Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

The spring in March is particularly bright, and the Yangxin Hall wakes up in the morning sun.

The Hall of Yangxin not only officially became the place where the emperor handled government affairs, but also became the new power decision-making center of the Ming Dynasty. Senior officials would come in and out here every day.

Since the emperor moved here, the exchanges between the emperor and the important officials of the imperial court have obviously become more frequent, and there have even been calls to cancel the morning court, which is a mere formality.

Song Cheng, who was wearing a fourth-grade official uniform, followed Liu Jin to the main hall and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, Song Cheng, Yin of Shuntian Prefecture, has come to deliver an order!"

"Has the Jiaofang Division's case finally been clarified?" Zhu Youtang said without raising his head as he was looking through the list of personnel changes in the Hanlin Academy that had just been submitted by the cabinet.

Song Cheng's face was dark and serious, he raised his head and replied seriously: "Exactly!"

"Who is the real murderer?" Zhu Youtang's heart moved slightly and he asked with a bit of curiosity.

When Song Cheng asked Zhu Youtang, his eyes were very clear and he replied: "Your Majesty, there is no real murderer in this case!"

"Song Qing, how do you say this?" Zhu Youtang couldn't help but raise his head and said in surprise when he heard this unexpected answer.

The last time Dongchang secretly investigated this case, it was quickly confirmed that Zhu Qi was not the real culprit, so there was no need for him to continue investigating further, so he handed the case over to Song Cheng, who was in charge of the Shuntian government office. .

Although we knew that the real culprit was not Zhu Qi, we found out that it was Xu Yuangai and others. Being able to pull out one of the so-called Four Horsemen in the capital and behead him was also a sign of authority.

But when Song Cheng, who had been investigating for so long, came to tell him that there was no real culprit in the case, he suddenly felt untrustworthy, and even seriously suspected that Song Cheng had received money from the Funing Hou Mansion or three other families.

Song Cheng met Zhu Youtang's gaze and nodded very seriously: "I have repeatedly checked this case. Although the two marks on the neck of the deceased Lan Xiang are difficult to distinguish due to the decomposition of the body, the testimonies of the four of them can be Letter. The body was hung up again, not someone strangled and pretending to commit suicide. Therefore, this case is essentially a case of suicide!"

"Song Qing, do you have any evidence for your judgment?" Zhu Youtang put down the personnel transfer list just released by the Hanlin Academy, appearing serious and authentic.

Song Cheng knew that this statement would arouse the emperor's suspicion, so he immediately submitted the file and said: "Your Majesty, the files on my investigation of this case are all here. They have been recorded in detail. Please take a look at them. A few days before Lan Xiang died, he got When she learned that her father and brother, who were exiled to the border, had passed away, she cried so hard that she fainted. After investigation, it was found that on the third day before her death, she asked someone to build a tomb in the suburbs. She also wanted to ask someone to leave a suicide note. The rope for hanging herself was obtained from a shop on the neighboring street. Bought, so Lan Xiang is indeed suicidal!"

"Even if Lan Xiang has suicidal tendencies, she may not necessarily take action!" Zhu Youtang took the file from Liu Jin and seemed very sensible.

Song Cheng knew that the emperor in front of him had a thorough understanding of the case, so he nodded gently and said: "I think so too, so I followed this line of thinking to investigate Lan Xiang's mood that day. According to an acquaintance of the official prostitute, Lan Xiang In the first few days of Xiangchu's life, she was indeed full of sadness and thoughtless about food and tea, but someone saw her smiling with her lips pursed during dinner that night. According to the testimony provided by Zhu Ji and others at the dinner table that night, Xu Yuangai touched someone's eyes and hit someone. Men, Lanxiang even laughed for a while, and her mood has improved!"

"In that case, why did Lan Xiang choose to hang herself that night, and why did two strangulation marks appear on her neck?" Zhu Youtang casually flipped through the file, but asked with a straight face.

Although Liu Jin did not easily suspect that Song Cheng was covering up the murderer, this matter obviously did not make sense, so he turned to look at Song Cheng in confusion.

Song Cheng realized that the emperor in front of him was very wise, so he explained seriously: "Your Majesty, Lan Xiang was originally with Zhu Qi that night, but Yang Tinghe thought his female companion was too enthusiastic, so he exchanged Lan Xiang with Zhu Qi. According to reports. According to Xu Yuangai and others, Yang Tinghe seemed very frustrated that night, complained quite a bit during the dinner, and even sang Su Shi's "Jiangchengzi" repeatedly after being drunk."

"Jiang Chengzi? Ten years of life and death are boundless. I can't think about it, and I can't forget it. I am alone in a tomb thousands of miles away, and there is no place to express desolation?" Zhu Youtang's mind came to the words he had learned in high school, and he immediately recited the first two sentences.

Song Cheng was stunned for a moment. It was rumored that the emperor hated poetry when he was in the Qing Palace, but he quickly came to his senses and said, "Your Majesty, this is the one!"

"This poem is indeed tragic. Why is Yang Tinghe so frustrated? Have you investigated this matter?" Zhu Youtang didn't bother to read the file anymore, so he asked with a bit of gossip.

Song Cheng is a person who likes to get to the bottom of things, and immediately nodded solemnly and said: "Reporting to your Majesty, I am also suspicious of this matter, so I interrogated Zhu Qi, the official prostitute and others one by one for their testimony, which was later confirmed by Yang Tinghe himself. That night Because Yang Tinghe failed to get promoted and had to stay in the imperial review position, he invited Zhu Qi and three others to a banquet at the Jiaofang Division to have fun, and Yang Tinghe kept nagging during the dinner!"

"Ten years of life and death? If I remember correctly, Yang Tinghe was a Jinshi in the 14th year of Chenghua. It has been exactly ten years, right?" Zhu Youtang had a strange association and asked seriously.

Song Cheng actually thought of this, and nodded solemnly: "Yes, Yang Tinghe has been in the officialdom for ten years, and now he is still an eighth-rank Hanlin reviewer. After investigation, Yang Tinghe complained a lot. Even after he was drunk that night, There are still many complaints about injustice in his mouth!"

"Hanlin Editor, I'm afraid I won't complain this time!" Zhu Youtang picked up the newly drafted list of Hanlin Academy official changes and said with a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth.

Song Cheng couldn't hear clearly and said in confusion: "Your Majesty, what did you just say?"

Liu Jin was standing next to him, and here he could clearly see Zhu Youtang flipping through the draft list of changes to Hanlin Academy officials that had just been handed over by the cabinet.

"Song Qing, how did you rule out Yang Tinghe's suspicion of committing the crime, and why did the official prostitute Xianglan have two strangulation marks on her neck?" Zhu Youtang put down the document drafted by Yang Tinghe for his promotion to the sixth rank Hanlin, and continued. asked.

Although the case was getting clearer and clearer, there were still doubts, and the two marks on the neck of the official prostitute Xianglan were what he cared about the most.

Once these doubts cannot be explained clearly, even if it is a case that Song Cheng investigates personally, he will ask the Ministry of Justice to re-examine the case.

Song Cheng's eyes were still very clear, and he answered seriously: "Although Yang Tinghe kept talking about it that night, he was already drunk at the wine table, and it was measured at Shuntian Mansion that he did not have any natural supernatural powers. . He and Lan Xiang met for the first time that night, and the two did not have any bad relations, so Yang Tinghe's motive for the murder was not sufficient. According to the four of them, Yang Tinghe only woke up at dawn, but by then Lan Xiang's body had already appeared. Spot, so I think Yang Tinghe can be ruled out as a murder suspect! As for the two strangulation marks on Xianglan's neck, the four of them wanted to destroy the body at first, but later found that they could not get out of the courtyard at all, so they hung the body again. Go back!"

"Since the person who slept with him that night was Hanlin's critic Yang Tinghe, why did he suddenly become Zhu Qi from Funinghou Mansion after the incident?" Seeing that Song Cheng's inference was very reasonable, Zhu Youtang slowly accepted the idea of ​​hanging himself. conclusion.

Song Cheng thought of the arrogant Yang Tinghe and said bitterly: "A few days ago, I took Yang Tinghe back to Shuntian Mansion for questioning, and he also explained what happened that day. He didn't want this case to affect his career. He also didn't want the fact that he was having fun in Jiaofangsi to be publicized, so he decided to handle the case in a low-key manner at that time. He asked Zhu Qi to replace him, and at the same time asked Jiaofangsi Fengluan to conceal the fact that the three of them were together, so that the case It gets complicated!”

When Liu Jin heard this, he sorted out the entire case. Apart from the deceased official prostitute Lanxiang, the most critical figure was undoubtedly the Hanlin critic Yang Tinghe.

When reviewing Hanlin, whom he had never met before, he wanted to give him a slap in the face. His mouth really smelled bad.

"That day when you went to the room where he hanged himself, you only took a few glances and concluded that there were more than just Xu Yuangai and Zhu Qi that night. What's the reason for this?" Zhu Youtang picked up the brush and dipped it in some ink, showing that he was in the middle of everything.

Song Cheng found that the emperor in front of him was very well-informed, and immediately revealed the mystery: "Your Majesty, this flaw is actually very simple. If things are really as what Jiaofang Si Fengluan said, they only drank eight A pot of wine and a table of tea, even if you don't get up in the middle of the night to pay respects, you still have to urinate half the pot in the room, but this is not the case. So I took a look at the urinal at that time and knew that the Jiaofang Secretary Fengluan had lied and concealed the fact that he was still in the room. There is someone else at the same table!”

"That's it!" Zhu Youtang nodded gently when he learned the whole story.

When he first learned about it, he thought it was very magical and felt that Song Cheng was really powerful. But now that I know the answer, I feel that it is nothing more than that.

This is actually a kind of public psychology. After all, people have high ambitions and low abilities. When they get the answer, they will feel that they can do it too.

Song Cheng did not dare to make any mistakes and waited silently for Zhu Youtang to express his stance.

"Since it has been confirmed that Lan Xiang hanged himself, let's conclude this! It's just the people involved in the case, how do you think they should be dealt with?" Zhu Youtang crossed out the words "Hanlin Edited" and asked lightly.

The corners of Liu Jin's mouth raised slightly, but she knew that the emperor's stick was about to fall again, but she didn't know who was the most unlucky this time.

Song Cheng's face straightened, and he immediately stated his position: "Your Majesty, although the official prostitute Lan Xiang hanged herself, it has nothing to do with Yang Tinghe's words that night. Even if Yang Tinghe made an unintentional mistake, he still has to bear a certain responsibility. Zhu Qi and others deliberately deceived the murder case and pressured the Shuntian government office to close the case afterwards, so they should be punished with a cane. Jiaofang Secretary Fengluan neglected his duties and intended to protect the murderer, so he should be dismissed. Yang Tinghe was convicted of both crimes and should be slapped thirty times and Hit fifty big boards. The punishments for other personnel are already on it. Please take a look!"

"The Grand Envoy of Leizhou Fucang!" Zhu Youtang dipped a little more ink into his pen and wrote an official position in the blank space above.

The Hanlin Academy is now a veritable place for prime ministers.

Similar to Jin Weiyi and others who are directly subordinate to the emperor, Hanlin officials are not subject to promotion by the Ministry of Personnel, nor do they need to accept Beijing inspections. It is a completely independent system.

The top three candidates for each new academic year will directly join the Hanlin Academy, while the best candidates among the top two candidates will be selected as Shujishi and remain through the elimination system.

Because of this, the best talents were arranged to enter the Hanlin Academy, thus cultivating the best prime ministers.

Just entering the Hanlin Academy can be said to be the only Hanlin official who has been qualified for ten years and managed to reach the end.

Either someone with a strong family background like Cheng Minzheng, or someone like Yang Tinghe who received key training from his teachers, or someone like Zhang Sheng, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, who had perseverance and luck.

Since the position of the Right Minister of the Ministry of Rites is vacant, and this personnel draft has been filled by Cheng Minzheng, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, all Hanlin Academy officials will usher in a change.

"It's coming! It's coming! The decree is coming!"

"Whose decree is this? Someone has really been promoted again!"

"Can this thing be fake? I heard that it was compiled by Yang Ting and Sheng Hanlin!"

"No matter how he gets promoted, it won't surprise anyone. Yang Jiefu can be said to be the chosen one!"

…

When they learned that the imperial edict had arrived at the Hanlin Academy, everyone came out of their respective government offices and started talking about it.

Cheng Minzheng, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, was confident in his position as the right minister of the Ministry of Rites. When he learned that the imperial edict was coming, he rushed to the front as soon as possible.

But what people never expected was that it was not Cheng Minzheng, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy, nor Zhang Sheng, a bachelor of the Imperial Academy who also had a high reputation, but Yang Qianhe, the lowest-ranking Hanlin reviewer in the Hanlin Academy.

"The Imperial Academy will review Yang Tinghe's acceptance of the decree!" Yang Tinghe's imperial decree came directly to him, and he immediately welcomed the decree with excitement.

After ten years of hard work, now my teachers, Grand Master and elders from my hometown have paved the way for me. In the future, entering the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister will be like picking something out of a bag.

Huang Pan opened the imperial edict in his hand and read expressionlessly: "The emperor is destined to carry the emperor, and the edict says: The Hanlin Academy will review Yang Tinghe's case involving Jiaofang Si Lanxiang. Although it was found that Lanxiang hanged himself, Yang Tinghe sought employment that night. He invited friends to get drunk without permission, and talked a lot during the banquet, which made Lan Xiang feel world-weary throughout his life. Now that Lan Xiang is dead, Yang Tinghe cannot escape the blame, so he was punished with fifty sticks and fifty palms. He was expelled from the capital and demoted to Ambassador of Leizhou Fucang. As an official, you must not be unruly. The officials are too responsible for the affairs of Tinghe. Therefore, this matter will be reported to the world through the palace. All officials in the world should take Tinghe as a warning and admire this!"

"The Grand Envoy of Leizhou Fucang? No, it's impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Yang Tinghe knew that the three giants of the imperial court were being groomed as successors to the civil service group, but after hearing this edict of relegation, his whole brain was buzzing with shock.

His father-in-law and Wan'an were from the same hometown of Meizhou Prefecture in Sichuan. His teacher was from the same dynasty and the second dynasty. His teacher was Xu Pu, the left minister of the official department of the Qingliu leader, and he could be said to be the proud son of heaven.

As a result, after ten years of hard work, he was about to be promoted to the Imperial Academy and was demoted from the capital for being a minor official prostitute. God simply played a big joke on him.