I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 760: Su Yao confronts officials in the court, and Princess Wannian pleads with tears (5K)

Luoyang, Taiwei Mansion.

"Arrogant, too arrogant!"

"Zhong Yingbo is the Minister of Works, a high-ranking official. How could he be captured by a mere Jinyiwei and have his house sealed off?!"

"This Su Yao is simply lawless!" Taiwei Zhao Qian slammed the table angrily, the anger on his face difficult to conceal.

He knew very well what the arrest of Zhongfu meant. As one of the Three Dukes, Zhongfu had a distinguished status and great influence.

Su Yao's blatant arrest of Zhong Fu was undoubtedly a declaration of his absolute authority to the entire court and the country, with complete disregard for the court's etiquette and the reputation of the ministers.

Faced with the furious general, the attendants beside him lowered their heads and dared not breathe.

After a while, Zhao Qian recovered from his anger, took a deep breath, and immediately ordered a gathering of his staff to discuss how to respond.

The staff came hurriedly and looked at each other, with shocked and solemn expressions on their faces:

"Not good, Commander!"

"Su Yao is now powerful and has become more and more unscrupulous."

An older staff member said worriedly:
"I'm afraid that the arrest of Zhong Sikong this time is just the beginning of his next move."

"If we can't stop it, the butcher's knife will soon be wielded on your head!"

"You're right."

Zhao Qian frowned and replied in a deep voice:
"Su Yao abolished the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and established three provinces and six ministries instead. He also set up the imperial examination. His purpose is obvious, which is to weaken the power of our family so that he can monopolize power."

"We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible. We must not let Zhong Sikong be hunted and killed by him like this."

"If you have any good ideas, please tell us quickly!"

As soon as Zhao Qian finished speaking, the staff in the Taiwei Mansion began to offer suggestions and opinions.

However, although the staff made many suggestions, most of them were difficult to implement.

The most crucial point is naturally that they have no military power. Su Yao only needs to send a team of Jinyiwei cavalry to capture them easily.

Despair, an atmosphere of despair spread in the mansion, and everyone was helpless.

At this time, He Yong, the chief secretary of the Taiwei Mansion, stood up after a moment's silence and said with a folded hand:
"General, in my opinion, given the current situation, it is indeed difficult for us to compete with Su Yao with our own strength."

"He commands a large army and is deeply trusted by the princess. No one in the court or the country can rival him."

"If we want to save ourselves, we must unite with other ministers in the court, speak out together, and form a force that cannot be ignored, so that we can check and balance Su Yao."

"Zhong Sikong made great contributions in fighting against Dong, but he was arrested and humiliated by him. The officials in the court can't help but feel sad. The general can take this opportunity to raise his arms and call for people to gather together to discuss major plans!"

He Yong's words were sonorous and powerful, and there was a firm light in his eyes.

Zhao Qian was slightly startled when he heard this, and then a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

He knew very well that although He Yong was not from a noble family, he was extremely talented, had extraordinary insight, and enjoyed prestige in the court.

His ability to stand up and make such a suggestion at this moment undoubtedly brought a glimmer of hope to everyone.

After some discussion, Taiwei Zhao Qian, despite his old age, led his confidants out before dawn and went straight to the residence of Prime Minister Yang Biao.

Soon, as the news of Zhong Fu spread, the court was in an uproar the next day.

All the ministers and officials came together to denounce Su Yao's atrocities, demanding that the court severely punish the murderer, release Zhong Fu, abolish the so-called imperial examination, and restore the system of three dukes and nine ministers.

The atmosphere in the court was solemn and the ministers were emotional. They accused Su Yao of being arbitrary, ignoring the rules of the court and acting recklessly.

Princess Wannian sat in the position of regent, glancing coldly at the ministers in the court, feeling an unprecedented pressure in her heart.

She didn't expect that Zhong Fu's capture would cause such an uproar and make the situation in the court so tense.

She knew very well that everything Su Yao did was for the revival of the Han Dynasty and the welfare of the people, but these ministers opposed him at all costs for their own interests.

"My dear ministers, please be patient." Princess Wannian took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice calm. "Everything that General Su Yao did was for the country and people of the Han Dynasty, and for the peace and well-being of the people."

"He abolished the system of three dukes and nine ministers and established three provinces and six ministries in order to improve the administrative efficiency of the court and ensure the smooth implementation of government orders; he established the imperial examination system in order to select talents from all over the world and inject fresh blood into the court."

"As for arresting Zhong Fu, it was because he was suspected of treason. The evidence is irrefutable. The general is just acting according to the law."

Although Princess Wannian's words were firm, the ministers were not calmed down.

Taiwei Zhao Qian snorted coldly and said, "Your Highness, Su Yao's actions are clearly arbitrary and reckless. He abolished the system of three dukes and nine ministers and established three provinces and six ministries instead. It is clear that he wants to weaken the power of our family and monopolize power."

"As for arresting Zhong Fu, there is absolutely no evidence at all. It is clearly a false accusation. They can find any excuse!"

Minister Yang Biao also echoed, "What the Grand Commandant said is absolutely right. Su Yao, relying on the military power in his hands, acts recklessly and does not care about the etiquette of the court or the face of the ministers. If he is not curbed, the country of our Han will be destroyed!"

All the ministers echoed the voices of condemnation.

Princess Wannian bit her lower lip tightly, feeling extremely anxious. She knew very well that she could not change the minds of these ministers, but their fierce opposition would undoubtedly create a huge obstacle to Su Yao's reform plan.

Just when Princess Wannian felt helpless, Su Yao suddenly strode into the court.

His appearance silenced all the ministers, and all their eyes turned to him.

Su Yao was wearing silver armor and a red robe, looking heroic. He glanced at the ministers with a cold gaze and said in a deep voice: "My Lords, what do you want to report?"

The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to speak for a while.

Seeing this, Su Yao sneered. He walked slowly to Princess Wannian and said, "Your Highness, I, Su Yao, have something to say."

Princess Wannian nodded slightly, motioning Su Yao to continue.

Su Yao stood up, looked at the ministers with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep voice:

"My Lords, you keep saying that I am arbitrary and reckless."

"But have you ever thought that everything I have done is for the revival of the Han Dynasty and the well-being of the people."

"You all just stick to the old ways, what will happen? Can you cure the world's major diseases?"

"I abolished the system of three dukes and nine ministers and established three provinces and six ministries in order to improve the administrative efficiency of the court and ensure the smooth implementation of government orders; I established the imperial examination system in order to select talents from all over the world and inject fresh blood into the court."

"As for arresting Zhong Fu, it was because he was suspected of treason. The evidence is irrefutable. The Jinyiwei acted in accordance with the law. What's wrong with that?"

Su Yao's words were so powerful that all the ministers were speechless.

They didn't expect that Su Yao would refute their accusations so directly, and his words were sharp and reasonable.

Taiwei Zhao Qian snorted coldly and said:
"General, you keep saying that Zhong Fu is suspected of treason and the evidence is irrefutable, but I have never seen any evidence."

"How noble are the Three Dukes? Even a tyrant like Dong Zhuo would only be dismissed from office. How dare you arrest them with such a blatant army?!"

It would have been better if Zhao Qian didn't say anything, because Su Yao was waiting for him to say that.

As soon as Zhao Qian finished speaking, he took out a secret letter from his pocket, waved it in front of the ministers and said:
"Taiwei Zhao, please take a look. This is the evidence that Zhong Fu colluded with the princes to rebel and incited the students to protest!"

"what?!"

All the ministers stretched their necks, trying to see the contents of the secret letter clearly.

Su Yao handed the secret letter to Princess Wannian and said, "Your Highness, please take a look."

Princess Wannian took the secret letter, read it carefully, nodded, handed it to the attendant beside her, and said, "Present it, let all the nobles have a look."

The attendant presented the secret letter to the ministers for circulation. For a moment, the court was silent, with only the sound of flipping papers.

After reading the secret letter, the faces of the ministers turned extremely ugly.

They did not expect that Zhong Fu actually colluded with the princes and instigated the students to protest in an attempt to overthrow the court.

No no no no.

It would be fine if you did such a thing, but how could you leave such tangible evidence?
It still has your seal of the Third Lord on it?

At this point, they could no longer defend Zhong Fu and could only lower their heads and remain silent.

Seeing this, Su Yao curled up the corner of his mouth with a sneer and said, "My fellow ministers, do you have anything to say now?" The ministers looked at each other and no one dared to speak.

Su Yao continued, "I know that many of you are very dissatisfied with my policies of reforming the official system, military system, and establishing the imperial examination system."

"But have you ever thought that these reforms are for the revival of the Han Dynasty and the welfare of the people?"

"The world is now in chaos, with various local lords ruling their own territories and the people suffering. If we do not carry out reforms, how can the Han Dynasty be revived? How can the people live and work in peace?"

"Everything I have done is for this purpose. I hope that you can put aside your past grudges and work together for the revival of the Han Dynasty."

"Of course, you don't have to cooperate."

Su Yao changed the subject and snorted coldly:
"But the court's established policies cannot be changed. If you find it unacceptable, you can just resign and return home."

Above the court hall, there was silence.

Su Yao's words were decisive, like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of every minister.

They thought that by gathering hundreds of officials to petition and protest, they could avoid being held accountable by law and save the country.

However, I didn't expect Su Yao to be so resolute.

He just said that anyone who didn't want to cooperate could leave, making it clear that he didn't care.

Hearing this statement, Grand Marshal Zhao Qian's face turned pale and he clenched his teeth. He did not expect that Su Yao actually produced solid evidence, making it impossible for him to defend Zhong Fu anymore.

Si Tu Yang Biao, Wei Wei Zhang Wen and others also looked at each other in shock.

They knew very well that Su Yao was now extremely powerful and had the support of the princess. If they continued to oppose him, they would probably not end well.

If he insists on staying here, the result will probably be the loss of all his power.

At this time, Shangshu Ling Wang Yun took the lead and stepped forward, looking embarrassed and trying to smooth things over:
"What the general said is absolutely right. We should put aside our past grudges and work together for the revival of the Han Dynasty."

Wang Yun forced a smile and said,

"It's just a matter of Sikong. After all, it concerns the dignity of the court. I hope the general can show leniency and give me a lighter sentence."

As soon as Wang Yun finished speaking, Yang Biao, Huang Wan and others came forward to plead for mercy.

Su Yao narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the reactions of the ministers in the court, and sneered in his heart.

He certainly knew that these ministers were not truly willing to support his reforms. They just chose to compromise temporarily after weighing the pros and cons.

But even so, Su Yao didn't care.

All he wants is for these people to cooperate with his policies on the surface and not jump out to cause trouble when he is implementing reforms.

As for their sincerity, Su Yao doesn't care.

"Let him off the hook?" Su Yao's mouth curled up into a cold smile, his eyes like knives, scanning the ministers, "Minister Wang, how do you think the crime committed by Zhong Fu should be dealt with?"

When Wang Yun heard this, his heart trembled and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He knew very well that the crime committed by Zhong Fu was of a serious nature. It was a capital crime for a court official to secretly contact the princes for rebellion and incite civil unrest. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, confiscating property and exterminating the entire clan would not be excessive.

Moreover, Wang Yun also knew that Su Yao was now extremely powerful, and if he insisted on killing Zhong Fu, no one could stop him.

However, as the Minister of Chancellery, Wang Yun could not watch helplessly as one of the Three Dukes was executed:

"General, the Zhou Li says that courtesy is not given to common people, and punishment is not given to officials."

"Although Sikong Zhong has committed a crime, considering his past contributions in the fight against Dong, and because he is one of the Three Dukes, and is already old, I think he should be dismissed from office and demoted to a commoner."

Wang Yun's words were unanimously agreed upon by all the ministers and officials.

The most fundamental reason why they protested against Su Yao's arrest was that the rabbit died and the fox mourned.

What they wanted was the privilege of not punishing doctors.

However, would Su Yao do as they wish?
"Minister Wang, what you said is wrong."

"It is an old tradition from the Shang and Zhou dynasties that common people are not given etiquette, and officials are not given punishment. How can we bring it up again today?"

"Everyone should be equal before the law. In the past, when Shang Yang was carrying out reforms, the crown prince broke the law, and his tutors Gongzi Qian and Gongsun Jia were required to be tattooed on his behalf to make the law clear."

"Now that Zhong Fu is a high-ranking official, you should know the law and abide by it, and set an example."

"However, he colluded with the princes, instigated civil unrest, and slandered the emperor. His crimes are so great that they cannot be listed in detail."

"In the past, the traitor Dong caused chaos in the imperial court and murdered loyal officials. He was even torn to pieces by a chariot and his entire clan was exterminated."

"Although Zhong Fu's crime is not as bad as Dong's, it will never be tolerated."

"If we simply dismiss the officials and demote them to common people, how can we deter the scoundrels and demonstrate the rule of law?"

When the ministers heard this, their faces changed drastically and an ominous premonition arose in their hearts.

They didn't expect Su Yao to be so tough and not give them any face at all.

Taiwei Zhao Qian gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice: "General, Zhong Fu is one of the Three Dukes after all, and he holds a high position and has great power. If he is executed, it will probably cause unrest in the court and the people, which will be detrimental to the court."

Su Yao sneered and said, "General Zhao is wrong. As one of the Three Dukes, Zhong Fu should have been a role model for all officials, but he secretly colluded with the princes and instigated civil unrest. His behavior is no different from treason."

"If the court tolerates his evil deeds, then won't everyone follow suit in the future? By then, where will the court's laws and the majesty of the court be?"

Si Tu Yang Biao also stood up and said, "General, Zhong Si Kong is old and has devoted his life to the Han Dynasty. I hope that the general will remember his past merits and give him a lighter sentence."

Su Yao's eyes were like lightning. He glanced at Yang Biao and said coldly, "What Situ Yang said is even more absurd. As one of the Three Dukes, Zhong Fu should have performed his duties conscientiously, been loyal to the emperor and loved his country, but he secretly colluded with the princes and intended to overthrow the court."

"If he really has past merits, he should use them to atone for his crime, rather than using them to plead for mercy."

"Furthermore, if he really has made great contributions, why didn't he stand up when the traitor Dong was causing chaos in the government, but instead jumped out to oppose the reforms of this general?"

Yang Biao was speechless after hearing Su Yao's words. He could only lower his head and say nothing.

The atmosphere in the court was extremely solemn.

All the ministers knew that Su Yao had made up his mind to execute Zhong Fu, and no one could change his mind.

However, despite their common stance, none of the officials were willing to be the first to give in.

Even during the period of Dong Zhuo's chaotic rule, when the traitor Dong murdered loyal and good people, he never dared to use his butcher knife to chop down the heads of the three ministers.

No matter whether it was Gai Xun, Huangfu Song or Huang Wan, as a group of ministers at that time, they were able to save their lives and just transfer them to idle positions.

Why doesn't this champion marquis know how to back down and let the situation become deadlocked?

Does he really want to fight against all the officials in the court to the end? !
For a moment, the situation was tense. The ministers were silent and surrounded Su Yao, pretending to be in a state of non-violence and non-cooperation.

Either you kill us all, or just let us go.

All the officials have made up their minds that they would rather die than allow this young man to act recklessly like this.

Su Yao still just stood there, indifferent to the ministers' protest.

what to do? what to do?
Princess Wannian sat on the dragon throne as regent, her eyes nervously scanning Su Yao and the ministers, sighing secretly and feeling anxious in her heart.

She knew very well that everything Su Yao did was for the revival of the Han Dynasty and the welfare of the people, but these ministers opposed him at all costs for their own interests and their own face.

"General."

Princess Wannian took a deep breath and begged with a trembling voice:
"The prince is guilty of the same crime as the common people. This palace deeply agrees with this."

"But at the same time, I also remember that in the law course I learned in school, there was a saying that law is nothing more than human feelings, so it is not wrong for relatives to cover up for each other in our Han Dynasty."

"I know that the crime committed by Zong Sikong is unforgivable, but his family has been loyal for generations, and Zong Sikong has devoted his life to the Han Dynasty and has made great contributions in killing Dong."

"Now, Zong Sikong is old and made a mistake in a moment of confusion. Since it has not caused any bad influence, I dare to ask the general to show leniency and give Zong Sikong a lighter sentence in consideration of his past merits and contributions to the family. Is that okay?"

Princess Wannian had tears in her eyes and a hint of pleading in her words. She stared at Su Yao, hoping to impress this young and powerful general.

Her sudden words attracted the attention of Su Yao and all the officials, and she became the focus of everyone.
(End of this chapter)