A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 90 Witchcraft
Familiar name.

It all began with Dong Zhongshu's return to Chang'an.

The marquises, imperial relatives, and ministers who supported Empress Wei Zifu in ruling the court, the ambitions of Gongsun He, Gongsun Jingsheng, and the Wei clan's relatives, the calculation and reporting of wealth in court discussions, and the unsuccessful attempt to arrange a marriage between relatives—all these were the work of this leading Confucian and Taoist figure.

No, Dong Zhongshu also tried to trick the prime minister with a secret edict, but Gongsun Hong saw through it.

The precision of the target and the ruthlessness of the methods were terrifying, and Liu Ju finally felt the urge to kill.

"Is Dong Zhongshu still in Chang'an?" Liu Ju asked Zhang Tang.

"Your Majesty, after the court meeting that day, I heard that Dong Zhongshu returned to Ganquan Palace," Zhang Tang replied respectfully.

After a single strike, whether successful or not, one should flee a thousand miles away. This was Dong Zhongshu's lesson learned from experiencing countless assassination attempts during his three years in Jiaoxi Kingdom.

In Confucian terms, it means "A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall, but takes precautions to prevent disaster beforehand so as not to suffer harm later."

Not to mention, this crumbling wall was built by Dong Zhongshu himself, so he could run even faster.

At this point, even if they haven't reached Ganquan Palace, they've already covered most of the journey, and it's impossible for them to catch up.

"A cunning fox!"

Liu Ju rarely used such insulting language to describe others, especially a top sage, but Dong Zhongshu was far too despicable and shameless.

As for being angry, it's not that I'm angry. No matter how cunning a fox is, it can escape once, twice, or three times... but if it makes a mistake just once, it will say goodbye to this world.

"Take it down!" Liu Ju continued.

Zhang Tang instantly understood and ordered the officials from the Court of Justice who had accompanied him to arrest Gongsun He and his son Gongsun Jingsheng.

"Nephew, nephew, I'm your uncle!"

"Your Majesty, we truly know nothing and have done nothing!"

"We want to help you!"

"Auntie, Auntie, save us! Save us!"

"..."

Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng said excitedly.

Wei Zifu parted her red lips slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but looking at her son's resolute face, she remained silent.

"What are you thinking, letting your mother rule as regent?"

"What are you thinking, offering your mother strategies for calculating and reporting wealth, and presiding over the reporting of wealth throughout the land?"

"You're advising Mother to marry Princess Pingyang to my uncle, and my second sister, Princess Zhuyi, to my eldest brother. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

Three questions in a row.

Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng immediately stopped their cries for mercy.

No one would risk their life for someone's casual words, nor would they be swayed by Dong Zhongshu's advice. The only thing that can sway them is their own interests.

The reason for encouraging Empress Wei to respond to the call of the ministers and rule as regent was simple: the power of the Wei clan as imperial relatives would become even greater.

Although they were related to the Wei family by marriage, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing completely ignored their brothers, sisters, nephews, and cousins. They had no intention of forming cliques and looked down on the other members of the Wei family. The one who truly provided them with support and assistance was Wei Zifu.

After Wei Zifu became empress, the members of the Gongsun, Chen, and Wei families became arrogant and domineering. In particular, Gongsun Jingsheng, relying on being the son of the empress's sister, lived a life of luxury, disregarded the law, and treated everything as ordinary.

Among the common people, the "Song of Empress Wei" is widely circulated, containing only a few words: "No joy at the birth of a son, no anger at the birth of a daughter, have you not seen how Empress Wei Zifu ruled the world?"

The Wei clan, the powerful maternal relatives, included Liu Ju, the nephew of the crown prince; Huo Qubing, the nephew of General Wei; and Wei Qing, a high-ranking general. Perhaps only Empress Wei Zifu could be relied upon. The empress's power and abilities remained constant, but the number and ambition of the Wei clan's relatives continued to grow, creating an insurmountable barrier.

According to Dong Zhongshu, Wei Zifu was able to rule as regent with the support of the central court, marquises, and imperial ministers, and Gongsun He, Gongsun Jingsheng, and the rest of the Wei clan agreed almost without hesitation.

Then, Dong Zhongshu offered a "profitable" strategy, which the greedy and ambitious Wei clan relatives agreed to without hesitation.

The phrase "relatives becoming relatives" was also a tactic used by Dong Zhongshu to persuade the Wei clan, relatives of the emperor, to win back the hearts of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

The trap set by Dong Zhongshu, the huge pit he dug, was fell into by all the relatives of the Wei clan, who were completely blinded by greed.

What an intricate web!

Liu Ju looked at them, anger rising in his eyes. Foolish and unaware of his own stupidity, he was even manipulated by those with ulterior motives who tried to harm him with underhanded tactics. Family, sometimes they can hurt you for their own sake.

"Take him away!" Zhang Tang ordered the officials to take the man to the Court of Justice.

“Zhang Tang…”

"Your Majesty, rest assured, if the Minister of the Imperial Stud and his son have no problems, the Court of Justice will release them soon."

"Can you..."

“Your Majesty, even a prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner!” Zhang Tang said firmly.

Those he captured, even the Empress, could not escape. His record is verifiable, so how could he easily give up?

“According to my son…”

"Mother, no one will die."

Looking at his mother, who was filled with worry and fear, Liu Ju advised and admonished her, "Mother, you are now ruling as regent. You are enjoying great prosperity and prosperity. You should set an example for all the people in everything you do. However, indulging your relatives is not helping them, but harming them!"

I earnestly hope that before Mother makes any decisions, she will consult me ​​or my uncle, or even my eldest brother.

The reason why the Wei clan relatives dared not ask him, Wei Qing, or Huo Qubing for help or to settle matters was simple. If it was money or grain, Wei Qing could help, but he would absolutely not help those who committed evil deeds. Liu Ju would not only not help, but would also send them to the Court of Justice. Huo Qubing, on the other hand, would directly deal with the Wei clan members who had made mistakes.

The indulgence of the Wei family has come to an end.

Wei Zifu could say nothing more and sighed.

On the connecting corridor.

As Liu Ju walked past the Jiaofang Palace, he stopped in his tracks. "Zhang Tang."

"The minister is here."

"I have heard that someone is using witchcraft to curse my mother and me. Is it possible to find out?" Liu Ju asked indifferently.

Zhang Tang was startled, recalling the words the Supreme Ruler had spoken to him at the Five Emperors' Altar on the banks of the Wei River. He immediately replied, "Your subject will do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations."

He was very familiar with the witchcraft case and knew very well why it was for.

A power struggle.

Just like back then, Empress Chen Ajiao, who had no children, hoped that His Majesty would no longer be infatuated with other women and would only favor her so that she could conceive a royal heir. Therefore, she sought help from the sorceress Chu Fu.

Chen Ajiao has been neglected for many years, and witchcraft has existed for many years. His Majesty has ignored it for so many years, so why did he suddenly become so intolerant?
It's not that I can't tolerate it anymore, it's that I have enough power and want to take advantage of the pretext of breaking taboos to launch a reckoning against Chen Ajiao.

Now, Your Majesty must also purge the forces of Your Majesty and the corrupt elements in the court.

The use of witchcraft, shrines, and curses—methods His Majesty found to eliminate dissidents—is something His Majesty uses with great ease. Perhaps this is the way things are passed down through generations!
(End of this chapter)