SFS Chapter 581 Murder and Silence
Chapter 581 Murder and Silence
In this awkward silence, Murong Yanhui suddenly said, "Your Majesty, isn't there still this number one scholar? Let him talk a little more."
Murong Yanhui already had a grudge against Lin Yutang, and at this time he was even more happy to see him make a fool of himself. Although his reason told him that this was impossible, he still said it. Perhaps subconsciously, Murong Yanhui knew that doing so could help Yu Qingli in disguise.
As soon as Murong Yan said this, Murong Feng looked at him with some surprise. What did the little uncle, who usually meddles in other people's affairs, mean by suddenly saying this today?
Murong Yanhui met Murong Feng's gaze without fear, drank the wine that was brought to his lips, and said with a smile: "I asked about the second and third place winners, but only chose the first place winner. Isn't that a bit unfair?"
"Besides, the top scholar is the first place, and I also want to see how good this new top scholar is."
As Murong Yanhui spoke, Lin Yutang stood up, neither servile nor arrogant. He first bowed to Murong Shiling before saying, "There are three reasons why bandits appear: poverty, injustice of local officials, and lack of a way out. The first is well known, so I won't elaborate. The second is that officials don't serve the people. As the saying goes, officials force the people to rebel. There's no citizen who doesn't want to live a peaceful life. The third is that the local economy is sluggish, leaving young and middle-aged people without places to work. These three factors compel the emergence of bandits. However, bandits are a minority after all, but their existence disrupts local order. Therefore, suppressing them is inevitable. Suppressing them can enhance Your Majesty's prestige and restore a stable environment for the people. The benefits of suppressing bandits always outweigh the disadvantages."
Lin Yutang paused. "However, we must also recognize that the emergence of bandits is due to the imperfections of our system. Therefore, suppressing bandits and improving people's livelihood are closely related and mutually reinforcing."
Murong Yanhui's eyebrows twitched when he heard this. He suddenly felt that Lin Yutang's behavior was very familiar, and even his tone seemed somewhat similar to Yu Qingli's.
Could it be that there was something going on between them? Otherwise, how could two strangers have such similar situations? Besides, Murong Yanhui had been through a lot and was a seasoned womanizer. He was also a man, so he naturally understood the signs of a man's admiration for a woman, and learning the object of his admiration was one of them.
Murong Yanhui suddenly felt jealous.
"According to what you said, Mr. Zhuangyuan, this bandit is still a pitiful person? Is this also the reason why you did not sign up to participate in the bandit suppression?"
Murong Yanhui asked this question very pointedly. Intellectuals look down on each other, and intellectuals who withdraw from the world are always despised by the world. At that time, the bandit suppression was such a sensation, but Lin Yutang did not sign up. Was he also afraid of death?
Lin Yutang and Murong Yanhui's eyes met, and the eldest prince smiled slightly. It seemed that there was something wrong between Lin Yutang and the young emperor's uncle? Then Lin Yutang was someone who could be used.
"Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies. I did not sign up to suppress the bandits because I felt a sense of righteousness. Suppressing the bandits can only temporarily save the people, but if it delays the imperial examination, then Yu Tang will lose more opportunities to help the people. As Yu Tang just said, while suppressing the bandits, we must also understand the root cause of the banditry."
Lin Yutang bowed to Murong Shiling and said, "Your Majesty, I didn't participate in the suppression of bandits because I wanted to contribute to this country, to completely eradicate the breeding ground for bandits, and to give the people a clean and peaceful homeland!"
"How dare you!" Before Lin Yutang finished speaking, Murong Cheng stood up and said, "Number One Scholar Lin Yutang, you are so presumptuous!"
Lin Yutang straightened his back and said, "Every word I said was from the heart. If I am punished for this, I am willing to accept it!"
Murong Cheng knew that Lin Yutang was a man of great pride. He was worried that Murong Shiling would feel offended and kill such a talented person, so he shouted to stop him. However, who knew that this scholar was so stubborn that he didn't even dare to bow his head.
Murong Cheng looked at Murong Shiling with some concern, while Murong Yanhui lowered his head to drink and said nothing more.
Murong Feng glanced at Murong Cheng and Murong Yanhui, then at Lin Yutang, and this glance was extremely meaningful.
Murong Shiling sat on the dragon throne, gazing at the scholar in the hall who refused to bow his head. Suddenly, he felt that he saw a glimmer of hope. He had long been tired of this weak government. Now, when he suddenly heard such passionate words from Lin Yutang, he seemed to be young again, as if he had returned to the time when he first competed for the throne in the martial arts world. He was so young and green, galloping on horseback, so unscrupulous, and so willful. In an instant, all kinds of feelings surged into his heart.
Murong Shiling smiled faintly, "Your Highness is too cautious. If you don't even understand that honest advice is hard to hear, then I must be sitting on pins and needles."
Murong Cheng lowered his head slightly, but then he heard Murong Shiling say, "The number one scholar is correct, but... Prince, what about the second and third place winners? You are the one who presided over this imperial examination. Don't you owe me an explanation?"
Murong Cheng frowned slightly, but before he could speak, he heard Murong Feng say, "Father, I know a thing or two about this matter."
"Oh?" Murong Shiling leaned back, and his whole body was suddenly hidden in the shadow of the dragon throne.
Murong Feng was so excited that he didn't notice this detail. He just thought Murong Shiling was encouraging him to continue and turned around and said, "Come here, bring that man up!"
Several guards brought a young man up and made him kneel on the ground.
"Father, I have observed that this boy is secretly selling examination papers in the city." Murong Feng said, turning to look at Murong Cheng, "The Crown Prince may be busy organizing the imperial examinations, so he didn't notice this."
Murong Cheng remained silent, his face ashen.
Murong Feng became even more proud. "I beg you, Father, to investigate this matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of the exam paper leak!"
Murong Shiling remained silent, but Murong Yanhui's lips suddenly curled up as she leaned over the wine cup. After all this time, Murong Feng was waiting for Murong Cheng. If he were to investigate this case, I'm afraid many of Murong Cheng's ministers would be accused and executed.
Anyway, tactics like torture leading to death, suicide out of fear of punishment, and attempted prison escapes are the most common means of eliminating dissidents, aren't they?
Murong Yanhui glanced at Murong Shiling, but his brother remained silent and mysterious. The palace was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. He wondered if a courtesan had accidentally plucking the strings of a zither.
The sound of "clang" carried a murderous aura for no reason.
"Prince, what do you have to say?" Murong Shiling spoke amid the sound of the piano, without any emotion in his voice.
Murong Cheng knelt on the ground and said loudly, "Father, although I haven't caught the person who sold the test paper, I am not completely indifferent to the fact that the test paper was leaked. In order to find clues and catch the person who leaked the test paper, I can only let the situation develop to this point."
"What do you mean?" Murong Shiling's voice became even lower.
"I have also brought someone with me today," Murong Cheng said, "I beg Your Majesty to allow him to enter the palace."
"pass!"
Murong Feng's heart suddenly became flustered when he saw this. He frowned and looked at Murong Cheng, wondering why this brother, who had a sullen face a second ago, was so calm and composed at this moment.
How could Murong Feng have imagined that before going to the palace, Liu Caiyi had already told Murong Cheng all the evidence given to her by Yu Qingli and how Murong Feng would make trouble. Murong Cheng didn't believe it at the time and thought that Yu Qingli and Liu Caiyi were making a fuss. Who would have thought that his own brother would actually do anything to seize power and even designed such a big circle to frame him.
Murong Cheng was heartbroken, disappointed, and saddened by Murong Feng's actions.
However, all the emotional ups and downs were just a matter of seconds. At this moment, Murong Cheng could only choose to protect himself. He still had his fief to take care of and his unborn child.
While I was thinking, the person was already there. The person's hair was disheveled and his face could not be seen clearly. I could only vaguely tell that he was a fat man.
Murong Shiling frowned slightly, "Raise your head."
The man shuddered, but refused to look up until the guards forcibly pinched his jaw. Everyone gasped when they saw this.
This person is none other than the newly popular Minister Wang!
"It's you?" Murong Shiling's words were tinged with anger. "I value you so much, why did you do such a thing?!"
Minister Wang glanced at Murong Feng, and Murong Feng's heart immediately began to beat wildly. He turned around and said, "Father, the imperial examination is the foundation of the country. What else can we say to someone who betrays the country? He should be immediately beheaded outside the Meridian Gate as a warning to others!"
Murong Shiling did not answer Murong Feng's question, but only said solemnly: "Tell me, why are you like this?"
Minister Wang glanced at Murong Feng again, who suddenly knelt down and said, "Father, he must have ulterior motives and is seeking revenge. He believes his own nephew, Wang Shipan, died because Your Highness the Crown Prince neglected him, and so he framed the Crown Prince."
Murong Feng's mind raced. As he spoke, he suddenly stood up, walked over to Minister Wang, and shouted, "Are you committing such a despicable act to frame His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Have you ever considered how you're facing your family? Have you ever thought about Daming Lake twenty years ago? Have you ever considered how you'd face your son if you found them again?!"
Minister Wang's listless figure suddenly shuddered when he heard these words. He looked up at Murong Feng, his lips trembling but unable to utter a word.
"Tell me! Why did you do this?!" Murong Feng scolded him decisively, and Minister Wang suddenly burst into laughter. His wild smile and unbridled laughter were filled with a heart-breaking sadness.
"I never imagined that after all these years of service, the person who knows me best would be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Minister Wang muttered to himself, then suddenly raised his head and bravely met Murong Shiling's gaze. "Your Majesty, I have indeed done something that has wronged you and Cang He. However, my Wang family has only one descendant to this day, and Shi Pan, the only descendant, died because he followed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to suppress bandits. So many people, so many powerless scholars, went, why did my Shi Pan die? Why? This is clearly due to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's inadequate protection! If I don't blame the Crown Prince, how can I blame God?!"