In the Supreme Court, Shisun Rui was drinking tea with Wang Yun.

Both of them are old, so under Wang Jing's advice, they have begun to learn to quit drinking and drink tea instead to maintain their health.

A tea room was even built in the mansion for this purpose.

In the tea room, the fragrance of tea fills the air, and the air is filled with refreshing scent.

"Brother Zi, this incident has caused quite a stir. Many people have come to the Court of Justice to plead with me. What do you think I should do?"

Shisun Rui had a distressed expression on his face. He, as the Chief Justice, was just a decoration.

Although he has a lot of people under his command, these people are obedient to the General Wei's Mansion and listen to Wang Jing more than to him. If he dares to disagree with Wang Jing, then he, the Chief Justice, will be just a decoration.

What's more, most of the key departments in the Supreme Court were also controlled by the secret guards.

If Shi Sunrui had not belonged to Wang Yun's political faction and had not had a deep personal relationship with Wang Yun, he would have been directly sidelined by Wang Jing's people.

Therefore, many people came to plead for Cui Lie, and Shisun Rui was having a headache. He couldn't just run to the streets and shout that he was just a show-off, right?

I’m old, I can’t afford to lose face like this!

Shisun Rui was very anxious, but Wang Yun was holding a teacup, sitting calmly on the sofa, enjoying the fragrance and sweetness of the tea.

Ever since Wang Jing killed Dong Zhuo, promoted the young emperor Liu Xie to a high position, and governed Luoyang in an orderly manner, Wang Yun became more open-minded.

It is true that he is upright and incorruptible, but he is not someone who cannot distinguish between good and evil. As long as the people can live and work in peace, what else can he ask for?

As long as Wang Jing did not rebel or usurp the throne during his lifetime and did not destroy his ultimate ideal of life as a loyal minister of the Yan Han Dynasty, Wang Yun would feel that he had not raised this son in vain.

What's more, now the two major branches of the Taiyuan Wang family, the Qixian Wang family and the Jinyang Wang family, have been tied to Wang Jing's chariot. Only the Langya Wang family is still hesitant. Even though Wang Yun is the head of the family, the weight of his words may not be as heavy as Wang Jing's opinion. What else can he do?

"Brother Zi, please say something."

"Jun Rong, what do you want me to say?"

Wang Yun spread his hands, indicating that he was powerless: "You know Yuan Xu's character. Once he makes a decision, even as a father, I am afraid I can't make him change his mind."

"So we're just going to let him go on like this?"

Shi Sunrui was very worried. The implementation of the patent protection law made him unsure of the impact it would have.

In Shisun Rui's opinion, the current Luoyang is a peaceful and prosperous place with the people living and working in peace and contentment. That's pretty good. Why should there be so many problems?
Isn't it nice to live a good life?
At Sikong Mansion, under the pretext of returning home, Wang Jing privately found Wang Yun to discuss things in secret.

Wang Yun looked at Wang Jing helplessly: "You, you just won't settle down. I've got the list for you. I hope you know what to do with it."

After he finished speaking, Wang Yun tapped his back and said, "Alas, I am old and have to work hard for you."

Wang Jing smiled and stepped forward to give Wang Yun a back massage. After all, they were blood father and son, and it was only natural for him to respect his father. "Father, you have been working hard recently. If it weren't for you, who would have been able to get so much information from the court?"

Wang Yun's beard twitched, and he glanced at Wang Jing: "Your laughter sounds very treacherous, what evil plan are you thinking?"

Wang Yun had both love and hate for his son Wang Jing, who had a strong opinion of his own.

In terms of talent and character, Wang Jing's performance left him speechless. After all, he was in a high position but did not do evil, and he always thought about the people. Even Wang Yun himself could not do this to the same extent as Wang Jing.

But Wang Jing did it, and did it very well.

Under his governance, Luoyang not only did not decline with the coming of troubled times, but instead became full of vitality and prospered.

A large number of refugees came here. If it had been during the Yellow Turban Rebellion a few years ago, these refugees would either starve to death or rebel and be killed by soldiers. In any case, there would be no way they could survive.

But now?

Workers are being recruited everywhere in Luoyang. As long as you are hardworking and diligent, you don't have to worry about starving to death.

All this is thanks to Wang Jing, and it is also the new changes that Wang Jing has brought to this ancient imperial capital.

Therefore, Wang Yun was able to tolerate Wang Jing's various unorthodox behaviors many times. After all, everything Wang Jing did was beneficial to the court, the Wang family, and the people.

As for other damaged aristocratic families and powerful clans, what does it have to do with me, Wang Yun?
However, this time, Wang Jing wanted to take the opportunity to deal with Cui Lie and the entire Cui family to make an example of them. However, Wang Yun was worried that Wang Jing might go too far, so he reminded him, "Yuan Xu, don't blame me for being too talkative. The Cui family made mistakes, but you should understand the principle of "too much is as bad as too little", right?"

"Father, you can rest assured. Jing knows the severity of the crime and will not go to extremes and impose heavy punishments on minor crimes."

Wang Jing could hear Wang Yun's concern, but he didn't mind his nagging.

"It's good that you understand this. I am old now and can no longer protect you from the wind and rain. So I just hope that when you step forward, you will walk steadily and don't be careless and fall."

Seeing that Wang Jing did have a comprehensive plan, Wang Yun was too lazy to get involved. The current situation was no longer under his control. As a father, he could only wait and watch.

After all, he had also read the five-year development plan that Wang Jing and Jia Xu had worked out before, although he felt that the things in it were weird and the numbers were outrageous.

But Wang Yun remained calm and did not question it. Instead, he planned to sit down and wait and see what the result would be. This would avoid being slapped in the face by Wang Jing again.

He is already so old, especially in front of his son. As the great Wang Sikong, doesn't he have any dignity?

After Wang Jing got the list, he sat in Sikong Mansion for a while and chatted with Wang Yun about some topics before returning home with Diao Chan.

In the General Wei's mansion, Guo Jia had been waiting there for a long time. When he saw Wang Jing's expression when he returned, he smiled and said, "Congratulations, my lord. You have returned with a great harvest."

"You have a sharp eye."

Wang Jing also showed a happy expression, and then read out a bunch of names: "I did get the list, Taichang Zhongfu, Taifu Lu Xu, Dahonglu Zhou Huan, Yueqi Xiaowei Wang Qi..."

Everyone inside has a very important status.

After Ma Riti resigned, Zhong Fu took advantage of the situation and, taking advantage of the opportunity of Wang Jing's deal with the Confucian school, took over the position and became one of the Nine Ministers.

After Zhu Jun was dismissed for his crimes, Lu Xu became the Minister of the Imperial Household, a prominent position.

Behind these people are the truly influential families and wealthy families in Luoyang City, each of whom has an extraordinary background and a great reputation.

After listening to this, Guo Jia praised softly: "This Cui Weikao is really capable. He has gathered a lot of people in secret. If the court judge had not been involved this time, he might not have been forced to use all his tricks and reveal his trump card."

Wang Jing couldn't help laughing, and it was clear that everything was under control: "Cui Lie probably wouldn't have thought in his dreams that we made such a big scene just to scare him and to build publicity, right?"

If patent protection laws are to be implemented, they naturally need to establish sufficient authority and make people in awe. Only then can the idea of ​​protecting patents be deeply ingrained in everyone's mind.

To put it bluntly, this is a political show.

So the so-called killing the chicken to scare the monkey does not necessarily mean killing the chicken. In fact, as long as the purpose can be achieved, it is enough.

However, Cui Lie is now in the middle of the game, so he is naturally not so calm.

After all, in previous political struggles, the losers often ended up dead.

How did Empress Dowager Dong die?

How did Ding Yuan die after Dong Zhuo entered the capital? How did He Miao die?

Cui Lie’s purpose in opposing Wang Jing so clearly before was to build up momentum for himself, but Luoyang was no longer the Luoyang that Cui Lie was familiar with, so after making a fuss for a while, he realized that he was doomed to fail.

Now he is afraid that Wang Jing will use the Cui family case as an excuse to get him killed.

So, Cui Lie was left with no choice but to go find his original accomplice and make a big deal out of it together, hoping that everyone would see him being taken into the office of the Chief Justice.

I can't just die for no reason in front of everyone, right?

This is Cui Lie’s plan and also his goal.

However, Guo Jia took advantage of this and lured the snake out of its hole, exposing a force hidden under the water to the sun. After Cui Lie entered the court, he was placed under house arrest.

Apart from the lack of freedom, life here is pretty good. At least Wang Jing didn't deliberately abuse him, such as by torturing him.

Cui Lie, who had been in jail once, didn't want to suffer that punishment again.

Cui Lie was looking worried, hoping that he would not die in obscurity. When he was feeling uneasy, Ye Ying suddenly came to him and said, "Cui Lie, someone wants to see you."

Although Cui Lie was very angry that a small Tingwei Zuojian called him by his name, he was surprised by Ye Ying's words: "Who wants to see me?"

Ever since he entered the Supreme Court, he couldn't even see his own son. Zhong Fu, Lu Xu and others, who were nine ministers, were unable to visit him. Who had the ability to come in here to see him?

Full of doubts and puzzlement, Cui Lie followed Ye Ying out, and then saw Wang Jing and Guo Jia in a side hall: "It's you!"

"Master Cui, are you all right?"

Wang Jing smiled and sat there, with no intention of standing up to salute.

Even Guo Jia, who was beside Wang Jing, was drinking his wine and didn't take Cui Lie seriously at all.

The flickering firelight illuminated Cui Lie's gloomy face.

All the old and new grudges came to Cui Lie's mind at once. He glared at Wang Jing angrily, his tone even more piercing: "It turns out that you are the one behind all this!"

Wang Jing gently waved his folding fan, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, a smile that contained three parts of contempt and three parts of joy.

Wang Jing took out some wine and food and placed a full table in front of Cui Lie. "Please sit down and eat something, Master Cui. You look so bad. I guess the food in the court is not to your liking?"

"Why can't I eat? Don't you have any digital in mind?"

Cui Lie was so angry that he gnashed his teeth. His enemy was standing right in front of him, and was so arrogant and unscrupulous. How could he not hate him?

Seeing that Cui Lie didn't move his chopsticks or drink, Wang Jing took a few bites first, then smiled and said, "Don't be afraid. If I really want you to die, why would I go through so much trouble by poisoning you?"

Cui Lie then dared to start eating. He had been under house arrest here for the past few days, and had only simple meals to eat and drink, but he was feeling suffocated.

Now once I start eating, I feel like a starving ghost and can’t stop at all.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content and burping, Cui Lie continued to glare at Wang Jing: "Did you come here just to ridicule me today?"

Wang Jing laughed, his eyes indifferent, and only replied: "I guess so."

He didn't deny it!

Cui Lie was even more furious. The other party's personality was so bad that Cui Lie couldn't help but ask, "Marquis Qi, my Bo Ling Cui family and your Tai Yuan Wang family have no grudges in the past or present, why do you want to harm me like this?"

"Oh, Patriarch Cui is wrong."

Wang Jing sneered contemptuously: "In the past, Jiang Taigong used a straight hook to fish by the Wei River, and those who were willing to take the bait took the bait. But I gave everyone a choice that day, and you can decide for yourself whether to take the bait or not. Isn't the choice of Patriarch Cui completely voluntary? When did I force you?"

As soon as these words came out, Cui Lie was unable to refute them.

After all, Wang Jing was just selling furniture, and it was Cui Lie himself who could not resist the temptation of profit and chose to plagiarize and counterfeit. Now that he has been caught, he cannot blame anyone else.

But Cui Lie still refused to accept it. He stared at Wang Jing's smug and nagging expression, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "You compare yourself to Jiang Taigong. Who gave you the face? Jiang Taigong assisted King Wen and King Wu, fought against the unjust and punished the tyrants, devoted himself to the cause, was loyal and righteous, and established the Zhou Dynasty for 800 years. Do you think you are worthy of it?"

Wang Jing was not angry at all when being mocked for his "loyalty" because he was not a loyal minister.

"Master Cui, I cannot compare to Jiang Shang's loyalty. After all, he is a loyal minister, while I am a powerful minister. I will even become the emperor in the future."

Wang Jing spoke out his thoughts so lightly without hiding anything, which surprised Cui Lie.

"You! You! You! You really have no respect for your king or your father, and you are a traitor!"

Cui Lie stared at Wang Jing, and the finger he was pointing at was shaking constantly.

In this era when imperial power is supreme, no matter how much disdain and unwillingness the aristocratic families feel in their hearts, they are still full of awe for imperial power in their bones.

Because that position is supreme, it represents the absolute power to control the life and death of everyone in the world.

"Don't be so excited, Master Cui. Anger is harmful to your health."

Wang Jing's expression remained calm, as if what he had just said about wanting to be the emperor was just a joke. However, neither Guo Jia nor Cui Lie dared to take it as a joke.

In fact, many people could see that Wang Jing wanted to be the emperor.

But so what?
Even if they join forces, they will only be suppressed by the enemy. Therefore, instead of seeking death, it is better to try their best to maintain the current situation, delay it as much as possible, and muddle through the matter first.

Especially old officials like Yang Biao and Yuan Wei, they are old and don’t want to make any trouble. They just want to continue to be loyal officials of the Han Dynasty and leave their names in history during their lifetime.

As for what will happen in the future, they can’t control it, nor do they want to control it.

Anyway, everything is cyclical. Wasn’t the 800-year rule of the Zhou Dynasty ended by the Qin Dynasty?
Didn't the Qin Dynasty, which unified the world, fall in the second generation?

It has been four hundred years since the Han Dynasty came to power. What does the rise and fall of dynasties mean in the long river of history? At most, it is just a bigger wave.

How many loyal ministers are there in the world who are truly willing to follow till death and be buried with him?
Wang Jing never tried to hide what he did for fear of being known. Instead, he acted openly and domineeringly, crushing all the villains who stood in his way.

Cui Lie finally felt this kind of arrogance now, and his mouth was full of bitterness.

Back then, many people said how invincible Wang Jing was, but he refused to believe it.

It was only because he was imprisoned when Wang Jing was killing people everywhere and could not witness it with his own eyes, so he was so ignorant of the world and did so many things in secret.

However, how can this insignificant trick go against the overwhelming trend?

But Cui Lie still refused to accept it. Why? He was one of the three highest officials in the country, but he ended up in such a situation just because he offended a small military official.

He is not reconciled!
"Marquis Qi, you are so rebellious and rebellious. Aren't you afraid that I will spread the word for you after I get out? Or do you not intend to let me leave alive?"

Cui Lie was sure that Wang Jing would not dare to kill him now. He did not believe that Wang Jing would abandon the reputation he had worked so hard to build so easily. He even thought about forcing Wang Jing to kill him and let the Cui family go.

Wang Jing was amused by Cui Lie's words, and then his contemptuous eyes dropped: "Master Cui, why are you so anxious to die? I have never thought of taking your life, so just stay here peacefully. You have never been my target, because you are not qualified."

"What do you mean by this?"

Cui Lie was puzzled. He had previously thought that Wang Jing had set up this trap just to trick him and the entire Cui family.

But now Wang Jing said that he was not the target, and Cui Lie was completely confused.

Wang Jing, who was in a good mood, also patiently explained to Cui Lie: "When Shang Yang carried out reforms in Qin State, in order to make the new laws deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, he opened up the situation by moving a tree to establish trust. Today, I want to follow the example of the ancient sage, but this fifty gold is too much. I am unwilling to pay, so I have to use someone else as a sacrifice."

After saying that, Wang Jing's gaze focused on Cui Lie.

Cui Lie was almost irritated by his gaze and had a seizure: "You! You actually want to use me and the entire Cui family of Boling as sacrifices to implement the new law?"

His body was shaking like a sieve and his scalp was numb. It was really Wang Jing who did it. This was inhumane!

But Wang Jing said with a slightly disdainful tone: "In fact, I was expecting a more important sacrifice, such as the Runan Yuan family. But Master Yuan is much smarter than you, Master Cui, so I had no choice but to avoid the embarrassment and let Master Cui suffer a little."

Listen, do people say it?
Cui Lieren was almost driven crazy. His head was buzzing and he felt that this world was not worth it!

When leaving the court, Guo Jia couldn't help but ask curiously, "My lord, are you serious about challenging the supreme ruler?"

Becoming an emperor is no small matter, Guo Jia had to pay attention to this. (End of this chapter)