Chapter 58

When Yu Donglai came out of the imperial study, his legs and feet were still a little soft. Recalling his Majesty's words before, he felt a chill like falling into an ice cave in his heart.

"If anyone dares to hack the money again, I will kill his nine families. If the number of living people is not enough, I will pick up his ancestral grave."

For so many years as an official, it was the first time for him to see the emperor's anger with his own eyes. I don't know whether it was because the ministers had cheated him, or because fan Gu's 800 border troops and 2000 people died in vain. So at the thought of Yu Donglai, he was even more afraid. Hou Wenji's lie was enough to avoid the important and light, and His Majesty was still angry to this point. If you know that the 800 frontier army was actually slaughtered by youxiaowei... Who knows what kind of anger will be provoked?

Yes, God bless emperor Yang Yi is indeed gentle and rarely blames his ministers, but because of this, some people have forgotten the unpredictable power of heaven. When the emperor felt that his prestige had been reduced, he was bound to do something to make his ministers pick up their respect and fear for him. At this time, there will always be a few unlucky people. Even if they didn't do anything fatal wrong, at least in their own cognition. But when your majesty needs to kill, it doesn't matter what mistake you make.

The important thing is that your majesty will never be soft when he thinks he should kill.

The officials in the imperial court have been stable for a long time. They have forgotten that the emperor ordered to kill Qiu's family, who had rebellious deeds in Jiangdu, more than three years ago. More than two thousand people were killed in Jiangdu that night, and the three aristocratic families in Jiangdu were almost razed to the ground in an instant.

Because these three aristocratic families supported the third prince's succession at the beginning and spared no effort to help the third prince build momentum. Today's emperor Yang Yi is the most low-key of the seven sons of the former Emperor at that time. It seems that the most unlikely person to inherit the throne sat in the supreme chair.

The emperor wants to kill, sometimes in a hurry, sometimes not in a hurry.

He waited for seven years to fight against the three aristocratic families in Jiangdu, and he was really moved like thunder. At that time, Zuo Yiwei of the great Sui Dynasty was ordered to go to war to calm the chaos of the big thief Mao Feng in the south of the Yangtze River, and went to the Jiangdu army to enter the city to supplement supplies. In the evening, the aristocratic families in Jiangdu City also gathered together for a banquet for General Yang shunchen of Zuo Yiwei, and drank until midnight. General Yang shunchen returned drunk. Everyone thought that he had finished this general who was supposed to be the emperor's cousin in terms of seniority with a banquet and a pile of silver tickets.

But in the latter half of the night, the five thousand heavy armor infantry of Zuo Yiwei suddenly poured into the streets and alleys of Jiangdu, sealed the houses of the three aristocratic families in Jiangdu, and there was no process of questioning. Armed to the teeth, Zuo Yiwei's elite soldiers rushed into the courtyard of those aristocratic families and killed anyone they saw. The wailing didn't stop until dawn, but it didn't make any sense.

Overnight, blood flowed into Jiangdu City.

Early the next morning, General Yang shunchen of Zuo Yiwei announced the crimes of the three aristocratic families in Jiangdu. One of the most shocking is... Colluding with traitors to try to rebel. The three aristocratic families are headed by the Qiu family, the founding hero of the Sui Dynasty, a family of two princes and five princes. Therefore, this big case is also called Qiu Ni case.

And it was at this time that people suddenly woke up. Since Yang Yi can sit on the throne, how can he really be as gentle or even weak as he looks on the surface?

For the minister, betrayal is always the bottom line. Once you touch this bottom line, the end is already doomed. Whether the betrayal is real or the emperor needs it to exist.

The emperor kills people, sometimes in a hurry, sometimes not in a hurry.

It's not urgent to kill the three aristocratic families in Jiangdu. The emperor waited for seven years. First, he slowly stripped the people who occupy important official positions in the court and put them in a seemingly important position without real power. When the emperor could not know the Yin like design and Xu Rulin's layout seven years later, he killed all the people who made him feel that he no longer had to exist in the world. The reason for killing is actually very simple, because the existence of these people annoyed the emperor.

Now, the emperor is in a hurry to kill.

After more than ten steps, Yu Dong looked back at the imperial study and shook his head with a bitter smile. While he was glad that he had escaped a disaster, he also felt a sense of sorrow for the death of a rabbit. There is no doubt that the Minister of the army will die when he is given by the king. He can't escape the disaster from the day when the emperor wants him to die. The emperor wanted to kill him, not from today.

Fan Gu's case was just an excuse for the emperor to start.

Just as he was walking out in a trance, someone suddenly called his name behind him. Yu Dong looked back and saw that it was huaiqiugong, the Minister of rites who had been sitting in the imperial study but had not spoken.

"Huai Lao, what are you doing?"

Yu Donglai dared not be disrespectful to the elder of the three dynasties. Everyone knows that there are two special ministers and two emperors in the Sui Dynasty. A man of letters and a man of martial arts is the old minister who sits in the position of minister of rites but never cares about the affairs of the rites. Wu Zhe is Zhou banchuan, President of the martial arts academy.

Yu Donglai politely bent over and gave a younger generation's gift.

Huaiqiugong smiled, stroked his snow-white beard and said: "When I came here, I rubbed the carriage of Lord Zheng of the Ministry of household. Lord Zheng was left by his majesty to discuss important matters, but there was nothing wrong with me. My old bone couldn't walk home by myself, so I had to plead guilty with his majesty, and then hurried out to chase you. What's the matter? Do you have time to take me home?"

By the way?

Yu's mansion and huaiqiugong's mansion are fundamentally opposite directions.

But how could Yu Donglai not know that this old minister, who is very important in front of his majesty, has something to say to himself alone?

He quickly helped Huai Qiugong's arm and said, "it's my luck to invite Huai Lao to my carriage!"

……

……

The wheels of the carriage rolled on the surface of the flat bluestone slab, making a sound that could make people fall asleep. Maybe Huai Qiugong was too old, so he was sleepy after getting on Yu Donglai's carriage. He leaned against the soft inner wall of the carriage covered with brocade mats, closed his eyes and seemed to enjoy the slight shaking brought by the carriage.

Yu Donglai knew that since huaiqiugong stopped himself, he must have something to say to himself. So he was not in a hurry, so he picked up one side of the brocade and gently covered huaiqiugong's body.

This is not a sign of urgency, but it is a means of urgency.

Sure enough, Huai Qiugong slowly opened his eyes and looked at the brocade quilt on his body. Then he smiled and looked at Yu Dong gratefully. After taking a look, he mocked himself: "I'm old. It seems that I'm sleepy all day. As long as I calm down, I can't help dozing off."

"How can it be? You are old and strong."

Yu Donglai said with a smile.

"Where is it strong?"

Huaiqiu Gong said in a mysterious low voice, "I haven't touched a woman for ten years. Where can you be strong?"

The old man, sometimes really lovely mess.

As the most ceremonial Minister of the Sui Dynasty, he actually said such vulgar words in front of others. If the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty knew it, he would be surprised to lose his chin.

Yu Donglai smiled awkwardly and didn't know how to answer.

Fortunately, the disrespectful old man didn't intend to go on with the topic of women. He pulled the brocade up and covered it more tightly.

"Donglai, have you been promoted to the Minister of war for three years?"

Huaiqiugong asked casually.

"Three years, two months and six days."

Yu Donglai replied seriously.

"Life goes by so fast."

Huaiqiugong sighed, smiled and said, "when I first saw you, you were just a sixth grade soldier. In a twinkling of an eye, after so many years, I became an old man who occupied the pit and refused to move away, and you changed from a young man full of determination to an introverted and calm middle-aged man."

Yu Donglai said humbly, "you praise me for being old."

"Come East, do you know why your majesty is angry?"

Huaiqiu Gong, who was still talking about some boring things before, suddenly asked in a changed tone.

Yu Dong was stunned. After sorting out the words in his mind, he replied, "it's because I'm a minister. I'm very disappointed with your majesty."

Huaiqiu gave him a white look and said, "this answer is regular, but it's a lie."

Yu Donglai smiled and didn't deny it.

"The reason why I got into your carriage is that I can get along with you alone for a while. I can't let others know some words. You have been an official for many years and naturally understand what I mean."

Huaiqiugong looked at Yu Donglai and said faintly: "Since it's just you and me, you might as well directly say... Your Majesty's anger today is really because of fan Gu's 800 frontier army and 2000 people who died in the war, because of Li Xiaozong's guy who doesn't know the greatness of heaven and earth, Li Yuanshan's self righteousness, and the greed of the military department and the intelligence government... But these are not the most fundamental reasons. Don't tell me, you I still don't understand why your majesty is so angry. "

"Because your majesty is about to use troops in the northwest."

Yu Donglai didn't play Tai Chi this time, but answered truthfully.

"You didn't continue to pretend to be stupid, or I would get out of the car and walk home by myself."

Huaiqiugong looked at Yu Dong and asked, "then why did your majesty cut the army?"

"Because your majesty doesn't want to hear any opposition to the move. Hou Junci was originally strongly opposed to the use of troops in the northwest, and even accused your majesty of reckless use of swords in the court face to face. He was so happy."

Huaiqiugong said seriously, "Your Majesty is the sage king, so even if an official in the Court speaks ill because of disagreement, your majesty will not blame, but will praise more, right?"

"Yes!"

Yu Dong nodded.

"But how many people will fear the majesty of the emperor in the long run?"

Huaiqiugong took a long sigh of relief and said with some emotion: "Hou Junci is not unlucky, but he is an idiot... Your majesty should be wise and listen because your Majesty must do so. And your majesty still has many things to do, such as the move to the northwest this time. The Sui Dynasty has experienced five emperors. Which one has not opened up territory?"

He paused and said, "it's your Majesty's business to say a disrespectful word. But ministers can't advance and retreat without knowing where they are. For example, I... Dare to lose my temper with your majesty, blow my beard and stare at your majesty. Why?"

"Because I am an imperial master, and I am the imperial master allowed by your majesty. If your majesty wants to respect his teachers, I must cooperate with your majesty. And Zhou banchuan, the old guy also knows this truth. Therefore, your majesty allows us to rely on the old and sell the old. He is also happy to make people feel that such a relationship between kings and ministers is very charming."

"But does your majesty really dare not kill me or Zhou banchuan?"

Huaiqiugong was silent for a moment and continued: "so, I got on your carriage to tell you... To be a minister, the first thing to do is to understand what kind of minister you should be. Only when you know and understand, can you satisfy your majesty."

"Do you now know how to satisfy your majesty?"

He asked.

Yu Donglai pondered for a while, then nodded and said seriously, "Your Majesty may need a courtier who ruthlessly betrays his colleagues, and your majesty also needs more people to die in the military department. Therefore, after I go back, I should think carefully about how to draw up the list of greedy officials in the military department."

Huaiqiugong couldn't help laughing and looked relieved.

"It's not cruel, it's righteous."

He smiled and said, "what is righteousness? Being loyal to your majesty, satisfying your majesty, solving problems for your majesty, obeying your Majesty's heart and understanding the way of kings and ministers. The greatest significance of being a minister is that a gentleman is a gentleman, a villain is a villain, an eagle is a rabbit, and a dog is a tail."

Yu Dong came to sit upright and saluted deeply: "thank you for your advice."