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The Guards were making a lot of noise while carrying out their tasks, blocking all street intersections and tightly closing all four city gates. Those officials and noble families with a bit of insight realized that something was amiss. Moreover, when the Guards were dealing with the Xue family, the sounds of wailing from the Xue family echoed through the silent snowy night, especially clear.
The neighbors around the Xue family were all quiet as quails, afraid of disturbing the Guards, who might break in. However, they were also quietly paying attention to the movements of the Guards.
“Have they disbanded?”
“No, I don’t think they are heading back to the office.”
“They are going east.”
They looked at each other, the people around the Xue family were rich in the east and poor in the west of Chang’an. Who else would they target?
The Qin Family
It was also bustling at the Qin family. Madam Qin and Third Sister-in-law Nie Yunniang finally learned about the deaths of Qin Yue and Qin Ming. The news of Qin Yue sacrificing himself for the country had already spread in the court, and it wouldn’t be hidden for long. The funeral arrangements for Qin Ming also needed to be made.
Upon hearing this news, Nie Yunniang went into premature labor and began giving birth. In fact, it was already time for her to give birth. She was helped into the delivery room, followed by two midwives. The maids in the courtyard started bustling around, and the kitchen was constantly preparing hot water and food.
The whole Qin family stayed awake, naturally aware of the commotion at the Xue family.
Lu Songli knew this was not the end but the beginning.
The Xie Family
When Xie Zhan received the news, he was still reading in his study. Zhao Yutan smiled as she poured tea and water for him, washed the brushes, and prepared the ink beside him. In the dim candlelight, it was a scene of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman in a harmonious union.
The two got married yesterday and were deeply in love. Zhao Yutan was very clingy to Xie Zhan, who was in a good mood recently and didn’t mind it.
He was still thinking about which family the Guards would target next when he heard footsteps approaching the door, followed by the panicked voice of his servant, “Young Master, the Guards are coming towards our place!”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhan gently pushed Zhao Yutan aside and walked out, “I’ll go and see!”
Zhao Yutan followed but found that he had already left.
Xie Zhan led his servant towards the main courtyard, “Are you sure they are coming to our Xie family?”
“Absolutely.”
Xie Zhan’s face turned serious.
The Fourth Prince and those ministers who wanted to take advantage of the situation to kill the Crown Prince and were spared by the Emperor. He didn’t believe that the Emperor didn’t hold any resentment towards certain ministers who were originally part of the Fourth Prince’s group. Xue Huaimin was guilty of heinous crimes, and others were accomplices. He didn’t believe that dealing with Xue Huaimin alone would be enough to calm the Emperor’s anger; there must be other ministers who would bear his wrath.
In theory, the Xie family had joined the Fourth Prince’s faction later, so they shouldn’t be the second target of the Guards.
However, the Xue family was in the west city, and the Xie family was in the east city. Now, the Guards were ignoring those ministers and coming straight from the Xue family in the east to the Xie family in the west. This made Xie Zhan suspect that the Emperor held a grudge against their Xie family. This made him wonder where the mistake was made.
Unless he was exposed, it was impossible!
Xie Zhan immediately dismissed this speculation. When he advised the Fourth Prince, he was very careful. He dared to say that as long as the Fourth Prince didn’t expose him, no one would guess that he was the new strategist for the Fourth Prince. It would eventually be revealed, but for now, he was confident he could keep it a secret.
He originally intended to frame the Fourth Prince with the scheme of using a knife to kill someone. He would stay behind the scenes and let the Emperor see the Fourth Prince’s cunning. However, the Emperor’s current reaction made him wonder if the Emperor didn’t believe that the scheme to use a knife to kill someone was orchestrated by the Fourth Prince. Was he now suspecting those ministers who were vying for the merit of assisting the new Emperor?
Regardless, trouble had come for the Xie family.
The Imperial Guards knocked on the door, and the Xie family’s gatekeeper opened the door with trembling hands.
He couldn’t afford not to open the door. These were a group of executioners.
Xie Zhan stepped forward with a smile, “Commander Lin, what is this about?”
Lin Ran’s face was serious, “The Emperor has an edict! Also, please bring Xie Jingyuan and Xie Yun Song here.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhan’s heart sank. Xie Jingyuan and Xie Yun Song were his great-uncle and uncle respectively. They were both elder members of the Xie clan, possessing both prestige and ability. Their existence was crucial in uniting the entire clan.
The Xie family members were quickly gathered in the main courtyard. Xie Jingyuan and Xie Yun Song were also brought in. The former was already over sixty years old and was looking solemn at the moment.
“Are everyone here?”
“Everyone is here.”
“Then let’s begin!”
“Imperial Edict, Xie Mingtang, Xie Jingyuan, Xie Yun Song, kneel to receive the edict!”
With Xie Mingtang, Xie Jingyuan, and Xie Yun Song leading the way, the rest of the Xie family members knelt down in a flurry.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees, Xie Mingtang, the Minister of Personnel, has served for twenty years, diligently fulfilling his duties, practicing self-restraint and propriety, remaining unsullied and unblemished, recommending talented individuals and promoting capable officials, and stepping aside to clear the path for others…”
The entire edict was filled with flattering words.
Hearing these words, most of the Xie family members felt relieved. It wasn’t a decree of punishment after all. Earlier, the Imperial Guards had left the Xue family and directly headed to their Xie family residence, which had truly scared them.
However, Xie Zhan felt increasingly uneasy as he listened. None of these compliments about his father matched his father’s character and integrity.
Diligent in his duties? It could be considered true, although his father had frequently used his position for personal gain.
Practicing self-restraint and propriety? That was not the case. His father had never been one to restrain himself when it came to his desires.
Unsullied and unblemished, referring to someone’s unwavering loyalty and integrity, unaffected by external influences.
After pondering for a moment, Xie Zhan understood that these flattering words were actually all the opposite! On the surface, they were praising his father, but in reality, they were criticizing him, saying he lacked virtue and integrity and had poor self-control: He was unfaithful to his wife and disloyal to the Emperor. The phrases recommending talented individuals and promoting capable officials and stepping aside to clear the path for others were even easier to understand. They were referring to the Xie family’s domineering and tyrannical behavior, holding onto the position of the Minister of Justice for all these years and not allowing anyone else to interfere.
Realizing this, Xie Zhan’s heart sank further.
Looking at his father, his face was turning pale and then red.
Xie Mingtang felt that these kind words sounded so harsh. Was this truly not a satire directed at him?
Xie Zhan sighed inwardly. It seemed that the Emperor’s impression of their Xie family was indeed very bad. Thankfully, the Emperor was about to die, and the new Emperor would soon ascend the throne.
Finally, the long list of flattering praise for Xie Mingtang, Xie Jingyuan, and Xie Yun Song in the edict was finished.
Lin Ran paused slightly when he saw the following words, then continued reading, “The three of you, I am deeply pleased with you. I hereby order the Imperial Guards to announce my decree, granting you the honor of being buried with me. I now bestow upon you three feet of white silk and a cup of poison. Choose one and end your lives, do not delay! Imperial Seal.”
As the words about being buried with the Emperor were read out, the Xie family members felt their ears buzzing.
Xie Mingtang: His soul was scattered!
Xie Jingyuan and Xie Yun Song were also shocked.
This was a decree to be buried with the Emperor! Xie Zhan hadn’t expected the Emperor to pull this trick. It was truly unexpected!
Sheng Huai’an listened to the sarcastic decree word for word and was amazed. After all those compliments, it ended with a death sentence. It was ironic, wasn’t it?
In short, the Emperor thought you were a good official, very useful, and wanted to continue using you even in the afterlife.
The Emperor loved your Xie family so much that he bestowed upon you several burial places, you couldn’t refuse even if you wanted to, and you had to use them all. Or would you like to try refusing?
He was filled with admiration. The person who wrote this decree for the Emperor was truly talented.
He didn’t know that the first part of the edict, with all the compliments, was mostly written by Lu Desheng. The part about the death sentence was added by the Emperor himself.
The Emperor had told Lu Desheng to bestow honors on certain people, including several members of the Xie family and some of his political opponents.
Lu Desheng was reluctant, he hated the Xie family, and he hated those political enemies even more. It was fine if the Emperor wanted to bestow honors on them, but why did he have to be the one to write it?
He had pleaded with the Emperor at the time, saying he didn’t want to do this. The Emperor refused, so he thought of a clever plan and came up with these flattering words that were actually criticisms.
Lu Desheng didn’t know that after he completed this task, Emperor Kang Cheng would often lie on his rocking chair and have Wei Zili read these edicts to him. He would listen and laugh uncontrollably.
“When a ruler is about to die, he needs civil and military officials to pave the way for him! Are you unwilling?” Lin Ran saw that the three Xie family members were not moving and asked coldly.
Xie Mingtang, Xie Jingyuan, and Xie Yun Song looked at each other, their eyes filled with bitterness. They never imagined that this would be their death day.
“Your servants obey the decree!”
The Imperial Guards were keeping a watchful eye, they couldn’t resist. Besides, the rest of the clan was watching them.
The lives of the entire clan depended on their decision. Since they were destined to die, it was better to acknowledge the Emperor’s kindness and die bravely. That way, the Emperor might have a little more favor for the Xie clan. And the clan members might remember them more fondly and offer more sacrifices during the festivals.
Most importantly, after acknowledging the decree, they could at least have a whole body.
The three of them chose poison without hesitation.
Before drinking, Xie Jingyuan said to Xie Zhan, “The Xie family is now in your hands, Uncle is gone,” and then he drank it all in one gulp.
Xie Yun Song also raised his cup of poison and gestured to Xie Zhan before drinking it down in one gulp, everything was unspoken.
Xie Mingtang was scared, but he also understood that he had no choice, “A Zhan, take care of your younger brothers.”
The Imperial Guards, having confirmed the deaths of the three, left without delay. They had another family to visit.
Xie Zhan, burdened with grief, took care of the funeral arrangements. However, he kept a close eye on the Imperial Guards’ movements. When he later learned which families they had visited, he felt a sense of relief.
Xie Zhan hadn’t expected Emperor Kang Cheng to be so furious. After dealing with Xue Huaimin and others, he was going to kill so many people. Especially those families that had recently joined him, they were all targeted by Emperor Kang Cheng.
From this, Xie Zhan guessed that Emperor Kang Cheng was looking for him, the one who had given the Fourth Prince the idea of using a knife to kill someone. It was obvious that Emperor Kang Cheng knew who it was. Therefore, the heads of those families suspected and the main decision-makers in their households were taken away.
Emperor Kang Cheng probably wouldn’t let anyone go, even if he was mistaken.
His father and two uncles had been caught in the crossfire because of his decision. But he didn’t regret it. After the new Emperor ascended the throne, their Xie family would rise even further, maybe even becoming the most prominent family in Da Li!
Xie Zhan didn’t know that Emperor Kang Cheng had originally intended to uproot their Xie family. But considering the number of people he had already killed, the impact was already enormous. If he added more, he would push people too far, possibly leading to unrest, so he stopped.
Emperor Kang Cheng didn’t expect that because of this moment of hesitation, he had let go of the big fish he had been searching for all along.
It was understandable, after all, he was already at the end of his life, how could his body withstand such intense mental activity?
“Leader, where do we go next?”
“The third one, the Marquis of Cheng En’s mansion!”
Sheng Huai’an gasped. The Marquis of Cheng En’s mansion, wasn’t that the Empress Dowager’s family? The Imperial Uncle? He hadn’t seen any edict, so he didn’t know what heinous crime this Imperial Uncle had committed that made the Emperor so determined to take him away?