On the way to escort Xiao Yan, Gu Xining gradually got to know this Buddhist-believer.

Although Xiao Yan despised Gu Xining and others, as time passed, he started to say everything.

Xiao Yan called Gu Xining Eagle Dog, but Gu Xining still called Xiao Yan Master Xiao.

Gu Xining had run many errands for the emperor and arrested many people, but this was the first time that he was truly loved by the people like Xiao Yan.

Along the way, Gu Xining did not put shackles or chains on Xiao Yan. In order to take care of this good vegetarian, he sent three people to pick wild fruits and vegetables every day.

"Chief Eagle Dog! You are killing and arresting people randomly like this. Aren't you afraid that one day you will be killed by others?"

"I'm afraid, but we are on an errand for the emperor, and we will kill everyone who deserves to be killed!"

"Master Huai'en is compassionate and helps the people, but he is also a person who deserves to be killed? The emperor must have been deceived by you treacherous people. You used the emperor's name to kill the loyal! The righteous people in this world will not let you go.

of!"

"I dare to ask Mr. Xiao, as a transshipment envoy, the Cao River transshipment is not as good as every year. Either the ship sinks inexplicably, or the water leaks and burns the granary. Is there no problem with your transshipment envoy's office?" Gu Xining did not hesitate to make more concessions.

, ask directly about the most sensitive things.

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "These things are just commonplace things. They have been like this for the past hundreds of years. When the water is clear, there are no fish. Do we have to cut off the livelihood of tens of thousands of people? The emperor does not practice moral governance and resorts to militarism, which damages the national treasury."

It is empty, but it wants to take action on the Caohe River transfer and exploit the world. Eagle-dog generals like Zuo Sanxiang will do anything for military glory, plus the eunuchs in the court are interfering in politics, I don’t think this Daliang will be better!"

Gu Xining couldn't help but feel chilled in his heart. He originally thought that Xiao Yan was just a nerd who believed in Buddhism and was played by his subordinates.

But now it seems that even this Bodhisattva official, who is known as a great benevolent man by the people, has been involved in the Cao River transfer case, and at least he is numb to the bad deeds of corruption among the people.

When corruption becomes a habit, the so-called good officials can only choose generals from the shortest, or in the minds of officials, corruption is a normal thing.

Gu Xining had mixed feelings in his heart. Five years ago, he had taken an extra piece of meat from the warehouse, and he had been worried for a long time, thinking that he had become a corrupt official.

Now it seems that only people like Jin Liangwei and Zuo Sanxiang have not been greedy for ink.

"Chief eagle and dog, you people are unreasonable. Do you think you are arresting corrupt officials on behalf of heaven? You are destroying the balance of the world and destroying the jobs of people in the world! Do you think that only officials are corrupt? You

Go look at those people. Who doesn’t want to occupy more land and pay less taxes? The so-called people’s hearts are just transactions, all bought with money! Without money, no matter how much you talk about benevolence, justice, morality, loyalty, filial piety and justice, it will not matter.

It’s all in vain! You guys don’t know how to govern the world!”

Gu Xining angrily took the bowl next to Xiao Yan and smashed it to pieces on the ground, "A person like you is not worthy of the people saying hello! Nor is it worthy of my brothers to find food for you! You talk about benevolence and morality, but in fact you are hypocritical.

The imperial court’s money buys people’s hearts! What a bastard!”

"The imperial court's money? This is the money of the people of the world! You are just dogs raised by the emperor, who plunder the people of the world for the emperor! Why does the emperor plunder the people of the world for his own selfish desires?"

Xiao Yan responded with a sneer, and Gu Xining was trembling with anger. These people who read the books of sages looked so polite, but they did all kinds of bad things.

"I'll starve him for three days to see if he can still tell such nonsense! It's so abominable! My good intentions were all in vain, and I thought you were a good official!"

"Whether he is a good official or not is not up to you, it will all be decided in the future! It is up to you to scold him, I am a good official myself!" Xiao Yan retorted contemptuously with his eyes closed.

Only then did Gu Xining truly understand why the emperor established the Jinliang Guard to monitor the courtiers. It was not that the emperor wanted to control the ministers, but that the emperor was afraid of them.

These people control the public opinion, court, and money of Liang Dynasty. When it comes to corruption, they talk about it in such a high-sounding way. They can have rich clothes and fine food, but if the emperor wants to be frugal, they can disregard human lives.

, but the emperor must be benevolent, and they can let the border troops die for their own business, but the emperor's expansion of territory is just militarism.

Thinking about how Zuo Sanxiang came back after making great achievements in the Western Regions and was made a marquis but demoted in official position, we know how bastard these civil servants are.

Gu Xining really wanted to kill Xiao Yan with one blow, but he didn't have the courage or authority. When he thought about it, it was him, Gu Xining, who had arrested this man who was regarded as the best official in the world by the officials of the Manchu Dynasty. I'm afraid someone had already complained.

Already.

Xiao Yan, who had been hungry for three days, still had a contemptuous expression on his face and did not even look at Gu Xining.

"Master Xiao, I said I would starve you for three days, but I will only starve you for three days. I still have to give you food, and I cannot starve you, the pillar of the imperial court, to death!"

Xiao Yan remained silent and continued to close his eyes. Jin Liangwei on the side handed him the food, but he did not accept it.

"Want to die? Okay, you can die however you want, it's the same thing if we take the body back with us! Put the food here, it depends on whether he likes it or not!"

Xiao Yan opened his eyes, "I will not be fooled by you. If you want to kill me and silence me, don't even think about it! I will expose your crimes in the court!"

Gu Xining stopped responding to Xiao Yan and turned around to leave. He knew that such a person would not commit suicide. Xiao Yan was not the kind of person who had the courage to die, and he had no reason to die.

When Gu Xining and his party were walking thirty miles outside Luoyang City, Zhao Qian and ten Jinliang guards came to deliver the order, asking Gu Xining to enter the city again late at night.

"Master Gu, if you enter the city during the day, I'm afraid we will collect your body!"

"Uncle Qian, how could this happen? I am a small fifth-grade Golden Guard commander, how can I be like this?"

"Oh, don't you know that there are still dozens of officials kneeling outside Chongde Hall to petition the emperor to kill you? The word has long spread in the city that they will eat you alive as soon as you enter the city!

Someone has paid to hire murderers, and Jin Liangwei's brothers have arrested hundreds of people in the past few days, but they still can't suppress them!"

Gu Xining smiled bitterly, "Hey, I didn't expect that I have such great ability, so many people are talking about me, a fifth-grade official!"

"Master Gu, please stop making fun of yourself. If it weren't for His Majesty's wisdom this time, I would be worried about you! We all go out of the city through the sewers of the palace. We dare not go through the city gate for fear of being stared at!"

Gu Xining looked at Zhao Qian and his entourage, and his shoes were indeed wet. "Oh, it seems that these people are too powerful. By the way, the owner of the car, Uncle Qian, must remind your majesty first. He is a shameless person."

Something like this! He talks about benevolence, morality and concern for the country and the people, but in fact he does all kinds of bad things!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you are calm and calm now. You have long been accustomed to these people. However, this is your first time coming into contact with these people. Your Majesty is still afraid that you will be deceived by them!"

"Your Majesty's concern is very wise. I almost believed that Xiao Yan is a good official! What a pity, in the eyes of others, we are all traitors and lackeys! We are not looked down upon by them!"

"I have to go back through the west gate, Xining. Be careful and remember to enter the palace late at night. The emperor will send the imperial guards to meet you!"

Escorting prisoners to Beijing was like being a thief. Gu Xining used to think that the world was peaceful and peaceful, but now it seemed like darkness covering the sky.

He had also felt that there was something wrong with the emperor spying on ministers, but now it seemed that he was not doing enough. These people were more sinister than they imagined.

It was already the second day when Xiao Yan was brought into Fanglin Garden. The emperor had been waiting by the charcoal fire.

"Xining, you have worked hard this time, and I am worried! You and your brothers will go back to the duty room to rest first. Zhao Qian will give Xining and his brothers thirty guan each as a reward. The palace

One pound of meat per person!"

Gu Xining and the deputy who came in with him knelt down to thank him. Xiao Yan sneered at the side, "Sure enough, there must be a brave man under a heavy reward!"

"Presumptuous! You must not be rude before you!" Zhao Qian scolded Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan knelt on the ground and raised his head and continued to laugh, "What am I afraid of when I'm a dead man! It's a pity that the world of Liang has been filled with evil spirits! The emperor listened to the slander and framed Zhongliang for death!"

"Bold, does the Emperor allow you to speak?"

The emperor smiled and motioned for Zhao Qian to take Gu Xining and others down. He looked at the disheveled Xiao Yan and said, "Are you Xiao Yan? Well, this scholar's flavor is strong enough! The loyal minister looks very similar!"

"Your Majesty, you can kill, but not humiliate! I serve the people and speak out for justice for the world!"

"Well, I didn't say I wanted to kill you, nor did I say I wanted to humiliate you! Why are you so anxious? If you have anything to say, you can say it today. By the way, if you are hungry, I have fast food here!"

Xiao Yan didn't expect the emperor to be so calm. He was stunned and said, "Your Majesty, I was so angry that I lost my decency before you!"

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. I heard that the people call you Master Bodhisattva. You did a great job in giving porridge and relief in Bianzhou!"

"Your Majesty is wise and the court is well-organized. However, I think that with your majesty's wisdom, how could you be deceived by villains and allow them to do things that harm your majesty's holy name?"

The emperor touched his beard and said, "Little man? Who do you mean? Jin Liangwei's errands, or Zuo Sanxiang and the others?"

"Your Majesty is actually very knowledgeable, but I don't understand even more. You know clearly that they are villains and treacherous officials, so why do you just listen to their tricks?"

"Well, loyal ministers and treacherous ministers are not written on their faces! At that time, King Wen of Zhou was also a loyal minister of King Zhou of Shang, Tian He was also a loyal minister of Qi State, and Wang Mang was also a virtuous minister of the Han Dynasty. Well, tell me, this

Jin Liangwei, Zuo Sanxiang and others, where are the traitors?"

Xiao Yan had only heard that the emperor didn't read much, but when he met him today, he discovered that the emperor might not have read much, but he could clearly understand the affairs of the past dynasties and was by no means someone who could be fooled easily.

"Your Majesty, my loyalty is as evident as the sun and the moon! I am doing everything for the sake of the whole country! This Jin Liangwei framed Zhongliang for murder and arson, and the third prime minister Zuo drained the national treasury for military achievements. These are all the cancer of Da Liang! Now that the national treasury is empty, they are instigating it.

Your Majesty's exploiting the people is really a heinous crime!"

"Oh, in your opinion, how should this beam be managed?"

"Your Majesty, I heard that wise monarchs rule from the top down, rest with the people, and do not compete with the people for profit. Only in this way can the country be peaceful and the people be safe!"

The emperor coughed a few times, as if he was choking, "Well, resting with the people means not fighting and giving up the western and northern territories to the enemy; not fighting for profits with the people means that all the money in the world can only be made by aristocratic families.

Go! Then this is the peace and prosperity of the country and the people that you want! Isn’t that so, Master Bodhisattva?”

"Your Majesty has misunderstood. I don't want to betray the country, nor do I want to make money. I want to hide wealth among the people, save the lives of the soldiers, and prevent them from dying in vain in a deserted place!"

"That's right. You are a scholar after all. You can even betray your country and steal money by saying that you are righteous! I admire you very much! Well, let me guess how they will plead for you at today's court meeting! There is a Bodhisattva master setting up an archway in the front and a memorial arch in the back.

Only with a lot of people can you feel at ease being a bitch!"

"Your Majesty, please speak carefully! Scholar-officials can be killed but not humiliated! If your Majesty listens to the slanderous words of villains and traitorous ministers, I am afraid it will lead to disaster!"

"Yes, they are threatening me! Well, these scholars are different. They can do bad things better than people who don't study! Okay, Zhao Agui, take this Bodhisattva master down and clean him up. It's delicious.

Drink and serve! Well, let him change into clean clothes, just find one of my regular clothes!"

Zhao Agui and Xiao Yan changed their expressions at the same time. Zhao Agui glanced at Xiao Yan and said, "Your Majesty, how could this happen! How could a guilty minister do this?"

"I will not dare to overstep my bounds even if I die! If your Majesty kills me, please clarify the punishment. I will not dare to wear these royal clothes even if I die!"

"I tell you to wear it, so you wear it. You have done everything. You scholars have been taking care of this world for a long time. Do you still care about these nonsense? Agui, just put it on for him!"

Xiao Yan was so frightened that the emperor asked him to wear the emperor's uniform. If the emperor refused to admit his guilt, this crime of transgression would be enough to get him beheaded.
Chapter completed!