Chapter 1680

The prisoners in the Imperial Prison were almost all dead, with less than one in ten surviving!

Chen Guanlou learned this news and clicked his tongue in wonder: "I can't help but suspect that the Imperial Prison is taking this opportunity to purge all the prisoners!"

He looked at Medical Official Mu, hoping to get a professional answer.

Medical Official Mu was silent for a long time and said: "People are dead; saying more is useless."

Chen Guanlou raised his eyebrows, knowing it in his heart: "The Shuntian Prefecture prison, which used the epidemic antidote later than the Imperial Prison, at least had thirty percent of the prisoners survive. The Imperial Prison, however, had ninety-nine percent die. If there's no inside story here, I won't believe anything else."

The situation in the Heavenly Prison was the best, with about fifty percent of the prisoners surviving. Thanks to Medical Official Mu being capable!

The prisoners in the Imperial Prison dying all at once, this matter definitely wouldn't be easily brushed aside.

Sure enough, not two days later, several censors jointly impeached the Embroidered Uniform Guard and impeached Yang Deguang.

Treating human life like grass!

Using the epidemic to commit murder!

Must be severely punished!

The censors were extremely indignant, and at the morning court, other officials also joined in.

It turned out that several highly respected great scholars were locked in the Imperial Prison, and this time they all died, not even leaving behind corpses, all burned in a fire.

The bodies were burned to ashes; no one knew whether they died of the epidemic or of swords!

In short, everyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, from top to bottom, must be severely punished.

That group of prison guards in the Imperial Prison deserved to die even more; a thousand cuts would not be too much.

Originally, the imperial court was extremely nervous, angry, and dissatisfied that an epidemic had suddenly broken out in several prisons. Now that the epidemic was controlled and everyone was safe, the accumulated emotions needed to be vented.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had run into the muzzle of the gun.

After Emperor Yuanding ascended the throne, the largest-scale impeachment began.

As officials from all over the country joined this impeachment, impeachment memorials flew into the palace like snowflakes, all demanding severe punishment for the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the killing of Yang Deguang. There were even radicals who demanded that the Emperor abolish the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Three Judicial Offices were enough to investigate cases!

Emperor Yuanding was no longer the impatient young man he was when he first ascended the throne; this time, he could hold steady.

Although he wished he could kill everyone, he remained silent, leaving all impeachment memorials unanswered and expressing no stance.

When pushed to the limit, he would stop the court, and once he stopped, it would be for half a month.

Some angry young officials, since they couldn't see the Emperor, secretly went to Yang Deguang's mansion to block him.

Yang Deguang was furious; provoked time and again by that group of young officials, in a fit of anger, he arrested people!

This time, it was like poking a hornet's nest.

The censors were so angry they wished they could tear Yang Deguang and the Embroidered Uniform Guard apart.

They couldn't do anything about the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so they simply sat outside the palace gate, forcing the palace!

Forcing the Emperor to express his stance, forcing the Emperor to severely punish the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Yang Deguang.

Yang Deguang knelt in the Taiji Palace, looking like a mourning son, already prepared for his head to be moved. But he still harbored wishful thinking: what if, what if the Emperor was willing to protect him...

This wishful thinking maintained his dignity so he wouldn't collapse.

Emperor Yuanding walked back and forth on the steps, his face gloomy, saying nothing.

The atmosphere in the hall was suffocating, and one could barely breathe.

"Your Majesty, those officials are still sitting outside the palace gate. And..."

"And what?" Emperor Yuanding asked calmly.

Liu Shun hesitated for a moment, then bit the bullet and said: "The students of the Imperial Academy have also joined the sit-in."

"Presumptuous!"

Emperor Yuanding was angry, and Liu Shun immediately knelt down.

"What is the Secretariat doing? Such a big matter, and they still haven't come up with a feasible plan?" Emperor Yuanding questioned sternly, "Go and invite Minister Xie; I want to ask him personally. What exactly is he doing?"

Liu Shun felt as if he had been granted amnesty and crawled up from the ground, actually going to invite Xie Changling personally. In the past, the job of inviting people was done by the disciples and grandchildren below.

Now, only the Emperor and Yang Deguang were left in the hall.

Emperor Yuanding kicked the other party over: "Useless thing! What use are you! Can't even handle a small matter. If Xiao Jincheng were still here, he would definitely handle this matter beautifully, leaving no room for anyone to find a single mistake. He wouldn't have impulsively arrested the censors. How capable are you, daring to arrest people at this juncture, and arresting censors at that. Yang Deguang, if this matter is not handled well, your death will not be a pity!"

"The guilty subject deserves death!"

No matter what, admitting guilt and accepting punishment, the attitude must be clear.

Yang Deguang did not defend himself, just admitted guilt, showing an attitude of letting the Emperor punish him.

His heart was cold; this time, he was afraid he had really played too far and would really die.

"You certainly deserve to die!"

If it weren't for the fact that the other party was still of some use, Emperor Yuanding would have wished to execute him on the spot.

He closed his eyes and sighed; it was not dignified!

For the Emperor to execute a court official on the spot was not only undignified but also shocking.

Thinking back, the late Emperor wanted to execute the censor who slandered Imperial Consort Jing on the spot; that scene was much more terrifying than it is now. In the end, he still compromised.

The Emperor, more than ordinary people, must pay attention to dignity.

Especially when facing court officials.

Both the monarch and the subject were silent.

Xie Changling arrived in a hurry, looked at this scene with cold eyes, and asked calmly: "Your Majesty summoned me here, I wonder for what matter."

"That group of people outside the palace gate are sitting in, doesn't Minister Xie know?"

"I have heard."

"Why not solve it?" Emperor Yuanding asked angrily, "They are forcing the palace, having no monarch and no father, they all deserve to die! As the Left Minister, why don't you share my worries? What is your intention?"

Xie Changling was as steady as a mountain, explaining calmly: "Your Majesty! Before I came, I was discussing this matter with others. The matter happened suddenly; we must solve the matter and appease the people's hearts, and we cannot provoke greater contradictions and conflicts. We need time!"

"How much time do you need, and how exactly will you solve it?"

"It depends on Your Majesty's attitude." After speaking, Xie Changling glanced at the kneeling Yang Deguang.

Emperor Yuanding narrowed his eyes slightly: "What do you mean?"

"Killing is the simplest and fastest solution. Kill Minister Yang, and that group of people at the palace gate will naturally retreat and praise Your Majesty for your wisdom. I just don't know if Your Majesty is willing to kill?"

Emperor Yuanding was furious: "You want me to compromise with that group of rebellious subjects! Absurd! Absolutely impossible!"

Yang Deguang can die.

But he must not die because someone is forcing the palace.

Never let the two things form a causal relationship. Yang Deguang can only die for other reasons.

Xie Changling understood in his heart: "If we don't kill Minister Yang, then we will aim our spearhead at that group of people outside the palace. Strip the students of the Imperial Academy of their titles. Dismiss all those officials from their posts and investigate them, and never let them be officials again! I believe that in this way, no one will ever dare to take the lead in forcing the palace again."

Emperor Yuanding nodded: "Agreed!"

He agreed with this plan.

"It's just..." Xie Changling showed worry, "In this way, Your Majesty's reputation will inevitably be damaged, and the people of the world will criticize it. Even the imperial court will be scolded by the people of the world. Your Majesty, this is the people's heart; it cannot be handled so crudely."

"This won't work, that won't work, what do you say we do?"

"Wait it out!"

"Wait it out? How to wait it out?"

"Wait it out like training a hawk! Give them food and water, give them shelter from the wind and rain, and just let them continue to sit in. They gather together, all relying on a burst of hot blood and acting on righteousness. In three to five days, someone will get up and leave. As long as one person takes the lead, the spirit of the others will instantly dissipate. By then, Your Majesty will not have to bear any bad reputation and can solve this matter. At the same time, you can also save Minister Yang!"

Emperor Yuanding was instantly satisfied and excited: "Let's use this method!"