On the afternoon of the second day after summoning the children of the Three Dynasties, Xiao Zhi changed into civilian clothes and took Xue Bilong to the Yamen of the Criminal Department located in Chuan'er Hutong, where he had a leisurely tea in the large living room behind the signing room, waiting for the results of the trial of Fu Shixing Xie Lan, Rong Xuan and Fang Fei saw that he seemed to be preoccupied, and they all sat up straight silently.

Xue Bilong sat aside, only secretly looking at the king's expression, and considered how to open his mouth to intercede - Fu Shixing was his proud protégé, although sometimes he was radical and reckless, but he was honest and loyal, and had a high reputation in the local area. This time, he wrote to ask the imperial court to pay attention to the troubles of the three dynasties, and Xue Bilong, who was also a courtier, agreed very much, but the fact that the two countries had a disagreement was also unavoidable.

What will the king do with Fu Shixing? It would be a pity to be executed, and the ministers would shy away from the affairs of the Three Dynasties and let things deteriorate; If they are not executed, it will be difficult to explain to the Three Dynasties. In such a dilemma, even Xue Bilong didn't know how to do it.

"On our way to the country of Qi, we met a man named Fu Shixing, who heard that he was punished for his advice to be wary of the three dynasties. To be honest, I think this guy is surprisingly straightforward, and he's a talent. Zhou Chen remembered and instructed, "You go and save his life, don't forget." ”

Ever since these guys came to the Three Dynasties, there have been more troubles. Song Qinglian even relied on the support of Zhou Chen and a few of them, and called him every day. Thinking of this, Xiao Zhi sighed, and then flipped through the case file in his hand.

Where is the dignity of the king? I'm really getting more and more like an errand runner!

I didn't say I wouldn't protect him! Otherwise, what would he do if he went back to Qi Capital City from afar!

Recently, the king has become more and more fond of sighing, Xie Lan, Fang Fei looked at it in his eyes, and couldn't help but be a little worried.

Suddenly, a big military attache hurriedly came in, took a breath, sat on the chair opposite Xiao Zhi and Xue Bilong, looked out uneasily, turned his face to Xiao Zhi and said, "Hey, when will your hall officials come down-ah?" You are ......"

In recent days, for the sake of Fu Shixing's affairs, Sun Darong has stayed in the Criminal Department almost every day, relying on his identity as Wang Sirui's deputy general, and many old friends have served in the Criminal Department. Today is an important day for Fu Shixing's conviction, and the sudden appearance of several unfamiliar faces makes him a little worried, for fear that something will happen again.

"This is the Holy One!" Xiao Zhi saw that his face was so shocked that he even forgot to kneel, so he smiled and said, "Relax, I just came to see the result of the trial, who are you?" ”

"The slave is Sun Darong, the deputy general of Wang Sirui, the governor of Shaanxi."

"It's not good for you to stay in the Admiral's Mansion for a living, what are you doing in the yamen of the Criminal Department?" Sun Darong knelt down busily, and the beads of sweat on his forehead had oozed out: "If you go back to the king, the yamen of the Criminal Department is interrogating Fu Shixing-ah, the slave came to take a look at the old ......"

"You are a local adjutant general, what kind of friendship do you have in the Criminal Department? Why is it involved in Fu Shixing again? Xiao Zhi saw that Sun Darong was stammering in panic, he didn't feel funny, but he had some doubts in his heart, "Now that the officials of the Criminal Department are interrogating Fu Shixing, what do you say when you get involved?" Admiral Wang's hand is stretched too long, isn't it? ”

"Eh, the minions should be damned! This Fu Shixing is a close friend of the slave, and he has a lifelong friendship. Today's trial, the minister couldn't hold back, and the acquaintances who came to the Criminal Department to inquire about the news......" said and kowtowed again and again.

"Get up, stand over there!" Xiao Zhi smiled and teased, "You are still a military attaché, and you have been by Wang Sirui's side for so long, and you don't even have the talent to change dramatically, you came to the Yamen of the Law Division to hit the wooden clock, aren't you afraid that I will punish you?" ”

"The slave has followed Wang Dudu for many years, and he has nothing to do with Fu Shixing in private, but he only knew that something happened to him when he met by chance a few days ago." Seeing that he couldn't hide it, Sun Darong simply told the truth, and said with a smile, "A slave is just a soldier, just obeying military orders, and he can't talk about the affairs of the court and politics." It was only worried about the safety of his benefactor that he used the name of the royal governor to inquire about the situation. ”

"It's good to just say it, that's understandable." Xiao Zhi smiled and nodded. "Say hello to Wang Sirui for me."

Sun Darong stood up, he had gradually regained his composure, and his dark and purple face trembled. Xue Bilong, who was on the side, saw that Xiao Zhi's expression had eased, and hurriedly bowed down and said, "Master Fu is writing and speaking for the country. Its words should be taken from the saints; His words are inappropriate, and the saint will give it up. I thought—"

"Don't talk about it." Xiao Zhi cut off Xue Bilong's words, and said with a pleasant face, "I have my own plans, if I really want to be a talent, I am reluctant to kill it." ”

"You go to the signing room to pass the decree, I want to see Master Fu."

"Huh?" Sun Darong was surprised, and when he saw that Xiao Zhen's face became serious, he hurriedly replied, "Yes!" ”

After a while, Fu Shixing followed Sun Darong in. He had forty pounds of shackles under his feet, and he rattled in the silent courtyard, and although his steps were faltering, his face was as calm as that of a child who had just woken up. Because Shangshu of the Criminal Department and a few squires, Kedao and a group of other officials did not enter the courtyard, they only kowtowed upwards in the courtyard of the Criminal Department, retreated to the side, and looked at the living room that immediately became supreme uneasily.

"Fu Shixing," Xiao Zhi played with the fan in his hand and said to Fu Shixing who was lying on the ground, "What are you thinking about here and now?" ”

"The sinner is thinking about ......" Fu Shixing's body trembled, he didn't expect the king to ask this at all, he couldn't help but look up at Xiao Zhen, and replied, "Since the founding of the Qi State, this place has always been the place where the state is in charge of punishment, so it is only a stone's throw away from the destination. Thousands of wicked people have been punished here, and there are also people with lofty ideals who have been wronged and humiliated here...... At this time, the criminal minister did not want to meet the holy face, and as soon as he complained, although the minister died, how fast would it be! ”

"What do you have to say?" Xiao Zhi changed color and said, "It's just a small prefect, and you dare to talk about the country's major policies and the harmony between the two countries, it's not that you are innocent!" Although the voice of these words was not high, it was full of great pressure, and Xue Bilong, Sun Darong and the others couldn't help but shudder in their hearts.

"The Holy Lord's words are wrong!" Fu Shixing crossed his heart and said in protest, his eyes were blazing. The people present were all startled, but they heard Fu Shixing say loudly, "The rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of the husband, not to mention the minister's position in the pastor!" The ministers saw that the officials of the three dynasties were perverse, rampant, recruiting troops, and with bad intentions! If you keep silent and protect yourself, you will be guilty of defrauding the king; If you directly admonish the face, there is also the crime of vain talking about the government-if you advance, you will die, and if you retreat, you will die, which is better? Ask the Holy One to make a clear decision! ”

Xiao Zhi felt as if his heart had suddenly sunk from the sky, and the words "sacrificing his life for righteousness" flashed like lightning, making his heart ache: such a character has not been discovered until now! No wonder even Xue Bilong, who has always been upright, personally interceded for him.

He pondered for a moment, raised his voice and shouted outward, "Call the Shangshu of the Criminal Department to come in!" ”

Chen Zhengzhi, the secretary of the Criminal Department, agreed "in accordance with the order", stepped in three steps and two steps, and before he knelt down, he heard Xiao Zhi ask: "How are you going to deal with Fu Shixing?" ”

"Cut in half!" Chen Zhengzhi replied without thinking.

"Can't it be lighter?"

"If you return to the king, the ministers can only be condemned according to the law." Chen Zhengzhi said, "Grace comes from above, and the commutation of the sentence should be given by the king." ”

"Hmm. Then ...... Abandon the market. Xiao Zhi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief under heavy pressure, glanced at Fu Shixing, and said, "You just said it very well, I will fulfill you-don't blame me for being ruthless, the court has the difficulties of the court, after all, it is a major matter between the two countries-do you have anything else?" Oh, your old mother and young son, I should take care of the household department and take care of it......"

Xiao Zhi said as he looked at Fu Shixing.

"The criminal has nothing to say......" Fu Shixing heard the old mother and young son at this moment, and he was really more sad than ten thousand arrows. With tears in his eyes, he forced himself not to cry, but just knelt down respectfully and bowed three times and bowed nine times, and said in a trembling voice: "Thank you......" stood up and made a long bow to Xue Bilong and Sun Darong, and said with a tearful smile: "Teacher, Brother Rong, brother goodbye!" With that, he walked out of the hall with his head held high in the big shackles.

"Stop!" Xiao Zhi suddenly got up and snorted. The originally calm and calm face suddenly turned blood-red, and he stepped out of the hall in a few steps, staring at Chen Zhengzhi with his eyes like electricity, and said one after another: "Give him punishment!" As he spoke, he kept approaching Fu Shixing, and while watching the two officials hurriedly unlock the lock and go to the execution, he stroked Fu Shixing's shoulder and said, "Okay! Sure enough, it's a brave person, and it's really a fierce husband! Kill a courtier like you, won't I become the king of the scumber? ”

Fu Shixing was stunned by this sudden change, and when he understood, where he could still control himself, he threw himself on the ground and cried.

"You stay in the capital first." Xiao Zhi picked up Fu Shixing, patted the dust off his arm for him, and said softly, "Many of your friends work in the capital. You are recuperating in their house, what are the performances and suggestions, for the time being, Xue Bilong will present them on his behalf, I want to use your stone to tell you to return to the border as an official, do you dare? ”

"Why don't the minions dare?" Fu Shixing replied loudly.

"Although he is a civil official, his temperament is a little reckless like that of a military attaché." Xiao Zhi looked sideways at Xue Bilong, "What kind of master is it, what kind of apprentice." ”

"This ......" seemed to be said to be a sore spot, Xue Bilong coughed a few times, and immediately changed the topic, "It is certainly a good thing that the king cherishes his talents, but the three dynasties still have to give an explanation." ”

"That's right, but the imminent war with the Three Dynasties is a certainty." Thinking of the increasingly igniting war on the border, Bai Chenxuan and Zhou Chen brought news about the traverser from afar, as well as Bai Chenyi's letter full of provocation and ridicule, Xiao Zhi was even more sure of this, and said bluntly, "Long pain is better than short pain, we can't let them go on like this." ”

"Be publicized first, tell Sima Ni, Xiao Jie, they are secretly ready." Xiao Zhi commanded.