The Huazhou River Construction Case that occurred in the winter of 1999 broke out suddenly and its impact spread rapidly. The corruption case triggered by this incident gradually evolved into a wave of purges by the court to crack down on corruption and illegal laws. The government and the public were shocked and became clamorous.
Similar situations have happened in the past, and we can even count some examples. Whether it was the Huainan case or the Zhao Li case, they were part of the rectification movement in the DPRK, and each time it was not involved in many cases.
However, none of them were so fast, so serious, and so shocking. Within half a month, dozens of new cases were filed, involving hundreds of officials, including fourth- and fifth-rank senior officials and ministers occupying important positions. , like a series of landmines, one after another exploded as the judicial investigation deepened.
The people involved, in addition to the relevant officials, are those noble children who usually wander between the government and the public, begging for food in the gray area like gluttons.
This is probably also different from any major case in the past. Within half a month, more than 20 people were summoned for questioning, and several people were even directly imprisoned.
The person responsible for leading the investigation and trial of these cases is Cui Zhoudu, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. This is an old criminal name in the imperial court. He has been immersed in the judicial system of the imperial court for more than 20 years from censor and inspector all the way to the Minister of Punishment. It is rich, and it has handled countless major and important cases, and the people who handled them were also many powerful people.
Moreover, this person has a strong character, which can even be described as he would rather break than bend. In his early years, Qianyou even dared to directly criticize those feudal towns that were running rampant and lawless and wantonly, and made several remarks. You must know that the feudal clan Jiedu of that period had many problems. Labeled with violence and cruelty.
Regardless of the personnel employed, the attitude of the investigation, and the methods of disposal, it is obvious that there is something unusual. It seems too cold and hard. There are so many noble sons and daughters, they are called to court when they need to be interrogated, interrogated when they need to be interrogated, and they do not even bother to go to jail. You're so polite, you really don't have any dignity left at all.
What is most shocking and even horrifying is that the investigation of the case seems to have no end in sight. When something is revealed, a case is filed, and when someone emerges, someone is arrested.
This kind of accident is obviously more frightening and can easily cause panic. You know, from Zhang Jin, hundreds of people are involved. So how many people are connected behind these hundreds of people, and how many things can be involved?
No one can say this clearly, but no one is optimistic. Therefore, due to the touching panic and political turmoil, many ministers and officials have recently reported to Emperor Liu, hoping that Emperor Liu can come forward to reach a conclusion on this case and calm down the turmoil as soon as possible to avoid unrest in people's hearts. After all, For the imperial court, stability was the most important thing, and with the political tide coming, only Emperor Liu had the ability and prestige to draw a conclusion.
Among those who submitted the memorial, the purpose was obviously complicated. Of course, there were mature and prudent people who were worried about the expanded officialdom and rectification, fearing that it would cause political instability and shake the foundation of the imperial court.
But more than anything, I am afraid that if the investigation continues to deepen, I will be implicated. After all, with the current trend, no one can guarantee what the result will be, and who is completely innocent, without any evidence, without any evidence. What about an unworthy young man?
And things are often like this. When everyone feels threatened or afraid, they can't help but want to find a way to escape. The best way is to put out the burning flames before they are set on fire. Even if Emperor Liu is watching from above, they still dare to fight.
The first climax, or turning point, of this storm must be Zhao Kuangmei's voluntary surrender. In this increasingly chaotic shock, among the endless cases, this matter is still eye-catching. After all, the matter is The spread of development seems to have no limit, and it has begun to involve the top dignitaries of the Han Dynasty.
The reputation and status of the Zhao family in the Han Dynasty is significant. Among the brothers of the Zhao family, Zhao Kuangyin is a famous marshal, Rong Guogong, and a cabinet bachelor. Zhao Kuangyi is the Bo of Guangyang and the governor of Xijing. They also hold high positions of authority.
Zhao Kuangmei's surrender itself was a bit strange. She surrendered to Luoyang Mansion and was then personally escorted to the Ministry of Punishment by Zhao Kuangyi. However, she still surrendered without any involvement in her life.
Behind this kind of initiative, it seems to be selfless and upholding national laws, but the meaning of the Zhao brothers standing behind is a bit strong. In response to this, even Cui Zhoudu showed a certain degree of prudence and did not make a rash decision. Instead, he only asked Emperor Liu for an edict before taking him into prison, filing a case, and starting an investigation.
The actions of the Zhao family are both eye-catching and thought-provoking. In a situation where almost everyone is in danger, many people can't help but wonder what is the intention behind Zhao Kuangmei's surrender. As the most powerful family in the Han Dynasty, in one fell swoop, Every move implies political considerations, and for many people, it has the meaning of a weathervane.
And within the imperial court, including the noble group, there is naturally no shortage of smart people. Only half a day later, some people began to follow suit, taking the initiative to lead the children or related personnel who had committed crimes at home to surrender to the Ministry of Punishment, and generously handed them over to the court for disposal, while also showing an awe-inspiring look.
In fact, during these days, it was not only Zhao Kuangmei who was fearful and uneasy, many of the nobles' descendants were also afraid and asked their elders for help. This also caused the nobles and bureaucrats to have a dispute within their own clan. Self-examination and self-correction.
Soon, the trend of following the trend began to spread. Some people may have difficulty seeing the essence through the surface, but this does not prevent them from following suit. Opening a silver mine privately and illegally cutting down forbidden wood are not light crimes at all. However, the Zhao family took the initiative to push Zhao Kuangmei out. Many people had a simple idea. Brother Zhao Kuangyin would never really push his own brother into it. Go into the abyss, into hell.
Many people who realize that their faults are minor appear to be more calm and less burdened. As a result, within three days, hundreds of people came to the Ministry of Punishment to surrender, ranging from nobles and relatives to bureaucrats and ministers. These people seemed to have found a breakthrough direction to solve their difficulties, and they also seemed to have found an outlet for their emotions. , drilled in and hit upwards.
The nobles raised themselves and the courtiers corrected themselves, which soon brought this political turmoil to a climax, making it more intense, more turbulent, and more unpredictable. The entire court seemed to have become crazy, and there was an aura of anxiety. It was like a storm was brewing. The middle and upper levels were enthusiastic and enthusiastic, while the lower levels also became confused and stunned under this situation.
Such a trend has obviously put huge pressure on the government, and the people who are under the greatest pressure are obviously a group of investigating officials headed by Cui Zhoudu.
Originally, with the active development of the investigation, we also encountered some bottlenecks, faced some difficulties, and those vague but always-present pressures.
Now, there is no need for you to bother investigating. People have come to surrender on their own initiative, and they follow one after another, one after another. Not to mention other things, even if all of these people are imprisoned, the matters involved will be screened and investigated one by one. , there are not that many manpower.
In fact, among the officials of the Three Law Departments responsible for the investigation, it is not possible that all of them are innocent. It is impossible to say that there is a place under the buttocks that has not been wiped clean. When it comes to knowing the law and breaking the law, who else can be more skilled than the law enforcement officers under these judicial systems?
In fact, at this level, it is somewhat difficult to continue the investigation. The resistance comes not only from those involved in the case, officials and the family forces behind them, but also from within the investigating officials.
As a result, a collective behavior that no one was involved in, but where noble officials unanimously agreed and had a very tacit understanding, took place in such a majestic manner.
In this strange and turbulent situation, the noble bureaucrats within the imperial court, in silence, made the same voice and expressed the same will to Emperor Liu.
And some people who are belatedly aware of the situation can't help but become optimistic about the development of the situation. There is a word called "the law does not blame the public." If all the dignitaries and officials in the imperial court are involved, can they all be dealt with?
The government is no longer functioning? The country is no longer governed?
If the situation were like that, Emperor Liu would have to compromise given his strength.
