Chapter 139 Again and again and again
With Zhou Ji's current strength, entering and exiting the Wu Dynasty palace is like no one's land.
After many visits in the past few days, although he has grasped the whereabouts of He Yuanchang and Liang Zhongping, he has not acted for a long time.
For him, it was a breeze to assassinate He Yuanchang without a trace.
But Zhou Ji's fundamental purpose was to use He Yuanchang's death to deter the entire court.
This further prompted the emperor of the Wu Dynasty to resolutely abandon Sui Feng, at least in his lifetime, he would never dare to surrender to other countries.
This matter is difficult to say, and easy to say. It only needs a suitable opportunity to fundamentally change the belief of the emperor of Wu Dynasty.
Following the news that former Prime Minister Qin Yuyuan was about to return to Beijing, Zhou Ji knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally come.
This morning.
In the court hall, Tan Chen, Minister of the Ministry of War, and Zhang Chang, Minister of the Ministry of Households, began to argue endlessly over the Northern Expedition.
Since the beginning of the Northern War, quarrels like this have almost become commonplace.
But maybe the main combat faction learned the news that Prime Minister Qin was about to return to the dynasty, but this time there was a lot of trouble.
And Grand Master He's lineage is not Yi Yi's generation. He turned his head and glanced at Liu Juyuan, Tan Shen, Dong Daofu and others. Zhang Chang sneered in his heart. Lord Tan has calculated the silver taels needed for the Northern Expedition. If we really want to go to war, we will have to increase taxes by at least 30% in the next three years."
Seeing that Zhang Chang was about to refute himself with tax arguments, Tan Chen quickly interrupted, "Seeking peace with Jing is no less than seeking skin with a tiger. How come the annual offerings they want?"
Zhang Chang's expression froze, and he kicked the ball to the emperor in a blink of an eye. He bowed together with the other ministers in the court and said, "Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible."
"Your Majesty, there is no need to delay any longer. This matter should not be delayed any longer." Tan Chen also knew that only the person on the dragon chair could make the final decision on this matter, and he and Liu Juyuan, Dong Daofu and others also bowed to persuade them urgently.
"Quiet!"
Zhou Zhe's two-phase check and balance strategy is good, but the morning court that has already become a vegetable market is irritating and headaches.
After reprimanding in a deep voice, Zhou Zhe sighed softly, stretched out his hand to rest his forehead, looked at the attendant standing beside him and said, "Eunuch Zhang, I asked you to ask Grand Master He for his opinion a few days ago, did you get it?"
The servant hurriedly saluted, and said hesitantly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Grand Master has been ill recently, and he is recuperating in the mansion, and he has not seen anyone."
Zhou Zhe was not stupid. He naturally knew that the old fox didn't want to go into this muddy water. He snorted coldly in his heart, but said with great concern, "Has the doctor Xuan seen it?"
Eunuch Zhang looked more and more hesitant, and said uncomfortably, "The imperial physician. The imperial physician will not let you in."
"Let's retreat to the court first, and discuss this matter later." Zhou Zhe frowned, stood up and said, "Grand Master He is the pillar of the country, how can I be wronged? I will go and see for myself."
Eunuch Zhang shook the floating dust, and said sharply, "Back to court~!"
Tan Chen and Liu Juyuan looked at each other unwillingly, and each shook their heads and sighed bitterly.
Just when the courtiers were about to disperse, a young **** suddenly ran from outside and said sharply, "Your Majesty, Grand Master He is asking to see you outside the palace gate."
Everyone paused, Tan Chen and the others looked distressed, looked at Liang Pingzhong and the others who were smiling, and both sides stopped in front of the hall in tacit understanding, either happy or worried or resentful or flattering to look at the slow pace. Grand Master He going up the steps.
The holy decree is the most taboo to change it overnight.
His Majesty asked He Yuanchang for advice many times before, but He Yuanchang kept avoiding answering, unwilling to bear the stigma.
At present, Qin Xiang and Li Xiang can return to Beijing to restore the court tomorrow, and He Yuanchang took the initiative to ask for a meeting today. Presumably, he was worried about Qin Yuyuan and Li Gang's influence on Zhou Zhe, so he wanted to make this matter ahead of time regardless of previous considerations.
At this moment, everyone knew that once He Yuanchang opened his mouth, even if Li Xiang pulled Qin Xiang back to the court, it would be difficult for His Majesty to withdraw his order.
Outside the palace gate, Zhou Ji was sitting in a box in the teahouse at the crossing, looking at He Yuanchang who entered the palace gate, with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth.
Brew a pot of tea three times.
Zhou Ji drew out the Thunder Sword and sat cross-legged in the wing room, gently brushing the engraved thunder pattern on the surface of the sword with his palm, while the mana was being swallowed, tiny arcs of light kept flickering around Zhou Ji, as he pinched the sword Jue, the situation over Wudu suddenly changed.
The originally sparse white clouds seemed to be attracted by something, and they continued to gather over the palace. The clouds became thicker and thicker, and the sky gradually darkened.
Outside the palace.
Military Minister Tan Chen and General Dong Daofu waited outside the palace gate anxiously.
Not long after meeting He Yuanchang, His Majesty called Liang Pingzhong, Minister of Punishment, Tong Ke, Minister of Rites, Zhang Chang, Minister of Household, and Liu Juyuan, Minister of Industry, into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
It's been a while since I went in, so it stands to reason that there should be a result.
As the sky suddenly darkened, Tan Chen looked at a slumped figure inside the palace gate, and his heart gradually became gloomy.
In just a short while, Liu Juyuan seemed to be ten years older, his originally upright body was slightly bent, and the official hat on his head was taken off at some point, so he just casually held it by his side.
The four eyes met, and everything was said.
On the other side, Liang Pingzhong, Zhang Chang and others surrounded Grand Master He and passed by Liu Juyuan. Liang Pingzhong wanted to make a mockery, but was restrained by Grand Master He.
"Pingzhong, everyone is an official in the same dynasty, and they should serve His Majesty. Regarding the matter of offering sacrifices to Yasukuni, Master Liu is still needed to assist. Don't hurt the peace because of such a trivial matter."
Liu Juyuan's Adam's apple rolled, and he felt a tightness in his chest, and he almost vomited blood in anger.
Liang Pingzhong bowed his head and smiled apologetically, "What the grand master taught, Pingzhong should keep in mind." He said before guiding, "Please, grand master~"
He Yuanchang walked out of the doorway, and a gust of wind mixed with dead leaves blowing from nowhere rushed towards him.
Worried that the wind and sand would blind his eyes, Liang Zhongping hurriedly stretched out his hand to protect He Yuanchang, trying to shield him from the strong wind, but He Yuanchang picked up a fallen leaf from him as usual, looking at the withered, yellow and fallen leaves, and was slightly absent-minded.
Suddenly, a muffled thunder sounded from above his head.
He Yuanchang loosened his fingers, and the fallen leaves were swept up again by the strong wind. He subconsciously wanted to reach out to catch them, but he felt a strong light shining from the top of his head, followed by a roar, like a thunderbolt exploding above his head.
No time to react, and no time to react.
A finger-thick blue lightning crashed down from the thunder cloud, directly piercing through He Yuanchang's body. In an instant, his whole body was scorched black, and even the bluestone bricks under his feet were blasted into a huge gap.
For a moment, everyone was stunned.
"Damn it!"
"God opened my eyes!"
Tears filled Tan Chen's eyes with excitement, knelt on the ground, waved his arms and said, "He Yuan often acts perversely, even God can't stand it!"
Liu Juyuan and Dong Daofu also hugged each other excitedly.
Especially Liu Juyuan, who had just heard He Yuanchang's terms of forfeiting power and humiliating the country in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, had long been resentful in his heart, and now seeing him being struck to death by lightning as soon as he left the palace gate, he was overjoyed and almost fainted.
The people on He Yuanchang's side were not in such a good mood.
Especially on Tan Chen's side, he said "scourge" and "retribution" one by one, and they were a little terrified when they heard it, and their expressions were terrified.
Liang Pingzhong was the closest to He Yuanchang just now, and he was standing in front of the coke all over the floor. He reached out and touched his cheek scratched by the gravel. Maybe, it’s not a scourge, it’s just an accident, it’s definitely not a scourge.”
If this is God's punishment, how come I, who followed He Yuanchang and done all the bad things, was not implicated?
Just as he hissed to deny, another thunderbolt fell from the sky.
This time, everyone could see clearly.
The moment the thunder was generated, the target was unbiased and struck straight at Liang Pingzhong.
There was only the sound of thunder bursting, and after a bright light, another ball of black charcoal fell to the ground, mixing with He Yuanchang, and it was already impossible to distinguish.
Coincidence can be one, two, how can there be three?
If the second thunder light shocked Zhang Chang, Tongke and others, then the third thunder light shocked not only these people at the gate of the palace.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Emperor Zhou Zhe had just signed a letter of peace talks, praying for a good relationship between Qin and Jin with Yasukuni, and handing over the previous Liang Kingdom’s annual offering to Yasukuni, and doubling the previous annual offering to show his sincerity.
As soon as the seal was pressed, Zhou Zhe heard a muffled thunder coming from outside the palace. At first he didn't take it seriously, but when the letter was sealed with wax, a thunderbolt fell right in front of the palace, less than ten breaths later, Another thunderbolt seemed to land in place.
At this time, there was a rush of footsteps in the distance, and a guard knelt on one knee, and said anxiously outside the hall, "Your Majesty! Something is wrong! He Taishi, he was struck to death by lightning!"
"What!"
Zhou Zhe closed the wooden box, thinking that in a few days, he would discuss with the grand master who would be the envoy to Yasukuni. After hearing the news, his eyes went dark, and he sat on the couch in shock.
Before he could recover, there was another rush of footsteps. Another guard with a frightened expression knelt outside the hall and said anxiously: "Your Majesty! Your Highness! Master Liang was also killed by a hack."
Zhou Zhe thumped in his heart, stood up quickly, pushed away the servant who wanted to help him, and hurriedly walked outside the hall.
"What happened, tell me in detail!"
It is about the grand master of the current dynasty and the Minister of the Ministry of punishment. How can the two imperial guards dare to hide anything.
The two talked to each other, retelling the process of He Yuanchang and Liang Pingzhong being struck by lightning, as well as Tan Chen's 'scourge' remarks.
Several ministers outside the palace gate, one did not attack the other, but the one who attacked was He Yuanchang's faction who advocated peace.
Zhou Zhe's face became more and more ugly. Although his expression was still somewhat suspicious, a trace of fear and uneasiness could not help but appear in his heart.
"Immediately announce Tan Shen" Zhou Zhe paced back and forth, suddenly paused, and waved his hands, "No, announce to everyone who witnessed the thunder outside the palace gate just now. Immediately! Immediately!"
Hearing His Majesty's call, Tong Ke and Zhang Chang, who were still in the lineage of Taishi He just now, hurriedly stepped forward to help Tan Chen, who was crying, and greeted Liu Juyuan and Dong Daofu back to the palace with calm faces.
The two lumps of coke scattered on the ground were also collected by the Imperial Guards, and they followed closely behind them, as if they were going to send them together.
Just as they were about to reach the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the third thunder, which had been separated by half an hour, finally fell.
Different from the Zhan Qing Lei Guang who was as thick as a finger just now, this time the Lei Guang is as thick as an arm, with a hint of purple in the Zhan Qing. When it cuts through the clouds, it is like the wrath of a god, bringing an inexplicable pressure to people.
Boom~
Lightning poured down like a torrent, and it fell directly in front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation not far ahead.
More than a dozen bluestones exploded and splashed, making doors and windows slam.
Even Zhou Zhe, who was pacing in the hall, was completely frightened. He fell to the ground and looked at the huge pothole that was blown out of the door. His legs became weak for a while, and he couldn't stand up.
"Eunuch Zhang Zhang, help me up!" Zhou Zhe called out several times to wake up the servant who was also frightened. Rush towards the table case.
Manchu civil and military, there were many who advocated paying annual tributes in exchange for peace, but the leaders were He Yuanchang and Liang Pingzhong. Zhou Zhe himself was also inclined to seek peace, but now there are three thunderstorms in succession.
He couldn't help but believe that this was a warning from heaven.
This is not a locust plague and flood, which can be fooled by the "God" warning that can be fooled by one's own sin, but a real terror that is at stake with one's own life.
Zhou Zhe guessed that the first two strikes killed He Yuanchang, Liang Pingzhong, and the gate of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Presumably, God thought of his status as the Son of Heaven and agreed to give him another chance. , I am afraid that there will be a fourth thunder, and even the hall above his head will not be able to protect him.
At this moment, several ministers who rushed to the Hall of Mental Cultivation hurriedly rushed into the hall after seeing the pothole at the door that was the size of a copper basin. As a result, Zhou Zhe was holding a letter and was holding a letter. Shaking his hands, he moved towards the candle.
After failing to light the letter several times in a row, Zhou Zhe was so angry that he overturned the candlestick and threw the letter into the fire.
After the three thunderstorms, the thick clouds dispersed and the sky was clear.
The movement just now has already attracted the attention of the whole city. For a while, public opinion in the city was still brewing, but the gate of the palace was already full of onlookers who had heard the news.
In the box of the teahouse at the crossing, Zhou Ji put the Yulei Sword into the umbrella, and glanced at the crowds of pedestrians, a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.
From the few months behind Sito's world, to the first half year in the son-in-law's world, he has been specializing in Leifa, and has never had a chance to practice its true power.
With the blessing of the magic weapon of the Yulei Sword, the first two thunderstorms consumed 10% of the mana, which was within the tolerance range for Zhou Ji.
After all, he has only practiced for a year when he is full of energy. After he has practiced for a long time, he will become more proficient in lightning techniques. Like this kind of lightning, he should be able to use it easily, and there is no loss at all.
As for the third thunderbolt, it took half a year of hard work for him. It seems to be powerful, but it has the power to kill evil and break laws. If the target is demons and goblins, this thunderbolt can destroy falsehood. hurt the source.
However, this is all a later story.
(end of this chapter)