readytorunbook Chapter 571 Zheng Zihe was sentenced and killed!
Chapter 571 Zheng Zihe was sentenced and killed!
Zheng Zihe took all the blame and only mentioned some minor matters to King Jin.
The mixture of truth and falsehood makes it seem not so fake.
Zheng Zihe confessed to dozens of cases, big and small, and the eunuchs who were responsible for recording him were so excited that their pens were about to fly.
Finally, Zheng Zihe's voice fell, and there was an uproar in the hall. But after seeing the gloomy and bulging face of Emperor Qiwen, everyone tightened their tongues tacitly.
Emperor Qiwen was not unaware that the Zheng family, using the names of Prince Jin and Concubine De, were acting tyrannically and domineeringly, but he thought it was a common problem among the royal family and not a big deal.
But he didn't expect that what he knew was just the tip of the iceberg!
The lives that these "royal relatives" took and the extent of their tyranny were simply unbelievable to him!
He couldn't help but wonder, is this an isolated case or a common occurrence?
"Your Majesty, I have confessed all the sins of the Zheng family over the years. Please spare their lives for the sake of my elderly parents and for the sake of my grandfather's contributions to the country, even at the cost of an arm!"
"I am willing to accept all punishments!"
Emperor Qiwen suppressed his inner anger and even wanted to go back on his word and kill all the members of the Zheng family!
Such a family is rotten from the root. If he still keeps it, how can he face the people of the world?
But he had already said it, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and keep Duke Zheng and his wife.
Later, Zheng Zihe was sentenced to death by hanging, all the property of the Zheng family was confiscated, his hereditary title was abolished, and he was demoted to a commoner!
Although the Prince of Jin was not directly involved in iron mining, it was precisely because of his connivance and negligence towards the Duke of Zheng's Mansion that Zheng Zihe and his brothers committed countless sins!
From now on, the title of Prince Jin will be revoked, all property will be confiscated, and he will be confined to his palace for three years! All power and responsibilities will be transferred to Prince Li!
Yaozhou officials deceived their superiors and subordinates and oppressed the people. Prince Li Baili Moqing was specially dispatched to Yaozhou to punish the corrupt officials and appease the people.
The person in charge of Yaozhou Iron Mine, kill!
The owner of Qiansifang appears, kill him!
Jingnan Freight, all persons in charge under the Zheng family, kill!
All the properties under Qiansifang were transferred to the national treasury and would be managed by King Xiaoyang from now on.
……
The original purpose of Emperor Qiwen's Spring Royal Banquet was to use this opportunity to announce Yi'er's identity as a little princess to the world, and at the same time win over the Seventh Prince to express some apology and make amends for what happened five years ago.
Another purpose was to strengthen the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, demonstrating his great grace. At the same time, it allowed him to relax openly and temporarily avoid the monotonous political affairs...
I didn’t expect that!
How could he be relaxing? This was clearly a time of tribulation!
He angrily dealt with everyone and left with a gloomy face.
Concubine De was extremely panicked and followed him. The eagerness on her face showed that she wanted to continue pleading for Prince Jin.
After all, it's a demotion, which seems to be no different from losing one's life.
But Emperor Qiwen felt that he had only stripped Prince Jin of his title and did not demote him to a commoner, and he had already done his best for Baili Moyin and Concubine De!
Once the emperor left, the banquet naturally could not be held.
Officials hurried away with their children, fearing that they would be caught up in the storm if they were a step late.
A group of noble ladies with heavy makeup and gorgeous clothes left with a disappointed look on their faces. As they left, they cast envious and jealous glances at Shu He and Zhang Zhirou from time to time.
Originally, they were the center of attention at this banquet. At least half of the noble ladies present had prepared stunning performances, waiting to perform before the Emperor and the noble sons of Kyoto.
Maybe, she could take advantage of this opportunity to soar to the sky and find a husband of her dreams. After all, such a palace banquet opportunity is too rare!
As a result, everything was ruined!
Zheng Zihe was dragged away by the imperial guards. Before leaving, he looked at his mother who was rushing towards him with eyes full of regret.
This time, he was wrong!
He should have listened to Prince Jin and quietly dealt with Shu He, instead of causing trouble at the palace banquet in an attempt to overthrow Prince Li in order to drag Baili Moqing into the water.
He believed what the man said, and with Lin A Miao as a witness, he thought he had a sure win. However, he didn't expect that the man had already prepared everything and was just waiting for him to get into the trap and be hammered to death by them!
Finally, he looked at the distraught King Jin on the platform with extremely complicated eyes.
He seemed to be saying something to him, asking for something, but all his words were just silent cries. He didn't even know if King Jin could understand what he wanted to convey.
In the end, Duke Zheng and his wife were also taken away by the Imperial Guards, as well as Zheng Xiaodie, who came in a gorgeous dress.
Judging from her attire, this should be her first time attending a royal banquet. After all, she is a concubine's daughter, suppressed by her elder sister above and shackled by the Pang family behind. If Zheng Xiaozhen had not died, she would probably not have the opportunity to enter the palace now.
Unexpectedly, the first and last time she entered the palace, she completely lost her future days of wealth and glory.
She stared at Pang Shi's figure being dragged away, her eyes filled with immense hatred.
Outside the hall, many officials were walking slowly, looking back from time to time.
"It seems that this banquet has brought Prince Li back to the court."
"Yes, now that Prince Jin has fallen, the only ones left are Prince Li, the Eighth Prince, and Prince Nanyu, right?"
"There's probably no chance for Prince Nanyu to be the king. After all, he lost all face in the Shanghe Mansion incident! We in Tianqi cannot tolerate such a person ruling the world! Otherwise, wouldn't we be laughed to death by other countries?"
"Hmm, that makes sense! So, the final contenders are Prince Li and the Eighth Prince, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the officials who were discussing the matter stopped and looked into the hall again, silently choosing a team for their future in their hearts.
Baili Moqing glanced at them coldly, and the officials quickly turned around, feeling extremely guilty.
"It's over, it's over. The prince has noticed us! Will the prince think we have bad intentions?"
"No, no, I have to go back and prepare some gifts. I'll visit Prince Li's mansion tomorrow and apologize!"
After the man finished speaking, his feet slid out as if they were greased.
The person next to him was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted.
"This old guy is clearly trying to pay homage to the mountain with gifts!!"
"Hurry up, let's get ready too. Don't let others get there first."
The officials nearby also noticed the situation and ran out of the palace.