The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Chapter 338 Post Uncovering Incident

The imperial edict for Yang Tinghe to return to Beijing and resume his post has been issued. Within a few days, another major incident occurred in the DPRK.

Someone posted a notice outside Fengtian Gate.

To put it bluntly, it is a big-character poster. This thing is by no means an invention of a special era.

Since the Ming Dynasty, when lower-level officials were dissatisfied with their superiors, they would write a letter of disclosure and secretly paste it outside the imperial gate at night. Some even add a caricature to the post, which is a caricature of later generations.

This is not unusual in Ming Dynasty officialdom.

This post in the autumn of the third year of Zhengde was directed at Liu Jin.

The post details Liu Jin's nine major crimes. For example, corruption, bribery, appointment of private persons, persecution of loyal people, etc. These are things everyone knows. There is also a caricature attached to the unveiling post. In the caricature, Liu Jin has the head of a human and the body of a tiger, with his bloody mouth open to swallow the sun and moon into his mouth.

Room for the Supervisor of Ceremonies.

Liu Jinzheng was filled with anger because of Yang Tinghe's reinstatement.

The announcement outside Fengtian Gate made him furious!

Liu Jin's eyes seemed to be able to spit out fire. He smashed the desk with his big hands and said indiscriminately: "What a bully! Someone dares to blatantly post a post at the Imperial Gate to slander me!"

"I, Liu Jin, am full of righteousness, with a breeze on my sleeves. If I think twice before acting, the four elements are empty. Five blessings will come to my door. No, five spines and six beasts. That's not right, five horses will divide the body. Bah, bah, bah."

The ink in Liu Jin's belly is always limited. I can't get to five.

Wei Bin quickly reminded: "Ah, Eunuch Liu worked hard for the Ming Dynasty."

Liu Jin nodded hurriedly: "That's right, that's right, it's a lot of trouble and seven injuries! In short, such an upright person like me is actually being written slanderous posts and caricatures."

"Who did this? Gu Dayong, check! I will use the power of Neichang, Xichang and Jinyiwei to find this person for me!"

"I want to kill his whole family first, make him burn to pieces inside and out, and then cut him into pieces."

"It's so angry!"

Liu Jin is indeed unscrupulous in what he says. The self-title "Yu" is not used casually.

According to the ancient system, if the throne is abdicated by father and son, the emperor cannot call himself "I" but should call himself "Yu".

There are historical records saying: Tang Ruizong Li Dan surrendered to Xuanzong Li Longji. Xuanzong ascended the throne and issued an edict: "In August of Gengzi, the emperor surrendered to the crown prince and called himself the Supreme Emperor. He called himself me. The emperor received court every day and called himself Yu."

Do you, Liu Jin, really think of yourself as the emperor? Do you think that Emperor Zhengde, who doesn't seem to care much about government affairs, is the Supreme Emperor? Dare to call yourself "Yu"?

As soon as the word "Yu" came out, Gu Dayong, Wei Bin, Qiu Ju and others in the Li Prison looked at each other.

Liu Jin realized that he had made a mistake and said quickly: "Ah, everyone has misunderstood! What I mean is that even if a fish is insulted like this, it still has to jump out of the water and splash the water angrily."

"Gu Dayong, investigate! I would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one go! Investigate fiercely!"

Gu Dayong's brain circuit is amazing. He smiled secretly in his heart: Here is the opportunity to make a fortune! Eunuch Liu ordered me to investigate the matter. I took a large number of his officials to the West Factory. Let their family members pay money to redeem the people.

Anyone who does not pay the money will be punished as slandering the most loyal eunuch of the Ming Dynasty!

Hey, another windfall can be made!

Thinking of this, Gu Dayong seemed even angrier than Liu Jin: "Eunuch Liu is the most loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty! Whoever dares to slander a loyal minister, I, Gu Dayong, will not only kill his whole family, but also kill his three clans!"

"Don't worry, Eunuch Liu! Even if Ming Dynasty's officialdom is turned upside down, I have to find this bastard to calm you down!"

The matter of catching and exposing people has nothing to do with Dongchang, which is controlled by Zhang Yong and Chang Feng.

Outside Fengtian Gate, Chang Feng and Zhang Yong clasped their hands behind their backs and watched people from two factories and one guard doing "footprint taking" and "fingerprint hunting" there.

These two people simply saw that the funeral was not afraid of big things, so they just moved a small bench to hold a handful of sunflower seeds and brewed a pot of fragrant tea.

Chang Feng smiled and said: "Eunuch Zhang, let alone, Jin Yiwei's method of taking footprints is still clever. Look, all the lime powder is used. Now, this is called professionalism."

Zhang Yong said with a smile: "I saw that caricature, and it was really exquisite. Liu Jin, with a tiger body and a human head, swallowed the sun and the moon, and the concept is also appropriate."

Chang Feng said: "Eunuch Liu is going crazy now. I wonder which good man did this."

Zhang Yong guessed: "Posting and revealing caricatures have always been a specialty of civil servants. In my opinion, some civil servant with integrity did it."

Zhang Yong changed the subject and joked: "Wait a moment. Mr. Chang Shuai, you are a serious second-class Jinshi. Although you were transferred three times to Dongchang as a thousand households, your official status is still there. Hanlin Academy. You are also a civil servant."

"You shouldn't have done this, right?"

Chang Feng laughed and said: "If I want to scold Liu Jin, why do I need to write a post or draw a caricature? I just point at his nose and scold him! It's not like I've never done this before."

"Three years ago during the imperial court, I dared to call Liu Jin Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and Wang Zhen in front of the civil and military officials of the court."

Zhang Yong smiled and said: "That's right."

Chang Feng asked: "Now that I don't have court clothes, I am not qualified to attend the morning court. When you came to Fengtianmen to attend the morning court in the morning, did you see the unveiling of the post with your own eyes? How is the handwriting? How is the painting?"

Zhang Yong replied: "The handwriting is neat and round. It should be written by a civil servant with a Jinshi background. The painting is also very exquisite."

Chang Feng judged that there was a civil servant who had a just heart like Wang Shouren, but did not have the courage of Wang Shouren to confront Liu Jin head-on, so he secretly posted this unveiling post.

At this moment, Gu Dayong came over.

Gu Dayong said angrily: "Chang Feng, Zhang Yong. The inner factory, the west factory, and the Jinyiwei are handling the case. Don't do your east factory's business, and the rest will avoid it!"

Zhang Yong was furious: "I am the Governor of the East Factory, the Royal Horse Superintendent, and the Admiral of the Twelve Regiment Camps! Do you think I am just an idler?"

But Chang Feng held Zhang Yong back: "Eunuch Zhang, let them do whatever they want. Let's go back to Dongchang to drink tea."

Zhang Yong glared at Gu Dayong: "I don't have time to watch you make Fengtianmen a mess. I'll go back to Dongchang to drink tea."

After collecting evidence outside the Fengtian Gate, the first guard from the Second Factory began to search for the initiator of the post as if they were sifting through a sieve.

The first step is to work on the handwriting.

Jiao Fang, Liu Yu, Liu Ji and other eunuch civil servants, along with their disciples who were Jinshi scholars, transferred from the General Affairs Department the memorials and official documents of all the civil servants of the dynasty in the past ten years. Compare the handwriting of the post one by one.

I searched for ten days and found nothing.

Gu Dayong arrested more than 20 civil servants who had private complaints about Liu Jin, and all of them were put on trial. Still found nothing.

In the evening of that day, Chang Feng returned home from a business trip to Dongchang and saw Chang Ponu changing into court clothes and about to go out.

Chang Feng was a little strange: "What's going on? We usually change into court clothes early in the morning and go to the morning court. Why do you change into court clothes and go out in the evening?"

"How can anyone wear court clothes when going out to a night banquet to socialize?"

Chang Ponu gave a bitter smile: "Ahem! Eunuch Liu couldn't catch the person who wrote the confession. He ordered all the civil servants in the capital to go to Fengtianmen and kneel down as punishment. He said that we civil servants should kneel down and reflect on ourselves."

"When he was punished to kneel, he had to compose a poem praising Eunuch Liu for his loyalty."

Chang Feng was surprised: "All civil servants must kneel as punishment?"

Chang Ponu nodded: "That's right. Everyone from the chief minister of the cabinet to the seventh-rank official will go."

Chang Feng said angrily: "Liu Jin thinks of himself as the emperor? Even if he is the emperor, there is rarely a precedent for punishing all civil servants to kneel!"

Chang Ponu said: "Dad, I won't tell you anymore. I am a third-grade official promoted by Eunuch Liu. I can't refute his reputation and refuse to go to Fengtianmen."

Chang Feng nodded: "Well, go ahead."

At night, outside Fengtian Gate, all the civil servants in Beijing lined up and knelt. Liu Jin was sitting on a Taishi chair. Behind him are factory guards, hawks and dogs, armed with knives and armor, looking very majestic.

Liu Jin patted the armrest of the Grand Master's chair: "I have dedicated my whole life to the Emperor in the past few years, and I have made grass rings. What I got in exchange for this kind of insult from you civil servants?" "The person who wrote the announcement tonight had better stand up. Otherwise, You just kneel here until you die! Also, keep your feces and urine in my crotch! Who dares to get up, I will treat him as the instigator!"

None of the civil servants dared to take Liu Jin's words and silently bowed their heads and knelt.

Gu Dayong helped: "Don't you know how to write and write? Don't just kneel down, compose poems in your heart! Praise Eunuch Liu!"

"When the punishment is over, kneel down and write all the hymns. Paste them all over the red wall of Fengtianmen!"

It has to be said that Emperor Zhengde's intention of using Liu Jin to suppress civil servants was fully realized.

According to the official list of the Ministry of Personnel established by Taizong, there are 926 civil servants of seventh rank or above in Beijing.

Among the 926 people, ranging from Li Dongyang to the seventh-rank Zhima official, no one dared to stand up and reprimand Liu Jin for exercising power.

More than 900 civil servants knelt like this all night in the bleak autumn wind.

Gu Da reminded Liu Jin in a low voice: "Eunuch Liu, we can't really let them kneel until they die. It's almost time for the morning court. When the emperor arrived in the front courtyard, he saw that all the civil servants were kneeling outside the royal gate. It would be too late for the morning court. ?”

Liu Jin thought about it and it was right. He said: "That's all, get up! You are all wearing court clothes, so you don't have to go home to change! Go to Jinshui Bridge to line up and prepare for the morning court!"

More than 900 civil servants were as docile as a flock of lambs. They got up and went to the Jinshui Bridge to gather and line up.

Half an hour later, the imperial court began.

Emperor Zhengde came to Qianguangting and sat on the dragon chair. He knew all about the kneeling incident last night.

Not only was he not angry at Liu Jin's domineering attitude, but he was also complacent: Hey, I really know how to know and employ people! I used Liu Jin to bring these civil servants who were chattering and chattering all day long into obedience!

But on the surface, he pretended that he didn't know what was going on.

After the morning court, the Supervisor of Ceremonies.

Liu Jin was furious: "I punished them by kneeling all night, but no one acknowledged it! This matter must not just go undisturbed!"

"Gu Dayong, Xichang has compiled a list of civil servants who are dissatisfied with me. Approximately how many people are there?"

The so-called "dissatisfaction" with Liu Jin does not mean openly opposing Liu Jin like Wang Yangming and Chang Feng.

Anyone who has not bribed Liu Jin or bribed him less will be regarded by Liu Jin as dissatisfied with him.

Liu Jin set a standard. Every official in the capital was counted as one. As long as the total amount of bribes paid to him was less than 5,000 taels, he would be included in the "dissatisfied" list and would never be promoted.

Gu Dayong replied: "About four hundred people."

Liu Jin took the public case and said: "Arrest! Arrest all these four hundred civil servants, take them to Jinyiwei Prison, and torture them severely! I don't believe that we can find the culprits!"

Wei Bin still had some sense of conscience and quickly tried to dissuade him: "Eunuch Liu, you must not do this! There are several Jiuqings of the Six Departments and several Jiuqings of the Junior Department in this list. You can't catch them all with one rake!"

"Nearly half of the civil servants in Beijing have been arrested. Who will handle the court's errands?"

Liu Jin thought for a moment: "Well, you're right. We can't arrest them all. It's really unjustifiable to arrest the ministers and ministers without evidence."

"Gu Dayong, on the list of people who are dissatisfied with me, how many civil servants are of the fifth rank and below?"

Gu Dayong thought for a moment and said, "About three hundred people."

Liu Jin immediately made the decision: "Then we will only arrest civil servants of the fifth rank and below! We will all arrest them and send them to imperial prison and torture them severely."

Wei Bin continued to dissuade: "Eunuch Liu, you are not guilty of any crime in arresting them. Torture is even more unethical."

Liu Jin thought for a while and said: "Then we won't give them physical punishment. We will only cut off their food and drink. We will not give them food or water."

"Deprivation of food and drink and execution are two different things."

Liu Jin is cruel enough! Three hundred civil servants accounted for one-third of the civil servants in Beijing.

He said he would catch him. They also had to cut off food and drink and starve and thirst them to death.

Wei Bin still wanted to dissuade him. Liu Jin interrupted him with a wave of his hand: "I have made up my mind. Let's do it! Gu Dayong, you immediately mobilize people to arrest people!"

Gu Dayong raised his hands and said, "Yes!"

Suddenly, the whole capital was in a state of uproar! Jinyi guards, cavalry, and servants from the two factories came out everywhere. More than 300 civil servants were arrested and sent to prison.

For ten whole hours, they could not get a sip of water or a grain of rice in the prison.

Five civil servants, who were in their seventies or eighties, died in the imperial prison, frightened, thirsty and hungry.

After Chang Feng heard about this incident, he discussed with Zhang Yong: "Eunuch Zhang, we can't just sit idly by and watch. If Liu Jin continues to mess around, one-third of the officials in the capital will die in prison."

Zhang Yongdao: "Let's go into the palace and go to the emperor to give him advice?"

Chang Feng shook his head slightly: "Let's not come forward. I will let the humble concubine enter the palace and find Queen Xia. Let Queen Xia go and admonish the emperor."

Chang Feng had already tasted the benefits of having an adopted daughter as a queen.

Nowadays, he does not personally come forward to ask Emperor Zhengde for advice on many matters, but lets Queen Xia act as his microphone.

The Queen's pillow talk is much more effective than the courtier's advice.

Leopard room. Emperor Zhengde was practicing swordsmanship with Jiang Bin using wooden swords.

Queen Xia entered the Leopard Room and shouted: "Your Majesty, something big has happened!"

Emperor Zhengde put down his wooden sword: "Why are you here? What happened?"

Queen Xia said: "Liu Jin arrested a group of civil servants and sent them to prison."

Emperor Zhengde picked up the wooden sword again: "Ah, this is not a big deal. Is it because of the unveiling notice outside Fengtian Gate?"

Queen Xia was a little worried: "He didn't find the person who wrote the announcement at all, and arrested people randomly to vent his anger. Your Majesty, do you know how many civil servants he arrested?"

Emperor Zhengde asked: "Ten or eight at most."

Queen Xia said: "Your Majesty, he arrested more than 300 civil servants in Beijing!"

Emperor Zhengde was shocked when he heard this number: "Nonsense! There are only more than 900 civil servants in Beijing, and he arrested one-third at once?"

Queen Xia said: "Not only that! Liu Jin also ordered that those civil servants not be given food or drink. In less than a day and night, five officials have already died of thirst and starvation!"

Emperor Zhengde threw the wooden sword on the ground: "That's nonsense! Liu Jin couldn't find the person who wrote the announcement, so he vented his anger on more than 300 civil servants?"

Even Emperor Zhengde was shocked by Liu Jin's domineering behavior.

Queen Xia said: "Your Majesty, you have to take care of this matter. Otherwise, if one-third of the civil servants starve to death or die of thirst in the imperial edict, what will be written in the history books?"

Emperor Zhengde shouted: "Jiang Bin, go to Yang Tinghe to draw up an edict and order Liu Jin to release three hundred civil servants immediately."

"Besides, I think the Neichang, Xichang, and Jinyiwei are all useless. Thousands of people were dispatched but they couldn't find out who wrote the unveiling."

"Ask Chang Feng from Dongchang to investigate this matter! Find out the culprit. Oh, calm down Grand Eunuch Liu!"

(End of this chapter)