If the previous dispute between Liu and Wei was a storm, then Liu Yuanshan’s death was like an 18-level typhoon plus a 10-level earthquake, shocking the entire court.
Tea houses, wine shops, theaters, and even farmers in the fields are all discussing this matter, waving their hoes and talking loudly.
Some people say that Wei Changtian’s actions are an outrageous evil, scolding him for having no regard for the law, and that he should be immediately executed in public.
Others praise him, saying that he “vented his anger for the beauty,” and that he is a hot-blooded hero who dares to challenge the heavens.
Of course, no matter how the people discuss, it’s ultimately just discussion.
The ones who truly decide Wei Changtian’s fate are still standing on the treacherous court.
……
“Your Majesty! A life for a life is the principle of heaven and earth! If we let him off, it will be unjust and unreasonable!”
“Hehe, if it weren’t for the Liu family’s kidnapping, how would Wei Gongzi have made such an extreme move?”
“Bullshit! The kidnapping case has not been settled yet! Your Majesty, this is a plot by the Wei family!”
“……”
The debate on how to handle the “Wei Changtian killing Liu Xiang” case has been ongoing on the court for ten whole days.
The attitudes of the officials can be roughly divided into three categories.
The first category, led by the Liu faction officials, believes that this is a premeditated murder, and the entire Wei family should be held responsible and severely punished.
The second category, mostly consisting of middle-of-the-road officials, doesn’t want to offend either side, advocating for handling the case according to the law, with a life for a life, and executing Wei Changtian.
The third category is the Wei faction, claiming that Wei Changtian’s actions are a retaliation for the kidnapping incident, and that the Liu family is to blame, so the punishment should be light.
Three types of voices were in dispute, but overall, the second type of cry was the loudest.
Moreover, Ning Yongnian actually leaned more towards the second method of handling the situation.
The Wei family would definitely have to pay the price for this matter, but at this moment, they still controlled the Suspense Mirror Agency, and with the support of the Heavenly Net Sect, it wasn’t time to break off relations completely.
Otherwise, if the Wei family fought back desperately, it would be a real disaster.
As for the Liu family… Liu Yuanshan’s death had undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the Liu family, but their foundation was still intact, and they wouldn’t collapse completely, at most, they would only fall from the top three families to the bottom.
In this situation, with the addition of the Xu family, who had been staying out of the fray, observing from the sidelines… the balance of power among the three families wouldn’t change in the short term.
So, killing Wei Changtian was the most reasonable choice.
It would give the Liu family an explanation, conform to the majority’s opinion, and not put too much pressure on the Wei family.
Ning Yongnian had basically made up his mind, but he still underestimated Wei Xianzhi’s determination to protect his son.
On the 19th of September, the iron door on the third floor of the Wei family’s “Wu Ge” reopened.
In less than an hour, Ning Yongnian saw a shriveled old man with a sinister aura, full of danger, in the study.
…
“Old Wei!”
Facing the former commander of the Mystical Mirror Agency, who had been trusted by the previous emperor and had already reached the second rank, Wei Xianzhi, Ning Yongnian wasn’t too surprised.
The old man, on the other hand, was even more calm.
He glanced at the old eunuch standing behind Ning Yongnian, then lightly cupped his hands and said:
“Old minister Wei Zhao Hai, I pay my respects to Your Majesty.”
“You don’t need to be so polite, old Wei, please sit down.”
Ning Yongnian smiled and pointed to the chair beside him, but Wei Zhao Hai didn’t move.
“I don’t need to sit, Your Majesty. I only have a few words to say, and then I’ll leave.”
“Is this visit about your grandson, old Wei?” Ning Yongnian asked.
“Yes.”
Wei Zhao Hai didn’t deny it, nodding his head: “I’ve heard about what my grandson did, and he deserves to be beheaded.”
“But the Wei family has only one descendant, and Changtian hasn’t had a child yet. If he dies…”
“Your Majesty, I can’t watch the Wei family become extinct!”
“This…”
Ning Yongnian’s face turned bitter after listening, saying: “Old Wei, you’re making things difficult for me?”
“If your grandson had killed someone else, it would be fine, but he killed the current Prime Minister!”
“The Liu family has hundreds of people, and the entire court is waiting for me to give them an explanation. If I don’t…”
“Your Majesty!”
Wei Zhao Hai didn’t want to listen to these excuses, directly interrupting: “What price does the Wei family need to pay, just say it directly.”
“…”
Ning Yongnian’s words were cut off, but he didn’t get angry, thinking for a moment before slowly probing: “Since old Wei is determined to save Wei Changtian, I can spare his life…”
“However… the Suspense Mirror Agency has become bloated in recent years, and I think it’s time to downsize a bit.”
“I understand.”
Wei Zhao Hai was more straightforward than Ning Yongnian, and after hearing this, he didn’t hesitate, directly asking: “How many does Your Majesty want?”
“Not many, just two guards.”
“The Inner Guard and the Flower Guard?”
“Yes.”
Ning Yongnian nodded, speaking frankly: “If the Suspense Mirror Agency hands over two guards, I can spare Wei Changtian’s life.”
Wei Zhao Hai fell silent for a moment: “The Huajing Guard has been the fundamental institution of the imperial court for hundreds of years. Can the Emperor really replace it with another one?”
“Impossible.”
“……”
……
Five days later.
At the Huajing Guard, in the willow leaf-shaped courtyard.
Kong Chang Gui looked at Xu Qing Wan, who had appeared on time again, with a helpless expression.
“Xu Total Flag, I’ve told you many times, this matter of rescuing the young lord is not a domestic affair!”
“I’m not a coward either. If Lord Wei really wants me to rescue the young lord from the law court, I won’t hesitate!”
“But the case hasn’t been resolved yet, how can I agree to this beforehand?”
“You should go back quickly. There must be spies from other families here. If our conversation is overheard, we might end up on the execution ground before the young lord does…”
“……”
Kong Chang Gui, as usual, tried to persuade Xu Qing Wan with a bitter tone, but Xu Qing Wan was as stubborn as ever and refused to leave.
She had been waiting at Kong Chang Gui’s place for seven or eight days, arriving early and leaving late every day, like clockwork.
This was a desperate move.
Since Wei Chang Tian was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, Xu Qing Wan had immediately taken all her savings and waited at the Wei residence gate for three days.
But she didn’t see anyone.
Wei Xian Zhi and Qin Cai Zhen were busy trying to save their son’s life by pulling strings and building connections.
Lu Jing Yao was so worried that she couldn’t eat or sleep, locking herself in her room every day.
No one paid attention to her, so Xu Qing Wan had to think of a way out herself. After some thought, she decided to rescue the young lord from the law court.
She knew that she couldn’t do it alone, and her other colleagues, except for Zhou Cheng, were all hesitant. So, she started her daily “work” at Kong Chang Gui’s place.
In fact, Xu Qing Wan had long understood Kong Chang Gui’s attitude, but she still came every day.
Because only this way, her heart wouldn’t feel so empty, and she would feel like she was doing something, no matter how meaningless.
“……Xu Total Flag, don’t be so pessimistic. The young lord might not be sentenced to death…”
On the other side, Kong Chang Gui was still talking nonstop, but he didn’t believe his own words.
According to the information gathered over the past few days, Wei Chang Tian was likely to be sentenced to death, with only the execution method being uncertain.
Would it be “thousand cuts” or “five-horse dismemberment”, or…
“Suddenly, a shout came from outside the window, with a hint of excitement in the voice.
Xu Qing Wan’s face turned pale in an instant, as if all her energy had been drained, and she slumped in her chair.
Kong Chang Gui’s face turned dark, and the next second, he burst out of the window.
His angry roar soon followed, passing through the large hole in the window.
“The young lord has been sentenced! Are you happy about it?!!”
“Ah? Lord Kong, this…this is indeed a joyful event!”
“You’re good! Then I’ll make you even happier!!”
“Ah!! Lord Kong, what are you going to do? You’ve misunderstood me!!”
“Misunderstood? What misunderstood?!”
“The young lord…he wasn’t sentenced to death!”
“What?! How was it judged?!”
“Gulp……”
The person who shouted swallowed their saliva, then stammered:
“Exiled to the border, not allowed to return to the capital for three years.”