Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 566 Civil and Military Debates in the Late Dynasty

"Xuan, the imperial censor Cao Xianliang and Yan Guan Yan Cong are here to see you."

"Xuan, the imperial censor Cao Xianliang and Yan Guan Yan Cong are here to see you."

With the chamberlain

The sound came from inside the palace,

It was sung all the way by the eunuchs in the chamber,

When the news reached the outside of the palace, the imperial emissary, Mr. Cao, had already led his people to wait here. Hearing the singing from the eunuchs in the Qianqing Palace, he immediately straightened his clothes and did not forget to say to Yan Guan Yan Cong beside him,

"Master Yan, the announcement has been made in the palace, let's go in together. Now at this time, I can't say anything more. I just want to let Master Yan understand in his heart that although I am the imperial minister, I can't just listen to your family's words. There are many things. , Your Excellency, needless to say, even among the civil servants, no one makes a mistake. I just turn a blind eye and it will be over. If we take it seriously and carry out strict investigation, everyone will be in trouble."

Cao Xianliang, the imperial censor doctor, had been persuading him for a long time. He was right. The imperial censor doctor had the responsibility of supervising all officials. Most of the cases sent by the Imperial City Division were from civil servants, especially those from the imperial censorship department. The children of officials in official houses are not aware of the crimes they have committed, and the civil servants are not clean below their butts, not to mention those corrupt officials who have done more than anything, and they must be investigated accurately.

Seeing that Yan Cong was upright, young and energetic, he was about to poke a hole in the sky with his strong energy, which made Cao Xianliang, the imperial censor, feel very sorry. They are all family people. If this matter is not handled well, it may It was really a disaster to bring harm to the young family, so I tried to persuade him again and again.

But Yan Cong remained unmoved and replied firmly,

"Mr. Cao, what you said may make sense, but after all, the official has not seen it. As long as the official sees it, whether it is a civil official or a military officer, he must read their book. Yan is an official, not for promotion and wealth. , not for glory and wealth, but for reading the books of saints and sages, and walking on a prosperous road. There are so many people in the world who are studying. Yan is not talented, so he has to go through thorns and thorns on the road of becoming a saint, even if he dies!"

These words are deafening,

Cao Xianliang's face was extremely shocked and ugly. He moved the corners of his mouth but never made a sound. He was even more unbelievable. Looking back on what he had done over the years, he had lived like a dog. But if it wasn't like this, the so-called censor doctor would have been a long time ago. It’s just someone else, so let him be.

"Master Yan, please come here. I admire what you said, but I am also a little ashamed. I have never accomplished anything in my life as an official. However, Master Yan dares to do such a thing at a young age. I think I will do something in the future, so be careful. "

When we arrived at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace, a eunuch called out,

It's okay, let him test all parties, which is also the attitude of His Majesty and the civil servants. But being able to choose Yan Cong proves that Yan Cong must be incorruptible, or "poor".

Cao Xianliang, the imperial minister, responded, then bowed to the ground, stood up tremblingly, and stood there without daring to speak. Although Yan Cong felt uneasy, he was still calm, bowed his head on the ground, and stood up without changing his expression. Standing still, many civil servants admired him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Another singing voice,

The two took a deep breath and walked in. They saw the officials in the palace standing on two sides, and the old Duke looked at each other angrily. Both of them were a little frightened.

Yan Cong did not dare to neglect and replied hurriedly.

"Yan Cong, I ask you, can you beat the Dengwen drum today?"

"Censor Cao Xianliang, the royal official, strictly obeys me when he comes to see you!"

When the two of them got up, Emperor Wu sat on the dragon chair and asked calmly,

Cao Xianliang could only persuade him to this point. If he wanted to achieve something great, he had to cross this threshold. Only this person in the world had the courage to beat the drum of Dengwen.

Although Yan Cong said this, he was still uneasy in his heart. However, when he thought that he had done nothing in these years, he was just a sixth-grade official. Although he had the care of his teacher, Mr. Lu Ge, there were so many students under his disciples that he had no chance to stand out. ,

That day in front of Cui Dehai's mansion, I wanted to use this matter to embarrass Marquis Luo Yun to make a name for himself, so that he could get ahead. However, Marquis Luo Yun acted openly and above all, and even the money he gave had a reason. Cui Dehai, the doctor, has many wives and concubines in his house, and the yard is full of money. But he has only one wife, and he lives a miserable life without any dignity.

If it weren't for the money secretly given by Marquis Luo Yun, what kind of face would he have at home? He had to climb up, no matter how dangerous it was, he had to do it. This time, he would definitely become famous all over the world. Thinking of this, No longer hesitating, he walked towards the Qianqing Palace with Master Cao, the imperial censor.

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong sat quietly on the dragon chair. He glanced at the two people kneeling in the palace and did not let them get up. Instead, he raised his head and stared at the courtiers in the palace with an inexplicable look in his eyes. He opened his tiger eyes.

"You two should be equal,"

"Return to your majesty, it was me who knocked!"

Walking all the way to the center of the hall, he immediately knelt down and worshiped.

"My lord, Cao Xianliang, (Yan Cong) pays homage to Your Majesty. Long live my emperor."

The civil servants didn't know that there were many people from Yan Cong, not to mention that almost no one knew him. Seeing such a young official, it was inevitable that he would look ugly, especially the Duke of Zhen, who seemed to be greatly insulted. Generally, angry.

Following the shouts of the two, more courtiers looked over, guessing who was so bold. Their expressions were different when they saw the young man coming.

"Thank you, Lord Cao, for your advice. Yan thanked you. This matter was done by the lower official alone and will never drag others down."

"Return to your majesty! I dare you!"

Only Zhang Jinyu stood there. He glanced at Yan Cong secretly and said to himself, it was actually him. I remembered the three stubborn figures in front of Cui Dehai's mansion. They were quite difficult to deal with, but they were decent, reasonable, and thoughtful. Why? To be so reckless, he glanced at Lu Wenshan in front of him again. He must have been coerced or tempted by the old fox, and in the end he couldn't escape the word fame and fortune.

Yan Cong answered loudly, then bowed to the two ministers, and then said,

"Your Majesty, as an official, I have the right to report on the news and supervise the officials. Today coincides with the sudden change of God's will. The people in the capital are in panic. There are even rumors that it is a demon invited by the Ningguo Mansion to cast spells. As a result, God has given a warning to the world!"

Emperor Wu nodded and asked again,

"Since you were the one beating the drum, why did you do it? Just tell the courtiers here! How dare you!"

"Haha, it's a joke. Since it's a rumor, it's just a rumor. Why did God give a warning? It's just because of the fickleness of the sky. If there are other rumors, it's just another joke."

While Yan Cong was talking, Mu Shi, the king of Dongping County, saw the right opportunity and asked.

At this time, why did Lu Wenshan stand by and refute immediately,

"Prince Mu, Yan Cong is replying. What do you mean by interrupting at this time? Could it be that you don't allow others to speak? As for whether there are rumors in Ningguo Mansion, I believe the prince knows well."

Dongwang Mu Shi sneered and wanted to speak, but Dai Quan called out,

"quiet!"

The person quarreling immediately silenced his voice, "You can argue again after you reply, let Yan Cong finish his words!"

Emperor Wu's words came out immediately, and King Dong and Mr. Lu Ge responded,

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Yan Cong took a deep breath and continued,

"Your Majesty, I said it was a rumor, but I went to the area around Ningguo Mansion to inquire. The people around me saw more than just one person. At noon today, the demonic path cast a spell in front of the Ningguo Mansion, and then the heaven and earth changed. Everyone knows that, I There is no reason not to doubt the purpose of the evil way,

Moreover, I want to sue Jia Zhen, the Ningguo Mansion, for ignoring the emperor and his father, cultivating evil ways, and bewitching the people of the capital. He even searched for immortals in the house, refined elixirs, deceived the people with evil words, forced slaves to believe in the Taoism, and offered sacrifices every day. , deceiving superiors and concealing inferiors, causing harm to the country and the people, is a crime of great disrespect! Your Majesty, please investigate! "

In one breath, Yan Cong directly listed the crimes of Ning Guofu, almost saying that Ning Guofu had conspired to rebel. Zhang Jinyu stood behind, listening to Yan Cong's list of Ning Guofu's crimes. Jia Zhen seemed to be able to correspond to each detail. The analysis is not big, but when put together, there is a problem. A descendant of the dignified government, a third-grade mighty general, actually serves a Taoist. Where did you put His Majesty?

really,

When Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong heard this, his face turned ugly. He thought of the way the monster cast a spell in front of the Ningguo Mansion, and how Jia Zhen and Jia Rong, the father and son, were groveling. There was no trace of the arrogance of Lord Wu. He suppressed the anger in his heart and looked towards The courtier asked,

"My dear friends, what do you think?"

"Returning to your majesty, I feel that Jia Zhenmu of Ningguo Mansion has no emperor and father, and deceives the superiors and subordinates. How can such a villain have the dignity to inherit the Duke's palace? He will definitely be severely punished. The veteran always believes that since he wants to practice Taoism, he should give up his life. He has lost everything and escaped into Buddhism to practice Buddhism. Why would he do this in his house? He will definitely be severely punished."

The angry words made people couldn't help but look. In front of the civil servants, it turned out to be Bian Zhengru, the Minister of Rites. His face turned red with anger. When King Beijing saw this, he secretly said that he was embarrassed. Although the Minister of Rites was not a clique and was seeking personal gain, , but he was once a disciple of Li Shoufu. Because of this, His Majesty paid more attention to it. Moreover, as the Minister of Rites, he could not let rude people go unpunished. Jia Zhen was afraid that it would be difficult.

Just thinking,

Then another voice sounded.

"Your Majesty, I feel that although Yan Cong's words are a bit harsh, they are not unreasonable. I also heard about the rumors in Ningguo Mansion today. I thought they were rumors, but the slaves from the mansion who went to Dongshifang to buy things passed by Ning Rong. I saw it with my own eyes when I was on the street, so I thought that even if it was an unintentional act, what General Jia did was too ridiculous, had no regard for the imperial court, and deceived the people of the capital, so he should be severely punished."

The person who spoke was Wen Yongyi, Minister of the Ministry of Industry. Although his words were soft, his words were full of knives, and his knives were used to chop meat.

The faces of those on the noble side turned pale, especially Jia She who was in the back. He stood with his head lowered in fear and did not dare to move. Jia Zheng on the other side of the civil service had panic-stricken eyes. He wanted to excuse Ning Guofu, but he didn't know what to say. He got up and stood there helplessly. Several people around him looked at him with strange eyes. Only Qin Ye beside him sighed.

Why did Jia Zhen go too far?

The Jia family was in trouble, and it was not difficult for him, a young man outside the Ministry of Industry, to intervene in the matter and cause trouble for his son-in-law. He had good intentions in his heart. How could he raise his head in the ministry and think of it? At this moment, he secretly glanced at Xungui's side. His son-in-law, Luo Yunhou, was standing in the queue with an expressionless face. Why was this? Qin Ye was a little confused. He also knew about Lin Daiyu, and he and the Jia family were also connected. , how can you stand by and watch, as for the grievances between Ningguo Mansion and Hou Mansion, hey.

at this time,

Duke Li and Duke Zhen looked at each other and knew that they must not let the civil servants talk any more, otherwise Jia Zhen would be finished. Duke Zhen Guo Qing shook his body and stepped out.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say. I also have something to say to Yan Cong. I wonder if your Majesty should respond."

"Accurate performance,"

Emperor Wu replied lightly, with no hint of happiness or anger. Duke Zhen Guo took two more steps forward, came to Yan Cong, and asked,

"Sir Yan, I want to ask you something. Is today's strange phenomenon in the sky really caused by the Taoist priest in Ningguo Mansion? As far as I know, this is a change of heaven and earth. It was not unprecedented in the previous dynasty. A small Taoist priest, She cheated and tricked her into entering the Duke's Mansion. When encountering these things, we can only say that Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion committed a crime of negligence, which is correct."

The Duke of Zhen Guo knew that Jia Zhen could not let go of her guilt at this time, so it was better to accuse herself of negligence and reprimand her. As for the others, how to convict her without any evidence.

Yan Cong did not expect that the Zhenguo Guild would say this. The so-called warning from heaven was just a lie made by the people. As for whether it was true, it was not certain, but it was not unfounded. As for the crime of negligence, it was not Jia Zhen's fault. , it was clearly the imperial emissary around him, Mr. Cao, who was responsible for the crime. Duke Zhen Guo made a good calculation.

My heart was shocked,

I can't help but think to myself,

"My lord, back to town, I don't know whether there is a big celestial phenomenon, but the people in the capital know it. I think the old lord should know very well. As for the warning from heaven, it is not accidental. Why is there no strange thing earlier and no strange thing later?" The elephant happened to be there when the demon was casting spells. Could it be that the demon had done something immoral in the Ningguo Mansion and angered God, which led to this disaster? What happened in the previous dynasty must have happened to the old Duke. It is also clear that the lower official dare not say that as for the crime of negligence, it is not Jia Zhen’s fault. The lower official believes that Jia Zhen has sinned against her ancestors and has been punished by heaven."

"You, you, good! You are sharp-tongued and sharp-tongued, and you are a strict obedient person."

With this remark,

Shocked everyone in the hall,

Zhenguo Gong's face turned pale with anger, and he was speechless. Even Zhang Jinyu did not expect that Yan Cong's mouth was so powerful. He could tell the dead and live, and he dared to say it, but Jia Zhen was afraid It depends on how His Majesty looks at him, even if he is not dead, he will shed his skin. When he looked at His Majesty, his expression was extremely ugly.

"Strict Cong, don't talk nonsense. Now the people in the capital live and work in peace and contentment, and the civil and military administration of the entire dynasty is harmonious. How could you be convicted because of a Taoist priest? How could outsiders know the inside story? What is your intention in falsely accusing an honorable noble?"

Duke Li couldn't bear it any longer and asked, "How can Lu Wenshan give in if he wants to help Duke Zhen?"

"What is the intention? Of course it is for the sake of the court and your majesty. If there is such a treacherous villain in the court, we must find out. Otherwise, how to deal with this matter, your majesty, since Li Guogong said, we will Since no one knows the inside story, it is better for the three divisions to interrogate, arrest the evildoer, get to the bottom of this matter, and find out what happened and whether Jia Zhen has done something beyond the bounds. Then the truth will naturally be revealed and announced to the world, so that the people will not panic because of it. Rumors are flying.”

Lu Wenshan's move was so obvious that he forced the noble man into a corner. The three departments held a joint trial. The Ministry of Punishment, Dali Temple, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate jointly sent people to review the case and judge the case together. As long as Jia Zhen was arrested, If you are arrested and brought to justice, you will be examined by civilian officials, and you will not be able to escape the blame no matter what.

When King Beijing and King Dong heard this, their expressions changed greatly, and they cursed secretly, "Old fox, you have fallen into his trap." King Shuirong of Beijing hurriedly spoke out,

"Your Majesty, I feel that this matter should be taken over by the Imperial City Department and investigated thoroughly. As for the demons, they must be arrested and interrogated. The three departments will interrogate. The momentum is too great. The people are scared about today's incident. When there are rumors from the court again, It will inevitably be turbulent, and the incident in the south of Beijing is imminent, how can we create extra problems!"

(End of this chapter)