Chapter 682 – The Living (1/2)
Chapter 682 – The Living
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Madam Xue was not frightened, nor was she angered. Looking at the supervisor from the Ministry of Justice, she softly said, ”There is no such article in the laws of the Great Zhou.”
The supervisor, seeing that she was not willing to retreat and was still so calm, couldn't help but grow more furious. Gesturing for his subordinates to come and drive her away, he cursed, ”You old traitorous hag, if you don't scram and instead continue to obstruct this official from conducting official business, don't blame this official for being rude, and when the time comes, don't suddenly be afraid of pain!”
This was a naked threat.
No matter how persistent and unswerving Madam Xue's personality, it was impossible for her to overcome the pikes in the hands of those soldiers. She was preparing to depart with a gloomy expression when she suddenly felt that the voice just now was rather familiar.
She glanced again at the supervisor from the Ministry of Justice and realized that he looked somewhat familiar. Unsure, she asked, ”Have…I met you somewhere before?”
The supervisor's complexion instantly turned unsightly and he harshly yelled, ”Get this person away from here!”
The soldiers of the City Gate Department stepped forward, preparing to drive Madam Xue away.
Madam Xue suddenly remembered and looked at the person with a little surprise. ”You are Tianhai Sheng?”
The supervisor's face slightly paled and his voice became shriller. He yelled out to the crowd, ”Just what are you good-for-nothings waiting for!”
At these words, the soldiers of the City Gate Department no longer dared to tarry. They raised their weapons as though about to strike, so as to scare her off.
Yet Madam Xue seemed to not see these blades and swords gleaming with cold light. She only stared at the supervisor of the Ministry of Justice standing outside the crowd, her face one of mockery tinged with grief.
She had truly met this person before, on her own estate.
This person was some side relative of the Tianhai clan. Using his relationship with the Tianhai clan, he had pestered many an estate for social connections. He had been extremely respectful to her and Xue Xingchuan, sending them extremely valuable gifts in search of a commission.
Xue Xingchuan had never accepted gifts, and neither had she, but he had ultimately helped this person. In the end, it hadn't been too big of a deal for them.
After several years, it seemed that this person had done rather well for himself in the ministry. He had been appointed as supervisor and had not been implicated in anything. Now, he was still given such a heavy responsibility by the Imperial Court.
When she thought of that person's face then and compared it to that person's face now, Madam Xue only felt a thorough irony in it all.
In this purging of the capital that had taken place over the last few days, the group with the fiercest stance and the most vicious of methods was not those old ministers who had opposed Tianhai for so many years, nor was it the princes of the Chen clan. Instead, it was those ministers of the court who were most loyal and devoted to Tianhai, and those officials subordinate to the Tianhai clan who once acted the most wantonly.
This seemed somewhat insane, inconceivable, but in the countless years of history, this had actually always been the case.
After a grand undertaking, those who seemed the most insane and often performed the most inconceivable of actions were precisely the traitors. It was as if only through these almost hysterical actions could they prove that their loyalty now was different from their loyalty then, could they convince themselves that they did not need to worry that they would be discarded by the new rulers, thus obtaining a freedom devoid of fear.
This was the case for the supervisor from the Ministry of Justice, for the City Gate Department, for several eunuchs in the palace, for the subordinate officials of the Tianhai clan, and also for Zhou Tong.
It was said that in the early hours of the morning after the coup, Zhou Tong was treated by the Sacred Light technique. As soon as he began to recover from his heavy injuries, he convened his subordinates in the Department for Purging Officials and began to attend to business, protecting the emperor in service of the new government.
As she thought of these rumors and looked at this supervisor of the Ministry of Justice, the mocking aura about Madam Xue's smile became thicker and thicker, more and more dazzling.
The supervisor felt that his own eyes were about to be blinded and his malice soared. He no longer wished to drive her away, instead calling, ”Capture her for me!”
……
……
At the Li Palace.
Mao Qiuyu was currently watching the Pope water the Green Leaf. He reported, ”The inspection of the Temple Seminary is complete. All the students have already returned. The Li Palace Academy…two students were sent to the Zhou Prison. In a little while, Siyuan will personally go to get them back. Radiant Green's side is a bit more peaceful. All the gates of the Heavenly Dao Academy have been shut, and no students are allowed to leave. Only the Orthodox Academy has not paid any attention.”
The Green Leaf in the pot was clearly just missing one leaf, yet it seemed to be missing much more, giving off a hollow feeling.
Without turning his head, the Pope said, ”Since these matters have been handled adequately, go and see General Xue off.”
Mao Qiuyu assented and turned to leave the hall. After a moment, he came back, saying, ”Someone has already gone.”
The Pope's body momentarily paused. ”Who went?”
Mao Qiuyu replied, ”That person.”
The Pope was somewhat puzzled. ”That child has a kind heart, but his personality is certainly not this straightforward.”
Mao Qiuyu shook his head, explaining, ”Apparently, he happened to be passing by.”
……
……
He had sat quietly in the library for three days, and then taken three callers in Eunuch Lin, Prince Chen Liu, and the Pope.
Chen Changsheng only knew of what had happened on that night, but he had no idea what had been going on in the capital over these past few days.