My Lord, your wife is spreading rumors about you again.

Chapter 87 Belated Apology

"I wanted to repair the river, but Your Majesty opposed it, but the people supported it, so 340 people died on the river. I wanted to grow crops, but the officials opposed it, but the people supported it, and after the first failure, 267 people died of hunger." He was filled with sorrow, and every word was tearful: "All the meritorious achievements I have made were built with the blood and flesh of the people of Pingzhou."

Mo Zhao's legs went limp and he fell to the ground, saying quietly, "After returning to the court, I want to ask His Majesty for a decree to exempt Pingzhou from taxes for three years and allocate more food for relief. But His Majesty is unwilling to do so because he wants to build a Zhaixing Tower for his concubines and needs tax revenue to support it."

As he spoke, Mo Zhao suddenly laughed.

"Second Miss Ming, do you see clearly? This is our Majesty, this is our royal family. The people are dying, but they are still thinking about stargazing! This court is like a piece of rotten, smelly meat, buried underneath are all maggots and pus! People like us, born in rotten meat, raised in pus, are destined to become these disgusting maggots!"

Mingli looked at him calmly, "Your Excellency is now indeed rotten meat, maggots, and dregs in pus. You hoarded official salt, raised the price of salt, and violently amassed wealth, causing thousands of families to be broken up. I also don't understand, how did the good official who shared life and death with the victims of the Pingzhou disaster become like this now?"

Mo Zhao covered his face with his hands, tears streaming from his fingers: "A good official? I have never been a good official, Miss Ming. This world and this court are just like this. I have also thought about cleaning up the bureaucracy and rectifying the discipline, but how can it be so easy? Just like now, joining the prince, forming a clique for personal gain, amassing wealth, and revitalizing the family, isn't that good too?"

"So, since you can't kill the beast, you might as well turn into its scales and claws and stab those you risked your life to protect, right?"

Mingli stood up and walked towards Mo Zhao, "Master Mo, you haven't been back to Pingzhou for a long time, right?"

Mo Zhao put down his hand and looked at Ming Li with tears on his face.

"After you left, the people of Pingzhou donated money to build a temple for you. They had just experienced a disaster and suffered heavy taxes. Even when they were hungry and cold, they still resolutely built a temple for you, praying for your well-being and success."

"What?" Mo Zhao was shocked. "But I... I never knew."

Zhang Zhi, who was standing by, suddenly said, "Lord Mo, do you know which prefecture was most affected by the salt transport case?"

Mo Zhao looked at Zhang Zhi, his hands trembling slightly. He must have guessed the answer, but he was extremely afraid that this answer would come out of Zhang Zhi's mouth and become reality.

"It's Pingzhou."

"It took Pingzhou seven years to slowly recover from the famine and heavy taxes, but the people hadn't even had a year of good life before they were completely crushed by the salt tax again." Zhang Zhi said word by word, "Eight years ago, you saved them with your own hands. Eight years later, you killed them with your own hands."

"Second Miss Ming."

Mo Zhao raised his head, his eyes dead silent: "I, I will write a confession, I will write down everything I know. But there is one thing I want to ask you to agree to. Once the confession is out, Jiangnan will inevitably investigate the case. You are the interrogator, and His Majesty will definitely let you accompany him. I have a yard in the suburbs of Beijing. I hope you can donate all the gold and silver in it to the victims of Pingzhou when you pass by Pingzhou. Don't use my name, I am not worthy of it."

At the last moment of his life, Mo Zhao finally chose his lofty ambitions as a teenager. Unfortunately, it was too late, and his belated apology and repentance were worth less than grass.

Mingli glanced at Zhang Zhi, and the two looked at each other and nodded. Zhang Zhi stopped writing, took a pen and paper and gave it to Mo Zhao. He pulled the bell on the wall, and the secret door opened, and several secret guards walked in.

Mingli bent down, picked up the clean and tidy robe, and handed it to Mo Zhao: "The entire Mo family is guilty of death, and I will give your private money to Xi Mo. Lord Mo, be a good official in your next life."

"Lord Mo, have a safe journey." Jiang Tong said.

"Thank you both."

Mo Zhao took the robe, took a step back, and bowed deeply towards the backs of Ming Li and Jiang Tong.

Zhang Zhi took over the subsequent handling of Mo Zhao, while Jiang Tong and Ming Li left first to give Shen Ke an answer. On the way back, Jiang Tong kept pulling Ming Li and kept talking to her. "Have you investigated Mo Zhao so deeply? I guess not many people in Kyoto know that he went to Pingzhou to provide disaster relief when he was young."

Mingli said, "Since we are going to take action against him, we must thoroughly investigate his ancestors. Tongtong, when the affairs in Kyoto are settled, come with us to Jiangnan."

Although Jiang Tong was not mentioned in His Majesty's decree, Mingli was afraid that if all of them left at once, the Second Prince would vent his anger on Jiang Tong, who was alone in Kyoto.

"That would be great." Jiang Tong was excited for a moment, but then she became worried: "But if I go with them, I won't be able to explain to Kyoto."

Mingli smiled and said, "It's not difficult. Just say that you have suddenly contracted a serious illness and cannot see anyone."

As they were talking, they walked out of the secret passage. Shen Ke was waiting outside alone. He looked up at the secret door when he heard the noise: "Sister-in-law, did you get it?"

Mingli nodded: "Zhang Zhi is finishing up, I think it will be done in less than half an hour, Your Highness, don't worry."

"Okay, very good." Shen Ke looked happy: "Then sit down first, let's wait for my cousin. Just now, my sister-in-law said she had something to tell me, what is it?"

Seeing that they wanted to discuss business, Jiang Tong said, "How about I go out first?"

Mingli shook her head: "No need, this matter is also related to you, listen together." She pulled Jiang Tong to sit down together, and said: "But this matter must not be known to Zhang Zhi."

Shen Ke's face turned serious: "My cousin and I grew up together, and our relationship is even closer than that of brothers. Auntie, what you said is inappropriate..."

"Your Highness, please listen to me." Mingli interrupted Shen Ke and said bluntly: "Within a year, I have a way to make the Second Prince and Imperial Concubine Yun fall into the abyss, but Your Highness needs to help me secretly."

Mingli spoke half-truthfully to Shen Ke for half a quarter of an hour. Shen Ke watched her eyes gradually change, from indifference at first, to confusion, to shock, to amazement, and finally to admiration.

Jiang Tong was stunned from the moment Ming Li said the first sentence, and finally murmured a few words: "Oh my God, are you crazy?"

Mingli looked directly at Shen Ke and asked, "What do you think, Your Highness?"

"I..." Shen Ke lowered his head, his eyes full of hesitation and eagerness. He raised his head, his eyes suddenly became sharp: "Are you sure? This is a road that will lead to death. You are my brother's wife. Even if I want to seize power and the throne, I will never gamble with your life."

Mingli smiled faintly: "Your Highness, the person in power should not care about the life of the chess piece the most. Since you are a chess piece, you should abandon life and death. Besides, I am a person without any worries. No one cares whether I live or die. I only have one obsession in my heart. If I can save it with my life, I will have no regrets in my life."

Shen Ke's eyes were bloodshot. He knew that Zhang Zhi really liked Ming Li, but Ming Li's words were really touching. If it was true as she said, Shen Heng and Yun Lan would definitely die.

"Do you really have no regrets?"

"not regret."

He nodded: "I agree."

(End of this chapter)