Chapter 1459: The Bird That Sticks Its Head Out Gets Shot

The snow in the winter of the ninth year of Kaibao was heavy, though it did not last long, yet the bone-piercing chill after the snow cleared far exceeded that of previous years. Of course, for the upper echelons of power within the court, this winter was indeed too cold, a chill that ran from the soles of the feet to the depths of the heart.

At the Duke of Rong's estate, in the inner courtyard, still that same study, the bright candlelight cast across Zhao Kuangyin's face, leaving half in deep shadow, making his expression somewhat unreadable, but his mood was clearly poor, the cold air so heavy it was hard to breathe.

Zhao Dezhao stood before the desk, head bowed, hands clasped, not daring to speak. The reason was simple: today, following his father's orders, he had brought wine and meat to visit the prison, only to be refused. Though the jailer's tone was gentle, his attitude was firm, saying that Zhao Kuangmei was a major criminal and was not permitted to meet with anyone. Behind this, if no one had given the order, no one had backed it, how would a mere jailer dare to offend the Zhao family?

This was clearly not a good sign. Coupled with the trend emerging in the Western Capital over these past few days, even if Zhao Kuangyin could not see it all clearly, a sense of oppression welled up in his heart unbidden.

Soon, the steward reported that Zhao Kuangyi had arrived. Without even being shown the way, he strode straight into the study. Waving away the attendants, only the three of them remained—father and sons, uncle and nephews.

"Kuangyi, things seem amiss. Observing the public sentiment in the capital these past days—meritorious nobles confessing their faults, court officials turning themselves in—I feel increasingly uneasy. These past two days, I've felt my heart racing with alarm! Today, I sent Dezhao to visit the prison, and he was actually refused!" Zhao Kuangyin looked at Zhao Kuangyi and said gravely.

Compared to a few days ago, Zhao Kuangyi had also lost some of his composure, gaining more restlessness, no longer bearing that air of being unmoved by favor or disgrace. His brows were tightly knit, his gaze releasing anxious emotion.

"This matter—I miscalculated!" Zhao Kuangyi said in a low voice. "I never imagined that Kuangmei turning himself in would draw so many to follow suit, leading to such a surge!"

In truth, the suggestion to have Zhao Kuangmei turn himself in was not itself problematic. The problem lay in Zhao Kuangyi personally escorting the man to the Ministry of Justice. Looking back on it afterward, Zhao Kuangyi wanted to slap himself.

He had, of course, harbored private ambitions, wanting to use this to further elevate his own presence and influence. This was something he had always done, almost becoming instinct—whenever there was an opportunity, he would not let it pass.

Yet, he never imagined that this would trap him in such embarrassment. In this world, in such a situation, with such prestige—this was not something he, Zhao Kuangyi, wanted.

"Now, even members of the Fu, Gao, and Zhe families have gone to turn themselves in. The matter is growing larger and more serious by the day. Nearly three-tenths of the court's meritorious nobles and officials are implicated! This is by no means normal—it's too irrational, too dangerous!" Zhao Kuangyi said with grave emphasis.

"Second Brother, I've also heard some rumors today. Many in the court and among the common folk believe that since this matter has spread so widely, involving so many meritorious nobles and officials, in order to ensure the stability of governance and the reassurance of the people, the court will not allow it to expand further—perhaps even granting some leniency to those who have committed crimes!

"Some have even begun secretly coordinating, trying to stir up more people to join in, to petition at Chuigong Hall, to settle the central authority, to pacify the realm..."

At this point, Zhao Kuangyi's tone carried a hint of bitterness: "These people are truly unwise, too naive! They think that with a surge of public outrage, the court will be pressured into compromise and let things go. They think that with so many implicated, Your Majesty will be somewhat wary. They think that with numbers, they can achieve the effect of 'the law cannot punish the many'?

"Secret coordination is an even more foolish act! They think that through this method, they can make Your Majesty hesitate and compromise, even hoping to completely wash away past crimes and offenses. Little do they know, this is handing over the very handles against themselves! If the court wishes to deal with them, it need only follow the trail—no deviation needed..."

The more Zhao Kuangyi spoke, the clearer that unease swirling in his heart became, nearly solidifying into substance, blocking his chest.

Zhao Kuangyin was no military man ignorant of politics. He had naturally sensed the danger as well, and likewise said in a deep voice: "The key is—what does Your Majesty think? This is gradually becoming a posture of coercion against the throne. What kind of sovereign is Your Majesty? How could he be pressured by such public sentiment? The more it becomes so, the more dangerous it is. Things have already deviated from our expectations!"

As he said, the development of events had long since slipped from control, even exceeding the imagination of all involved. At this point, it was no longer something a few upper-echelon nobles could quell with their power and prestige. And the only one qualified and capable of applying the brakes—Emperor Liu—seemed to be becoming the most unpredictable variable.

One phrase: the sovereign's heart is unfathomable!

Those who play at imperial mind games have dirty hearts, and cruel ones too—especially a founding sovereign like Emperor Liu, who alone could suppress the entire realm. He was already prone to suspicion by nature, and some people, most unwisely, wanted to stir up the tide of public opinion to force Emperor Liu to yield. One can imagine how dangerous that was.

And it was precisely because the Zhao brothers had this kind of insight that they began to panic. The two brothers could say with complete honesty that they had absolutely no intention of gathering momentum or stirring up sentiment to pressure the court. Their original intention had been merely to save their own brother.

However, the development of events was like a train veering off course, wildly racing along a rough and dangerous track, liable to derail and overturn at any moment.

And most critically, the one who had triggered this wave of confessions had become the Zhao family. Beneath a vast net, within a dangerous game, unknowingly, the Zhao family seemed to have become a figure like Zhang Jin—caught in the vortex, unable to extricate themselves, and at any moment, possibly devoured.

"Yes! What will Your Majesty think?" Zhao Kuangyi's eyes were full of worry, his face bitter: "If he believes that the Zhao family secretly manipulated things, fanned the flames, and led the charge in building momentum to seek exoneration, then for us, that would be far too dangerous!"

As he said this, Zhao Kuangyi's tone was mournful, as if he had suffered some great injustice.

"Do we brothers have such prestige that a single call brings a thousand responses!" Zhao Kuangyin could not help but mock himself.

"But Your Majesty may not necessarily think that way!" Zhao Kuangyi looked at Zhao Kuangyin and reminded him: "Second Brother, Li Jixun, Dang Jin, and the others seem to be involved as well. They have always been close to us."

Zhao Kuangyin was silent for a long while, then looked at Zhao Kuangyi and sighed: "You're right! Now we have placed ourselves upon the brazier!"

Looking back after a few days, their decision to have Zhao Kuangmei turn himself in now seemed rather unwise. In fact, it would have been better to let the Three Judicial Offices discover it themselves, so they could have adapted to the situation accordingly—at least they wouldn't have plunged the entire Zhao family into such an awkward passivity. Clearly having no such intention, yet bearing pressure that did not belong to them.

"Second Brother, we must find a way to break this deadlock!" Zhao Kuangyi said seriously.

"I know! But how do we break it?" Zhao Kuangyin was deeply troubled.

Zhao Kuangyi pointed out with certainty: "At the very least, we must let Your Majesty know that the Zhao family has absolutely no intention of manipulating public sentiment, building momentum to defy the laws of the state, or exonerating Kuangmei!"

Zhao Kuangyin nodded. Indeed, that was so. The key lay in how to dispel Emperor Liu's suspicions, how to sever themselves from those stirring up momentum. At a time like this, protecting one's own family was the most important thing.

After pondering for a long while, Zhao Kuangyin's expression grew resolute, his gaze regaining its sharpness as he looked at Zhao Kuangyi: "Kuangyi, you are to have no further involvement in this matter!"

Zhao Kuangyi responded with a look of "surprise," seeming somewhat puzzled.

Zhao Kuangyin then said very seriously: "This matter arose because of Kuangmei; it has nothing to do with you originally. From here on, I will handle it myself."

Though somewhat moved by his elder brother's sense of responsibility, Zhao Kuangyi smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Things have come to this—how could I possibly stand aside!"

Even now, the backbone of the Zhao family remained Zhao Kuangyin. If Zhao Kuangyin had problems, how could he, Zhao Kuangyi, preserve himself alone? He understood this very well in his heart.

"Second Brother, what do you plan to do?" Zhao Kuangyi asked.

A flicker of hesitation passed across his stern face, then Zhao Kuangyin said firmly: "I will write a memorial shortly and enter the palace tonight, to beg Your Majesty's pardon for my failure to discipline my family properly, and make clear that Kuangmei's crimes shall be judged entirely by the court's law and discipline—the Zhao family will bear no complaint!"

"And Kuangmei?" Zhao Kuangyi asked.

"We can only leave it to his fate!" Zhao Kuangyin could not help but feel a pang of sorrow. This was almost tantamount to openly abandoning Zhao Kuangmei.

Originally, under normal sentencing, even if Zhao Kuangmei's crimes were serious, it was not necessarily impossible to preserve his life—especially considering the brothers' sake. However, after such an uproar, if Emperor Liu wanted to make an example of him, even a death sentence was not impossible. For the Zhao brothers, this might be like seeking the best and getting the worst—lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet.

Upon hearing Zhao Kuangyin's decision, Zhao Kuangyi fell silent as well, yet in his heart, he inexplicably felt a sense of relief.