The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 348 Evidence of crime

[It was at this moment that Qi Yongji began to show some of the violent side he would later exhibit.]

However, he's already showing off his abilities before even having real power; what kind of scheme is he plotting now?

Mu Zhuo looked dazed.

He had been in the Brown Kingdom's court for a long time and was the only one there who had truly interacted with the deceased minister; therefore, this scene was the most impactful for him.

Duan Yunfeng noticed his unusual behavior and patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

Mu Zhuo was somewhat moved.

Duan Yunfeng, who usually seems so aloof, actually went out of his way to comfort him.

"Thank you, I'm fine, I just feel a little sad for my kind."

Duan Yunfeng explained, "I'm not trying to comfort you, I'm congratulating you on escaping from a godforsaken place like Brown Country."

Mu Zhuo:......

Okay, that makes sense.

The Third Prince asked doubtfully, "The Brown Kingdom only has a few loyal ministers. If Qi Yongji is like this, isn't he just courting death?"

Zheng Jin looked over and said, "Qi Yongji doesn't care about that. The ministers he wants only need to listen to him and be capable. Whether they are loyal or not, he feels that he has the ability to prevent these people from rebelling. As long as they don't make things difficult for him, it doesn't matter who makes things difficult for him."

The so-called loyal ministers of the Third Prince were loyal to the emperor, but also to the people.

This is not a good thing for Emperor Qi Yongji.

“I know he’s not a good person, but doing this is just disheartening.”

Qi Yongji may not care about the common people, but he should care about his reputation and the hearts of the people; otherwise, he will not be able to hold his position.

It doesn't sound good to talk about how he treated a loyal and devoted minister.

The second prince shook his head: "Third brother, you are still too naive. He is the emperor, he has power. This matter will not be known outside the palace. The people will only know what the emperor wants them to hear."

The Eighth Prince retorted, "No, the people of Brown Kingdom are not of one mind. Someone will likely use this as an excuse to attack Qi Yongji..."

The Sixth Prince chuckled: "If someone really does that, it suits Qi Yongji's wishes perfectly."

They wanted to use Qi Yongji as a puppet, but little did they know that he was difficult to control.

Once he takes power, victory is only a matter of time, but Qi Yongji now seems to have lost the patience to slowly wear them down.

The atmosphere in the Brown Kingdom's main hall was stagnant, and the tension seemed to seep into the Fengqin Hall through the light curtain.

Qi Yongji cut a piece of clothing from the deceased's body.

Until he could clearly see his own eyes through the blade, filled with a hint of a smile.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the ministers below.

"Who else has objections?"

There was complete silence below.

Does anyone else have any objections?

The blood on the ground hasn't even dried yet, who dares to speak?

Although he appears crazy, Qi Yongji is actually quite calm now.

He wanted to act swiftly and decisively, eliminating these obstacles who were standing in his way. He was willing to pay any price to achieve his goal.

Aim high and aim for the middle; aim for the middle and aim for the low. If a moment of madness can gain you more influence, then you've made a killing.

Qi Yongji was very dissatisfied with the ministers' silence.

"You're usually so talkative, why are you suddenly silent? Are you just naturally quiet?"

His words must have struck a nerve with the ministers. They exchanged glances, and then all knelt down.

"Your Majesty, Lord Di is loyal and conscientious. Your Majesty's actions are disheartening!"

"Today it's Lord Di, but who will it be tomorrow? I have devoted myself to the country for decades, and now I see my colleague meet such an end. Alas!"

Seemingly in an attempt to stop Qi Yongji from going mad, the ministers spoke one after another, their words pouring out like beans.

Qi Yongji rested his chin on his hand, quietly watching them try to stop and threaten him.

After the denunciations subsided, he said in a low voice, "So, you all are determined to oppose me?"

Wu Qing, who had just led the opposition against him, rolled his eyes, lowered his head, remained silent, and quietly distanced himself from the others who were jumping around.

There's nothing else to it, he just felt that Qi Yongji wasn't a fool.

Qi Yongji raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.

Wu Qing avoided his gaze, lowered her head, and pretended to be a motionless turtle.

Compared to his predecessor, Wu Qing was clearly more cautious and knew better how to protect himself.

There aren't many people as perceptive as him.

Qi Yongji's deep gaze swept over those who took this opportunity to suppress him: "You all misunderstand me too much. Your actions make it seem as if you regard me as a ruthless tyrant who kills without blinking an eye."

Brown Kingdom ministers: ...

Isn't he?

Qi Yongji sighed sadly: "I thought you ministers understood me. You only said that I was heartless and ruthless, and that I killed innocent people indiscriminately, but you do not know that I never kill innocent people with my sword."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zheng Xun couldn't help but burst out laughing.

However, there was more sarcasm than joy in her laughter.

Many people share the same feelings as her.

At this moment, the ministers of both Dayong and Heguo surprisingly reached a consensus, all feeling that Qi Yongji was talking complete nonsense.

Qi Yongji ignored the reactions of others and continued speaking to himself: "Mo Cheng."

Mo Cheng stepped forward respectfully, carrying a wooden box.

"Let my beloved ministers take a good look at what these are."

Mo Sheng distributed the contents of the box.

The ministers who had just criticized Qi Yongji looked at each other in bewilderment after reading what they had in their hands.

What are these things?

This is precisely the evidence of the crimes committed by the deceased Lord Di.

However, the ministers felt no remorse for wrongly accusing Qi Yongji; they only found it absurd.

Although the evidence looked convincing and they couldn't find any flaws for the time being, after so many years in the court, how could they not know the stubborn nature of Lord Di?

This evidence is not for conviction, but only to silence them.

Qi Yongji was betting that they wouldn't waste their time proving the innocence of a dead man.

He bet they would play it safe.

The silence grew longer and longer, but the curve of Qi Yongji's lips remained unchanged, though it was clear to everyone that he had the victory in his grasp.

Zong Haochu looked conflicted, and finally couldn't help but open his mouth.

But Cai Xin tugged at him and shook his head slightly.

Zheng Xun listlessly stroked the patterns on the cuffs.

Everyone knows that protruding rafters are prone to rotting, and nobody wants to test whether Qi Yongji has any other preparations.

However, if we cannot unite now and make Qi Yongji suffer a silent loss, it will be difficult to confront him later.

[If you retreat one step, you'll retreat every step; Qi Yongji's power will only grow stronger in the future.]

The Brown Kingdom is not without intelligent people, but they are like a pile of loose sand. They could have exerted their full power, but due to mutual checks and balances, they are reduced to only a third of their former strength.

Those who are pragmatic will defect, those who fight amongst themselves will both suffer, and the stubborn will be eliminated...

Zheng Xun could foresee the future developments without much thought. Qi Yongji's situation seemed difficult, but winning over these people was only a matter of time.

Even with their best efforts to stop it, it seems to have little effect.

Although there was a slight delay, the development in the Brown Country gradually returned to its original trajectory.