Jiang Mian stared at Chang Feng's leaving figure.
There is a kind of person who is born with great righteousness, never gives in, and is never timid.
Jiang Mian is this kind of person.
Jiang Mian, whose ancestral home is Guangxi, was born in Yuxi, Yunnan, and spent his childhood and youth in Yuxi.
Like many famous ministers of the Ming Dynasty, he was a child prodigy since childhood.
In the thirteenth year of Chenghua, at the age of fifteen, he returned to his native Guangxi to take the provincial examination and passed high school. This is a remarkable achievement.
Destiny seemed to intend to temper this proud young man.
In the next three examinations, he failed.
It was not until the spring of the 23rd year of Chenghua, when he was 25 years old, that he came to the capital for the fourth time to participate in the examination.
It was the time when Concubine Wan Gui died. Emperor Chenghua even wanted to abolish the spring palace of that year.
Fortunately, Prince Zhu Youtang argued hard and allowed the Chunwei Examination to start as normal.
Only then was Jiang Mian able to take part in the joint examination, and was awarded tribute on the apricot list and the 11th place on the gold list (14th in the country).
Such a ranking, coupled with the appearance of a treasure, is solemn. He was selected into the ranks of Shujishi in Hanlin Academy. A broad road awaits him.
However, he encountered a problem.
His poor Yunnan accent is very difficult to understand. Communicating with the masters in the Hanlin Academy was a problem.
If you learn Mandarin well, you will be able to travel around the world without fear. This truth truly spans ancient and modern times.
In order to learn northern Mandarin well. In the second year of Hongzhi, he actually asked to be transferred to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to serve as the censor of the city.
The censor who patrols the city wanders around the streets all day long, where he can interact with many native people in the capital and correct his accent.
As one of the 110 imperial censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Jiang Mian was by no means outstanding.
He just quietly did his job. Supervise the Nancheng Military and Horse Department and manage the public security of Nancheng, a mixed bag of good and bad people.
A few months ago, the Zhang family and the Zhou family used sticks to drive away the vendors on Maoyaner Street. Originally, he planned to seek justice for the people and compete with his relatives.
However, among the more than 100 traders, no one dared to testify or sue the two relatives.
If there is no victim, there will be no case.
The only thing he could do was to write a few excerpts and participate in the impeachment of both families. However, the book fell into disrepair.
Today, he finally caught the handle of two domineering relatives. He will never give in.
Because he retains the most basic conscience in his heart.
Most of the scholars in the Ming Dynasty were no longer human beings when they became officials. For officials, a basic conscience is a rarity.
Jiang Mian belongs to the endangered and rare animals with a conscience, the official giant panda.
Jiang Mian made up his mind: evil will never prevail against good, and today we must fight over what is right and what is wrong!
Chang Feng returned to Qianqing Palace and informed Emperor Hongzhi that Jiang Mian refused to release the first marquis and the second uncle.
Emperor Hongzhi did not fall down this time, and there was no dragon roar. He knew he was in the wrong.
He felt aggrieved: I have been on the throne for eight years and four months, and I have not neglected government affairs for a single day. Morning morning, noon morning, large and small sutra banquets, night batch of memorials to Zishi. As tired as a dog.
I treat others with kindness, accept advice well, do good things like a stream, and love the people of the world.
No matter how you look at it, I am a rare and good emperor.
I have paid so much. Why don't I just want to protect the families of the two most important women in my life today?
Why are you, Jiang Mian, holding on to my pigtails?
Chang Feng became the mouthpiece between Emperor Hongzhi and the seventh-rank city patrol censor Jiang Mian.
Emperor Hongzhi told Chang Feng: "Let's do this. Go and deliver two more decrees to Jiang Mian. In the first decree, I will promote him to the rank of doctor in the Shandong Qing Li Division of the Ministry of Punishment."
"The second decree is to let go of Zhang Heling, Zhang Yanling and Zhou Yu."
Chang Feng understood: The emperor wants to exchange his official position for his relatives.
He left the Qianqing Palace Hall again and returned to the Nancheng Bingma Division Prison.
The announcement is completed. Jiang Mian resisted the order again.
Jiang Mian said righteously: "The emperor uses his official position to seduce his ministers. This is not the attitude towards loyal ministers, but the attitude towards thieves."
"Does the emperor want his ministers to treat the court's laws as goods that can be sold?"
Chang Feng was startled. Jiang Mian was right and he couldn't refute it.
Chang Feng cupped his hands towards Jiang Mian and said, "Then I will go back to Qianqing Palace to reply."
The fact that Chang Feng, the great shopkeeper of Jinyiwei, had a broken leg between the emperor and the seventh-grade censor, actually proved from one aspect the openness of the political atmosphere of the Hongzhi Dynasty.
If it had been Emperor Chenghua, he would have asked the factory guards' domestic slaves to forcibly arrest the censor and rescue his relatives.
Whether Jiang Mian can survive or not is a question. Not to mention the back-and-forth reasoning with the emperor.
Chang Feng came to the Qianqing Palace for the third time today and repeated Jiang Mian's words to Emperor Hongzhi.
Emperor Hongzhi was silent after hearing this.
Li Guang, who was in Qianqing Palace today, couldn't help it anymore: "Chang Feng, what do you Jin Yiwei do for food?"
"Catch Jiang Mian directly and break open the cell door to end it, right?"
"Over the years, the emperor has entrusted you with so many big errands, and you have been able to handle them beautifully."
"Wan'an and Liu Ji are no match for you. But today you have nothing to do with a seventh-grade censor?"
"Unless you don't want to do this errand for the emperor! Didn't you forget your fundamentals just after becoming Zuo Tongzhi?"
"The Jinyiwei's roots are in the palace! Not with the Yushi Yanguan!"
Emperor Hongzhi looked at Chang Feng. Although he still said nothing, his eyes revealed that he wanted Chang Feng to answer Li Guang's question.
Chang Feng had no choice but to kneel down and kowtow: "Your Majesty. You have said many times that the Imperial Guards should not only severely punish traitors, but also protect loyal ministers."
"I dare not arrest an iron-faced censor who enforces the law impartially! That would not only violate the holy precepts, but also tarnish the emperor's reputation!"
Emperor Hongzhi sighed: "Do you want me to go to the Nancheng Army and Horse Department in person to pray for Jiang Mian?"
Li Guangdao: "Your Majesty, Chang Feng refuses to do things, but I am willing to do things! I will go to the Nancheng Military and Horse Department to save the three uncles!"
Emperor Hongzhi remained silent. The silence at this moment is acquiescence.
Li Guang came out of Qianqing Palace, ordered a hundred young eunuchs, and rushed to the Nancheng Army and Horse Department with great momentum.
No matter how upright Jiang Mian is, he only has one person and one sword. If hundreds of eunuchs really attacked him, he would definitely be no match.
Li Guang was very good at calculating: I, a hundred disciples and disciples, can't I use a drill to deal with a sour censor who has no power to tie a chicken?
If you save the brothers Zhang Heling and Zhou Yu, you can sell it in front of the emperor, the queen, and the empress dowager!
It's just like picking melons and catching grasshoppers, killing three birds with one stone!
Chang Feng was smart all his life, but today he is as confused as a pig. He didn't want the chance to please the emperor, empress, or empress dowager. You gave me a free advantage!
Thinking of this, Li Guang laughed proudly.
He rushed to the Nancheng Army and Horse Department and saw Jiang Mian sitting on a chair with a knife in his hand.
Li Guang sneered: "Hey, what are you! I can see you to the end with just one glance!"
"In order to win a loyal reputation, I made the emperor stay away from the stage! Chang Feng doesn't dare to touch you, but I, Li Guang, dare to touch you!"
Jiang Mian stood up: "Then step on my body and open the cell door!"
Li Guang gave an order: "Children, come on!"
More than a hundred eunuchs rushed forward. The leader among them was named Gu Dayong, who was the Superintendent of the Bureau of Ceremonies.
Gu Dayong reacted very quickly and grabbed Jiang Mian's knife-holding wrist with both hands. The other two young eunuchs took Jiang Mian's sword.
Jiang Mian faced one against a hundred, with no fear on his face.
But two fists can't beat four hands, let alone two hundred hands?
In an instant he was pushed to the ground. The eunuchs' little fists hit him one after another.
Jiang Mian was beaten until he vomited blood, but he still shouted: "The laws of the imperial court must not be desecrated!"
At this moment, a loud shout rang out from the Bingma Division: "Stop!"
The powerful shout came from Ma Wensheng, the Heavenly Official!
Not only Ma Wensheng is here.
The chief minister of the cabinet, Xu Pu, came, and the second minister, Liu Jian, came; Liu Daxia, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian came; Yang Tinghe also came.
All the conscientious officials from the whole court are here! There were two hundred people in the crowd.
Over the years, officials have long been dissatisfied with the rampant mudslides and lawlessness among the three relatives in the prison.
However, Emperor Hongzhi treated them like his darlings. The officials knew that they were the untouchable villains of Emperor Hongzhi, and they always turned a blind eye to their illegal affairs.
When the news that Jiang Mian, the censor of the city patrol, had arrested three uncles, reached the ears of Ma Wensheng and others. Ma Wensheng lamented: "I am waiting for a first-grade official, but I can't keep up with Jiang Mian, a seventh-grade censor!"
So Lao Ma summoned his colleagues and rushed to the Nancheng Bingma Division Prison to guard the prison door side by side with Jiang Mian.
Eunuchs only obey orders from the palace. Ma Wensheng told the eunuchs to stop, they didn't even want to kill a bird.
Ma Wensheng rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fists like sandbags: "It seems that today you are going to force me to convince others with virtue!"
Lao Ma was a civil servant who led troops, and he believed in using force to establish virtue.
Ma Wensheng's close friend Wang Shu dared to attack the guarding eunuch.
Lao Ma inherited Lao Wang's glorious tradition. Dare to hit the eunuchs in the palace.
After all, he was a minister of the Ministry of War, so directing group fights was not a piece of cake!
More than two hundred civil servants, led by Lao Ma, swarmed forward. The little eunuchs are no match at all!
Li Guang was afraid of losing his life. If eunuchs and civil servants fight and kill each other, the matter will become irremediable. He has to take responsibility.
So Li Guang shouted: "Children, stop!"
When Ma Wensheng saw that the eunuchs had stopped, he also shouted in tacit agreement: "Comrades, stop!"
Li Guangda walked up to Ma Wensheng and said, "Ma Wensheng. Do you want to lead the civil servants of the dynasty to fight with the emperor?"
Ma Wensheng said seriously: "We are upholding the court's laws for the emperor! We are loyal!"
Li Guang said angrily: "Okay, okay! Jiang Mian has rebelled, Chang Feng has rebelled, you, Ma Wensheng, and the officials of the Manchu Dynasty have rebelled! I will go find the father-in-law who is in charge of Dongchang. Let the guards of Dongchang deal with you!"
At this moment, Chang Feng walked into the Bingma Division.
Chang Feng said: "The emperor has an edict. It is announced that Jiang Mian will come to the palace to meet him."
Jiang Mian said: "I'm sorry to obey my order! I need to guard the prison door!"
Chang Feng was a little embarrassed: "Chiang Yushi, everything is no more than three. If you don't go to the palace, it will be the third time today that you have resisted the decree."
Ma Wensheng said to Jiang Mian: "Jiang Yushi, go ahead. We will guard the prison door."
Jiang Mian nodded slightly and followed Chang Feng to the palace.
On the way, Chang Feng said to Jiang Mian: "Jiang Yushi, when we enter the palace soon, please don't go toe-to-toe with the emperor."
Jiang Mian said: "Don't worry, Chang Tongzhi. Although I am straightforward, I am not tortuous."
The two entered the main hall of Qianqing Palace and bowed to Emperor Hongzhi.
Emperor Hongzhi did not let the two be equal. Silence.
What to say? Order Jiang Mian to release three relatives? Maybe you'll get into trouble.
Punish Jiang Mian? They enforce the law impartially.
You can't ask Jiang Mian if he's eaten, what he's eating, and whether it's delicious, right?
Unexpectedly, Jiang Mian actually took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty. As a royal censor, I have the responsibility to give advice. I have something to say, please accept it from your Majesty."
Emperor Hongzhi said: "Come here."
Jiang Mianzheng said righteously: "Emperor Xianzong once ordered the family of Xunqi not to open a shop to compete with the people for profit."
"Nowadays, noble relatives such as Shouning Hou, Jianchang Bo, Changning Bo, etc. cannot abide by the emperor's edict and allow evil servants and ruffians to set up thoroughfares to intercept merchants' goods."
"Taizong once decreed that there were twenty servants for the prince, but no more than twelve for each rank. Today, there are hundreds of servants for the nobles in the capital, which is a big violation of the old rules. During this period, there were many rogues in the market, oppressing the good, and the people were resentful."
"Today, the Zhang and Zhou families have a dispute over their personal interests and have ordered two to three thousand evil servants and ruffians to fight in the market. This is detrimental to the prestige of the imperial court and the holy name of the emperor."
"Please, Your Majesty, issue an order to severely punish the Zhang and Zhou families. All shops and establishments opened by foreign relatives will be stopped."
"Please also order the Metropolitan Procuratorate to unveil the prohibitions, disturb merchants and take advantage of the people, and order the censors who patrol the city and the local officials to punish them."
Jiang Mian's words are reasonable and well-founded. Emperor Hongzhi had no choice but to say: "Check it out."
Jiang Mian cupped his hands and said, "May I ask Your Majesty, how do you plan to punish the First Marquis and the Second Uncle?"
Emperor Hongzhi's expression changed: "Do I need to tell the censor how I punish my relatives?"
Jiang Mian said: "I don't mean that. This fight between two foreign relatives has caused a sensation in the capital. If we can't punish it severely, I might not be able to win over the ministers and the people. It will damage the holy name!"
Since ancient times, it has been difficult to become a saint, and it has been difficult to retain a holy name.
Emperor Hongzhi had no choice but to say: "I ordered the Jinyi Guards to hold the first marquis and the second uncle each with thirty sticks. They will be imprisoned for one month and fined for three years! Jiang Mian, are you satisfied?"
Jiang Mianshan shouted: "Your Majesty, the Holy Ming!"
Jiang Mian's purpose of punishing his relatives was achieved. But he threw the hot potato to Chang Feng.
Let Jinyi Weiting stick two relatives?
Although Jin Yiwei's executioners all have their own jobs. Be able to skillfully use "hit", "hit hard" and "hit with heart".
But the big stick of Tingzhang is not a rolling pin. Although the muscles and bones will not be broken after thirty battles, the skin and flesh will be torn apart!
Beating those three to pieces was tantamount to offending Empress Zhang and Empress Dowager Zhou.
Chang Feng took the order. First, we went to Nancheng Bingma Division Prison to bring out Zhang Heling, Zhang Yanling, and Zhou Yu.
Zhang Heling was overjoyed: "Brother Chang, you are here to save us!"
Zhang Yanling asked: "Brother Chang, has Jiang Mian been arrested and sent to prison?"
Zhou Yu complained: "That Sesame Officer should be cut into thousands of pieces! If you dare to arrest me, an earl, you are so brave!"
Chang Feng smiled bitterly: "There is a decree. The Hou Ning Hou Zhang Heling, the Jianchang Bo Zhang Yanling, and the Chang Ning Bo Zhou Yu will be punished with thirty sticks. They will be imprisoned in imperial prison for one month. They will also be fined with a salary of three years."
The three of them were stunned.
Zhang Heling asked: "Brother Chang, did you convey the wrong message? The emperor wants to spank us?"
Chang Feng finally couldn't bear it anymore. He scolded Zhang Heling: "As uncles of the state, you brothers actually instigated evil servants to occupy the fishing market, and also instigated gangsters to fight over the uneven distribution of the spoils. You have lost the emperor's face. Shouldn't you be punished?"
Zhang Yanling said: "It's just selling some fish and shrimp to make some money. What a big deal!"
Chang Feng sighed: "Alas. Why don't you know you are wrong?"
Zhou Yu teased Yangzi and said, "Oh, they say that Chang Tu of Jin Yiwei is the queen's man. How come you don't even protect the queen's two biological brothers!"
Chang Feng glared at Zhou Yu: "You have also disgraced the Empress Dowager!"
Zhou Yu said angrily: "I don't believe that there are still people in this world who dare to spank me!"
Chang Feng ordered: "Take them back to Jinyiwei!"
When Ma Wensheng and other civil officials saw this, they all applauded.
Chang Feng escorted the three of them back to Jinyiwei. He found Lao Qi, the chief executioner.
Chang Feng asked Qi Zongqi: "Is there any way to hit the thirty imperial staffs without damaging the fur of the three uncles?"
When people reach a certain position, they must learn to compromise and give in. You have to be cowardly when you should be cowardly.
As the chief shopkeeper of Jinyiwei, he must not offend Kunning Palace and Cining Palace at the same time.
According to Chang Feng's original intention, they should be beaten with thirty court sticks to make them remember.
But Chang Feng couldn't do this.
If Jin Yiwei encounters any trouble in the future, he will inevitably ask Empress Zhang to give Emperor Hongzhi some advice.
General Qi smiled bitterly: "Mr. Chang, even if it is the lowest level of 'beating', the skin and flesh will be torn apart after thirty sticks."
"The weight of the big stick used for the imperial staff is right there."
Chang Feng said: "Then you use your hands and feet on the big stick? After all, the emperor only ordered the imperial stick, and did not say to let all officials watch the punishment."
"How about wrapping the lower end of the stick with cowhide?"
Qi Zongqi nodded: "This is a good method. I will order the executioners to make the most of it."
Chang Feng then ordered Shi Wenyi: "Pack out three cells. Get all the furnishings from my house."
"While the three uncles are in prison, you will serve them. They will be well fed, drank and entertained."
Serving people is what "Big Brother" Shi Wenyi does.
Shi Wenyi handed over his hand: "Don't worry, Mr. Chang. I will definitely make the three uncles feel at home."
Chang Feng sighed: "Oh! What's the matter with this!"
When you are in the court, you will always encounter helpless things. How can you do things exactly according to your own wishes?
The executioner used a big stick wrapped in cowhide and struck the three uncles with thirty sticks each.
The three uncles stayed in the super VIP presidential suite in the prison.
This farce of fights between relatives due to uneven distribution of spoils ended here.
Ten days later, Emperor Hongzhi had lost his anger towards Jiang Mian.
I have to say that a wise king is a wise king.
He issued a decree to transfer Jiang Mian back to the Hanlin Academy to serve as editor.
The transfer of the seventh-rank city censor back to the Hanlin Academy to serve as the seventh-rank editor is a horizontal transfer.
But the decree also added: Jiang Mian was ordered to concurrently serve as the editor of the Economic Affairs Bureau and to serve in the East Palace for lectures and readings.
This is a great reward. From then on, Jiang Mian became one of the many disciples of Prince Zhu Houzhao.
And the prince will become emperor in the future. By then Jiang Mian would have the status of Imperial Master.
This decree illustrates Emperor Hongzhi's affirmation of Jiang Mian's impartial enforcement of the law.
This is a wise decision. The butterfly effect is everywhere throughout history.
Emperor Hongzhi was tolerant and generous and did not end Jiang Mian's political life.
And Jiang Mian will contribute to quelling the dangerous rebellion that is related to the survival of the Ming Dynasty at a critical moment more than twenty years later.
One month later, it was the twelfth day of the first lunar month of the eighth year of Hongzhi.
Chang Feng opened the cell door to the Zhang brothers and Zhou Yu with his own hands.
Zhang Heling stretched his waist and said: "It can be considered as seeing the light of day again!"
Chang Feng warned him: "House Shouning, my brother Heling! When the vultures started to cause trouble, I saved the lives of both of you."
"If you still recognize me as your savior, listen to my advice and restrain yourself in the capital from now on!"
Zhang Heling was a little impatient: "I know, I know!"
Dogs can't change their habit of eating shit.
(End of chapter)
