Great Han Empire

Chapter 208
Gai Xun frowned and thought for a while, then said solemnly: "Cheng Qiu is an iron mound, he has committed a heinous crime, and he would not tell it even if he was killed. I guess the old man told him on purpose. This old man is very cunning, he I probably know that Li Zhonglang is an idiot, but he has a heroic spirit, so I deliberately left these shocking evidence to stimulate Li Zhonglang. I didn’t expect Li Zhonglang to be fooled.”

At this time, Gai Xun hated Fu Xie to death.Nan Rong, you have gone too far, you even dare to ask Li Zhonglang to beat Qingwu.If there is nothing in it, wouldn't it kill everyone.

Zhang Wen gave him a suspicious look, and said, "Yuan Gu was joking."

At this time, Tao Qian and Sang Yang had already sat aside and started writing.

Tao Qian suddenly raised his head and exclaimed, "My lord, it's too bad..."

Everyone was startled and looked at him.

"The secret memorial requires Li Zhonglang's seal." Tao Qian said, "But now..."

Zhang Wen relaxed and said with a smile: "It's a small matter, I will immediately order the subordinates to carve a fake one. Write it quickly."

===

Huangfu Li was called into the study by Zhang Wen.

"You set off to return to Luoyang immediately. Yong County is a thousand miles away from Luoyang, and you have to arrive tomorrow night at the latest."

"This secret report to His Majesty, and these secret letters are all related to the lives of me, your father, some ministers in the court and the pardoned Qingliu Party members. When you go back, I will give these things to you Father, ask your father to forward this secret memorial to Shangshu Liu Yuliu. Don't stay in Luoyang, come back immediately, understand?"

Huangfu Li nodded.

"When you enter Luoyang, you have to disguise yourself and don't let acquaintances see you." Gai Xun instructed, "It's important, so be careful."

Huangfu Li left in a hurry, and rushed out of the city with two attendants.

===

Gai Xun bid farewell and left.Zhang Wen personally sent him out of the study.

"My lord, things have already happened, so don't worry too much, let's take a step and see."

Zhang Wen smiled, and said melancholy: "What is my personal life? I'm afraid that it will lead to the disaster of being imprisoned by the party again, and the people will be ruined."

"The year before last, because of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, His Majesty led Huangfusong to fight against the rebellion. Huangfusong took the opportunity to write a letter to persuade the emperor to lift the ban on the party members. Afterwards, Taiwei Yang Ci, Situ Yuanwei, Sikong Zhangji and other ministers also wrote letters to persuade admonish."

"The emperor thought over and over again, thinking that if the problem of the party members is not resolved, once the party members and rebels living in various places collude with each other and rebel together, the consequences will be disastrous. So the emperor agreed to amnesty the party members and allowed the exiles to return to their hometown. The problem is only slightly resolved, although the emperor strictly forbids party members to be officials, but at least they can go home."

"At that time, the Zhongchang servants considered that the world was in chaos and needed a group of people to lead the army to fight and restore the country's strength, so they did not block it."

"But it's different now. The traitors have nothing to worry about. If the party is imprisoned again, not only will our lives be lost, but a large number of innocent people will also be involved."

Gai Xun sneered, and said, "It's different now. Although the Yellow Turban Ants have been suppressed, they are still not extinct, and they are still popping up everywhere. The Xiliang rebels are still at ease north of the Yellow River. What is especially different is that, The emperor has grown up. He is no longer young, he already has his own ideas. This point, Mr. Taiwei, has never thought of it."

Zhang Wen was startled suddenly.

Gai Xun continued: "In the fifth year of Yanxi (162), Huangfugui made great contributions to Ping Qiang. Because the eunuch Xu Huang and Zuo Kui failed to extract property from him, he framed Huangfugui for embezzling military pay. As a result, he was sentenced to hard labor. Later Tai student Zhang Feng gathered more than [-] famous scholars to write a letter to the court, complaining for Huangfugui, and Huangfugui was pardoned. But look at his nephew Huangfusong. Huangfusong was also framed by Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang last year, but the emperor But it’s just taking his left car and riding the general’s seal, and cutting off six thousand households. The situation is no longer the same.”

Zhang Wen thought for a while and walked slowly with Gai Xun.

"In the past, the emperor was too young, and the eunuchs controlled the government, so that the court was out of order."

"Back then, when the emperor was just established, he was only 12 years old, and Empress Dowager Dou supervised the country. At that time, the eunuchs were powerful, decadent and licentious. Zhongchang servants Hou Lan, Cao Jie, Wang Fu and others, the emperor's wet nurse and various female ministers, raped each other , messed up the court, and manipulated the state. Grand Tutor Chen Fan and General Dou Wu planned to murder the eunuchs, but unexpectedly they were killed, and even Empress Dowager Dou was imprisoned in the cold palace. So far, the eunuchs began to have nothing to fear, bringing disaster to the country and the people."

"When the Son of Heaven was 13 years old, Hou Lan, a servant of Zhongchang, instigated traitors to falsely accuse Zhang Jian, the governor of the eastern part of Shanyang County, of forming a party to endanger the country, which caused the disaster of the party to recur in this dynasty. In the fifth year of Xiping (176), the Son of Heaven was 20 years old Cao Luan, the prefect of Yongchang, wrote a letter to express grievances for the party members. Cao Luan's letter was well-intentioned, but the emperor was deceived by the eunuch, and he did not know right from wrong. All the former officials, fathers, sons, brothers, relatives and friends within the five genus, who are officials in office, will all be exempted from official imprisonment. This treacherous eunuch hit us hardest, and the punishment was extremely cruel. Since then, scholars have been taboo, and all horses have been silent .”

"Since the eunuchs have dominated the government, the Son of Heaven has been in vain. On the one hand, the eunuchs wantonly search for the people's fat and anointment, and dare to plunder. On the other hand, they control the power of selecting officials, abuse their relatives and friends, reverse right and wrong, and confuse black and white. There is a folk saying: "To promote a scholar, I don't know Book; Cha Xiaolian, father lived away; Han Suqing is white and turbid like mud, Gao Diliang is as timid as a chicken.' It can be seen how stupid the officials selected under the control of the traitors are. , Disastrous to the country and the people, making the lives of the Han people miserable, starving (read piao) everywhere, empty fields, empty courts, empty treasury, and finally the people's resentment boiled, and the officials forced the people to rebel."

"The Yellow Turban rebellion, the Xiliang rebellion, finally woke up the emperor."

"The Son of Heaven is 30 years old this year, and he knows everything. He is very clear about the past, the present, and the future. The Taiwei has always been at the top of the court, can't you see it?"

Zhang Wen remained expressionless and did not make a sound.

Gai Xun also stopped talking and walked slowly with him.

"Yuan Gu, do you think we have a good chance of winning this time?" Zhang Wen asked in a low voice.

Gai Xun smiled slightly and said: "I said a lot just now, just to remind you that the present is different from the past. The emperor already knows the root cause of the disaster of party imprisonment and what the consequences are, so he will never think of party imprisonment again." .”

"However, it is absolutely impossible for the emperor to stay away from treacherous eunuchs, trust his relatives, party members, and bureaucrats like us."

Zhang Wen's heart shook, and he stopped involuntarily.

"He doesn't trust anyone." Gai Xun said with a smile, "Whichever side controls the government, the result will be the same. So, the emperor doesn't trust anyone now."

Zhang Wen looked at him suspiciously.

"My lord probably thinks that the emperor trusts me a lot, doesn't he?" Gai Xun didn't wait for Zhang Wen to make a statement, and smiled self-deprecatingly, and said: "Actually, I am not the only one who keeps in touch with the ministers outside Beijing by the emperor's edict, so this It doesn't mean the emperor trusts me at all."

"I don't know what the emperor is thinking, but I think it has something to do with 'the authorities are obsessed, but the bystanders are clear'. Since he doesn't trust anyone, he can only ask for opinions. After a comprehensive comparison, he chooses the one he thinks is the most suitable decree."

Looking at Zhang Wen's slightly discolored face, Gai Xun said with a smile: "The emperor has the emperor's difficulties and thoughts, and it is difficult for us as courtiers to speculate. Although he is reluctant to fill the treasury with his own money, he really wants to pacify the west. Liang. Because Xiliang is pacified, he will have more income, so his words that let Xiliang people pay for themselves are very credible. Therefore, he will neither favor us nor support us now. Those traitors, we can completely let our hands and feet go, completely resolve the decades of grievances between us and the traitors, and also settle the decades-old scores in Xiliang."

===

After watching Gai Xun leave, Zhang Wen did not go back to the study, but walked aimlessly back and forth in the courtyard alone.

"My lord, I don't think Mr. Gai is telling the truth." Sang Yang walked over gently and said in a low voice, "Master Gai is famous for his uprightness and loyalty in Xiliang. He and the corrupt officials in Xiliang have always sworn against each other. You should know the evidence. source."

"It's Nan Rong." Zhang Wen smiled, "Nan Rong must have given it to Leopard. For more than ten years, Xiliang scholars have gone on to expose corrupt officials in Xiliang, and many people have died one after another. Their courage and righteousness are overwhelming This time they finally succeeded. This stupid leopard." Zhang Wen kept shaking his head, with a gentle smile on his face.

Sangyang was not surprised by Zhang Wen's words. In fact, he had guessed the same way in his heart, but he couldn't say it.

"Li Zhonglang is ignorant and daring. If he continues to do this, he will die sooner or later." Sang Yang sighed and said, "He thought this was a prairie, and whoever had the hardest fist had the final say. Alas...a barbarian."

Zhang Wen smiled and said nothing.

"He has done a good job. If the corruption control is successful this time, several major problems can be solved. First, the military expenditure problem of the army in the next few months will be solved. Second, the corrupt officials in Xiliang will be hit hard, which will have a great impact on the future stability of Xiliang. It's good, third, it's doing the emperor a favor..."

"grown ups……"

Zhang Wen stretched out his hand to stop Sangyang's words, and said in a low voice: "The officials in Xiliang are corrupt and rampant. We all know that it is related to the eunuchs in the court, but there has been no evidence. If we find conclusive evidence this time, we will punish the eunuchs." Said, another huge blow, the emperor will distrust them even more. In order to get rid of their crimes and regain the favor of the emperor, the eunuchs and their protégés must bribe His Majesty with a lot of money. Your Majesty has made a lot of money this time. Xiliang The rebellion in Xiliang was put down, the corrupt officials in Xiliang were dealt with, the stolen money in Xiliang was handed over to the state treasury, His Majesty's Wan Jin Tang was filled with money, and we took the opportunity to fight against the arrogance of the traitor. It's all a good thing."

Seeing that Zhang Wenxing looked as if nothing had happened, Sangyang asked anxiously, "My lord, are you confident?"

"I figured out a few questions, so I still have confidence in Li Zhonglang." Zhang Wen smiled.

Sang Yang respectfully stood aside, silent.

"This matter was brought out by Li Zhonglang, let him pursue it all the time, and our Taiwei Mansion should not interfere."

"He?" Sangyang said in surprise, "Can he deal with these people? My lord..."

"The matter has come to this point, it is better to let him do it. It doesn't matter whether it is life or death. If it is done well, we will all benefit. If it is not done well, I think this leopard will fight to the death and will not let anyone I've made a deal." Zhang Wen said with a smile, "Tomorrow, you go to Shehu Valley, talk to Li Zhonglang about this matter, and show my attitude that if he wants to drive Qiang Hu away in order to break the siege of General Dong , we must also do a good job in suppressing corruption in Xiliang, collect evidence of Xiliang bureaucrats’ corruption and perversion of the law, and most importantly, immediately move part of the stolen money from the search to Daying, I need it urgently here.”

Sang Yang couldn't help laughing.

Zhang Wen continued: "Immediately write another memorial and recommend Li Zhonglang in my name to take full charge of Xiliang's anti-corruption affairs. This memorial, together with the urgent memorial I wrote to His Majesty, will be sent out with a fast ride of eight hundred miles tonight." .”

"My lord, didn't you say you want to spare half a day for Huangfu Li? Why did you change it again? Can't you send it out tomorrow morning?"

Zhang Wen sighed, and said, "Tomorrow, who knows what Xiliang will do to this leopard, so hurry up."

Sangyang nodded, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something and asked, "My lord, you just said that the traitor was hit again, could it be..."

Zhang Wen hesitated for a moment, and said, "It's okay to tell you, but you must strictly keep the secret, and don't ask for trouble."

"The year before last, Wang Yun, the governor of Yuzhou, defeated the Yellow Turban Army and seized a letter from Zhang Rang's mansion to the Yellow Turban Ant Thief. I don’t know. Wang Yun submitted this letter to the emperor and reported Zhang Rang. The emperor angrily accused Zhang Rang, but Zhang Rang denied it in every possible way, saying that the chief executive of the mansion did it without telling him. Later, Zhang Rang quietly sent the emperor several thousand Wanqian, let's settle this matter. The emperor accepted Zhang Rang's benefits, so he didn't pursue it. Zhang Rang immediately took Wang Yun into prison and handed it over to the Tingwei Mansion for trial. The old Taiwei Yang Ci is Wang Yun His teacher, he came forward and invited the general He Jin, Situ Yuan Kui, and me to join in the performance, and Wang Yun was rescued."

"Since that incident, His Majesty has greatly reduced his trust in Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and other Zhongchang servants. The most obvious thing is that he began to actively recruit ministers, and often contact foreign ministers with edicts. The Zhongchang servants in the palace After that incident, they have also restrained themselves a little bit. If we can find evidence that the Zhongchang servants embezzled Xiliang's military resources this time, it will definitely hit them harder than before."

After hearing this, Sangyang said worriedly: "My lord, in this way, regardless of whether this matter is successful or not, the servants in the palace will not be punished by the emperor. Then, my lord will return to Luoyang in the future..."

Zhang Wen smiled lightly and didn't care.

===

(End of this chapter)