Chapter 124 is another game, a strategy that kills four birds with one stone.

"How did the second young master die?"

After a long time, Hu Weiyong, who was almost insane, regained a bit of composure and said in a deep voice.

"Prime Minister, the Second Young Master was riding his horse at full speed and collided with the oncoming carriage, causing him to fall off his horse and die."

The guard who came back to report the news did not dare to hide anything at all.

"This traitor."

Hu Weiyong's face turned pale instantly.

"Who is the other party?"

After a pause, Hu Weiyong continued in a deep voice.

"The second son of Liu Jizu, Marquis of Yihui."

The guard still reported truthfully.

"It's him!"

Hu Weiyong's eyes narrowed slightly.

Liu Jizu, Marquis of Yihui.

This is the only person in the Ming Dynasty who could be granted a title of nobility even though he had no merits.

It was also thanks to the favor to Zhu Yuanzhang that Liu Jizu was awarded the title of Marquis Yihui, and had the certificate of hereditary succession, and was able to live and prosper with the country.

This incident can be traced back to the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when the Central Plains was in turmoil and the people were living in misery.

After the disaster, epidemics were rampant and Zhu Yuanzhang's father, elder brother and mother died of the disease within a month.

Zhu Yuanzhang was only seventeen years old that year. He and his second brother were sad and worried when facing the corpses of their relatives.

The Zhu family was left with nothing, and their relatives had no place to be buried.

But the wealthy landlords in the village remained indifferent.

Later, Liu Jizu, a slightly wealthier landlord in the village, was kind-hearted and gave away a piece of land for the Zhu family to use as a cemetery.

It was because of this thought of kindness that Liu Jizu enjoyed endless blessings in his later years. He was posthumously granted the title of Marquis of Yihui by Zhu Yuanzhang, and his wife, Lou, was named the Marquis' Lady.

As a result, his descendants were also affected and the Ming Dynasty lasted from beginning to end.

Therefore, Hu Weiyong could not afford to offend Liu Jizu, nor did he dare to offend him.

But it is impossible for you to expect Hu Weiyong to swallow this anger now.

After all, Hu Weiyong is now the Earl of the Ming Dynasty, serving as the Right Prime Minister of the Secretariat, and holds supreme power.

Even if he couldn't make Liu Jizu's son pay for Hu Tong's life, Hu Weiyong still wanted to disgust Liu Jizu and vent his anger.

After all, Hu Weiyong could still have more sons, but if he lost his face, he would really lose it.

"Did Liu Jizu's family say anything?"

Hu Weiyong lowered his head and looked at the guard and asked.

"Because the second young master was still breathing when he fell off his horse, the Yihui Marquis's Mansion later sent 3,000 strings of cash, hoping to put an end to the matter."

"But Liu Jizu, Marquis of Yihui, did not show up, and only asked his eldest son Liu Ying to take care of the aftermath."

The guard said without even thinking.

"Good good."

"Our Hu Weiyong's son couldn't even get Liu Jizu to show up, but instead sent a brat. This is humiliating this prime minister."

Hearing this, Hu Weiyong became so angry that he laughed.

In the court, before he became a lone minister, even the nobles of Huaixi had to give him some face.

You are a Marquis of Grace, and you dare to act so recklessly and offend Hu Weiyong, the Right Prime Minister of the Secretariat, relying solely on the favor of the Emperor.

Do you really think Hu Weiyong has a good temper?

"Pull it out."

Afterwards, Hu Weiyong waved his hand again, and the guards on both sides immediately came out and dragged the guard out.

No matter how much he cried and begged for mercy, it was of no use.

Swords and knives slashed, blood spread out, and heads fell one after another.

"Our son is dead, why should you live?"

"Tong'er, don't worry. Dad will not let anyone who harms you go."

A hint of madness and coldness flashed in Hu Weiyong's eyes again, and he picked up the letter and headed towards the palace.

This time, if Liu Jizu cannot be killed, his son will have to pay for his son's life.

"Liu Jizu is also involved?"

In the imperial study, after everyone sat down, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes again.

"In the entire Fengyang, the only person who can offend Hu Weiyong is Liu Jizu, the Marquis of Yihui, so naturally we have to borrow his knife."

Zhu Gang still smiled indifferently.

"Given Hu Weiyong's character, he would never let go of the culprit who killed his son. You have harmed Liu Jizu's son for nothing."

Zhu Biao still frowned.

Even though Hu Tong deserves to die, his life cannot be exchanged for another's. This is unfair in terms of legislation.

"What do you think Liu Jizu's son is?"

"That is to say, the eldest son Liu Ying is still okay. His character is acceptable and he has not committed any serious crimes."

"But his brother bullied the people in the village and committed many evil deeds, especially kidnapping women and raping other people's wives and daughters. The people were so angry that they dared not speak out."

"Liu Jizu simply didn't care about it, and even felt that it was the way it should be. Every time he killed someone, he just paid the money to get rid of the problem."

"As for suing the officials, which official in Fengyang would dare to intervene in the case of the old man's benefactor?"

"So I took this opportunity to bring these two people together, just in time to suppress Liu Jizu's arrogance."

"Let him understand that what the court gave him was a gift to him, but if the court wants to take it back, it will only take a moment."

There was a hint of coldness in Zhu Gang's eyes, and he said.

"Does Liu Jizu really dare to be so bold?"

He Wenhui, who was sitting below, also said in disbelief.

"The Marquis of Ming Dynasty is so respected. Just look at what our uncles and uncles did in the past, and you will understand that there are many people who are more outrageous than this."

"Also, Liu Jizu is still secretly buying low and selling high, squeezing the people's land. This is a major issue for the country. If this evil is not eliminated, Fengyang will not be at peace."

Zhu Gang nodded slightly.

"But he is still your majesty's benefactor and has done favors for Emperor Chun and Empress Chun. If he is killed, the impact will definitely be huge."

A hint of hesitation flashed across Mu Ying's eyes, and then he spoke.

"Demote the title, abolish hereditary succession, and send competent officials to Fengyang to redress the grievances of the people and plead for their fate."

Zhu Biao raised his eyes and spoke softly.

"That's right, Liu Jizu didn't kill anyone, but he committed many illegal acts that are beyond the reach of justice."

"So demoting him to a lower rank and abolishing his hereditary succession is the most severe punishment for him."

"As for his son, Hu Weiyong must be made to calm down. He deserves to be killed."

"After all, Hu Weiyong is a key chess piece, and he is a meritorious official in name. He is also the Earl of the Ming Dynasty. We must not let him down."

"But we can't go too far with the old man. We have to save his face, so we demoted him to Yihuibo."

"It can also fulfill the old man's filial piety and repay this kindness. If you dare to do evil and be arrogant from now on, there will be no mercy for you."

Zhu Gang also nodded in agreement.

"And by the way, let's give our uncles a scare, right?"

"You two really put all your thoughts into our uncles."

"After all, even the Enhou court can use thunderous means. If these meritorious marquises don't take it as a warning, what awaits them is nothing more than being stripped of their titles and sentenced to death."

“It really kills two birds with one stone.”

A look of helplessness emerged in Zhu Chong's eyes, and he clapped his hands.

"It's more than just killing two birds with one stone. If you think about it this way, it's more than enough to kill four birds with one stone."

Zhu Biao glanced at Zhu Gang, a playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Kill four birds with one stone?" Zhu Chong was slightly stunned and asked in confusion.

"My son is dead. Even if we investigate, we can't change the facts. But the game of thrones continues."

"So the dead Hu Tong will only become a political bargaining chip in Hu Weiyong's hands."

"And all the evil deeds Hu Tong committed in the past will be made public, and Hu Weiyong will also plead guilty."

"After all, if we want the imperial court to conduct a thorough investigation, even if Hu Weiyong wants to conceal it, he will not be able to do so."

"Besides, the person is already dead, so even if the truth is found out, Hu Weiyong would at most be charged with harboring the criminal, and he would also be held responsible for the land tax distribution, so at most he would be fined one year's salary."

"But for Liu Jizu, it's really a big deal, especially since his son is a perpetrator of evil deeds."

"Hu Weiyong even abandoned his own son. Although he is dead, it is enough to show how cruel he was. The court would also be concerned about his survival and would be wary of him."

"Then it will be like another layer of guarantee for the implementation of the land-based tax system in eastern Zhejiang, where officials and gentry pay taxes together. Once the resistance is reduced, it can be implemented smoothly."

"After all, compared to one's own life and death, that little bit of property is more important, and everyone knows it."

"It wouldn't be easy to offend Hu Weiyong."

Seeing that Zhu Chong was still a little confused, Zhu Gang began to explain.

"A series of traps, a trap within a trap."

Just when everyone's eyes were filled with shock, Mu Ying was the first to look at Zhu Gang and said.

"Killing for the purpose of killing is the most stupid act."

"Killing after weighing the pros and cons is the most correct interpretation."

"After all, as long as people are alive and can exist in this world, they have their own value."

"And what we need is to squeeze out that value."

Zhu Gang's face was filled with laziness again, and he continued to smile: "But at the beginning, I wanted to kill Hu Tong just for the sake of killing."

Hu Tong's death was determined from the beginning.

It just depends on how you kill?

"Your Highness, Prime Minister Hu requests an audience."

Just as everyone was thinking about it, the prince's eunuch Li Heng hurried into the imperial study and bowed.

"Please ask Prime Minister Hu to come in."

Zhu Biao nodded, and Li Heng stepped out.

Soon, Hu Weiyong walked into the imperial study and was about to pay his respects.

"No need to be so polite. Prime Minister Hu has come back. Is there anything else?"

Zhu Biao simply waved his hand and interrupted Hu Weiyong.

"Your Highness, please make the decision for my son."

In response to this, Hu Weiyong kowtowed directly in the tunnel.

Upon seeing this, everyone in the imperial study showed a look of understanding in their eyes.

Everything that happened before his eyes deviated almost exactly from what Zhu Gang had deduced.

"Ok?"

Zhu Biao frowned slightly.

"The son of Liu Jizu, Marquis of Yihui, was riding a horse-drawn carriage in a busy market and collided with the horse of the old minister's son, killing my son on the spot."

"But Liu Jizu was proud of his status as the Marquis of En, so he sent his eldest son Liu Ying to deliver 3,000 strings of cash, hoping to calm the situation and turn hostility into friendship."

"Your Highness, if three thousand strings of cash can buy a life, I beg Your Highness to allow me to kill Liu Jizu's son."

"Even if I have to go bankrupt, I am willing to spend three thousand strings of cash to settle this matter and turn hostility into friendship."

Hu Weiyong's face was already covered with tears, and he was extremely sad, mixed with a bit of hatred.

There is nothing wrong with what he said.

Moreover, it was Liu Jizu who set the price, so should we give him a taste of his own medicine?
But there really is nothing wrong with it.

Besides, Hu Weiyong was so smart that he even knew to ask for an imperial decree.

Zhu Biao agreed, that is, to exchange his life for another's, and return the three thousand strings of cash.

Even if Zhu Biao disagreed, he had to order a thorough investigation of the case and give Hu Weiyong an explanation.

After all, Hu Weiyong is not a little Karami, but the prime minister of a country.

How can it be so humiliating?

"Deng Zhen, help Prime Minister Hu up."

Zhu Biao looked at Hu Weiyong who was crying bitterly, and waved to Deng Zhen next to him.

Deng Zhen did not dare to think too much, so he quickly helped Hu Weiyong up, brought over a chair, and helped Hu Weiyong sit down.

"Prime Minister Hu, fighting violence with violence is not the law of the country. Everything must be done according to the rules."

"So don't worry, the court will not ignore it, and it is even more impossible for them to show leniency to him just because he is the son of Marquis En."

Afterwards, Zhu Biao looked at Hu Weiyong who had already taken his seat, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes as he said, "The court will definitely handle this impartially, but if it really wasn't intentional, then please accept my condolences, Prime Minister Hu."

"Your Highness, the son of Liu Jizu is a heinous criminal. He bullies the people in his hometown, rapes other people's wives and daughters, and even kills people in the street. He is a man of many evil deeds."

"But because he is the son of Marquis En, which Fengyang official would dare to ask about it, or offend Marquis En?"

"These cases are all hastily resolved, and in the end the people suffer."

"It is conceivable that in the capital of the Ming Dynasty, the place where the dragon rises, there are still such lawlessness rampant."

"And if I were not the son of an old minister today, how could I have three thousand strings of cash to pay for my life?"

Hu Wenyong continued shouting with snot and tears.

As expected, as soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the imperial study froze in an instant.

Zhu Biao's face was also terribly gloomy.

Everyone present here had a hint of murderous intent surrounding them.

"Brother Emperor, I will personally go to Fengyang to meet this Marquis En and find out what happened in this case."

"And if his son really dares to be so bold and reckless and disobey the laws of the country, I will definitely arrest him and bring him to justice and punish him for his crime."

Zhu Chong took a step forward, looked at Zhu Biao and bowed.

"No, the army is about to go out to war. As a deputy general, how can you go to Fengyang?"

Zhu Gang simply shook his head, then looked at Zhu Biao and said, "Why not let Jinyiwei Mao Xiang go to Fengyang to investigate the case and uphold the law."

"allow."

Zhu Biao's eyes were still filled with gloom, and then he nodded slightly.

"But your son is not in the capital, why is he in Fengyang?"

After a brief pause, Zhu Biao raised his head and looked at Hu Weiyong.

"Your Highness, in addition to impeaching Liu Jizu, the Marquis of Yihui, I have another memorial to apologize for my crime, which I would like to present to Your Highness."

Seeing this, everything was just as planned. Hu Weiyong took out the petition of apology without thinking and hung it above his head.

Although there were many illegalities in this memorial of apology, the crimes were not serious after all. In the end, it was clearly stated that it was the intention of Prince of Jin Zhu Gang to send the prisoners back to Fengyang.

"The third one?"

Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Gang, seemingly with a question in mind.

"My dear brother, I acted on my own initiative. I beg you to punish me."

Zhu Gang glared at Hu Weiyong fiercely, then stood up and clasped his fists.

"Prime Minister Hu, I hope this is the last time. If you dare to do it again, I will peel off your skin."

Zhu Biao took a deep look at Zhu Gang and said in a cold voice.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will never dare to do it again."

Hu Weiyong kowtowed deeply.

"Decree that Prince of Jin Zhu Gang and Right Prime Minister Hu Weiyong of the Secretariat be fined one year's salary."

"It won't happen again."

As soon as the voice fell, Zhu Biao flicked his sleeves and left the imperial study.

(End of this chapter)