Chapter 204

The minister was silenced, rendered speechless by this bold and self‑righteous speech.

Lord Rong Rui sneered, "Even His Majesty said nothing, yet you, a minister, leap out to baselessly accuse me. I think we must make an example for the Daxuan royal family!"

"Imperial Guard! Drag this man out of the hall and beat him to death as an example!"

When the order was given, the Imperial Guard commander's face darkened slightly, and he glanced hesitantly at Xiao Qidi.

Lord Rong Rui, seeing his inaction, scolded displeased, "What, even my words no longer work?"

The commander could only signal his subordinates to carry out the execution.

"Spare me… spare me!" the minister cried, his face drained, legs weak as he collapsed, "His Majesty! His Majesty, save me!"

"Hold!"

Xiao Qidi swept his hand wide.

The Imperial Guard halted immediately.

Xiao Qidi rose, slowly descended the throne steps, showing a remorseful expression, "My minister offended you, Uncle, so I should bear the responsibility. If you wish to impose the staff punishment, then… apply it to me…"

Hearing this, the ministers present inhaled sharply.

The minister collapsed on the ground, his eyes reddening, "His Majesty! Absolutely not! It's my reckless rudeness… let me die then!"

Xiao Qidi dropped to the ground and told the commander, "Come! Act!"

"His Majesty!" the minister sobbed, clutching Xiao Qidi's back, "Strike me! Strike me! Do not hurt His Majesty!"

Seeing this, many ministers, emotions surging, rushed forward, knelt, and together shielded Xiao Qidi, each offering to share the staff punishment.

Now the Imperial Guard was at a loss, looking helplessly at Lord Rong Rui.

Lord Rong Rui waved his hand, "Enough, enough. Considering the deep bond between you and your lord, let it be waived."

"Thank you for your mercy, Uncle," Xiao Qidi rose and bowed.

"Hmm… return to the throne," Lord Rong Rui nodded satisfied, "We will resume our serious discussions; do not let this trivial matter delay us."

"Yes." Xiao Qidi turned back to the throne.

Lord Rong Rui stroked his beard leisurely, "As I just said, Minister Ren Wen is appointed Prime Minister. As for the former territories of Yu Guo and Sha Yue Guo, after merging into Daxuan, we can, as His Majesty suggested, make one the Wangxi Province and merge the other into Bashu Commandery as Tianfu Province; the location of the provincial capital is irrelevant. What matters is who will serve as the governor wielding full provincial authority."

"Uncle, any candidates?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Lord Rong Rui laughed, "Duan Wu is definitely unsuitable. Though he conquered Yu Guo, he is merely a warrior; leading troops is fine, but governing a region is beyond him. Moreover, Yu Guo's lands are rich in iron and stone ores, crucial for Daxuan's future iron production. I think Longyuan Governor You is the most suitable candidate for Wangxi Governor."

Among the officials, Duan Wu almost couldn't hold back his laugh.

He elbowed Li Yao beside him, whispering, "Those dog officials have been cut into countless pieces; does Lord Rong Rui intend to reassemble them?"

Li Yao expressionless, lips moving slightly, "They can't even be pieced together; the shredded flesh scattered across many counties of Longyuan has already turned to rotten soil."

Duan Wu sneered, "Then just dig up some soil everywhere, cobble together a human shape, and place it in Wangxi Province…"

Li Yao forced his twitching cheek to stay still, "Are you being petty? Stop the banter."

Regarding the Longyuan Governor case, at Xiao Qidi's request, Li Yao sealed all information, so even though the matter was concluded, Lord Rong Rui in the Capital Royal City remained unaware.

At this moment, hearing Lord Rong Rui propose the Longyuan Governor as Wangxi Governor, Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with a faint, mocking chill, and he asked calmly, "Why is he suitable?"

Lord Rong Rui replied, "I heard he is extremely capable; during his tenure as Longyuan Governor he was diligent and ran the commandery in perfect order, and Longyuan is close, so he can assume the post quickly, saving time."

"How about this," Xiao Qidi's eyes deepened, "Make him a high‑ranking provincial official, appoint him as both Wangxi Governor and Tianfu Governor. Wouldn't that please you more, Uncle?"

Lord Rong Rui's face lit up, exclaiming, "That would be perfect!"

"Hahaha!" Xiao Qidi burst into laughter.

His laughter left Lord Rong Rui puzzled; he frowned and asked, "His Majesty, why are you laughing without cause?"

Xiao Qidi looked down at him, "Uncle, you're not considering anyone else? Oh… surely among the local officials who skim off your wealth, the Longyuan Governor is the most diligent. If he controls more territories, he'll bring you even more treasure, right?"

Lord Rong Rui stared blankly for a while after hearing that.

The other ministers exchanged bewildered glances, eyes showing shock.

"His Majesty, what are you saying?" Lord Rong Rui steadied himself, speaking gravely, "What do you mean by skimming money for us?"

Xiao Qidi chuckled lightly, "Uncle, aren't you curious that we haven't seen my aunt and several uncles in the royal city for many days? And that Minister Xue, who holds the high post of Imperial Censor, didn't attend court this time?"

Lord Rong Rui frowned.

He previously only knew those people said they were going to Longyuan to handle some matters.

What the matter was, he did not know, because they said it need not trouble him and would inform him upon return.

He guessed it must involve the Longyuan Governor, otherwise the royal family members wouldn't need to intervene personally.

He thought, many days had passed and they still hadn't returned… indeed strange.

Moreover, Xiao Qidi's earlier words…

Could it be that the royal family's secret money‑grabbing scheme has been exposed?

But he could not say it.

Moreover, even if it leaked, he must not lose composure; perhaps Xiao Qidi only heard rumors and exaggerated them to intimidate.

Lord Rong Rui thought quickly, then feigned a calm, uninformed demeanor, "I have always kept to myself and never inquire about others' whereabouts. Your aunt and uncles may simply be occupied with their own affairs; not seeing them for a long time is normal."

Xiao Qidi's smile deepened, tinged with a growing coldness, "Lord Rong Rui, out of respect for you as an elder of the Xiao royal family, if you voluntarily confess everything, I can preserve some final dignity for you."

"Confess?" Lord Rong Rui's eyes showed slight tension, "Confess what? I'm hearing His Majesty's words less and less clearly."

Xiao Qidi said gravely, "You don't know where to start confessing? Fine, let me ask first: what is your relationship with Longyuan Governor You? Are you acquainted?"

Lord Rong Rui replied immediately, "No relation at all! I have never even seen his face, let alone be acquainted."

"Then why was your first thought to appoint him as Wangxi Governor?"

"His Majesty, I told you, I have heard he possesses considerable local‑governance talent."

"Lord Rong Rui, you have always avoided state affairs; where did you hear that?"

"I… cough… though I avoid state affairs, over the years I have overheard discussions and learned some information."

"Ha!" Xiao Qidi sneered, "I give you one final chance; will you truly refuse to speak the truth?"

The atmosphere in the great hall instantly turned silent and oppressive.

Rong Rui Gong felt an inexplicable chill inside; he really couldn't figure out what Xiao Qidi was up to, and, angry and embarrassed, he shouted, "Xiao Qidi! Your ambiguous insinuations—what exactly are you trying to do? To mock the royal elders in front of all civil and military officials? That's downright disrespectful of seniors!"

"It seems you can't keep up appearances any longer…" Xiao Qidi murmured, then placed a hand on his forehead and ordered, "Li Yao, present the Longyuan Governor case in detail to these Royal City officials."

Li Yao stepped forward, "Yes, His Majesty!"

Murmurs from the officials rose within the great hall.

"The Longyuan Governor case? What case is that, why haven't we heard of it?"

"Which Longyuan Governor?"

"Was it a former one, or… the currently serving You?"

"No previous Longyuan Governor has ever committed a case… could it be…"

"…"

"Silence!" Li Yao shouted, "Esteemed gentlemen, please listen as I explain in detail."

The crowd fell silent and perked up their ears.

Rong Rui Gong involuntarily clutched his chest, his uneasy tension growing stronger.

Then Li Yao narrated, in a smooth and detailed manner, the entire process: how His Majesty came to know an ordinary family of four in He Wan County, discovered that the He Wan County Magistrate had illicitly imposed outrageous taxes and colluded with Human Traffickers to traffic people, how the Longyuan Governor was uncovered, and finally how several Xiao royal nobles attempted to protect the governor and obstruct the trial, only to be captured together.

Although many perilous details were omitted, the listeners still felt their hearts race with dread.

Especially upon hearing the Longyuan Governor's series of extremely heinous crimes, not a single minister present could hide their pallor.

It was simply an unspeakable torrent of evil.

Some ministers nearly fainted on the spot, exclaiming that the man was less than a beast.

When Li Yao listed the ultimate severe punishments meted out to the Longyuan Governor and the group of conspirators, the great hall instantly erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

The ministers, as if present at the scene, shouted that it was a satisfying revenge!

"All the above cases have been meticulously recorded, and all evidence has been taken back to the Royal City," Li Yao said, deliberately glancing at Rong Rui Gong, pausing briefly before continuing, "Moreover, after subsequent interrogations and investigations, the implicated royal family members have all given detailed confessions, identifying Rong Rui Gong as the chief culprit. Besides the Longyuan Governor, several local officials also became accomplices in plundering the people's wealth, layer upon layer, and ultimately most of the common folk's hard‑earned money ended up in Rong Rui Gong's treasury."

The once‑boisterous great hall fell abruptly silent in that instant.

Everyone turned their gaze toward Rong Rui Gong in unison.

At that moment, Rong Rui Gong was drenched in cold sweat from head to toe, his hands gripping the chair's armrests so tightly that he didn't collapse from the seat.

"Uncle, do you have anything else to say?" Xiao Qidi asked lightly.

Rong Rui Gong's complexion turned from a ghastly pallor to a flushed red; after a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "That… that's all nonsense! Your aunt… and those few uncles, they're… they're like dogs leaping over a wall in desperation, lashing out recklessly! I, as the head of the royal family, could never… could ever do such a thing!"

Li Yao sneered, "The captured few not only revealed the locations of the secret vaults they built, but also handed over all related ledgers and confidential correspondence. Shall I casually fetch some and read them to the ministers, to broaden your horizons?"

Rong Rui Gong's whole body instantly went limp, even his fingers lost strength.

He seemed as if his bones had been pulled out, sliding down from the seat.

"Imperial Guard, seize this serious offender now," Xiao Qidi said expressionlessly, "Drive him out of the palace, behead him publicly!"

A few Imperial Guard soldiers standing by Rong Rui Gong stirred, but the Guard commander halted them with a glance.

Then Minister Wen crawled on the ground, bowed to Xiao Qidi and said, "His Majesty! Rong Rui Gong is the head of the royal family and also your own elder relative! Please, Your Majesty, show some leniency!"

Soon, about a dozen ministers attached to the royal family also knelt and pleaded.

Xiao Qidi simply watched calmly, unsurprised by the situation.

Those ten‑plus people sniffed and wept while begging for mercy, appearing to suffer more than if their own parents were to be executed.

Seeing that Xiao Qidi, though silent, seemed unmoved, more ministers joined the pleading camp.

Although they were not followers of the Xiao royal clan, they believed the royal family to be the aristocracy among aristocrats, historically noble and unshakable in status, never to be offended.

Even if they committed grave offenses, they should not be judged as criminals.

Since ancient times, officials have never been punished, let alone the royal family.

Watching the great hall, more than half the ministers began to speak in Rong Rui Gong's defense, pleading to also pardon the captured royal members, while Xiao Qidi's eyes grew ever colder and darker.

These ministers, fully aware of the Xiao royal family's monstrous crimes led by Rong Rui Gong, still clung to the so‑called noble status of the royal family to exonerate him.

Xiao Qidi's murderous intent and anger surged further.

"It's over, it's over. With so many ministers refusing to let His Majesty sentence Rong Rui Gong to death, His Majesty can't deal with him," Duan Wu said, frantic, scratching his head, grabbing General Qi, "General Qi, why don't we go over there ourselves, raise our swords and hack Rong Rui Gong to death! That would settle the matter for His Majesty once and for all, sparing the emperor from the ministers' endless complaints!"

"Alright," Qi Zhan replied decisively, "We'll approach from both sides and seize the Imperial Guard's swords."

"Stop, stop right now!" Li Yao hurriedly grabbed the two men's arms, "Do not do this; you'll become the target of everyone's arrows. Do you understand how severe the consequences would be?"

Duan Wu retorted angrily, "I'm not afraid. At worst I'll be held responsible after chopping that old fool dead. Even if His Majesty wants to use my head to silence the ministers, I'll gladly do it."

Qi Zhan also nodded, "The Daxuan royal family has fallen to this point; since His Majesty wishes to eradicate them, I'm willing to take the lead, and someone must step forward."

"Both generals, let me act," Mu Cheng, who had been silent beside them, suddenly spoke.