Re-embroidering life

Chapter 135 Hibernation

Not long after, a piece of news exploded in the court like thunder. The Guards of the Imperial Guards and Yuzhou Guards went to investigate Jiangxia Jiaojinzhou, but encountered fierce resistance when they entered, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

Finally, the officers and soldiers found a huge arsenal in the deepest part of Jiaojin Island, which stored an astonishing number of weapons, including swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows and arrows, and even powerful siege equipment. And guarding Jiaojin Island was a well-trained and well-equipped elite private army.

The emperor was furious and immediately issued an order: "Immediately throw the Huang and Xiao families into prison. If we don't exterminate all nine clans of these traitors, it will be difficult to appease the public anger!"

In the court, all the officials who had spoken for Prefect Huang were silent, pale, and sweating. However, the emperor would not let them off easily. Long before this, the Guards had secretly collected evidence one by one, unraveling the various connections between them and Huang Anmin.

A terrifying purge began. Officials disappeared from the court every day, and at the same time, the prisons of various government offices were overcrowded.

Everyone knew that a fourth-rank prefect had absolutely no ability, let alone motivation, to raise private soldiers or manufacture weapons. There must be someone behind him. Who could that person be?

The Xiao family of Jiangxia started to manage this territory since the previous emperor's reign. Could it be that they had been harboring rebellious intentions since then?

If this is the case, the emperor's wrath will double, and he will settle accounts with both his own share and that of the previous emperor. No one dares to predict what kind of bloody storm will follow and how many people will be dragged into it.

At the court meeting that day, the court seemed a little sparsely populated.

Naturally, the vacant official position was frantically fought over by various factions in private, but all this had nothing to do with Ji Zimo. He never got involved in any disputes and was only focused on drawing blueprints.

At this time, an official stepped out and advised the emperor to thoroughly investigate the people behind the Xiao and Huang families. The emperor looked calm, as if he had been prepared for this. He nodded slightly and said, "My dear ministers, please don't worry. I already know the inside story. Call the witness to the palace."

The eunuch loudly summoned the witnesses to the hall.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the palace door, and a middle-aged man slowly walked into the palace. This man was elegant and handsome, with a tall and thin figure, sword-like eyebrows, and deep eyes like the sea. He was wearing ordinary cloth clothes, but he walked in the Golden Throne Palace as if he was strolling in the garden, without any discomfort. No one knew that every step he took had been prepared for nearly ten years.

Everyone in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment. Almost no one recognized him. Only Ji Zimo's eyes widened, and his body trembled slightly in extreme surprise. This person was none other than his eldest brother, Ji Zixuan!

Ji Zixuan walked to the center of the hall, knelt down slowly, bowed and saluted, saying: "I am Ji Zixuan, the humble servant, and I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty."

The emperor's eyes fell on Ji Zixuan, and his expression was extremely complicated, like sadness and joy, relief, and guilt. The emperor raised his hand slightly: "No need to be polite, stand up and answer."

Then, the emperor said in a serious tone: "Ji Zixuan, why are you here today?"

Ji Zixuan stood up straight, lowered his eyelids, and replied, "I came here today to plead my case with Your Majesty. For many years, the Zhang family of Zhenyuan Marquis has harbored rebellious intentions. Since the last emperor's reign, they have secretly joined forces with their former retainers, the Jiangxia Xiao family, to secretly operate Jiangxia Jiaojinzhou. In this dynasty, they have established an arsenal and privately manufactured military equipment. The soldiers guarding Jiaojinzhou are not the Xiao family's private soldiers, but the elite drawn from the Zhenbei Army."

Although the court officials had some vague guesses, they still gasped when they heard the truth.

"Later, Huang Anmin was secretly planted by the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion and became the prefect of Jiangxia Prefecture, and married into the Xiao family of Jiangxia. From then on, the two families colluded with each other and committed crimes. They opened mines in many places in Chu, annexed land, and withheld taxes at will, causing the people of Chu to be in dire straits and suffer unspeakably. I, a commoner, ventured to the capital and boldly begged Your Majesty to eliminate the traitors and treacherous officials, return a bright and sunny sky to Chu, and return peace to the people of Chu!"

After saying this, he knelt on the ground again and bowed deeply.

At this time, the chief minister Zhu Daxueshi stepped out and asked, "Ji Zixuan, the Marquis of Zhenyuan is a founding hero of our dynasty, with outstanding contributions and hereditary succession. He cannot be slandered at will. Do you have any evidence for what you said?"

Ji Zixuan said, "I was a Jinshi in the Xinyou year, and later served as the Tongzhi of Jiangxia Prefecture, assisting the prefect Huang Anmin. During my tenure as Tongzhi, I accidentally discovered a secret account book of Huang Anmin, which recorded the accounts of the Xiao and Huang families intercepting taxes, mining, and enclosure in Chu, as well as letters written by Huang Anmin to Zhang Yao, the Marquis of Zhenyuan. Today, I will bring these accounts and letters to the Jinluan Palace and present them to Your Majesty for your review."

After saying this, he took out a thick oil-paper bag from his bosom and raised his hands high. The eunuch took the oil-paper bag and handed it to the emperor. The emperor opened the oil-paper bag and slowly turned the papers inside.

"How did you, a weak scholar, obtain the account books and letters, such top-secret evidence?" asked Academician Zhu again.

Ji Zixuan didn't even look at him, and just uttered four words: "A narrow escape from death."

Zhu Daxueshi choked for a moment, and the Minister of Personnel beside him also stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I have an impression of the name Ji Zixuan. He was a Jinshi in two exams. After the Hanlin Academy was disbanded, he was sent out and later promoted to the fifth rank Tongzhi. But he was dismissed from office and his property was confiscated ten years ago for corruption. How credible are the words of such a guilty minister? Please think twice!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor asked Ji Zixuan, "Ji Zixuan, how do you explain the corruption?"

Ji Zixuan straightened his back, his face full of pride, and said proudly: "A mere sum of money cannot move my heart. I found evidence of Xiao's treason, and I was inevitably panicked. I was afraid that Huang Anmin would find out and retaliate. I was even more afraid that I could not protect these documents, which would allow treacherous people to run rampant and the people to suffer. I have some talent in calligraphy and painting, so I copied all the evidence and put it back. I was worried that if I stayed with Huang Anmin all the time, I would inevitably be exposed, so I thought about hiding in the mountains with the evidence. For this reason, I did not hesitate to fabricate a crime of corruption for myself, so that Huang Anmin would personally dismiss me from office and confiscate my property. From then on, I posed no threat to him and naturally disappeared from his sight."

"What, fabricating charges for yourself?!" Every word Ji Zixuan said was beyond the imagination of the ministers. The hall suddenly became like a boiling pot, with everyone talking about it.

The fact that he went through life and death to obtain evidence shows that he was extremely smart and courageous.

The fact that he was able to reproduce it exactly as it was without any flaws shows that he was extremely talented and had taken every aspect into consideration.

The fact that he was willing to defile himself to preserve evidence shows that he was decisive, resourceful and strong-willed.

The fact that he lay dormant for ten years and then made a stunning debut shows that he knew how to assess the situation and seize the opportunity.

What a respectable and terrifying person this is!