If you say that at the beginning, everyone was watching and asking the prince with an attitude of watching the excitement.

At this moment, when I saw the carload of gold and silver treasures, my heart was more or less angry.

These martial artists don't have to do anything on weekdays to have so many treasures.

And they wear the stars and the moon, work hard, but they can only barely eat.

How can there be such a truth in the world!

If only the martial artists had made contributions to the imperial court, it would be enough.

But after so many years, they have never won a battle!

It's a loss, so it's better to send them to the battlefield!

At the very least, they don't need that much silver on weekdays!

With that in mind.

Some diners gritted their teeth and scolded: "These dog things that scrape the bones and suck the marrow, not to mention beheading, even Ling Chi is executed, it's not too much!" ”

When everyone heard this, they all felt the same way, and they couldn't wait to drag the remaining martial artists to the entrance of the vegetable market to ask for beheading!

Just when they were indignant.

An official of Dali Temple walked over and raised his voice and said:

"At noon today, the vegetable market asked the prince of the country!"

After saying that, he didn't stop and turned to leave.

When the onlookers heard this, they looked at each other.

I don't know who shouted: "Go!" Look at the beheading! ”

Yirenju instantly became lively.

Asking about such a thing as beheading the prince of the country can be met but not sought.

If you miss today, you may never see it for the rest of your life.

That's it.

The diners were all excited and didn't even bother to drink.

Following the team escorting Wu Xun, I want to see this once-in-a-century grand occasion.

Everywhere in Chang'an, the raids continued.

However, all the martial artists on the list of guilty ministers were escorted to the vegetable market in the north of the city.

Four dukes, eleven marquises, and seven counts.

These nobles, who are usually high in the sky, all bow their heads at the moment, their hands and feet are imprisoned by chains, and under the leadership of the errand officer, they move step by step towards their positions.

Behind them.

A long chain that locks up hundreds of families of criminals.

They are the three noble families of these nobles—the father, the brother, and the son.

When the men got to their positions, they were immediately pinned to the ground by the executioners.

After the blindfold was put on, unspeakable fear crept through my heart.

Moment!

The entire entrance of the vegetable market was drowned out by the sound of ghosts crying and wolf howling.

Wu Liang, the Duke of Liangguo, who was in charge of the beheading, saw this scene, his expression was complicated, and he felt a lot.

As one of the three surviving princes.

Since Fang Xiu created the new army, he chose not to ask about the world and protect himself.

During this period, he was often sneered at by the four princes in front of him, saying that he would have to make fish on the board sooner or later.

Now, these four princes with weak bones are kneeling in front of them.

His heart was a little heavy.

Heavy at the same time, but also extremely happy.

The difference of one thought creates a completely different situation.

If only he had listened to the advice of a few people back then and tried to regain military power.

Now I am afraid that there will be one more prince in the edict of the guilty minister.

As soon as he thought of this, Wu Liang, the Duke of Liangguo, slowly exhaled a breath of turbidity, raised his eyes to look at the sky, saw that the time was almost up, stood up, and said loudly: "Noon has arrived, ask immediately!" ”

The voice fell.

The executioners raised their knives and fell.

A row of heads slammed into the ground, rolled for a moment, and finally stopped.

Followed by.

Someone stepped forward to dispose of the body.

A new offender was brought up.

Again, the hand is up and the knife is falling, and the head is on the ground.

From three quarters past noon, less than half an hour.

The entrance of the vegetable market is already a river of blood!

The onlookers applauded loudly at first.

When he saw the back, he felt inexplicably frightened and turned to leave.

The most frightened is the supervisor standing on the high platform, Wu Liang, the Duke of Liangguo.

After the end of the question.

He went to the palace to restore his life.

Coming out of the palace and returning to the mansion, the scenes that happened at the entrance of the vegetable market kept echoing in his mind.

As a prince of the country, he has also seen a more tragic scene than this.

It's just that it's not so empathetic.

After all, just a year ago, these people who asked and beheaded today used to talk and laugh with him.

Night.

Liang Guogong lay on the bed and couldn't sleep for a long time.

As soon as he closed his eyes, the scenes that had happened before kept echoing in his mind.

The moonlight was like water, piercing through the windows and spilling on the ground.

A sad mood, mixed with fear, gradually spreads.

I don't know how long it took.

The weather is getting colder.

Liang Guogong, who was lying on the bed, trembled involuntarily.

Finally, he could no longer restrain the fear in his heart, got up from the bed, dressed neatly, and took out the Danshu iron coupon handed down from his ancestors.

I moved the Taishi chair and sat in the courtyard, looking at the bright moon hanging in the night sky.

Thinking in my heart, I will go to the palace early tomorrow morning and ask His Majesty to strip him of the title of Duke of another country.

Without the title, he will no longer have a place to attract His Majesty's attention, and he will be able to save his life no matter what.

Liang Guogong is not the only one who has the same idea.

The remaining two dukes.

Wei Guogong and Qing Guogong also had the same idea after watching the execution.

Now, they have completely lost their military power, and in front of His Majesty, they have no ability to resist at all.

The status of the prince of the country certainly brought them supreme glory.

But if glory and strength can't match, it becomes a huge burden.

His Majesty's almost cruel attitude towards Wu Xun is like a sharp sword hanging over their heads, and they don't know when it will fall.

From now on, they must be more cautious in Chang'an City, otherwise if they are not careful, they may fall into the abyss!

In this case, it is better to give up the identity of the national prince and become a rich man who enjoys life.

Thereupon.

The next day, early in the morning.

The Duke of Liangguo, the Duke of Wei, and the Duke of Qingguo met unexpectedly in front of the palace.

"You guys."

The three princes looked at each other, all stunned.

Immediately, they seemed to realize something, and when they looked at each other, there was a kind of sympathy that heroes saw and cherished.

"Let's do it together."

The eldest Qingguo Gong waved his hand and walked towards the palace.

Liang Guogong and Wei Guogong glanced at each other, smiled with relief, and both followed.

Half an hour later.

The Temple of Nourishing the Heart.

Wu Mingkong sat on the dragon chair, looked at the three princes in front of him, and said leisurely: "The three princes have not violated the law, why do they want to cut off their titles?" ”

Before the three princes came here, they had already thought of a way to deal with it.

"Although the minister did not break the law, he did not make an inch, and he was the prince of the country, but he was under the shadow of his ancestors."

Speaking of which, after a pause, he continued:

"It is human nature for ancestors to follow the dragon and make great contributions and shade the younger generations."

"It's just that in the eyes of the minister, the merits of the ancestors, the three generations of Yinze, are already the emperor's grace, and if you want to maintain the title of the duke in the future, you should make new contributions."

"It's a shame to say that the minister has inherited the title of Duke of Liangguo for twenty years, and has led the troops to more than ten battles, but he has never won a single battle."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the empress.

"What does the Duke of Liang mean is that the princes and generals would rather have a kind of, even if it is a hereditary title, they must make new contributions?"

As soon as this remark came out.

There was silence in the Heart Cultivation Palace.

Liang Guogong obviously didn't expect the empress to say such a thing, he was stunned at first, and then, with a look of panic on his face, his legs weakened, he knelt on the ground, and shouted: "Your Majesty! The minister has no such intention! ”

Wu Mingkong looked light-hearted, glanced at him, and said lightly: "What do you think, I know it in my heart, I am just worried that one day, my guillotine will fall on your head."

Today, I can tell you clearly, as long as you keep to yourself and be loyal to the court, what was in the past and will still be in the future. ”

Her Majesty, the dignified empress, was so open and honest that the three princes were stunned.

"Your Majesty."

Qing Guogong hesitated, looked at the empress, and said: "Although the old minister inherited the title of the Duke of Guo, he did not inherit the ability to lead the troops to fight.

In fact, not only the old ministers, but most of the martial arts of the imperial court, whether it is martial arts or strategy, have been abandoned, not to mention the generals recommended by the other party, and even some ordinary people may not be able to compare.

Therefore, the old minister thought that the hereditary title of martial arts was no longer suitable for leading troops, and the military power should be handed over to those juniors who could really fight.

The old minister is brave and begs Your Majesty to remove the leaders of each battalion from their positions! ”

The voice fell.

The other two princes subconsciously raised their eyes to look at the empress, and found that the empress's expression did not change in the slightest.

They immediately realized something, and hurriedly echoed: "Qingguo Gong's words are reasonable, and the ministers seconded it!" ”

Wu Mingkong glanced at them and said coldly: "There are people in the hereditary martial arts who are not good at leading troops, and naturally there are also people who are good at leading troops. ”

When the three princes heard this, they fell silent.

Liang Guogong and Wei Guogong both showed doubts in their eyes, and they didn't understand what His Majesty meant by these words.

Only Qingguo Gong's face showed a thoughtful look.

After a while, he spoke again: "Your Majesty Shengming, different martial artists really shouldn't be treated in the same way!" ”

"The minister just thought about it, the martial arts who are good at leading the troops are the foundation of my great Qianwang division, but they are the same as the martial arts who do not lead the troops, which is inevitably a little inappropriate."

"Therefore, the minister feels that the most important thing for the imperial court at the moment is to reduce the hereditary martial arts and send this part of the silver to the front line to supply the soldiers who fought bloodily for the imperial court!"

The voice fell.

The other two princes reacted instantly, and they were busy echoing: "Qingguo Gong's words are reasonable, and the ministers seconded them." ”

Wu Mingkong still looked light-hearted, looked at the three of them expressionlessly, and said leisurely: "Then Qing Guogong thinks that it is appropriate to reduce the hereditary martial arts?" ”

Hearing this question, Qing Guogong's slightly vicissitudes of life showed a touch of embarrassment.

He knew in his heart that since His Majesty asked so, he must have prepared in advance.

If he says less, it will inevitably cause His Majesty's dissatisfaction and jealousy.

If you talk too much, you will shake your own interests.

In the midst of the entanglement, I heard the empress's voice sound.

"Say whatever you want, I won't blame you."

Qing Guogong heard the empress's voice without the slightest emotion, and instantly sobered up.

Entering the palace to face the saint today, he was ready to be stripped of his title.

Now that he can keep his title, even if he cuts off all his money, what's the matter?

That's it.

Qing Guogong no longer hesitated, raised his eyes to look at the empress, and said with a firm face:

"Now the imperial court is in a critical moment of confrontation with Yan and Zhou, the surrounding countries are eyeing the imperial court, and the martial artists have been favored by the emperor for more than 200 years.

The old minister decided that from now on, he would never want the court to pay any money, and the old minister was willing to hand over half of the land of the Qingguo Mansion to the imperial court!

In addition, there are 500,000 taels of idle silver in the Qingguo Mansion, and the old minister is willing to donate 300,000 taels to the imperial court! ”

These words were resounding.

Let Liang Guogong and Wei Guogong be stunned.

"Don't give half of your land and 300,000 taels of silver. It's a bit too much! ”

Although there was no expression on the faces of the two princes, their hearts hurt like blood.

It was at this time.

There was a sound of footsteps outside the Heart Cultivation Palace, followed by Qin Xingyan's voice.

"Minister Qin Xingyan, I want to see Your Majesty!"

"Accurate!"

A few breaths later.

Qin Xingyan, who was dressed in a scarlet robe, walked into the Heart Cultivation Palace.

I saw three princes kneeling on the ground.

He was slightly stunned.

Immediately, as if he realized something, he withdrew his gaze, looked at the empress, first saluted, and then said: "Your Majesty, the family property of those criminal ministers has been confiscated, and the preliminary statistics of the ministers have been converted into silver, which is about fifteen million taels!" ”

Bang!

A muffled sound made the three princes tremble with fright.

Subconsciously raised her eyes, and saw the empress with an angry face, gritting her teeth and saying:

"Before the imperial court sent troops to the Northern Expedition, it once called on hundreds of officials to donate silver, and the total donations of these martial arts were less than 500,000 taels of silver!"

"Now there are fifteen million taels of confiscated family property! More than the treasury and the money of the treasury combined! ”

"It's a shame that they are still great cadres, and the imperial court is still so ineffective at this critical moment! It's disgusting! ”

Qin Xingyan stood aside, looked at the three princes, and found that they all showed a look of panic, and instantly understood the intention of His Majesty's words, and echoed a few words with added fuel and vinegar.

That's it.

Where did the three princes still not understand His Majesty's intentions.

As soon as Qin Xingyan left, they scrambled to express their position.

"The minister is willing to donate all the silver and half of the land!"

"The minister is also willing!"

Wu Mingkong looked at the three of them, his expression was neither happy nor sad, and he said lightly: "The three princes are well aware of the righteousness, and I am very relieved, but the rest of the martial arts are afraid that they are not like the three princes, who are willing to overcome the difficulties with the imperial court." ”

Qingguo Gong was busy and said: "Your Majesty, rest assured, the old minister guarantees his life, and the martial arts are all proud, whether they are ministers and other princes, marquises, or earls, they are all proud to be able to share the worries of the court!" There will never be anything Your Majesty said! ”

Get such assurances.

Wu Mingkong nodded lightly, waved his hand and said, "Since this is the case, I believe that the three princes can handle this matter." ”

“？”

Liang Guogong and Wei Guogong were both stunned.

It is not easy to let the martial artists willingly hand over the silver and fields.

Even if they came forward, it would take a lot of energy.

Ay. This is Your Majesty's deception!

Thinking so in his heart, his face showed a solemn look, and he saluted one after another:

"The ministers will live up to His Majesty's trust!"