Le Sihui's son was still young. Because of his young age, he had yet to develop a reverence for the Emperor or a fear of the inviolable authority of the monarch.
He only remembered that his father and brother had been killed by that scoundrel. If he could convince the Emperor, then the scoundrel would be punished. He, his mother, and his sister would be freed from slavery and regain their freedom.
The Empress's question happened to be one of the twelve questions the official had prepared to rescue him and his family. This made him let out a sigh of relief. He did not need to improvise his answer to the Empress's question. He replied in a clear voice, "I have no proof!"
This sentence was nothing. At that time, the whistleblowing system, including the impeachment system of the Imperial Censorate, allowed for a rumor to be reported. As long as you heard about it, you could report it. As for whether the matter was true or not, the yamen could investigate it. There was no need for you to provide proof. This was also one of the reasons why Wu Zetian gradually stopped paying attention to Tong Jie's whistleblowing.
The eaves of your house took up the space of my house. The cart of your stall took up the space of my stall. As long as people had the slightest personal grievance, they would fabricate a crime and report it. The messy and varied "cases" consumed a great deal of the yamen's manpower and resources. The investment and results were too disproportionate.
However, his second sentence was not so pleasant to hear. He gathered his dantian Qi and loudly said, "Just like how a young subject accuses a high-ranking official, there is no proof!"
Wu Zetian's expression immediately darkened. She pretended to be angry and said, "Little child, do you know what the punishment is for deliberately framing a high-ranking official?"
The Le family boy kowtowed and loudly said, "This subject has heard a rumor. Although there is no proof, it is not a false accusation. As for the crime, according to His Majesty's rules, even if a rumor report is not true, there will be no punishment. So … this subject is not guilty!"
"Hahaha …"
Wu Zetian laughed and turned her head to Li Zhaode, saying, "Le Clan's child, you sure have guts."
Li Zhaode stroked his beard and said with a smile, "What courage can a child have? Presumably, he has heard of Your Majesty's magnanimity and virtuous reputation of accepting honest advice. He has confidence in his heart, so he doesn't know fear. "
Wu Zetian turned her head and smiled at the surviving son of the Le family. "Alright, tell me. Why did you accuse Lai Junchen of framing loyal people? Those people have already admitted their crimes."
The child kowtowed again and said, "Doesn't Your Majesty know that no one dares not to plead guilty in any case tried by Lai Junchen? Your Majesty can think about it. All these years, of all the cases that Your Majesty handed over to Lai Junchen to try, has there ever been a case in which he was found innocent? "
The smile on Wu Zetian's face gradually froze.
She suddenly remembered that up until now, Yang Fan was the only person who walked out of the Censorate with an innocent body. And Yang Fan … was pardoned because of Princess Taiping's disturbance in court. Before that, he was also sentenced to death.
The child continued, "Your Majesty can choose any loyal and devoted person at your side, including the Prime Minister sitting here, or Your Majesty's most trusted subordinate, Shangguan Daizhi. As long as Your Majesty hands him over to Lai Junchen and says that you suspect that this person is rebelling, within ten days, Lai Junchen will definitely be able to prove that he is really rebelling!"
Shangguan Wan 'er and Li Zhaode subconsciously glanced at Wu Zetian. The frozen smile on Wu Zetian's face had already disappeared, and she became expressionless. She said slowly, "Little child, do you know that in the case of Di Renjie and the others rebelling, not only did we have the crime report personally written by them, but we also had the' Death Request Form 'written by them personally. Furthermore, we had also sent our messengers to investigate. They were indeed not tortured to extort a confession. You, who sent you here? "
As she spoke, Wu Zetian's voice became harsher and harsher.
But the child from the Le family was like a newborn calf. He was not afraid of this tigress at all. He raised his head and said loudly, "Your Majesty favors Lai Junchen. How would I dare to tell you the truth? The ministers in the court and the common people all over the world, who doesn't know that Lai Junchen has always used torture to interrogate people? He only hides it from Your Majesty! Although Your Majesty has sent people to investigate, does Your Majesty think that the people around you will not collude with cruel officials? "
If these words had been said before, perhaps Wu Zetian would only have laughed it off. But the case of Wei Tuan'er bribing 'Wu Sansi' and framing the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had just happened. When the child from the Le family said these words, they had great power. It was as if a giant bell had rung in Wu Zetian's heart, shaking her heart.
She suddenly felt fear, a strong fear. She was the Emperor and could only sit deep in the palace. She had to rely on the civil and military officials in the court to control the world. She had to understand the feelings of the people and the loyalty of the civil and military officials. She had to rely on the eyes and ears of the three law departments to understand the feelings of the people and the loyalty of the civil and military officials. If it was really as this child said, that the people around her had colluded with these cruel officials to deceive her, then …
A chill suddenly swept through Wu Zetian's heart. After a while, she used an attitude that was too serious for a child who had just turned nine years old. She calmly said, "You have reminded me! Regardless of whether what you said is true or not, I have decided to pardon you and your family. I will return your family's confiscated mansion and property! "
The child from the Le family was stunned. He suddenly kowtowed in ecstasy, tears streaming down his face. After all, he was a child and had forced himself to calm down for a long time. He had been carefully choosing the words that others had taught him to say to the Emperor. Now that he and his family had been pardoned, he finally recovered his childish nature and burst into tears.
Wu Zetian had Xiaohai take the child from the Le family away. She said to Li Zhaode, "This child will not lie. If this child from the Le family is telling the truth, then it is too scary. Prime Minister, Lai Junchen is the head of the law department appointed by me. I have also sent messengers to investigate Di Renjie's case. Do you think I can personally investigate this case? "
Li Zhaode's expression became serious. "This is against the law, Your Majesty!"
Li Zhaode sat up straight and said in a loud voice, "However, the law cannot be above everything! All the rules made by the court are to protect its rule. If something has already endangered Your Majesty's country, Your Majesty should immediately intervene and not be restricted by the law. People make rules for themselves to prevent trouble, not to create trouble for themselves! "
"You are right!"
Wu Zetian stood up and said solemnly, "Wan 'er, immediately draft the order. Have Wu Youyi bring troops to the Imperial Palace and bring Di Renjie and his group into the palace. I want to personally interrogate them!"
…
Shangguan Wan 'er drafted the order. After Wu Zetian saw that there were no mistakes, she used the seal and ordered someone to pass on the edict to Wu Youyi.
Wu Cheng Hall immediately quieted down. Everyone was waiting quietly. Wu Zetian and Li Zhaode sat facing each other without saying a word.
Wu Zetian's mind drifted far away. She was thinking about a very serious problem. If even Lai Junchen, who she had raised up, could not be trusted, how could she ensure that her eyes and ears were clear?
She had thought of all kinds of plans, but none of them were practical. Everyone had their own selfish motives. No matter how reliable a person was, if he was given great power, it was hard to guarantee that he would not deceive her for his own benefit. It seemed like the best way was to rebuild the Ministry of Justice. In the past, the Ministry of Justice had Zhou Xing and the Imperial Censorate had Lai Junchen. The two of them restrained each other and at least did not dare to be too lawless. Now that Zhou Xing was dead, Lai Junchen could cover the sky with one hand. This watchdog was about to be raised into an ingrate …
Li Zhaode was also thinking about a serious problem. How could he ensure his own benefits and power? Whether it was official or personal, he had to rescue Di Renjie, Ren Zhigu, Pei Xingben, and the others. However, if they were to be restored to their positions immediately, with their qualifications and prestige, he would have to be demoted.
"I need to put it aside …"
Li Zhaode thought to himself. "I need to leave them in the cold for a while. Once I have settled down, I can come back …"
Li Zhaode's furrowed brows relaxed slightly. Wu Zetian was thinking about her future plans. At this moment, she had already thought of a suitable candidate. She relaxed and raised her eyes to see Li Zhaode's relaxed brows. She could not help but smile. "Zhaode, you look thoughtful. Did you think of something?"
Li Zhaode's mind flashed. He hurriedly bowed and replied, "Yes! I was thinking about how the court should deal with the aftermath if the Le family's words were true. "
Wu Zetian looked slightly surprised. "Deal with the aftermath? You mean … "
Li Zhaode smiled bitterly. "Your Majesty! The three Prime Ministers were imprisoned on the same day for conspiring against each other, and the news that they were going to be executed has spread throughout the entire capital. Now, with a light sentence of 'this is an unjust prison', they are released. I am worried that this will have a major impact on His Majesty's prestige and the prestige of the imperial court. "
Hearing this, Wu Zetian's expression changed slightly. She immediately fell into a deep thought. Wu Zetian was silent for a while. She nodded slightly and said, "Zhaode's thoughts are thorough. You are worthy of being a Prime Minister. I already know what to do. "
At this moment, the chamberlain, Xiao Hai, entered to report. He said softly, "Everyone, Wu Youyi has been ordered to bring Di Renjie and the other criminals here. They are now waiting in the corridor!"
Wu Zetian stood up and said to Li Zhaode, "Let's go. Today, I will personally interrogate them in front of the Emperor. You, as the assistant minister of the Phoenix Court, and the current Prime Minister, will be my witness!"
In the main hall of Wucheng Hall, there was already an imperial table with imperial silk in the middle. There were two small tables on each side. On the tables were the four treasures of the study. Behind the tables was a couch. There were also eight chamberlains holding ceremonial axes standing behind the table. Gao Ying and Lan Yiqing were holding the dragon and phoenix treasured fan, standing solemnly behind the table.
Wu Zetian sat down behind the imperial desk and waved her hand, indicating for Shangguan Wan'er and Li Zhaode to sit behind the small tables on the left and right respectively. Shangguan Wan'er, who was waiting to be executed, would act as the 'recorder', while Prime Minister Li Zhaode would act as the 'recorder'. She ordered in a deep voice, "Come, bring the guilty officials to the palace!"
Xiao Hai quickly walked out. Standing in the corridor, she announced the decree. Wu Youyi brought seven soldiers from the Hundred Cavalry. Each one of them was escorting a criminal official into Wucheng Hall.
After the incident, the seven officials were the first to be arrested. After a month and a half, they were finally able to meet their Emperor!
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