NOVGO.NET Chapter 604 - 306: Little Ungrateful
Chapter 604: Chapter 306: Little Ungrateful
The investigation into the assassination of Prince Chen was concluded swiftly. As Zhao Yao and He Lianfang had anticipated, the final result pointed to the rebels as the culprits, without implicating Southern Wei.
The Eighth Prince and his associates were meticulous in their actions, leaving no trace that could lead back to Southern Wei. Even if the Eighth Prince and his group had carelessly exposed any flaws pointing to Southern Wei, the Emperor would not publicly declare it to be the work of the Southern Wei people.
The term "Southern Wei" was a taboo not only in the previous dynasty but also in the Great Zhou. However, few officials and citizens of the Great Zhou were aware of Southern Wei’s existence, given that Southern Wei was exterminated in the previous dynasty, and their existence was nearly erased henceforth.
Currently, the only people aware of Southern Wei’s existence in court are the officials from noble lineages.
These noble families have a long history and are privy to many matters that have vanished or been lost, even possessing knowledge of some unknown secrets of the Royal Family.
Although the noble families knew about Southern Wei, they dared not mention it. Aside from being taboo, they also found it ominous.
Zhao Yao and He Lianfang’s investigations into matters concerning Southern Wei have only scratched the surface. They had not uncovered the true secrets of Southern Wei, which were more... astounding than they had imagined!
The Emperor’s silence on Southern Wei was not due to disdain for its ominousness, but for other reasons. Of course, the Emperor did not favor Southern Wei; indeed, he could be said to detest them.
Even knowing that the mastermind behind the assassination of Prince Chen was Southern Wei people, the Emperor would feign ignorance. He fulfilled the Southern Wei people’s wish by placing the blame on the rebels.
It cannot be said that the assassination of Prince Chen had nothing to do with the rebels. The assassins were indeed rebels, and specifically subordinates of the infamously notorious Jiao Shan.
During the previous dynasty, Jiao Shan was a notorious rebel. He roamed around under the guise of rebellion, plundering and burning. His methods were exceedingly brutal; whenever he arrived at a place, he would slaughter all its inhabitants, not sparing even the infants in swaddling clothes. During times of famine in the previous dynasty, he even raised "human vegetables."
Before the Emperor eliminated him, his power in the Hebei region was vast, and he declared himself emperor, naming his nation after his own surname, "Jiao."
Back then, many rebels rallied to Jiao Shan. He accepted all kinds of people, who became as ruthless under his command.
The Emperor, leading the Four Great Generals, including Shen Hu, went to eradicate Jiao Shan and his followers. Naturally, Jiao Shan’s group could not rival the Emperor’s forces and was quickly wiped out. However, some of his subordinates managed to escape.
Over the years, the Great Zhou had cleared away many rebels large and small, but some remnants remained, becoming either mountain bandits or horse bandits.
The mountain bandits who assassinated Prince Chen were a small group of rebels who escaped from Hebei back then. They had hidden in the mountains all these years, occasionally emerging to rob.
The Southern Wei people, aware of their existence, collaborated with them to assassinate Prince Chen.
They already harbored hatred for the Great Zhou, so when they learned of the assassination target being a prince of the Great Zhou, they were more than willing.
Of course, after assassinating Prince Chen, they were all killed, leaving no survivors, and even the corpses disappeared. The emperor’s search parties failed to locate these rebels.
Many courtiers were skeptical that the rebels were behind Prince Chen’s death, suspecting another assassin, but to their surprise, the investigation also concluded with the rebels.
The Emperor decreed that the Imperial Court of Judicial Review investigate; they could not fabricate the results. Besides, even with all the courage in the world, they would not dare to conceal the truth.
Initially shocked and unable to believe that the truth was indeed as presented, the courtiers found reassurance. If the truth they suspected hinted at a conspiracy, they would have been on edge. Now, knowing that the mastermind behind Prince Chen’s assassination was truly the rebels and not someone within the court, they felt relieved. Especially Prince Chu and his followers.
The court, previously subdued by Prince Chen’s death, returned to normalcy. The officials’ attention once again focused on Prince Chu’s mission to reclaim Shu.
After the truth behind Prince Chen’s assassination was uncovered, he was buried. As he had been a king in life, no posthumous title could further elevate him, so he was interred with the honors of a king’s funeral.