bookcurios Chapter 145: Questioning Ji Chang
Chapter 145: Questioning Ji Chang
Chaoge City.
A horse-drawn carriage drove slowly over, and the horse's hooves stepped on the bluestone slabs, making crisp sounds.
The person sitting in the car was none other than Ji Chang, the Duke of Xibo who came from Xiqi.
Ji Chang and his entourage traveled thousands of miles, exhausted and dusty, and finally arrived in the city.
When the carriage drove into Chaoge City, people on both sides of the street stopped to watch and talked about it.
Ji Chang and his companions had just entered the city and had not yet reached the post station to rest when they were stopped by palace servants sent by Emperor Xin.
These palace servants were dressed in gorgeous costumes, with solemn expressions on their faces and holding golden scrolls in their hands.
"Hou Xibo, please wait a moment!"
The leading palace servant shouted loudly, with an unquestionable majesty in his voice, echoing in the spacious street.
Ji Chang, who was sitting in the carriage, opened his eyes slightly when he heard the palace servants' calls.
He looked through the slit in the car window, scanning the crowd outside.
Ji Chang's voice sounded a little tired, but he still maintained the dignity and calmness of a nobleman:
"Who's making the noise?"
The attendant beside the carriage stepped forward and answered respectfully:
"Your Excellency, these are people sent by the King. They are holding golden scrolls in their hands, and they look like they are carrying an imperial decree."
Ji Chang nodded slightly and signaled his attendants to leave.
A gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He pondered for a moment, then stood up and got off the carriage.
Seeing the palace maid holding the scroll in front of him, he said:
"I wonder what the king's will is?"
Ji Chang asked respectfully. Although his voice was calm, it revealed a dignified and neither humble nor arrogant demeanor.
Upon hearing this, the palace servants bowed in greeting.
The leading palace servant stepped forward and handed over the scroll respectfully with both hands, with a solemn tone in his voice:
"The king has issued an order, ordering Marquis Xibo to go to the palace immediately to meet the emperor. There must be no delay."
Ji Chang took the scroll and gently slid his fingers across it. He could feel the delicate patterns on the golden silk.
He gently unfolded the scroll. The handwriting on it was clear and powerful. It was written by Emperor Xin himself.
He glanced through it quickly, his brows furrowed, but his face didn't show much expression.
He seemed to have anticipated the content of this decree.
After a while, Ji Chang did not show much emotion. He calmly handed the scroll to the attendant behind him and motioned him to keep it.
The attendant took the scroll respectfully and put it carefully into his sleeve.
Ji Chang turned around, looked at the palace people with a firm gaze, and said in a steady voice:
"In that case, I will go to the palace immediately."
When the palace servants heard Ji Chang's answer, they respectfully stepped aside to make way for Ji Chang.
Ji Chang nodded slightly and turned back to the carriage. After he sat down, he whispered to the driver:
"lets go!"
Afterwards, the carriage started again and the group headed towards the palace.
……
Longde Hall.
In the center of the hall, a dragon throne with exquisite dragon patterns carved on it was placed quietly.
Emperor Xin sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes deep and sharp, he was wearing a gorgeous dragon robe, a golden crown on his head, his face cold and majestic.
Standing below the stage were several important ministers of the country, including the king's uncle Bigan, Prime Minister Shang Rong, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, and King Wucheng Huang Feihu.
Emperor Xin glanced at the important ministers in the audience one by one, his voice was low and majestic, like thunder, echoing in the hall:
"You should already know why I summoned Ji Chang to Chaoge."
Every word he said seemed to hit everyone's heart with a heavy hammer, making them shudder.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded, indicating that they already knew the ins and outs of the matter.
They all had solemn expressions on their faces, knowing full well the seriousness of this summons to Ji Chang.
Emperor Xin took a deep breath and continued:
"Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, was so bold as to deceive me and secretly send Su Hu, the Marquis of Jizhou, and his relatives to Xiqi."
"Humph! If the Grand Master hadn't sent someone to monitor Ji Chang, I would have thought that he would be able to attack Jizhou City with a sense of justice and devote himself to the Shang Dynasty."
Emperor Xin's tone was filled with anger and dissatisfaction, and his brows were furrowed, as if a bigger storm was brewing.
"Ji Chang's action is not only disrespectful to me, but also a provocation to the Shang Dynasty!"
Emperor Xin's voice suddenly rose, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze.
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
The king's uncle, Bigan, stepped out first and bowed respectfully. "Although Ji Chang made mistakes, considering that he has served the Shang Dynasty for many years, I beg the king to be lenient with his sentence."
Prime Minister Shang Rong followed closely and stepped out to give advice:
"Your Majesty, although Ji Chang has done something wrong, he is still one of the four great princes. If you punish Ji Chang severely for this, it may cause unrest in the court and the country."
When King Wucheng Huang Feihu heard what his uncle Bigan and Prime Minister Shang Rong said, his face turned grim.
He straightened his back, stepped out of the line and saluted to Emperor Xin, his voice firm and powerful:
"Your Majesty, I do not agree with your uncle and the Prime Minister's views. After all, Ji Chang deceived his superiors and subordinates and secretly sent Jizhou Marquis Su Hu and his relatives to Xiqi. This is a blatant challenge to your Majesty's authority."
"If we don't punish them severely, how can we intimidate the eight hundred princes and maintain the dignity and laws of the Shang Dynasty?"
As soon as Huang Feihu finished speaking, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong nodded in agreement.
He walked to the center of the hall, bowed to Emperor Xin and said:
"Your Majesty, King Wucheng is absolutely right. Ji Chang's behavior this time has violated the bottom line of the court."
"If we don't punish them severely, I'm afraid the other princes will think that our Great Shang is weak and can be bullied, causing our Great Shang to lose all its prestige."
"I suggest that Your Majesty should punish Ji Chang severely according to the law to serve as a warning to others."
Emperor Xin sat on the dragon throne, his eyes scanning the faces of several important ministers one by one. He took a deep breath, as if weighing the pros and cons.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Emperor Xin's decision.
After a moment, Emperor Xin finally spoke, his voice calm and majestic:
"After much consideration, I still feel that Ji Chang's actions must be punished accordingly."
"However, if Ji Chang admits his actions and sends Su Hu and others to Chaoge, I will give him a lighter sentence."
Upon hearing this, everyone bowed their hands and said in unison:
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Just as Emperor Xin was discussing follow-up matters with his uncle Bigan and others, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the palace, breaking the originally calm atmosphere.
After a while, a palace maid walked into the hall quickly, with a hint of anxiety on her face. She bowed respectfully to Emperor Xin and said:
"Your Majesty, Xibohou Jichang is waiting outside the palace and requests an audience."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xin nodded slightly, and then said in a deep voice:
"Let him in!"
The palace servants were ordered to retreat.
After a moment, Ji Chang's figure slowly appeared at the door of the hall.
When Ji Chang entered the hall and saw his uncle Bigan and others, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
However, he quickly regained his composure, took a deep breath, and walked towards the center of the hall with firm steps.
Ji Chang stopped in front of Emperor Xin, bowed deeply, and performed a great ceremony respectfully:
"Your Majesty, I, the Marquis of Xibo, Ji Chang, come to see you!"
His voice was clear and powerful, and although he was in the hall, he exuded a majesty that should not be underestimated.
Emperor Xin sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes sharp as torches, and looked deeply at Ji Chang.
He did not ask Ji Chang to stand up immediately, but spoke slowly, with a hint of unquestionable majesty in his voice:
"Ji Chang, do you know your guilt?"
Ji Chang's heart trembled slightly when he heard this. He raised his head and looked at Emperor Xin, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
He lowered his head again, his voice trembling and puzzled:
"Your Majesty, I am very worried and do not know what crime I have committed. Please enlighten me."
Emperor Xin nodded slightly, his eyes like swords, staring directly at Ji Chang:
"You secretly sent Jizhou Hou Su Hu and his relatives to Xiqi and deceived me. Isn't this a crime?"
Ji Chang's face froze at this sudden question.
He quickly knelt on the ground, clenched his fists, pressed his forehead against the ground, and said with a tremor in his voice:
"Your Majesty, please be wise. How dare I, Ji Chang, protect Su Hu and others? I am loyal to Your Majesty. The sun and the moon can testify that I have no trace of disloyalty."
Uncle King Bigan and Prime Minister Shang Rong, who were standing by, had complicated expressions when they heard Ji Chang's words, and their eyes revealed disappointment and regret for Ji Chang.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xin narrowed his eyes slightly and examined Ji Chang's expression, as if trying to find a flaw in it.
However, Ji Chang's eyes were firm and honest, without any fear.
After a moment, Emperor Xin slowly spoke:
"Lord Xibo, I am very disappointed with what you just said!"
Although his tone was calm, the anger contained in it was chilling.