Chapter 285 It’s normal

“Secretly communicating with the Huns?”

If the Crown Prince’s murderous intent was revealed earlier, it was Prime Minister Du’s first misconduct, then the words “secretly communicating with the Huns” coming out now was Prime Minister Du’s second misconduct.

In the empty cell, the Minister of Rites was in doubt. He glanced at the Crown Prince, who seemed to be casual but was actually observing him intently, and then at the Crown Prince’s followers, who had naked eyes. Prime Minister Du was stunned, and then…

“what!”

Du Xiang suddenly laughed out loud, “Hahahaha!”

After laughing loudly, he suddenly stopped talking and sneered at Liu Ju, “Your Highness, in order to put me to death, you actually came up with a charge of treason. It’s really not easy! If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext!”

“You have secretly communicated with the Huns. Your crime is indeed worthy of death ten times. It is cruel and shameless enough.” Prime Minister Du was no longer polite and scolded him harshly.

His every word and action was under the watchful eyes of Liu Ju and Jin Midi. Regardless of Liu Ju’s reaction, Jin Midi subconsciously frowned after seeing what was happening.

Too common a reaction, too normal.

Yes, when a person is wronged, he will have the normal reaction – blushing, angry and ashamed. But I don’t see the guilty panic and evasiveness after the truth is revealed.

In other words: “The person who passed the military intelligence to the Xiongnu was not Taichang? Nor was he from the Pingnan Marquis faction who was connected with Taichang?”

While Jin Midi was thinking, Liu Ju had already sat back up and said seriously, “It’s Taichang’s turn to misunderstand. I only said that I dare not collude with the people of the Xiongnu. When did I say that Taichang colluded with the Xiongnu?”

Du Xiang’s face showed doubt again.

The prince was confused as to what he meant. But in a flash, he suddenly woke up: “Another test!?”

I guessed it right, but unfortunately there is no reward… No.

There is a reward!

Since the person who secretly communicated with the Huns was not Prime Minister Du, Liu Ju no longer had the time to talk about the past and present with him. He patted his sleeves and stood up.

Seeing the prince’s posture, Du Xiangke panicked. He knew what the other party’s departure meant. He didn’t have time to think about the Xiongnu affairs. He immediately said in a deep voice:

“Your Highness may not be aware of the power of the nobles. If the Crown Prince’s Palace is willing to change its ways, the nobles can also help Your Highness.”

“With our help, the throne of the crown prince will be as secure as a rock!”

Hear this.

Liu Ju glanced at Prime Minister Du and said with a smile: “My position as crown prince does need someone to stabilize and help, but it’s not you.”

“So what if they are from the nobility? Are they qualified to negotiate with me?”

If they give face, they can talk about the harmony between the monarch and his subjects. If they don’t give face, they don’t even have the qualifications to be equal to Liu Ju!

Before Liu Ju turned around, he asked, “You said you wanted to change your ways. I am indeed a little curious. What is it that pierced your lungs? The imperial examination?”

“Yes and no!”

Prime Minister Du looked solemn, and immediately continued: “We must admit that paper, official schools, and even the final imperial examinations have the ability to threaten the gentry, and the ability to dig up their roots, but not now.”

“If you want to shake the foundation of the nobles, it will take at least a hundred years, or even thousands of years!”

“In your generation, and for the generations to come, the world belongs to the Liu family, but it is also destined to be the world of each family!”

Prime Minister Du spoke one sentence after another, with an air of urgency, “The imperial court is holding an imperial examination to recruit officials, and the royal family can directly select officials. This is indeed a wise move.”

“But it’s very limited!”

“The gentry cannot decide who will pass the imperial examination, but they can decide who will take part in the examination. After so many selections, the majority of the candidates who finally pass the imperial examination are still from the gentry!”

“The court cannot do without the gentry. Every person who comes to power cannot avoid the gentry.” Prime Minister Du was very emotional. He was originally trying to delay time, but as he spoke, he became more sincere, hoping to convince the prince and give him a wake-up call.

Prime Minister Du spoke each word with great emphasis, his high-pitched voice echoing through the prison: “I took over as Minister of Rites in the third year of Yuanding. I became the leader of the aristocratic families in just half a year after taking office.”

“Before I entered the government, did I ever become an enemy of the Crown Prince’s Palace?”

“Never!”

“But in just half a year, a leader of the Nine Ministers would naturally go to the opposite side because of your shallow views. How stupid is your Highness!?”

Jin Midi took a step closer upon hearing this, but Du Xiang’s words became more and more urgent, staring at Liu Chuan and saying, “The world is so big, and talented people from the aristocracy occupy seven or eight of it.”

“The imperial examination is an external phenomenon. Your Highness’s prejudice against the nobles is the source of our anxiety. How can we not take action when the nobles are uneasy?”

“Isn’t it normal to participate in the fight for the throne?” Du Xiang said solemnly. Liu Ju didn’t mind answering in a serious tone. He stood with his sword in hand, facing Du Xiang, nodded and said:
“You are right. I am indeed suppressing the nobles. I talk about reforming the selection of officials, talking about serving the poor, and serving the common people. No matter who it is for, in the final analysis…”

“We’re all doing this for ourselves.”

“You have your own ideas, and I have my own persistence. It’s just a matter of success and failure. It’s normal for the loser to pay the price!”

After saying that, Liu Ju turned and left.

Under Prime Minister Du’s slightly pale face, he heard the last few words from afar: “I have been handling government affairs for a long time, and I have been benevolent for a long time. It is inevitable that the outside world will think that the Crown Prince’s palace is weak and can be bullied.”

“Today I will borrow the power of Taichang to tell the world, put down the documents, pick up the sword, and I will kill people just the same!”

at this time.

There were two people left in the cell, Du Xiang was sitting and Jin Midi was standing.

The Xiongnu boy took out a small cup and a palm-sized wine pot from his wide sleeves, and placed them on the table. “The Minister of Rites cannot wait for the Minister of Justice to report the news. Chang’an is hundreds of miles away from Ganquan Palace. It is too far. Even a fast horse cannot save you.”

Seeing the wine cup, Prime Minister Du was horrified, as if he had been stung by a scorpion, and shuddered backwards, “The prince is actually going to poison me right now!?”

He didn’t even go through the impeachment process in court!

So anxious!

Not even a glimmer of hope left! ?

Even if Prime Minister Du had ten thousand feelings of unwillingness and fear in his heart, it was in vain at this moment, as the poisoned wine was already in front of him.

When the poisoned wine was delivered to Prime Minister Li Cai, it was also Jin Midi who came. However, at that time, as Liu Ju himself said, his subordinates were penniless and had to do things secretly when arranging for his followers to be sent to the Tingwei Prison.

But not anymore.

Jin Midi entered openly and placed the poisoned wine openly!

“To be honest with you, the Imperial Court Justice is your Highness’s man. No one in the prison will come to save you now.” Jin Midi looked down at Prime Minister Du and stated the facts calmly:

“It’s obvious that the court judge wants to stay out of this matter, and he won’t do that either, so…” Jin Midi looked around and pointed at the fence and stone wall, “This is a prison, you are the prisoner, you are the fish and I am the knife.”

“Considering Jiu Qing’s dignity, I don’t need to offer the wine.”

This poisonous wine.

You have to drink it whether you want to or not!

Jin Midi filled his glass of wine, but Du Xiang did not move. Fear flashed across his blood-red face. There is a great terror between life and death, who can escape it?

“Prince, are you not afraid of His Majesty’s punishment for your reckless behavior? There are many people watching the Prince’s Palace!”

Jin Midi folded his hands forward, remaining indifferent.

“Do you think that killing me will bring peace to the world? You are dreaming! Although I am dead, the nobles are still here. Perhaps the next person to take over as the Minister of Rites will also stand on the side of the nobles.”

“Perhaps there are some among the Nine Ministers who are inclined towards the aristocracy, and perhaps there are also some among your Highness’s followers who are secretly resentful and dissatisfied!”

“If you are not careful, the crown prince must also be careful…”

“Okay!” Looking at the Taichang whose voice was gradually trembling and who had already done everything he could, Jin Midi said kindly and generously:
“Your Highness, I won’t bother you with any more worries. As a minister, you should still be respectful. Prime Minister Li Cai was much tougher than you back then.”

Li Cai?

Du Xiang raised his head suddenly, as if he had discovered some secret, grasped some life-saving straw that could be coerced, and he instinctively wanted to shout…

“Okay!” Jin Midi thought to himself, “You are not decent, so I am the only one who can help you be decent.”

Du Xiang’s voice was still in his mouth when it was suddenly covered, and he could only make struggling and whimpering sounds similar to “wuwu”.

Like so many times, silent, confusing, messy, dark and dirty – death once again took place in the Tingwei Prison.

Death is normal here.

In the Han Dynasty, “suicide” was also normal.

At noon that day, news spread in Chang’an that the Minister of Rites, Yangping Marquis Du Xiang, had committed suicide in prison for the crime of disrespect…

(End of this chapter)