The Four Great Cases of Wu Zetian

Chapter 53

Use non-punishment to respect Zong's conduct and poison to pass on the loyalty of the imperial edict
But Liu Weizhi heard what Xu Jingzong said, and scolded loudly: "You treacherous minister who deceives the emperor and possesses thieves, how dare you torture someone! The first emperor was in Japan, and he was deceived by you, so that he deposed the king and queen. Now the prince is away. , Shengshang is old, he doesn't think the world is important, he dares to attach himself to the military party and insult the minister. I, Weizhi, have never been dismissed according to the order, how dare you use punishment without authorization!" Xu Jingzong immediately said angrily after hearing this: "How do you You have not been reprimanded, but because you are a minister in the same palace as you, I will show you a little face. In this case, please come out with the imperial decree so that you can understand." At that time, he got up and went inside, and he held out an imperial decree and said: "Liu Weizhi Forming a party and conspiring, the case is serious, although it has been handed over to Xu Jingzong for interrogation, I am afraid that he will resist the official and deny the confession, so the original official will be dismissed. If he does not confess, he will be interrogated severely." Liu Weizhi heard him finish reading, even more Cursed more than.Xu Jingzong said angrily: "Are you going to confess or not? Now that you have been dismissed at this time, you are no different from ordinary people. The imperial order is not a punishment, and you are all in the hall."

Liu Weizhi said: "A treacherous minister who harmed the country! I, Liu, am not a person who wants to be greedy for life. Although life and death today are unpredictable, if you want to punish me, I will flatter you in the palace for the dog heads like you, and endure the name of conspiracy. Cooking, there is not even a word! This scholar is loyal and courageous, and the whole country knows that you have ruined the Tang family and mountains and rivers in the hands of others. Once the head is in a different place and the evil is full, what will it look like to see the emperor in the ground?" Xu Jingzong scolded him speechlessly. He couldn't help but turned into anger, and shouted: "This department is ordered to accept the trial. If you want to escape this matter, you don't know my method. Take the punishment quickly." Both sides agreed in unison, and put a brazier on the hall long ago. The red light was high and the flames were burning. One person took an iron pot and put it on the fire.Jingzong said: "Liu Weizhi, you know that this instrument of torture is unusual. If you can admit your confession, you will avoid the current suffering. Look inside, it is refined by tin, and when it touches your body, it will bubble up in an instant." Liu Weizhi replied. He also scolded: "I am not afraid of death, so I am afraid of this lynching! But if you abuse Zhongliang, you must protect the Wu family to seek power, so that you can protect the leader. One day the new king will succeed, I am afraid that you, a lonely group of dogs, will The Ming Dynasty canonized the punishment, sawing the knives and cooking the cauldron, so that the stench would not last forever." Seeing that he was still unyielding, Xu Jingzong hurriedly ordered everyone to execute the punishment.Long ago, a group of people, like wolves and tigers, tore off Liu Weizhi's robe, tied his hands behind his back, and one of them took a small iron spoon, took a spoonful of hot tin from the iron pot, and put it on Liu Weizhi first. Fall on your shoulders.He yelled loudly, and the hot tin flowed straight to the front of the valley road from top to bottom, but a puff of green smoke was seen flying up.In front of the public case, he took another look at Weizhi's body, the skin and flesh along the road were extremely scorched, dripping with blood, and the slurry was oozing out, Liu Weizhi had already passed out from the burn.

Xu Jingzong could see clearly from above, and said with a smile to him: "You usually agree with Lao Di, you see me and others like a thorn in your face, a thorn in your eye, today I will let you know my interests." On the charcoal, he helped Liu Weizhi up. After being tired by the smoke of the sour vinegar, he still yelled and came back to life.Seeing Xu Jingzong sitting in the hall with a sneer and saying nothing, Weizhi couldn't help getting angry in his dantian, and shouted: "I, Liu, was innocent and framed for this traitorous animal. The queen of heaven, show my loyalty! Empress Wu is filthy and messy in the erotic palace, and the revolution is coming to the court , usurping the Great Ruler, you are shameless, flattering women, causing the Wu Clan members to take control. I don’t want to survive, and I will fight to the death with you, so that I can see the late emperor in the ground.” Said He threw the crowd away, stepped forward bravely, and rushed to beat Xu Jingzong.Although Xu Jingzong was a scribe, he had a lot of strength in his arms. He was afraid of being killed by him, so he got up and walked back.

Unexpectedly, Liu Weizhi fought desperately, he had already snatched the inkstone on the top of the courtroom, and hit Xu Jingzong on the head. , There was a hole immediately, and the blood flow continued.All the servants in the hall, seeing that the official was injured by the imperial criminals, did not ask whether Weizhi was a good person or a bad person, so they took a big pot and poured it on Weizhi.Weizhi just wanted to grab Xu Jingzong and get entangled with him, he was caught off guard, his whole body was covered with hot tin, the pain went to the marrow of his bones, his feet were on the ground, he jumped wildly, his fleshy body was like being put in a frying pan, At that time, it was bloody and exposed, and it was extremely difficult to find a good piece of meat.I saw him yelling repeatedly and fell to the ground.

Xu Jingzong saw that he fell to the ground upside down, although he was injured, he couldn't control him anymore, so he ordered Weizhi to be carried inside, and he tied up the silk himself.He ordered people to go to Wu Sansi's mansion first to inquire about whether Sansi was at home or not, and then he made a false confession in the study to make it clear.

The family member who inquired has written back and forth, saying that Wu Sansi is at the mansion, waiting for information from here.After hearing this, Xu Jingzong took a sedan chair to Wu Sansi's mansion, went straight to the study and sat down.

At this time, Wu Sansi was discussing with Wu Chengsi, and wanted to use this as an excuse, so he framed Di Renjie. Hearing that Xu Jingzong came, the two brothers went to the study together.Suddenly seeing Xu Jingzong's face was injured, he said with a smile: "Old Xu liked it so much today, he didn't even pay attention to the way he walked, and his forehead was cut. How can he break his head when he is promoted to prime minister?"

Xu Jingzong said: "He has suffered so much for Liu Wei's matter, and you still make fun of it. You know that this matter needs to be made known to Di. Although Liu Weizhi has been punished, he is not far from death. Don't take advantage of this time. Discuss a good plan, and put Liu Weizhi to death quickly, otherwise, the subsequent disaster will be even more serious. Therefore, I came here to consider, one of you must enter the palace here, and an imperial decree must be issued to finish Liu Wei's affairs. Tomorrow morning, Di Renjie knew that his head was already in a different place at that time, so he had nothing to do." Hearing this, Wu Sansi said, "Sure enough, it's a good plan, and Chengsi should still go forward with this matter." At that time, Xu Jingzong made up a fake for.Take it and put it by your side, then enter the palace in casual clothes.

Empress Wu was troubled by various things for several days, and she was not satisfied, so she had to drink with Zhang Changzong for pleasure. When she heard the little eunuch Qi Zou say that Wu Chengsi had come to play something, she called him in and asked, "What do you want to play late at night?" Cheng Sidao: "Because of the early court, the Holy Admiral Liu Weizhi and others were handed over to the Ministry of Criminal Justice for interrogation. Although he knew that Weizhi was really treasonous and illegal, he tortured him for Jingzong and made this confession. Knowing that the crime cannot be released, how dare he use force in the courtroom?" , injured Xu Jingzong's head, so Jingzong could not go to court, so I invite the ministers to enter the palace to play. Please execute it arbitrarily, pass on the secret decree, and bring him to justice. Otherwise, Di Renjie will find out, and it will inevitably lead to great changes." Wu Zetian listened After saying this, he couldn't help saying angrily: "Di Renjie was promoted to governor by himself. Because he is an old minister of the former emperor, he has an upright temperament and is tolerant of everything, but he doesn't know how to repay him and forms a clique. It is not expected." Immediately passed the decree: " Put Liu Weizhi to death at the Ministry of Punishments first, and the rest of the party will review it tomorrow morning." After Wu Chengsi heard this, he left the palace immediately and flew to the Ministry of Punishments.Xu Jingzong had already returned to the yamen early, and was waiting for the letter in the lobby. Seeing Wu Chengsi coming in a hurry, he received the decree by word of mouth. Xu Jingzong immediately set up an incense case and ordered Liu Weizhi to be brought up. Hearing Xu Jingzong proclaiming the imperial decree, he couldn't help opening his eyes wide, and scolded loudly: "You wait for these bastards who are wronged by the country to falsely accuse the court and harm my bachelor. Next, I'll wait for you to confront me!" After yelling, Xu Jingzong still didn't say a word, but ordered someone to take a white silk and hand it to Weizhi.Weizhi took it in his hand and hanged himself to death.Wu Chengsi sent a letter to his family, saying that he had conspired against the law, and he was sentenced to death in prison.The dead body should have been exposed to the public, but the Lord gave grace and ordered the family to collect the dead body.In an instant, Wei's family got this letter, and they cried bitterly at Tao, so that they could sort it out and report it.

Let's say that Di Lianggong was reading books in the street, when he suddenly saw Ma Rong rushing in and said: "It's not good, the villain just went out to watch the night, and I heard that Lord Liu was lynched and tortured for the Ministry of punishment, pouring hot tin on his whole body to force a confession. He ordered Wu Chengsi to report to the Empress Wu that Master Liu had been bestowed with death, and now he has reported to his family to collect the body. As a result, I don't know what to do with Su Anheng and others." Hearing this, Duke Di couldn't help crying loudly: "Xueshi Liu, your heart is in the imperial court, and you have been tortured. This is also the Tang dynasty, and it should be destroyed. In short, Di will be in the court one day, and you will be relieved of this innocent disaster." In the lobby at that time, I heard The third watch has been handed in, and he doesn't go to rest. He stays in the study, clears up all the official affairs, puts on his court clothes, and goes to the court.

But he said that Wu Chengsi saw Liu Weizhi was dead in the Ministry of Punishment. He was very unhappy and said to Xu Jingzong: "This fellow claims to be a loyal minister. He usually doesn't pay attention to you and me. He wants to ask Empress Wu to abdicate because of selfish desires. Yesterday Jin The only one in the palace who dares to say so strongly is that he is seeking his own death! But although he has been eliminated, only Lao Di is in the court, which is very inappropriate. Tomorrow morning, Yuan Xingchong and others can be played like this to the Son of Heaven. Shi Yi died at the same time, and then manipulated Lao Di. Exterminate this dry person, and then abolish the King of Luling to death. This whole country will be in my hands. If you can help me, you can help me to found the country. Yuan Xun, he will not lose his position as Duke." Xu Jingzong was a very unbearable villain, and when he saw his selfish delusion, he attached himself, and made Wu Chengsi very happy, as if he had done it himself. Emperor in general.After handing over to the fourth watch, I heard Liu Weizhi's wife and others in the lobby, crying and cursing for a while, saying that it was Xu and Wu who killed Zhongliang and would be full of evil one day. Fight for food for birds and beasts.Although Xu Jingzong heard it like he was deaf, he couldn't stop laughing.Unknowingly, the two took off their official uniforms and were overjoyed until the fifth watch, when they came out of the yamen and went to the court.When they arrived at the court room, they saw that all the civil and military officials had gathered. When many people saw him coming in, they all stood up and went out to greet him. They asked in unison, "Master Xu has accepted the case. He has heard that it has been heard, and he is ordered to die. If someone who is not an adult How can it be so fast!"

Xu Jingzong didn't see Di Gong sitting there at that time, so he didn't know what happened next, let's see the breakdown in the next chapter.

(End of this chapter)