The Cruel Tyrant

24

Liu Xi clasped his fists tightly and knelt on the cold floor with a sinking heart. He feared that the Crown Prince would order his family to be killed, implicating his biological mother and younger brother.

Su Mu sat above and looked down at Liu Xi, and said mildly: "Liu Ren's crimes against Ben Gong are unforgivable, and Liu Yuanhua failing in teaching his son is equally unforgivable. Even if you don't mention this matter, Liu Yuanhua forming cliques and factions in court as well as oppressing the common people, he has caused many injustices. The unjust cases may not number in the hundreds but they do number in the dozens, which is enough to seize and confiscate the Liu Manor and annihilate the clan."

Liu Xi trembled all over, feeling that the blood in his whole body had frozen over. He suddenly raised his head and looked at Su Mu, staring at Su Mu firmly and resolutely, and said: "Your Highness, if chen can atone for his crimes with merit, is it possible that my mother and brother can be spared?"

"Then it depends on how much your merit is worth?" Su Mu said mildly.

He looked up at Su Mu, and said in a deep voice: "I am the spy arranged by Shi kingdom to be by your side and I have control of most of the spies hidden in the imperial city. The assassins you met by the lake last time were sent by me. I can help you purge most of the Shi kingdom's spies in the imperial city. I only ask you to send someone to protect my mother and younger brother. Afterwards, whether I should be killed or tortured, it is all according to the will of Your Highness."

Su Mu's eyes narrowed slightly, dark eyes looking at Liu Xi as he said, "Why don't you bring your family to join Shi kingdom?"

Liu Xi said: "Shi kingdom is full of talents. I'm just an ordinary pawn. I can only play a minor role by your side. Back then, the Shi kingdom's secret agents threatened me with the lives of my relatives, so I did things for them and harmed Your Highness. Joining them will only implicate my loved ones to the same life I have."

The corner of Su Mu's mouth raised slightly and he looked at him coldly: "If this is the case, then the lives of your mother and brother are safe. If you dare to deceive me......you have seen how I entertained those who plot against me."

Hellish scenes suddenly rushed into Liu Xi's mind, making him feel like falling into an ice cellar: "This guilty chen dare not."

"Write out the names and addresses of all the spies." Su Mu said.

Liu Xi obediently knelt on the ground: "Yes, Your Highness, but the martial arts of the people sent by the Emperor of Shi to monitor this guilty chen are very powerful, and ordinary people are not opponents at all."

"How do they compare to Ben Gong?" Su Mu asked.

"As the firefly against the luminous moon." Liu Xi said.

Su Mu sneered and said: "Go back first and you are not allowed to take even one step out without the order of Ben Gong."

"Yes." Liu Xi stepped back respectfully. After he came out, he realized that his palms were all sweaty. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. He actually placed his bet on the Crown Prince. His only hope was that the heavens would show kindness to him.

Soon after, Liu Xi handed the list of Shi kingdom's secret agents in the imperial city to Su Mu. Then Han Yang and Shi Nuo were called to the front. Su Mu handed the list to the two and said coldly: "Do not spare even one person on this list."

"Yes." Han Yang and Shi Nuo both responded.

Su Mu sat on the chair expressionlessly as he rubbed the knuckle of his index finger lightly with his thumb, his eyes flashing cold.

There were more than 50 people, although the number was not too large, but each one could play a huge role at critical times, such as the Emperor's concubines, the palace ladies and eunuchs, the officers in the army and the guards in the Crown Prince's Palace.

The entirety of the Qing kingdom's palace was practically bared to the eyes of the Emperor of Shi. Su Mu gradually clenched his fists.

Shi kingdom......

So following the Crown Prince's bloodbath of the imperial city two months ago, he once again instigated another violent purge. A total of more than a hundred people were implicated and became departed souls in the hands of the Crown Prince. For a period, every household in the entire imperial city had their doors tightly closed, cutting off all contact with relatives and friends who they usually visit daily. There was no more contact, everyone was afraid of being implicated for no reason.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e ir on tr ee bl oo ms. c o m )

In Feiyu Pavilion, Yun Feiyu sat in front of the guqin, a pleasant smile on his face as he gently plucked the strings, and a calming piece of music flowed out from the strings.

Qin Ye sat across from him, but not even a note of the melodious music entered his ears. Looking at Yun Feiyu, who was calm and contented, he frowned slightly and said: "Feiyu, the Crown Prince killed more than a hundred people. It is said that they are remnants of Liu Qi's rebel party, but in fact most of them are spies sent by other forces. The Crown Prince is becoming more and more shrewd......"

Qin Ye clenched his fists tightly and in his eyes was resentment. Although the Crown Prince was tyrannical and bloodthirsty, he lacked intelligence, his days spent on only doing evil. It was easy to calculate and plot against him then. If it weren't for the Crown Prince's martial prowess, able to use his internal force to dissolve all the poisons used in assassination attempts, how could he live to this day.

But now it's different. The Crown Prince had not only advanced martial arts skills, but also a good head. This may be a good thing for others, but it was bad news for Qin Ye who wanted revenge.

Fortunately, when he fed the Crown Prince poison, he first took the antidote, otherwise he would be turned into bones while the Crown Prince was still alive. He was unwilling to even think about it.

With a punch on the hard table, Qin Ye said bitterly: "No matter what, I will not give up. Why can he not be responsible for his mistakes? When he executed the officials righteously, did he ever think about his crimes being just as bad?"

The last note quietly fell and Yun Feiyu pressed his hands on the strings. His deep eyes moved from the guqin to Qin Ye's face, and he said with a small smile: "What can you use to fight against the Crown Prince. I'm afraid that the entire palace is now controlled by the Crown Prince. Maybe your words just now have already been heard by him. Now that you know that the Crown Prince is no longer the one you used to know, control yourself, or you might be stomped out like an ant by the Crown Prince before you could even make a move."

Qin Ye was dissatisfied and said: "Then I should just wait like this? Waiting for him to be praised by thousands, and waiting for the world to forget what he did?"

"Not necessarily, when the Crown Prince was tyrannical, all parties could still wait for the right moment with peace of mind. But now, the Crown Prince's actions increasingly worry all parties. The coming turmoil will only intensify, this Crown Prince......" Yun Feiyu's eyes deepened and he was silent for a while: "All he lacks is time. In just half a year, he had wiped out nearly all the armed forces that have been preparing for many years. If he is given time, all the armed forces will inevitably fall into a crisis, so......he won't have time......"

Qin Ye suppressed his anger and said, "But I don't want to wait anymore, how can you understand my pain, I and Yuzhu......we grew up together, and we were going to be married, but......I waited ten years. I waited for that day for ten years, but all my anticipation and hopes only resulted in endless pain. The more time he lives, the more pain I have."

"Heh......" Yun Feiyu looked down at the guqin with a chuckle, and said inaudibly, "No one knows who is in more pain than who......"