Chapter 100: "Thump." Another 1 Kneels.
In Jinluan Palace, the Little Emperor slouched on the Dragon Throne with her legs propped up. Her posture was as improper as her conduct.
Lazily holding a memorial, she began calling out names as if she were King Yan taking roll call.
"Abducting a common woman to be his concubine, passing her on to others after he’d had his fun, and finally torturing her to death with his friends. Dying ten thousand times wouldn’t be enough for a crime like that, yet you still have the gall to submit a petition for mercy? We might as well just execute his entire clan."
THUD. The newly appointed Assistant Minister of Rites’ knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor.
The Little Emperor picked up another memorial. "Seizing the people’s land, charging triple the rent, forcing men into slavery and women into prostitution if they can’t pay, utterly destroying families... a bandit would have to kowtow and beg to be his apprentice. If I had skills like these, how could the National Treasury be so empty that I can’t even pay the army? This esteemed official, why don’t you come up here and let me pay my respects to you as well."
THUD. Another one hit his knees.
The Little Emperor produced another. "Tsk, tsk. This one’s even more impressive. Going after a man’s mother, his eldest sister, *and* his second sister. This animal is worse than a beast, preying on an entire family. If they’d had a sow, I wonder if he would’ve spared it? Don’t worry, I’ll be sending him to a sow shortly."
THUD. The familiar sound echoed once more.
As the Little Emperor continued to read off one outrageous crime after another, a good seven or eight officials ended up kneeling on the hall floor.
They knew perfectly well what their family members had done. These officials were either direct beneficiaries who had turned a blind eye, or they had enabled their sons’ atrocities, helping the wicked commit their evils.
Never in their lives had they imagined they would be publicly condemned like this.
The Little Emperor looked on as if she’d seen something amusing, asking with a smile, "What’s the matter, everyone? Is it so cold in here that you’ve all come down with arthritis?"
All of them lowered their heads, not daring to utter a single word.
Xiao Yang slapped the memorial against the Dragon Throne and shot a sidelong glance at the men from the Ministry of Justice. "What are you gaping at? Take them away. Or do you need a personal invitation from me?"
At this, those who hadn’t been singled out attempted to step forward and plead for leniency.
"Your Majesty, with so many official posts already vacant, the court is in dire need of manpower. To punish so many officials at once will surely destabilize the court. We implore Your Majesty to show some clemency and allow them to atone for their crimes through meritorious service."
Xiao Yang looked at the official who had spoken. "Xu Xingchen."
Xu Xingchen immediately stepped forward. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Mr. Zhou’s brother-in-law is a compulsive gambler. After a loss, he flew into a rage and blinded a man. When the victim came to his door seeking justice, Mr. Zhou’s own cronies threatened him, going so far as to threaten his entire family’s lives. The Ministry of Justice has already taken up the case."
THUD. And so the familiar process repeated.
If it were just an accusation, there might be room for argument. But the Ministry of Justice these days was like Yama Hall itself; every single case it took on ended in a confession. No matter how deeply a crime was buried, if it landed in Xu Xingchen’s hands, he would unearth it.
Xiao Yang sneered. "So? With skeletons in your own closet, you’re still eager to plead for others? Mr. Zhou, your willingness to join the others, even at the risk of your own neck, is truly touching."
The words on the tip of Xu Shikai’s tongue were slowly swallowed back. ’Plead for them? Try to persuade her? No one can stop this emperor.’
’Call her cruel, but every person she killed was guilty. She’d kill you with reason and evidence.’
’But say she wasn’t cruel? She’d already killed off half the court. In all of history, only the most infamous tyrants had a kill rate like hers.’
’This was the Emperor his own father had personally tutored. What in the world had the old man taught her?’
After this group was dragged away, the Little Emperor waved her sleeve, preparing to adjourn the court. Just then, an urgent voice echoed through Jinluan Palace: "An urgent war report from eight hundred li! Xirong has attacked Changlu Pass! Great General Fang Wenkai has been slain, and our army is defeated!"