still hurt their eyes.
At that time, when people were under the scorching sun, even if they hid in their houses or under trees, they would still have the illusion that their five internal organs were being roasted by the flames.
In fact, after this incident, people's bones and internal organs had been penetrated by the sun and buried the foreshadowing of changes. It was just that they did not show it for a while.
Although no one was injured or injured by the piercing sunlight, it still caused panic in the hearts of the people. In order to make the Emperor smile, the officials not only sent troops to suppress the panic caused by the strange phenomenon, but they also added oil and sauce to the matter, saying that it was a commendation from the heavens for the Emperor's great achievements.
Zhu Wenxuan saw that the Emperor suspected him of favoritism and was so frightened that he was at a loss. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed."I don't dare, I don't have such intentions…"
At this moment, a dignified minister walked out of the court and bowed to the Emperor. After he got up, he cupped his hands and said to the Emperor,"Your Majesty, I deeply agree with the two things that Zhu Wenxuan reported." However, he had to eat one mouthful at a time, and he had to do things one by one. Zhu Wenxuan's report was divided into domestic banditry and foreign ambitions. I believe that since Zhu Wenxuan has already submitted a memorial, it means that he already has a countermeasure in mind.”
Zhu Wenxuan was grateful to Wu Ci, a close friend of the court, for supporting him. Who knew that Wu Ci's words would change and he said,""I would like to ask the emperor to issue a decree ordering Zhu Wenxuan to deal with the bandits first before resisting the foreign enemies.”
When the ministers heard Wu Ci's opening words, they all felt disgusted. At this moment, when they heard Wu Ci's words, he actually meant to release Zhu Wenxuan from the capital, they were all overjoyed.
If there was no busybody like Zhu Wenxuan in the court, wouldn't the carefree days of being an official be even happier? Thus, all the officials agreed, and the voices of "I agree" sounded one after another.
The Emperor had long been dissatisfied with Zhu Wenxuan's decision to stop the Imperial Court from building a new summer resort. At this moment, seeing that Zhu Wenxuan had finally caused public outrage and was being used against, he was secretly happy. He immediately took the opportunity to say,"Cabinet Minister Zhu Wenxuan, listen to the decree: I hereby appoint you as the bandit suppression general and give you a rank of first rank. All the needs of suppressing bandits can be negotiated with the local government.”
When Zhu Wenxuan heard the Emperor's decree, his head buzzed and he knelt on the spot.
After the emperor announced the decree, he ignored him and waved his hand to leave. The court supervisor announced that he would leave. After the ministers cheered, they left one after another. When they passed by Zhu Wenxuan, who was paralyzed on the ground, they all had mocking expressions.
At this moment, Wu Ci walked towards Zhu Wenxuan, squatted down, and said in a low voice,""Zhu Wenxuan, don't blame me for being too heartless. If you want to blame someone, blame the Crown Prince for making too many promises to me. Moreover, the Crown Prince is the Emperor of Tomorrow. It is only right and proper for me to act on his orders. As for you, take care of yourself from now on.”With that, he strode away.
Zhu Wenxuan was heartbroken, but he also hated the corruption in the court.
After a long while, he finally calmed down. He stood up and staggered out of the hall.
After returning to the manor, Zhu Wenxuan summoned the servants of the Qi manor and announced that they were going to retire to the south. Then, Zhu Wenxuan ordered the butler, Zhu Dingfu, to bring silver from the manor and distribute it to everyone. He wanted to dismiss the servants so that they would not be burdened by him in the future. However, in the Zhu Residence, the servants led by the butler were unwilling to leave Old Master Zhu and willingly followed Zhu Wenxuan to the south to live in seclusion.
Zhu Wenxuan saw the loyalty of the dozen or so servants in the residence, and he couldn't help but feel a little warm in his heart.
Therefore, Zhu Wenxuan wrote a letter and ordered someone to deliver it to his son, Zhu Xiangyang, who held the position of Young Marshal in the Great Duo Rui Army. He also instructed him to work hard in the army and wait for an opportunity to benefit the people. He also said that he had many servants to serve him, so that his son did not have to worry about him.
After Zhu Wenxuan sent out the letter, he recalled the Emperor's fatuous and corrupt ways. He had been serving the country and the people for all these years, but he had actually ended up like this. He couldn't help but cry. Since the Emperor's decree was to " depart on the same day," Zhu Wenxuan ordered his servants to pack up the small things and leave the capital for the south.
Zhu Wenxuan and a group of servants went all the way south, passing through Beitian, Yaoyue, Tianmai, turning to Fengfu, Jihei, turning to the waterway at Hukou, flowing along Jiuzhuan Bay, Xiangshui Beach, Jianglu and other places, landing at Lujiao Beach. After a few days, they would be able to return to their hometown, Pingjiang Town.
On this day, as everyone was walking on the mountain path of Mount Tianfeng, dozens of Mountain Bandits suddenly appeared from behind the trees by the roadside and intercepted Zhu Wenxuan and his group.
"You're blocking our way. Are you trying to kill us for money?" Zhu Wenxuan shouted.”As soon as he said this, he secretly gestured to the servants, ordering them to be alert.
Zhu Wenxuan's son was in the military. When he returned to the residence for a short stay, he taught his servants some martial arts. Now that the world was not peaceful, it was always good to have a skill. It finally came in handy at this time.
Seeing the bandits blocking their way, the servants had already tightly gripped their hidden weapons. When the bandits swarmed up, they would fight back.
Seeing Zhu Wenxuan and his group's fearless expressions, the bandit leader chuckled and waved his hand. The countless archers who were hiding in the trees, grass, and rocks immediately stood up and drew their bows.
The bandit leader said with a fake smile,"We have been waiting for Lord Zhu's arrival for many days. I wonder if Lord Zhu is satisfied with our service?”
When the archer appeared, everyone in the Zhu Residence knew that the situation was grim.
Zhu Wenxuan could tell that the other party was here for him. A thought suddenly came to his mind, and he said,"I wonder which lord thinks so highly of this old man that he actually has the heart to prepare such a generous gift for this old man?”
The bandit leader smiled and said,"As expected of Lord Zhu. He is indeed meticulous." However, it's a pity that you don't know how to be an official. Who did you offend and you're asking me? Hahaha." The bandits laughed in agreement, their expressions very savage.
Zhu Wenxuan thought to himself,'I'm an official in the court and have offended many people. I can't remember at the moment. Why don't I trick him?'”Therefore, he put on a confident attitude and said,"So it's the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had killed an official of the court without authorization. Such a crime was not a small one. I'm afraid that in order to cover up the truth, the Crown Prince might have to order you to follow me.”
When the bandit leader heard this, he laughed until tears flowed out. After a long while, he said,"Lord Zhu, a few years ago, you forced the emperor to listen to your advice and greatly reduce taxes. This has long made the emperor very dissatisfied. The crown prince secretly let the little ones share the emperor's worries and find some silver for the emperor to use. It is our duty as officials to contribute to the emperor. Later on, the Crown Prince was busy with many things and ordered the ministers to share the burden. The Crown Prince was the future Emperor, so it was only natural for the ministers to share his worries. The ministers listened to the Crown Prince's words and recruited our loyal people to be stationed in various places. Don't you know about these loyal acts?”Then, he laughed arrogantly again.
When Zhu Wenxuan heard this, he knew that ordinary bandits wouldn't be able to fabricate such words. When he thought of how his sincere heart had ended up in such a state, his heart chilled.
At this moment, the bandit leader waved his hand, and several bandits came forward with two old men, two young men, and four civilians. From the cries and pleas of the four commoners, it was an elderly couple and their children.
The bandit leader mocked Zhu Wenxuan,"I've heard that Lord Zhu loves the people like his own son and can't tolerate bullying the people, is that right?”
Zhu Wenxuan looked at him coldly and didn't say anything. He knew that he would not be able to get away with it today, so he secretly carved the scandal of the collusion between the imperial court and the bandits into his flesh with a dagger, hoping that someone would know the inside story in the future.
Seeing that Zhu Wenxuan did not answer, the bandit leader hacked the old woman to death with his saber and said with a sinister smile,"How is it, Lord Zhu?"
Zhu Wenxuan trembled and glared at the bandit leader. The Zhu family's butler could not hold it in any longer and said angrily to the bandits,"You're a real man. If you have the guts, come at me. What kind of hero are you to make things difficult for the people?”As soon as he finished speaking, an archer shot him to death. "If that's the case, then I'll grant you your wish," the bandit leader said fiercely.”
When the old lady's relatives saw her tragic death, they immediately burst into tears.
The father-in-law suddenly jumped up and pounced on the bandits, shouting,"I'll fight it out with you!" The old man's son and daughter also pounced on the bandits, wanting to fight with their lives.
However, how could these three commoners be a match for those bandits? He saw his father-in-law and his son being cut in half by the bandits, dying on the spot. His daughter was also knocked to the ground by the bandits.
Seeing how cruel the bandits were, the people of the Zhu Residence also resisted. However, they were shot to death by the bandits with bows and arrows. Only Zhu Wenxuan was left behind and knocked down by several bandits.
The bandit leader proudly said to Zhu Wenxuan, who was in uniform on the ground,"Didn't Lord Zhu come to exterminate us bandits? Why was he afraid of slacking off on the ground?”
Zhu Wenxuan kept cursing and secretly continued to carve his own body.
The bandit leader laughed." It seems that Lord Zhu doesn't think we're cruel enough to the people. How about we work harder for Lord Zhu?"”Immediately, a bandit laughed lewdly and pressed down on the girl on the ground. How could the young girl resist this group of Mountain Bandits who were like wolves and tigers? When he was humiliated, he screamed repeatedly.
Seeing this, Zhu Wenxuan couldn't hold back his anger anymore. He shouted loudly, drew his weapon, and slashed wildly.
Other than practicing martial arts, Zhu Wenxuan didn't have any hobbies like watching shows, listening to music, drinking, and having fun. Although he didn't cultivate True Qi, his skills were quite good. With his resistance, he immediately killed several bandits. The enemy's arrows were also blocked by him.
However, the arrows were extremely dense. After a moment, some arrows that escaped the net hit Zhu Wenxuan.
In the chaos, Zhu Wenxuan moved to the girl's side, took off his robe, and draped it over the girl. He shouted loudly, ordering her to escape quickly.
The girl was severely injured and her mind was blank. Seeing someone put clothes on her and loudly ordered her to escape, she followed the order in a daze.
Unfortunately, the severity of her injuries was beyond imagination. At this moment, the girl's legs were already unable to stand up. She could only climb forward in a daze. Unexpectedly, there was a broken cliff in front of her. She only felt her hands and feet empty and fell down.
Zhu Wenxuan didn't know that the girl had fallen off the cliff. He struggled to hold on for a moment in the dense rain of arrows. The arrows on his body increased, and he finally died in the hands of the bandits with hatred.
When the bandits saw that Zhu Wenxuan was finally dead, they were very proud. They hung his corpse on a big tree by the roadside to show off. They did not care about the girl's whereabouts.
After the girl fell off the cliff, she was scratched by branches, weeds, and other things, and her body was covered in blood. However, it was fortunate that he was able to cushion the force of his fall and barely managed to save his life.
After a long time, the girl slowly opened her eyes.
At this moment, her mind was gradually waking up. Recalling the tragic scene of her family being destroyed and her body being humiliated, she could not help but be shocked. As she lost control of her mind, the girl felt an indescribable feeling explode in her mind, as if it was going to blow her head apart.
Finally, the girl could not hold on any longer and fainted.
What she didn't know was that countless thin blue spots of light had appeared out of thin air within a few feet of her, rushing toward her like countless fireflies. Her tightly shut eyes gradually turned blue and only returned to their original color after a long time. At the same time, the girl's injuries were healing rapidly.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]