Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 699: Li Dang Returns to the Court
Qianqing Palace,
All around was quiet and solemn.

Inside and outside the palace, the ministers had been waiting anxiously, but no one dared to complain. They all lined up outside the palace, waiting.
at this time,

In the Qianqing Palace,

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong arrived late, walked slowly to the side of the dragon throne, looked up at the ministers, paused, took a step forward, turned around and sat down on the dragon throne, as if His Majesty had been waiting for the ministers here for a long time.
Dai Quan, who was following behind him, stood on the left side of the dragon throne holding a Buddhist whisk, facing the ministers. When he saw that His Majesty had already taken his seat, he understood.
He shouted to the courtiers below;
"bye!"

Immediately, all the civil and military officials in the hall bowed to the ground and shouted:

"Long live the emperor,"

"Be flat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Following the Emperor Wu's command to stand up, all the civil and military officials stood up and then stood on both sides of the hall. There was a clear distinction between the civil and military officials, as if they did not interfere with each other.

Zhang Jinyu was at the end of the team, standing with a few uncles. Needless to say, these people were very enthusiastic and greeted him as soon as they came up. However, he didn't know any of them, and some of them he had only heard of. How could he recognize them? It was because of their figures.
As the saying goes, one person is fat, two people are obese, so what is three people? "Hefei" is not enough.

"My Lord, how about you stand by my side so that you can see what's going on in the palace?"

The person who spoke was Changyong Earl Yue Qingwen, who was quite sturdy. I don't know if he was a relative of Yue Fei, the famous general of the Song Dynasty. But, you are too honest. You can't even hide yourself. If I chase you out, won't it be eye-catching?

He quickly shook his head and replied;
"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Yue. I am not feeling well now, so I won't change. I will just stand."

But when Changyong Bo Yue Qingwen heard that Luo Yunhou was not feeling well, he showed an anxious look on his face. How could this be possible? All of them, the nobles, were counting on the eight dukes' mansions. Now, the eight dukes' mansions also needed to look at Luo Yunhou's face. Although they didn't say it explicitly, they could see it clearly.
So he lowered his head and asked;

"My Lord, how about I tell His Majesty to let you go back and rest and find an imperial physician to see you?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Yue. Now is the time for a big court meeting. We must not interfere and let the civil officials talk too much."

Zhang Jinyu was shocked. She thought that she couldn't do anything unnecessary. She tried to comfort him.

Seeing Marquis Luo Yun say this, Chang Yongbo Yue Qingwen felt that the Marquis was right, so he nodded without saying anything, and replied with concern.

"My Lord, if you can't hold on any longer, just let me know."

At this time, Dai Quan
Holding a Buddhist whisk, he looked solemn, and after a round of inspection, he stood up and prepared to speak according to the agenda. Unexpectedly, the Martial Emperor, who was originally sitting upright, straightened up and looked in the direction of the court officials. The civil officials were all present, but the military officials were a little suspicious. He saw a line of nobles, but did not see the figure of Marquis Luo Yun in front. This was strange, so he asked;

"Wait a moment, why can't I see Luo Yunhou? Where is he? Has he arrived?"

Your Majesty asks,

The people from Wu Xun's side looked around. Prince Beijing Shui Rong even looked back, but he didn't see Marquis Luo Yun. Prince Dong Mu Shi stood there steadily without turning his head. Marquis Luo Yun was always late for the morning court, and it was not just once or twice, so he got used to it.

Several old dukes stood in front, and they didn't see Marquis Luo Yun around them, thinking he hadn't come. When the Duke of Zhenguo wanted to speak, Zhang Jinyu at the back of the queue couldn't help but feel a headache. You said you wanted to hold a court meeting, but you had to point yourself out, and people from all around were looking for you, so he had to stand up and bow.
"Your Majesty, I am here,"

Just one sound,
All the civil and military officials in the hall looked back, and Zhang Jinyu was embarrassed by what they saw.

"It's here, it's here. What's the point of hiding in the back? Why don't you stand in the front?"

Upon seeing this, Emperor Wu showed no expression on his face, but he did not scold him in a bad mood. Zhang Jinyu did not dare to be negligent, and walked out of the line to the front, found an empty seat next to Marquis Xiangyang, and squeezed in, not daring to make a sound. Today, he should have nothing to do, so he could just eat melons.

This little episode also eased the tense atmosphere in the hall a lot. The several ministers in front also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but only Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen looked solemn, because they had heard about what happened yesterday.

The wedding banquet at the Prime Minister Li's house is not that simple. In addition, why is his son Li Chaosheng standing so far forward today? There is no precedent for this in the past.
When we were outside the palace, I wanted to remind him, but when I saw that the Prime Minister was very old and Li Chaosheng was supporting him by his side, I couldn't help but feel filial.

No one else said anything. Was there any deeper meaning behind this? Lu Wenshan looked at the others unconsciously, especially Gu Yichen, but they were all old foxes and their expressions remained the same as usual. It was hard to tell.

Dai Quan stood on top and saw that the court officials had stood firm, and then shouted;

"When there is something to do, we will start to act, but when there is nothing to do, we will retreat."

A long sigh sounded in the hall.

As soon as the words fell, the people in the civil service row were ready to move, while the people in the military honor row were all watching their noses, watching their hearts, and remained quiet as usual.

Just at this time,

Civil servants,
Shen Zhongxin, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, frowned and replied loudly;

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Seeing that it was Shen Zhongxin who stepped out, the people in the court seemed to pause and were stunned for a moment. Only Zhang Jinyu was secretly worried for Shen Zhongxin. The vanguard officer was not as fierce as him. He went straight ahead without saying anything.
but,

From the dragon throne came the voice of His Majesty;

"Don't be in a hurry. Today, it's mainly about the cabinet's affairs. So, let the cabinet ministers and the six ministers come to the front and talk about it. Let the officials listen to some things. Dai Quan, move a chair for Prime Minister Li and let him sit down. Prime Minister Li will preside over this meeting."

When everyone was confused, Emperor Wu actually asked the Prime Minister Li Chonghou to sit in the hall.
"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan waved his hand, and Xiao Yunzi beside him personally moved a chair and placed it in the center of the hall, facing south.
A gleam of light flashed in Li Chonghou's eyes. His Majesty is going to hold a cabinet meeting in front of all the officials. Well, it seems that the cabinet will draft the bill and the Ministry of Revenue will not sign it. I wonder if the people in the Ministry of Personnel are prepared. Today, we really have to catch them by surprise.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I kneel down to express my gratitude."

Li Chonghou did not refuse and wanted to kneel again, but was stopped by His Majesty.

"Forget it. The Prime Minister is old, so there is no need for empty formalities. Li Chaosheng, go over and help your father sit down."

"Yes, Your Majesty, thank you for your grace."

Li Chaosheng stepped out of the line, knelt down to express his gratitude, stood up and walked in front, helped his father to sit on the chair, and did not go back, but stood beside him.

Dai Quan saw that everyone had stood up and lined up. He took out a gong from somewhere and struck it.
"Ding!"

"My fellow ministers, please discuss the cabinet's proposal last year!"

After saying this, he personally walked down the platform and stood on the left side of the Prime Minister, and continued speaking to the ministers;

"It's still the same old rules. The cabinet will report last year's expenditures according to the actual expenses of each ministry, the two capitals and 13 provinces, including the Silijian. What should be settled and what should not be settled, there must be an explanation today. In front of all the civil and military officials, and His Majesty, the cabinet will draft the bill, and we will approve what we can."

Dai Quan, as the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, set the tone for today's meeting. What he said seemed normal, but except for the cabinet elders, the other important officials were all confused.

On Wu Xun's side, everyone was whispering.
The Duke of Zhenguo looked even more puzzled, but also gloating, and whispered, "What's going on? It's already summer, and the accounts for last year haven't been finalized yet. What are these civil servants doing for a living?"

"What else can you do? You just took too much from me and the accounts can't be made up. What a bunch of sour scholars."

Duke Li seemed to be mocking. How could the old dukes hold back? They said something one by one. The leader, Prince Beijing Shui Rong, and Prince Dongping Mu Shi, looked at each other and shook their heads, saying they didn't know. This was strange.
Zhang Jinyu, who was hiding in the team, had some guesses in his mind. Could it be that the Ministry of Revenue had done something strange? Normally, the cabinet drafted a bill, and the Silijian would look at it. Then the old men in the cabinet would discuss it together, and finally agree to it. Then they would draft a bill in the name of the cabinet, and the Ministry of Revenue would check and sign it, and then it would be cancelled. Of course, these were all discussed in the cabinet. Why did this happen today in front of all the civil and military officials? Could it be that His Majesty wanted to...

Zhang Jinyu was a little surprised. He looked up at Emperor Wu who was sitting on the high dragon throne. His expression was solemn, but he always felt like he was watching a show. Yes, he was watching a show.

Wow, the melon inside is quite big.

Looking at the old dukes around him, they were a bunch of dumb people, speaking rudely and pretending to discuss with their heads down. They could be heard from far away, and the others also looked embarrassed.

As the noise was going on in the hall, Xiao Yunzi shouted from the side;
"quiet!"

Suddenly,

All the civil and military officials in the hall fell silent, and their eyes were focused on the cabinet ministers in front of them.

Seeing this, Dai Quan, the seal holder of the Imperial Household Department, continued:

"Everything that needs to be said has been said, and the cabinet's draft has been drafted. The rest is up to the cabinet elders to discuss."

Dai Quan's words were impartial. He had voted on everything that needed to be voted on. The key point was, how did you vote on it? You didn't say it. It was obvious that he was trying to get away with it. But the people in the Ministry of Revenue would not tolerate it. Shen Zhongxin, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who had been waiting to speak, clasped his fists and said;
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister, the cabinet's draft was delivered to our Ministry of Revenue three days ago by Li Chaosheng, the left chancellor of the Ministry of Political Affairs, the Prime Minister's son. I, along with all the officials and deputy ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, have checked for three days. The expenditure bills of the Ministry of Personnel and the previous Ministry of Works are so large that they cannot be checked at all. Therefore, I dare not sign."

Speaking of the Ministry of Personnel,

Everyone in the cabinet couldn't help but look at Lord Lu. Prime Minister Li Chonghou remained silent, sitting there like a rotten wood. Of course, many people also looked at Li Chaosheng, obviously wondering what role the Prime Minister's son played in this.

Only Zhang Jinyu hadn't figured it out yet. How could the cabinet's draft bill be sent by Li Chaosheng? Could it be that the Prime Minister had given instructions? Although the people from the Zhengtong Division were assigned to the cabinet, they seemed to have done too much for some things.

"Zhang family boy, what do you think?"

While Zhang Jinyu was in a daze, the Duke of Zhenguo quietly came to his side and asked,

"Old Duke, of course you're standing here and watching. What else can you do?"

Zhang Jinyu pretended to be dumb, closed his eyes, and blurted out the words without blinking, which made the Duke of Zhenguo laugh and cry.
"You are really amazing, you are standing and watching. Do you want to sit down? Only the Prime Minister can sit in that position. You and the Marquis of Xiangyang actually went to his house yesterday. How was the wedding banquet?"

Zhang Jinyu was a little embarrassed. You really dare to say anything. Looking around, he saw many people lowering their heads and whispering. Zhang Jinyu simply lowered his head and replied in a low voice;
"To be honest with you, although the food yesterday was delicious, I ate too much and caught a cold. I had a fever last night and I am still feeling dizzy today. So, how good the food is is different for each person."

As if there was something else behind his words, the old Duke squinted his eyes and looked at Luo Yunhou. He was wearing a clean official robe, had a strong body, and clear eyes. He didn't look sick at all. Could this kid be pretending to be sick?
The Duke of Zhenguo took a look, but couldn't see anything.
"If you are not feeling well, you should be more restrained. Your wives and concubines should all be more relaxed. Don't you know that lust is a knife that scrapes your bones?"

"Thank you for your teachings, old man."

Zhang Jinyu took advantage of the situation and thanked him, which made the Duke of Zhenguo helpless and too embarrassed to say anything else. He snorted and walked back, which made Zhang Jinyu feel relieved and he finally left.

Look ahead again.

Minister of Personnel Lu Wenshan did not speak, but the Vice Minister of Personnel Yang Zhuo stood up first and asked in a sarcastic tone,
"What? You didn't sign our Ministry of Personnel's bills? The Ministry of Works' bills were all coordinated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, so why didn't you sign them? When the bills for the various ministries were drafted, all the elders were here, but now you are picking and choosing, signing some and not signing others. What else do you want to do? Or what do you want to do in the Ministry of Revenue? Why didn't Li Chaosheng, the left chancellor of the Ministry of Political Affairs, bring you a reply when he sent you the draft bills?"

Yang Zhuo shouted loudly and opened fire directly. The whole hall was shocked and all the officials were even more horrified. Is this Lord Yang, the Minister of Personnel? Why is he different from usual?

Lou Xiaoruo, the Minister of Works, was even more furious and also stood up.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister, the Ministry of Revenue is simply uncooperative. It's fine that they didn't sign the draft bills from the Ministry of Works, but the Ministry of Revenue should have allocated money for the reconstruction of the residence in the capital, and the funds should have been used for the designated purpose. Who would have thought that the Ministry of Works would earn money from the reconstruction, but when the Ministry of Revenue saw it, they actually withheld all the money for the reconstruction. How can they do things this way? I passed this matter to Lord Li, the left chancellor of the Ministry of Political Affairs, but he has not received a reply so far."

Another question, actually passed the question to the Prime Minister's son Li Chaosheng, which made the eldest son of the Li family look ugly. He was only responsible for passing on messages, how could he solve these problems? I don't know where he got the courage from, but he stood up directly.

"My Lords, you are all the chief officials of various ministries and halls. The cabinet's draft was discussed by the elders. It just so happened that I was on duty that day, so I was the one who passed on the message. As for the Ministry of Revenue, it was I who passed it on.

I heard about it, and I rejected Minister Lou at the time. I heard that Minister Lou was so angry that he went to the Ministry of Revenue to argue, but he was turned away and went back to curse his mother. "

"You have such a good tone,"

Lou Xiaoruo, the Minister of Works, was so angry that his face turned red and he couldn't speak. How could a left chancellor who had never served in the Ministry of Public Security speak to him like this? How could this happen? He was so embarrassed.

Li Chaosheng wanted to say something else, but the Prime Minister Li Chonghou who was sitting there suddenly scolded him;
"Li Chaosheng!"

The warning was so obvious that Li Chaosheng couldn't help but turned around and shouted:
"father"

Before he could finish his words, the Prime Minister stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"There is no father here, only my Dawu's ministers. When discussing matters in front of the emperor, anyone can speak."

Then he looked at the elders and continued to speak to everyone;

"Minister Shen, please tell us about the Ministry of Revenue."

"What the Prime Minister said is right. The Ministry of Revenue is the Ministry of Revenue of the Dawu court, not our Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works are also the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works of the Dawu court, not yours. If the Ministry of Revenue has to do everything in the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works that you are in charge of, then you, Yang Zhuo, can just take on the job of the Ministry of Revenue.

We, the people here, will no longer be here to discuss matters."

Shen Zhongxin swung his sleeves and almost slammed into the face of Yang Zhuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and stomped on the ground again and again, leaving no room for him.

The censors from the six ministries behind him had flushed faces, as if they had thought of something and were energized. They stared straight ahead. These low-ranking officials had never seen a cabinet meeting before. It really opened their eyes and broadened their horizons.

Even the military officials seemed a little surprised. It seemed that the civil officials had started fighting among themselves. It was really interesting.
Especially the East King Mu Shi and Beijing King Shui Rong, who were leading the group, seemed to understand something. This was a matter of tax silver. Could it be that the spoils were not evenly distributed among the civil officials, which led to such a mess? They were all greedy people.

"Brother Mu, what do you think? Is it a matter of the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel?"

"Brother Shui is testing me. We don't understand these things, but since they all refuse to obey, I think they all have something to do, and there is also the Ministry of Industry, which is the big boss."

Mu Shi replied with a smile, but there was something else in his words. The Ministry of Works was involved with the Imperial Household Department. Let's not talk about anything else, just take the place where the special examination was held, the Hanyuan Hall, and the newly built palace. Where did all the silver and materials come from? It would be clear if you think about it. As for the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue, it was well known that Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen did not get along.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong obviously understood what had happened here. If one thinks deeply about the matter, it will involve the palace, so no one should be able to bring it up in the Ministry of Works. It all depends on how the cabinet ministers deal with it. However, all financial resources in the world are in the hands of civil servants, and these nobles seem to be strangled by someone and cannot do anything.

He thought again about his smuggling in the north. Now, he has encountered big troubles with smuggling. Those people in Beimang Mountain are hard to keep accustomed to.

(End of this chapter)