I, the most powerful minister of the Tang Dynasty, have been exposed by the heavens.

Zhenguan period

"Good! Well done!"

When Li Shimin saw Yang Guozhong's head roll away, he slapped his thigh and was so happy that he almost jumped up from his throne!

"That's exactly what should be done! Why bother with procedures when dealing with such corrupt officials who bring disaster to the country and its people? A clean cut is the most swift and effective way!"

"Well done, Lu Wuming! Haha!"

He couldn't help but laugh out loud, feeling that the pent-up anger in his chest from witnessing the evil deeds of treacherous officials dissipate almost entirely.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Lord Lu's actions are truly gratifying!"

The courtiers below also breathed a sigh of relief and echoed his sentiments.

After all, it's satisfying to see corrupt officials brought to justice.

After Li Shimin laughed, the excitement on his face gradually faded, and his brows furrowed slightly.

It felt great, but...

He stroked his chin, looking at the old minister in the light screen, who had white hair but dared to kill someone in front of the emperor and force the emperor to issue an edict. The string in his heart tightened again.

Isn't Lu Wuming's method a bit too ruthless? And doesn't he... have any respect for the emperor?

He pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to Wei Zheng, who was staring intently at the light screen beside him:

"Xuancheng, what do you think of Lu Wuming? What kind of person is he really?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng withdrew his gaze, stroked his beard, and pondered for a moment before speaking:

"Your Majesty, regarding the matter of executing Yang Guozhong alone, I believe that Lord Lu did the right thing, did it ruthlessly, and did it...necessarily."

He paused, then continued:

"Such a heinous villain, with mountains of evidence against him, has aroused widespread public resentment. The longer he is kept, the greater the potential for disaster."

"A decisive and swift approach, though seemingly presumptuous, is actually more beneficial than harmful to the country and its people. This is its 'rightness'."

"However," Wei Zheng changed the subject, his tone becoming serious.

"As a subject, he presumptuously used force before the emperor without imperial approval, and afterwards even forced the emperor to issue an edict..."

"The proper etiquette between ruler and subject, and the order of rank and status, are indeed flawed. This is its fault."

He raised his head and looked at Li Shimin:

Therefore, this person's actions can be described as having both merits and demerits.

"Your Majesty asked me for my opinion... I can only say that in extraordinary times, extraordinary people are needed to do extraordinary things."

"But this method cannot be used indefinitely, and the person involved... must also be treated with caution."

After listening, Li Shimin slowly nodded.

"Hmm... Xuan Cheng's words are quite apt."

He looked up at the sky again, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

This nameless Lu is a sharp knife, capable of cutting down evil, but it may also wound itself.

……

Above the sky, in the Xuanzheng Hall.

As he looked at the drafted edict and affixed the Imperial Seal, Li Longji felt as if the bright red seal had been pressed against his own face, causing a burning pain.

He took a deep breath, looked at the white-haired figure in the hall, and spoke with a suppressed coldness:

"Old Prime Minister, are you satisfied now?"

Lu Wuming looked at the still-wet ink on the imperial edict, nodded slightly, and said:

"Your Majesty, it is not that this old minister is satisfied."

"The border soldiers who starved to death because Yang Guozhong withheld their pay were satisfied; the people whose families were destroyed by his forced conscription were satisfied; and the Tang Dynasty, which was about to be engulfed in war... could finally catch its breath."

"Your Majesty, you misspoke."

Li Longji's face darkened, and he pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Lu Wuming ignored him and continued issuing orders, his voice calm yet chilling:

"Men, drag Yang Guozhong's body to the highest point of Chang'an city gate..."

"The corpse will be left exposed for three days as a warning to others!!!"

"What?!"

"Exposed corpses?! And hung on the city gates?!"

The court, which had just calmed down a bit, instantly erupted into chaos again!

Killing him wasn't enough? Did they have to expose his body? And hang it in such a conspicuous place on the gates of Chang'an, so the entire city could see it?

This...this is too cruel! Too merciless!

Many officials now looked at Lu Wuming with deep fear in their eyes.

Li Longji was both shocked and furious!

After killing Yang Guozhong, he could still barely explain to Yu Huan that it was unforgivable under the law.

But if her body were to be displayed to the public, such humiliation would be unbearable for Yang Guifei.

Where would he, as emperor, put his face?

"Old Prime Minister!"

Li Longji's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

"Death is a serious matter! After all, he was once the Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty!"

"To expose corpses like this, to trample on the remains—where is the decorum of our Great Tang Dynasty? Where is the dignity of the imperial court?!"

"Discretion? Dignity?"

Lu Wuming suddenly turned around, his old eyes flashing with a sharp light that pierced straight at Li Longji:

"Your Majesty! This old minister would like to ask, what is the proper conduct of the Tang Dynasty? What is the dignity of the court?"

He took a step forward, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, like a booming bell, causing the palace to vibrate and hum.

"The Tang Dynasty's system of propriety has never been a fig leaf to protect corrupt officials!"

"The dignity of the imperial court is not a castle in the air built on the blood and tears of the people!"

"True order lies in strict adherence to the law! True dignity comes from the will of the people!"

He pointed to the box of incriminating evidence, to the bloodstains on the ground, his aged voice containing a powerful force:

"Yang Guozhong embezzled the money earned by the soldiers who risked their lives on the frontier!"

"He harmed countless citizens of the Tang Dynasty! His crimes cannot be washed away with blood!"

"Your Majesty! The only way is to hang his filthy corpse in broad daylight, so that the whole world can see the consequences of such a scourge upon the country and its people!"

"Let all those corrupt officials still reaching out their hands see the court's determination to eradicate corruption!"

"Only in this way can we appease the wronged souls! Only in this way can we unite the hearts of the people! Only in this way can we let the soldiers on the front lines know that the court they are protecting still values ​​justice!"

Lu Wuming turned to Li Longji again, his tone resolute and leaving no room for negotiation:

"Your Majesty, please decree: Hang this edict and Yang Guozhong's corpse together at the city gate! Let them be scrutinized by the people and despised by the world!"

"Only in this way can we demonstrate to the world: The Tang Dynasty will never tolerate corruption! It will never tolerate treacherous officials!"

Li Longji was rendered speechless by his words, his face drained of color, and he opened his mouth but found no words to refute him.

He slumped back onto the dragon throne, utterly speechless.

Seeing Li Longji's dejected and speechless appearance, Lu Wuming didn't wait for his response and simply waved his hand.

"Take the imperial edict, the corpse, and the head with you. Do as ordered."

"Yes, sir!"

The black-armored soldier stepped forward, swiftly picked up the head, dragged away the headless corpse, picked up the newly sealed edict, and quickly withdrew from the hall.

Several pale-faced eunuchs hurriedly brought buckets and rags, knelt on the ground, and vigorously wiped the glaring scarlet stain on the gold brick.

The water stains mixed with blood were quickly wiped away, leaving only a damp patch, as if the terrifying scene had never happened.

The main hall was "clean" again, but the invisible stench of blood and the oppressive feeling lingered.

Just when everyone thought the storm had finally passed and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Lu Wuming's aged yet clear voice rang out again:

"Your Majesty, this matter is not over yet."

Li Longji suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse.

"Old Prime Minister...what more do you want? Yang Guozhong...wasn't he already executed?"

Lu Wuming turned around and faced the dragon throne directly. His eyes remained clear and sharp, as if they could see through any disguise.

"As I just said, merely executing Yang Guozhong is insufficient to win back the hearts of the people who have fallen apart, nor is it sufficient to rectify the crumbling foundation of the nation."

He paused, and in the deathly silence of the hall, uttered a shocking statement:

"Because Your Majesty, you also made a mistake."

"boom!"

This sentence is even more chilling than any of the previous ones!

Killing Yang Guozhong just now was killing a treacherous official; although the methods were cruel, it still had a righteous justification.

But now... he's directly criticizing the emperor!

To accuse the emperor of wrongdoing!

Since ancient times, have emperors ever made mistakes?

Even if there were, it would be the fault of the subjects and the fault of the times!

What minister would dare to so directly criticize the emperor in front of all the officials?

The officials didn't dare to breathe loudly, each one bowing their heads, wishing they could bury their heads in their official robes, with only one thought in their minds.

Is the old prime minister determined to cause a complete upheaval today?

Li Longji's face turned pale and then flushed, eventually turning a deep liver color.

His chest heaved violently as he stared intently at Lu Wuming, forcing out the words through clenched teeth:

"Old Prime Minister... what do you mean by that?"

He suppressed his barely contained anger and humiliation, each word spoken as if pulled from icy water:

"You say I...did something wrong? I'd like to hear where I went wrong!!"

Facing the emperor's angry glare, Lu Wuming did not flinch at all, but instead slightly straightened his hunched back.

He met Li Longji's murderous gaze and spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying immense power:

"Since Your Majesty wishes to hear..."

"Then this old minister will speak frankly today."