King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 636 The Prince's Troubles

"Zhou Shoujun..."

Zhang Rulin took up his stance and slammed the gavel.

"This is the Censorate, not your military tent. I am here to try the case. You are so arrogant and rude. Are you disrespecting His Majesty?"

Zhou Shoujun was about to answer, but was stopped by Shen Jinxun, who then stepped forward to answer: "Imperial Censor Zhang, we were ordered to fight the enemy, but we were slandered for violating military discipline, committing adultery, plundering and committing all kinds of evil..."

"This matter concerns the Holy Virtue. Deputy Captain Zhou is loyal and dedicated to protecting his reputation. I am temporarily angry. Please forgive me!"

Zhang Rulin can use the tiger's skin as a banner, and Shen Jinxun is giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Right now, everything is for the emperor, so how the case will be tried next will still require everyone to figure it out.

Shen Jinxun's voice was loud and well-reasoned, drawing cheers from the onlookers outside.

"Well done..."

"well said……"

Zhang Rulin was choked for a moment. He kept adjusting his mentality throughout the whole process to support himself from being disturbed by negative emotions.

"All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are his subjects. The court suppresses rebellion to promote the king's rule and save the people from danger..."

"If you still care about your saintly virtue, you shouldn't allow your subordinates to kill, burn, commit adultery, and plunder..."

Before Zhang Rulin could finish, Zhou Shoujun shouted again: "Slander, slander, you are slandering..."

Zhang Rulin was trying to gather his emotions but was interrupted by Zhou Shoujun. At this moment, he was furious.

"Silence! If you dare to disturb the court again, I will punish you according to the law!"

Putting aside the trivial matters such as "corruption of military discipline", the charge of disturbing the court alone is enough to be used as a direct charge.

Caning or slapping can be used as a direct sentence.

Zhou Shoujun was just venting his anger, but after getting carried away at the beginning, he has gradually calmed down and naturally understands that he needs to be flexible in dealing with things.

"Well done, Brother Zhou..."

"Don't be afraid of him, let's see what he can do!"

He originally wanted to withdraw after saying a few words, but after hearing the support from the crowd outside, Zhou Shoujun had no choice but to continue to "hold on", otherwise it would be too embarrassing.

"Silence? I was born with a loud voice. Is that wrong?"

"I am here to try the case by order. If you..."

Zhang Rulin was interrupted again. Zhou Shoujun took off his official hat and said in a tough tone, "Am I afraid of a little censor like you? If you have the guts, just drag me out and chop me off?"

These words once again drew cheers and gave Zhou Shoujun greater confidence.

Shen Jinxun, who was standing by, lamented that young people nowadays were so brave. This was happening in the lobby of the Censorate, and it was a place of "three-court trial".

After looking at Zhou Shoujun, Shen Jinxun had to accept the fact that he might not have the chance to show up today.

"The court's laws are strict. Do you think you can't be killed?"

Zhang Rulin's tone was cold. At this moment he really had murderous intentions. If possible, he really wanted to kill Zhou Shoujun.

"You want to kill me?"

After hearing Zhou Shoujun say this viciously, Shen Jinxun knew that this guy was going to go crazy again, and the next moment he threw the black hat in his hand over.

Just as he caught the hat, Shen Jinxun saw Zhou Shoujun tearing open his clothes and rushing forward with his chest puffed out.

"I've already died several times on the battlefield following Master Thirteen. Come and kill me if you dare..."

Zhou Shoujun is indeed qualified to be tough. He has seven or eight wounds on his body, all of which were caused by fighting on the front line in the past two years.

Looking at the murderous Zhou Shoujun, Zhang Rulin felt extremely frightened even though he was sitting in a high position.

At this moment he finally understood why the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple shirked responsibility and why his colleagues in the Censorate avoided the issue. It turned out that these people had anticipated this situation.

He originally thought it was an easy job, but he actually sat on the crater of a volcano and could be swallowed if he wasn't careful.

But Zhang Rulin also knew that he had no way out, otherwise he would end up in disgrace.

"Someone come here..." Zhang Rulin stood up and shouted.

There were nearly twenty officials from various major government offices serving as jurors on the scene, and now it was their turn to be surprised.

Does this guy named Zhang really want to use force?

Who is Zhou Shoujun? He was a hero in the previous Northwest War. His father was also a second-class son of the nobility. He had many connections and ways in the army.

The most crucial thing is that this man has the support of Prince Xiang. Dealing with him is equivalent to confronting Zhu Jinghong head-on, which is almost a dead end.

Zhou Shoujun was of course aware of this truth, so he was not panicked at all at this moment.

What embarrassed Zhang Rulin was that no one responded after he shouted, so he could only bang the gavel and shout again.

"Someone is coming..."

At this point, the guard on duty outside could no longer pretend to be deaf, so only two people were allowed in.

"This man is roaring in court and defying the law. Give him twenty strokes of the cane!"

After saying this, Zhang Rulin drew out the command arrow and threw it to the ground viciously.

There was no way out, and Zhang Rulin thought it would be better to risk his life and hope for a chance of survival. Maybe he would get an unexpected surprise.

The command arrow fell to the ground and the two guards looked at each other without taking any immediate action.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Zhang Rulin scolded.

He was forcing the two guards, and Zhou Shoujun was glaring at them, and the atmosphere at the scene became increasingly tense.

"Why must it be so, Lord Zhang...why must it be so?" Shen Jinxun stepped forward to explain.

"Deputy Captain Zhou was just being frank. He had no intention of disrespecting the court!"

"You've seen it too. He has made contributions to the Ming Dynasty and shed blood for His Majesty. Doesn't this prove his loyalty?"

"The so-called corruption of military discipline is completely nonsense. Sir Zhang, please do not believe it!"

With Shen Jinxun coming to smooth things over, the atmosphere was finally cooled down, and the people from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War were finally able to sit down.

At the signal from Wang Xiu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, the two guards retreated quickly.

"I'll say it again, a trial is a trial, just speak politely and make things clear!"

Wang Xiu was mature and dignified and had a high status. Zhou Shoujun took his words to heart, and the atmosphere on the scene became more harmonious.

This contrast further shows that it was Zhang Rulin who was looking for trouble, putting him in an unfavorable situation.

"Lord Wang is absolutely right. A case is a case, and other irrelevant matters should not be involved!"

The person who spoke was the juror sitting next to Zhang Rulin. He was also the Censor of Gansu and participated in this impeachment.

This guy has been in office longer and has much more experience, so he is using the opponent's force to his advantage.

Following Wang Xiu's words, the man continued, "People who have nothing to do with this trial should be kept out and not allowed to disturb the audience!"

"So the next person should close the outer door!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another commotion outside, with everyone saying that this was an attempt at lynching and they could not sit idly by.

"I am ordered to investigate the case. All matters here are under my jurisdiction. Now I order... Close the door!"

Since it was a trial ordered by the emperor, the guards outside did not dare to delay and closed the door.

Although the generals who were separated outside were making a lot of noise, no one dared to step forward to stop them.

This is because everyone understands that complaining is okay, but if there is an attack on a ministry or agency, the nature of the matter is completely different.

The door was closed, but the trial continued. Zhang Rulin denounced the crimes of Zhou Shoujun and the other man and presented a series of evidence he had collected.

Zhou and Shen refused to plead guilty, insisting that this was slander and frame-up, which resulted in the case being unable to proceed. While the confrontation was in full swing, Zhu Jinghong was very relaxed in the Prince Xiang's mansion.

At this time, he was sitting in the pavilion, watching several girls playing in front of him, including Baochai, the princess.

In addition to the women from Prince Xiang's mansion, Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun were also among them. They were invited.

At this critical juncture, inviting the Crown Princess's family to Prince Xiang's Mansion is actually conveying to the outside world that the two families are very close.

The prince wanted to squeeze benefits out of Zhu Jinghong so that he and Zhu Jingyuan would be at loggerheads with each other, but now Zhu Jinghong wanted to squeeze the prince back.

"Your Highness, the news just came in that Zhang Rulin has put Zhou Shoujun in prison, and Shen Jinxun has been sentenced to awaiting trial behind closed doors!"

After hearing Yu Hai's report, Zhu Jinghong nodded slightly.

He was ready to take action, but the timing was not right yet.

You have to wait until there are more people who have been wronged and they are becoming more and more indignant before you take action to gain more gratitude.

It’s utilitarian, but it does have more benefits.

"Sixth Brother, Sixth Brother, you have offended them all. How can I thank you?" Zhu Jinghong was still smiling in his heart.

While he was thinking, the girls had already run away, and then a shy voice sounded in his ears.

"Master Thirteen!"

Turning around, I saw Yingchun standing beside me, holding a round fan in her hand, which covered half of her face.

Yingchun is timid and socially phobic. She left everyone else and took the initiative to find Zhu Jinghong, which has greatly broken through herself.

"Miss Yingchun, how are you these days?"

The first sentence was full of concern, which made Yingchun feel warm inside and she secretly thought that she had not chosen the wrong person.

At this moment, the look she gave Zhu Jinghong was full of undisguised deep love, revealing her most sincere feelings at the moment.

"Miss Yingchun?"

"I am OK!"

"Weren't you playing together? Did they leave you?"

"I didn't catch up with them!" Yingchun explained quickly.

Nodding, Zhu Jinghong said with a smile: "You look much better than before!"

"I have listened to Master Thirteen's teachings and have been calming down at home these days. I feel much more at ease!"

So I am still grateful to Zhu Jinghong. The two complement each other.

The two of them chatted like this for a while, until the group of girls came back laughing, and Yingchun took the initiative to distance herself from them.

Yingchun has always been dull. At this moment, she lowered her head and huddled aside. No one paid much attention to her, except Baochai, who looked at her more.

After chatting and laughing with everyone for a while, Baochai let them go and play, and she sat next to Zhu Jinghong.

There was no one around, so she asked, "What's the situation?"

"Zhou Shoujun was imprisoned!"

"You still won't take action?"

"Don't worry, just wait!"

"Your Majesty, you do nothing and let the Sixth Prince do whatever he wants. Aren't you afraid of instability on the front line?" Baochai asked in confusion.

"First of all, it's still a prosperous time, and secondly, the old man can control it!"

Picking up the teacup, Zhu Jinghong continued, "Besides, the people impeached this time are all generals who were replaced at the beginning of last year. They are two different groups of people fighting in the northwest at this time, so there is an impact but it is not big!"

In fact, he didn't say anything else, which is that there is competition within the military, and not everyone has a long-term vision.

Nodding, Baochai asked again: "If we can turn the tables, can we accuse Lao Liu of murdering a meritorious official?"

"This... is not impossible!" Zhu Jinghong smiled.

After a brief thought, Zhu Jinghong said, "Even if we can't hurt him at all, it would be a great thing for us if we can eliminate his influence in the Censorate!"

Baochai reminded: "You have to grasp the right measure!"

"It doesn't matter if I don't grasp it well. It's not like I can only lose once!" Zhu Jinghong looked relaxed.

Regarding this matter, he was no longer as nervous as he was at the beginning, and he could accept the worst outcome in his heart.

In a blink of an eye, another two days passed. The trial of the case in the Censorate was still going on, and more than a dozen generals were "dealt with", either being imprisoned like Zhou Shoujun or ordered to stay behind bars like Shen Jinxun.

For a time, the situation of the Rui Wang faction was very good, and a celebration banquet was held in the palace.

After enduring the most difficult opening, Zhang Rulin became more and more adept at trying cases. In his opinion, the so-called arrogant generals were all just weaklings with strong exterior but weak interior.

Everyone present praised him. Although the sentences were profound and the words were gorgeous, the meaning was similar to "good job", "be more energetic", and "don't lose points".

With the flattery of King Rui and a group of officials, Zhang Rulin became more and more confident. He was determined to be a loyal minister like Bi Gan and Wu Zixu, and would never back down even if he was torn to pieces.

At the end of the banquet, Zhu Jingyuan gave instructions: "Tomorrow is the day for the trial of the last ten people. The case will be sentenced in the afternoon, and then transferred to the Ministry of Justice and presented to the emperor!"

"These evildoers who corrupted the holy virtues and harmed the local people must be brought to justice!"

"I will definitely live up to your expectations!" Zhang Rulin said solemnly.

After the banquet, Zhu Jingyuan returned to the inner house and saw Chen Zhi waiting for him.

"all gone?"

"Ok!"

Chen Zhi said solemnly, "After this incident, you and Old Thirteen will be at loggerheads!"

"Do you think I don't know my limits and want to take a risky approach?"

Sitting on the chair, Zhu Jingyuan sighed and said helplessly: "On the surface, it seems that I forced him, but in fact, he pushed me to the edge of the cliff!"

"What do I have? Jixian Hall? Shibosi? These are all empty words. Old Thirteen has no job, but he holds the real power!"

Zhu Jingyuan could only speak these words without reservation to his wife who shared the same aspirations with him.

"This situation is exactly the same as it was more than a decade ago. Back then, Prince Li and King Ying'e were killed by chaotic soldiers in the middle of the night... Whenever I think about this, I can't sleep in the middle of the night!"

Looking at Chen Zhi, Zhu Jingyuan said slowly: "Believe it or not, even though I'm pushing him hard now, Old Thirteen definitely sleeps more soundly than me!"

Chen Zhi really couldn't refute this. Before this conversation, she still felt that she had the advantage, but now it seems that everything is just a mirage.

Standing up, Zhu Jingyuan walked to the bookshelf, picked up a book and said, "It's all my fault. I kept an eye on the fourth child in the past few years, but I didn't expect the thirteenth child to show up!"

"I suddenly paid attention to him... and found that he has grown into a towering tree. It is so difficult to suppress him now!"

This was not the most despairing thing. The old man's erratic attitude made him even more uneasy.

After flipping through two pages at random, Zhu Jingyuan continued, "The key to this matter is not how the Censorate handles the case, but what the old man is thinking!"

"I originally wanted to use this incident to force his cronies to cause trouble, so that the old man can see...how much of a threat Old Thirteen and his gang are!"

Sighing, Zhu Jingyuan said helplessly: "Now it seems that this guy is really patient. He has not said a word until now and has allowed his men to be questioned and imprisoned!"

"At this point, I am the one being framed, causing a lot of disgust in the army, and I have no choice but to make a final stand!"

The so-called last fight was to let Zhang Rulin convict the impeached person. If successful, it would weaken Zhu Jinghong's prestige and suppress his power.

But if that fails, he can only resort to the strategy of "sacrificing the car to save the driver" and let Zhang Rulin become the victim of this incident.

"I shouldn't tell you this. Right now... I'm feeling even more uneasy!" Chen Zhi looked embarrassed.

Zhu Jingyuan sighed again. He couldn't read a single word of the book in his hand, so he put it back on the bookshelf.

Sitting back in his chair, Zhu Jingyuan held his forehead and said, "As the saying goes, every family has its own problems. I'm afraid only the great monks who have achieved success in their practice can truly find peace of mind..."

(End of this chapter)