Taoist Shifang became the Prime Minister and was given a mansion. Old Nun Jingguang was appointed as the abbot of Linzhi Temple by imperial edict and was given the right to accept disciples and give them the precepts. With this right, Old Nun Jingguang could accept disciples like Xue Huaiyi and didn't need to go through the temple. She had great power in Buddhism.
As for the barbarian Molei, he was much more low-key. Wu Zetian only gave him a mansion not far from Linzhi Temple, assigned some servants, and ordered the Imperial Divination Bureau to follow his orders. Molei used the Pyrolyte Star to prolong his life and asked the Imperial Divination Bureau to provide him with many gold vessels.
At that time, gold and silver weren't the currency in circulation, but they were extremely valuable and could be exchanged for money. If he had dozens of copper coins, how could he escape in the future? At that time, there were no securities, stocks, or bank cards that could be easily carried, so Molei could only come up with all kinds of excuses to get some gold.
Since Wu Zetian ascended to the throne, the power of the country was much weaker than when Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong were still alive. In addition, Li Xiaojie was leading the army to recover the four towns of Anxi, so money was spent like water. In the court, Wu Sansi was building the Three Yang Palace, the Xingtai Palace, and the Tianshu Palace. But Molei set up the altar to prolong the life of the Empress, so the Imperial Divination Bureau didn't dare to be negligent and could only do their best to satisfy his request.
The three immortal masters were favored by Wu Zetian, so the flatterers in the court immediately tried to curry favor with them. Even Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi had to pay them a visit. Soon, two mansions and a nunnery of the three immortal masters were crowded with carriages and horses. The three swindlers got to know all the powerful people in the court and the nobles of Great Zhou.
Yang Fan accompanied his Master Xue Huaiyi, so he naturally had to pay them a visit and make friends with them.
Mo Lei bragged for a moment, lying that he had seen Xue Huaiyi's past life, which was equivalent to having a relationship with Xue Huaiyi. He had always thought that Xue Huaiyi was the empress' most beloved and only gigolo, so he naturally welcomed his arrival. Taoist Si Fang and Old Nun Jing Fang had the same thoughts as him. Therefore, among all the civil and military officials in the imperial court, Xue Huaiyi was the closest to these three immortal masters.
When the news reached the ears of Zhang Changzong and Zhang Yizhi, they became even more resentful. However, the three Immortal Masters were now shouldering the great responsibility of prolonging the Empress's life and were extremely favored. With Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong's current position in Wu Zetian's heart, the two dared not slander them rashly. They could only suppress their resentment in their hearts and wait for an opportunity.
At the same time, the long-planned battle against the Censorate began.
At first, a registrar named Zhuang Qikai from Wannian County impeached Ni Xin from Chang 'an County.
This was a common tactic used by bureaucrats to attack political opponents. Usually, they would first use a low-ranking official as a pawn to attack a low-ranking official under the target, and the crime used would not be too serious. Using this to launch an attack, at the beginning, it could play the role of paralyzing political opponents. In addition, once the opponent was vigilant and launched a fierce counterattack, the big shots who had not yet taken action could use their superior status to clean up the mess.
The Deputy Minister of Censorate, Lai Junchen, was from Chang 'an, and the few trusted subordinates he promoted were also from Chang' an. Back then, he had mingled with several ruffians on the streets. Chang 'an was the place where he made his fortune, so Chang' an was the second base of the Censorate after Luoyang. Ni Xin from Chang 'an County was from the Censorate.
However, this group of people from the Censorate was really not sensitive to politics. Wan Guojun faintly felt that something was wrong, but at this time, his lack of leadership qualities was undoubtedly exposed. Under the disapproving reaction of the other censorates, Wan Guojun quickly threw his uneasy premonition out of the window, thinking that the storm that happened in Chang 'an was just an independent incident.
Zhuang Qikai, the county registrar of Wannian County, was just a small local official above the eighth rank, and Ni Xin, the County Magistrate of Chang 'an County, was just a small official below the eighth rank, so no one in the court paid attention to it at all. The file was smoothly transferred to the Ministry of Appointments. After some investigation, the Ministry of Appointments found a series of problems in Zhuang Qikai's impeachment of Ni Xin's law enforcement, including a large number of violations of the law, corruption, and bribery. This was not something that could be solved through the line of administration.
Therefore, the file was transferred to the Ministry of Justice, which naturally handed it over to the Ministry of Justice. With Chen Dong, a meticulous and skilled judge handling it, Ni Xin's series of illegal acts were soon exposed to the world. In the past few years, Ni Xin had carried out cruel laws in Chang 'an, extorting confessions under torture, and created a large number of unjust, false, and wrong cases, which were bloody presented to the world.
Ni Xin fell from power, and a few families in Chang 'an County, whose families had been ruined by Ni Xin, begged all the way to the capital, blocking the gate of the Censorate, and knelt to complain.
The Censorate was divided into the Left and the Right. The Left was responsible for supervising the officials in the capital, and the Right was responsible for supervising the local officials in the counties and prefectures. This matter was under the jurisdiction of the Right of the Censorate.
The original Right Minister of the Censorate was Wei Yuanzhong, who was framed and imprisoned by the Left Minister of the Censorate, Lai Junchen. After he was released from prison, he was sent to another place by Wu Zetian out of consideration for the dignity of the imperial court. From then on, the Right Minister of the Censorate was sworn to be enemies with the Left Minister of the Censorate. However, the Left Minister was too powerful, and they could do nothing about it.
Now that this case had fallen into the hands of the Right of the Censorate, the Censorate of the Right of the Censorate treated it like a treasure. Especially after they accepted the case and generously promised to help the people, the Chang 'an refugees immediately performed a magic trick and gave them a few People's Umbrellas. They also pooled money to make a large plaque with the words "Bright Mirror Hangs High", and knelt in front of the yamen to ask the Lord to accept it.
The Censorate of the Right of the Censorate, who had been idle for a long time, were all excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood. The next day, their impeachment memorials flew to Wu Zetian's imperial desk like snowflakes. After aimlessly and groundless attacks for three days, the Censorate of the Right of the Censorate, Chu Moxuan, took the lead and all the Censorate of the Right of the Censorate signed a letter of ten thousand words to Wu Zetian.
The letter of ten thousand words recorded the depth of the disaster caused by the cruel officials and respectfully asked the Emperor to be lenient and to implement a benevolent policy. In the letter of ten thousand words, they specifically mentioned the Emperor's' ban on slaughter 'and the matter of showing mercy to all living things under the heavens. The Emperor could show mercy to animals like chickens, ducks, dogs, and geese, but he could not allow the people under the heavens to kill. Shouldn't he show mercy to the people of the Zhou Dynasty who had to support the royal family and the court?
The cruel officials of the Left of the Censorate finally realized that something was wrong. Before they could think of a way to deal with it, the Right Supplement Yuan Jinggang wrote a memorial to the Emperor, saying that the second generation of the Qin Dynasty died because of the harsh punishments. The Zhou Dynasty should learn from this. After Empress Wu's revolution and the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, the hearts of the people under the heavens had already settled, and the punishment should be lenient.
The official name of the Supplement of the Imperial Censorate was taken from the meaning of 'picking up the loose ends and making up for the deficiencies'. Their job was to search for the remnants and make up for the lost records, to discuss the gains and losses of the court, and to admonish the Emperor. As soon as Yuan Buque made his move, the matter was no longer an internal matter of the three law departments, nor was it a legal matter. Instead, it had directly risen to the level of the court's policy.
The Prime Ministers of the Political Affairs Hall were deeply in agreement with Yuan Buque's proposal. With Li Zhaode as the leader, the Prime Ministers signed a joint agreement and requested for the Emperor to make a decision. In the past, Wu Zetian did not pay much attention to these kinds of memorials that were meant to ease torture and implement benevolent policies. But this time, the court was full of civil and military officials, and the Prime Ministers of the Political Affairs Hall were all in agreement. So, Wu Zetian could no longer turn a deaf ear to them.
Wu Zetian read the memorials very seriously and dictated the edict. The Shanghai Wan'er polished it and ordered the Political Affairs Hall to supervise and the Right Minister of the Censorate to carry it out. The cases handled by the Left Minister of the Censorate would be reviewed one by one.
The Right Minister of the Censorate finally had the right and reason to question the Left Minister of the Censorate. In a short period of time, even the Right Minister of the Censorate, those who were sick, those who were on leave, and those who did not do much work because of their old age, rushed back to the yamen.
Under their efforts day and night, in just a month's time, they had redressed some of the wrongful and wrongful cases in the past. Now, there were more than eight hundred cases of false confessions that were forced to confess under torture. For a time, the entire court was shaken. The Right Minister of the Censorate was knocked unconscious by a series of punches and could not react for a long time.
If one did not look at the numbers, one would not know. Who would have thought that in just a few years after the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, so many wrongful and wrongful cases would be found in just a month? Every case would involve more than a hundred criminal officials. Every criminal official would have more than a hundred relatives and countless servants who were sent to be government slaves because of them. They also had their own families, so the number of officials and commoners involved was simply uncountable.
Wu Zhou was like a jar of soy sauce. The surface of the jar was covered with a layer of gelatin due to the sun. It looked like a precious piece of amber, sparkling with a golden light under the sun. Now that it had been pried open with a stick, the stench immediately spread out, making it hard for people to breathe.
Spring had come.
In the Golden Grain Garden, peach, apricot, plum and unknown wildflowers were in full bloom. Red, pink, white and blue flowers were like a sea of colorful clouds. This was the villa area of dignitaries. The stench of spring plowing and fertilizing in the distant farmlands could not reach here. The garden was full of fragrance.
In the fragrance, Yang Fan was standing under a flowering tree. In front of him was a man who was dressed as a traveler. The man was carrying a parcel on his back and holding the rein in his hand. At the end of the rein was a vigorous horse. Yang Fan's voice was a bit muffled, "Mrs. Chun's body was buried in the suburb of the capital instead of the ancestral grave?"
Hearing the man's answer, Yang Fan's eyes turned gloomy.
Although Hei Chi Changzhi had not been redressed before, similar rumors about him being wronged had long been spread among the commoners. With the spring breeze of cracking down on cruel officials, Hei Chi Changzhi's case was finally redressed. Zhou Xing, who had already died, was charged with one more crime.
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem Translator: Transn Editor: Transn Although Hei Chi Changzhi had not been rehabilitated, similar rumors about him being wronged had long been spread among the commoners. After Yang Fan heard the news, he immediately told Blacktooth Chang Zhi's wife, who had just been released from prison, about Chun Niuer's caesarean section and the location of her burial.
Except for Chun Niur, Blacktooth Chang Zhi's entire family had been arrested. However, because Blacktooth Chang Zhi had died mysteriously after he was imprisoned, his official position was too high, and he was also the highest-ranking general of the Great Tang's border army. His death had attracted a lot of attention from the public. In this situation, it was inconvenient for Zhou Xing to persecute Blacktooth Chang Zhi's family. Therefore, they had been locked up in prison, but their lives were preserved.
Now that Blacktooth Changzhi had been rehabilitated, his family was released. His legal wife had given birth to a son named Blacktooth Jun. He was appointed as the Left Commander of the Right Baotao Wei Yi's Mansion, who had a position but no power. He received a salary as compensation.
Yang Fan told the news of Chun Niuer's death to Hei Chi Clan. He knew that Chun Niuer must want to be buried in the ancestral grave of Hei Chi Clan. As for being buried together with Hei Chi Changzhi, it was an extravagant hope. She was not the legal wife, so she was not qualified to be buried together with Hei Chi Changzhi.
However, he did not expect that after Blacktooth Chang Zhi's wife sent people to retrieve Chun Niuer's remains from the grain cellar, she only bought a piece of land on the hill where farmers buried their relatives on the outskirts of the capital and buried her. The grave was so small that there was not even a tombstone. It was the people sent by Yang Fan who were worried that the new grave would quickly turn into an old one. At that time, it would not be easy to identify it, so they made a mark.
After listening to his subordinate's report, Yang Fan was in a bad mood. However, he was powerless. Chun Niuer was a member of the Hei Chi Clan when she was alive, and she was a ghost of the Hei Chi Clan when she was dead. Everything about her was decided by Hei Chi Changzhi's legal wife. If she was alive and Hei Chi Changzhi was dead, it was within the law for Hei Chi Changzhi's legal wife to sell her to someone else as a slave or maid. Bystanders had no right to interfere.
Yang Fan was worried about Duoduo's feelings, so he did not let Zhao Yu directly tell the Hei Chi Clan where Duoduo and Xiao Qi had gone. He thought that if the Hei Chi Clan cared about this child who had wandered to the Western Regions, then he could tell Mrs. Blacktooth about his whereabouts. However, she did not even ask.
Yang Fan despondently looked at the pear tree in front of him. The pear blossoms were as white as snow, like clouds and mist. In his daze, he seemed to see the pitch-black grain cellar again. He saw that pea-sized lantern, and he saw that brave woman who cut open her abdomen and took out her child …
Yang Fan shook his head, shaking away the mist in his eyes. He said to his subordinate, "Go. When you reach Longyou, see Duoduo. Tell her that if … she wants Xiao Qi to return to his ancestral home, then bring the child back. I will report Madam Chun's deeds to the imperial court on her behalf. I will ask the emperor to reward her and give Xiao Qi an official position. His father is a Duke. Even though he is the son of a concubine, he should still have a military position. The Hei Chi Clan will not care about this justice, I will! "
The subordinate agreed. Yang Fan continued, "Don't be in a hurry to leave. First, find a stonemason to make a tombstone and erect it in front of Madam Chun's grave. If they are unwilling to return to the Hei Chi Clan, then when they offer sacrifices to Madam Chun in the future, at least … they will be able to find her."
The subordinate nodded and cupped his hands in salute to Yang Fan. Then, he turned around and mounted his horse. Very quickly, he disappeared into the depths of the flowers and trees.
Yang Fan sighed. He looked in the direction that the man and the horse disappeared in and did not speak for a long time.
A 'Nu pushed aside a cluster of wild flowers that were in full bloom and lightly walked to his back. The branches of the flowers swayed behind her. She was still dressed in a green robe and a small hat, dressed like a handsome manservant. However, even the brilliant wild flowers could not take away her beauty and elegance.
Yang Fan did not turn around. He was silent for a long time. Finally, he said softly, "My women are not separated by age in the family. After a hundred years, we must be buried together."
A 'Nu rolled her eyes at him mischievously. She did not say anything.
Yang Fan still did not turn around. However, as if he knew her reaction, Yang Fan smiled desolately. He added, "If one does not think far ahead, he will definitely have immediate worries. When my son is born, I will set down this rule. If he does not listen to me, then he will be unfilial. In the future, he will not even be allowed to enter the ancestral shrine! "
A 'Nu opened her mouth and wanted to stab him, "I haven't even agreed to marry you yet. You are thinking too far ahead."
However, she did not know why she swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth. Looking at Yang Fan's back, A 'Nu's eyes slowly became gentle. Even her voice became as gentle as the spring breeze, "The banquet is about to begin. Great Master Huai Yi and the three living immortals are looking for you!"
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