I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 865: Confession (Chapter 5K)

"Hurry, hurry, hurry, burn it, burn it!"

In the evening, in a large house in the west of Gaoyi City, this place is the residence of a wealthy family in the city.

When the head of the family heard that Geng's family had been destroyed, they hurriedly burned the accounts and moved the property to try to destroy the evidence. However, before they could complete all this, the Jinyiwei came down like a god and surrounded the compound.

"Open the door! The Jinyiwei are investigating the case!" The leading captain shouted angrily, which exploded in the hearts of the gatehouse servants, and it seemed that the door was buzzing with the vibration.

Everyone in the courtyard was terrified. Some wanted to escape by climbing over the wall, but were forced back by the Jinyiwei outside the wall with spears; some hid in the house, trembling in fear, hoping to escape.

The leader tried to put up a last-ditch effort, holding sharp swords and commanding his servants to resist, but facing the well-trained and well-equipped Jinyiwei, their resistance seemed so powerless.

In just a moment, the gate was breached and the Jinyiwei rushed in like a tide and subdued everyone.

When the old patriarch was escorted out, his legs were weak and he could not stand. He was dragged all the way, his eyes full of despair.

At the same time, similar scenes were playing out in other corners of the city.

The networks of relationships that the aristocratic families had painstakingly built, the illegal assets they had hidden, and the conspiracies they had planned were all exposed in broad daylight under Su Yao's drastic measures.

The common people hid in their homes, looking through the cracks in the doors at the chaos on the streets and the majestic Jinyiwei, feeling both fear and a little excitement in their hearts.

Which one of those great men who were paraded through the streets was not a high and mighty figure in the past?

As a result, now everyone is like a lost dog, with no prestige at all, which makes the people feel very happy.

However, the same scene, when seen by another group of people, would have a completely different feel.

It was dark at night, and a house in Gaoyi City was brightly lit.

"Too hard, too fast, too crazy!"

"If he continues to kill like this, I'm afraid there will be few noble families left in the city before we can even migrate!"

In the back garden of the mansion, a group of representatives of aristocratic families were surrounding Liu Hao, King of Changshan, with anxious looks and earnest words, trying to persuade the king to stop Su Yao's "crazy behavior."

These people from the noble families were filled with panic as they watched the violent cleansing operations in the city.

They thought that with their family background and complicated connections, it should not be difficult for them to continue their life as the superior people under Su Yao's rule, even if they could not live as freely as they did under Han Fu's rule.

But now Su Yao's methods were more ruthless than they had imagined. The heads and the strings of criminals being taken to prison completely broke their defenses.

"My king, please don't be silent."

"You are a vassal king of our Han Dynasty, we can't just ignore you!"

King Liu Hao of Changshan frowned, his eyes swept across everyone's faces one by one, his heart was also in turmoil.

Although he is a king, in this turbulent world, the power he holds is much less than before.

Su Yao now commands a large army and has tremendous power in the court. It is not known whether he can be effective if he shows up rashly, and he might even bring trouble to himself.

So he turned to look at Hejian King Liu Xi, hoping to get some support from this fellow clansman. But he saw that Hejian King just kept his head down, his hands behind his back, and said nothing.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

"My lord!"

Listening to the urgent calls, King Liu Hao of Changshan became restless and irritable.

He shook his sleeves, sighed and said, "I would like to help you solve your problems, but General Su is now in the limelight, has a large army, and is highly trusted by the court. If I rashly come forward, I am afraid it will not be effective, but will bring more trouble to you."

"Your Majesty, this is wrong."

A white-haired old man from an aristocratic family said anxiously:

"Among those arrested is the chief historian of your palace."

"What? Du Changshi was arrested?!" King Liu Hao of Changshan stood up in horror.

"Yeah yeah."

"Just this evening, I saw Du Changshi's entire family being put in shackles and taken to prison."

"Even if it's not for others, for the sake of your own palace, you have to come forward and persuade the general!"

"Otherwise, if those people below start to blame you and end up saying something irresponsible, what should we do then?"

"presumptuous!"

Upon hearing this, Changshan King Liu Hao flew into a rage and slammed the table:
"I am a man of integrity. How could I be in league with those traitors? If Du Changshi really did something wrong, it was his own doing. What does it have to do with me?"

Liu Hong was really angry.

How can this be blamed on him?

This can't be done!

After Han Fu became the governor of Jizhou, he took control of the situation in Changshan. Du Changshi was also sent by Han Fu to monitor him.

Even the fact that he was placed under house arrest was not possible without the help of Du Changshi.

What does Du Changshi’s arrest have to do with him?

It is really intolerable that these people from aristocratic families are throwing dirty water on us.

When he got angry, he was so majestic that everyone was frightened into silence.

But soon, someone else bravely said:
"Your Majesty, calm down. We are not doubting you, but it is difficult to clear ourselves from these matters. Su Yao is a ruthless person. He can kill even a prominent family like the Geng family. What if he..."

"enough!"

Liu Hao interrupted sharply, his face so gloomy that water could drip out of it:
"If you really have grievances, you can go and appeal to the general. Although I am a royal family member, the military and political power of Jizhou is now in the hands of the general. What's the point of you coming to me?"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and was about to leave.

At this time, Wang Xi of Hejian, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke:
"Wait a minute, brother."

He took a step forward and lowered his voice:
"Although these noble families have made mistakes, they have deep roots after all. If we allow the general to continue killing people like this, it will probably shake the foundation of Jizhou. Why don't we jointly write a letter to the court and ask His Majesty to issue an order to restrain the general?"

When Liu Hong heard this, he paused and a hint of intention flashed in his eyes.

But he soon shook his head and said:
"Not appropriate. Who in the court doesn't know the relationship between the general and His Majesty? If this memorial is submitted, I'm afraid..."

He didn't continue speaking, but everyone present understood what he meant.

For a moment, the garden fell into deathly silence.

At this moment, a burst of rapid footsteps came.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a Jinyiwei captain striding over, clasping his fists and saying:

"My two great kings, the general invites you."

"what?!"

Liu Xi and Liu Hong's faces changed color at the same time, and the other representatives of the noble families turned even more pale. Some of them even felt their legs go weak and they almost collapsed to the ground.

"I don't know. I don't know why the general wants me to wait for him."

Liu Hao asked with all his might.

The captain had no expression on his face:
"I am only following orders to pass on the message. I know nothing else. My two kings, please come in."

Liu Xi's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice:

"Brother Wang, what should we do?"

Liu Hong took a deep breath and straightened his clothes:

"If it is a blessing, it will not be a disaster. If it is a disaster, it will not be avoided. Let's go and meet the general."

After saying this, he took the lead and followed the captain away.

Seeing this, Liu Xi had no choice but to follow.

The representatives of the noble families were left looking at each other in panic.

The main hall of the county magistrate's mansion was lit with bright candles.

Su Yao sat at the top, with Xun You, Wang Ling and others sitting on both sides.

When the two princes came in trembling, Su Yao was looking down at a document and said without raising his head:

"The two kings are here? Sit down."

Liu Xi and Liu Hao bowed cautiously and took their seats, feeling very nervous.

After a moment, Su Yao closed the document, looked up at the two of them, and said calmly:
"This general asked you two to come here because I have something to tell you."

Liu Xi said quickly:
"General, please speak."

Su Yao tapped the table with his fingers. "After investigation, it was found that Du Zhong, the chief official of Changshan Palace, Zhou Ju, the deputy minister of Hejian Palace, and others colluded with the rebels, took bribes and perverted the law. The evidence is irrefutable. This general has ordered them to be detained and will be dealt with according to the law after their crimes are ascertained."

Liu Xi's heart skipped a beat and he said hurriedly:
"General, please understand. I have no idea what these two did!"

Liu Hong also quickly echoed:
"Yes, yes, I was also kept in the dark."

Su Yao waved his hand and interrupted them:

"Of course, this general believes in your innocence. However."

He changed the subject, his eyes suddenly sharp:

"I just heard that many people from noble families entered and exited your residences late at night. What is going on?"

Liu Xi immediately broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly explained:
"Well, they just came to complain to me, saying that the general was too strict in enforcing the law."

"Oh?"

Su Yao smiled:

"Then your Majesty, do you think that I am too strict in enforcing the law?"

Liu Xi swallowed his saliva and said with gritted teeth:
"The general enforces the law impartially, and I dare not make any irresponsible comments."

Su Yao snorted coldly:
"Your Majesty is indeed cautious. But the reason I invited you here today is to tell you——"

He stood up and looked down at the two princes:
"Jizhou belongs to the imperial court, not to the aristocratic families. This general has been ordered to suppress the rebellion and rectify the administration. Anyone who dares to obstruct will not blame this general for being ruthless!"

These words were so powerful that they shook the two princes to their core.

Liu Xi quickly stood up and bowed:

"What the general said is absolutely right. I will definitely discipline everyone in the palace and fully cooperate with the general."

Liu Hong also quickly expressed his position:
"Yes, yes, that's what I meant."

Su Yao's expression eased a little, and he nodded:

"That's great. I'm relieved that the two kings are so understanding of justice."

After that, he waved his hand:

"If there is nothing else, please go back, my two kings."

Liu Xi and Liu Hong felt as if they had been pardoned, and they quickly bowed and took their leave.

After the two left, Xun You stepped forward and whispered:
"General, although these two kings appear to be obedient, I'm afraid..."

Su Yao sneered:
"It's okay. If they know what's best for them, I won't make it difficult for them. But if they dare to pretend to obey me but actually disobey me, I'd rather have them do it."

late at night.

After returning to their residence, the two princes immediately summoned their confidants to discuss the situation in secret.

"My king, what is the situation?"

Chief Clerk Liu Xi asked anxiously.

Liu Xi's face was gloomy. He recounted what happened to Su Yao today and finally sighed:
"This Su Yao really doesn't give me any room for maneuver."

The chief clerk gnashed his teeth:

"My king, are we just going to let him do what he wants?"

Liu Xi smiled bitterly: "What else can I do? He has a large army and the righteousness of the court. What can I do as a king who can't even return to his fiefdom?"

The chief clerk stamped his feet helplessly: "What does the King of Changshan say?"

Hejian is far away from Gaoyi and he cannot reach it, but Gaoyi is within the territory of Changshan State, and Changshan State is the fief of Liu Hong. Logically, the King of Changshan should have more say in this matter.

Liu Xi shook his head and sighed, "The King of Changshan is even more frightened than I am. His Chief Clerk Du Zhong was originally a spy planted by Han Fu. Now that he has been captured, he is so happy that he dare not say anything."

The chief clerk lowered his voice unwillingly: "My king, why don't we secretly contact other members of the royal family and jointly submit a petition to the court? Even if Su Yao is arrogant, he can't offend all the members of the royal family, right?"

"The imperial court? He just carried out a major purge in the imperial court. Is there anyone who dares to oppose him now?"

Liu Xi smiled bitterly:

"Besides, don't forget what the relationship is between the current emperor and him. Don't mention this matter again."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xi's chief clerk immediately lost his temper and sat down on his chair with a look of frustration on his face.

Everyone in the room looked around, but they were all at a loss as to what to do.

This is also natural, as the saying goes, the general trend of the world is vast and unstoppable.

Under the pressure brought by Su Yao and in the face of his unrivaled absolute strength, these two distinguished princes chose to close their doors to visitors, behave themselves, and not dare to have any improper thoughts.

Not only that, they even took the initiative to write to Su Yao, expressing their incompetence and asking the general to select the prime minister and the chief secretary to help them govern their fiefdom.

The surrender of the two princes marked the complete collapse of the old forces in Jizhou. With Su Yao's iron-fisted governance, order in Gaoyi City was quickly restored, and those aristocratic families that once occupied the upper class of Jizhou either obediently accepted the migration arrangements or were uprooted.

Under the leadership of new scholars such as Xi Zhicai and Fa Zheng, the land inventory and population census in Jizhou were carried out in full swing.

These young officials were eager to make progress and were protected by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. With the documents copied from the mansions of the aristocratic families, they quickly got a clear picture of the hidden population and land situation.

"General, please look, these are the latest statistics."

Xi Zhicai presented the thick account book:
"Jizhou had a registered population of 5.8 million in the early years, but now it is less than 2 million. In addition to the losses caused by the war, the aristocratic families have hidden a population of 400,000. These aristocratic families are really bold!"

Su Yao flipped through the account books and sneered, "What a Jizhou family! No wonder they were able to encourage Han Fu to raise an army of 200,000."

"Pass the order down, carry out the migration according to the plan, register all these hidden populations, and redistribute the land."

"Yes!" Xi Zhicai took the order and left.

Just when the census was in full swing, Cui Lie finally put aside his last bit of pride and publicly apologized to the court under the persuasion of his granddaughter Cui Ying.

In the central square of Gaoyi City, in front of all the citizens, he confessed his sins of following Han Fu in rebellion, and announced that he would give away all his wealth to support the court's migration policy.

I have to say, this was an extremely difficult decision.

When Cui Lie learned a few days ago that his granddaughter had sneaked into the county governor's mansion to save him and pleaded with Su Yao in exchange for his conditional pardon, his first reaction was not happiness and relief, but anger:
"you you you!"

“How could you do such a disgraceful thing?!” Cui Lie was so angry that his beard was shaking, and his fingers were trembling as he pointed at Cui Ying. “My Cui family has a good reputation for generations. How can we rely on our granddaughter’s sacrifice to survive?!”

Cui Ying knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face: "Grandfather, I can't bear to see you, I can't bear to see you"

“Shut up!” Cui Lie slammed the table so hard that the teacup jumped up. “I would rather die honorably than live in such humiliation!”

The room was dead silent, with only the sound of Cui Ying's suppressed sobs.

After a long while, Cui Lie sighed and sat back in his chair dejectedly:

"Ying'er, do you know that your impulsive behavior will not only ruin your reputation, but will also make the Cui family lose face forever."

Cui Ying raised her head, her tearful eyes revealing determination:

"Grandfather, the general is not as bad as the rumors say. He promised his granddaughter that as long as you publicly confess your guilt and support the new policies of the court, you can be spared the death penalty and sent to the frontier to teach and educate people, so as to atone for your crime."

"As for the sacrifice, it was not forced by him, but my granddaughter took the initiative to do it. I cannot accept favors from others without reason."

Cui Ying's words left Cui Lie speechless for a moment. He looked at his granddaughter's stubborn face, feeling mixed emotions.

Deep down, he was deeply moved by his granddaughter's filial piety.

But in terms of moral integrity and justice, he could not accept such a thing.

"Humph! What a good way to atone for one's sins. Su Yao just wants to use me as an example so that other noble families will obey him."

"Grandfather!" Cui Ying crawled on her knees and hugged Cui Lie's legs. "Please, just do it for the Cui family, for my father, and for me."

Cui Lie looked down at his granddaughter's red eyes, and something in his heart suddenly softened.

He reached out and stroked Cui Ying's hair, his voice hoarse: "Silly child, your father is far away in Xihe. If he knew about this, I don't know how sad he would be."

Cui Ying shook her head firmly: "Father always taught me that filial piety is more important than anything else. If father were here, he would definitely agree with what I did."

Cui Lie was silent for a long time, and finally sighed: "Forget it. Forget it. I have failed my ancestors in my life."

In this way, under the persuasion of his granddaughter, Cui Lie finally chose to compromise.

In the square, Cui Lie's white-haired figure looked particularly desolate. With a trembling voice, he recounted how Han Fu had coerced him and how he had foolishly participated in the rebellion.

"I deserve death and feel ashamed of the imperial court's kindness." Cui Lie was moved and tears streamed down his face. "I am willing to accept the punishment today. I only hope that the people of Jizhou can enjoy peace."

The people below the stage were talking about the incident. Some cursed, some sympathized, and some were secretly thankful that their families were not involved in this turmoil.

Su Yao stood on the high platform, watching the scene with cold eyes. After Cui Lie finished his statement, he stepped forward and said loudly:
"Although Cui Lie committed a serious crime, considering his old age and his willingness to plead guilty, this general has decided to spare his life and send him to Liangzhou to teach and atone for his sins. His family property will be confiscated and his clansmen will be relocated according to the law."

(End of this chapter)