Joy of Life: I am Li Chengze, and I have mastered the Eight Wonders

Chapter 5 Guilty, but Not Wrong
He was determined to uncover the root causes of corruption within Qing.

And there was news that the Supervisory Commission had quietly obtained a detailed list of corrupt officials.
Emperor Qing frowned, his eyes were like torches, and he asked Chen Pingping sternly:

"Is what you said true?!"

Facing the majesty of the emperor, Chen Pingping looked embarrassed, with a hint of helplessness in his tone:

"Your Majesty, what you said is true, but this matter is complicated and involves more people than you can imagine. I cannot report everything at once and I am afraid there may be omissions..."

Just as Emperor Qing was about to explode, Li Chengze spoke at the right time, his voice calm and rational:
"Your Majesty, calm down. Dean Chen is absolutely right. This case has many details and involves officials from all over the country. It is indeed difficult to handle..."

He paused for a moment, as if considering his words, and finally mustered up the courage, knelt on his knees, and spoke frankly:
“Furthermore, among these officials implicated, there are many colleagues who have had interactions with me.

In this situation, I feel mixed emotions. "Li Chengze's shocking move stunned the whole audience.

Everyone fell into an incredible silence. Was this his way of seeking self-salvation? Or had he foreseen that he could no longer hide it, so he took the initiative to attack?
In an attempt to gain the Emperor Qing's forgiveness? Fan Xian was full of doubts. He knew that Li Chengze was very careful in his actions, so this behavior was really against common sense and puzzling.

Chen Pingping's eyes flashed with a cold light, secretly speculating on the second prince's true intentions and the motives behind them. Then he looked at Fan Xian again.
He knew that Fan Xian had been to the Second Prince's residence.

At the same time, a more serious problem emerged in my mind:

What are the Second Prince and Fan Xian plotting?
It seems to be the sensitive list given by Fan Xian?

Could it be that there are spies hidden in the Supervisory Commission?

Lin Ruopu was startled and quickly adjusted his posture. The original plan seemed to be disrupted by this sudden change.

But he also quickly caught a glimpse of a turning point, waited and watched, and prepared to see how Li Chengze would justify himself.

The other officials were in an uproar, whispering with amazement and speculation:

"What is the Second Prince trying to do?"

"This is great. Not only is it deceiving the emperor, but there is also the charge of forming a clique for personal gain."

"The Second Prince's lineage is likely to be in jeopardy."

"It seems that it is safer to follow the prince closely."

Emperor Qing's eyes were like torches, sweeping across the room. He snorted coldly, making everyone silent. He asked Li Chengze in a deep voice:
"Chengze, are you going to plead guilty and accept punishment?" As soon as these words came out, tension and uneasiness filled the air.

Li Chengze bowed again, with a hint of teasing and provocation in his tone:
"I know my crime and am willing to accept any punishment from my father. Hey, if you want to use this incident to get rid of me, I will take the initiative to put my neck under the knife and see what you can do.

I plead guilty and accept the punishment I deserve, but..."

His words revealed a deep insight into Emperor Qing's character, and it seemed that everything was under his control.

The other party will obviously not take extreme actions against him, as shown in the original story line, even if he commits the crime of rebellion,

The real cause of the tragedy was the overly strong self-esteem of the previous life character.
Today, compared with treason, the charges of corruption and forming a clique for personal gain seem insignificant.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian witnessed the second prince kneeling on the ground and was secretly proud of himself, thinking that this was the best opportunity for him to show kindness and wisdom.

He hurried forward, knelt before Emperor Qing, and pleaded:

"Father, I beg you to be lenient with my second brother..."

Before he finished speaking, he was severely interrupted by Emperor Qing, who angrily rebuked him for his inappropriate intervention, and the scene was extremely awkward. Li Chengqian was stunned, not understanding what he had done wrong, and turned to look at the eldest prince Li Chengru, only to see that the other party had a playful look on his face, as if he had expected his actions.

Alarm bells suddenly rang in his heart, realizing that he might have been misunderstood. However, the words had already been spoken and it was impossible to take them back, so he was caught in a dilemma.

At this time, Emperor Qing turned to ask Fan Xian for his opinion:

"Fan Xian, how do you think we should deal with the Second Prince?
"Fan Xian pretended to be helpless and cleverly pushed the problem to Lai Mingcheng, who was well versed in the law, secretly laughing at his own witty response.

Lai Mingcheng responded quickly, proposing that the Second Prince's illegal gains should be confiscated according to Daqing law, and suggested that he be exiled to the frontier to serve.

However, these words immediately angered Emperor Qing, and the atmosphere became tense again.

Lin Ruopu stepped forward, his voice firm:
"Your Majesty, the Second Prince is of royal blood. His punishment cannot be taken lightly. It should follow extraordinary methods."

He changed the subject and said, "Besides, although the Second Prince has confessed his guilt, there is still no solid evidence. I beg Your Majesty to wait until the truth is revealed before making a judgment."

Chen Pingping followed closely and echoed, "What Minister Lin said is absolutely right. I also think we should act with caution to avoid hurting our own flesh and blood."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qing waved his hand, revealing a hint of impatience and determination:

"Investigate? It will only add to the confusion. It will only expose the flaws within my family. How do you want the people of the world to view my royal family?

Where is Daqing's dignity? Where is my face?"

As soon as these words came out, the whole hall fell silent, and then all the ministers knelt down and shouted in unison: "We are guilty!"

Everyone knew that there was no way to investigate this matter. As a member of the royal family, the Second Prince had the foundation of the entire Qing Kingdom behind him. The claim that the royal family accepted bribes was tantamount to destroying the Great Wall.

Emperor Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as a torch, and turned to Li Chengze, asking in a deep voice:

"Chengze, please explain to me why you want to make friends with those officials?

Why is there a dispute over money? What is your real intention? Have you ever realized your mistake? "

This question hits the heart directly. Li Chengze thought to himself that if Emperor Qing disregards family affection, he must be prepared.

He secretly made up his mind that if it really came to the last resort, he would have to fight to the death and break out of the siege.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze, and everyone's eyes were focused on Li Chengze, waiting for his answer.

Both hands activated, filling my body with strength...

But I don't know if I have the strength of a grandmaster at this moment! However, in the entire palace, except for Emperor Qing in front of me... I'm afraid no one can stop me, right?
Is it true that Shuangquanshou is so famous for nothing?!
Having strength... means peace of mind!
He figured out a way out and replied directly: "I am guilty, but I don't think I am wrong..."

Emperor Qing was stunned for a moment. Are you stupid from reading so much?
What's the difference between this and him?
At this point, you still want to quibble?!
I'll give you a chance to defend yourself, let's see what you can say...

"Guilty, but not entirely wrong?"

Fan Xian's eyes were full of inquiry as he examined Li Chengze.

This person usually seems to be casual and unrestrained, but at this moment, he shows extraordinary eloquence and shamelessness.
Fan Xian couldn't help but secretly look forward to his next "performance".

(End of this chapter)