69novels Chapter 202 Not to be Desecrated
Chapter 202 Not to be Desecrated
Lü Buwei stepped forward slowly, his face as cold and stern as iron, yet a forced smile appeared on his lips, his tone full of praise: "Grand Preceptor, your skills are superb, your knowledge vast, and your words eloquent; you are truly a rare talent in both literature and martial arts! With you presiding over the court, how dare this old man like me point fingers? Not to mention such secret matters, which you have seen through as soon as you entered Qin; you are truly a formidable young man... Hehe, everything is left to the Grand Preceptor's decision."
Bah! You cunning old fox, you're suddenly praising me?!
Is this some kind of "reconciliation between generals and ministers"? Are they putting on an act of magnanimity, showing respect and consideration for younger generations?!
Lin Tian never expected that Lü Buwei could remain so composed—Miao Du was his right-hand man, whom he had personally promoted! With a knife practically at his throat, this old fox remained calm and collected… Sure enough, his demeanor immediately won the approval of the onlookers. Of course, this was also inseparable from the image of a kind and honest elder that the old thief had painstakingly cultivated over the years.
"A prime minister is a prime minister; his demeanor is truly different."
"That was a trusted minister entrusted with the care of the late king; how could he be compared to an ordinary person?"
"Haha, with the Grand Tutor in charge and the Prime Minister assisting in governance, Qin is invincible!"
Lin Tian cursed inwardly, "Damn! To bring down this old scoundrel, I'll really have to put in a lot more effort. A veteran of two dynasties? Utterly loyal? Pshaw, what a sham!"
Alright! Let's see how long you can hold out!
Lin Tian suddenly raised his hand, his voice like tearing silk: "Guards! Miao Du's crimes are heinous, he deserves to die. Immediately take him to the palace gate, execute him by slow slicing, and display his body for three days as a warning to others!"
He strode up to Lü Buwei, his gaze sharp as a knife, and coldly demanded, "Prime Minister Lü, what is your opinion?"
Lu Buwei met his gaze, his eyes sinister, and let out a short, cold snort, his voice as low as a viper's hiss: "You greenhorn, let's see how long you can be so arrogant."
Lin Tian's brow furrowed, and with a sudden flick of his sleeve, he turned abruptly and roared, "This is outrageous! Execute him immediately! Cut his feet three thousand six hundred times, and hang his body for three days without burial!"
Upon hearing this, Miao Du, who was lying limp on the ground, suddenly felt his legs go weak, and his crotch was instantly soaked with sweat, emitting a foul odor—he had actually wet himself from fright.
Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts)! The corpse will be left exposed for three days!
Everyone present, even Lin Tian's trusted confidants, was shocked: no one expected him to act so ruthlessly and swiftly!
Han Fei strode forward and lowered his voice, "Brother Lin, isn't this too heavy? Just cut it off with one stroke."
Lin Tian glanced sideways, his words sharp as a blade: "Hesitation leads to chaos—this is precisely your weakness, Han Fei, your indecisiveness."
The soldiers paid no heed to any of these intricacies. They only recognized one order: the king's own command—the Grand Preceptor's order, which was the king's command!
At the Imperial Preceptor's command, the three men pounced like wolves, grabbed Miao Du, and forced him to kneel on the blue bricks in front of the palace gate.
A man drew a gleaming short dagger, his clothes ripped open, revealing his bare chest—right in front of the main gate of Xianyang Palace, right before the eyes of the court officials and countless commoners, he was executed!
"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
A sharp, long proclamation rang out from deep within the palace gates, its trailing tone thin and trembling, piercing the eardrums.
Today, the area in front of Xianyang Palace is more like a stage than ever before—the characters on stage are all incredibly important.
Upon hearing that sound, Lin Tian inwardly cursed Ying Zheng: "Ying Zheng! Ying Zheng! You can't even keep an eye on your own mother?!"
He suddenly felt a chill: Could it be that he had stumbled upon an imposter, the First Emperor? Even the young Ying Zheng in "Nine Songs of the Sky," no matter how immature, was still the First Emperor! How could he be so incompetent at something so simple?!
Lin Tian's heart sank. He had a premonition that today's game, which could have been used to eliminate one of Lü Buwei's arms, was about to end in failure.
He hadn't expected to get a perfect score on his first try, but he couldn't possibly fail to even pass.
At this moment, he had already cursed Ying Zheng to the core.
If they couldn't bring down Lü Buwei, at least they could kill Miao Du—while the people were in turmoil, they should nail him to the spot!
No matter how many explanations are given later, they cannot wash away this bloody scene!
Upon hearing the words "The Empress Dowager has arrived," Lin Tian felt a tightness in his chest and a surge of regret rushed to his head—a miscalculation! He never expected that the flaw would lie with Ying Zheng.
Before the imperial carriage had even left the palace, two rows of palace maids and eunuchs could already be seen carrying ceremonial regalia as they filed out of the palace gates.
Officials and commoners alike prostrated themselves and kowtowed. Han Fei and others on Lin Tian's side had no choice but to follow suit and bow down as well. Even the black-armored warriors with stern faces and cold expressions, who were escorting Miao Du, knelt down in unison, the instruments of torture hanging to the ground, and the execution came to an abrupt halt.
As soon as Miao Du was freed, it was as if he had broken free of the chains of hell. Overjoyed, tears welled up in his eyes, and he trembled and gasped for breath.
Lin Tian remained unmoved, standing still, his robes unfurled and his back straight.
He has never even knelt before his own parents in his entire life, yet now he is to kneel before an empress dowager? Ha... and she's a woman, utterly absurd.
He bowed slightly and clasped his hands in a fist salute; that was all the courtesy he could offer.
Suddenly, a eunuch stepped forward and stopped about ten paces away from Lin Tian. His shrill voice shattered the silence: "Why doesn't the Imperial Preceptor kneel before the Empress Dowager?!"
Lin Tian slowly straightened his back, his gaze passing over the ceremonial procession surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, and landing on the magnificent phoenix carriage—the curtains were woven with gold thread, and behind the curtains sat a slender figure, as still as a deep pool.
He responded loudly, "Your Majesty has received the Mandate of Heaven to be the ruler of all people. Though I am but a humble subject, as the Son of Heaven's teacher, how could I possibly tarnish His Majesty's authority?"
The words had barely left his lips when the truth was laid bare: how could a divinely ordained ruler's teacher bow down to a mere mortal? Though it was a forceful argument, every word was resounding and left the listener speechless for a moment.
"Step down. As the Imperial Advisor, Mr. Lin Tian, there is no need for you to perform such a grand ceremony before me." A clear and melodious female voice came from behind the curtain, gentle yet firm, dignified yet tinged with weariness, sounding as if she had just woken up from an afternoon nap, languid yet still dignified.
It was Empress Dowager Zhao Ji who spoke—she didn't make things difficult, but instead changed the subject: "May I ask, Grand Preceptor, what crime has Miao Du committed? And how is he to be punished?"
In an instant, the entire audience held their breath. Among the people bowing their heads, Lin Tian stood alone, like a solitary peak rising from the ground, answering the question from the phoenix carriage.
He glanced down at the still motionless Mu Du at his feet, a wave of nausea rising in his stomach. His fingertips almost touched the hilt of his sword, wanting nothing more than to pierce Mu Du's throat cleanly and swiftly.
His expression was frank and his tone was steady: "Miao Du used witchcraft and sorcery to plot against the Empress Dowager and wanted to kill her. According to the law, he should be executed by slow slicing and displayed to the public to show that the laws of our Great Qin are as firm as mountains and cannot be desecrated."
"Oh?" Zhao Ji's voice was soft and unhurried. "I don't sense that Marquis Changxin had any intention of harming me. He has served me for many years, and his loyalty is beyond question. Moreover, although Marquis Changxin comes from the palace, he actually governs the two commanderies of Shanyang and Hexi, making him an important minister of the court. The Grand Preceptor neither consulted the King nor informed me before arbitrarily deciding on life and death—shouldn't such actions also be judged by the Qin law?"
Her tone was calm, without anger or resentment, and without the slightest hint of coercion.
But to Lin Tian, it sounded like a thin needle pricking his temple, causing a numb and throbbing sensation!