Chapter 242: The Art of Changing Expression 2
Shi Xing’an replied, “I know, but if I can get a cultivator to help with the excavation, this method will...”
“Oh...” Jiang Beiran dragged out a long tone after listening to it. “What a good idea. So you actually want to see if I know about drought and water conservancy, and second, you want to see if I can mobilize a cultivator to help the people, is that right or not?”
Hearing Jiang Beiran directly expose the matter, not only did Shi Xing’an not show any fear on his face, but his originally listless eyes suddenly burst out with a bright light.
“Your Majesty is wise! I deserve ten thousand deaths for my crimes. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”
Jiang Beiran laughed after listening to it. “Get up.”
“I beg Your Majesty to punish me!” Shi Xing’an still knelt on the ground and shouted.
“I will punish you when I have to. Now, I want you to get up.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
When Shi Xing’an stood up again, Jiang Beiran was just about to crouch down and pick up the memorial when the two eunuchs behind him immediately rushed. The eunuch who picked up the memorial patted the dust on it, he knelt down and handed it to Jiang Beiran, “Your Majesty, please.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Beiran nodded and took the memorial.
“Minister Shi, you are so brave. Do you dare to tell me the purpose of presenting this memorial?”
Without any hesitation, Shi Xing’an answered directly, “Just like what Your Majesty said just now.”
“What if I agree?”
“Then Your Majesty is either very fond of achievements or very muddleheaded. Our Sheng Kingdom has fallen.”
“Good! I hope that your ability is as great as your courage. Shi Xing’an, listen to me.”
“I am here.”
“I order you to draft a new memorial tomorrow and submit it. If you can resolve the drought in Dongzhou County, I will forgive you. If you cannot, I will punish you for deceiving me!”
“I accept the imperial edict!”
Nodding, Jiang Beiran looked at the other kneeling officials and shouted, “Why are you kneeling? Rise.”
After all the ministers had stood up, Jiang Beiran said, “Is there anyone else who wants to test me like Minister Shi?”
There was complete silence...
Facing Jiang Beiran’s question, the officials did not even dare to swallow their saliva. At the same time, they sighed in their hearts that Minister Shi was indeed so different from the rest of them.
For someone like Shi Xing’an who dared to offend Emperor, if he had real abilities, Jiang Beiran would like him very much. Unfortunately, Minister Shi seemed to be the only capable one among all the officials in the court.
Sighing in disappointment, Jiang Beiran walked up to a young official and asked, “What is your position?”
The young official was so frightened that his entire body trembled. There was nothing he could do. The mind of the emperor in front of him was unpredicted. Now that he suddenly walked over to look for him, he had a strong ominous premonition in his heart.
However, the premonition was just a premonition. The young official immediately replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, I am Zu Yongsi. I am a scholar official.”
“In charge of what?”
“Your Majesty, I am under the Minister of Rites. I am in charge of the sacrificial ceremony.”
After sizing up Zu Yongsi once, Jiang Beiran asked, “I heard you say that if I am carefree, you will be carefree and slack off. I wonder how you are usually free.”
When Zu Yongsi heard that, his legs that were already weak instantly became paralyzed. He immediately threw himself on the ground and shouted, “I deserve to die. I deserve to die. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”
“Let me ask you, have you ever presided over a ceremony?”
“I did. The first agricultural sacrificial ceremony at the beginning of spring was organized by me. Also, the first silkworm sacrificial ceremony of Empress was also organized by this humble subject.”
“What do we need to arrange for this first agricultural sacrificial ceremony?”
“We... we need...”
Zu Yongsi was dumbfounded. He was just recommended to be an idler. His subordinates would help him settle every tasks. He just needed to be there for mere formality. How would he know what to arrange a ceremony?
“I was nervous and couldn’t remember. I...”
“You can’t remember, right? Okay, no problem. I’ll give you time to think. Men!”
“I’m here.” Eunuch Wang Shougui stepped forward and answered.
“Give him fifty strokes of the cane. Just beat him beside me.” After saying that, Jiang Beiran looked at Zu Yongsi and said, “When you remember, I’ll tell them to stop.”
“Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty, please spare my life!” Zu Yongsi kept kowtowing after listening to him.
However, Jiang Beiran completely ignored him and walked to the next minister.
...
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
“Your Majesty, please spare my life! Your Majesty, please spare my life!”
“Your Majesty! When I go back, I will concentrate on studying. I won’t dare to... Ah!!”
Hearing the screams beside him, most of the officials were sweating profusely. When they saw Jiang Beiran walking towards them, they were so scared that their legs were trembling.
“Drag him away!”
After dragging another young official away, Jiang Beiran let out a deep sigh. Although he had felt that these young officials were a symbol of corruption in the Imperial Court yesterday. However, Yin Jianghong said that Deng Bo was considered a talent, so Jiang Beiran still had some hope.
Now that he found out that these young officials were all idiots. They could actually stand in the Imperial Court without knowing anything.
“Your Majesty, Official Cao has fainted.” Wang Shougui, who was supervising the execution, ran to Jiang Beiran and reported.
“Is he dead?”
“He’s still alive.”
“Then wake him up and keep beating him!”
As soon as he said this, Wang Shougui and the other officials trembled at the same time.
“Yes.” Wang Shougui accepted the order and left.
Following the waves of screams, Jiang Beiran continued his first “morning court”.
When it was close to noon, Jiang Beiran looked at the few young officials who were on their last breaths on the benches beside him, as well as the bloody boards.
“Stop.”
Jiang Beiran’s voice was very loud, and all the executioners immediately stopped when they heard it.
Jiang Beiran glanced at the remaining officials who had yet to ask. He Beiran walked towards the officials and said, “Let’s call it a day. I don’t want to see any ignorant people in the Imperial Court in the future. I hope that all you can remember this.”
Then, he looked at the eunuchs behind him and said, “Return to the palace.”
When the eunuchs heard this, they immediately shouted in a high-pitched voice, “Rise and return to the palace!”
When Jiang Beiran was very far away, many officials could not hold on any longer and fell to the ground in shock.
Those officials who were not punished were happy. Their eyes were shining. This was the first time they felt that the scream of their colleagues was so pleasing to the ear.
They looked at each other for a while, but the officials didn’t say anything this time.
Because they knew that they had welcomed an emperor with a capricious temper. No matter how long they spent together with this emperor, it would be difficult for them to understand his temper. One second, he called them his beloved officials. The next second, he would send them straight to death row.
The best way to deal with this emperor was to say less and do more, and absolutely not use words to curry favor with him.
On the way back to the palace, Mu Yao, who was a female official following behind Jiang Beiran, was in high spirits. She looked at Jiang Beiran with sparkling eyes.
Ever since she was young, what she hated the most was the corrupt Imperial Court and the officials who did nothing. It was they who had brought too much pain to this country.
Now that she saw Jiang Beiran pull out the various eunuchs one by one and beat them up, every scream made her feel extremely relieved. There was an indescribable sense of pleasure in her heart.
Although she still didn’t know how Jiang Beiran would eventually rule the country, she knew that he definitely wanted to be a good emperor.
After returning to the Serenity Hall, Jiang Beiran turned his head to look at Mu Yao and asked, “You’ve been looking at me the whole way. What’s the matter?”
“What! Who’s looking at you!” Mu Yao turned her head fiercely.
“Is that so? Okay.” After saying that, Jiang Beiran sat on the dragon throne and picked up the “Dianlun” on the table that he hadn’t finished reading yesterday.
Mu Yao carefully looked at Jiang Beiran again, and Mu Yao secretly made a face.
“I don’t have a good impression of him. I’m just happy to see those officials get beaten up, humph!”
“Your Majesty.”
When Mu Yao went to look for a book to read, Wang Shougui went to Jiang Beiran’s desk and knelt down.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s time for lunch.”
“I’m not hungry yet.”
Wang Shougui wanted to persuade him, but when he recalled Emperor’s words in the morning, “My words are the rules”, as well as the various officials who were beaten until their flesh was split open, he immediately shut up.
When Wang Shougui was about to leave, Jiang Beiran suddenly shouted, “Wang Shougui.”
“I’m here.” Wang Shougui quickly replied.
“Did the previous emperor have a grand tutor?”
“Yes, yes.” Wang Shougui nodded.
“Go and call him for me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
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