Before Jiajing could make any move, Xu Jie, the deputy minister of the cabinet, jumped out, pointed at Wang Jien's nose and cursed angrily: "Are you blackmailing His Majesty? Humph, using a small account from Gansu to settle the country's big account !”
"Mr. Xu Ge, that's not what I meant..."
Seeing Xu Jie, the second assistant to the cabinet, accusing him on the spot, Wang Jien panicked and quickly defended himself.
"Then what do you mean? Aren't you just using the people of Gansu to blackmail His Majesty?" After Xu Jie said this, he walked out of the queue holding the wat tablet and saluted Jiajing who was sitting on the dragon throne.
At this moment, a young eunuch hurriedly walked to Jiajing's side, whispered a few words and left quickly, and Jiajing's expression became solemn as he sat on the dragon chair.
When the ministers below saw this, they all held their breath and did not dare to make any move for fear of being angered.
"Come here, take this Wang Jien down for me!" Jiajing calmed down a little and said loudly.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing, Your Majesty? Weichen didn't do anything. Weichen is wronged!"
As soon as Jiajing's order came down, the guards around him drew their swords and put them on Wang Jien's neck, preparing to escort him to prison for interrogation.
"You've done a good job. I sent you to Gansu to take up a post. In just three years, you managed the business from top to bottom like iron."
"Exaggerating the disaster, embezzling the court's disaster relief funds, and bribing private parties! Why, don't you know your crime?"
After hearing the emperor's words, Wang Jien, who had previously been angrily complaining for himself, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and froze in place.
How could the emperor know this? Didn't I give you repeated warnings before coming here, and I also agreed with the officials up and down? Could it be that the imperial court sent people to Gansu to investigate, why didn't I know about this?
"Your Majesty, spare your life, I say, I say, I say everything!" Soon, Wang Jien put aside all the doubts in his mind and turned to beg Jiajing for mercy, begging for his life in exchange.
"Take him down." Looking at Wang Jien's appearance at this time, Jiajing couldn't help but feel bored. He waved his hand and asked the guards to escort him to the prison.
After Wang Jien was taken down by the guards, there was a burst of whispers.
"Exaggerating the disaster and embezzling the court's disaster relief funds, Mr. Wang is really brave."
"No matter how courageous you are, it doesn't matter. You have to make money but not spend it. In the end, it will not be handed over to the national treasury."
"I heard that the people responsible for investigating the case this time were personally selected by Mr. Yan Ge and Mr. Xu Ge. It's true, I was at the scene at the time."
"Now there is going to be a big earthquake in the officialdom in Gansu..."
Seeing that the scene was gradually becoming noisy, the eunuch with the loud voice from before said loudly: "Quiet!"
After these words, the scene gradually became quiet.
"The matters discussed today, including the Southern Japanese and Northern Tartars, the rectification of officialdom, and the severe drought in Gansu, have been completed. If you have something to report, please leave the court if you have nothing to do!" Lu Fang walked out from behind Jiajing, looked at the many officials below, and said loudly.
"Wait a minute, I have my own report!" Yan Song, who had been present since the beginning of the court meeting, spoke at this moment and met Jiajing's gaze.
"Oh, what does Mr. Yan Ge want to say?" With a slight smile on his face, Jiajing stopped leaving and asked.
"Your Majesty, I request to reduce the expenses of the clan and implement the order of grace!"
"What!"
Yan Song's words were like a nuclear bomb exploding in the crowd. All the officials present took a breath and looked at the powerful chief minister of the cabinet with an incredible look.
Xu Jie, who was beside Yan Song, was shocked and speechless at this moment: "Mr. Yan Ge, you... what are you..."
Yan Song did not answer Xu Jie's question, but repeated what he had just said: "I request your majesty to reduce the clan's expenses and implement the grace order!"
"Do you know what you are talking about?" Jiajing's face was as cold as frost, and he glanced at Yan Song with cold eyes.
Being looked at by the emperor's eyes, Yan Song still showed no fear at all. He straightened his body, took out the memorial that he had prepared, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the memorial in the hand of this minister records the vassal kings and their relatives." Evidence of the clan’s crimes!”
After Yan Song finished speaking, he did not go to see Jiajing. He opened the memorial and read it word by word: "On the third day of the twelfth lunar month last year, Pingliang Mansion attacked the local government office on the grounds of insufficient rice, killing and injuring thirteen subordinate officials. On the fifth day of the first lunar month of the year before last, King Hui Zhu Changhong failed to seize the daughter of the people, and allowed his men to kill her family. On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month last year, King Zhu Changhui of Zhao forcibly occupied farmers' land, causing hundreds of farmers to be displaced and their families destroyed."
Perhaps because he was a little tired from reading, Yan Song paused for a moment and then continued: "On the third day of August last year, King Hui Zhu Changhong was traveling in a carriage. Because a passerby did not give way in time, he was whipped to death with a riding crop. The victim The family had a son who starved to death because there was no one to take care of him. On September 20th last year, King Zhu Changde of Gui..."
"That's enough!" Jiajing couldn't listen anymore and interrupted Yan Song mercilessly.
"If your majesty doesn't want to hear it, then I won't read it anymore, but I still ask your majesty to take the memorial." Yan Song said, bowing and handing out the memorial in his hand.
Lu Fang, who was in front of Jiajing, hesitated for a long time when he saw this, not knowing whether he should pick him up.
"Bring me the memorial!" Jiajing glanced at Lu Fang coldly and said.
"Yes." Lu Fang agreed, then gingerly took the memorial from Yan Song and handed it to Jiajing.
Jiajing opened the memorial and saw that it was densely packed with records of the crimes committed by the vassal king and the clan. Jiajing looked at it twice and put it away.
"Your Majesty, you have seen everything recorded here. There is an old saying that a prince who breaks the law is as guilty as the common people! Then why can these people openly violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty without being punished? Or, the king's law, the king's law, Is this the Wang family’s law? It can only affect the people of Ming Dynasty!”
"Bold! Yan Song, I think you are really old and confused."
When Jiajing heard Yan Song's rebellious words, he was instantly furious. He then pointed his index finger at Yan Song and scolded him.
"Your Majesty, just think that I am an old fool! I, Yan Song, am already eighty-one this year and have only a few years left to live. It is for this reason that I dare to point out this problem."
"Mr. Yan Ge, what are you doing! Are you confused? This is a rule set by Emperor Taizu, and it cannot be changed!" Xu Jie's face was full of anxiety, and he couldn't help but refuted it loudly.
"Huh, nothing can't be changed! Perhaps His Majesty the Emperor Taizu had the best intentions at the time. He hoped to protect the borders of the Ming Dynasty through these clans. Youdao means that the emperor guards the country and the king dies! With royal blood flowing through his veins, there is nothing wrong with guarding the borders for our Ming Dynasty.”
"But now, this group of clans who once had high hopes for His Majesty the Emperor Taizu have become blood-sucking moths lying on our Ming Dynasty! The greed in their hearts can never be satisfied, and if these moths are not eliminated, our Ming Dynasty will We can never get rid of the bad government, let alone enrich the country and strengthen the army, everything is just in vain."
"You...you...are all fallacious!" Xu Jie was speechless after being refuted by Yan Song, so he had to say a harsh word.
"Mr. Xiaoge, your father is not feeling well, please send him back!" Jiajing sighed and said to Yan Shifan.
"Your Majesty, my body is still very strong! I haven't finished speaking yet, you traitor, let me go quickly..."
"Dad, if you are not feeling well, please go back and rest first!"
Yan Shifan restrained Yan Song and dragged him outside while comforting him with a mournful face. Gradually, his voice became farther and farther away.
Jiajing still had anger on his face at this moment. After scanning the remaining ministers with his eyes, he said coldly: "Does anyone else want to say anything to me? If not, then retreat!"
After saying that, Jiajing did not look at the crowd, put away the memorial that Yan Song had handed to him before, and left the scene. Lu Fang quickly followed behind him.
"Why are you still standing here? Get out of here!" Xu Jie said with a gloomy face.
"Yes Yes Yes."
