ragginovel Chapter 86 The Sharpest Knife
Chapter 86 The Sharpest Knife
Chapter 86 The Sharpest Knife
Chu Xun's heart stirred upon hearing this. If Tang Shijun were to enter the underworld, he might one day have to face him.
But whether someone is reincarnated or serves in the underworld is their own business, and it's not something you can say.
Tang Shijun looked at the guard kneeling before the corpse, tears streaming down his face. A ray of golden light flowed from his fingertips and landed on the square-faced guard.
The square-faced guard was still grieving the passing of Lord Tang when he suddenly felt warmth on his body and vaguely heard a voice in his ear. He immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Tang!?"
I looked around, but I couldn't see anything.
Tang Shijun then looked at the judge and said, "I need to see one more person before I can go to the underworld after this matter is settled."
Wenpan hesitated slightly, but still agreed.
Tang Shijun bowed to Chu Xun, then left with the judge.
Numerous vengeful spirits were dragged along by underworld officials using black chains and hooks.
The square-faced guard looked at Chu Xun, a hint of expectation in his eyes, and asked, "Immortal Master, Lord Tang, he—"
"He's already gone," Chu Xun said.
The square-faced guard lowered his head dejectedly, muttering, "They're gone—"
Chu Xun said, "No one should be told what happened here. Lord Tang was assassinated, and the murderer has been executed."
The Vice Minister's Residence.
Huan'er lay in bed, half asleep, when she seemed to hear some noise.
I strained to open my eyes and saw a figure I had been longing for approaching me.
Upon seeing his face clearly, he exclaimed with delight, "Teacher!"
Tang Shijun smiled faintly and said, "It's been a long time. You look so haggard."
Huan'er quickly bowed and said, "Teacher looks a little haggard."
Just as he was about to invite him to sit down, Tang Shijun said, "I don't have much time. I've only come to see you briefly and will be leaving soon."
Huan'er straightened up and said, "Please enlighten me, teacher."
Tang Shijun said, "The path to implementing the national policy has been paved. Now that you have met His Majesty, you can present your suggestions. This is the third thing you need to do."
"Huang Qi of Changming Prefecture led the refugees to capture three cities in succession."
"Han Shizhong's occupation of the southwest is a major threat."
"The northern horse tribe has had twenty years of recuperation and should be able to catch their breath."
"The national treasury is empty, and the people are apathetic. The Jing Kingdom today is riddled with festering sores that must be surgically removed."
"This knife is now in your hands; you'll have to work harder in the future."
Huan'er quickly replied, "This is my duty, it should be done this way. But now that the path has been paved, is there any need to deliberately turn against the teacher like this?"
Tang Shijun smiled and nodded: "I won't need it anymore."
Huan'er was overjoyed; she had almost become depressed from "acting" all these years.
They argued many times in front of numerous officials just to pay the army's salaries.
One condemned it as "occupying a position without doing any work," while the other condemned it as "outrageous."
He was afraid that if the act continued, the two of them would one day actually start to hate each other.
"We have some aged Baijiapu liquor at home, and we know you'd like to drink it. After I suggest it, let's have a good drink together!"
"The Bai Family Old Shop." Tang Shijun nodded. "I really want to have a sip. If I have the chance in the future—"
As they were talking, a voice came from behind: "It's about time, we should go."
Tang Shijun sighed softly, his figure gradually becoming blurry.
Huan'er was shocked and rushed forward, only to see Tang Shijun turn into a phantom and disappear before her eyes.
Only the aged voice echoed in my ears.
"Remember, be the fastest, sharpest knife!"
"teacher!"
Huan'er cried out and suddenly opened her eyes.
Liu Yuqing was also startled awake and quickly got up to look at him. Seeing that he was covered in sweat and his face was pale, she couldn't help but ask, "Husband, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare, or are you feeling unwell?"
Huan'er turned her head in a daze when she heard her voice.
Was it a dream?
Why would I have such a dream?
Liu Yuqing put on her clothes and got out of bed: "Ling'er, quickly fetch some water."
The maidservant hurried to bring warm water, and Liu Yuqing personally wet a towel and wiped Huan'er's sweat.
Huan'er still had a furrowed brow, a sense of unease lingering in her heart.
Even after wiping away the sweat, I still couldn't fall asleep.
Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door: "My lord! Something terrible has happened!"
Liu Yuqing felt sorry for her husband who hadn't slept well and was about to scold the man.
But then a voice rang out again: "Minister of Revenue, Lord Tang—has been attacked and murdered by villains!"
Liu Yuqing was stunned, her heart skipped a beat, and she looked to the side.
Huan'er suddenly stood up; Liu Yuqing had never seen him like this before.
His veins bulged, and he was sweating profusely.
His face was gloomy, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"My husband—"
The death of a high-ranking official, especially one assassinated in the capital, is a momentous event.
Liu Yuqing was, after all, the wife of a vice minister, so she naturally understood what this meant.
Although she noticed that her husband's relationship with Minister Tang had become increasingly strained over the past few years, he was still, after all, her husband's student.
Huan'er took deep breaths to calm herself down.
Recalling the previous "nightmare" in my mind, I finally realized that it was not a dream.
Rather, it was the teacher's final advice to me before leaving.
"Bring me the clothes," Huan'er said through gritted teeth.
"Is my husband going to the Minister's residence?" Liu Yuqing asked.
Huan'er clenched his fists. Of course he wanted to go, but now was not the time.
"I want to go to the palace," Huan'er said in a deep voice.
"Going to the palace? You want to see His Majesty?" Liu Yuqing asked.
It would be reasonable to seek justice for the Minister.
However, Huan'er said, "No, I'm going to give a gift to Eunuch Zhang, the one in charge of ceremonies."
Liu Yuqing was taken aback. Why was she giving gifts to the eunuchs instead of paying respects at this time?
Huan'er naturally wouldn't explain to her; some things are best kept to herself.
After getting dressed, he hurriedly left the Vice Minister's residence with his gold, silver and precious jewels.
An hour later, Emperor Chongming flew into a rage in the court.
He glared at the civil and military officials below, his imperial might evident, his anger barely contained: "Whoever assassinated Tang Shijun, he must be one of you. With the nation in peril, you're still killing each other over personal grudges."
"They dare to kill a second-rank minister? Are they trying to rebel?"
"I will definitely investigate. If I find out, I will exterminate their entire family!"
All the civil and military officials bowed their heads, many of them harboring resentment towards Tang Shijun.
There were indeed people who wanted Tang Shijun dead, and some were really that ruthless.
However, Tang Shijun's bodyguards and assassins were very skilled, and several assassination attempts failed. In addition, the land survey and household registration were nearing completion, so they had no choice but to give up in disappointment.
Who succeeded this time?
They looked at each other, secretly wondering who was most likely to do so.
He was the grandfather of Lord Tang's first wife, the Duke of Qing, who owned the most land but had lost all face and dignity.
Or was it the Marquis of Linyang, whose wicked servants injured people and ran rampant in the countryside, and who was arrested by Lord Tang and taken to the Ministry of Justice for execution?
Or perhaps—
One name after another flashed through their minds.
There were too many possibilities; all the officials in the court wanted Tang Shijun dead.
If a real investigation were to be conducted, even if he was not the one who carried out the attack, he would still be implicated.
At this moment, Huan'er stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a plan that can relieve the nation's worries."
Zhang Li, the Grand Eunuch in charge of ceremonial affairs, stepped down and received the national policy.
He glanced at Huan'er with a cryptic look, then turned back to the emperor's side.