At this moment, a man dressed as a Confucian scholar walked in from outside. He was Zhao Ping, a retainer of Xiao He.
"Has the letter been delivered?" Xiao He asked impatiently.
Zhao Ping smiled slightly, "It has been handed over. His Majesty promised in public to give everyone an explanation."
"That's good, that's good. Sigh! What a mess this is, having to tarnish my reputation just to save my family." Xiao He shook his head and smiled bitterly. "May I ask, sir, will His Majesty really let me off the hook because of this?"
"To be honest, I don't know either," Zhao Ping said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Huh? Then I've just tarnished my reputation for nothing!" Xiao He was startled.
Zhao Ping sighed, “Throughout history, there have been many heartless and ungrateful rulers, and our Emperor is the most outstanding among them. Whether you can pass this test depends on how much gratitude and affection Your Majesty has for you. It is also possible that Your Majesty will take this opportunity to eliminate you completely.”
Xiao He's expression changed drastically, and he quickly bowed deeply, pleading, "Please, sir, save my whole family!"
Zhao Ping helped him up with both hands, saying, "Please get up, sir. It's not that I don't want to help, but I can only help you this far. The rest will depend on your own judgment."
Since his reputation has been tarnished, Your Majesty has no reason to kill the minister. The prime minister only needs to confess to the forced purchase of land and accept whatever punishment Your Majesty gives. He should be able to get through this ordeal safely.
After all, the Prime Minister has rendered many merits, and his crime of forcibly purchasing land this time is not that serious. If nothing unexpected happens, his merits and demerits will offset each other, and His Majesty, out of consideration for his reputation, will not dare to execute him.
"I hope so..." Xiao He thought of his past hard work and dedication, and felt much more at ease. Perhaps he and Zhao Ping were overthinking it?
Not long after, Xiao He received Liu Ji's decree and went to the palace alone with trepidation, where he met Liu Ji washing his feet.
"You may leave now," Liu Ji waved his hand.
"Yes, sir." The maids responded and slowly withdrew.
"This old minister pays his respects to Your Majesty." Xiao He knelt down with a deep bow.
Liu Ji picked up a bamboo scroll, shook it twice, and said, "During the time I was away on campaign to quell the rebellion, did the Prime Minister seize or forcibly buy land from more than a thousand people at low prices?"
Xiao He gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, it is indeed true."
"Heh heh, the Prime Minister doesn't work for the benefit of the people, but instead seizes their property for his own profit! I didn't believe it at first, but it turns out to be true! Prime Minister, how could you go to such lengths? How can you face your conscience? How can you betray my trust? How can you face the people of the world!" Liu Ji became increasingly angry as he spoke, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
Xiao He was stunned upon hearing this. So that's what His Majesty was thinking?
His mind was in turmoil, but it was too late to back out now.
Remembering Zhao Ping's instructions, Xiao He kowtowed again, saying, "This old minister knows his crime and is willing to accept any punishment Your Majesty may impose."
"Ah! Old Xiao, we have been ruler and subject together, from raising an army in Pei County to ruling the world, we have gone through so many hardships together."
Now that the world is at peace, it's time to enjoy life. The Prime Minister has rendered great service, and there is no reason for him to enjoy himself so much. However, the Prime Minister should never have oppressed the people!
I thought the Prime Minister was a loyal and virtuous minister, a rare find throughout history. It was a great blessing for the people to have your assistance. But how could the Prime Minister have fallen so low? My heart is filled with pain!
Fine, Prime Minister, take these accusation letters and apologize to the people yourself. As long as you can appease the people, I will pretend this never happened.
"Your Excellency should take heed of your actions from now on. How can a wise man act if he does not work for the benefit of the people?" Liu Ji said with a pained expression.
Xiao He stared blankly at Liu Ji, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. It seemed he had been judging a gentleman by his own petty standards!
Zhao Ping must be overthinking things!
Fortunately, His Majesty is magnanimous and generous; it's not too late to turn back now!
Having the opportunity to serve such a wise and benevolent ruler throughout the ages, what reason do I have not to fulfill my duties?
"Your Majesty! This old minister thanks Your Majesty for your mercy! This old minister swears to Heaven that I will never make such a mistake again! Your Majesty, rest assured, this old minister will do everything in my power, even if it means going bankrupt and going into debt, to appease those people and will never let Your Majesty down!" Xiao He said excitedly.
Liu Ji clutched his wound; his words had been so forceful that they had nearly reopened it. "Very well. Then go and do it quickly. I believe you are still my loyal minister."
"Look!" Xiao He's gloom vanished, his face radiant and his eyes regained their former sparkle.
To be honest, even though he managed to save his family using the strategy of Zhao Ping, he was still extremely distressed. He had worked hard for Liu Ji and the country for half his life, only to end up with nothing but a reputation for integrity and public service. How tragic!
Things are different now. It turns out that His Majesty trusted him so much. It was only because Zhaoping and I were worrying unnecessarily and making wild guesses about His Majesty's intentions that we made such a big blunder, causing His Majesty great distress. What a sin we have!
Xiao He felt increasingly ashamed as he thought about it. He stopped just as he was leaving the room, turned back with a look of joy, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Your Majesty! This old minister has suddenly remembered that there is another important matter I would like to request Your Majesty's permission to discuss."
"Oh? What request does the Prime Minister have? Please speak freely!" Liu Ji flicked his sleeves.
"Your Majesty, the area around Chang'an is cramped, while Your Majesty's Shanglin Garden has many empty plots that are left uncultivated. This old minister hopes that Your Majesty can order the people to cultivate these lands, with the harvest belonging to the cultivators, and the straw left to be used as food for the animals in the gardens..."
Xiao He gesticulated wildly as he spoke, saying that he had done another good deed for the benefit of the people, and that His Majesty should be very pleased, and that forgiving this old minister was such a wise decision.
However, Liu Ji's expression gradually turned cold. "Shut up! How dare you! Guards! Seize Xiao He!"
"Yes, sir!" Two guards responded and came over to restrain Xiao He's arms.
Xiao He was greatly alarmed, his head buzzing. "Your Majesty, what is the reason for this?!"
Liu Ji gave a cold laugh, "The Prime Minister has abused his position to seize land from the people and has secretly taken money from merchants, attempting to take my Shanglin Garden! His corruption and abuse of power are outrageous! Throw him into the imperial prison immediately, put him in shackles, and await his fate!"
"Yes!" the guard replied and dragged Xiao He away.
Xiao He stared straight ahead, his mind filled with Liu Ji's righteous reprimands: his heartache, his desire to benefit the people, and his loyalty and virtue!
Was all of this just a test by His Majesty?
Your Majesty simply doesn't believe that the Prime Minister, who has always been in charge of the people, would suddenly become corrupt and lawless. It's laughable that you would propose a suggestion to benefit the people at this time. Isn't this just another way of trying to win over the people's hearts and making your previous tarnished reputation go to waste?
Zhaoping is right. I'm really wise when it comes to others, but confused about myself!
No wonder Zhang Liang wanted to protect himself and gave up participating in politics early on. I was truly blind and mistook a villain for a wise ruler!
It seems likely that what follows will be fabricating evidence to silence the public, and he will be convicted of multiple crimes including extortion, embezzlement, and bribery, putting his life in grave danger...
Clang!
Whoosh...
The cell door was locked, and Xiao He, dragging his shackles and chains, slowly leaned against the corner of the wall, tears streaming down his face.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao He, with his head drooping, suddenly heard someone calling his name.
"Prime Minister Xiao, at this moment, do you regret helping Liu Ji seize the throne?"
Chapter 185 A Method to Save Lives
Xiao He suddenly raised his head, and there was a tall and imposing masked man dressed as a prison guard standing next to him.
"Is the brave warrior asking me?"
"Could there be a second Prime Minister Xiao in this prison?"
This masked man was none other than Xiang Yu. For Xiang Yu now, sneaking into the prison undetected was an incredibly simple task.
If you want to recruit a reliable Xiao He, now is not the best time, but it's not far off either.
Historically, after being imprisoned, Xiao He was released after several days due to someone's plea for leniency. However, the blow of this imprisonment was unimaginable to him, and he became disheartened and remained silent about state affairs.
However, when Liu Ji planned to depose Crown Prince Liu Ying and install Liu Ruyi as the new crown prince, Xiao He still stood up and joined other ministers in opposing Liu Ji, thus saving Liu Ying's position as crown prince.
Xiao He's talent was in no way inferior to Zhang Liang's; both had their own strengths. It was just a pity that Xiao He had been in Liu Ji's camp from the beginning, and Xiang Yu couldn't recruit him no matter what he wanted.
Now, a golden opportunity has finally arrived.
"Haha, what Prime Minister Xiao is here? There is only a prisoner of the Xiao family! If you ask me if I regret it, now that things have come to this, I have nothing to fear. Of course I regret it!"
I had always thought that Liu Ji would be a wise and virtuous ruler, but what he did in the eight years since he ascended the throne showed no sign of being a wise ruler at all.
He was unwilling to employ capable people and dared not trust good generals. He was constantly worried that others would seize his throne and always thought of striking first to eliminate any outstanding individuals who might threaten his imperial position.
The Central Plains were plagued by years of war, which depleted the country's strength and caused great suffering to the people. Meanwhile, the north was constantly harassed by the Xiongnu. Large swathes of land, including Jiuyuan, Beidi, and Shangjun, were seized by the Xiongnu, and it was unknown when they would be recovered.
I thought Liu Ji would be relieved after all the former kings of different surnames who had made great contributions had been killed, but instead he put the butcher's knife to my neck, just because I am deeply loved by the people and have high prestige!
"I, Xiao He, have devoted myself to the country and its people, even to the point of financial ruin, only to find myself in the embarrassing situation of tarnishing my reputation to protect myself. I might as well have followed Zhang Liang's example and stayed at home in leisure."
Xiao He chuckled self-deprecatingly at this point, "How laughable that I once looked down on Zhang Liang for his self-preservation; it was all for naught."
Now it seems that Zifang (Zhang Liang) was indeed more insightful than I was, but didn't he also choose the wrong path? If he had followed Xiang Yu back then, how could the world have fallen into Liu Ji's hands?
Enough, what's the point of saying all this now? Liu Ji may be a bit rough, but he has indeed eliminated most of his rivals who could contend with him for the throne.
"Now that I say this, who exactly are you, and why are you in this prison cell, and why are you dressed like this? I can tell you are not a jailer in this dungeon."
"I am indeed not a jailer, much less a prisoner. I am someone who can rescue you. As for my identity, it is not convenient to reveal it for the time being." Xiang Yu was not afraid of scaring Xiao He to death, but it was too early to reveal his identity now.
"I?" Xiao He re-examined the person in front of him. Could this person be some prince?
"How do you intend to save me? And what are your conditions?" Xiao He asked.
"Rest assured, I have no ill intentions towards you. I merely admire your talent. In truth, it would not be difficult for me to save you alone; I could simply fight my way out. However, this might implicate your family. Therefore, it would be better to devise another plan and persuade Liu Ji to release you voluntarily." Xiang Yu then changed the subject. "However, Prime Minister Xiao will also need to cooperate in some ways."
"How should we cooperate?" Xiao He thought to himself that this person was indeed a prince, but he didn't seem to be Liu Ji's son. Who could it be? He vaguely felt that he had seen this figure and eyebrows somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where he had seen them.
"It's very simple. Whether you send a message through someone or meet with Liu Ji in person, you must make your stance clear: deeply regret your crimes, and that being executed is your own fault. Even if Liu Ji kills your entire family, or even exterminates your three clans, you will never harbor the slightest resentment towards Liu Ji. You can even commit suicide to preserve Liu Ji's reputation. The more you can convince Liu Ji of this, the safer you will be." Xiang Yu smiled slightly.
This rescue plan was naturally Hao Jiu's idea. According to historical records, Xiao He would at most suffer for a few days before being released, but this world is different. Liu Ji has the Black Dragon System.
Hao Jiu has now figured out the main functions of the Black Dragon system. The historical Liu Ji may simply be afraid that Xiao He will seize his throne. However, since this Liu Ji also needs to provide resentment for the Black Dragon, he may not necessarily let Xiao He go as recorded in history.
Only by neutralizing the Black Dragon's influence on Liu Ji can the final outcome possibly follow the historical records.
If Xiao He hadn't been the prime minister, Liu Ji might not have imprisoned him, fearing that killing him would incur public wrath. He might have even ordered his execution on the spot, perhaps even ordering the extermination of his entire clan beforehand, thus maximizing the resentment he would generate.
"Haha, are you here to advise me to repay evil with kindness? Even if I did, would Liu Ji believe that there is such a fool in the world?" Xiao He had actually considered using this method to seek peace for his family, but later felt it was unnecessary.
If Liu Ji is determined to kill him no matter the cost, then even if he tries his best to show loyalty, it will be useless.
It should be noted that Xiao He had not only enjoyed considerable prestige among the common people over the years, but also in the imperial court. When Liu Ji wanted to kill him, it is impossible to say that all the ministers opposed it, but at least more than half of them did.
Whether he can ultimately be sentenced to death depends on whether the fabricated charges can convince the public. Liu Ji's insistence on going his own way is definitely not going to work, but he should be wary of underhanded methods such as assassination.
This masked man's idea of saving his life using this method is truly wishful thinking. It would be better to place his hopes on Liu Ji being unable to withstand the advice of the entire court.
Xiang Yu's face turned cold as he stared into Xiao He's eyes and said, "Whether Liu Ji believes it or not is not important. What matters is whether you believe me or not. Don't waste my time. Besides, Liu Ji might believe it, because Wu Rui is such a person."
Xiao He was not entirely trusting of the other party at first, but when he met those eyes, he immediately felt a chill and subconsciously said, "Xiao He trusts you, brave warrior, so let's do as you say. If possible, I hope you will go to my home and inform my retainer Zhao Ping or my family about my situation."
"Good." Xiang Yu said, then turned and left Xiao He's cell, and then left the prison without any hindrance.
It wasn't that the Heavenly Prison's defenses were ineffective; rather, they used Shoujun's minor spell, Ghostly Concealment. This thousand-year-old ghost still possessed such abilities, but due to his soul injury, he couldn't rely too heavily on this method. Therefore, Xiang Yu still needed to disguise himself.
Of course, if you encounter someone with a special and powerful soul like Xiang Yu, minor tricks like "ghostly illusion" are useless; they might be good for bullying ordinary people.
Even someone as systematic as Liu Ji wouldn't dare use this trick lightly, lest they be exposed and cause trouble.