Zhang Xiude did not dare to look at Wei Yingjia, and only looked at Wei Zhongxian with a pitiful expression: "I beg your father-in-law to tell your majesty the truth. I really did not form a clique for personal gain, nor did I form a clique for personal gain!"
Wei Zhongxian didn't know why, but seeing Zhang Xiude, a usually arrogant censor, begging for mercy, he felt extremely comfortable in his heart.
Because of this, Wei Zhongxian still looked at Wei Yingjia calmly: "Wei Yingjia, do you really want our family to be punished? Zhang Xiude has already said that you and your Donglin officials are forming a clique for personal gain."
Wei Yingjia was still stubborn: "We have not formed a clique for personal gain. Zhang Xiude only said such nonsense because of intimidation! Although we, the gentlemen of Donglin, are friends, we are not party members, and although we have plans, they are not for ourselves!"
Wei Zhongxian raised his eyebrows when he saw this: "Then let's punish him."
So, the Jin Yiwei in the imperial prison brought the tiger stool over.
"Wait!"
But Wei Yingjia shouted at this time, and then looked at Wei Zongxian solemnly: "I'll do it! But all this has nothing to do with the Dukes of Donglin. It's Liu Gelao and Wang Huazhen who are framing Xiong Tingbi. They asked me to ask for a bribe from Xiong Tingbi, and Let me get Xiong Tingbi's evidence and then impeach Xiong Tingbi. Although our Donglin officials hope that Mr. Yuan will be the manager of Liaodong, we have no intention of framing Xiong Tingbi. If Feng Sanyuan impeached Xiong Tingbi, the court would have dismissed Xiong Tingbi. For these latter matters, we will not ask for bribes from Xiong Tingbi to frame the border ministers!"
Wei Yingjia clenched her fists excitedly as she spoke: "I really don't understand why Fang Congzhe protects Xiong Tingbi so much! Why does Your Majesty trust Fang Congzhe so much! Xiong Tingbi is as afraid of the enemy as a tiger. He only builds cities and wastes money and food. Sooner or later, the Liao Dynasty will be ruined. In his hands!”
After listening to Wei Yingjia's words, Wei Zhongxian even felt that although Wei Yingjia's methods were not very bright, he seemed to have a public heart.
Therefore, Wei Zhongxian could no longer laugh at Wei Yingjia. He only looked at Zhang Xiude and Wei Yingjia and said, "Our family will truthfully report your confessions to Your Majesty!"
…
"Your Majesty, these are the confessions of Zhang Xiude and Wei Yingjia."
After Wei Zhongxian came to Zhu Youxiao, he talked to Zhu Youxiao and the three cabinet ministers who were still with Zhu Youxiao.
Zhu Youxiao felt a little want to laugh after hearing this. He thought to himself that if he hadn't known the ending of history, he might have thought that Xiong Tingbi was really an incompetent manager. He was so incompetent that the loyal Donglin Party had to use extraordinary means to frame him. Xiong Tingbi.
But the current Zhu Youxiao is not the 16-year-old young emperor Zhu Youxiao who had just ascended the throne and had no experience in the world.
As a person with a clear understanding of the history of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youxiao knew that the Donglin Party was not stupid. As representatives of the interests of the wealthy gentry in Jiangnan, they had a common label with Liaodong Military Town and even Shanxi merchants.
This label refers to big landowners and big businessmen, which can also be said to be big bureaucrats and big capitalists.
Anyway, their interests are the same, that is, they do not want Xiong Tingbi, a Liaodong manager who likes to build walls, to destroy the ecological chain in which they use "smuggling" to seize Liao's salary interests.
After all, Nurhaci's military expansion and economic plunder have now become their biggest customers.
And because Nurhaci was hostile to the Ming Dynasty and obtained money easily, he was often generous in purchasing smuggled goods.
Therefore, these capitalists, who are profit-loving in nature, do not care about the consequences, and naturally it is easy for them to collude.
Zhu Youxiao glanced at Liu Yishen and asked: "Liu Qing's family, Wei Yingjia said that you ordered him to frame Xiong Tingbi. Is it possible that you are as public-minded as Wei Yingjia?"
Liu Yishen, who was already chilling all over, fell to the ground when Zhu Youxiao asked such a question, gritted his teeth and knelt down, then suddenly fell to the ground, trembling: "I, I am guilty!"
Zhu Youxiao continued: "You are an old minister. I won't embarrass you. Go to jail yourself."
Then, Zhu Youxiao looked at Fang Congzhe and Han Xu again: "The two ministers of the cabinet drafted an edict to remove Liu Yishen from all his positions, demoted him to a commoner, and ordered him to be imprisoned, and the three-law judicial committee will interrogate the crime! Both of them were dismissed. family property!"
Han Xu couldn't help but be dumbfounded after hearing this. He didn't expect that His Majesty the Emperor's punishment for Liu Yishen would be so severe.
Because according to the usual practice, except for Xia Yan who was executed by Jiajing's order for offending Yan Song, the most serious thing for the ministers of the cabinet was to be converted into common people, and there was no such thing as confiscation of their homes.
Liu Yishen himself was shocked and looked up at Zhu Youxiao in surprise.
Fang Congzhe knew the emperor's thoughts and knew that the current emperor likes to use strict governance to govern the country.
Moreover, Fang Congzhe had made up his mind to kill Liu Yishui since Liu Yishui satirized him in secret. Otherwise, he would not have said in front of Emperor Zhu Youxiao that Wei Yingjia was forming a clique for personal gain.
Fang Congzhe has been in the cabinet for many years. He can even deal with the emperor Wanli, who is as shrewd as Jiajing, and the difficult Donglin officials such as Gu Xiancheng. Naturally, he is not as easy to bully as people think on the surface.
Therefore, Fang Congzhe knew that if he continued to protect Liu Yishuo, given Liu Yishuo's insinuation that his party was protecting Xiong Tingbi, he was afraid that Liu Yishuo would directly kill him in the next moment.
Therefore, Fang Congzhe struck first, and he would not wait foolishly for Liu Yishui to attack him before he struck back.
Although everyone is a civil servant, when it comes to life and death, Fang Congzhe will show no mercy.
Therefore, Fang Congzhe took the lead in replying: "I obey your order!"
Seeing that Fang Congzhe had already responded, Han Xu could not intercede for Liu Yishen anymore, so he could only reply: "I obey the order!"
Han Xu found that neither he nor Liu Yishui was actually Fang Congzhe's opponent. Although he and Liu Yishui had the support of Donglin Yanguan in the outer court, they were obviously not as experienced as Fang Congzhe.
So now that Liu Yishui is in jail, he can't compete with Fang Congzhe, and he doesn't even dare to intercede.
Zhu Youxiao also nodded after seeing the two cabinet ministers agree, thinking that they are all smart people after all, and they don't need to get angry to know what to do.
Then, Zhu Youxiao said: "Wei Zhongxian, please tell Dongchang not to use torture, but to give Mr. Liu Ge a good cell."
Then, Zhu Youxiao did not give Liu Yishen a chance to defend himself, and said, "Everyone except Wei Zhongxian, please stand down."
Therefore, other ministers retreated.
Zhu Youxiao waited until everyone had retreated and then ordered Wei Zhongxian: "Pass on my order to seal the city gate, and immediately send people to Liaodong overnight to arrest Wang Huazhen, ask Xiong Tingbi to cooperate, and then order the Jinyi Guards to arrest all the people in the city except for the order soldiers." Anyone who rides a horse without authorization, no matter what official he is, should be arrested first and then interrogated, so as to prevent Fan Yuqing and others from informing him of the news! There must be no mistakes!"
"My slave obeys the order!"
Wei Zhongxian immediately retreated.
…
"drive!"
Fan Yuqing galloped on his horse on the street outside Xuanwumen. Holding a fish charm symbolizing his official status, he shouted to the merchants and citizens blocking the way in front of him: "Get out of the way!"
