With these words, King Lu still had a tough attitude. The expressions of the ministers present suddenly became a little ugly. Could it be that these vassal kings really wanted to capture Yu Qian?
However, this is too fanciful. After all, Yu Qian was a person who had made great contributions to the imperial court and was even more responsible for supporting him. What's more, the reason why he offended the clan this time was to implement the imperial government's policies and rectify the military regulations. In fact, It was the Emperor who was supporting us from behind. It could even be said that the Emperor was not just supporting us from behind, but was actually promoting it in person.
If Yu Qian was deposed because of this, then it was actually the emperor's prestige that was hit. Could it be said that in order to target Yu Qian and regain face, these vassal kings were not even afraid of offending the emperor?
Hu Hui was the most senior person present, so it was useless for him to come forward. Naturally, the others were also hesitant.
Of course, another very important point is that until now, they have not figured out what the emperor's plan is.
According to their understanding of the emperor, if something like this happened, whether it was because of the emperor's love for Qian or because of Yu Qian's numerous achievements, he would definitely defend Yu Qian.
But the problem is that until now, the emperor has not made his attitude clear, so the ministers present are also a little unsure. Is the emperor hindered by the status of the kings, or does he expect them to come forward and confront the kings head-on? ?
No one spoke at the scene, and King Lu brought the topic to the emperor again. It would obviously be inappropriate to remain silent at this time.
Therefore, after pondering for a moment, Zhu Qiyu looked at King Min aside and said.
"Uncle King Min, you are in charge of the clan mansion, and it is you who handed over this memorial. Do you think Yu Qian was at fault in this matter?" Then, everyone looked at King Min.
From the moment he entered the palace, the clan leader just sat aside and did not express any attitude. However, judging from the fact that he met with King Zhou, King Lu and others, no matter whether he was sincere or not, at least he was consistent in his stance. , should be consistent with the kings.
Now that the emperor had called his name, King Min naturally couldn't continue to watch. After thinking for a while, he spoke. Stab
"Your Majesty, I am not unaware that what Yu Shaobao did was for the sake of the country and the promotion of the imperial government."
"However, there is no rule without rules. Yu Shaobao may not have the intention to bully the clan, but the officials, government officials, and staff below have actually offended the clan."
"What's more, besieging Prince Yi's Mansion to arrest bandits, breaking into Prince Ning's Mansion without permission, and doing things in a manner that is indeed disrespectful to the vassal king."
"I'm not here to ask what happened to Yu Shaobao, I just want to get an explanation. What's more, as members of the Zhu family, I have the responsibility of the feudal society. There is no distinction between high and low officials in the imperial court, and it is unclear whether they have high or low status. Today, If you bully the clan, you will bully Your Majesty tomorrow. If I sit back and ignore it, wouldn’t I be living up to Emperor Taizu’s intention of establishing a vassal and establishing a screen?"
"I dare not interfere in the affairs of the imperial court. Yu Shaobao is the Minister of the Ministry of War and the Seventh Minister. He has assisted Your Majesty in defeating the Wala. He is an important minister of the country. Even if he makes mistakes, he should be punished lightly. I and others should be punished lightly." The request is nothing more than to clarify the atmosphere of the court and affirm the superiority and inferiority of superiors and inferiors. There is no other intention. Please make it clear to your majesty!" King Min said these words very seriously, and his attitude was slightly gentler than that of the kings of Zhou, King Lu and others, but, Not much optimistic.
Although it is said that it is just asking for an explanation to clarify the atmosphere of the court, there is a lot of room in between what it means to ask for an explanation and how to clarify the atmosphere of the court.
Of course, what is a little reassuring is that the kings did not want to completely overthrow Yu Qian. In this way, it would not cause too fierce a reaction in the court.
After hearing these words, the emperor pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze to Yu Qian aside and asked.
"Yu Shaobao, what do you think?" Everyone looked at Yu Qian worriedly, fearing that he would say something shocking again.
However, what is surprising is that for some reason, Yu Qian's face seemed to be struggling, but soon, his expression calmed down and he handed over his hands.
"Your Majesty has learned this clearly, and I am willing to accept the punishment!" Rarely, Yu Qian did not make any further arguments and simply bowed his head and admitted his mistake.
Seeing this situation, all the vassal kings had a faint look of victory on their faces. On the contrary, the worries in the hearts of other ministers became stronger.
Although King Min said it was not for punishment, in the court, rewards and punishments were clearly the most basic principle.
Since Yu Qian admitted that he was at fault, it is impossible for the emperor to not punish him. Otherwise, the kings will definitely have trouble getting through.
Seeing Yu Qian being so straightforward, the Emperor's expression was a little strange, as if he was expecting it, but he was also slightly surprised.
It was visible to the naked eye that the emperor hesitated, but in the end, he still asked.
"Yu Shaobao, these matters involve many things and the plots are complicated. You don't have any inside information. Do you want to tell me again?"
"If there is any, I can send officials to investigate clearly and then deal with it." The implications of these words were so obvious that after the words fell, the faces of other kings present suddenly became very ugly.
In contrast, other ministers looked at Yu Qian one after another. The emperor's words clearly showed his intention to protect him. As long as Yu Qian can find a reasonable reason, at least today's level will be passable.
However, Yu Qian did not follow the emperor's wishes, but repeated.
"Your Majesty clearly understands that besieging Prince Yi's Mansion, injuring the servants of Prince Ning's Mansion, and rushing into the king's carriage were all caused by the improper behavior of the ministers. Please punish him." A subtle sigh sounded, and the emperor's face became a little helpless. He glanced at the kings beside him who were eyeing Qian eagerly, and finally spoke.
"In this case, if you have committed a crime, you should be punished. For the sake of serving the country wholeheartedly, I will only give you a small punishment and a big warning. I will fine you half a year's salary and submit a letter of apology to serve as a warning to others!" This punishment is not serious, but it is Not too light either.
For Qian, fines and other things were commonplace, but submitting a form of apology meant admitting his mistakes in front of the entire court.
This punishment is already very severe for civil servants who always value their reputation. However, Yu Qian had obviously expected this and calmly handed it over.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I accept the decree." So, the emperor once again turned to the side of King Zhou and others, but his expression was much worse than when he entered the palace. Of course, his tone was still gentle, and he said.
"Uncles, is this appropriate to deal with?" He was obviously a little dissatisfied when he asked this question.
However, King Zhou and others looked at each other, but still spoke.
"Your Majesty's Holy Light, I naturally have no objection. However, there is one small matter that I would like to ask for your Majesty's permission."
"What's the matter?" the emperor asked with a frown. So, King Zhou glanced at Yu Qian below, and then stood up. Coincidentally, King Lu and King Min also stood up with him.
The three of them bowed to the emperor, and then King Zhou said.
"Your Majesty clearly understands that what Yu Qian did has caused injustice to many vassal kings. Since Yu Qian admitted that he was wrong, he should admit his mistakes. Now King Yi, King Zheng, King Ning and others are all living in the palace of the ten princes. I ask for your kindness. Yes, Yu Qian is ordered to come to the door in person to admit his mistake, to show his superiority and inferiority, and to police the government and the public!" See the dagger in the picture!
The palace suddenly became quiet, and all the ministers present had a faint flash of anger in their eyes. You must know that in their view, these feudal kings came here to make trouble unreasonably. However, due to the status of these feudal kings, they have repeatedly tolerated it.
However, the other party pressed forward step by step and made every possible move. Come to apologize? After all, Yu Qian was also a minister of the Qing Dynasty, and he was on an equal footing with the princes. In terms of power, he was even a bit more powerful than the ordinary princes.
With such an identity, it was tantamount to humiliation for King Zhou to ask him to go to the Tenth Prince's Mansion in person to admit his mistake. Even if this matter is really Yu Qian's problem, there is no reason to force it on others.
What's more, Yu Qian was following the imperial decree, carrying out great policies, and being loyal to the country. In the end, the kings actually made such demands, which was simply intolerable.
For a moment, all the ministers present also narrowed their eyes. Yu Shiyue lifted up the hem of his robe, knelt on the ground, and spoke first.
"Your Majesty, I think this matter should not be acted upon. Since the kings feel that what Yu Shaobao did there is offensive to the clan and alienating relatives, I would like to ask your Majesty to bring this matter to the court for discussion."
"At the same time, after Yu Shaobao left the capital, all the official documents and memorials of local officials retained by the Ministry of War were investigated clearly in front of all civil and military officials. If it is Yu Shaobao's fault, he should come to the door. Apologize."
"But if someone deliberately obstructs the implementation of the imperial government's policies and forces Yu Shaobao to use strong measures, please ask your Majesty to severely punish him. Otherwise, if the imperial government implements any government decrees in the future, it will be very difficult and will be of no benefit to the country." After the words fell, Yu Shiyue felt Several eyes looked at him, especially King Lu, who looked at him with a hint of anger.
You must know that King Lu just refuted Yu Shiyue, but at this time he stood up again and made it clear that he did not take King Lu's reprimand just in his eyes.
Just by looking at Prince Lu's face, you can tell that he is really angry. However, this time Yu Shiyue didn't give him any face and stared back without hesitation.
**Damn, let me give you some colors, I really want to open a dyeing workshop! You guys are the only ones who dare to be angry, but he's not angry yet!
Yu Shiyue himself was in the cabinet and had handled many memorials. Among them, there were not only one thousand but also eight hundred people who impeached the kings for their crimes.
He knew very well what kind of people these people were. As the king of the clan, he kept saying that he was a vassal of the country, but in fact, in the fiefdom, all he did was dominate and bully the people.
The vassal kings present here only have thousands of hectares of fertile land given by the court. This does not include the annual salary and the private land they purchased through normal channels.
Although the imperial court was so kind to him, he was still greedy and could not satisfy his desires, so he reached into the military villages and privately cultivated fields.
In the civil war, the imperial court suffered heavy losses, and the treasury was so empty that it could run away. The civil and military officials lived frugally and lived a tight life.
But these vassal kings seemed to be unable to see anything. At this moment, the imperial court was attacking the army. They jumped out and started shouting, "Yihu Sheji is coming, why have you gone so early?"
! If you really care about the country and the country, you should act like a king on behalf of the emperor, actively cooperate with the court to clear the abbot, share the pressure for the court, and spit out all the land that was obtained from the wealthy.
Each word sounds nicer than the last, isn't it just for selfish gain? Yu Shiyue just stared at King Lu coldly, already cursing in his heart.
His remarks and actions, as expected, immediately angered King Lu completely. The old prince had a calm face and shouted sharply.
"Yu Shiyue, you are really presumptuous!"
"What do you mean by someone deliberately obstructing the imperial government and forcing Yu Qian to use strong methods? Are you implying that I and the clan members present are against the imperial court?" Isn't it true? Don't you know it yourself?
Yu Shiyue snorted lightly and cupped his hands.
"Prince Lu has learned clearly that I dare not make any wild guesses. It's just that it is difficult for the court to organize the army and there are many obstacles. Who is behind this really needs to be investigated thoroughly." He said this in a strong tone, without giving any hint to Prince Lu. To save face, the angry opponent suddenly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Taking a deep breath, King Lu turned around and said to the emperor.
"Your Majesty, the current atmosphere in the imperial court is really eye-opening to me. The dignified cabinet ministers have no dignity and are arrogant in their tone. They dare to insinuate relatives and vassal kings without any evidence in hand. They are simply audacious. This kind of atmosphere must be strict. Please correct it, Your Majesty." Seeing this situation, the emperor looked at Yu Shiyue and said.
"Yu Cifu, your preface is right, you still have to pay attention to your words and don't speak impulsively. Now that the New Year is approaching, if you bring this matter to the court, it will only cause turmoil in the court. There is no need to mention it again." After the words fell, King Lu's face became more and more complex. It became ugly.
What he was talking about was that Yu Shiyue insinuated the vassal king in the palace and offended his clan members. However, the emperor changed the situation and only said that his suggestions were not considered well.
This clearly shows that he is deliberately avoiding the topic and indulging Yu Shiyue in disguise. Of course Yu Shiyue could see this himself, so although he was 'reprimanded', he was not dissatisfied at all and bowed his hands respectfully.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for my inconsideration." With Yu Shiyue taking the lead, the faces of the other ministers also became solemn. They looked at each other in unison and already had the answer in their hearts.
The other party made it clear that they were here to stir up trouble, and they all tried to persuade and give in. However, these vassal kings kept pushing their limits. If they all agreed to this condition and spread it, it would not only be Yu Qian who would be embarrassed. Every one of the ministers they summoned today, especially the civil servants, would be embarrassed behind their backs. Being laughed at is not responsible.
Since compromise doesn't work, then let's have a head-on fight. To put it bluntly, although they were wary of the power of these vassal kings and did not want to offend them, they were not afraid of each other.
Yes, they can't do anything to these feudal kings. But similarly, it is not that easy for these vassal kings to compete with them in the ring!
