The whole story was figured out, but it became more and more difficult.
Zhu Qiyu once thought that the inner story behind this matter must not be simple, but he did not expect that so many people would be implicated.
Thinking about it carefully, in his previous life, his focus was on governing the country. Especially in the past few years, various disasters have made him miserable. In addition, major events such as deposing the queen and replacing the prince, etc., for these dynasties The issues hidden in the hall are indeed not well understood.
In particular, although this case involved many people and a wide scope, most of the officials involved were not of high rank, so he naturally did not notice it.
Now that this case was revealed, Zhu Qiyu was really shocked and angry, but after calming down, he also realized how big the impact of this case would be.
As Shu Liang said, this matter is far from over as of now. Both Wang Xuan and Liu Yi are just small nodes in this huge network of interests. Follow their line of investigation. If you go on, you will definitely be able to uncover a network that covers the entire court and even the entire officialdom.
Once this case is investigated, the shock and impact on the government and the public will be unparalleled. Even if it is taken seriously, it is not impossible to set off a major case on the scale of the Taizu Dynasty.
Corruption in the imperial court, collusion with each other, and forming cliques to rely on each other are unavoidable shortcomings in all dynasties. The reason why many of these emperors in the past dynasties turned a blind eye to it is not because they really cannot notice it, but because they are not aware of it. For them, it is really difficult to make this decision.
Once a major case of this magnitude is raised, it will not only cause shock to the entire court, but more importantly, it means that under the pens of later generations of historians, he will definitely become a cruel emperor. This is the case for most emperors. A situation that no one wants to see.
You know, no matter how solid the evidence in this case is and how specific the charges are, over the years, the result that people can see is an emperor who goes on a killing spree. As for the reason for doing so, I am afraid no one will really investigate. What's more, even if this case is investigated, I'm afraid it will only be a temporary shock. A hundred years after Zhu Qiyu, new interest chains will still emerge...
So, to check or not to check?
Zhu Qiyu closed the memorial in his hand and closed his eyes slightly. Shu Liang beside him also stopped talking. In fact, if the matter had not been so serious, how could even Shu Liang, who had always been unscrupulous, be extremely cautious this time.
"Wynn..."
After a while, under the gaze of Shu Liang and Wynn, the emperor's eyes slowly opened and his tone was calm.
"My slave is here."
Wynn stepped forward quickly to answer, and then heard the emperor speak.
"We summoned the six ministers, Chen Yi, the censor of the left capital, Wang Hong, the censor of the deputy capital, all cabinet ministers, Lu Zhong, the commander of the Jinyi Guards, and Fan Guangwu, the governor, to come to the Yingdian Palace..."
Hearing this, both Huai En and Shu Liang were shocked. However, they both knew that such a big matter was not theirs to comment on. Therefore, neither of them said a word. Huai En hurriedly When he went down to summon people, Shu Liang stayed in the palace.
After a while, the hall became quiet. The emperor seemed a little tired and leaned gently on the back of the chair, closing his eyes and falling asleep. Shu Liang stood aside, not daring to breathe.
I don't know how long it took, but it seemed to be raining outside. Thunder shook the sky, and white light flashed, as if it was about to tear the sky apart.
"Shu Liang, are you afraid?"
A rumble of thunder fell, making the palace more and more silent. At this moment, Shu Liang, who was standing with his head bowed, suddenly heard the emperor's voice in his ears.
Taking courage, Shu Liang raised his head and saw the Emperor looking at him. His young face was extremely calm, but his eyes held bottomless majesty.
After letting out a gentle breath, Shu Liang knelt down and spoke.
"Go back to your Majesty, this slave is born to you and will be yours to die. As long as it is what your Majesty orders, I will do it even to the death!"
These words were somewhat inappropriate, but both Zhu Qiyu and Shu Liang understood the weight of these words.
Finally, a smile appeared on Zhu Qiyu's face and he said.
"Get up, don't worry, I will keep you safe every day."
"Slave, thank you for your grace!"
Shu Liang's eyes flashed with excitement. Rarely, he did not stand up in compliance with the order, but continued to bow and bow...
Not long after, a group of ministers gathered in the side hall of Wuying Hall. Initially, they didn't pay much attention to this summons, but as familiar faces appeared in the hall, everyone's expressions became more and more solemn. got up.
You must know that the biggest thing in the court recently is Chen Xun's case. However, there is no definite evidence for this case yet. Even if there is, such a big battle would be a bit excessive.
In particular, the sight of Fan Guang and Lu Zhong, two people who should belong to the rank of military generals, cast a layer of gloom in their hearts, and the atmosphere became a little gloomy. They were both people who had experienced officialdom for a long time. , their intuition told them that something terrible must have happened.
After everyone had arrived, Wynn's figure appeared outside the palace door and said.
"My lords, Your Majesty has summoned you, please come with us..."
With deep doubts and uneasiness, everyone stepped into the palace. Looking up, the emperor's face was calm. Sitting on the throne, next to him was Shu Liang, the eunuch of Dongchang.
In addition, these ministers were also keenly aware that there were far fewer maids and chamberlains serving in Wuying Palace than usual, but there were many more guards and Han generals, which further confirmed their premonitions. .
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty, long live my emperor!"
"Flat body!"
When the emperor's voice fell, there was still no hint of joy or anger, which made everyone present feel anxious.
After a moment of silence, the emperor spoke at the scene, but his eyes fell on Jin Lian, the minister of punishment, and said.
"The Criminal Department's investigation into Wang Xuan's case, has there been any results now?"
After hearing this, everyone's mental arithmetic dropped a little. If it was for Chen Xun's case, then it would be understandable. Of course, even so, such a battle would still feel a bit too big.
However, what they did not notice was that what the emperor was talking about was the 'Wang Xuan case', not the 'Chen Ying case' or the 'Chen Xun case'.
This is a small difference, a slight difference, but a huge difference.
Of course, at this time, everyone in the palace had not realized this. Jin Lian from the Punishment Department couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart when he heard this.
"Your Majesty, this case is of great importance. Therefore, the case cannot be finalized based solely on the witnesses' confessions and the evidence currently available. I have previously requested an order to recall Liao Ting, the prefect of Ji'an, to Beijing. At the same time, I have sent a letter to Nanjing. Ministry of Revenue, please ask Gao Shangshu to reply to prove whether what Chen Shangshu said is true. Therefore, we will have to wait a little longer for the specific case."
This is a fact, and it is something that everyone in the government and the public knows. Because of this, the ministers are wondering why the emperor suddenly summoned them all.
However, facing Jin Lian's explanation, Zhu Qiyu shook his head and said.
"I'm not talking about Wang Xuan's case against Chen Ying, but about the case where Wang Xuan himself offered and accepted bribes in Beijing, formed cliques, engaged in malpractice for personal gain, and colluded with courtiers to protect each other. What did the Ministry of Punishment find out?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone present immediately cheered up.
Sure enough, today's matter was not as simple as Chen Xun's case.
At the same time, after hearing this, Jin Lian's expression also changed and he said.
"Your Majesty, forgive me. The Ministry of Punishment is also investigating Wang Xuan's involvement. However, at present, the case between him and Chen Ying is the most involved. In addition, Wang Xuan once had a close relationship with an official named Ji Tong. Regarding my dealings with you, I have written a note earlier about this matter, asking for Your Majesty’s clear understanding.”
Wang Xuan's name was naturally heard by everyone in the government and the public during this period.
However, not many people knew about Ji Tong. At least, most of the ministers present could not help but feel a little confused when they heard this name.
However, after hearing this, a smile flashed across the emperor's face and he said
"Oh? If that's the case, then I know more than the Punishment Department."
These words were always said with a smile, but for some reason, when everyone present saw the emperor's expression, the ominous premonition in their hearts inexplicably rose again.
Sure enough, the next moment, the emperor turned his eyes to Shu Liang aside and said.
"Just now, Dongchang submitted a memorial, which is closely related to Wang Xuan's case. You may wish to listen to it together."
As a result, everyone's eyes focused on Shu Liang, who was standing aside with a straight face.
Although they had noticed this Dongchang man as early as when they entered the palace, it was not until this moment that many people suddenly discovered that this Dongchang man always had a usual fake smile on his face. The factory supervisor, this time, there was not a trace of smile on his face from beginning to end.
After hearing the emperor's instructions, Shu Liang bowed forward, respectfully picked up a memorial from the imperial desk, and started reading.
As Shu Liang's emotionless voice echoed in the slightly empty Wuying Palace, the faces of the ministers in the palace became increasingly ugly as his voice sounded.
This memorial was the second one submitted by Shu Liang. It briefly talked about Wang Xuan's bribery to Liu Yi at the beginning, and then focused on Liu Yi.
"In April of the twelfth year of Zhengtong, the censor of Shandong Province bribed Liu Yi to amend the case file and change the sentence of his nephew's murder..."
"In July of the twelfth year of Zhengtong, Xufang, the magistrate of Wuxian County, interrogated the case of raping a female citizen. Since the criminal was a relative of Liu Yi, Liu Yi later wrote to Xufang, and the case was dismissed..."
"In May of the 13th year of Zhengtong, Suzhou Prefecture promoted officials..."
"The first month of the fourteenth year of Orthodoxy,..."
…………
"In November of the third year of Jingtai, due to corruption during the Jiangxi disaster, Ji Tong, the county magistrate, was arrested and imprisoned. The official bribed Wang Xuan and Liu Yi three thousand taels in an attempt to alleviate his crime, but to no avail..."
One by one, Shu Liang recounted these shocking cases one by one with an incomparable calmness, which caused all the ministers present to fall into silence.
Now, some of them finally realized why the emperor summoned them here.
As Shu Liang's voice fell and he sent the memorial to the imperial court again, the sound of pindrops could already be heard in the main hall, and the atmosphere in the hall became extremely stagnant.
Everyone lowered their heads and fell silent.
They heard the memorial just now very clearly. Starting from Wang Xuan, they traced Liu Yi, and then, from Liu Yi, they led to a series of cases. And, more importantly, although there were not many cases mentioned just now, , however, it has been vaguely seen that through Liu Yi, Dongchang is already investigating other officials' illegal activities. If this is true, then...
"Jin Shangshu, what is your explanation for the things described in this memorial?"
Soon, the emperor's voice sounded again, his tone was still calm and gentle, but everyone who heard this sentence could feel the coldness hidden in it.
Jin Lian had cold sweat on his forehead. He quickly got out of the queue, knelt on the ground and said.
"I have neglected my duty. Please forgive me for your majesty's sins. I will investigate the various crimes listed in this memorial in detail and strictly after I return to the Ministry of Punishment!"
This statement is considered normal. After all, the memorial written by Shu Liang just mentioned some crimes, but there was no specific evidence attached.
Therefore, it would be a bit reckless to conclude that these crimes are true. Of course, whether it is one case or so many cases, in the end, Wang Xuan's bribery of Liu Yi cannot be false.
This alone is Jin Lian's dereliction of duty. As the Minister of Punishment, he failed to discover that such a person was hiding under his command. Moreover, he was exposed by Dongchang. It would be unjustifiable if he did not express any expression.
However, the more times this happens, the more people dare to speak out. After Jin Lian finished speaking, Wang Hong from the Metropolitan Procuratorate could not help but stand up and said.
"Your Majesty, what is said in this report is too shocking. Moreover, most of it is based on rumors and there is no detailed evidence. It would be biased to judge the crimes of imperial officials based on this one-sided statement. Liu Yi has no bad records in the court. Now Dongchang is saying out of thin air that he has so many crimes, which is really unconvincing."
"What's more, Dongchang is not an imperial government office. It is illegal to investigate imperial officials in such a random manner. I sincerely request your majesty to imprison Shu Liang, the eunuch of Dongchang, and strictly examine whether he has deliberately framed the minister."
It has to be said that Mr. Wang Hong's behavior at this moment is in line with Ke Dao's usual style. He is reckless and bold, and he has a clear stand to discriminate against eunuchs and protect civil servants.
However, his words made all the ministers present couldn't help but smile bitterly. It was inevitable that Wang Hong could not see the situation clearly.
In the current scene, regardless of the truth or falsehood of the matter, the emperor was obviously very angry. He didn't even see the Minister of Punishment, one of the seven ministers, and didn't dare to explain even a word, so he just apologized?
At this time, saying something like this would just add fuel to the fire...
