first minister

The prison of the Ministry of Punishment is now overcrowded.

Not to mention the former prime ministers and imperial censors, more than ten or twenty officials of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades were imprisoned. Not to mention, all the core members of the three local powerful clans were also detained in the capital.

As a result, many less important family members were transferred to Jingzhao Mansion, and hierarchical control was instituted. The officials and jailers from the Ministry of Punishment joked that they were too incompetent to even be locked up in prison.

But people in prison are not proud at all.

Either they are numb because they know they will die;

Either they are anxious because they are taking chances;

Or panic because of falling into the clouds

Either they are resentful because they are innocently implicated;

The heads of the Wang family in Jiuhe, the Yin family in Sixiang, and the Lu family in Xifeng were all escorted to Beijing two or three days ago, and they are all "qualified" to be imprisoned in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.

When they learned that Wanxiang was imprisoned diagonally across there and Yanxiang was imprisoned directly over here, not only were they not flattered at all, but they were filled with despair.

No one like this can escape this tragic fate, so what chance do little minions like them have of struggling?

It's just a pity for the inheritance passed down from generation to generation, it's a pity for the prestige accumulated from generation to generation, it's a pity for the whole family, young and old, it's a pity.

What a pity for his uncle! The only pity is that I didn’t put that unscrupulous descendant against the wall in the first place!

You dare to do anything to murder His Majesty. You don't regret dying. Haven't you ever thought about the filial piety of the whole family?

Oh no, even Dai Xiao's people are gone after this.

Thinking of these powerless anger, everyone sat slumped in this dirty prison, with no water in them, and no hope for life.

At this moment, several jailers came over, took the heads of the three families out of their respective prisons, put them in shackles, and pushed them outside.

"Master! Master!"

"father!"

"Father!"

"Uncle, wait for us to die together!"

"Poor master! Don't you even give me a meal when you are decapitated?"

Several anxious and sad calls suddenly sounded in the cell.

The three people who knew they would die also gave up their struggle and just turned their heads, their eyes desperately scanning the familiar faces, trying to remember them all.

The end of the narrow corridor they were dragged through was the end of their lives.

But when they were pushed out of the cell, what awaited them was not the execution platform.

When he found that the three of them were being taken to the room, the head of the Wang family said in a harsh voice: "Master Cha, for our status, using white silk and poisonous wine, isn't it a bit high-end?"

But the officer didn't respond. He just arrived at the door of the room, pushed the three shackled people in, and closed the door.

The room was dead silent, the front was pitch black, and there was no way of retreat behind them. Only wisps of light penetrated through the carved spaces, pulling out floating light pillars on the ground, illuminating the three feet in front of them.

The three of them looked at each other. Although they didn't know each other, they all saw the same confusion on each other's faces.

"Are you ready to die?"

A voice slowly sounded in the darkness, causing the three of them to look over in surprise.

The side curtains of the room were slowly opened, and light poured in instantly, lighting up the entire room.

Then they saw a young man sitting opposite them, and the tall guard beside him, as well as two civil servants and two servants beside him.

"Introduce yourself, I, Xia Jingyun."

As soon as the name came out, the three old men immediately knelt down respectfully as if their acupoints had been tapped.

"The sinner pays homage to Prime Minister Xia!"

Xia Jingyun stood up slowly and walked up to them, "You are involved in the serious crime of treason and are facing death. In fact, there is no need to show any respect to the truth."

"Xia Xiang Mingjian! Although we know that we will die, we are all daring young people who act recklessly. We dare not make excuses, but we have absolutely no disobedience or disrespect towards the Queen Mother, Your Majesty, and the Prime Minister!"

Xia Jingyun was noncommittal, "You three families, as the top wealthy families in the state, must have suffered a lot of people this time, right?"

The three of them hesitated. Although they were clan leaders, they really didn't know the exact number of all clan members, especially if they included family members and relatives, it was even more confusing.

"If we go back to Xia Xiang, there should be about two thousand people in the sinner's family."

"Back to Prime Minister Xia, the sinner's family has more than three thousand people."

"There are more than three thousand members of the sinner's clan."

Such ambiguous answers are naturally not the standard for replying to the leader. A civil servant behind him took the initiative and said: "Xia Xiang, according to the documents of the Ministry of Punishment, the total number of people in the Jiuhe King family, excluding slaves, is 2,742." , the Sixiang Yin family has a total of 3,357 members, and the Xifeng Lu family has a total of 3,229 members. Except for the core members, the rest are detained in the local prefectural government, waiting to be exterminated."

Hearing such numbers, even the three old men who knew they were bound to die couldn't help but feel their hearts tremble.

Population and land were the lifeblood of large clans in ancient times. It took many generations of struggle to accumulate so many clansmen! It's a pity that it was all lost in one day!

"Xia Xiang! We have committed the heinous crime of treason and are unforgivable. We are willing to die. However, in fact, we have been implicated and our clan members are innocent. I ask Xiang Xiang to be noble and leave a trace of blood for my clan members!"

The head of the Jiuhe Wang Family finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted out the words he didn't dare to speak.

But no one expected that Xia Jingyun actually answered the call.

"Actually, I know that you are implicated. The three culprits and their wives and children will naturally die, but for you who are far away in the local states and counties, my original intention is to give you a way to live."

As soon as these words came out, the three of them immediately knelt forward and their expressions suddenly became excited.

"Xia Xiang! Please, spare our lives!"

"Xia Xiang, we are really innocent!"

"Innocent?" If we don’t order them to obstruct the New Deal, will they take the risk and do such a stupid thing? Are you innocent? Are those people who have been implicated from the nine tribes because of these answers innocent?!"

The three of them were stunned by Xia Jingyun's scolding. Didn't we follow your words?

"Remember, you deserve death. It's just that the Queen Mother is kind and Her Majesty has a good life, but the truth is that she doesn't want to kill so many people!"

The three people instantly understood the source of the problem and lay on the ground without daring to say a word.

Xia Jingyun's voice rang above their heads, "The crime of treason is a serious crime. Even the Queen Mother and Your Majesty cannot release it casually. They must abide by the laws of their ancestors and make the court's ambitions submissive. Therefore, it is not that simple for you to survive."

The three of them all understood at this time and hurriedly kowtowed, "Xiang Xiang, please make it clear! The sinner is willing to atone for his sins!"

"The imperial court is now opening up trade routes to Nanyang, the East, and the Western Regions. Not only is it necessary to open trade routes, but it is also sending troops to open up territory and expand territory. To the east of Yuyan Prefecture, the small country of Zu'er has been destroyed and conquered by the imperial expeditionary force. To the south of the country, Going south along the ocean, there is a vast, hot land that is very fertile and can produce three crops of rice a year. The imperial court will also send navy troops south. The way I give you is to go south or go north."

The three of them looked up in astonishment. On the one hand, they were tempted by the temptation of survival, and on the other hand, they were filled with the feeling of settling down and relocating to their ancestors.

Xia Jingyun squatted down, looking at them regardless of appearance, and said: "Take your tribe out of Yuyan and go to Nanyang. The court will give you money and food support to make you settle down. It will also send troops to help you conquer the land and provide food for you." You reproduce and multiply. You are still my subjects of Daxia, but you are also the ancestors of a vast and hot land." The three of them looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

Xia Xianggong's words seemed to be discussion and encouragement. In fact, did they have a choice?

So, the three of them leaned forward and said, "Sinners wish to go!"

Behind them, a civil servant paused slightly and wrote the conclusion on the paper:

[In the summer and fifth month of the first year of Yongping, the three families were pardoned and the whole family moved out to pioneer the country. 】
-

At the same time, ten miles outside the city, the people from Beiliang appeared beside the white clouds, and under the leadership of Yelu De, they finally slowly dismounted under a mocking limerick.

Bai Yunbian nodded with satisfaction, "That's right. When you come to ask for help, you have to act like you're asking for help."

Yelude frowned, and a hot-tempered person behind him snorted, "Please? I'm afraid you're overthinking it. It's you who are begging us! Arrogant, arrogant, and unreasonable. How can such people be in high positions? This shows that your country’s talents are withered!”

Bai Yunbian immediately looked serious and looked at the person who spoke, "I don't allow you to scold yourself like this! It won't sound good if it gets spread."

The man choked instantly, and someone in the Beiliang formation immediately counterattacked, "You are so sharp-tongued, just showing off your power of words, and you claim to be Zhongyuan Zhengshuo, it's just ridiculous!"

"Are you just trying to use your words? If you can't scold us, why don't you say that others are just using their words? If you scolded us until we were speechless, we would have been complacent by now, right? Is it possible that you would slap yourselves in the face and shout that you're sorry? , I shouldn’t use my words to make people laugh!”

Bai Yunbian snorted coldly, "It's you who stir up trouble, and it's you who can't afford to lose! You'll be crazy when you win, and you'll deceive yourself and others when you lose. Between the two countries, it's nothing more than words and hands. Why, do you think your strengths are in hands? Are you saying that in front of Jiang Yuhu, you are just a reckless man, just showing off his courage? Go ahead and tell me something?"

If it were originally true, this attack power would not be strong, but for these Beiliang people who had just experienced the defeat of Yinmayuan a few months ago, Baiyunbian's move was tantamount to rubbing salt on their wounds. .

"Master Bai, when we first arrived, you were so imposing. Is this your country's way of hospitality?"

"Do you think you are a guest when you are treating guests? I went to Honglu Temple to welcome you in the middle of the road, and all of you are still here pretending to be stupid. Are there any guests who are showing off to the master?"

"I'm telling you, we have something important to do here. Even if your country's Prime Minister Xia Cheng is very face-to-face, we still have to weigh him!"

"Then let me tell you, I am such a powerful man. Even if Jiang Yuhu is in person, he will not be as arrogant in front of me as you are!"

"Sir Bai!" Yelv De finally couldn't bear it any more. He couldn't let his subordinates come up one by one to get slapped at him. Besides, Jiang Yuhu's reputation also frightened him. A smile appeared on his face immediately, "Sir Bai, you are a straightforward man from the grassland. , the etiquette is lacking, I hope you won’t be offended, let’s go into the city.”

Bai Yunbian glanced at him, "Who are you?"

"My official name is Yelu De, the envoy of the Xuanhui Academy in Daliang. I am the envoy for this mission. My father is King Dingxi of Daliang."

"Another heir apparent, you guys are really interesting." Bai Yunbian suddenly smiled, but didn't say much more, "Then let's go!"

Hearing him speak, everyone felt inexplicably relieved.

But then I thought, this is not bad, he is just a talkative person, and he is not to the extent that Xue Wenlu said that he does not even dare to say more.

So in summary, Xue Wenlu is still a waste.

Xue Wenlu also looked at Bai Yunbian's back with a bit of surprise. Today, Bai Yunbian's words seemed to have much less attack power. There were almost no such words that directly hit the heart. Could it be that he had restrained himself after being in a high position? ?

As this group of people headed towards the capital, several fast horses also rushed towards the outside of the city.

The two parties met two or three miles outside the city. Yelu De immediately dismounted his horse and looked at his daughter, who had been away for many days. His joy and doting were beyond words.

Xue Wenlu looked at the bright silhouette from a distance, but his heart couldn't help but be full of sadness, and he lowered his head silently.

It's a pity that Xia Jingyun hasn't copied it there yet, otherwise he could sigh in his heart that this feeling can only be remembered.

With the arrival of Yelu Caiqi, the serious and tense atmosphere in the team also dissipated a lot, and the group entered Honglu Temple to rest.

That night, Xue Wenlu's words finally came true for the first time.

As expected, Xia Jingyun did not show up.

Baiyunbian held a banquet in Honglu Temple to welcome everyone.

Everyone didn't feel neglected, because after some inquiries, they already knew the situation of the sharp-tongued and arrogant man in front of them.

He was a Jinshi, a Marquis of Huai'an, a royal official, and an important minister in the central government. The most important thing was that he was only twenty-three years old.

Although everyone in Beiliang, a place where official positions were purely based on family name and birthplace, they had never seen such a defiant person, so they calmed down a bit of their arrogance.

However, emotional arrogance can be suppressed, but situational arrogance cannot be suppressed. After all, they are here to fight for power and gain.

"Master Bai, your country wants to invite me to open trade routes with you. How sincere are you?"

Bai Yunbian smiled slightly, but did not say anything harsh, "Isn't sincerity already written in the document that Prime Minister Xia gave you?"

"But, we can't see much sincerity in that document!"

"Yes, the Northern and Southern Dynasties stand side by side and should be treated equally. Why is your country's share higher than mine?"

"What's more, this matter is your country's initiative to invite us to come with you. At the same time, the safety and maintenance of the trade routes must also be ensured by our country. The so-called "one-legged difficulty" is essentially your country's invitation to benefit, so why not Do you want to override our government and not benefit us?"

Everyone said something to me, and there was a tendency to attack in groups.

Their abacus is also very simple. Since you, Xia Jingyun, are not coming, we will pass the message to you first and you can weigh it yourself.

We may not be able to accomplish anything, but we can certainly do bad things.

Without my support, you really wouldn't be able to accomplish this!

Once you grasp this point and ask for more benefits and benefits, can you still get away with it?

Bai Yunbian smiled slightly when he heard this, "I am only responsible for the reception. I will pass on your comments to Prime Minister Xia and the Queen Mother. You can also speak in person when you enter the court to submit your credentials tomorrow."

Seeing Bai Yunbian's words without any offensive power, Yelu De smiled and said, "I hope Master Bai will tell you in detail that I am not good at business. My father has spent a lot of effort to convince all the families here. I think Xia Xiang must We will definitely be able to give us a satisfactory answer.”

Bai Yunbian resisted the urge to curse, forced a smile, picked up the wine glass, "It's easy to say."

At the same time, in the private room of a high-end restaurant, an old man said slowly: "The people from Beiliang have arrived. Let me inform you that we will launch a general attack in the court tomorrow. We must let the Queen Mother and Your Majesty weigh it carefully." , the strength of the aristocratic family!"

In the Marquis Mansion, Yanzhi came in a hurry, "Husband, there are many officials from various big families in the capital who are connected, and there are also several local heads of big families with official status who have entered the capital. It is almost certain that they will take advantage of the imperial meeting tomorrow to launch an attack. "

Xia Jingyun nodded and turned to look at Su Yanyan, "Everyone has made arrangements?"

Su Yanyan said: "Grandpa will negotiate it in person, husband, don't worry."

Then Xia Jingyun looked at Qin Li again, "Are you all ready?"

Qin Li hummed clearly, "Don't worry, husband."

When Xia Jingyun turned his attention to Feng Xiuyun, Feng Xiuyun took the initiative to speak, "I came to the palace today to discuss the details with the Queen Mother. There is no problem."

Xia Jingyun nodded slowly, then stretched out his hand, letting the summer evening breeze flow between his fingers.

"Although it's not cold yet, it's almost there, so let them all calm down." (End of Chapter)