met free Chapter 864 (For Treason Only)
Chapter 864 (For Treason Only)
"Guards, bring the members of the four great families here. Interrogate them separately and see if they bribed the officials with a full ten thousand taels of gold," the Emperor said angrily.
Although Fan Li tried his best to argue, the emperor would not be fooled.
Separate interrogations undoubtedly eliminated the suspicion of collusion among the individuals. Unless the ten thousand taels of gold were indeed a bribe from the four major families to Fan Li, their answers would certainly not be without flaws.
"Lord Fan is truly prescient! He must have already planned to make the four major families take the blame the day after accepting the bribes," Lin Ping said coldly.
Lin Ping didn't think that interrogating the four major families alone would be effective. Fan Li was a cunning and shrewd fox; how could he not have thought of an escape route?
The emperor found Lin Ping's words reasonable and was immediately furious.
In other words, Pham Le's crime of treason can only be punished as corruption.
"Guards, confiscate all of Fan Li's embezzled property!" the emperor roared, for this was the only thing he could do.
Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had lost some of his property, he had at least saved his life. He could continue to levy exorbitant taxes by taking advantage of his position.
Furthermore, most of his gold and silver had already been converted into banknotes, making it impossible to confiscate them.
"Your Majesty, please do not be anxious. Fan Li's crime of treason is right before our eyes." Lin Ping smiled sinisterly.
"Lin Ping, don't be arrogant. How could I leave you any trace? I will make you regret what you did today." Fan Li gritted his teeth, making a "crunching" sound, which was enough to prove his resentment towards Lin Ping.
If he can't deal with Lin Ping openly, then he'll eliminate him secretly. As long as the money is right, he doesn't believe the Nightshade Palace won't take action.
The other side is a group of desperate criminals who are obsessed with money.
Just as everyone was puzzled, Lin Ping had already arrived in front of a box of gold.
The moment he opened the box, the entire hall was bathed in golden light.
Even though they held high positions, these ministers still revealed greedy eyes, but Lin Ping alone was able to remain calm.
To be honest, he didn't really care about that box of gold.
"Look at how unsophisticated he is." Many people looked at Lin Ping with disdain as he picked up a gold ingot.
Although they were also tempted, they wouldn't show it in front of the emperor; Lin Ping was simply a country bumpkin.
"Lend me your short sword." Lin Ping took a short sword from Bai Tiantian.
Bringing a sword to court was Bai Tiantian's privilege; Lin Ping could only carry an unknown pistol.
Click!
With a swift movement of his sword, the ingot of gold was cleaved in two.
Although gold is not as hard as steel, it still requires considerable force to split it in two.
"Has this guy gone mad?" Everyone looked at Lin Ping in bewilderment.
To brandish weapons in front of the emperor is a grave offense of disrespect, and Lin Ping's repeated challenges to authority are clearly irrational.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lin Ping actually took out a piece of paper from the middle of the gold ingot, on which were written four small characters.
"There's a hidden world inside?" Everyone was shocked. Fan Li's face turned pale, as if he had guessed something.
Lin Ping handed the copper plate with the inscription to the eunuch, who then passed it on to the emperor.
When he finally saw what was written on the coin, his anger practically blazed out of his eyes.
For treason only!!!
"What a traitorous statement! Fan Li, do you have anything to explain?" The emperor threw the note on the ground and said angrily.
How ironic those words were; it was clearly a trap Lin Ping had set up long ago.
Before offering the bribe, he stuffed a copper coin inside a gold ingot, all to pave the way for his own entry into the empire.
If Fan Li could stand on the same side as Lin Ping, this secret would remain buried in his heart. But if he were to oppose him, it would be Fan Li's death day.
Fan Li lay slumped on the ground, wriggling like an earthworm as he slowly picked up the copper coin, his face already pale.
"Lin Ping, how cruel you are!" Fan Li lunged at Lin Ping, her eyes gleaming.
He's just a fifty-year-old geezer, how could he possibly beat a master like Lin Ping? He could just kick him away.
"Fan Li has committed treason and collusion with the enemy, a crime that cannot be forgiven. He shall be immediately imprisoned in the Imperial Prison for further punishment," the Emperor roared.
"I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled!" Fan Li was dragged away by several guards like a dead dog.
"Pah! What's the use of being unwilling!" Lin Ping spat a mouthful of phlegm onto Fan Li's face, revealing a smug smile.
Lin Ping achieved a great victory in this court session, not only forging an alliance with the empire but also eliminating Fan Li, a thorn in his side.
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Lin Ping suddenly smiled and said to Bai Tiantian, "I helped the General get rid of his political enemies. From now on, you will be the one who calls the shots in the court. How should you thank me?"
This was originally meant to be a private conversation, but Lin Ping raised his voice to say it aloud.
As soon as he said this, dozens of eyes around him stared at Lin Ping, and Bai Tiantian's eyes were even more deadly.
"Sorry, I was too loud," Lin Ping said with a grin.
Lin Ping was clearly speaking to the emperor. Now that Fan Li is in prison, Bai Tiantian's family is all-powerful, which is not conducive to consolidating imperial power.
"With a major battle imminent, General, you should spend more time in the military camp making preparations. You don't need to attend court for the next few days."
The tone may seem calm, but it actually conveys the emperor's authority.
Bai Tiantian glared at Lin Ping, but could only obey.
"Oh, by the way, if there are any things you don't understand in the army, you should ask Lin Ping for advice. You must not be arrogant or conceited," the emperor added.
The use of the word "please advise" is brilliant. It shows that Bai Tiantian's abilities are inferior to Lin Ping's, and she may be replaced by someone else at any time, so she should be more obedient.
"I humbly request your guidance, Young Master Lin." Bai Tiantian forcibly suppressed her anger.
He didn't feel ashamed to ask Lin Ping for advice, after all, he also felt that he was not as good as Lin Ping.
The reason he was angry was because he had seen how terrifying Lin Ping was and was afraid that this man would ruin the empire's plans.
"Of course, of course. As long as General Bai is sincere, how could I not teach you?" Lin Ping said arrogantly, his tail wagging in the air.
He wanted to show his arrogance in order to lower the emperor's guard.
Being too capable can be a bad thing, as it can easily arouse suspicion. A certain degree of extravagance can be a way to protect oneself.
Lin Ping thought his flawless plan was a great success, but little did he know that he was just a clown.
If it weren't for that pistol, how could the emperor have given him the opportunity to continue implementing his plan?
After the court session ended, many people approached Lin Ping with fawning smiles.
Now that Fan Li has fallen from power, his followers are all in danger and must be on good terms with Lin Ping to avoid being implicated.
Even some neutral officials were trying to curry favor with Lin Ping. Who wouldn't want to befriend such a talented young man? Ideally, they'd want to become his father-in-law!
"Lin Ping, you will never escape my grasp!" The emperor revealed a sinister smile in the main hall.