Cao Jie only felt a stream of hot blood rushing from his chest to his brain, hitting his internal organs and trembling, and his mind was blank. When the fiery heat faded, the cold swept over the body as if you were wading naked in the ice field.

He staggered to the ground and picked up the official seal, and when he barely stood up, he heard Chu Shixia peel off his human feelings, and said "gelding" with a sharp and malicious attitude. Behind this sentence is not the domineering of a teenage girl, but the backbone of the literati and military generals who have been plagued by eunuchs for decades in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

How many years? Cao Jie himself can't remember.

The emperor reused eunuchs to compete with the cabinet for power, but created such an absurd situation today. Scholars who have studied hard for ten years want to curry favor with the eunuchs who flatter and bewitch the lord, in exchange for the opportunity to become an official and become a knight, even if there are grievances, they dare not speak. There are even more brazen people who grovel to the eunuchs who are in high power.

The darkness like a swarm of bees in front of Cao Jie dissipated, and he saw Chu Zhixia holding the snow-stained drinking stream snow, and step by step forced the startled Sun Xia to retreat. The girl was dressed in a strong red dress, like a rising first day in the ice and snow.

"Miss...... Why bother? Cao Jie heard himself muttering.

From the moment he left Chunxian County and had no way to ask for help in Binzhou Thorn Mansion, he never thought about going back alive.

Cao Jie is a reader, a reader who has nothing but insignificant backbone. But Chu Zhixia is different, behind her is the Zhenbei Palace, the huge Chu clan in the clouds, the four states of Yanbei and Yongxue Pass. It is not worth offending the popular eunuch in front of the emperor for a dying person.

Therefore, Cao Jie came alone, in addition to distrust, he also didn't want to involve Chu Zhixia.

Chu Zhixia listened to Cao Jie's words clearly, and she said word by word: "Our tutor of the Chu family in the clouds will never bow to the despicable people. Blinding the Holy Heavens and Killing the Loyal and Good Ministers, Sun Xia, are you relying on Xu Delu? Do you really think that your ancestors can cover the sky with one hand? You can see clearly, this big week is not a eunuch's big week! ”

Sun Xia just wanted to quibble, but under Chu Zhixia's sword-like gaze, his lips trembled and he couldn't say a word. Chu Zhixia was like a hard rock, moving forward step by step, and Sun Xia didn't dare not retreat - if he slowed down for a moment, drinking the stream snow would cut his throat in an instant.

Sun Xia screamed over and over again in his heart, Chu Zhixia didn't dare to kill people in front of the noon gate, this was a crime of contempt for imperial power and a great disrespect. But Chu Zhixia's gaze was cold and sharp, and he looked at him as if he was looking at a corpse. So Sun Xia was intimidated, he didn't dare to bet, so he could only retreat with Chu Zhixia's footsteps.

The figures of Chu Zhixia and Sun Xia disappeared into the shadow of the noon gate.

Cao Jie staggered behind Chu Zhixia, and shouted with all his might: "Xiaguan is the sixth year of Jingtai, and Cao Jie, the county commander of Chunxian County, Binzhou, intends to sue the eunuch Xu Delu, the eunuch of the seal of the master of ceremonies, for colluding with the history of Binzhou assassination, and in the name of the new deal, he is greedy for ink!" Killed more than 100 lives in Chun County! Chased and killed several times, intending to erase the physical evidence of murder! The official seal and fish scale atlas are all there, and they can be verified! ”

Cao Jie's voice was hoarse and loud, and every word seemed to be squeezed out of his chest, with dripping blood. He walked in the snow with the official seal in his hands, and bowed deeply in the direction of the Xuanzheng Hall, which is the annual prostration that high school students perform when they face the saint for the first time.

Cao Jie bowed to the Xuanzheng Hall in the ethereal snowstorm, as if worshipping the pure and flawless sacred place in his heart. The faint wind swept Cao Jie's shout straight up to the sky, like a white crane crying from the deep clouds.

Chu Zhixia didn't take another half step.

Cao Jie shouted loudly over and over again, and the rust-smelling scarlet sweetness in his throat was tinged out.

The early dynasty began.

General Wenchen walked indifferently past Cao Jie, Chu Zhixia, and Sun Xia. I don't know how long it took, the people who hurriedly walked out of the Xuanzheng Hall bowed to Chu Shixia and Cao Jie.

It is Bai Shan, who is serving by the emperor's side.

"Your Majesty Xuanchun County has ordered Cao Jie to meet you," Bai Shan said in a sharp voice, "Miss Chu will also come." ”

Cao Jie struggled to get up from the snow and almost stumbled to the ground. Chu Zhixia held him steadily, like an indestructible bamboo. Cao Jie gasped heavily, and there was a black flicker mixed with Venus in front of him.

"Cao County Order, can you still go?" Chu Zhixia asked him in a low voice.

Cao nodded.

——

Xuanzheng Palace.

Cao Jieli made a great salute to the emperor sitting on top of the Ming Hall several times, and staggered to prop up his body. Chu Zhixia was led by Bai Shan to stand behind the emperor, and the emperor glanced at her lightly, without the intention of condemning her for making a big move in front of the noon gate.

"Cao Qing, why did you get what you are today?" The Emperor frowned and asked.

"Minister, a humble person, wants justice but can't, and travels long distances to the imperial capital. So it became what it is today, and the monarch has lost his dignity in front of him, and I hope that His Majesty will forgive his sins. Cao Jie breathed slowly, with a heavy smell of blood in his nose.

"You said that you want to sue Xu Delu for colluding with Binzhou Assassin History, in the name of the New Deal, to be greedy for ink, do you have any evidence?" The Emperor asked slowly.

Cao Jie straightened his back slightly and said, "Binzhou is Xu Delu's hometown. In order to gain power in Binzhou, Xu Delu colluded with Binzhou to re-measure the land, ostensibly obeying the new policy and re-measuring the land, but in fact he colluded with the squires to collect money frantically, tampered with the fish scale atlas, exploited the farmers' fields, and increased the taxes of the farmers. In addition to the ministers, Chunxian County is a local of Chunxian County, and the ministers have long been hollowed out, and the officials are instructed by the squire to demand that the peasant households pay back taxes, and they are extorted violently, forcing more than 100 people in Chunxian to death. ”

The emperor's face was gloomy when he heard this, and he didn't say a word.

He waved his hand and asked Bai Shan beside him: "What about Xu Delu?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, the slave is here." Xu Delu responded obediently.

"What do you want to say?" The emperor asked with an unpredictable expression.

"The slave is wronged!" Xu Delu knelt down with a "plop" and shouted, "The slave and maid serve Your Majesty conscientiously, and dare not be disrespectful or misrespectful, and you know that Your Majesty has high hopes for the new policy, how can you do such a thing that is unconscionable?" ”

"Then you say, what is the matter with what Cao Xianling said?" The emperor rubbed his chin and raised his eyes to stare at Xu Delu.

"Cao County's order is dedicated to the people, maybe he was deceived. If there is an album of fish scales, why not present it for His Majesty to peruse? Xu Delu said, "The slave and maid will not hesitate to die, but they will never dare to delay His Majesty's great cause because of this." Please also ask Your Majesty to be aware of it. ”

"Xu Zhangyin is right."

Cao Jie's face was a lifeless white, and his dull eyes turned, reflecting the groveling figure of Xu Delu behind the bead curtain, "After the minister set off to Binzhou to complain about the matter to no avail, the Chunxian Pavilion Library went to the water, and all the fish scale atlases were burned. ”

Chu Zhixia saw the corners of Xu Delu's mouth unconsciously curled, and his heart fell fiercely.

"However, the minister still has credentials." Cao Jie slowly untied his clothes, revealing his weak, scarred body, "Chen, it is the physical evidence of the lives of one hundred and three people who died in vain in Chun County. ”

The tattered clothes were peeled off and fell to the ground as if nothing were there.

Cao Jie was so thin that his ribs bulged one by one, and his skin wrinkled like wet and dried paper, so thin that it would crumble into powder at the slightest touch. On his back and arms were densely tattooed with blue-black letters, as fine as an ant's head.

The courtiers let out an irrepressible gasp. The crimson frostbite, bruises, and sword scars on Cao Jie's back that had not yet healed made this body particularly shocking. Cao Jie went all the way to Beijing, and what happened to him is self-evident.

"The fish scale atlas on the minister's body is just the tip of the iceberg, and the sin of eunuchs is difficult to write! I hope Your Majesty will see it! Cao Jie kowtowed heavily to the ground, and the gold bricks collided with the skull, with a "bang" sound.

Chu Zhixia couldn't help but take half a step forward, if it weren't for Cao Jie's back still rising and falling with her breathing, she almost thought that Cao Jie couldn't support it anymore and fainted.

"Your Majesty, the slave and maid are wronged!" Xu Delu panicked for a moment, and immediately knelt at the emperor's feet and kowtowed, "Even if the Binzhou New Deal has a hidden secret, it can't prove that this matter is related to the slave maid!" How dare a slave do such a thing? ”

"Father-in-law Xu."

Chu Zhixia opened his mouth coldly, looking directly into Xu Delu's slender eyes, "In front of the gate at noon, your good son Sun Gonggong wants to pull Cao County's order down to verify his identity." Why didn't you say a word about this matter when you arrived at the Xuanzheng Palace? If this matter has nothing to do with you, why do you confirm that this person is Cao County? Or is it that you are inseparable from your homeland, always concerned about the recent situation in your hometown, and even know the appearance and identity of a small county order? ”

Chu Zhixia was so easy that Xu Delu's teeth were about to be crushed, and he said forcefully: "The slave was in a hurry to prove her innocence for a while, and forgot ......"

Cao Jie held on to the ground and tried to stand up, but tried several times but failed. Bai Ziche took a step forward with Bai Huan's pinprick gaze behind him and helped Cao Jie up. Cao Jie's thin body trembled slightly on Bai Ziche's hands, like a lonely bamboo shelf.

"Xu Zhangyin, before you entered the palace, you were called Duo Lu, and you have a younger brother called Duo Shou, yes or no?" Cao Jie's eyes darkened, and the emperor and Chu Zhixia in the high hall were just a hazy shadow.

Xu Delu didn't dare to lie about this kind of thing, gritted his teeth and said, "Yes." ”

"Many Shouben is a ruffian hooligan in the countryside, and when Xu Zhangyin is not yet a eunuch with a palm print, he is rampant and domineering, and he is a fish and meat in the township. The magistrate turned a blind eye to his sake, "someone in the palace." After Xu Zhangyin gained momentum, in just half a year, many people bought good land at a low price. ”

Cao Jie coughed as he spoke, and he subconsciously reached out to cover his lips, but he touched the warm blood. Chu Zhixia clenched his fists at the bottom of his sleeve, and Bai Ziche stared at the blood on his sleeve, standing still, like a silent crutch in Cao Jie's hand.

"There is no such thing......" Xu Delu retorted weakly.

Cao Jie's voice covered higher, "Is there such a thing, Your Majesty will know at a glance on the land deed sale and purchase documents of the Binzhou Mansion." There are so many fields, but they can't even afford a year's rations for the family, so they sell them to many people. ”

"Without land, they have to pay to rent land for farming, and after paying the rent and taxes, they can't even save the next year's seeds, let alone the family's food rations for the winter. The pawn sells the girl, and the pawn commits suicide, the hanging beam commits suicide, are they willing to sell the land cheaply? ”

Cao Jie's voice was hoarse, holding Bai Ziche's hand like a withered bamboo, "No, but they don't dare not sell it!" Because many Shou had an older brother who was on an errand in front of the emperor, the magistrate didn't dare not sell his face! If it is not sold, the family will have no way to live. But how did they know that even if they sold the land, it was just a different way of dying! ”

The grief and anger suppressed in Cao Jie's heart erupted, he beat his chest, pointed at Xu Delu and said tremblingly: "Xu Delu, although you bewitch the people with evil words, despite coercion and temptation!" I Cao dieted Junlu, was loyal to the king, and had no regrets in nine deaths! There is no Nine Clans to calculate and take revenge on you! My Cao family is full of doors, and I have died at your hands, and I have nothing to fear! ”

After Cao Jie said this, he suddenly fell silent. Bai Ziche's heart was shocked, and he saw Cao Jie suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood with blood clots from his throat and fell heavily to the ground. Bai Ziche felt a lightness in his palm, and he looked up at the emperor blankly - and Chu Zhixia behind the emperor.

Chu Zhixia's face went blank.

She was thinking about the bowl of porridge that Yan Shu had cooked.

Cao Jie didn't even eat his last meal.