radicalducati Chapter 75 Questioning
Chapter 75 Questioning
Facing the two men charging towards him, Zhao Yu flicked his finger, and two jet-black flying needles shot out.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Two soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
The two imperial guards didn't even have time to scream before they froze on the spot, each with a flying needle stuck between their eyebrows, blood slowly flowing out.
The next moment, the two fell straight to the ground, dead.
From the moment they made their move to their deaths, it was only a breath's time.
The entire Chuigong Hall fell silent instantly.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Zhao Yu, their faces filled with shock, as if they were seeing him for the first time.
No one expected that this carefree prince, who was devoted to cultivating Taoism, would possess such terrifying martial arts skills.
In the blink of an eye, he killed two imperial guards.
Zhao Kuo was so frightened that he lost all composure and stood up from the dragon throne, trembling, as if trying to escape to the back hall.
But as soon as he moved, Zhao Yu appeared in front of him in a flash.
Before Zhao Kuo could react, Zhao Yu reached out and grabbed his collar, lifting him up like a chick.
"You've been sitting in this seat long enough," Zhao Yu said calmly, looking at his terrified face. "It's time for me to sit here."
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Heavy footsteps sounded.
A squad of armored guards filed in and quickly sealed off all the exits of the Chuigong Hall.
The cold blade was aimed at all the officials inside the hall.
Only then did the officials finally realize what was happening, and chaos ensued.
"Zhao Yu! You traitorous scoundrel, aren't you afraid of being condemned by the world?"
"Release the Emperor immediately! With a powerful enemy at hand, how can we allow internal strife to erupt? Prince Yongjia, you are ruining the country!"
"Xia Zhen, you traitor! Lord Shi treated you well, yet you repay kindness with enmity!"
Some people pointed at Zhao Yu and shouted at him, some cursed him, and some were so frightened that they hid in the crowd.
Several agitated civil officials rushed towards Xia Zhen, wanting to subdue him first.
"snort!"
Xia Zhen snorted coldly, dodged the leader's fist by the side, and kicked him in the chest with his backhand.
"puff!"
The civil official coughed up a mouthful of blood, flew backward, crashed into a pillar, and fainted.
Xia Zhen was, after all, a soldier who had been on the battlefield and had some martial arts skills.
It was no match for Zhao Yu, but dealing with these powerless civil officials was a piece of cake.
In no time, he knocked down the few people who rushed at him. The rest of the men, seeing this, dared not come forward and just stood trembling at a distance.
Zhao Kuo was held in mid-air by Zhao Yu, kicking his arms and legs wildly. Looking at the chaotic scene in the hall and then at Zhao Yu's cold eyes, he finally panicked completely.
He asked in a trembling voice, "Third...Third Brother, where...where did you learn such martial arts?"
Zhao Yu chuckled and shook his head: "At a time like this, this is what you're concerned about?"
Zhao Kuo then realized what was happening and quickly put on a pleading expression, earnestly advising, "Third Brother, please release me quickly. It's not too late to stop now. What you're doing will not accomplish anything; it will only cause chaos in the world and let the Jurchens reap the benefits."
"At that time, you will be the eternal sinner of the Song Dynasty!"
"A sinner for all time?" Zhao Yu sneered, slamming him heavily to the ground. "Compared to your betrayal, your ceding of territory and payment of reparations, your loss of sovereignty and national humiliation, what are my sins?"
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the panicked officials in the hall, and channeled his inner strength.
"Gentlemen, do not panic. Today, we will only punish the ringleaders and not question the accomplices. Shi Miyuan has formed cliques for personal gain and betrayed the country, and his crimes are unforgivable. As for the others, as long as they sincerely repent and serve the country, their past deeds will be forgiven."
"If anyone dares to resist and rebel," he paused, his gaze turning cold, "I wouldn't mind losing a few more souls to my men."
Zhao Yu's voice echoed in the Chuigong Hall, but not a single official responded.
Everyone kept their heads down, eyes downcast, seemingly trying to shrink themselves into a ball to minimize their presence.
They knew perfectly well that Zhao Yu was determined to usurp the throne.
But in their view, what good would it do to control the emperor?
Inside the imperial city, there are still two thousand Palace Guards under Yang Cishan's command, as well as the Imperial City Guard's personal guards. Once the main army arrives, Zhao Yu's manpower will be far from sufficient.
Impulsive courage will never lead to great achievements.
They just wanted to stay quiet and not upset Zhao Yu, lest they end up with a bloody end.
Even Shi Miyuan shrank to the back of the crowd, keeping his head down and not saying a word. These small fry naturally had no need to stand out.
But even after hundreds of years of nurturing scholars, there were still some people with strong backbone in the Song Dynasty.
A stir ran through the crowd. Lei Xiaoyou, who was then serving as the Privy Councilor and Vice Chancellor, pushed through the crowd and slowly walked out.
He wore a purple official robe, his beard and hair were slightly white, and his face was thin. Although he was nearly sixty years old, he stood up straight, his eyes were bright, and he looked directly at Zhao Yu on the throne without the slightest fear.
He bowed deeply to Zhao Yu and asked, "Your Majesty, do you have any concrete evidence to support your claim that Minister Shi is a traitor who has colluded with the enemy?"
"Even if Prime Minister Shi has committed a crime, the three judicial departments will jointly try him, determine his guilt, and sentence him accordingly. Why has Your Majesty led troops into the palace today, taken the Emperor hostage, and threatened the officials? Does Your Majesty truly intend to defy the world and commit such a treasonous act?"
Lei Xiaoyou's voice was not loud, but it was firm and resounding.
The officials in the hall all looked up at Lei Xiaoyou, their eyes flashing with admiration, but also with a hint of worry.
Everyone knows that Lei Xiaoyou was promoted by Shi Miyuan.
When Han Tuozhou held power, Lei Xiaoyou was demoted for submitting a memorial criticizing Han's faction. After Shi Miyuan executed Han Tuozhou, he was recalled to Lin'an and promoted all the way to the position of Vice Chancellor and Privy Councilor, becoming a high-ranking prime minister.
To everyone else, he was Shi Miyuan's henchman.
What they didn't know was that Lei Xiaoyou was never one to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy.
He criticized Han Tuozhou back then because he was dissatisfied with Han Tuozhou's autocratic rule. Now, he stands up to question Zhao Yu not to protect Shi Miyuan, but to uphold the laws of the court.
In the original history, just one year later, Shi Miyuan's ambition to monopolize the government was exposed, and Lei Xiaoyou repeatedly submitted memorials to resign. In the end, he was appointed as the prefect of Fuzhou, completely parting ways with Shi Miyuan.
Zhao Yu looked at the upright old minister in front of him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He then sneered, "Evidence? I'm not afraid to tell you, I don't have any evidence of Shi Miyuan's treason and collusion with the enemy. As for handing it over to the authorities..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall: "I would like to ask you all, what was the evidence against Han Jiefu for his death? How did he die? Why didn't you hand him over to the authorities for prosecution?"
Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent, and no one dared to answer the question.
Lei Xiaoyou's expression also became extremely complicated. His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.