Just as Feng Yibo thought, Da Wei is too short of money now.
Therefore, Emperor Jingshun chose this time to attack the Zhen family.
Obviously not for questioning!
He wanted to use the house raids to replenish the bottomed out treasury with some energy.
Only in this way can we solve the problem of Wang Ziteng using the side salary to get stuck!
Otherwise, we should follow the normal procedures and let the Ministry of Punishment accept the case and Lantai Temple supervise it.
After investigation and evidence collection, it will be implemented in accordance with the laws of the Wei Dynasty.
Instead of letting the Dragon Scale Guard take action directly.
Now, Longlin Guards quickly ransacked the Zhen family's home before escorting them back to Beijing to convict them.
Doing so has actually violated procedural justice.
This has always been the most objectionable method to courtiers.
Logically speaking, all civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty should oppose it.
The old party has become a thing of the past and there is no need to mention it again.
The New Party, led by Zhang Songyue, also selectively turned a blind eye.
This is because the cabinet did this to Emperor Jingshun.
I already knew it.
Zhang Songyue is the chief minister of the cabinet and the leader of the new party.
This matter naturally went through his approval.
In addition, there are several relatives in the Zhen family, who are of the same rank.
Naturally, the New Party will not have any objection to this.
They all followed the good example and chose to remain silent on this matter.
Not to mention the newly promoted nobles, they are still sharpening their knives.
They are all waiting for the best opportunity, ready to strike at any time.
The founding lineage that should speak out the most were afraid of being noticed by Emperor Jingshun.
The strategy of dormancy has long been chosen.
What's more, strictly speaking, the Zhen family is indeed not part of the founding lineage.
It’s just that he is related to many founding figures.
For example, Jia's Mansion and Beijing Prince's Mansion.
However, Emperor Jingshun personally inquired about this matter. After several discussions with the founding family, they finally chose to wait and see.
Even though Princess Beijing was born in the Zhen family, the Prince of Beijing did not want to disobey Emperor Jingshun.
If the situation is good, then it is okay for them to come forward to help.
If the situation is not right, then you can only choose to sit back and ignore it, focusing on self-protection.
It's a pity that Jia Zhengcai showed up.
Before they had time to agree, their attention was diverted by Lin Ruhai's new evidence.
For a moment, all the civil and military officials in the court just looked at each other in confusion, but no one spoke up to help.
Although Jia Zheng came forward to intercede for the Zhen family, he only followed his own position.
What he said was not too in-depth.
It's nothing more than the "benevolence and filial piety" thing, using the old concubine to impress Emperor Jingshun.
But such an approach is inevitably superficial.
To be honest, even if Lin Ruhai failed to divert his attention,
Feng Yibo had already prepared for this,
It's a pity that those long talks are of no use at all.
For a moment, Jia Zheng stood in front of Danbi and was in a dilemma.
It is not good for him to continue begging, nor is it good for him to return to court.
He could only stand there awkwardly, waiting for Emperor Jingshun to read the evidence.
"The time when the Japanese pirates attacked Nanjing, they were the Japanese pirates who were looking for the Zhen family to sell their stolen goods. They were forced to land early because of a typhoon?"
Emperor Jingshun flipped through the testimonies and frowned slightly.
Unexpectedly, the more I looked at it, the more frightened I became.
"Among the tens of thousands of Japanese pirates that Feng Yuan destroyed, many of them were involved with the Zhen family. Are there any large Japanese families involved?"
When he saw the end, he couldn't help but pat the royal eucalyptus in front of him!
There was a "pop" sound! Jia Zheng was immediately startled.
"The Japanese pirates are so rampant because the Zhen family acts as an internal agent and provides channels for selling stolen goods!"
Speaking of this, Emperor Jingshun rarely showed an angry look and said in a deep voice:
"If these are true, then the Zhen family must be blamed for all the deaths!"
Seeing Emperor Jingshun's anger, Lin Ruhai was afraid of missing the opportunity, so he quickly stepped forward to add another blow:
"Your Majesty, these witnesses were originally members of the Zhen family. When the King of Donghai County exterminated the Japanese pirates, he took them captive as Japanese slaves."
It turns out that this is Feng Yibo’s trump card!
As early as a few years ago, Liuqiu captured many of the Zhen family's fleet.
The goods on board were naturally seized and became the private property of the Black Dragon Mansion.
The people on the ship were not killed because of the lack of people in Liuqiu.
They were first sent to open up wasteland in the Liuqiu Basin, and then sent to cut trees everywhere.
Until Lin Ruhai mentioned the Zhen family's misappropriation of salt interests last time, Feng Yibo thought of these people.
Immediately, he had people gather together the few remaining Zhen family members.
Until today, it finally came in handy.
"At the beginning, Donghai County did not know their identities. They only regarded them as Han thieves and punished them to cut trees in the mountains."
Of course Donghai County knew the identities of these people, and they even went to the Zhen family at that time.
Feng Yibo could not shake the Zhen family in the Wei Dynasty, but he could prevent the Zhen family from entering the sea!
These people from the Zhen family have been undergoing labor reform in Donghai County for two years.
Each and every one of them has been tortured to the point of breaking out.
Most people died of illness or exhaustion.
Some were even devoured by wild beasts and used as sacrifices by the indigenous people.
The rest are all those with great fortunes.
But the edges and corners were also worn away, and the gall was broken by fear.
As soon as I heard that I had the opportunity to return to Wei Dynasty, I was naturally willing to do anything.
In their opinion, even going back to Wei to go to jail would be tens of thousands of times better than being in Donghai County!
Not to mention that they were just asking them to correct Zhen Yingjia, the head of the family who was the culprit.
Even if they dig up their ancestral graves.
He probably hesitated for a moment at most, then started looking around for a pickaxe.
Without him, it would be too miserable.
Except for them, the others who could receive this treatment were Japanese pirates who were captured one after another.
Donghai County has never dealt with Japanese pirates, so it would be strange to give them a good look!
"This year, Donghai County accidentally learned of their identities and immediately communicated with Feng Shilang."
Lin Ruhai did not elaborate on how he discovered it.
That doesn't matter anymore.
He simply explained the matter according to Feng Yibo's words, and then said:
"Shilang Feng didn't dare to be a master, so he handed them over to Lantai Temple. Only then did I know that the Zhen family's crime was not only embezzling salt profits, but also colluding with Japanese pirates to harm the countryside for their own selfish purposes!"
His tone was heavy, full of resentment towards the Zhen family.
The court officials didn't know about the Zhen family's affairs, and it was Lin Ruhai who investigated them.
Not to mention that the Zhen family had poisoned him.
I just thought that he was very disappointed with what the Zhen family had done.
Emperor Jingshun knew everything about this.
Before attacking the Zhen family, he even talked to Lin Ruhai in person.
Here Feng Yibo heard Lin Ruhai mentioning himself, so he took advantage of the situation.
"Your Majesty, everything Master Lin said is true!"
He waited for Lin Ruhai to finish speaking, then bowed to Lord Dan.
First he shouted loudly to show that it was true, and then he said:
"Since the prince of Donghai County donated his land and surrendered, he has still been full of the heart of serving the country. Donghai County also takes the Weihai territory as its own responsibility, and the fight against Japanese pirates has never stopped."
Feng Yibo first clarified Donghai County's position and expressed Donghai County's loyalty to the Wei Dynasty.
Then he changed the subject and said:
"I didn't expect that there would be such a person in the Wei Dynasty who would bring disaster to the country and the people. Even though the king of Donghai County was furious, he didn't dare to master it, so he asked people to tell his ministers about it."
In comparison, Feng Yibo's words not only showed Donghai County's contribution to the Wei Dynasty.
It also highlights that the Zhen family is selfish and the crime of colluding with outsiders is unforgivable.
The king of Donghai County was so angry that he was not good at it.
This is talking about the awe of the King of Donghai County towards the Wei Dynasty.
When Donghai County contacted Feng Yibo, it was also a matter-of-fact manner.
After all, the right minister of the Ministry of Rites is responsible for overseas affairs.
"At that time, the Zhen family's misappropriation of salt had not yet happened, and this thing was so shocking, I naturally couldn't believe it!"
Feng Yibo stated that the incident happened before the Zhen family was in order to dispel the doubts of those who were interested.
To prevent anyone from thinking that he did this on purpose and deliberately targeted the Zhen family.
This statement seems to be somewhat contradictory to what Lin Ruhai said.
But Emperor Jingshun knew it well.
Because Lin Ruhai knew about the salt eucalyptus before this, but Feng Yibo probably didn't know about it.
"I also felt that the Zhen family is the most virtuous family in the south of the Yangtze River. Donghai County must have made a mistake! So I asked them to escort the person to Beijing first and hand it over to Lantai Temple for verification!"
What Feng Yibo said is very reasonable.
His good wishes for the Zhen family are vividly expressed.
Even people like Jia Zheng who want to intercede for the Zhen family.
Can't find a single fault.
If I insist on saying something is wrong, it is because I have not communicated with these old relatives.
But Feng Yibo also said that he didn't believe it in the first place, so why should he be angry?
"My original intention is to get to the bottom of this case and restore the Zhen family's innocence."
Speaking of this, Feng Yibo looked heartbroken and said bitterly:
"I didn't expect that the Zhen family not only colluded with Japanese pirates, but also embezzled huge amounts of salt and profit. Such a move that harmed the country and the people is simply a heinous crime. If we don't punish them severely to set an example, I'm afraid the people in Jiangnan will be disappointed!"
These words are like "deep love brings deep responsibility".
In fact, it secretly carries public opinion and is simply driving the Zhen family to death.
It is a pity that Emperor Jingshun's anger has passed by this time.
He has returned to his former gentle self.
Hearing what Weng and his son-in-law said, they only frowned slightly.
He seemed to be a little embarrassed and said:
"What Lin and Feng said is very true, but what Jia Qing just said is not unreasonable."
After saying this, Emperor Jingshun still pondered slightly before saying:
"This is really a dilemma..."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhang Songyue out of habit and asked:
"Teacher, what do you think?"
Emperor Jingshun obviously wanted to punish the Zhen family, but he did not want to be blamed for being "unfilial".
That's why I asked Zhang Songyue for his opinion, hoping to use his words to convict the Zhen family.
As for what kind of crime, Emperor Jingshun naturally didn't care.
After all, the house raids have been completed.
No matter how serious the crime is, it is just a matter of killing a few principal criminals.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Songyue didn't wait for him to speak.
Feng Yibo bowed again and continued:
"Your Majesty, I think what Mr. Jia said about the unfinished national mourning makes sense."
Originally, he thought that his preparations would be useless.
I don’t want to, it’s happened now.
The Zhen family's crimes are numerous and there is overwhelming evidence.
However, Emperor Jingshun still had some scruples about "benevolence and filial piety".
If it were Zhang Songyue and Xini, they would probably have to kill the main culprit.
So, how can it be regarded as revenge for the Lin family?
In this case, there is no need to be polite to Feng Yibo!
At the moment, he first echoed, then changed the topic and said:
"It's just that although the old concubine has never been interested in government affairs, she is always willing to do charity and cares about the people. Besides, who knows that she hopes that the Wei Dynasty will last forever?"
Since it was expected that someone would use the old concubine to make a fuss.
Feng Yibo's countermeasure was to use the old concubine to refute.
The old concubines are gone, so you can use her spirit in heaven to intercede.
Why can't I just speak for her?
Colluding with Japanese pirates was an unforgivable sin for Feng Yibo.
The Zhen family has a personal feud with the Lin family.
At this moment, the hatred of the country and the family surged into my heart.
Feng Yibo pointed his finger to the sky, raised his arms and shouted:
"If her old man has a spirit in heaven and knows about the Zhen family's sins, he may not be able to rest in peace! Your Majesty!"
The only thing that can defeat magic is magic.
If "benevolence and filial piety" are the political correctness of the Wei Dynasty, then the reputation after death is a higher level existence.
Who dares to say that the late old concubine would disregard the peace of the people and the Wei Dynasty for the selfish interests of her family?
Even if the old concubine didn't mean this, she still had to mean it at this time!
No one would speak ill of a dead man.
But "caring about the peace of the people and the Wei Dynasty" is not a bad word!
"For one's own selfish interests, harming the country and the people" is a bad word.
At this time, who can refute Feng Yibo's words.
That's what you're saying about the old concubine!
It means that she wants to disregard the people and peace of Wei for her own selfish interests.
Speaking of this, Feng Yibo put on a righteous look and said sonorously:
"In order to restore the innocence of the Wei Dynasty and enhance the reputation of the old concubine, I feel that the Zhen family should also be dealt with seriously. Only in this way can the common people in the south of the Yangtze River be settled and comfort her spirit in heaven!"
This Kang's speech completely refuted Jia Zheng's previous plea.
Jia Zheng stood in front of Dan Bi and wanted to open his mouth several times.
But they were all speechless and unable to say anything to refute.
At this time, the newly promoted people also saw the opportunity and finally came out to make a last-ditch attack.
"What Mr. Feng said is absolutely true!"
"Yes! Such a huge disaster to the country and the people should be wiped out!"
"That's right! If you don't kill someone like this, it won't make the people angry!"
As soon as he saw someone agreeing, Lin Ruhai immediately followed suit. He shouted loudly and said:
"Jiangnan has suffered from Japanese pirates for a long time! Please, Your Majesty, please give justice to the people who suffered in Jiangnan!"
Feng Yibo also bowed and shouted:
"Please, Your Majesty, make the decision for the people in Jiangnan who have been harmed by Japanese pirates!"
Seeing the crowd of followers, the reaction became more intense.
Emperor Jingshun raised his hand helplessly to stop the discussion in the palace.
Then he sighed lightly, looked at Zhang Songyue, and asked:
"The Zhen family has embezzled salt and profit. They are a worm to the country. They also colluded with Japanese pirates and harmed the people! Both crimes are unforgivable. It is better to change the sentence to be executed. What do you think, teacher?"
When Jia Zheng heard this, he suddenly became anxious.
He quickly prostrated himself and shouted:
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
It's a pity that the newly promoted nobles will naturally not miss this opportunity to make a last hit.
How could they let Jia Zheng plead for the Zhen family again?
"The Holy One is wise!"
"The Zhen family deserves it!"
"The Zhen family has been suffering in Jiangnan for a long time!"
Jia Zheng's voice was instantly buried in the shouts of the courtiers.
At this time, Zhang Songyue pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly towards Emperor Jingshun.
Seeing this, Emperor Jingshun raised his hand to stop his shouting and announced:
"The crime of the Zhen family cannot be forgiven! The master's family has confiscated all the property to fill the national treasury."
Having said this, he still hesitated for a moment before saying:
"All adult men should be executed in prison. The execution will still be carried out after being approved by Lantai Temple."
The meaning of this sentence seems to be equivalent to killing everyone.
However, Emperor Jingshun still left two points of leeway!
