HCB Chapter 1419 Zhang Jianzhi Impeaches 7 High-Ranking Officials for Treason
Chapter 1419 Zhang Jianzhi Impeaches 7 High-Ranking Officials for Treason
The dozen or so guards behind him rushed forward without hesitation after hearing the order!
"Do not!!"
"stop!!"
Li Yuan watched as his unarmed family members had their tendons severed one by one, and let out a desperate roar!
"I'll fight you to the death!" His second son, Li Ang, suddenly found the courage to grab a chair and smash it at one of the guards!
However, before he could get close, he was kicked in the stomach.
boom--
Li Ang flew backward, crashed into a pillar, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted.
"Ang'er!" Li Yuan looked at his son's appearance, his once shrewd eyes now filled with bloodlust!
He took a sword from the wall; it was a treasure that had been gathering dust for many years.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
He let out a roar and charged towards the black crow!
In his youth, he was a fierce general who had killed enemies!
Xuan Ya simply watched quietly as the old man charged madly toward him, his cold eyes filled with disdain.
Just as Li Yuan's sword was about to pierce Xuan Ya's chest...
A black figure appeared behind him and slashed his neck with a hand chop.
Li Yuan's vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
……
When Li Yuan woke up, he found himself locked in a small prison cart, his hands and feet tightly chained together.
He struggled to his feet from the straw-covered prison wagon and peered out through the narrow window.
Outside his prison van was a line of prison vans that stretched as far as the eye could see.
His family, his clansmen, and his former students and officials who had been drinking and making merry with him the day before were all locked up in prison carts like livestock.
At the very back of the prison van procession, the Li family mansion, once his source of glory and pride, was engulfed in flames.
"No--!!"
Seeing this scene before him, Li Yuan let out a roar of resentment!
The only response he received was the crunching sound of the prison cart wheels rolling over the ground.
The next day, Beijing.
Before dawn, civil and military officials were already dressed in their finest attire and gathered outside the Vermilion Bird Gate of the imperial palace from their respective residences.
At dawn, the palace gates were opened wide.
The officials filed in and headed toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which symbolized the highest power of the Great Qian Dynasty.
The atmosphere at today's morning court session seemed somewhat different from usual.
A sense of oppression permeated the air.
Many officials with keen senses noticed the unusual atmosphere and became cautious, whispering among themselves much less than usual.
In particular, officials from several prominent families, led by Grand Tutor Yuan Wei and Minister of Personnel Wang Yun, wore a subtle but palpable tension on their faces.
They knew that today would be the day that would determine the future of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Zhang Jianzhi walked among the officials, his thin face solemn at this moment.
Hidden in his sleeve was a memorial that would shake the entire Great Qian court.
That was sent to his residence by the prince last night.
He glanced at the contents of the memorial and didn't sleep all night.
Today he was about to do something that would go down in history, something that might offend countless powerful figures and bring about his death.
But he did not regret it. Everything he did was for the country and for the Empress whom he admired from the bottom of his heart.
"Your Majesty has arrived——!"
As the chief eunuch's sharp yet drawn-out announcement rang out, the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony instantly fell silent.
All the officials straightened their clothes and stood at attention with bows.
There, atop the nine-story Phoenix Terrace, could be seen.
A stunningly beautiful woman dressed in a black and gold gown, accompanied by Lin Zhen, slowly sat down on the phoenix throne, a symbol of supreme imperial power.
Today, she is dressed in full court attire.
Over her jet-black phoenix-themed dress, she wore a magnificent shawl embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix.
The ultimate black and gold, illuminated by hundreds of palace lanterns in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, reflected an aura of majesty that was almost too dazzling to look directly at.
A five-zhang-long continuous trailing tail silently cascaded down from the nine-story Phoenix Terrace, like a black waterfall, completely covering the entire terrace.
On the hem of her skirt, a colossal phoenix woven from real gold thread, its eyes gleaming under the palace lanterns, looked down upon the ministers who determined the fate of the empire.
An invisible, supreme majesty belonging to the Empress instantly enveloped the entire hall.
Under this oppressive aura, all the officials instinctively lowered their heads even further.
"Everyone loves you, please be safe."
Murong Yan's voice was cold and aloof.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The officials responded in unison and slowly rose to their feet.
The morning court session has officially begun.
The six ministers stepped forward in turn to report on the affairs of their respective ministries.
Murong Yan listened quietly, occasionally asking a few questions.
Lin Zhen, on the other hand, sat beside her as if nothing had happened, yawning listlessly.
It was as if the affairs of the imperial court had nothing to do with him.
Just when the atmosphere was becoming somewhat somber.
The current prime minister, Zhang Jianzhi, suddenly stepped out from the ranks of officials.
He walked to the center of the main hall and bowed to Murong Yan on the Phoenix Terrace.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to him.
They knew the real show was about to begin.
Grand Tutor Yuan Wei and Minister of Personnel Wang Yun exchanged a glance, both seeing a barely perceptible sneer in each other's eyes.
In their eyes, Zhang Jianzhi was nothing more than a pawn pushed out by His Majesty.
Even if he were to argue until the end, he could not shake the foundation of these centuries-old families.
"allow."
On the Phoenix Terrace, Murong Yan parted her red lips and uttered a single word.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhang Jianzhi straightened up and took out a prepared memorial from his wide sleeve.
He held the memorial high above his head, his voice loud and resolute!
"Your subject, Zhang Jianzhi, in the name of the Grand Chancellor of the Great Qian Dynasty, impeaches Wang Lang, Vice Minister of Rites, Chen Ping, Principal of the Ministry of War, and seventeen other officials!"
With each name he called out, the official whose name was called paled a fraction more.
When he finished reading the last name.
The seventeen officials were ashen-faced and swaying precariously.
"Your Majesty, I impeach them for forming cliques, engaging in corruption and bribery, colluding with foreign powers, and plotting treason!"
At this moment, the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was so quiet you could hear a pin drop!
Everyone was so shocked by Zhang Jianzhi that they were speechless.
Forming cliques for personal gain and engaging in corruption and bribery are, in fact, unspoken secrets within officialdom.
But colluding with foreign powers and plotting rebellion is a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!
Zhang Jianzhi, has he gone mad?
"Zhang Jianzhi!"
Right here, in the silence.
A furious roar erupted from the officials!
Wang Yun, the Minister of Personnel, rushed out from the queue!
He pointed at Zhang Jianzhi, his face contorted with rage!
"You...you are so slanderous!"