PDLP Chapter 167 I need to see my son safe with my own eyes
Chapter 167 I need to see my son safe with my own eyes
Qiu Yao said that after Ji Ruyun married into the Prime Minister's Mansion, she would stay by her side and try to help her gain the power to manage the Mansion.
Xiang He also knew that the current power in the Prime Minister's Mansion was not in the hands of Madam Zhang, but in the hands of the second young lady Qiu Ning.
Because Zhang also trusted Qiu Ning wholeheartedly, she gave her such an important task.
Xiang He vaguely felt that there must be some ulterior motive behind Qiu Yao's desire for Ji Ruyun to fight for the power of the family, and that this was a truth that she could not touch at all.
"Yes, Miss, I will do my best to help Miss Ji." Xiang He agreed without thinking too much.
……
At the same time, in the sky prison.
After a period of evidence collection, many officials from aristocratic families, led by the Guo family, were implicated. Some were thrown into prison, some were exiled, or their homes were confiscated.
The emperor's intention was to clean out all the corrupt officials in the court and conduct a major purge. Any official involved in the resale of military equipment and the sale of official positions and titles would be guilty of a serious crime, and they were in collusion with each other.
Gu Li learned that Prime Minister Guo Zhong had a list that detailed the past deeds of these officials and evidence of corruption and bribery.
But during the interrogation, Guo Zhong remained silent and claimed that he did not know about the list.
Gu Li knew that Guo Zhong wanted to negotiate terms.
In the prison, Gu Li didn't beat around the bush and directly asked Guo Zhong, "Your Majesty will allow you to protect one person, but the condition is that I want the list in your hand. Prime Minister Guo, as a smart person, I think you should know what to do at this time."
Guo Zhong half closed his eyes, his thoughts surging.
He knew that the Guo family was really finished this time. Now, the only bargaining chip in his hand was this list. No matter who he used it to protect, it would be a difficult choice.
"What if I am unwilling to hand over the list?" Guo Zhong asked in a trembling voice.
"If Minister Guo is unwilling to cooperate, it doesn't matter what His Majesty says. He will order all the charges to be pinned on General Guo. At that time, all the blame will be borne by General Guo alone, and you, Minister Guo, will at most be charged with negligence. At most, you will be dismissed from office and expelled from the capital, leaving you to fend for yourself."
As Gu Li finished speaking, Guo Zhong's eyes suddenly widened, as if he had suffered a huge blow.
It seemed as if he had not expected that the emperor would do this to him.
If this were to happen, wouldn't he have to bury his beloved before him, and have to face everyone's accusations and ridicule?
How cruel is it to let an old man survive and live in guilt and torture for the rest of his life?
I have to say that the choice given by the emperor seems to be an option, but in fact there is no choice at all.
If Guo Zhongruo wants to save Guo Yian's life, he can only contribute the list.
"hehe!"
Guo Zhong laughed bitterly, his voice filled with endless desolation, "The Emperor is going to wipe out my entire Guo family."
"I just want to know how the Crown Prince and the Queen are doing."
Gu Li's expression remained unchanged as she replied, "The Queen has been confined to Fengxiang Palace for interfering in government affairs. As for the Crown Prince, as long as he doesn't make any serious mistakes in the future, I believe His Majesty will not make things difficult for him."
Although the prince is mediocre, he is also of royal blood. However, according to the current situation, it is unlikely that he will inherit the throne in the future.
Guo Zhong obviously realized this. For a moment, he seemed to have aged several years. His face was sad and he shook his head with a wry smile.
Finally, he closed his eyes and replied, "The specific contents of the list are all in my mind. Lord Gu, I have to see with my own eyes that my son is safe and sound before I can rest assured."
This means that Guo Zhong has agreed to tell the truth, but Guo Yian needs to be released first.
Gu Li also nodded in agreement, and quickly ordered someone to bring paper and pen, and went to the cell where Guo Yian was imprisoned.
Unexpectedly, something unexpected happened at this moment. When Gu Li just left, a jailer who came to lock the door drew out his sword and swung it at Guo Zhong's neck while Guo Zhong was not paying attention.
Gu Li in front heard the noise and turned around hurriedly, but it was too late.
The jailer who attempted the assassination knew he would not survive, so after confirming that Guo Zhong was dead, he did not hesitate to kill himself with his knife and fell beside Guo Zhong.
"Prime Minister Guo!"
When Gu Li and his men arrived, Guo Zhong was almost dying. Blood was oozing from his throat, his eyes were wide open, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
He opened his mouth, as if trying desperately to say something, but at the last moment, his neck twisted and he died in front of Gu Li.
Gu Li was extremely angry for a moment and stared at the body of the assassin in front of him.
Leng Qi immediately stepped forward and checked the jailer's body. Soon, he found a token on the jailer's body with the word "Wan" engraved on it.
"Sir, this..."
Leng Qi handed the token to Gu Li, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
Gu Li took the token and took a look at it, with an undercurrent surging in his eyes.
At this time, the jailer who was not far away heard the noise and rushed over. After seeing Guo Zhong and another jailer lying on the ground, the jailer was dumbfounded.
Then, he knelt down with a thud and begged for mercy towards Gu Li, "It's unfair, Master Gu. This guy is not a guard here at all. I don't even know when he got in here."
He was so unlucky that someone sneaked into his territory without his knowledge and killed such an important prisoner. The prison boss felt that he was probably finished.
In fact, just as he expected, Gu Li was furious.
He stood up and looked down at the jailer crawling on the ground, his voice as cold as ice.
"If you hadn't neglected your duties, how could the thieves have gotten in? Come! Take this man away and interrogate him strictly!"
Someone actually assassinated Guo Zhong right under his nose. Even if the prison boss was not directly involved, he would still be guilty of dereliction of duty.
The two black-armored guards behind him immediately stepped forward and quickly took away the jailer who was crying out for justice.
"Sir, the list has not been revealed yet. What should we do next?" Leng Qi asked.
Gu Li also suppressed his anger, glanced at the dead assassin, and ordered:
"Find out this person's identity first."
At the same time, in Prince Yong’s Mansion.
Prince Yong was playing with the thrush in the cage when his confidant Lin Ji pushed the door open and walked in, whispering:
"Your Highness, the spy in the Heavenly Prison just reported that the matter has been settled."
Upon hearing this, Prince Yong's lips curled into a cruel sneer, and he sighed, "Guo Zhong has been shrewd all his life, but I never thought that in the end, I would have to send him off. It can be considered a worthy death."
Lin Ji nodded in agreement, then thought of something and said, "Although the list has been saved, I heard that Guo Yian has been released. I think Guo Zhong made some kind of deal with Gu Li before his death. So, Your Highness, should we touch Guo Yian?"