Cunning General Si Ning
Chapter 243: Hanged!

Chapter 243: Hanged!

"Please we beg Your Majesty to make their punishment light." One Minister said as he bowed deeply with his hands cupped in front of him.

Si Ning recognized him as the Recorder of the Emperor by the small book he was carrying and the pen which was designed to store ink he was holding. He records everything that goes on in the court.

"Oh No! Not this time, they placed the Palace in jeopardy and didn’t tell anyone." Ling Qi said aloud. "They deserve to be hanged!" He shouted.

"Ohhh...."

"Woooo..."

"Yes..."

Some Ministers nodded in agreement to what the Minister of Foreign Affairs said while others shook their heads in disagreement, they were some that were neutral were just turning their heads like they were trying to listen to both sides and choose one.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs! let us look at all the things they have done for the Nation, without the Prime Minister do you know where we will be?" The Recorder of the Emperor said.

"Shut up! Many were killed tonight, what if you and your family live in the palace, do you know what would have happened?" Ling Qi said his eyes were locked on the Minister that wanted the offender’s punishment to be light.

"Your Point?"

"Their incompetence gave these three low-level Ministers cape that made them misbehave!" Ling Qi pointed at the three Ministers that set up the attack on the Si residence. "This stupid three acted stupidly not representing us Ministers as men with dignity, they all need to be punished by death by a thousand cuts!"

"You should just keep shut if you have no point to prove." The Minister of Welfare said.

"Are you supporting them? Even that Concubine!" Ling Qi turned to him, his eyes blazing with anger.

"I didn’t say that..."

"Then the Concubine needs to be hanged!" Ling Qi shouted.

"Keep shut, you should respect Concubine Ran, it is his Majesty that chose her so why should you sound like that Ling Qi!" The Recorder of the Emperor said.

"We all chose her for His Majesty!" Ling Qi defended. "And how dare you call me by name! Do you support her? She deserves to be hanged!"

"Why? Because your grandson was targetted?" The Recorder of the Emperor pointed out.

"You this...."

Si Ning watched as the Ministers argued about the punishment he should give to the offenders. He was tired that he just listened trying to pick a suitable punishment to give those that made the Palace unrest. He watched the Imperial Tutor to see that he was listening yet didn’t say a word and when their eyes met, the Imperial Tutor nodded at him which means all he had to do was to listen to the Ministers and then find a solution.

Sitting on that throne didn’t make Si Ning powerful, he was sad because being the Empress doesn’t prevent his house in the city from being attacked, the Prime Minister was guilty and the Imperial Tutor seemed not to be interested in helping so he felt alone, he was still holding the sword when his hand started to shake, he was sad, his concern wasn’t even the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign affairs and Concubine Ran, he was concerned about the three Ministers that planned the attack of his home, he wanted to kill them, burn them alive but as the leader he had to be level headed and not allow his emotions to take over him so he closed his eyes, drowning them all out as he tried to think of the best possible way to solve the matter and that was how he stayed for some time till he heard a voice call him.

"Your Majesty....!" Song Ouyang cried out, his head full of veins, his shout made the court go silent. "I will accept any punishment as long as my son the Imperial Doctor is not touched..." He kowtowed diverting all the court attention to himself as the argument seized at once.

What!

Si Ning couldn’t believe the Prime Minister had just given him an option, how dare he! What if he decided to give punishment to Song Feng, would Song Ouyang refuse his punishment? Or go against him? Rebel against him?

Si Ning had no idea how a weak-hearted man like Song Ouyang get to climb to the top to become a Prime Minister. Si Ning was sure if the Minister of Welfare of Xilie had approached Song Ouyang with the threat of taking his son’s life instead of Mo Chong Xuan then he was sure the Prime Minister would have also yielded but there was no way for Si Ning to know if the Prime Minister would have given them the original or fake blueprint because it seemed when it comes to Song Feng, he becomes erratic.

"Do you dare not accept any punishment If I touch your son?" Si Ning demanded, his eyes narrowed at Song Ouyang.

It was then Song Ouyang’s eyes widened like the weight of his words just settled in then he shook his head, his mouth quivering.

"I dare not Your Majesty!" Song Ouyang replied, his hands firmly planted on the floor.

Si Ning sighed as he propped up his elbow on the throne’s arm to support his head. "Your crime is not reporting what the Minister of Justice did and being so soft-hearted." He pointed out and almost all the Ministers in the court nodded in agreement to what Si Ning said. "Your punishment is that you Song Ouyang our beloved Prime Minister will surrender all your properties and wealth, you will be demoted to stay in a remote area because your house will also be seized as part of your property, you will work as a supervisor in the afternoon at the Imperial farm because each morning you will be here to serve your duty as the Prime Minister." He concluded slowly. Xiu Zhicheng that kept the Prime Minister means the Prime Minister must be competent and do his job well which means if he strips him out of his position then the power balance of the court might shake or Xiu might run into trouble so the least Si Ning could do was to make sure the Prime Minister was in power.

There might be a person as skillful as the Prime Minister in terms of knowledge and application but finding them might be stressful and they might even be one greedy person or someone erratic more than Song Ouyang so the Prime Minister staying also means that Si Ning doesn’t want to go through pain looking for a replacement.

Tears started to flow from Song Ouyang like he just heard the kindest words in his entire life even Song Feng’s eyes got misty that at least Si Ning didn’t brand him to die and even allowed him to keep his position.

"Thank you Your Majesty Thank you....." Song Ouyang kowtowed thrice.

"Mo Chong Xuan." Si Ning called.

"Your Majesty." The Minister of Justice replied.

"Your Incompetence and your weakness might have led to the death of the Crown Prince today but it led to the death of many trained Palace servants and guards so Mo Chong Xuan, all your properties, servants, guards, and riches will be seized, you will be stripped of your position and be left with nothing, you will work your whole life in the Imperial farm and collect a low wage and that is what you will do till you die." Si Ning said his judgement.

Mo Chong Xuan cried like he had just been pierced with an arrow, the other Ministers shook their heads in pity because the Minister of Justice’s punishment was worst than death. It would be nothing but a shame when the news goes around and they all knew for their pride and duty Mo Chong Xuan would never find an easy way out, he was going to stick with the punishment.

"Concubine Ran you will be imprisoned in the cold water prison, I have the power to punish you but I won’t because you are not a part of this court, you are the Emperor’s concubine so you will be in the prison until the end of the war and his Majesty comes back and he will personally dish out your punishment." Si Ning said not even trying to spend a minute thinking of a better punishment.

Concubine Ran bowed to show she was going to accept the punishment but the Ministers shook their heads in pity because Si Ning not counting being in the cold water prison as a punishment was ruthless. The cold water prison was a prison built underground, cold water from the spring flowing in it making the prison cold sometimes ice used to form on the walls and her being thrown in the water, the cold sipping through her body, to suffer this cold could result into many complications, uneasy movement, leg cramps, freezing and someone like her who was a noble without a little bit of suffering might not even last for a month before dying.

Next Si Ning had to deal with the three low level Ministers who ran leaving their shadows behind.