"Has the assassin been found?"
"Go back, sir, not yet. I heard that several generals went there together, but they haven't found them yet."
Listening to the steward's words, Prime Minister Zuo Huang Zhiyuan fell into deep thought.
He walked to the desk, flipped through the books on the desk involuntarily, and muttered to himself: "Why did this arrow hit me but not the emperor?"
"Sir, is this assassination aimed at you?" the steward asked.
Listening to the butler's words, Huang Zhiyuan turned around and looked at the butler angrily: "If it wasn't aimed at me, why did this arrow almost hit my vitals?"
"Yes. Master, can you continue to look for this assassin?"
Suddenly, Huang Zhiyuan's injury started to hurt. He supported the table with one hand and covered the wound with the other. He looked at the housekeeper angrily: "What do you think?"
"Okay. Keep looking, little one. Avenge the master."
After those words, the housekeeper of the Huang Mansion went looking for him again.
However, the person who wanted to know more about the assassination than Prime Minister Zuo was the Li family.
"Who could it be?" Prime Minister Zuo Li Huixuan wandered cautiously in his study.
"Master." The housekeeper of Li Mansion came in.
Li Huixuan hurriedly looked back and asked hastily: "Did you find it?"
The housekeeper shook his head: "The Huang Mansion sent people to look for the assassin, but we couldn't find any information."
"Keep looking."
"yes."
After the housekeeper left, Li Huixuan sat on a chair, looked at a pile of books on the table, and murmured to himself in a panic: "Who could it be? Why did the two arrows only hit our two prime ministers? Could it be that I have something to do with this person?" Is there any grudge against the assassin?"
In this way, after a whole night of searching, they could not find who it was, and the two prime ministers became more impatient and nervous.
Early in the morning, the civil and military officials of the entire court were waiting for today's court affairs in Ankang Hall.
However, the emperor was not here for a long time, and all the ministers had their own opinions and discussions.
"Who do you think this assassin could be? Could it be that he is an enemy of the two prime ministers?" asked a civil servant.
"Zeng believes that there are just two kinds of people, one is the debt seeker, and the other is the enemy."
"Then Zhang thinks that there is a good chance that this is the enemy."
While the ministers were discussing and fighting with each other, Li Zi, who was beside the emperor, came over.
Eunuch Li, who was standing there, glanced around, and then he spoke: "The emperor has an edict that the court will not be held today. In addition, the emperor has an edict: Su Yunqi, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is responsible for investigating the corruption and disaster relief grains. One thing!"
"Taking stolen goods? Didn't this happen for more than a few months? Could it be that there is more than one person who is greedy for this disaster relief?"
After hearing this, the two prime ministers standing in front of the civil and military officials were very nervous and could not stand firmly.
"Retreat!" Eunuch Li shouted.
With a shout from the retreating court, the two prime ministers quickly walked out of the Ankang Hall in an attempt to escape.
Unexpectedly, just as the two prime ministers were walking out side by side in a panic, Su Yunqi rushed in front of the two prime ministers.
"Two prime ministers, where are you going?" Su Yunqi said with a smile.
"Go to the Prime Minister's Mansion." Prime Minister Zuo Huang Zhiyuan said calmly.
"You two don't have to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion today. I have something important to discuss with you."
Hearing what Su Yunqi, the Minister of Civil Service, said, Prime Minister You began to feel uneasy and break out in a sweat.
"Su Yunqi! Don't stand in the way of the two of us. The Prime Minister's Mansion still has official business waiting for the two of us to deal with." After saying that, Prime Minister Zuo Huang Zhiyuan was about to leave in a hurry.
"Take it!"
At the words of Su Yunqi, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, people from the Ministry of Justice suddenly jumped out and surrounded the two prime ministers.
"Su Yunqi! You are so bold! I have a high official position, it is your turn to seize the truth?!" Prime Minister Zuo scolded.
When the officials walking around saw this scene, they all gathered around and watched.
"That's right. Your Ministry of Civil Affairs is only in charge of matters such as appointment and dismissal, examinations, promotions and transfers across the country. Even the appointment and dismissal of officials can only be below the fifth rank. Who do you think you are!" said Right Prime Minister Li Huixuan.
Su Yunqi smiled: "Indeed, this is the only thing that lower officials can manage. Please ask the two prime ministers to see what these are?" Su Yunqi took out the document with a red seal.
Looking at the black characters and seal written by the Emperor on the document, the two prime ministers were really frightened.
"Although the Ministry of Personnel is only in charge of these things, the emperor appoints and the subordinates have to obey. Although the subordinate is only the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the case is not only judged by me alone, but also decided by the Three Laws Department. The subordinate just witnessed the whole process."
"Come! Take the two prime ministers to the prison of the Ministry of Justice!"
"yes."
In this way, the two prime ministers were taken away by the people from the Ministry of Punishment.
Seeing the two prime ministers being escorted away by people from the Ministry of Justice, the surrounding officials began to speculate:
"Could it be that the two prime ministers are greedy for this disaster relief food?"
"It looks like it should be."
"I didn't expect that the salaries of the two prime ministers were not enough."
"Isn't it true?"
Seeing the two prime ministers being taken away together, today all the ministries were talking privately about who the new prime minister would be.
"Su Shangshu, since the emperor has appointed you to be responsible for this matter, you should take this seat." Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice pointed to the tallest chair in the hall.
Su Yunqi smiled and said modestly: "You are the Minister of Punishment. Su doesn't know much about "Molu". It would be more appropriate for you to take this position."
After hearing this, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Justice, stroked his long beard and said with a smile: "Okay."
After speaking, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, sat down.
In the entire lobby of the Criminal Ministry, the three highest officials of the Three Law Departments (the Criminal Ministry, Dali Temple, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate) were sitting in the lobby.
From left to right are Su Yunqi, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Guo Kang, the Yushi of Zuodu of the Duchayuan, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and Xu Yongning, the Minister of Dali Temple.
This case was supposed to be heard by three officials from the Three Law Departments. In addition, the emperor had excessive trust in Su Yunqi, so there was an extra chair in the lobby.
After everything was arranged, the trial began.
After seeing that everything had been arranged, Guo Xingwen, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, patted the gavel, stood up seriously, and shouted: "Here comes someone! Take the prisoner to the court!"
Afterwards, the two prime ministers were brought into the hall.
At this time, they seemed to have been beaten. Both of them were covered in bruises and disheveled hair.
Seeing the prisoner being brought to the court, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, was discussing something with several people around him.
After a while, Guo Xingwenfang, the Secretary of the Ministry of Punishment, continued to ask: "Two Prime Ministers, a few months ago, there was a case of embezzlement of food for disaster relief in Mozhang.
Can I get in touch with you two? "
"You guys, you are so powerful!" After angrily reprimanding, Prime Minister Zuo Huang Zhiyuan looked left and right: "I have been an official for decades, and I have never seen anything in the world. Don't you think of this case of embezzling food for disaster relief? Force it on me."
After listening to the words of Zuo Prime Minister Huang Zhiyuan, several officials in front of the hall were frightened and started talking to each other again.
"Su Shangshu, what do you think?" Guo Xingwen, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment, looked at Su Yunqi with a confused look on his face.
"It's up to you to decide this matter. Su just wants to take a look." Su Yunqi said with a slight smile.
Hearing Su Yunqi's words, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, sat upright and looked at the two kneeling prime ministers below the stage with piercing eyes: "Prime Minister Li, please tell me, is this matter related to you or not? No involvement?"
"Li has a clean sleeve and a righteous mind, but he still can't do something like a cock crow and a dog stealing." Right Prime Minister Li Huixuan replied.
Seeing the speeches of the two prime ministers, Su Yun, who was sitting on the stage, smiled and said nothing.
"Did the two prime ministers know the deceased Xia Jinhuai, the co-president of Kaiyang Mansion, and were they involved with him?" Guo Xingwen, Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishments, continued.
Whether it is because they are dissatisfied or because they do not want to be ordered around, although the two prime ministers have been identified as sinners, they still have the aura of prime ministers in the court.
"Guo Shangshu, I wonder if we didn't explain it clearly or you are just confused? This matter has nothing to do with me." Huang Zhiyuan, the prime minister of the left, said angrily.
Listening to Huang Zhiyuan's words, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, was at a loss and started discussing with the two officials around him.
"Guo Yushi and Xu Siqing, what do you think?" Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, asked.
"This..." Xu Yongning, the minister of Dali Temple, looked at Guo Yushi.
"In that case, why not use some criminal methods? How about you two?" Guo Kang, the censor of Zuodu, asked.
"Okay. That's it." After saying that, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, frowned, looked at the audience, raised the gavel, and patted it: "Exercise torture!"
I saw several yamen servants fetching torture tools, clasping them on two fingers, one on the left and one on the right, and started to pull them up.
Seeing that, the two people were in agony, clenched their teeth, and screamed, but they did not tell the truth.
Seeing that the instruments of torture had drawn blood from the fingers of the two prime ministers, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, looked at the two officials beside him at a loss.
"Guo Yushi, Xu Siqing, what should we do?" the Minister of Punishment asked.
"Could it be that... this punishment is not enough? Why not take him down and torture him severely for a few days?" Xu Siqing asked.
Just when the Minister of Justice was about to agree, Su Yunqi, the Minister of Personnel, finally spoke.
"Wait a minute." Su Yunqi said.
After hearing this, Guo Xingwen, the Minister of Punishment, looked at Su Yunqi with joy on his face, and asked with a smile: "Is there anything Su Shangshu can do?"
Su Yunqi smiled and looked at the audience: "Su thought that I would let you two talk about this torture device. It seems that you two are very strict with your words."
"Su Yunqi! My true self has been upright and upright in my life, and I have the wind in my sleeves. Don't accuse me unjustly!" Huang Zhiyuan shouted.
"Being aboveboard? Breeze on your sleeves? It's true on the surface, but what about behind the scenes?" Su Yunqi said angrily.
"Su Yunqi! Don't frame him!" Huang Zhiyuan shouted angrily.
At this time, Su Yunqi became very proud: "I wonder, do you still remember one named Shen Meiniang and the other named Xia Rong?"
"I don't know!" Huang Zhiyuan replied decisively.
"You really don't know him?" Su Yunqi asked again.
Huang Zhiyuan was very firm: "I don't know him!"
Listening to the conversation between Su Yunqi and the criminal, the Minister of Punishment also spoke: "I would like to advise you two, don't hide anything. You can hide it for a while, but you can't hide it for the rest of your life."
"The truth has been told. Guo Xingwen! Didn't you understand what the truth said?!" Huang Zhiyuan was still very determined.
"Guo Shangshu, I wonder if I can summon these two people?" Su Yunqi said with a smile.
