Since the emperor told him to go see Zhang Xueyan, Zhang Juzheng could only obey the order. In the afternoon of the next day, Zhang Juzheng, accompanied by internal officer Li You, went to Dali Temple Prison to visit Zhang Xueyan, who was in custody, despite his busy schedule.
In a simple courtyard in Dali Temple that was converted into a detention center for prisoners, Zhang Juzheng saw Zhang Xueyan who had been stripped of his flying fish uniform - he almost didn't recognize him.
In the past, Privy Council Zhang, who had achieved the rank of first rank, now has a gray beard, a gray face, and a stooped body. How can he still have eight living rooms and look majestic?
When Zhang Juzheng entered the courtyard accompanied by Lu Guangzu, the minister of Dali Temple, Zhang Xueyan was sitting on a stone bench under a pine tree in the courtyard. When he saw Zhang Juzheng waiting, he hurriedly stood up from the bench. There was a crash between the hands and feet, but they were restrained.
Zhang Juzheng frowned slightly. Lu Guangzu also showed a look of confusion on his face and shouted: "Why don't you understand the prisoner's restraints?"
The people on the left and right were about to come up and remove Zhang Xueyan's handcuffs and shackles. Zhang Juzheng waved his hand and said: "Wait a minute. Let him kneel down and listen to the order first." Lu Guangzu heard the words and said: "That's what the Prime Minister said. It's better to wait until the order is finished before answering - there is no need for a middle official to ask the order. Come, but seldom.”
Zhang Juzheng smiled first and said: "The Emperor's Holy Mo is profound, so this move must have deep meaning." Then he coughed lightly and said to Zhang Xueyan, "I have a question for you based on the Emperor's instructions."
Zhang Xueyan knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Juzheng. Zhang Juzheng said: "'The emperor said that the old gentleman should go see Zhang Xueyan and express my regrets'."
When Zhang Xueyan heard this sentence, his shoulders hunched and his throat was choked with sobs. He could not repeat the order and could only kowtow with tears on his face.
Although it was common for Lu Guangzu to communicate with prisoners in tears, Zhang Xueyan was different after all, and he felt pity when he saw this. He coughed lightly and said, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I have resigned first."
Zhang Juzheng nodded and said, "It's better to stay away from Brother Sheng for a while. After the interrogation is over, someone will unshackle him later."
After Lu Guangzu left the courtyard, Zhang Juzheng asked solemnly: "Do you have anything to say? This is also what the emperor asked."
Zhang Xueyan kowtowed and sobbed in a low voice. Zhang Juzheng knew that Zhang Xueyan must have done something else to harm the emperor, otherwise he would only be guilty of accepting bribes. Zhang Juzheng would not die if he cooperated with Li Chengliang in defeating Wang Gao.
After he went back and thought about it last night, he only felt that the three sentences the emperor asked him to ask must mean something, because these three sentences were obviously logically related. If Zhang Xueyan could get rid of the emperor's hatred of him, he might not necessarily die - he would be sentenced to death by hanging.
He was asked to ask questions, and every question and answer between the two people must be recorded in detail. Zhang Xueyan communicated with tears, and her attitude of repentance was revealed. But he said nothing, but Zhang Juzheng could not write this memorial, let alone calm his cheeks.
But the procedure still had to go on. Zhang Juzheng waited for him for a while and then asked: "Don't you have anything to say?" This sentence repeated the second sentence of the emperor's question, which was obviously a violation of the order. The person who asked the question, that is, Zhang Juzheng, has such a high-ranking status that he could make such a borderline decision. Even if Li You next to him goes back to twist his salt, Zhang Juzheng's identity can still withstand it.
Zhang Xueyan also knew this. Hearing this, his body trembled and his sobbing stopped. He thought quietly for a while, then lowered his head and said the first sentence of the day: "If I reply to the emperor, I deserve to die. If I regret it, I have betrayed the emperor's trust. I deserve death. I have no other words to say. I just want to die." Please take the blame.”
Zhang Juzheng said that there was a way, and Zhang Xueyan's confession attitude was very good. He didn't make any excuses. Just a worthy death could restore half of the king's heart. After waiting for a while, seeing that Zhang Xueyan stopped talking, Zhang Juzheng asked the third sentence: "'The emperor said, some people around me say that he is scheming. This man really has some tricks. Go and ask him how to die. ——Let him tell the truth. 'Well, these are the emperor's exact words, you must tell the truth and don't make mistakes."
After hearing this, Zhang Xueyan suddenly raised his head. His face turned red at first, and then turned completely pale and bloodless. Zhang Juzheng was very good at cultivating qi, so he was shocked when he saw his appearance. He thought to himself: "This sentence must have hit a weak point. I wonder what he did to hide it from the emperor?"
Zhang Xueyan's lips trembled, and his body trembled slightly because of fear. He already fully understood why it was Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng who came to ask questions and not the lieutenant beside him - the emperor was ruthlessly mocking his "scheming" and wanted to kill his people as well as his Heart!
But at this moment when the question was asked, he did not dare not answer, because Zhang Xueyan did not live alone in the world - his sense of responsibility for his descendants and family made him surrender directly.
Zhang Juzheng listened to him and bowed his head and said: "I don't dare... I don't dare to deceive the emperor. After I was involved in the empty salary case, I tried to save myself, so I sent people to kill Liu Tai and committed the unmasking case. He was beaten This is the idea of 'putting oneself to death and reviving later'. The emperor said that my work was based on scheming, but I have no excuse."
Zhang Juzheng swayed after hearing this. The lieutenant officer next to him, Li You, had been watching his face. Seeing that he was unsteady, he quickly stretched out his hand to support him.
Zhang Juzheng was shocked and then thought through Zhang Xueyan's wishful thinking. He walked slowly to the stone stool where Zhang Xueyan was sitting just now and sat down slowly, with a wry smile on his face and said: "You made the 'unveiling case' because you wanted to stir up political strife so that the emperor and I have to protect you?"
Zhang Xueyan bowed his head and said yes, and then said: "I also killed all the relevant people and hid them in the cellar of the mansion. I thought my plan was foolproof, but the emperor saw through it. The way to death is here. I thank Tianen, but the emperor has no idea." The three clans that punished the ministers.”
Zhang Juzheng sat on the stone bench for a long time, then stood up and said to Li You, "Eunuch Li, what else do you want to ask?" Li You shook his head and suggested that Zhang Juzheng end this embarrassing question.
He was confused at first, but it wasn't as big a shock as Zhang Juzheng's heart. At this moment, he suddenly realized and said in his heart: "People are really looking for death, and no one can stop them. Zhang Xueyan, Zhang Xueyan, I am really merciful to you by hanging!"
Zhang Juzheng closed his eyes and rested for a while, then stood up and said: "I will treat you kindly, your children. Do you have anything else to say?" He asked this, but in his heart he said: "What's the use of forming a party? Just as the emperor said , they are all pig teammates."
Seeing that Zhang Juzheng no longer communicated with him, Zhang Xueyan knew that he had offended him too much. He hurriedly kowtowed to Zhang Juzheng and said: "This is a fool's fault. As the saying goes, the cleverness was misled by the cleverness. He shot himself in the foot. Please forgive me, brother."
After Zhang Juzheng heard this, he sneered and said: "You are really playing such tricks under the eyes of the emperor..."
After being honest for a long time, he didn't say anything. He just laughed a few times, turned to Li You and said, "Eunuch Li, let's go back and answer the question truthfully."
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