In the morning court, civil servants and military generals lined up. King Su and Prime Minister Liu Yong stood at the front of the crowd. One closed his eyes and fell asleep, and the other lowered his head in deep thought.
There was a buzz of discussion throughout the court.
Liu Yijin was busy at midnight last night, and personally interrogated Han Feng and Zhang Bing in the prison of the Supervision Department. He was already exhausted, and he was hiding in the back against the wall to catch up on his sleep.
The great eunuch Cui Shugong walked up to the court, glanced around lightly, and glanced at Liu Yijin: "Your Majesty is coming to court!"
The civil servants and generals stood solemnly.
The empress walked up wearing a black dragon robe and a gilt crown on her head. She glanced around and slowly sat down.
"My dear friends, no courtesy."
Liu Yong glanced behind him, and Xue Tao, the Minister of Rites, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have a secret to report!"
A sad expression appeared on Xue Tao's face: "My lord, I heard that Chief Liu of the Supervision Department left the city yesterday without permission. His language was conflicting and unreasonable, and he did not even cooperate with General Liao Ding's request."
"Oh?" The empress looked at Prime Minister Liu Yong: "Prime Minister, is this something that matters?"
Prime Minister Liu Yong came out after hearing this. Before he could speak, he started sobbing: "Your Majesty, the humble minister is guilty!"
This cry made everyone stunned. Even the empress could not help but be stunned for a few seconds: "Prime Minister, what do you mean?"
Liu Yong knelt directly on the ground: "Your Majesty! This veteran deserves death. Your Majesty, please take off my hat and put me in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment."
This immediately aroused everyone's curiosity.
The empress smiled and said: "Master Prime Minister, what do you mean by this? Have you committed the crime of beheading?"
The empress' words were light but made everyone tremble.
Liu Yong acted as if he hadn't heard anything and knelt on the ground crying: "Your Majesty, there is a maid in the Weichen Mansion. My wife bought her from a traveler a few days ago. Who knows that she didn't come back last night and early this morning? I asked the people in my house to search for her, but who knew I saw a notice about her on the street saying that she was from Maitreya Buddhism."
"Your Majesty, I am so trembling that I don't know why. My whole body feels like ice water has been poured on me, and my heart is so cold!"
After speaking, Liu Yong directly took off the official hat on his head: "It's okay for me to be a housekeeper, but the evil disciples of Maitreya Buddhism took the opportunity to break in and almost caused damage to the Daqian Dynasty. Please punish me!"
After speaking, Liu Yong knocked his head to the ground.
The empress looked at Liu Yong who was kneeling below with slightly narrowed eyes, and clenched her hands slightly on the dragon table.
"Your Majesty!" Jin Bing, the official minister, said hurriedly: "I have something to say."
"explain."
Jin Bing said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, there are evil disciples of Maitreya Buddhism in the prime minister's house. This matter cannot be taken lightly, let alone tolerated. I suggest that the prime minister be punished!"
As soon as Jin Bing's voice fell, there was a lot of discussion in the court, and even King Su couldn't help but take another look at Liu Yong who was kneeling on the ground. "But this woman is the maid beside the prime minister's wife. It seems inappropriate to put all the blame on the prime minister."
Gao Ju, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, stood up, nodded and said: "Your Majesty, I think this matter is due to the prime minister's lax discipline. However, Maitreya Buddhism can enter the prime minister's house so boldly, which shows its cunning heart and evil nature. If it passes It would be a good thing if this incident can serve as a warning to everyone and lead to self-examination.”
Although the two ministers of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Industry both spoke, they avoided the important and took the easy way out of Liu Yong's words.
The empress remained silent, but turned to Xue Tao, the Minister of Rites: "Xue Tao, why did you say that Liu Yijin broke into the city gate without permission?"
Xue Tao told the whole story: "Your Majesty, this is what I heard when I passed by the city gate when I was practicing this morning. Although this matter is a small matter, if this sets a precedent and can be followed by others, then hundreds of officials will They will compete with each other, and then won’t the protection at the city gate be in vain?”
The empress nodded: "What Aiqing said makes sense, so in your opinion, how should we deal with it?"
Xue Tao smiled lightly and said: "Of course I want Chief Liu to go to the city gate in person to apologize to General Liao Ding and explain the situation in front of everyone."
"If there is really an act of adultery and illegality, please show your Majesty an example!"
"Wei Chen seconded the proposal!"
The empress looked at everyone's comments and couldn't help but glance around the crowd: "Where is Liu Yijin?"
Everyone looked towards the back and saw Liu Yijin squatting in the corner with his hands on his shoulders, sleeping soundly.
The empress was stunned and couldn't help laughing angrily: "This guy can still sleep?"
"Cui Shugong!" The empress pointed at Liu Yijin and said, "Go and wake up with me!"
Cui Shugong stepped forward and gently patted Liu Yijin on the shoulder, "Master Liu, wake up, wake up."
"Don't make trouble!" Liu Yijin waved his hand impatiently, then turned around and started to sleep again.
Cui Shugong was stunned and whispered in Liu Yijin's ear: "Master Liu, His Majesty wants you to get up!"
Liu Yijin opened his sleepy eyes and saw Cui Shugong standing in front of him with a smile, and all the civil and military ministers looked at him strangely.
Liu Yijin yawned so loudly that even the empress sitting on top could not help but darken her face: "Liu Yijin, is your dormitory above my court?"
Liu Yijin stood up awkwardly: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I was busy all night last night and I'm still groggy."
The empress snorted: "What do you think of this matter?"
Liu Yijin was stunned: "What's going on?"
The empress laughed angrily: "Isn't it true that you have been sleeping since the beginning?"
Manchao Wenwu couldn't help but reveal a mocking smile.
Cui Shugong on the side whispered: "Xue Tao, the Minister of Rites, said that you broke the curfew yesterday and led everyone out of the city?"
Liu Yijin glanced at Xue Tao, then looked at Prime Minister Liu Yong who was kneeling on the ground, and said: "That's right, but our Supervision Department has always been independent of the three departments. Anyone who obstructs our Supervision Department from handling cases will not be punished by our Supervision Department." It’s good enough to treat him as a traitor.”
Liu Yijin's words were like thunder exploding in the court hall.
Xue Tao laughed angrily and said: "It's really lawless. Does Mr. Liu think that the Supervision Department can be tyrannical and not abide by the court rules?"
Liu Yijin hummed: "You can think so. This is how our Supervision Department does things."
"You!" Xue Tao turned to the empress: "Your Majesty, Liu Yijin has always been domineering. I heard that in a house in the north of the city, there was even a tragic death of a Maitreya Buddhist disciple."
"What else is going on?" The empress looked at Liu Yijin: "Liu Yijin, what's going on?"
After Liu Yijin explained the matter, he said: "Your Majesty, these Maitreya Buddhist people are violent and harm the people. Weichen wanted to catch her alive, but the woman suddenly died of blood explosion, and Weichen couldn't save her at all. "
Xue Tao on the side snorted coldly: "I think it's not that you were unable to be treated, but that you deliberately killed people and silenced them?"
Liu Yijin looked at Xue Tao coldly: "What do you mean, Mr. Xue?"
Xue Tao snorted: "I heard that the Chunxia girl from Yuelai Teahouse went to get tea and was caught by your people thinking she was a Maitreya Buddhist?"
Liu Yijin was stunned and couldn't help laughing: "Master Xue knows Miss Chunxia?"
Xue Tao sneered: "Who among all the people present doesn't know Miss Chunxia? And who doesn't know about Yuelai Tea House's new tea?"
Liu Yijin laughed: "It seems that Mr. Xue often goes to Yuelai Tea House. But there is one thing I can tell you responsibly. Miss Chunxia is a person of Maitreya Buddhism!"
Xue Tao's expression changed drastically: "How is it possible? How can someone so graceful as Miss Chunxia be a person of Maitreya Buddhism?"
"Our Supervision Department pursues ironclad evidence when handling cases. If there is no ironclad evidence, how can we privately convict people of crimes?"
Xue Tao's face was as gloomy as water.
"It seems that Mr. Xue has a special liking for Miss Chunxia, but there is something I wonder if Mr. Xue knows."
"Miss Chunxia has participated in several violent terrorist acts carried out by Maitreya Buddhism in the imperial capital, and there are both personal and material evidence. Do you want to see it, sir?"
Xue Tao's face suddenly turned red: "Is this true?"
Liu Yijin sneered: "This is just the beginning, and I have something to tell you responsibly. After a night of surprise interrogation, we have grasped several small strongholds of Maitreya Buddhism in the imperial capital, and if nothing unexpected happens, I The Wolf Guards under my command have already begun to take action.”
This sentence not only stunned everyone, but even Liu Yong, who was kneeling there, was shocked.
Liu Yijin looked at the gaze the empress was looking at and said, "Your Majesty, we captured a person in Hantong Village last night. This person is called Zhao Qian, and he is the liaison between Maitreya Buddhism in the imperial capital."
"Oh?" The empress became interested: "Have you found out anything?"
Liu Yijin smiled and said: We have found out clearly, I believe it will not take long to get the results.
"Okay!" The empress smiled while stroking her hands: "You are indeed my Liu Yijin. If you can severely attack the people of Maitreya Buddhism through this incident, I will reward you greatly!"
Liu Yijin looked at Prime Minister Liu Yong who was kneeling on the ground with a smile and said: "But there is one thing I need to ask the Prime Minister."
Prime Minister Liu Yong turned around and took out something from his arms with a sad expression: "Master Liu, are you talking about Miss Xiaoyue?"
"Sir, please look!"
Liu Yong took out the things in his hands: "This is the voucher when my wife purchased the maid. She has only been in my prime minister's house for just two months. She is usually very diligent and smart in her work. Who knew that she turned out to be a Maitreya Buddhist?" People!"
After Liu Yong finished speaking, he couldn't help but said sadly: "Master Liu, if I had discovered it earlier, this situation would not have happened."
"As a prime minister, I cannot lead by example. I am really ashamed of His Majesty's teachings and of all my colleagues!"
"I am really unworthy of my position. Your Majesty, please take back my order as prime minister!"
As soon as these words were spoken, needles could be heard in the hall.
The empress sighed and said: "This matter is not the prime minister's fault, so why do you bother to take it upon yourself?"
"Besides, the prime minister is the head of all officials. If there are no serious faults, how could I possibly take you down?"
Liu Yong kowtowed in fear: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The empress' words did not mean to completely retain him, but she said that he had not made any big mistakes now, so it was not easy to take away his position as prime minister.
If one day the Empress really catches her, will she still be as merciful as she is today?
While Liu Yong was thinking, Liu Yijin walked up to Liu Yong with a chuckle and said, "I wonder if the Prime Minister has heard of this sentence."
Liu Yong looked at Liu Yijin who was smiling and couldn't help but said: "What are you talking about?"
"This sentence is that if the prime minister breaks the law, he is guilty of the same crime as the common people!"
Jin Bing, the official secretary on the side, frowned and said, "Liu Yijin, I'm afraid you heard wrong. This matter is not the Prime Minister's fault. How can you attribute the fault to the Prime Minister?"
Liu Yijin smiled: "I didn't say it was the prime minister's fault. I just said that I made the mistake and shared the same sin with the common people."
Jin Bing blinked: "This, doesn't this mean the same thing?"
Liu Yong looked at Liu Yijin with a gloomy face, took a deep breath and said, "Does Mr. Liu want me to straighten things out in the house?"
Liu Yijin smiled and shook his head: "According to the information obtained by our Supervision Department, Xiaoyue has been in the Prime Minister's House for a year, but the Prime Minister only said two months. What is the difference between these ten months? thing?"
Liu Yong looked at Liu Yijin blankly: "Master Liu, why did you say this?"
Liu Yijin smiled and took out a stack of rolled white paper from his arms and said: "Here are the confessions of Chun Xia and Zhao Qian who were interrogated by our Supervision Department. Both of them confessed that there was a woman in the prime minister's house who often interacted with them. .”
"If this woman is not Xiaoyue, then I would like to ask the Prime Minister, is there someone from Maitreya Buddhism in the house?"
