ATPnovel Chapter 71 You Don't Understand
Chapter 71 You Don't Understand
"Grand Tutor Liu, an old friend has arrived. Aren't you going to welcome him?"
Inside the prison, an elderly man in his sixties or seventies, accompanied by a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, respectfully led by a jailer, arrived at Liu Zhan's cell door.
Looking at Liu Zhan lying in the haystack in the cell, the old man's face showed indescribable satisfaction.
The once high and mighty Grand Tutor Liu is now just a prisoner about to be beheaded. How can this not be exhilarating?
"Oh dear, what's going on here!" After standing in front of the cell door for a while, the old man finally calmed down and turned to the jailer beside him.
"Grand Tutor Liu was once a high-ranking official of the court. How could you lock him in such a cell? It's one thing to have no tables and chairs, but how come there isn't even a bed? What kind of decorum is this!"
"This shouldn't be, it's so wrong!" Although he said he was indignant for Liu Zhanming, the old man's smile was almost distorted.
The prison guards around him hesitated for a long time, but didn't dare to move.
When the Grand Tutor was first imprisoned, his living conditions were much better than this.
But within two days, all the jailers, both openly and secretly, received instructions to use some methods against this former Grand Tutor.
These past few days, everyone's been kicking him while he's down. Those high-ranking officials and dignitaries are practically itching to rush in themselves and use torture devices like the tiger bench and chili water on him.
He was a renowned minister, yet few offered him help in times of need. When those dignitaries gave him instructions, they all seemed to be seething with resentment.
Especially recently, the imperial court ordered that this former Grand Tutor be beheaded, with no possibility of being reinstated.
Otherwise, even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to actually move their former high-ranking officials to this narrow, dark, and dilapidated prison.
Moreover, there are implications above that they should not be treated preferentially and should be treated the same as ordinary criminals.
Who's up there? It's just this old man in front of us. Who knows what this gentleman is thinking right now?
Judging from how heartily he was laughing, it didn't seem like they were really asking them to make changes.
Seeing that the jailers remained dumbfounded and at a loss, the middle-aged man beside them couldn't help but whisper, "What are you all standing there for? Bring a chair over for the Minister!"
"Yes, yes!" Reminded of this, the jailer immediately reacted, hurriedly moved a chair for the old man, and wiped him several times with his somewhat worn sleeve.
The old man sat down with a hint of disdain, saying with a slight complaint, "How come you only carry things for me and not for Lord Liu?"
"Grand Tutor Liu, look at these petty officials. They are really ignorant. I will definitely teach them proper manners in the future."
At this point, the middle-aged man next to him immediately understood and waved to the prison guards.
The group immediately understood and retreated from the cell to a distant location.
Make sure you can't hear a sound at all, no, make sure others think you can't hear a sound at all.
"There's no need for that, this place is just fine!" Sitting up from the haystack, Liu Zhan showed no anger whatsoever in the face of the old man's obvious mockery.
"Lord Feng, as the Minister of Justice, you are extremely busy with official duties and have countless responsibilities to attend to. How come you have time to come here?"
"Perhaps you'd like to stay in this cell and experience it for yourself?"
"This old man dares not stay here, nor can he stay here!" In response to Liu Zhan's words, the old man waved his hands repeatedly, but the next moment, the smile on his face obviously faded and he became much more serious.
"After all, how could I, an old man, be as arrogant as Grand Tutor Liu!"
"But Grand Tutor Liu, you're to be beheaded tomorrow, yet not a single person has come to see you. Don't you find that strange?"
Seeing that Liu Zhan remained silent, the old man spoke again, "Your former students and associates have either been demoted or have defected to us. Tsk tsk, you've held power for so many years, yet you've ended up like this. Are you content with this?"
"Is that all Lord Feng wanted to say?" Liu Zhan, who had just sat up, lay back down again, and even turned over so that his back was facing him.
"If Lord Feng came here just to say these things, then there's no need to say anything more; those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!"
"Grand Tutor Liu!" Seeing Liu Zhan's attitude, the old man's previously restrained smile returned, and he tried his best to appear amiable.
"We can get you in here, and we can get you out of here too. As long as you're willing to bow your head, you can sit back in that high and mighty position as Grand Tutor in the future."
"Heh, I don't need it!" Liu Zhan waved his hand behind him, completely unconcerned, and said, "Lord Feng, hurry up and leave, lest you delay my execution tomorrow."
"Bang!" The old man slammed his hand on the chair and shouted coldly, "Liu Zhan, I'm giving you a chance!"
"Give me a chance?" Liu Zhan glanced back at the other person, then turned his back again, continuing to face away from them.
"You're not trying to give me a chance, you're afraid. You're afraid that now it's me, and next it will be you!"
"Nonsense!" Seemingly hit where it hurt, the old man suddenly stood up and kicked over the chair he had been sitting on, scaring the people standing next to him into not daring to breathe.
"Liu Zhan, you were once so powerful and influential, wielding the power of life and death, but now you've become a prisoner!"
"Back then, you deliberately suppressed our aristocratic families, forcibly measured the land across the land, divided up our clan's land, and even wanted to implement some new policies."
"Those who oppose you will either be demoted or have evidence gathered against them and sent to the guillotine."
"Especially your insistence on investigating the salt tax, forcibly imposing mining taxes, and confiscating the land of many powerful clans. Every single one of these actions is like stabbing us in the back, drawing blood with every blow."
"You probably don't even remember how many people have died because of this over the years, do you?"
"But we remember, we all remember!" His bloodshot eyes stared at the figure he had hated for over a decade. If possible, he really wanted to go up and tear the old man to pieces.
But now he has to endure it. As Liu Zhan said, the knife is currently at someone else's throat, but tomorrow it might be at theirs.
The new emperor is far more ruthless than the previous one!
If we don't help ourselves and stick together, we might end up being eaten up without even a scrap.
"Liu Zhan, you're going to die tomorrow, but we can save your life!"
"As long as you're willing to back down, as long as you can personally overturn your new policies, we can discuss anything!"
"Lord Feng!" Turning back to glance at the other person, Liu Zhan's gaze held a complex mix of emotions, seemingly both mockery and pity.
"Go back, this prison isn't for you!"
"Grand Tutor Liu!" The old man couldn't help but take two steps forward and said in a low voice, "I know the late emperor treated you well. He not only helped you repay the favor but also strongly supported you in leading the new policies and even trusted you to hold absolute power. But things are different now!"
"When the late emperor first ascended the throne a few years ago, he treated you with utmost respect. But look at you now, you've been thrown into a death row!"
"The new emperor initially trusted you because he wanted you to clear all obstacles for him, and you did a very good job. But once power was consolidated, your position as Grand Tutor became useless."
"Besides, you, as Grand Tutor, have held power for too long and your prestige is too high. Tell me, shouldn't you be eliminated?"
"When the new emperor first ascended the throne, you should have been wise to protect yourself, but instead of retreating gracefully, you acted even more ruthlessly."
"Over the years, in order to implement your new policies, how many people have you killed and how many people have you offended? Have you ever counted them?"
"But we can overlook all of that. Right now, you can live as long as you nod."
Seeing that Liu Zhan remained unmoved, the old man's voice grew more urgent.
"Grand Tutor Liu, one must live. Only by living can there be hope, only by living can there be a future, and only by living can one better realize one's ambitions."
"You're going to be beheaded tomorrow, why are you so stubborn!"
"Lord Feng, even if I explained to you the principles of being a proper man, you wouldn't understand!"
"Liu Zhan, you!"