Chapter 358: Don’t Kneel

The leisurely and comfortable life lasted for less than two days, and another team of guards came to Huan Yin's door.

This team of guards came from the palace, and they were much more friendly than the officers and soldiers who came from the Fifth Prince's mansion that day. However, their purpose of coming was still to take Huan Yin away.

After asking carefully, it was learned that it was Wei Bujue who filed a complaint with the emperor, saying that Wei Qianlong killed his servants and robbed many times. And Huan Yin was the provider of the murder weapon.

After hearing this, Huan Yin knew that he was not a key figure at all, but just a supporting role. This time, the imperial complaint was probably that Wei Bujue and Wei Qianlong would compete in front of the emperor, and basically the position of the heir would be determined. So this complaint was actually a big deal for the royal family itself.

Huan Yin naturally followed those people, and Ruan Shushu still smiled and asked him to come back for dinner.

When he arrived at the magnificent main hall of the imperial court, Huan Yin saw that many civil and military officials were already standing there. At the front of the ministers sat two people, who were obviously powerful officials in the court.

Next to these two people, there stood a young man of fifteen or sixteen years old, Wei Qianlong and Wei Bujue.

Huan Yin thought that the two sitting there must be the third and fifth princes.

The one sitting at the top of the Dragon Court, wearing a yellow robe and a golden crown, was naturally the Emperor of Qingzhou.

This Emperor of Qingzhou looked old, and there was no difference from what he had heard before. When Huan Yin looked at the Emperor of Qingzhou, the Emperor of Qingzhou also looked at him. However, the Emperor of Qingzhou looked very calm, not like a fierce person.

"Since the people are here, let's start." The emperor spoke as soon as Huan Yin was brought into the palace.

The ministers and the two princes all agreed, and Wei Bujue and Wei Qianlong walked up from their father and knelt in front of the emperor.

Huan Yin was released by the officers and soldiers, but he did not kneel down. He still stood in the hall, which made everyone frown, thinking that this unruly person did not know the rules.

Huan Yin naturally could not kneel. He could kneel to heaven and earth, to his parents and teachers in his life, but he could never kneel to anyone else.

"You bold unruly person, you still don't kneel when you see the emperor!" Wei Bujue's father, the Fifth Prince, shouted at Huan Yin.

Huan Yin glanced at him, then looked away and stared directly at the emperor on the first seat.

The emperor was not angry, but asked: "What is your name? Why don't you kneel when you see me?"

Huan Yin bowed to the emperor and said: "I am Huan Yin. I don't want to kneel, so I won't kneel."

"Don't want to?" The Fifth Prince said sharply as if he had heard a big joke.

The emperor frowned and said, "Fifth brother, I will talk to him."

When the Fifth Prince heard what the emperor said, he squinted his eyes and bowed to the emperor: "My brother has the final say." His attitude was extremely eccentric and somewhat contemptuous.

The emperor didn't care, and turned to Huan Yin and asked, "Why don't you want to kneel to me?"

Huan Yin asked back, "Your Majesty, why do people have to kneel when they see an official, and why do people have to kneel when they see the emperor?"

The emperor replied, "This is a ritual that has been passed down for thousands of years. Everyone follows it. What's the reason?"

Huan Yin smiled and said, "I don't think so."

The emperor had never thought that someone would speak like this in front of him, but he was a little interested and asked, "Huan Yin, what do you think?"

Huan Yin replied, "Before answering this question, I would like to ask the emperor another question, that is, where did you get the throne from?"

"How dare you, where did the rioters come from, to dare to talk to the emperor like this!" This time, it was not the Fifth Prince who scolded Huan Yin, but an old minister with white hair and beard.

The emperor waved his hand: "I am the emperor by inheritance. It has been more than three thousand years since Taizu, and it has never changed."

Huan Yin shook his head: "Your Majesty is wrong to say that."

The emperor asked: "What's wrong?"

Huan Yin replied: "Three thousand years ago, Qingzhou had no emperor, the order was chaotic, and the name was not worth living. So, Taizu rose from the people, overcame thousands of difficulties and obstacles, and achieved great things. He governed Qingzhou in an orderly manner, and the people were rich and the state was strong. Therefore, Taizu was respected and admired by the people, and he took advantage of the situation to get the throne. This is called pacifying the world with virtue."

The emperor nodded: "That makes sense. My throne comes from the people, so I should also benefit the people. I was wrong."

Huan Yin had a good impression of the emperor in his heart, and continued: "So, the people kneel when they see the emperor, because the emperor benefits the world and benefits the people. This kneeling is from the heart to show sincere respect. If you are intimidated by the power As for kneeling, it is because the imperial court has many soldiers and generals, and they dare not not kneel because of the military suppression. Kneeling like that would probably be..."

The emperor said: "So what you mean is that my virtue is not enough to benefit the world?"

Huan Yin smiled and said: "Your Majesty's question is also related to the matter of the two young princes today. I have three reasons not to kneel. After saying these three reasons, if I am wrong, I will kneel before the emperor and ask the emperor to kill me. If I am right, I will not kneel today, and I am afraid that the matter of the two young princes can be judged. "

The emperor laughed and felt that Huan Yin was a strange man. He said: "Okay, you tell me, which three reasons?"

Huan Yin replied: "The first reason is that the emperor summoned me today, presumably because of the matter between the two young princes. But what does their matter have to do with me, why do you want me to come?"

The emperor said to the people below: "No, you tell me."

Wei Bujue kowtowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, can my nephew confront Huan Yin for a few words?"

The emperor nodded, and Wei Bujue turned to Huan Yin and asked, "Did Wei Qianlong kill one of my servants that day?"

Huan Yin nodded: "Yes, that's what I saw with my own eyes."

Wei Bujue asked again: "Okay! That's refreshing. Did you give him the murderous sword?"

Huan Yin nodded again: "Yes, I gave it to him with my own hands."

Wei Bujue laughed loudly: "You took the murder weapon, and you still ask why you are asked to come. What a joke!"

Huan Yin also laughed and asked: "What is the sword used for?"

Wei Bujue thought Huan Yin was stupid and said: "The sword is a sharp weapon, so it should be used against the enemy!"

Huan Yin said: "Then do the guards in your mansion have swords?"

Wei Bujue replied: "Of course there is, otherwise why would he be called a guard?"

Huan Yin laughed: "I think many of the guards in the young prince's palace have killed people. Then why don't you arrest the owner of the shop that sold you the sword? He was the one who provided the murder weapon."

As soon as these words came out, all the ministers laughed softly, and even the third prince and Wei Qianlong also laughed.

Wei Bujue suppressed his blush, and the fifth prince's face turned blue and white, but he never said anything.

At the end, Huan Yin bowed to the emperor and said: "This is the first principle of the common people. This matter has nothing to do with the common people. The common people should not come, so why should people who don't come kneel down?"

The emperor nodded: "Okay, the first reason is right, you can talk about the second reason."

Huan Yin said: "This second reason, I want to say for the young prince Wei Qianlong. I think today the young prince Wei Bujue sued the young prince Wei Qianlong to the imperial court because he killed his own servant, right?"

Wei Bujue thought to himself that Wei Qianlong's murder was seen by everyone. Seeing what other tricks you could come up with, he replied confidently: "Of course, yes, murder must be paid for life. Qingzhou is a just land. Princes who break the law are guilty of the same crime as the common people." , Treat everyone equally. If Wei Qianlong kills my servant, he should pay with his life!"

Huan Yin asked with a smile: "Then young prince Wei Bujue, why did young prince Qianlong want to kill your servant?"

Wei Bujue was angry: "He colludes with bandits, robbing homes and homes is a common thing, and killing is also part of his nature!"

Wei Qianlong was angry: "You're talking nonsense. If you and your servants hadn't fought hard that day and severely injured me, how could I have fought to the death to defend myself? If Brother Huan hadn't given me the sword that day, I would have died from the swords of those slaves of yours." Down!"

Wei Bujue argued: "Killing is killing. What is self-defense? Can killing be killed in self-defense?"

Huan Yin laughed and said, "Young prince Wei Bujue, if I swing my sword at you now, would you kill me with a pinch of your neck?"

Wei Bujue's face was startled, he uttered the word "I" in his mouth and said no more words.

Huan Yin came again: "Young Prince Wei Bujue, according to what you said, if an assassin comes in the palace and the emperor's life is in danger, he can't be escorted by guards, right? Because the escort will kill and injure others, right? Who dares to come to the palace to be a guard when the time comes when I have to sacrifice my life for an assassin?"

When Huan Yin finished speaking, he shouted loudly, making Wei Bujue sit down on the ground in fright.

After a long while, Wei Bujue whispered again: "You...you said Wei Qianlong acted in self-defense, are there any witnesses? There was no one else on the street except you that day. Don't tell me that you want to testify yourself!"

Huan Yin laughed: "On that day when the two young princes fought hard, the neighbors naturally hid in their houses and did not dare to come out. But you must also know whether the neighbors have seen the truth. If you insist on not admitting it, , then summon some of the neighbors from Luliu Alley and we’ll find out.”

This time, Wei Bujue didn't speak for a long time, so everyone could understand the truth at a glance. Huan Yin bowed to the emperor and said: "Your Majesty, this is the second reason for the common people. The young prince Qianlong acted in self-defense, while the young prince Wei Bujue made a false accusation. I am afraid that such a false accusation against the imperial court has never happened before. Yes, Xiaomin also opened his eyes today, so Xiaomin will not kneel down!”