Chapter 89: Court Affairs
As the end of the year approached, the war between Wu and Yue finally came to an end and temporarily came to an end.
After the State of Yue handed over the corpse of Helu and Wu Zixu to the Wu army and withdrew from the four cities of Wuyuan, Li, Yu'er and Xing and the land within a radius of 200 miles, the State of Wu also released nearly 6,000 Yue prisoners of war.
At the same time, Bo Hun also renewed the non-aggression pact with King Yun Chang of Yue in Wuyuan.
As to whether this kind of covenant is effective, it is unknown!
King Wu's Palace, Main Hall.
Qingji sat high on the steps and discussed state affairs with a group of ministers and officials.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary Bo Yan is already waiting outside the palace."
"Xuan."
"only!"
After receiving Qingji's instruction, a eunuch turned around and stood on the side of the steps and shouted in a shrill voice: "Announce, Grand Secretary Bo Yan to the palace!"
Not long after, Bo Yan, dressed in a dark official robe and looking exhausted, entered the hall carrying a brocade box.
Facing the different looks from the ministers on both sides, Bo-Hun strode with his head held high, like a victorious rooster, and finally bowed respectfully in front of the platform and said, "Your Highness, I am Bo-Hun. I pay my respects to the king! Long live the king!"
"No need to be polite, stand up!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Bo Yan then slowly stood up, bowed , and looked extremely respectful and fawning.
"Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and have signed a new alliance with the Kingdom of Yue. I have also brought the body of the guilty minister Ji Guang and Wu Yuan back to Wudu, awaiting Your Majesty's decision!"
Hearing this, Qingji nodded slightly and said, "Bo Yan, what is in your box?"
"It is the head of the guilty minister Ji Guangzhi!"
"Show it up. "
Qingji waved his hand, and a servant on the side ran over and handed the brocade box in Bo'an's hand to Qingji.
When Qingji opened the brocade box, he saw a huge head in the box. The head had a hideous face, wet blood, messy hair, and a foul odor emanating from it.
But Qingji could vaguely distinguish that this was the appearance of Helu!
As long as Helu is still alive, Qingji is really worried!
Now, after seeing Helu's head with his own eyes, Qingji finally felt relieved.
"Bo Yan, you have done a great service for me and the State of Wu!"
Qingji put the brocade box containing Helu's head aside, glanced at Bo Hun who was standing under the steps, and said solemnly: "Draft an imperial decree to appoint Bo Hun as the chief guest, a position among the nine ministers, and grant him fifty taels of gold and ten pieces of silk!"
"I, your Majesty, bow my head in gratitude for your grace! Long live the king! Long live the Great Wu!"
Bo Yan suddenly looked so happy that he cried and bowed down.
When it comes to money, fame and fortune, Bo Yan is eager for them!
Now that Qingji has given him such a generous reward, how could Bo Yan not be grateful?
"Where is Wu Zixu?"
"Reporting to the king, Wu Zixu is outside the palace!"
"Throw him into jail first, and then deal with him later!"
"only!"
It was obvious that Qingji had no intention of executing Wu Zixu immediately.
Then, Qingji looked at the brocade box on the table and said slowly, "My friends, how do you think I should deal with Ji Guang?"
“…”
Helu was dead, but his body was still there. It was obvious that Qingji would not let Helu go easily.
If Helu had not committed suicide, if he had been captured alive and escorted to Qingji, he would have certainly been subjected to torture such as being torn apart by chariots and boiled to death!
Even if he were to die, Qingji didn't want Helu to die too honorably or too easily!
The senior official Bei Li held a ivory tablet in his hand and stepped out of the line, saying, "Your Majesty, this man is gone! Although Ji Guang was a traitor who killed the king and usurped the throne, everyone has the right to kill him."
"But Ji Guang is a descendant of Wu after all. He is the king's cousin and was once a prince of Wu! Now Ji Guang is dead, and everything is gone."
"I think Your Majesty can put Ji Guang's body into a coffin and properly place it! This will show Your Majesty's benevolence and justice, and demonstrate to the people of the world Your Majesty's supreme virtue and kindness, and your incomparably broad mind!"
"What you said is wrong, sir!"
Before Qingji could say anything, Bo Yu, who had been promoted to the position of Dianke, could not help but stand up, looked at Bei Li indignantly, and scolded: "How can a sinner like Ji Guang be easily forgiven?"
"Even though Ji Guang is dead, his crime cannot be erased! Although Ji Guang and the king are of the same clan, did they have such friendship when he killed the king and usurped the throne?"
"For the crime of treason, the nine clans shall be executed, the person shall be torn into pieces, boiled to death, and the corpse shall be abandoned in the busy streets!"
"If a criminal like Ji Guang, who committed regicide and usurpation of the throne, is put to rest after his death, and his body is properly buried, wouldn't this be condoning lawless people to despise the king and the laws of the country?"
"The majesty of the national law cannot be violated, and the majesty of the king cannot be violated even more!"
Bo Yu bowed to Qing Ji and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to abandon Ji Guang's body in the downtown area or hang it at the city gate for public display!"
"Its head can be offered as a sacrifice in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, or placed before the spirit of the deceased king, to comfort the deceased king and the spirits of all the kings of the Wu Dynasty in heaven!"
"To serve as a warning to others!"
Upon hearing this, Bei Li was immediately furious and pointed at Bo Yan and shouted, "Bo Yan, how dare you instigate the king to do such a tyrannical thing?"
"When a person is dead, you still insult his corpse. Is this what a ruler should do? Is this what a benevolent ruler should do?"
Facing Li's accusations, Bo Yan was not afraid at all. Instead, he raised a cold smile and said sarcastically, "Shang Dafu, why are you angry?"
"You are protecting Ji Guang's corpse and speaking for him. Could it be that you are grateful for the friendship between you and Ji Guang as a subject in the past and feel pity for him?"
Upon hearing this, Bei Li was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at Bo Yan, cursing: "Asshole! Bo Yan! Stop spitting blood on me!"
"I am a great doctor, a descendant of aristocracy. How can a villain like you from Chu State slander me?"
After saying that, Bei Li couldn't control his temper anymore, so he rolled up his sleeves and wanted to rush up and beat Bo Yan up.
Fortunately, the minister next to him quickly hugged Beili and prevented him from suddenly attacking and hurting others.
"enough!"
Qingji, who had been watching coldly, could no longer hold back. After a light shout, he said sternly, "Do you think the court of our Great Wu is a market? You are high-ranking officials, but you are acting like shrews and hooligans. How disgraceful!"
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
All the ministers immediately knelt down and begged Qingji to temporarily calm down his rage.
"Your Majesty, I acknowledge my guilt!"
Bo Yan and the out-of-control Bei Li could not help but kneel on the ground, trembling with fear.
It was understandable that he was so angry at Li that he cursed at Bo Yan.
After all, the accusation made by Bo Han was too harsh. Helu was a traitor who killed the king and usurped the throne. If Bei Li was related to him, how could Qingji not suspect him?
Once Qingji becomes suspicious of being separated from others, he will definitely become estranged from them. Then, when he is separated from others, he will either die and his family will be destroyed, or his career will end and he will die in depression!
"Dazai, how do you think I should deal with Ji Guang's body?"
Qingji turned his gaze to Ji Zha, who had remained silent.
