"Because of your negligence, this case almost became an injustice. I think you, the minister, don't want to continue doing this!" Chen Jue said angrily.
After reading the pleadings and evidence in front of him, Tao Yuan broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly knelt on the ground to plead guilty: "I am guilty, and I deserve death!"
"Yes, you do deserve to die!"
Chen Jue was furious now. Hearing Tao Yuan's apology, he got angry at him without any courtesy at all.
"Your Ministry of Punishment is in charge of cases all over the country, and I knew about it in advance. As the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, you only found out last night. Why do you manage everything better than me?"
"I don't dare!" This Tao Yuan didn't dare to respond. How dare he be busier than His Majesty, the king of a country!
"Hmph!" Chen Jue snorted coldly and glanced at Yang Da who was kneeling next to him.
As if he noticed His Majesty's eyes looking at him, Yang Da suddenly felt like a light on his back. He didn't dare to raise his head and looked at the ground, silently muttering "It's not me, it's not me."
Chen Jue had no impression of Yang Da except that he was the minister of Dali Temple.
Later, he asked the secret guards to check this person. During the late emperor's period, this person became the Minister of Dali Temple through Cui Zhongli's recommendation and served for several years.
Therefore, he can be regarded as a disciple of the Cui family.
This person is not bad as an official, he is also low-key, and generally does not cause trouble and is not afraid of trouble.
Since he is doing well, Chen Jue has no intention of replacing him.
Today's matter seems to have little to do with Dali Temple.
Dali Temple only compiles criminal cases from previous years, while the Ministry of Punishment handles cases from all over the country.
Yang Da didn't know about An Zong who hadn't arrived at Dali Temple yet, which was normal.
"Dong Lingyi, I heard that the Yuezhou Prefecture was single-handedly promoted by you. Now the Yuezhou Prefecture has done this in vain to care about the people, accepted bribes, and colluded with others to judge wrong cases. How do you explain it now?"
It is enough for Yuezhou Prefecture to make a wrong verdict in an unjust case. He can forgive it once.
However, in the evidence that Chen Jue asked the secret guards to investigate, it was clearly stated that the Yuezhou government ordered him to be beaten into a trap, and that he accepted bribes, etc., which jumped back and forth on his bottom line.
If he doesn't punish Yuezhou Prefecture's order, he will really be a "foolish king"!
Now that the pressure was on Dong Lingyi's side, Yang Da, who was not named, let out a shallow breath.
On the other side, ever since Tao Yuan mentioned Yuezhou Prefecture, Dong Lingyi knew that His Majesty would point him out.
Xue Tao, the governor of Yuezhou Prefecture, was single-handedly promoted by him, and he had exchanged letters with him over the years.
Every year during the Chinese New Year and holidays, Xue Tao also sent some gifts to his house, especially money.
Chen Guo ordered strict officials to conduct business. Now that he is in his current position, it is indispensable to give out money and entertainment.
How can you support a large family with that little salary?
So Dong Lingyi accepted the people below as filial piety, and he turned a blind eye and made it convenient for them.
So he knew about the case in Yuezhou Prefecture, but Dong Lingyi didn't care much about that merchant and just ignored it.
Although I don’t know how His Majesty knew about the case in Yuezhou Prefecture, Dong Lingyi did not dare to neglect it at this moment.
After serving as an official for more than ten years, even though he was nervous, Dong Lingyi calmly walked out and replied, "Your Majesty, although the Yuezhou Prefecture was promoted by me personally, it is also because I am the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
This is a good saying, and it is completely pointing out to Chen Jue that because I am the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and responsible for the selection of low-level officials, I promoted Yuezhou Prefecture.
"When the governor of Yuezhou first arrived in Yuezhou, he was grateful for my promotion, so he exchanged letters with me. However, because of his behavior, I gradually became alienated from him. The matter in Yuezhou——"
"Are you trying to say that you don't know anything about Yuezhou Prefecture?" Chen Jue raised his eyebrows, interrupted him directly, and asked.
Chen Jue's eyes were deep, staring at him closely, and continued to ask: "I ask you again, do you really not know or do you pretend not to know?"
"Chen——" I really don't know!
Dong Lingyi opened his mouth, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a voice coming from above his head, "My patience is limited, you'd better think carefully before answering."
Chen Jue glanced at them with a pair of deep eyes, turned around and returned to the dragon chair to find the most comfortable position to sit crookedly.
He took the tea from Liu Zhong with one hand and took a leisurely sip.
Looking at the pattern on the tea cup in his hand, he said casually, "There are some things I don't want to say. It doesn't mean I don't know, but don't treat me as a fool."
"Today I tell you in front of you that I have Jin Wu and secret guards. As long as I want to know what you are doing, there is nothing I don't know."
As soon as he finished speaking, the officials' expressions suddenly changed.
In the Zichen Palace, the silence and dullness made people breathless.
Dong Lingyi, who was still somewhat lucky at first, looked even more ugly, and his inner coat was soaked with cold sweat.
It's over. Your Majesty obviously knows about his secret dealings with Xue Tao!
"Your Majesty!" Dong Lingyi did not dare to struggle. His legs softened and he knelt on the ground with a pop.
Chen Jue glanced at him, said nothing, and only gave Liu Zhong a look.
Liu Zhong, who received His Majesty's eyes, understood it and immediately took out an imperial edict from his sleeve and read it in public.
The general meaning of this edict is that Dong Lingyi, the Minister of Civil Affairs, did not seek his position, accepted bribes, and failed to select talents for the appointment and removal of officials.
Now he is dismissed from his post as minister and reduced to the head of the Ministry of War. He is fined 50,000 taels of silver.
As for Tao Yuan, he was not demoted. He was only allowed to suspend his salary for one year and go to the farmland with Dong Lingyi to help the people with the autumn harvest.
According to His Majesty's past madness, both Dong Lingyi and Tao Yuan thought they would never see the sun tomorrow again.
Unexpectedly, there was a turn of events. His Majesty did not kill them, but spared their lives.
This life was saved, and the tension between the two people suddenly relaxed.
As for the rest, it’s good to be alive.
After retreating from the court, Chen Jue walked directly to the Wenhua Hall.
Su Xing, who was accompanying him on the road, recalled what happened when he went to court just now and asked, "Did your Majesty deliberately let Dong Lingyi go to the Ministry of War?"
"Yeah." Knowing that this matter could not be hidden from Su Xing, Chen Jue simply admitted it directly.
"The Ministry of War is Cui Zhongli's territory, and ordinary people cannot enter. However, Dong Lingyi is a disciple of the Zheng family in Xingyang. He cannot achieve his current position without being separated from the Zheng family in Xingyang."
Su Xing smiled and said, "Your Majesty asked Zheng's disciples to go to the Ministry of War. Are you not afraid of them fighting?"
"Fight?" Chen Jue suddenly calmed down and seemed to have thought of something. He pursed his lips and chuckled, "If they can fight, it would be very satisfying to me."
I just don’t know if we can start a fight.
Su Xing could guess that he deliberately asked Dong Lingyi to go to the Ministry of War. How could others not guess it?
They are not fools.
But that doesn't matter. As long as Dong Lingyi is in the Ministry of War, sooner or later there will be a fight.
Chen Jue just needs to wait. Maybe he can add fuel to the flames at the right time.
Chen Jue smiled and caught a glimpse of the small notebook in Su Xing's hand from the corner of his eye.
Knowing that the small notebook was a record of his daily life, Chen Jue had never read it before, but now he really wanted to see how Su Xing recorded him.
