Chapter 1178: Court Punishment: One Hundred Strokes

The Emperor and the ministers quarreled, neither side willing to yield, neither willing to take a single step back.

Emperor Jian Shi was so angry that he prepared to use his cheat move, summoning the Brocade Guard, letting the Brocade Guard go deal with these people. If they couldn't deal with these people, they'd deal with their students, classmates, fellow townsmen, and their factional allies.

Not a single official had a clean backside — he refused to believe he couldn't keep these ministers in line.

Xie Changling, who had been silent all along, finally stepped forward at the critical moment.

"Regarding whether the Brocade Guard should be restrained, everyone is in agreement — there's no need for further discussion. The fact is, the Brocade Guard has always been restrained. The reason their reputation has been poor these past years, acting without restraint, lies not with Your Majesty, not with the lack of constraints, but with the people. As long as we put the right people in place, I believe the Brocade Guard will also know how to obey the law, know how to handle matters by the rules."

Huh?

The crowd suddenly saw the light — this was an angle worth pursuing.

Since they couldn't persuade the Emperor, they'd cut in from a new angle: replace the head of the Brocade Guard. That is, replace Xiao Xiao Jincheng.

That surnamed Xiao was truly far too vicious and venomous!

If this man isn't removed, none of them can rest easy!

"Your Majesty, the Brocade Guard has caused such a great disaster this time, even implicating Your Majesty's reputation. This minister believes that the Brocade Guard Commander Xiao Xiao Jincheng should be severely punished! Strip him of his post and investigate, punish according to the law, to warn the rest!"

The moment Yu Yu Zhaoan opened his mouth, he was going straight for killing Xiao Xiao Jincheng.

He had not forgotten the suffering he endured back then in the Imperial Prison — he had nearly become a cripple, never to return to officialdom.

The viciousness of those methods in the Imperial Prison, he had experienced firsthand.

In the past, having no opportunity was that was that.

Now that opportunity had come knocking, he would absolutely not let any of the Brocade Guard people off.

This is what they call a gentleman avenges himself, ten years is not too late. In officialdom, revenge waits only for the right moment!

The moment he spoke, the other court officials chimed in one after another, demanding severe punishment for Xiao Xiao Jincheng — best to behead him, kill the chicken to scare the monkey.

Emperor Jian Shi slowly let out a breath of relief.

Targeting only a person, rather than the entire office, rather than its system — things would be easier to handle. Killing one or two people, that was a cost he could afford.

But killing Xiao Xiao Jincheng — he frowned!

He used Xiao Xiao Jincheng, and used him well. The fellow was very tactful, very considerate, very capable of sharing his burdens. Such a good loyal hound, he didn't want to give up just like that.

"This incident arose because the Imperial Prison obstructed the Censorate's investigation. The chief culprit is the Imperial Prison. If anyone must die, it's the jailers of the Imperial Prison!"

The moment Emperor Jian Shi opened his mouth, it meant over a hundred lives would fall — heads rolling.

"However, Xiao Xiao Jincheng, as Commander of the Brocade Guard, bears undeniable responsibility for the Imperial Prison's evil deeds. Killing only the jailers is not enough to appease public anger. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!"

"I beg Your Majesty to decree severe punishment for Xiao Xiao Jincheng, severe punishment for the Brocade Guard."

"Your Majesty must not show the weakness of a woman's compassion!"

Emperor Jian Shi nearly laughed from anger. "Enough! Back and forth, back and forth — you just can't stand the sight of the Brocade Guard. Someone, pass down my oral decree: the Imperial Prison openly defied an imperial order and obstructed the Censorate's investigation — all those on duty that day shall be beheaded, to warn the rest. Xiao Xiao Jincheng, as Commander of the Brocade Guard, managed poorly, causing the Brocade Guard's reputation to stink and the common folk to misunderstand — his crime cannot be pardoned. However, considering his many years of sharing the court's burdens, his death sentence is commuted, but the living punishment cannot be avoided. One hundred strokes of court punishment!"

The ministers heard "one hundred strokes of court punishment" and immediately felt their own backsides ache. Then they thought — a hundred strokes, Xiao Xiao Jincheng is done for. No one could survive a hundred strokes.

Then they came to their senses — they'd overlooked it, Xiao Jingcheng was a martial artist, he didn't fear a hundred strokes of court punishment at all.

"Your Majesty, my lord Xiao is a martial artist. A hundred strokes of court punishment, to him, is nothing more than scratching an itch through a boot."

"I beg Your Majesty to withdraw the order and strip Xiao Xiao Jincheng of his post for investigation."

Emperor Jian Shi kept a straight face, bristling with fury. "All of you, shut up! Pass down the order — during the punishment, Xiao Xiao Jincheng is not permitted to resist with martial cultivation. Send people to seal his martial meridians. Now do you still have objections?"

The ministers: …

Xie Changling: "Your Majesty is wise!"

The ministers: …

It hurt so much!

Emperor Jian Shi spoke again: "This matter ends here. Whoever dares bring it up again, I will not show the slightest mercy!" As for Zhang Zhang Yushi's impeachment, he hadn't even taken it to heart.

Once he made up his mind to ignore those impeachment Zou Zhang, no one could change his mind.

Eunuch Gan seized the moment, bowed slightly, and whispered to Emperor Jian Shi, "Your Majesty, my lord Xiao has been waiting outside the palace gate for some time now. Shall I summon him?"

"Summon him for an audience! Let him receive the court punishment before all the ministers! If he dies, he deserves it."

Emperor Jian Shi had a surge of pent-up anger in his chest.

Although he had protected Xiao Xiao Jincheng, that didn't mean he had no complaints about the man. Not only did he have complaints, but they were very great ones. He wished he could grab a sword and hack the man to death.

It was only because the man was useful, and in daily affairs handled things very much to the Emperor's liking, that Emperor Jian Shi held back the urge to chop off his head.

Such a huge mess had been poked open — scholars storming the palace, ministers storming the palace — he had nearly flipped the table, barely managing to suppress the ministers' assault. There were still tough battles ahead, the Censorate's censors were stirring up trouble, the people below were joining in the excitement… just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Moreover, today he had only barely suppressed the ministers' opinions by relying on the authority of the Son of Heaven. That didn't mean these ministers would obediently listen.

In short, Xiao Xiao Jincheng deserved to die.

Eunuch Gan bowed his head and answered, "Yes!"

His heart was overjoyed.

He would hint to the palace servants carrying out the punishment to seize the chance and kill Xiao Jingcheng. If they couldn't kill him, they'd cripple him.

A Xiao Xiao Jincheng with his martial meridians sealed was barely stronger than an ordinary person.

A hundred strokes later…

In any case, to this day, no one in the palace had ever survived a hundred strokes. The toughest had died at fifty. An ordinary person would lose their life at twenty or thirty strokes.

As for fake strokes, that was another matter entirely.

Today, there would absolutely be no fake strokes!

Even if Wang De were present, it wouldn't help!

Eunuch Gan was so excited he nearly couldn't stop his whole body from trembling.

Not only was he excited, but certain ministers were also excited. For instance, Yu Yu Zhaoan!

Yu Yu Zhaoan's secret hints and pre-arranged plans couldn't escape the eyes of the observant. But no one stopped him, because they too wished Xiao Xiao Jincheng dead. Their wish just wasn't as intense as Yu Yu Zhaoan's.

Not every minister present had been so unlucky as to have gone to the Imperial Prison for punishment.

Xiao Xiao Jincheng learned he was to be punished with the sealing of his martial meridian and one hundred strikes of the rod. Given today's situation, those hundred strikes made him knit his brow at once.

Wang Defa grew anxious as well. "One hundred strikes — this… within the palace to this day, no one has ever been able to endure a hundred strikes. Lord Xiao, regarding today's matter, this servant will do his utmost. But, Your Majesty is present, I'm afraid…"

He also did not dare to play any tricks right under Emperor Jian Shi's nose, to bribe the palace servants carrying out the punishment.

If he were to make a mistake at this moment, Eunuch Gan would seize the chance to rise in rank. When that time came, everyone would be out of luck, everyone would have to die!

One death, or a whole group's death — which is weightier, which lighter, he could still tell apart.

"Eunuch Wang having this intention is more than enough! These hundred strikes, I will take them! My life is tough, I won't die!"

Xiao Xiao Jincheng still wore his coffin-face, yet the words that came out of his mouth were fiercely resolute!