Qian Qianyi's shouting reminded these civil servants who were kneeling to remonstrate.
Of course, these civil servants are not that stupid. They really want to kneel here and get stabbed.
Therefore, for a moment, these civil servants who had just threatened to kneel down immediately stood up and turned around to run out.
For a while, apart from some civil servants who were so frightened by this sudden scene that their legs were weak and could not run away, or those who did not run away were killed, many civil servants also managed to escape.
After all, they were trying to survive, so everyone ran very aggressively, and they didn't dare to stop even when they were out of breath.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Youxiao only raised the corner of his mouth slightly, then looked at Han Xu and others, and asked: "We are discussing this matter here now, which is the death of the late emperor. Many of you were former emperors." I am an old minister who often listens to orders in front of the emperor. He should know the specific situation of the late emperor's taking medicine. Please tell me what happened. Did Fang Congzhe commit regicide? To be honest, I will not punish you!"
Looking at the corpses of the troubled civil servants who had not been carried away and the blood everywhere, Han Xu had already turned pale.
How dare he now say that Fang Congzhe was a regicide and a rebellious minister like the civil servants who made trouble just now.
After all, even a fool can see that His Majesty wants to protect Fang Congzhe.
For this reason, Han Xu fell silent and glanced at other important civil servants.
Other important civil servants were also peeping at each other. Like Han Xu, they all dared not say that Fang Congzhe was a regicide and a rebellious minister.
But they couldn't directly deny that Fang Congzhe was a regicide, because they knew that if they were as flattering as Fang Congzhe and obeyed the emperor's wishes, the group of civil servants who made trouble outside just now would not spare them.
Therefore, these people became silent.
Zhu Youxiao knew why they were silent, so he asked in a stern tone: "Why are they all mute? Don't you even dare to tell the truth?!"
After Zhu Youxiao asked, he looked at Han Xu: "Han Aiqing, you were a cabinet minister during the late emperor's time. You go ahead."
Han Xu shuddered. He did not expect His Majesty the Emperor to call his name first.
Therefore, Han Xu had no choice but to stand up and said with cupped hands: "Your Majesty, I remember that the late emperor's condition worsened after taking the red pills offered by Li Kezhuo, the Prime Minister of Honglu Temple, and Yuan Fu was not the only one present at that time. , the ministers, the six ministers, the censor of the Duchayuan, as well as Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou and other Gu Ming ministers were all in front of the imperial court, but it was the late emperor who wanted to summon Li Kezhuo after reading Li Kezhuo's memorial. , the ministers originally advised the late emperor, but the late emperor was eager to recover, so he did not listen, and still asked to summon Li Kezhuo and asked him to offer red pills, and the late emperor also became seriously ill because of taking the red pills he offered."
Zhu Youxiao therefore nodded and looked at Zhang Wenda, the Minister of Civil Affairs: "Zhang Aiqing, you were the censor of Zuodu at that time and an old minister of Gu Ming. Is what Han Aiqing said true?"
Seeing that Han Xu told the truth and nothing happened, Zhang Wenda naturally did not dare to make up nonsense, so he hurriedly echoed: "Back to Your Majesty! We all heard and witnessed the process of delivering the medicine. What Han Gefu said is true! However, it's true!" , Li Kezhuo is not a medical officer, and he is not a person who knows the pulse and knowledge of medicine. The late emperor collapsed after using his medicine. If we really want to judge the crime, Yuan Fu and we Jiu Qing are both guilty because they failed to stop it!"
"Do other people who were around the late Emperor at that time have any objections?"
As Zhu Youxiao spoke, he asked Wang Yingjiao, the Minister of Household Affairs, and others.
These people all replied: "I have no objection!"
Zhu Youxiao nodded with great satisfaction, thinking that these civil servants were indeed like this. As long as he was stronger, they would all be obedient and smart, and they would also know how to answer to satisfy himself.
"In this case, this case is clear. Han Aiqing, Fang Congzhe is naturally inconvenient to draft Xue Wenzhou's memorial, so it will be up to you to draft it. The draft reads: First, what Xue Wenzhou said is untrue, and he should be dismissed from his post. ; Second, Li Kezhuo was not a medical officer, but he donated medicine without authorization. He was suspected of treason and was immediately jailed. His home was searched for treason! Third, important officials at the time such as Fang Congzhe, Han Xu, Zhang Wenda, Wang Bianjiao, and Zhang Heming The failure to stop the late emperor from taking medicine was really the fault of a minister. However, because he came first with the regulations and admonitions, he fulfilled his duty as a minister and ordered everyone to submit a self-examination (written review) and publish it in a report to the world."
Colonel Zhu You gave orders to Han Xu.
"I obey the decree!"
Han Xu replied.
Han Xu knew that His Majesty's third decree was obviously to determine the matter through his own high-ranking civil servants, so that those outside civil servants who were dissatisfied with the emperor would think that his high-ranking officials were cowardly and would feel dissatisfied with them. , thus making it easier to be manipulated by the emperor.
In fact, Han Xu originally wanted to directly say "I don't know" at first, but he was really afraid that he would anger Zhu Youxiao and be executed on the spot, so he still told the truth.
Fang Congzhe saw that Han Xu and the Qiqing civil servants were so honest, which reminded him of what the emperor had said to him before, that although his scholar-bureaucrats looked arrogant, in fact most of them were cowardly people.
This gave Fang Congzhe some confidence to continue fighting side by side with the emperor.
…
After being drafted by Han Xu, Xue Wenzhou's memorial was quickly approved and issued to the General Affairs Department.
Naturally, Xue Wenzhou could no longer receive his memorial.
However, Di Bao still published the contents of Xue Wenzhou's memorial and the imperial edict drafted after criticizing the Red Army.
And as a result, the case about Emperor Taichang taking red pills was officially ended.
Fang Congzhe did not leave the cabinet because of this incident.
Donglin civil servant's plan to exclude Fang Congzhe from the court failed again.
Even just as they wanted to hold the emperor hostage and overthrow Xiong Tingbi, they not only failed, but also paid a heavy price.
But the conflict between them and the emperor has undoubtedly become more acute.
After all, all this was the result of Tianqi Emperor Zhu Youxiao's strong confrontation with them.
"Your Majesty, I dare to say that with the current situation, scholars all over the world may criticize you and even feel dissatisfied. However, behind their backs are the grain, salt tax, land tax and other lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty. They definitely don't want to see your majesty treat you like this. Scholars, therefore, I ask Your Majesty to take countermeasures!"
Fang Congzhe did not dare to dissuade the angry Zhu Youxiao when the civil servants knelt down to remonstrate, but on the second day, he still had to speak from the bottom of his heart to Zhu Youxiao, because he was also a scholar, and he knew how disgusted the scholars would be when the emperor treated them like fish. Same slaughter.
Moreover, Fang Congzhe had to stand with the emperor now, so in order to prevent Zhu Youxiao from major turmoil, he had to remind Zhu Youxiao.
Therefore, Han Xu glanced at Zhu Youxiao and said with a secret smile: "Fang Congzhe is right! You, Zhu Youxiao, are so cruel to our scholar-officials. Are you really not afraid of losing my heart as a scholar-official? I want to see what you, a tyrant, do." response!"
