usatvline Chapter 302 Promotion
Chapter 302 Promotion
When Xiao Ji stood in the main hall, who would believe he would kill someone? Especially not with such a despicable means as poisoning.
"Minister Zhao, tell me, did Xiao Ji leave the city yesterday?" The Emperor turned to Zhao Jinxiao and asked.
The ministers' clamor immediately subsided.
Commander Zhao said, "Your Majesty, Lord Xiao did not leave the city yesterday. His trusted men were either injured or chasing fugitives, and there was no unusual activity from Xiao's subordinates."
His words left everyone speechless with astonishment.
The Imperial City Guard is so all-pervasive that it can monitor things to this extent.
The Xiao family was a prominent official family in the court. Not only were the two officials under close surveillance, but even their close subordinates were not spared from the eyes of the Imperial City Guard.
What about everyone else?
Many officials broke out in a cold sweat, and some even collapsed to the ground.
The emperor's sharp gaze swept across the entire hall, and he called out a few names. Immediately, imperial guards rushed into the hall and dragged those people out.
"Your Majesty, spare your life!"
"Your Majesty... I admit my mistake! I will never dare to do it again!"
Soon, screams came from outside. An official peeked out and saw a bloody head rolling several times on the ground.
Everyone was filled with fear.
The Emperor has not been so decisive and ruthless in a long time.
At this moment, even Minister Zhao silently returned to his original position, no longer daring to target Xiao Ji.
No one knows how long the emperor's killing spree will last.
"My ministers, do not be nervous. I will not kill people without cause. Minister Zhao, tell me what mistakes they have made."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Commander Zhao stood in the main hall and loudly proclaimed: "Kuang Yi, the Imperial Diarist of the Secretariat, has been punished for selling His Majesty's private information and is guilty of treason and collusion with the enemy!"
Wang Wei, from the Ordnance Department, accepted bribes, stole and sold weapons, and obtained illicit wealth. He was sentenced to beheading and his family property was confiscated.
"Zong Shengtang, the Left Grand Counselor, has openly criticized state affairs and shown contempt for the Emperor. This is a grave offense of disrespect and he shall be executed!"
These crimes certainly deserve death, but what's terrifying is that these crimes were not formally reviewed, nor were there any evidence; the Imperial City Guards executed them based solely on a single statement.
Wouldn't that mean that whoever the Imperial City Guard decides deserves to die would die?
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts, and even those who wanted to plead for those people dared not do so.
Who dares to say they are completely innocent? If the emperor holds a grudge, they might be the next one to lose their head.
The Emperor sighed and helped the eunuch to his feet. "It is unlucky for the main hall to see blood today. Court will be suspended for three days. You may all leave."
All the civil and military officials knelt before the emperor, chanting, "Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!"
"By the way, although Xiao Ji is young, he is a brilliant judge of cases. It just so happens that Minister Chu is getting old. I grant Minister Chu permission to return to his hometown to enjoy his retirement. The Judicial Commission will be handed over to Xiao Ji."
The Ministry of Personnel originally proposed Xiao Ji to be a judge, on par with Judge Xu. Unexpectedly, the Emperor directly promoted Xiao Ji to the position of chief judge.
Xiao Ji quickly stepped forward to express his gratitude.
The Minister of Personnel shrewdly agreed and began to praise Xiao Ji highly.
The officials also realized that the emperor not only favored Xiao Ji, but was also very satisfied with the entire Xiao family.
After the court session ended, Xiao Ji and his father left the palace side by side.
His hand gripped his father's arm, and the cold sweat on his back felt chilly.
"Were you scared?" Xiao's father asked.
"Yes, it is. It was my son's first time attending court, and I never expected him to encounter something like this. Has His Majesty always been like this?"
"No, that's not it." Xiao's father shook his head at Xiao Ji, as there were some things he couldn't say in public.
Thinking about Zhao Jinxiao's outburst today, I'm afraid even my home won't be safe anymore.
This is what Xiao Ji fears most. He had secretly invited the Second Prince to his home, and there were two people who shouldn't be there being held in the manor. If the Imperial City Guard found out about this, he and the Xiao family would be in danger.
"Don't be afraid. His Majesty is just making an example of them today. The crimes of those three could not have been discovered recently. It's just a means for His Majesty to establish the authority of the Imperial City Guard."
"How many people are there in the Imperial City Guard? There are so many officials in the court, and each household has hundreds of people. How can the Imperial City Guard possibly keep track of them all?"
Xiao's father guessed that Zhao Jinxiao's words were just casual remarks. After all, Xiao Ji's whereabouts yesterday were easy to trace, and the people around him were all traceable. A little investigation would yield results.
"Speaking of which, do you have any guesses about who killed Zhao Xuan?"
If Xiao's father didn't know his son well, he would have been the first to suspect him in this situation.
Zhao Xuan's death was truly timely.
Xiao Ji lowered his eyes, shook his head, and said, "I don't know."
After leaving the palace gates, Xiao Ji and his son went home together.
Many officials also rushed home first, as destroying some evidence was naturally more important than matters of official business.
And those three officials who were beheaded—there were more than just one or two people connected to them. They all had to clean up their messes to avoid giving the emperor any leverage to find fault with them.
Originally, the Xiao family was decorating their home after learning that the eldest young master had been promoted, and Madam Xiao was even preparing to celebrate.
Seeing that the father and son returned before noon, with solemn expressions, I had a bad feeling.
"What happened? Did Zhao Kaizhi make things difficult for our family?"
Mr. Xiao helped his wife inside, forcing a smile as he said, "No, our son has become the head of the Judicial Commission. Go and prepare a generous gift. I'll take him to the Chu family this afternoon."
Although Chu Mo hadn't been in charge for a long time, he was, after all, being asked to move to Xiao Ji's place, so he had to be given the respect he deserved.
Moreover, having held that position for so many years, he must have some connections, so handing them over to Xiao Ji would be the best option.
"Should we still have a victory celebration banquet?"
Xiao Ji had no mood to celebrate at this moment. "My mother is ill and there are many things to do at home, so let's skip the celebration."
"No, we must do it! Not only must we do it, but we must do it in a grand and spectacular way!" Father Xiao made the final decision.
Seeing his wife and daughter looking at him with puzzlement, he explained, "A promotion is a joyous occasion, and every family holds a banquet. This is a time for celebration to dispel bad luck."
Xiao's father now harbors deep resentment towards the Zhao family.
The marriage he had carefully chosen for his eldest son almost killed him. Now that Zhao Xuan is dead, the hatred between the two families will only deepen.
Since there's no way to resolve this, we can only make things worse for the Zhao family.
In the afternoon, the Xiao family father and son made a grand visit to the Chu family with gifts. An hour later, the father and son arrived at the largest restaurant in the city, booked the entire floor, and hosted a banquet for officials with whom they had good relations in the court.
Xiao Ji was not a strong drinker, and after toasting everyone, he was helped down to rest.
A moment later, an ordinary horse-drawn carriage carrying several large wine vats left the city.
The assassin in the city has been caught, but the city gatekeepers are at their laziest, and they let him pass without even checking him.
By the time the carriage arrived at the villa outside the city, it was already dark, and Suiying and Shenlan were already waiting there.
Seeing Xiao Ji emerge from the wine vat, Shen Lan teased, "My lord, you're leaving the city to visit your own estate. Why are you resorting to the 'golden cicada shedding its shell' tactic?"
Xiao Ji stretched his arms and legs and said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. Nobody knows where the Imperial City Guard's spies are hiding. We need to resolve this trouble as soon as possible."
Shen Lan arrived early and had already visited the imprisoned assassins.
He was tortured beyond recognition, but he was incredibly stubborn and refused to reveal anything of value.
"My lord, Miss Shen just offered a plan that I think might be useful."
"Really? Let's go in and take a look."