The arrival of the monks was like a cold wind in winter, which instantly calmed the heat in the officials' bodies.

The person who was called the name seemed to have been poured with a bucket of ice water from head to toe, and instantly transitioned from the hot summer to the cold winter, saving the imperial court a large amount of summer ice expenses.

Greeting and congratulations.

The auxiliary officials around Cheng Yu read the name according to the arrest warrant. Every time they read one, two monks would come forward, drag the official out, put on a wire rope, and escort them back to "assist the investigation."

Cheng Yu stood aside with a magic knife, and his cold eyes swept across every official of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The eyes were like a knife, and it would bleed when it was rubbed and touched. It was sharp and hard to avoid it, and it was afraid that it would cause any ominous sparks to collide with it.

It is hard to imagine that a seventy-six-year-old man still has such a fierce murderous aura.

Everyone was trembling and had questions - what did this old thief grow up with?

Officials after officials were taken away by name. They either collapsed on the ground and looked fearful, or looked calm as if they had seen the mystery of the universe, or were shaking their heads in disbelief, just not wanting to be taken away.

But how can that be?

The monks had sharp techniques and quick movements. What was even more terrifying was that they held weapons. Someone was anxious to avoid them. The monks pulled out the ring-headed sword and pointed it directly at the official. The official immediately turned pale and dared not move.

Zaozhi seemed very calm throughout the whole process.

He moved a chair and sat at the door of the official office, as if he wanted to stop Cheng Yu and the monks from entering the official office, but it was useless.

Cheng Yu ignored him at all. The monks seemed to have not seen him, and followed Cheng Yu with great strides over Zao Zhi who was sitting at the door, and entered the Ministry of Civil Affairs to get people.

Then everyone who was taken away cried and begged Zao Zhi for help, to help them, to save them, and not to let them be taken to the prison to suffer.

He cried and even grabbed Zao Zhi's sleeve and refused to leave, but it was useless.

Zao Zhi had no reaction. Just looking at them, the monks seemed to not care about the officials' request for help. They pretended that they had not seen Zao Zhi, and dragged them away and put them in the imperial prison for interrogation.

In about an hour, Cheng Yu took the 23 officials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs with the monks, leaving the remaining officials who were in a mess and trembling manner, leaving with great might.

Before leaving, Cheng Yu stood beside Zao Zhi sitting at the door.

"Does it look good?"

Cheng Yu asked.

"What Captain Cheng asked was the crying look when my subordinates were taken away?"

Zao Zhi turned his head and looked at Cheng Yu, whose hair and beard were white: "Cheng Zhongde, you are so old and you are so elegant? I really didn't expect it!"

Hearing Zao Zhi's uncontrollable anger, Cheng Yu curled the corner of his mouth.

"Your emotions are the emotions in the hearts of those who are offended by you."

Zao Zhi was stunned, and then realized what Cheng Yu was talking about.

"What do you want to say?"

"I don't want to say anything. I'm just a murder knife. I'm only responsible for killing people. I don't care about anything else."

"Cheng Zhongde!"

Zao Zhi slapped the handrail, stood up, pointed his hand at Cheng Yu, and said with anger: "How could there be a shameless person like you in the world!"

"Shameless? What is shameless? It is also shameless to arrest corrupt officials?"

Cheng Yu asked Zao Zhi back, but couldn't even say a word Zao Zhi asked.

After finally calming down his emotions, Zao Zhi took a deep breath and said, "Cheng Zhongde, I am not as experienced as you. Your status and power were far higher than me. I remember that you were not like this at that time. What happened to you? How could you be willing to be a knife in the hands of others?"

"What's wrong with the knife in your hand?"

Cheng Yu asked Zao Zhi in reverse.

"Are you completely unhonest? Do you have no character? Do you don't know what the most important thing to do as a courtier?"

Zao Zhi asked three consecutive questions in a heartbreaking manner.

Cheng Yu was not touched at all.

"Zaobutang, you were born into a gentry and have made you famous since you were a child. In your twenties, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu both wanted to get you. You have a keen eye for heroes and chose the Supreme Emperor to follow you. You have a smooth journey without any twists and turns.

You advise the people to teach the farming and the people remember your achievements, but what about me? I am just an ordinary powerful man and I am a little bit light. I was favored by the Supreme Emperor at the age of 44, and was summoned by him to embark on a career in the officialdom. Do you know how I came through those forty-four years?"

Cheng Yu asked Zao Zhi back, but Zao Zhi didn't know how to answer.

Such a problem is gone now, but not long ago, such rules were already in the world. It was the rules and regulations that Emperor Guo Peng killed tens of thousands of people before he could change.

Cheng Yu, who was born in the former Han Dynasty, could only be an official at most, and he would definitely not become an official.

"Is this why you are willing to be a knife in your hands?"

Zao Zhi still can't understand.

"Isn't this enough? Isn't it enough to know the kindness of my encounter, helping me change my fate and make my Dong'a Cheng family jump into a gentry? "

Cheng Yu sighed: "Although it doesn't make any sense now, how can I not be the kindness of the Supreme Emperor when I can get to this day? What's wrong with giving up this body and being a knife in his hand? How can you, the high-ranking children who have become smooth officials understand me?"

Zaozhi swallowed, feeling inexplicably guilty, but he was unwilling to admit Cheng Yu's heart.

"Nevertheless, you... don't you worry about your family? Don't you worry about your son?"

“Don’t worry.”

Cheng Yu shook his head and said, "I'm not worried at all, why should I worry? If I worry, will you still be afraid of me? I will not worry only if I don't worry."

Zao Zhi was speechless, but he was not convinced.

"Is it okay to exclude dissidents in the name of eliminating corruption?"

Cheng Yu sneered.

"Is it okay to pursue personal gain in the name of justice in the world?"

Zao Zhi was shocked.

"I don't!"

"They have!"

Cheng Yu pointed at the backs of the officials who were taken away in front of him: "Doing despicable things but still wanting to occupy the title of righteousness is the greatest shamelessness! Such a shameless person is suitable for an old thief like Cheng to use despicable means to deal with it!"

Zao Zhi's breathing stagnated and he didn't know what allusion to use to refute Cheng Yu.

But he still doesn't think he is wrong.

"Even if there are shameless people scattered among them, I will not change my mind! Cheng Zhongde, if you can find me to violate the law and discipline, I will commit suicide on the spot! There is no other way!"

"I'm afraid no one else dares to say that except you?"

Cheng Yu sneered: "Zaobutang, a group of people full of selfishness. Even if they have the right to be righteous, can they really do great things? They are just for their own selfish interests. The four words of valuing agriculture and suppressing commerce are in your eyes, righteousness, and in their eyes, interests!

You think you are using them as a knife, but in their eyes, you are the one knife, Zaobutang, you said Cheng is a knife in a person's hand, Cheng knows, Cheng is willing, but you don't know that you are a knife in a person's hand, do you still think you are a knife in a knife?"

Cheng Yu's words were like a thunder thunder in the ground, and it exploded in Zaozhi's ears.

Zao Zhi stood there blankly, unable to say a word, his mind was blank.

"If Cheng is you, you should ask for your own bones and say goodbye to the officialdom from now on to prevent your integrity from being safe. You will be honest all your life and do less stupid things, so as not to be ruined without knowing it."

Cheng Yu glanced at Zao Zhi with pity, shook his head, and left the Ministry of Civil Affairs with a magic knife in his hand, leaving Zao Zhi who was standing there motionless at the door.

After a while, Zhuge Jin walked out of the official yamen.

"Budou, they are all gone, Budou should come in. Some things can be discussed."

There was no movement in the jujube.

"Budou?"

Zhuge Jin looked at Zao Zhi in confusion.

Zao Zhi's expression was as normal, and there was nothing strange about it.

"Budou?"

Zhuge Jin called out again.

"Tiyu."

Zao Zhi made a hoarse voice.

"I am here."

Zhuge Jin promised.

Zao Zhi turned his head and looked at Zhuge Jin.

"Do you think I am a knife in the hands of a person or a knife holder?"

“…”

Zhuge Jin was very surprised and didn't know why Zao Zhi asked like this.

"Why did Budou ask this?"

Zao Zhi looked at Zhuge Jin for a while.

"It's nothing, I just feel it. Also, I suddenly envy Cheng Zhongde."
To be continued...