Han family achievements

Chapter 517 Angry

Changle Palace.

He Miao was ragged and covered in mud. He sat opposite Empress Dowager He, grabbing the food from the bowl with his hands and wolfing it down. He cried as he ate, not caring about the snot and tears mixed with his food.

The embarrassment reached the extreme.

Who could have imagined that the once-prominent General of Chariots and Cavalry would fall to this point.

Empress Dowager He on the other side was so distressed that she kept pushing food to him. She turned back from time to time and said, "Go, ask the imperial chef to make some more and send it over immediately."

The palace maid agreed and hurried to make arrangements.

Queen Mother He waited for a while, and seeing that He Miao was still busy eating, she said with both distress and anger: "What's going on? Why don't you say something!?"

No matter how poor He Miao was, he was still the elder brother of Empress Dowager He and the uncle of the current Emperor. Who could really do anything to him?
He Miao raised his head, his dark face full of grievance and pain, and suddenly cried out loudly: "Empress Dowager, they bullied me..."

"Who!" Empress Dowager He raised her eyebrows, sat up straight abruptly, her eyes gleaming with lightning.

Although she doesn't care much about state affairs, she is still the empress dowager!
If she really loses her temper, no one in the Han Dynasty can bear it!

He Miao raised his arm and wiped his face vigorously, holding back tears and said: "I was originally with Bingzhou Mu Wu Jing. Wu Jing gave me good food and drink. I thought, I thought it would be nice to die there, so as not to trouble the Queen Mother and His Majesty..."

"Nonsense!"

Empress Dowager He could not bear to hear it any longer and shouted, "You and I are siblings from the same mother, how can there be any trouble? His Majesty is also your nephew, what trouble can there be? It's about giving you less food, clothes, or shelter!"

He Miao's tears streamed down her face, she was choking with sobs and unable to speak, she only stared at Empress Dowager He with her withered eyes.

Empress Dowager He felt uncomfortable being stared at by him. The second brother in front of her was completely different from what he was a few years ago!
Although He Miao was exiled by Liu Bian, he was not imprisoned and questioned. Empress Dowager He could never have imagined that He Miao would end up like this.

Pain, heartache, guilt, anger.

Empress Dowager He's mind was very complicated, and her expression changed. She suddenly asked, "Are you talking about Wu Jing, the governor of Bingzhou who was taken to Luoyang not long ago?"

He Miao nodded with a sob, touched his face with his sleeve again, and continued to grab the food with both hands like a starving ghost.

Empress Dowager He felt even more distressed and asked, "Then you were not implicated, were you?"

She didn't care about state affairs, but she was not deaf. It would have been hard for Empress Dowager He not to know about such a big commotion outside the palace.

He Miao was eating when she suddenly started crying.

Empress Dowager He was originally feeling distressed, but when she saw him like this, she became angry again. She slammed the table and shouted, "Why are you crying, man? If there is anything, I will take care of it for you!"

He Miao's face seemed to be crying and laughing. He looked up at Empress Dowager He and said, "Empress Dowager, do you really think that Wu Jing was arrested because of corruption?"

Empress Dowager He was startled and asked, "Isn't it?"

He Miao wiped his nose and said, "Last year, such a big incident happened in the river. Your Majesty was furious and asked the Censorate to conduct a thorough investigation, but it was delayed for more than half a year. The money and grain allocated to the river were requested by the Ministry of Works, approved by the Ministry of Shangshu, reviewed by the Ministry of Households, and then came out of the Taicang. How many people passed through this process? How much could be given to the Ministry of Works? And how much was left after it was given to the local river officials? Queen Mother, you should know these things better than me."

Empress Dowager He was stunned when she heard this. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word.

She also came from the time of the previous emperor. At that time, corruption was rampant and everyone from top to bottom was greedy.

The people at the top take the lion's share, and the rest is divided among those below. The same is true for those below. Whether there is anything left at the 'destination' depends on whether these people at the top and bottom still have any 'conscience'.

"You mean, Wu Jing was pushed out to take the blame?" Empress Dowager He took a while to react, still with some disbelief.

He Miao smiled bitterly and said, "Queen Dowager, then tell me, are those people in the Shangshutai corrupt? Are Taicang and Hucao all clean? Besides, Wu Jing has been transferred to Bingzhou for more than a year."

Snapped

Empress Dowager He slammed the table and said with a sullen face, "Is this how they are trying to fool Your Majesty?!"

He Miao touched his face, lowered his head and ate in small bites, saying: "I don't know the details, but Wu Jing told me that he didn't get even half of the 80 million originally allocated to him. Moreover, the workers at that time were all people planted by the Yingchuan Party. So far, no member of the Yingchuan Party has been arrested."

Empress Dowager He had already begun to grit her teeth, her chest heaving. She suddenly turned her head to look at the female official beside her and shouted, "You, go outside the palace, no, go to the outer court, and find a room for He Miao. From now on, he will live in the palace. This is what I say!"

The female official hesitated for a moment and said softly, "Madam, do you want to inform Changqiu Palace?"

Changqiu Palace, the Queen's residence.

"Do I need the Queen's consent for what I'm saying!?"

Empress Dowager He was furious. She slammed the table again and stood up, saying, "Follow me to see His Majesty!"

He Miao was startled and hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I sneaked into the palace. If I go to see His Majesty, the foreign ministers will not let me go..."

"Who dares to touch you while I'm here?"

Queen Mother He was furious and went forward to pull He Miao, but she found that he was covered in dirt and smelled of feces and urine. She pulled her hand back halfway and said, "You can't see His Majesty like this. Someone, prepare a bath for He Miao and change him into clean clothes. I will go to see His Majesty now!"

The palace maids and eunuchs responded and hurried to prepare.

He Miao watched Empress Dowager He's back, his tearful eyes flashing with a cunning and complacent look.

When Empress Dowager He left Changle Palace and headed towards Chongde Hall, Liu Bian was losing his temper.

He sat on a chair. On the table in front of him were piled forty or fifty memorials that Sima Yi had just sent.

In front of him stood three people from the Secretariat, Xun Yu, Zhong Yao, and Xun You, the three chief officials of the Law Department, Tian Feng, Xi Zhicai, and Xun You, plus the Minister of Personnel Wang Lang and the Minister of Rites Chen Lin.

They were all nervous as they looked at the Emperor, whose face was as gloomy as water and who was obviously angry.

In their impression, this young Majesty has not been this angry for many years.

The more Liu Bian looked at it, the uglier his expression became. Finally, he could not bear it any longer. He opened the memorials in his hand one by one, threw them forward, and continued to roar angrily.

"Well, this guy proved his innocence. He used two thousand words to explain how his wealth came from!"

"This person, who gave lectures and gathered hundreds of people, was so ashamed and angry in public that he drew his sword and wanted to commit suicide."

"This is a great man with countless disciples. I have read his articles and am too ashamed to see anyone. I have shut myself in and went on a hunger strike."

"This... is considered my royal ancestor. The courtyard has been abandoned, and they are sleeping on the street with mats and a group of female relatives..."

"This is a letter of complaint, reporting Zhong Yao."

"Reporting the Prime Minister."

"Reporting Da Sima."

"All of these are from the three ministers during the reign of the previous emperor. The evidence is neatly laid out..."

"Okay, okay, this is about my father and the Empress Dowager. Okay, you are fearless, ah..."

Liu Bian threw out more than ten books in one breath, glared at the eight people in front of him, and shouted: "Is this what you did? What did you say beforehand? Safe, safe, is it really that safe?"

The court officials did not dare to speak when Liu Bian scolded them. They could only raise their hands and endure it silently. They expected some disturbances, but they did not expect it to be so big!
Seeing that they didn't speak, Liu Bian became even angrier. He slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Speak! What should we do now?!"

Xun Yu raised his hand, thought for a moment, and said, "Your Majesty, once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Please continue to investigate."

Liu Bian looked at Xun Yu, and laughed in anger. He said, "Well, well, once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. They have already started to accuse my father and the Empress Dowager. Tell me, how do we continue to investigate? My father has passed away for many years, but my grandmother is still alive. Should I take you to the Chenliu Palace and arrest my grandmother and bring her to the Supreme Court for interrogation? "

Xun Yu remained expressionless and was unable to speak for a moment.

Everyone present knew very well what kind of people the late emperor and Empress Dowager Dong were, and it was even well known throughout the Han Dynasty.

But they didn't expect that some people were so bold as to drag them into this.

At this time, Empress Dowager He had already come close, and hearing Liu Bian's roar inside, she couldn't help but stop.

She came here with anger, but when she heard her son was also angry, she was puzzled for a moment and stretched out her hand to wave to Xu Yan who was standing by the door.

Xu Yan walked in with small steps, raised his hand and saluted, "I greet the Queen Mother."

Empress Dowager He glanced at the crack in the door not far away and whispered, "Let me ask you, why is His Majesty angry?"

In Empress Dowager He's impression, her beloved son was always as gentle as jade, rarely got angry, and was terrifyingly cunning.

Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and whispered for a while.

Queen Mother He showed a look of surprise and asked, "Foreign minister, how dare a foreign minister do this?"

Xu Yan stepped back and nodded slightly.

Empress Dowager He frowned and hesitated whether to go in.

She didn't come here for any national affairs, but for her second brother He Miao. But in this situation, it was not suitable for her to go in.

After thinking it over, Empress Dowager He decided to talk about it in the evening, and said to Xu Yan: "I will not go in, and let Your Majesty have dinner in Changle Palace in the evening."

"Yes." Xu Yan responded.

Empress Dowager He listened a few more words and left Chongde Hall with her people.

Inside the hall, in response to Liu Bian's angry shout, the court officials looked at each other and began to speak one after another.

Zhong Yao said: "Your Majesty, I think the court must not give in. If there is one, there must be another. If this precedent is set, there will be endless troubles in the future."

Liu Bian just looked at him coldly and said nothing.

Xun You kept silent and stood respectfully.

Liu Bian's eyes hovered over his face for a while, then turned to the three chief officials of the Judicial Department, Tian Feng, Xi Zhicai, and Xu You.

Xu You carefully observed Liu Bian's expression, and suddenly had an idea. He raised his hand and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I think we can arrest the serious ones and let the minor ones go. Those with serious crimes should be severely punished, and the rest should be given minor punishments and severe warnings."

Liu Bian snorted and didn't bother to pay attention.

Xu You withdrew his hand angrily.

Xi Zhicai pretended to be thinking, silently.

Liu Bian suppressed his anger and stared at Tian Feng with cold eyes.

But before Tian Feng could speak, Wang Lang spoke up instead, saying in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I agree with the Prime Minister. 'Rectifying the administration of officials' is the national policy of the court, and there is absolutely no possibility of changing or retreating! These memorials further illustrate the complexity and urgency of the administration of officials. I request your imperial decree to rebuke them!"

Liu Bian laughed angrily and said, "Reprimand them with an imperial decree? How do I reprimand them? Even if their memorials are exaggerated, are they really not credible at all? Especially my father and grandmother, how can I reprimand them? Tell the world that all these are fabricated? Even if I have no shame, what about the three ministers and ministers during the time of the previous emperor? I reprimanded them, and they surrendered themselves. Where is my dignity and the dignity of the Han Dynasty!?"

Wang Lang was scolded by Liu Bian. His face became stiff. He slowly put down his hand, lowered his head and dared not speak.

"Tian Feng!"

Liu Bian's patience had reached its limit. He stared at him with eyes as sharp as swords and said, "You were the one who repeatedly asked me to thoroughly investigate the river. I asked you to be cautious again and again. Now that the situation has become like this, tell me, how should this end!?"

As Liu Bian's voice fell, everyone's eyes quietly shifted to Tian Feng's face.

Tian Feng is a ruthless man, cruel and ruthless in his methods, killing people without restraint.

If a high-ranking official in the imperial court must take the blame for this matter, then the Chief Censor would undoubtedly be a good choice.

While everyone was thinking about this, Tian Feng calmly raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, I think that since your Majesty has succeeded to the throne and has implemented new policies, you should strive to eliminate bad policies and clarify the country. You should make a break with the past. For example, 'rectifying the administration of officials' should be limited in scope. For example, the previous emperor did not investigate, and the opposition will not investigate."

"Not retroactive?"

Liu Bian frowned and muttered to himself thoughtfully.

Tian Feng remained calm and said, "Yes. Before the previous emperor, things were too chaotic. It is useless and unnecessary to investigate. The same is true for officials in opposition. As long as the court corrects the mistakes and selects officials with strict examination, within ten years, the court will be clean and upright, and the whole country will be clear."

The anger on Liu Bian's face slowly disappeared. He examined Tian Feng for a moment, glanced at the others, and asked calmly, "What do you think?"

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think it is acceptable."

Zhong Yao and Xun You immediately raised their hands and said, "We second this motion."

They came from the time of the previous emperor. I want to conduct a "thorough investigation". Not to mention the people around them and their relatives, even they themselves cannot be said to be "innocent".

"We second the motion." Xu You, Xi Zhicai, Wang Lang and Chen Lin raised their hands at the same time.

Seeing this, Liu Bian let out a breath, his face softened, and said, "Then let's do it this way."

"We obey your orders. We shall take our leave." Xun Yu took the lead, and everyone bowed and retreated.

Liu Bian looked at the crowd and suddenly said, "Please stay at Mr. Tian's house for a while."

Tian Feng paused and walked forward again.

The others glanced at Tian Feng secretly and quietly left the back hall.

Liu Bian drank a sip of tea, his expression suddenly changed, and he said with a smile: "Your thoughts are quick and well-reasoned, and you are indeed a talent to assist the king."

"I don't deserve it." Tian Feng said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Liu Bian held the teacup and said with a smile: "You are modest. By the way, how did you take down Wu Jing? Didn't he resist at all?"

Tian Feng looked calm, raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, it was Sun Quan who went to persuade Wu Jing, and Wu Jing knew that he was doomed, so he took the initiative to surrender."

Liu Bian took in his expression and movements, nodded slightly, and said, "I understand."

"I'll take my leave." Tian Feng bowed again and slowly walked out.

(End of this chapter)