I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 822: The chief of the bandits was brought to justice, the capital was shaken, the three ministers died and Su Yao took over the power (5K chapters)

"Caught? All of them?"

"Oh my god, I told you something was wrong last night!"

The next morning, when the morning light shone on the earth and awakened this thousand-year-old capital, the entire Luoyang city fell into shock and panic.

The sudden change in Situ Mansion last night was like a blockbuster bomb, exploding between the court and the market, causing a thousand waves.

In the streets and alleys, people were whispering to each other and talking one after another.

"Have you heard? Last night, the general personally led a team of elite troops to surround the Situ Mansion and captured many people!" A middle-aged man said in a low voice with a nervous look.

"How could it be false? I heard that even the powerful Yang Situ and Zhao Taiwei could not escape and were arrested. This incident is truly earth-shattering and has turned the entire court upside down!" The person next to him echoed with shock on his face.

"Oh, I really don't know what's going on in the imperial court now. How come even high-ranking officials like the Three Dukes have been arrested? I'm afraid the world is going to be in chaos!" An old man frowned and sighed worriedly.

"I heard that it was because the cheating in the imperial examination was exposed. The general was furious when he found out, so he personally stepped in and dealt with it with an iron fist." A well-informed young man said mysteriously.

"What?! Cheating in the imperial examination?" Everyone widened their eyes, their faces full of disbelief.

"Didn't they check it for a long time before and said everything was normal and no problems were found? How come this kind of thing suddenly came up again?" someone asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Yes, what is going on? Why are the statements different?" The others also echoed, with confusion on their faces.

"I don't know, I don't know." Everyone shook their heads, confusion written all over their faces.

"That's not what I heard. What I heard was that the three dukes secretly colluded with the princes, plotted evil, and wanted to rebel, so they were caught in one fell swoop by the general." Someone in the crowd put forward a different version of the story.

"Which one of these is true? Why are the statements so different? It's really confusing." Everyone looked at each other, and for a moment they were at a loss.

Just as everyone was arguing, a group of armored soldiers riding tall horses galloped majestically through the streets.

Wherever they went, the people avoided them and dared not even breathe.

"It seems that this matter has caused quite a stir. There is a large army patrolling the city now."

A middle-aged man who looked like a scholar stroked his beard and thought:
"No matter what the truth is, judging from the situation, the general is determined to rectify the government."

The people were whispering to each other and having different opinions, but in the end it had nothing to do with them and they just watched and watched.

But the situation of officials in the court is completely different.

When they heard the news, they were all like frightened birds. Everyone was in danger, fearing that the invisible disaster would befall them and that they would be caught up in this terrible storm.

Especially those disciples and former officials of Yang Biao and Zhao Qian, it was as if the sky had fallen.

In Luoyang, outside the imperial palace, the time for court had arrived, but all the officials gathered outside the gate. No one dared to take a step inside. Some even turned around and ran away, or did not come to court at all.

"What to do? What to do? What to do!"

"Situ Yang was arrested, Taiwei Zhao was arrested, and even Shangshu Ma was arrested."

"None of the people who attended the banquet yesterday have returned. They have all been imprisoned by his Imperial Guards."

A young official who usually relied on Yang Biao's support, now squatted on the ground with his hands on his head, and cried:

"I am just following Lord Yang to do my job. If anything happens to him, I won't be implicated, right? No way, no way."

Another official who had a close personal relationship with Zhao Qian was also sweating profusely, and kept muttering:

"The Jinyiwei are ruthless. Once you are in the imperial prison, how can you survive? We have to find a way, we have to find a way!"

The officials were in a panic, and Su Yao acted quickly, catching everyone off guard.

"Master Lu, for now, I'm afraid Master Lu can save us."

"Yes, go find Master Lu!"

Although they knew that Lu Zhi's position was not exactly the same as theirs, they were now helpless and could only place their hopes on the highly respected Lu Zhi.

However, they scanned the crowd again and again, looked again and again, but did not see Lu Zhi, and their fear became even greater.

At this moment, a young eunuch rushed in and shouted in a shrill voice:

"Why are you ministers lingering in front of the gate?"

"The general is going to discuss matters in the court, so why don't you follow me in?"

When everyone heard Su Yao urging them, their faces turned pale instantly and they looked at each other, but in the end no one dared to take the first step.

After a long while, someone spoke tremblingly: "If you go, I'm afraid it will be dangerous, but if you don't go, I'm afraid it will be a greater crime."

Everyone had no choice but to bite the bullet and drag their heavy steps towards the court.

Along the way, they were in great confusion, wondering how to deal with the general and how to defend themselves. Should they tell the truth or deny any connection with Yang Biao and Zhao Qian? Everyone weighed the options in their minds, but until they arrived at the gate of the court, they had not been able to come up with a foolproof plan.

However, their worries are now unnecessary.

Indeed, to ordinary people, these court officials are truly great individuals.

But in Su Yao's eyes, they were just ordinary faces that could be replaced at any time and were not worth his worrying about.

Not to mention, now that Yang Biao and Zhao Qian have both pleaded guilty, there is no need for Su Yao to embarrass the officials here.

"what?!"

“Admit, they admitted their guilt???”

Lu Zhi and Wang Yun each let out a cry of surprise.

Just a little bit before.

When all the officials gathered at the palace gate and stopped, Lu Zhi and Wang Yun took advantage of the lifting of the palace ban and rushed into the palace as soon as possible to meet the emperor to learn more details.

They knew that with Su Yao's character, he would never be willing to suffer such a loss in silence.

But as soon as he came back, he took such drastic measures within a few days. He raided the Situ Mansion without any evidence and arrested almost half of the officials above the third rank, including the three ministers. He detained and guarded them, which was really terrifying.

If he really continues to handle things in this way, the imperial court will probably be paralyzed.

However, before they could even utter any words of persuasion, Su Yao came over and declared victory to them.

"It's all over."

"Yang Biao, Zhao Qian, and Ma Riti have confessed to their involvement in the imperial examination fraud. Your Majesty, please take a look at the other two."

Su Yao said as he handed over confessions and evidence.

Yesterday morning, Jinyiwei prison.

"Why, why!"

"Father, we are innocent, how can you admit your guilt!"

In front of Yang Biao's prison, the young Yang Xiu shouted at the top of his lungs.

He doesn't understand, he doesn't understand at all.

That traitor Su Yao committed atrocities and not only did he frame his family, he also arrested so many high-ranking officials of the court in one go.

This is basically a naked declaration of war against all officials and aristocratic families.

So the most important thing to do now is to refuse to obey and stand together with all the officials.

He believed that today's court meeting would be very intense, and all officials would fight to the death to protect them.

If the court officials acted as if they were ready to fight to the death, then even if the traitor Su Yao was extremely powerful, he would not dare to do anything to the civil and military officials in the court.

But he never expected that his father Yang Biao was so cowardly that he actually admitted to those false charges in this imperial prison.

"Xiu'er, shut up!" Yang Biao leaned weakly against the wall of the prison, his face full of fatigue and vicissitudes, but his eyes revealed a complex emotion that Yang Xiu had never seen before.

"Father, what are you afraid of?"

Yang Xiu's eyes were red as he glared at his father:

"Are you really willing to bear this eternal infamy? Our Yang family has been loyal for generations, how can we allow that traitor to slander us like this!"

Yang Biao shook his head slowly:

"Xiu'er, you are still young, there are some things you don't understand." "Father also underestimated Su Yao."

"That thief was ruthless. I didn't expect that he was fully prepared once he made his move."

"Look at the prison tonight. All the high-ranking officials related to our family have been arrested by him."

"When the court meeting comes tomorrow, even if the others want to join forces to protest, they won't be able to find a suitable leader."

"Are you counting on Su Yao's ally, Master Lu, to help us?"

"That's impossible. If our family falls, he'd be lucky if he didn't applaud."

"These noble families from the border counties have long been dissatisfied with our Central Plains clans."

"Without someone prestigious enough to lead the protest, how many of the other low- and middle-level officials really have the courage to confront Su Yao head-on?"

Yang Xiu gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, "But father, we can't just give in like this! Even if there is only a glimmer of hope, we should fight for it."

"Fight? What can we fight with?" Yang Biao smiled bitterly, "We have no soldiers, what can we change with just our mouths?"

"What Su Yao wants is to completely suppress us aristocratic families. What he wants is absolute control over the court."

"If we fight to the death, we will not only fail to save ourselves, but will also implicate more people."

Yang Xiu was stunned. He had never thought that his father would be so pessimistic.

In his impression, his father had always been the great hero who stood tall and upright, and the backbone of the Yang family. But now, this extremely tall image in his heart was collapsing little by little in this imperial prison.

However, compared to Yang Xiu's reluctance and indignation, Zhao Chi of the Zhao family quickly faced the reality.

After Zhao Qian slowly woke up from his coma, Zhao Chi immediately went to his father and urged him not to be impulsive.

It was not until then that they suddenly realized that political struggle was not like treating someone to a meal. If one was not careful, it could really cost them their lives.

They were only thinking about their own political schemes and completely ignored the fact that times have changed.

Today's era is no longer the era of peacetime in the past when aristocratic families manipulated politics, engaged in palace wits battles, and schemed for power.

The chaos in the world and the rise of Su Yao brought about a major reshuffle of the power structure and a complete subversion of the old order.

In today's era, the strong are king. Su Yao commands a large number of troops and acts decisively. He is no longer someone that can be easily shaken by civil servants like them.

I and others want to use various rules and public opinions to restrict him and enhance my own strength.

Now it seems that it has completely backfired and has become an opportunity for Su Yao to attack.

All those calculations that they usually regarded as political bargaining chips were so vulnerable in the face of Su Yao's power and force.

"You are better than the thief Dong, you are better than the thief Dong!" Zhao Qian sighed.

Even the tyrannical thief Dong, apart from executing Yuan Shao's entire family on the grounds of rebellion, did not dare to do anything cruel to other high-ranking officials.

Even Huangfu Song, whom he hated so much, did not dare to kill him.

But this Su Yao dared to draw his sword in Situ Mansion and killed many people in front of all the officials. How can we judge such a person by common sense?

Although he was unwilling in his heart, Zhao Qian also understood that if he did not admit his guilt, the entire Zhao family would probably be destroyed.

This is also an issue that Yang Biao has to consider.

If they are alone, they don't mind sacrificing their lives to gain a clear mind.

However, as leaders of aristocratic families, they have to consider the foundation laid by their ancestors and future generations.

So, very quickly, before daybreak, several people surrendered one after another, expressing their willingness to admit the crime of cheating in the imperial examination, and explained in detail how they had colluded with each other, how they leaked the examination questions, how they instigated teachers and students to guide public opinion, how they fabricated that Su Yao had the intention of usurping the throne, how they hinted to the candidates to persuade him to succeed them in the examination papers, and then how they had dismissed them one by one.

They knew very well that if these crimes were proven true, they would be beheaded.

But at this moment, for the future of the family, they had to make this choice.

"what?!"

"You actually leaked the test questions?"

"Hey, this, Wenxian (Yang Biao), Wengshu (Ma Ritian), how could you be so confused!"

When Kong Rong, a counselor standing by, heard these charges, his eyes widened, his face full of disbelief and grief.

Last night, Situ Mansion held a banquet. As a famous scholar of the dynasty and a former official of the Yang family, he naturally attended the banquet and was detained here together with others.

Frankly speaking, he knew all about Yang Biao's manipulation of public opinion, secret plots and attacks on poor scholars.

Although he didn't quite agree with it, he didn't strongly oppose it in his heart.

In his opinion, they were all students from poor families, and if they fell into the trap, those who participated in persuading them to join the university must be people who were keen on fame and fortune, so it would not be a loss at all if they were deposed.

However, he never expected that Yang Biao and others would leak the test questions, allowing his own children to gain the upper hand.

"The key to governing a country lies in employing the best people. Where do you place the students of the world and the country with your actions?" Kong Rong said angrily.

Kong Rong did have many dissatisfactions with Su Yao, but after in-depth research, he also quite agreed with the imperial examination system. He believed that it was a rare good policy that would greatly benefit students all over the world.

Hearing Kong Rong's accusation, Yang Biao closed his eyes, his face full of pain: "Wen Ju, things have come to this point, there is no point in saying more."

"We were also forced into a corner by Su Yao. We originally wanted to use this to check and balance him, but we didn't expect that we would end up making things worse."

"Humph!" Kong Rong snorted angrily, "You are clearly destroying your own future and your family's reputation! If you admit to these crimes now, even if you can save your family for a while, how can you stand in the court and the world in the future?"

Just as everyone fell silent, a noisy sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the imperial prison.

Immediately afterwards, a Jinyiwei leader strode in, followed by several Jinyiwei with expressionless faces.

"Your Majesty has ordered that Yang Biao, Zhao Qian, Ma Riti, Kong Rong and other criminals be immediately escorted to the court to await their fate." The head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard read aloud.

When everyone heard this, their hearts tightened, and many of them showed fear on their faces, fearing that this would be the last time they would see him.

However, they had no choice but to say no. Soon, under the escort of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, they were taken out of the imperial prison and brought to the court.

There, under the empress's throne, Su Yao had a cold expression on his face, while famous ministers such as Lu Zhi, Wang Yun and Cai Yong had expressions of regret on their faces.

The other officials were on high alert, watching the development of the situation in silence.

However, there will naturally be no further twists and turns.

Under Su Yao's questioning, Yang Biao and others knelt on the ground and confessed their crimes.

"I know my crime. I was confused for a moment and did something that violated the law and betrayed your majesty's trust. I hope your majesty will show mercy and forgive my crime." Yang Biao kowtowed.

"Your Majesty, as a senior official, I knew the truth but did not report it and protected Yang Biao. I deserve to die. I am willing to accept the punishment." Zhao Qian kowtowed.

Immediately afterwards, Ma Riti, Kong Rong and others also shed tears and the sounds of regret and wailing were heard everywhere in the court.

Seeing that the emperor was moved, all the officials seized the opportunity to plead for leniency.

However, with Su Yao around, there is naturally no room for mercy.

After a heated discussion, Yang Biao and Ma Riti, as the chief officials of the imperial examination, were held responsible for the main culprits and were sentenced to be beheaded in public and their property was confiscated.

Zhao Qian, Kong Rong and others knew about the crime but did not report it. They were demoted to common people and fined as a warning to others. The others were dealt with according to the severity of their crimes.

"I regret it so much, I regret it so much..."

Upon hearing the verdict, Yang Biao and Ma Riti collapsed to the ground with pale faces, while Zhao Qian, Kong Rong and others breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that their lives were saved, and hurriedly thanked the emperor:

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and the General for not killing me. We will definitely change our ways and deeply repent in the future!"

Wannian nodded and said sadly: "This imperial examination cheating incident has brought great harm to the court and the scholars of the world. I hope that all ministers can take this as a warning, perform their duties impartially in the future, and safeguard the laws and regulations of the court. Do not break the law and ruin your future."

Everyone in the court nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, Yang Biao, Ma Riti and others were taken out of the court by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and legal sanctions were waiting for them.

Zhao Qian, Kong Rong and others left the court sadly under the gaze of everyone, and from then on became commoners, far away from the political center.

At this point, the imperial examination fraud case was finally successfully concluded, and Su Yao also took this opportunity to sweep away the opposition forces in the court. All the three officials who had competed with him for power in the past were eliminated, and he was able to seize power alone.

(End of this chapter)