After the Lantern Festival is over, the New Year Festival is truly over. After several days of adaptation period, various yamen have begun normal operations.
At the same time, the reorganization of the military garrison, which has been fermenting for a long time in both the government and the public, is finally about to be discussed by the court.
On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, when the sky was just getting dark and the snow on the Waijinshui Bridge had not yet disappeared, a group of civil and military officials in official robes gathered outside the Meridian Gate and stood in rows.
As soon as the hour came, the heavy palace bell rang, the left and right gates were slowly pushed open, and the officials followed the ceremonial officers in, arriving at Fengtian Gate Danqi, where the east and west were separated.
As the impact of the civil war gradually dissipated, all aspects of the imperial court were returning to normal.
Take the morning court as an example. The Ming Dynasty has always had the tradition of imperial court listening to government affairs, that is, the morning court was held in the square outside Fengtian Gate.
However, after the Civil War, ministers could not gather together, so they were often held in Wenhua Hall and Wuying Hall.
Now, after more than a year of repairs, the selection of officials has returned to normal. Naturally, the court ritual of listening to government affairs at the imperial gate has been restored. .
The sound of the whip was sounded, the officials bowed their heads and knelt down to greet the event, and the mountains shouted long live.
On the high imperial steps, the emperor sat peacefully, receiving courtesy from his ministers.
There was a decree earlier, and this morning the court decided to organize the military garrison, so all the ministers were waiting for the Ministry of War to go out.
However, what people didn't expect was that Yu Qian did stand up, but he did not directly mention the memorial to order the army. Instead, he took out a new memorial and handed it over.
"Your Majesty, the case of reselling weapons by Luo Tong, the former Vice-Censor of the Left Capital, has been concluded with Jin Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment. After investigation, it was found that in the fourth year of Zhengtong, when Luo Tong was appointed as a doctor in the Ministry of War, he was appointed by Wang Ji, the Shangshu of the Ministry of War, to patrol the border. , went to Gansu to organize border affairs, and by taking advantage of his position, Luo Tong passed on to others, gave and received privately, and resold armor, a total of 572 pieces of weapons."
"At that time, Wang Ji inspected it and reported it secretly to the court. The court was about to take Luo Tongsuo back to the capital and ordered Wang Ji to investigate it in detail. However, after Wang Ji re-examined it, he reported it to the court again. He only reported that Luo Tong had embezzled prostitutes and was not guilty of reselling weapons. Therefore, The imperial court was gracious and demoted Luo Tong to the post of Zhaguan. Later, due to his talents, he was promoted to a member of the Ministry of War, Wai Lang, to guard Juyong Pass. After Wala retreated, he was promoted to Zuofudu Censor due to his merits. Discussions of mutual trade between the imperial courts began. Luo Tong was so daring that he gathered a crowd and instigated the courtiers to commit misdeeds, so he was imprisoned and imprisoned for questioning."
"Last spring, because Wang Ji was afraid and avoided fighting, Pingyue was besieged, and the soldiers and civilians in the city were in dire straits. The imperial court dismissed Wang Ji from the post of chief military officer and returned to Beijing to investigate. Wu Cheng, the head of the Ministry of War, checked the old case files , it is suspected that Wang Ji is shielding Luo Tong, concealing a major crime with a small crime, and deceiving the court. According to His Majesty's order, I went to Gansu to investigate the case in detail."
"The evidence of the crime all lies here. Luo Tong secretly resold weapons, engaged in corruption and cheated on prostitutes. He was lucky enough to escape, but he did not want to repent and encouraged the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate to knock on the door. This is an unforgivable crime. Jing Yuanbo, Minister of War, Wang Ji failed to investigate properly and deliberately protected Luo Tong. We should be investigated together."
"In addition, Wang Ji followed the imperial edict to suppress the Miao rebellion, feared and avoided the war, ignored the troops and people of Yue, supported the troops, and lost his duty as a minister. He should also be severely punished. Please give your Majesty a clear warning."
As for the Luo Tong case, it can be considered that it has been delayed for a long time.
As early as last year's spring trading incident, he was arrested by Jin Yiwei, but later because Wang Ji was involved, there was no verdict.
During this year, there were so many turmoils and turmoil in the court that everyone almost forgot about this man.
As a result, he was lifted up at this time.
At that moment, a chamberlain presented the memorial to the emperor. The emperor looked at it carefully and said immediately.
"Although the chaos in the Miao land has subsided, I still remember every word written in blood by Pingyue. Wang Ji led his troops to attack the rebels, but they were unable to calm the people and quell the chaos. This is not a dereliction of duty, but more of a dereliction of duty. If it is not dealt with strictly, Pingyue will be counted. The souls of all wronged people cannot be put to rest. I thought that Wang Ji had made great contributions to the country, so I sent an order to deprive Wang Ji of the earldom of Jing'an, remove one of his official posts, and exile him to Tieling to guard the border. The rest involved other people, and all of them were considered guilty."
Wang Ji's outcome was actually already determined.
A bloody letter from Pingyue was sent to the capital. It didn't matter whether Wang Ji was taking advantage of the bandits or whether his strategy was wrong.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians were forced to exchange their children for food, and were even stabbed in the court hall. The court would have to give an explanation no matter what.
That is to say, Wang Ji still has the title of Prince Jing'an, otherwise, he might not even be able to save his life.
The current situation, saving lives, stopping the crime on one person, and not implicating the family, is already a good result.
Therefore, even among the ministers who had friendship with Wang Ji, no one stood up and said anything at this time.
So, Yu Qian accepted the order.
Immediately, the emperor spoke again and asked.
"Ministry of Punishments, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, how should the Luo Tong case be handled?"
It's actually a bit ridiculous to say that Wang Ji's matter has caused such a big fuss, but in fact, Pingyue's blood letter alone would at most reduce his title and remove him from office to serve the people, but he would not be exiled.
Because, no matter how big the matter is, it is still within the political scope of court games and cannot be considered a serious crime.
What really caused Wang Ji to be exiled to Tieling was his crime of shielding Luo Tong and hiding it from his superiors. This is clearly written in the Ming Law.
Therefore, the emperor decided directly on Wang Ji's disposition, but when he arrived at Luotong, he needed to inquire about the attitude of the Ministry of Punishment.
As for this matter, it was obvious that the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Punishment were angry. Jin Lian, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, strode out of the queue and handed it over.
"Your Majesty, the facts of Luo Tong's arms reselling case are clear. According to the law, reselling arms privately is regarded as treason with the enemy. Because Luo Tong served the country in the battle of Oara, the Ministry of Punishment plans to sentence him to Qiu Judgment, but his family can be spared. Young and old.”
He did not confiscate his home or exterminate his clan, but only killed Luo Tong. It should be said that this was considered a light sentence considering Luo Tong's contribution.
The emperor nodded and said.
"According to the report of the Ministry of Punishment, Luo Tong will be executed. His family members are not guilty. All other guilty parties will be punished."
"I accept the decree."
Jin Lian cupped his hands and retreated far away, but Yu Qian still stood firmly in the middle of Danqi.
The north wind roared in, rolling the dragon flag and fluttering.
This case that has been delayed for more than a year has finally been settled. Although I had already expected it, when it was actually announced, the scene was still filled with solemnity.
Today's Holy Master has always been merciful. Even when Wang Zhenyu's party was first investigated, except for Ma Shun, who was beaten to death, he basically never used the butcher's knife.
The only time may be the case of the mission. Zhang Fu and others falsely conveyed the Holy Order and leaked border military information without authorization, which made Tianxin furious and sentenced him to beheading.
Then again, it’s Luo Tong!
Thinking about it this way, the only two killings of court ministers were actually related to military affairs. It can be seen that although the emperor is lenient, he still has no regard for military affairs...
The elders present were confused, and some smart ones already vaguely understood why the emperor wanted to deal with the Luo Tong case at this time.
If nothing else, it is paving the way for the next rectification of the army...
Among the crowd, Zhang Xi had a complicated expression on his face and raised his feet forward, but he never took that step.
When Luo Tong knocked on the que, the situation was complicated. Although Luo Tong made the proposal at the beginning, in the end, he was indeed forced to take action.
The reason why the British government forced Luo Tong to knock on the que was largely to prevent mutual trade and ensure the safety of Zhang Fu and others in Wala.
From this point of view, the British government actually owed Luo Tong, so it was actually to delay time and find a way to rescue Luo Tong, so the old case from that year was involved.
I thought I could use this skill to rescue Luo Tong after welcoming the Supreme Emperor back. However, in the end, something happened to Zhang Fu and others, and Zhang Min couldn't even take care of his own family, so he naturally forgot about Luo Tong.
Now when I hear his name again, I feel as if I'm from another world.
He wanted to say a few more words of love for Luo Tong, but thinking of what he had prepared for today, Zhang Xi finally took back his steps and stood still without moving.
So, in a solemn atmosphere, Yu Qian spoke again and finally started the topic of today, saying.
"Your Majesty is aware that I have been ordered to inspect the border and investigate the arms reselling case in Luotong. During the process, I found out that in the past few decades, the military garrison in the border towns has been neglected. The border generals have invaded the military fields and used the border troops wantonly. He cultivated private fields and enriched his own pockets, so that he could not train well, the discipline of the army was corrupted, and there were frequent desertions and refugees."
"If things go on like this, our Ming border will be riddled with holes and harassed by bandits again and again."
"Therefore, the Ministry of War, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Fifth Military Governor's Office, jointly request your majesty to give permission to conduct a thorough investigation of the military settlements in the border towns, clear up the discipline, and reinvigorate the border troops!"
This matter has been fermenting for so long, so naturally it is not in vain.
As Yu Qian's words fell, Chen Yi, the imperial censor of Zuodu, Jin Lian, the minister of the Ministry of punishment, Shen Yi, the minister of the household ministry, plus Li Xian, the Duke of Fengguo, Fan Guang, the Bo of Jing'an, and several important officials of the imperial court, moved out of the queue almost at the same time. road.
"I would like to ask Your Majesty to conduct a thorough investigation of the military camp according to the instructions of the Ministry of War!"
Although they had known for a long time that the emperor was very concerned about the rectification of the military garrison, many ministers present did not expect that this court meeting would be so aggressive as soon as it started.
Originally, there were still a small number of ministers in the court who criticized the Ministry of War for going to war in such a big way.
However, first the fate of Luo Tong, Wang Ji and others was foreshadowed, and now so many big bosses have come forward to express their attitude, these people have wisely kept their mouths shut.
Looking at the group of crimson-robed ministers kneeling below, the emperor looked calm and spoke.
"In the Ministry of War's memorial to rectify the military garrison, I have clearly stated that all yamen should cooperate with each other on various matters. It has also been written in it. Can each yamen have any objections to the measures?"
This allowed the ministers present to express their stance further.
Therefore, among the yamen involved, the first ones were the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites. Wang Wen, the chief minister of Otsuka, and Hu Ming, the great uncle, stepped forward at the same time and said.
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Civil Affairs has already started preparing to select officials from the Hanlin Academy and the Spring Examination Examination. We will only wait for the imperial court's order. We will ensure that all officials can take up their posts in time."
Xiao Tan from Hanlin Academy did not speak, but silently stepped forward and knelt on the ground.
Then, Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue from the cabinet followed closely and said.
"Your Majesty, the rectification of the military garrison is of great importance and requires the concerted efforts of the entire imperial court. I will definitely do my best to cooperate with the Ministry of War in clearing up the border army's discipline and rebuilding the border town!"
As waves of ministers came out, headed by Yu Qian, more and more ministers knelt down in the middle of Danqi.
Therefore, rectifying the military garrison seemed to be a matter of public expectation for a while.
Ren Li stood there and took a deep breath. He knew that he could not wait any longer.
I have to say that today's situation, from the very beginning, was somewhat beyond Mr. Ren's expectations.
You know, according to the experience of previous court meetings, the emperor would first read the contents of the court meeting, and then ask each yamen one by one about their attitude. The whole process was relatively peaceful and free.
Only in this way can all ministers fully express their opinions, which is the original intention of the court meeting.
But this time, the emperor first shocked the ministers with Luo Tong's case, and then Yu Qian led the crowd to report.
With such a huge momentum, if you didn't know that the emperor was behind the rectification of the army, you would probably think that he was trying to force the emperor to go to the palace.
However, this also shows that the emperor has been prepared.
It was so aggressive from the beginning. If Ren Li hesitated for a moment, I'm afraid this matter would have been passed directly by an overwhelming advantage.
"Your Majesty, I think it's inappropriate!"
In the eyes of everyone, Marquis Ren strode forward and stood in the middle of Danqi. He stood out among the ministers who were kneeling on the ground.
The scene suddenly became quiet, and the only sound left was the howling wind in front of Fengtian Gate. All the officials' eyes were focused on Ren Li for an instant.
Immediately, the emperor's jade voice came down, his voice was indifferent.
"Oh? Renhou, what do you think is wrong?"
Ren Li turned sideways, glanced at the relatives standing behind him, cupped his hands and knelt on the ground, and said.
"Your Majesty, this report from the Ministry of War, one is about clearing the army and the military cantonment, the second is about rectifying the laws and regulations, and the third is about severely punishing lawbreakers. It seems to be beneficial to the country, but it is not."
"The military settlements have been suffering for many years and have been involved in many problems. The border troops have been transferred for many years, and the military settlements and civilian fields have long been indistinguishable. The Ministry of War wants to clear up the land and impose severe punishments. On the one hand, it consumes a lot of manpower and is in vain. On the other hand, it leads to harsh punishments, which makes the border troops uneasy and morale. Unstable, the three ministers have heard that the border has been repeatedly plundered recently, and the bandits are watching eagerly. At this time, rashly attacking the border troops may cause disaster."
Among all the ministers, Marquis Ren said with a sonorous and powerful voice and awe-inspiring righteousness.
"Your Majesty, after the battle of Tumu, the frontier army suffered heavy losses and has not yet recovered. The people and subjects of the world are all looking forward to the imperial court recuperating and recuperating and fighting to cease. The frontier army has also been diligently patrolling day and night and dare not slack off. Today, the army is at peace and the morale of the army is Once the situation is settled, the Ministry of War wants to carry out massive reorganization and destabilize the border troops, which is really inappropriate."
"Moreover, Yu Qian, the former Secretary of the Ministry of War, recommended a private person to assume power and respect himself. Today, during the court meeting, before the ministers opened their mouths, they took advantage of many bureaucracies such as the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Household Affairs to force them to remonstrate with Your Majesty. This is indeed an evil plot and is suspected of forming a clique. Your Majesty must not ignore it, so I ask your Majesty to reject this report from the Ministry of War in order to appease the minds of the imperial court!"
These words were quite tragic and solemn. For a moment, all the ministers present were in a daze, as if at this moment, Marquis Ren was not a military general, but a remonstrating minister who served the country and the people. .
The place suddenly became quiet. On the throne, the emperor's face was calm, as if he was waiting for something.
Other ministers, including Yu Qian, did not immediately stand up to refute.
After Mr. Ren finished speaking, his eyes involuntarily glanced behind him, as if he was also waiting for something.
Finally, after a moment of silence, Wu Chen Liezhong made a voice again.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to you, Yang Hong, the Marquis of Changping!"
