Chapter 459 Your Majesty, Please
Chu Li sat on the dragon chair and looked down at the ministers. "During the time I was away, you all performed your duties conscientiously and shared my worries. I am very pleased."
"I am terrified!" the ministers said in unison.
Chu Li smiled faintly and looked at Cui Yue, "Minister Cui has lost a lot of weight recently. Is there something on his mind?"
"I was wrong, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" Cui Yue was so scared that his whole body was trembling, his upper body was crawling on the ground, and his face was pale.
It's over, Chu Li will definitely punish him.
Chu Li smiled and said, "You are the Minister of Revenue, but I didn't see you so nervous when I took money from my home. It's just a small scene, don't be afraid."
The more Chu Li spoke lightly, the more frightened Cui Yue became.
"Your Majesty, I have never been corrupt. If anyone is to blame, it has to be the late Grand Tutor. He is the most treacherous minister."
Chu Li stood up, propped up his hand on the table, and said with a dignified look, "Say what you just said again!"
Cui Yue hesitated and said, "I am not corrupt. It is the Grand Tutor who is corrupt..."
Chu Li slammed the table, "How dare you insult Master Ye's reputation? Slap me in the face!"
"Your Majesty, everything I said is true!" Cui Yue was held up by the imperial guards, and the sound of loud slaps on his face echoed throughout the hall.
Cui Yue was beaten so hard that he was dizzy and bleeding from the corners of his lips. He begged, "I will tell you again, I will tell you again. Master Ye did not embezzle. It was I who did. Your Majesty, please calm down. I know I was wrong..."
Several ministers who followed Cui Yue to join Chu Muran were so frightened that they could not even stand.
Your Majesty, we have to deal with them one by one.
Chu Li's eyes were cold and stern. "If the Great Chu didn't have Master Ye, we wouldn't even be able to pay your salaries. The salaries that Chu Muran promised to pay you wouldn't be paid at all. Cui Yue, is that right or not?"
Cui Yue stammered, "Yes, yes, he said he would think of a solution in three months..."
The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. It turned out that Chu Muran couldn't even afford to pay their salaries. No wonder he wanted to increase taxes from the people.
Terrible!
Chu Li said angrily, "Chu Muran has been in office for only a few days. The Chu State is facing internal and external troubles. The people are living in misery and are surrounded by enemies. You are accomplices to the evil. Take you out and execute you."
Wherever Chu Li pointed his finger, several ministers knelt on the ground and cried for mercy.
"Your Majesty, please spare my life!"
Chu Li said coldly: "Each of you has sinned a lot and committed capital crimes of hurting people. You knew I was investigating you, so you immediately turned to Chu Muran. You are really a bunch of parasites hiding in the court."
"Drag out!"
At Chu Li's command, the imperial guards immediately took the man away.
Suddenly, screams of several people were heard outside the hall.
Chu Li's eyes were gloomy. This was a necessary step for an emperor, killing the chicken to scare the monkey.
She would like to take this opportunity to give some warning to those who still dare to try.
When Cui Yue heard his colleague's screams disappear, the blood in his body almost rushed to his head.
"Your Majesty, please spare my life. I am willing to guard the border and reclaim wasteland, just like Lu Dongchen, to make amends for my crime!"
Chu Li's eyes gradually darkened. "You want to compare yourself to Lu Dongchen? You are so shameless! I have already found out that you have embezzled two million taels of silver, your hands are stained with blood, and you are a man who eats people without leaving any bones. Just the fact that you betrayed your master is enough to wipe out your entire family!"
"Your Majesty!" Cui Yue's body was shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind.
Chu Li ordered, "Take him away and execute him by slow slicing at the Meridian Gate!"
"The rest of the Cui family, leave Beijing and go to Lingnan immediately. Let Lu Dongchen take good care of them."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Cui Yue's legs went weak and he was dragged out.
He regretted so much, why did he betray Chu Li.
Chu Li withdrew his gaze from Cui Yue and said, "My dear ministers, tomorrow is the New Year's Day. I will hold a palace banquet to entertain several distinguished guests and reward you for your hard work throughout the year."
The ministers said in unison, "Thank you, Lord!"
They all speculated, who is the distinguished guest that His Majesty was talking about?
......
In the imperial study room.
Chu Li was reviewing the memorials, and Eunuch Li nodded and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Qiongying requests an audience."
"No." Chu Li didn't even raise her head. She was so rude before, openly despising and slandering her. Now that she wants to see him, she has to see him. Why?
Princess Qiongying cried outside the door and knelt on the ground begging, "Your Majesty, please save my daughter."
Eunuch Li said, "Your Majesty, your brother has sent Princess Qingran to Xirong for marriage. It is estimated that they will reach the border of Xirong in a few days."
Outside the door, Princess Qiongying's voice was intermittent. She sobbed and said, "Your Majesty, please consider that Princess Qingran grew up with you. Please save her. Auntie begs you."
Chu Li frowned. Chu Muran was really a beast. She was just threatening Princess Qingran that day, but he gave it to her directly.
She hated sending women to other countries to be humiliated, which reminded her of Chu Yue's experience.
"Great Chu does not need to sacrifice women for marriage. Eunuch Li, take the imperial edict and quickly send people with fast horses to chase Princess Qingran."
As long as trade with the Western Rong is restored, the relationship between the two countries can be restored.
As a woman, no matter how much she hated Princess Qingran, she didn't like this approach.
When Princess Qiongying heard that Chu Li was willing to send people to chase her daughter, she knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Chu Li several times, even breaking her forehead.
She really regretted bringing Mu Xinyue and her son into the palace.
After this incident, she discovered that Chu Li had a conscience and a strong character, while Chu Muran was a beast in human form who would stop at nothing to secure his throne.
......
The capital city was brightly lit and the sound of firecrackers could be heard.
In the magnificent hall, royal nobles and ministers gathered together.
They saw four venerable men with immortal looks sitting next to the main seat.
"Today we finally get to see the four great masters of Tianwu Mountain!"
"They are all your majesty's teachers, god-like figures."
Mu Xinyue and Chu Muran, whose face was covered in bruises, were also brought over and sat next to General Mu.
Mu Churan hung his head. He was already a prisoner, but Chu Li still didn't let him go.
The ministers were also surprised and wondered what they were doing here.
Chu Li raised his eyes and looked at the two of them, "Mother, do you want me to speak about your affairs, or do you want me to speak about it yourself?"
Chu Muran admitted his mistake with a humble face, "It is my brother who is incompetent and has no ability to expand the Great Chu State. I chose to abdicate on my own. From now on, the Great Chu State belongs to my sister, and my brother will never covet it."
Mu Xinyue lowered her eyes, feeling mixed emotions. She went to ask the old people in the palace about what Pei Ye had told her.
After learning about Chu Li's experiences over the years, she felt extremely guilty.
Now she was too embarrassed to ask Chu Li to return the throne to her brother.
She also realized that Chu Muran was not fit to be emperor.
Ye Qingwu stared at Mu Xinyue and her son, "I just want to poison them to death."
"They won't live long." Situ Yichen sneered. He calculated the fortune and found that the two men's life span would be coming to an end.
If he couldn't predict it right this time, he would eat the Bagua plate.