Several fast horses galloped out of the Golden Grain Garden, heading straight for Luoyang.
Something had happened in the capital!
The series of actions against the Censorate finally made the ruthless officials of the Censorate realize that the recent actions were meant to deal with them. In recent months, the ruthless officials who had retracted their claws, lowered their tails, and pretended to be obedient dogs, once again revealed their sharp fangs.
The first strike of their counterattack was on the Political Affairs Hall.
As for the details, Yang Fan was not clear. The messenger only told him that Prime Minister Su Weiwei, Cui Yuanzong, and Zhang Xiquan had been arrested and thrown into prison.
It was an unprecedented spectacle for the Prime Minister of a country to rise and fall so frequently. The Prime Minister of Wuzhou was sitting on the mouth of a volcano, and could be turned to ashes at any time. Looking at the frequency of the Prime Ministers of the Wu-Zhou Dynasty, it was far more frequent than the Japanese Prime Minister's ouster, which became a farce in the world's political arena. Moreover, most of the Prime Ministers of the Wu-Zhou Dynasty were imprisoned, hanged, exiled, or demoted. The brutality of the ouster was rare in both ancient and modern times.
Yang Fan galloped all the way to Luoyang. He thought to himself, "The position of Prime Minister is so dangerous, so why are there so many officials still scrambling for this position like ducks? If it were me, I'd rather stay down there peacefully than take up such a dangerous position. "
Yang Fan lost his family at a young age and wandered to the Southeast. Although he had studied since he was young, he could not compare to those scholars who had studied hard for ten years. Naturally, he did not understand how attractive a "name" that could be recorded in the annals of history was to them. Not to mention that being the Prime Minister might not necessarily lead to the destruction of one's family, even if it was really dangerous, there were still countless people who were willing to risk their lives and charge forward.
Yang Fan and Chen Dong arrived at Luoyang. Chen Dong returned to the Ministry of Justice first, while Yang Fan went straight to the palace. He wanted to go to the Political Affairs Hall. The Minister of Justice, Doulu Qinwang, and the Assistant Minister of Justice, Tao Wenjie, were both there. The messenger at the Golden Grain Garden said clearly, "Prime Minister Li is furious. Minister Doulu invites Lang Zhong to go to the Political Affairs Hall immediately after returning to the city."
After entering the palace, Yang Fan quickly turned to the Political Affairs Hall. Not far from the Political Affairs Hall was the Hall of History. Wan 'er's room was in the Hall of History. If Yang Fan went there at this time, he might be able to see Wan' er. But at this moment, of course, he had no time to talk to the beautiful woman.
After entering the Political Affairs Hall and asking for the location of Li Zhaode's office, Yang Fan hurried over.
"Pa!"
A hastily drafted edict fell to the ground as Li Zhaode angrily roared, "Fool! Truly, truly a fool who can't understand! Wang Xiaojie mobilized an army of two hundred thousand soldiers to plot against Anxi, and he spent an enormous sum of money on supplies, armor, and weapons. The Imperial Court has never been able to keep up with the expenditure, and based on your method of supply, just transportation alone will cost more than half of the army. How could the Phoenix Pavilion be filled with such fools!"
The one being scolded was the Assistant Minister of the Phoenix Pavilion, Gu Zili. The Phoenix Pavilion was originally the Hall of Governmental Affairs, one of the three provinces of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, Menxia, and Shangshu. In a broad sense, the Assistant Minister of the Phoenix Pavilion was also a Prime Minister. For this Prime Minister Gu to rise to such a high position, he was normally an extremely revered figure. But being treated in such a manner by Li Zhaode, he could only blush like an old hen that had just laid an egg.
Gu Zili's face was red to the ears as he explained, "Prime Minister Li, it is not that this lowly official is incompetent. It is just that the Four Garrisons of Anxi are located in a remote area, and they have been lost to the Tubo Empire for many years. The original fields have all been abandoned, and the local tribes have all been plundered by the Tubo Empire. Right now, we are only relying on local supplies, which are not even a tenth of our military needs.
"I don't want to hear it!"
Li Zhaode's spittle sprayed onto Prime Minister Gu's face like rain. "Anxi Road is far, and the sand is deep. Long-distance transportation costs are enormous. If we continue with this method of yours, when the Four Garrisons of Anxi are recovered and the country is under control, the costs will be unbearable. Don't talk nonsense with me. If you don't solve the problem, what use are you? Go back and draw up a better plan! "
Gu Zili had no choice but to swallow his anger and agree. He bent down to pick up the draft edict from the ground. Prime Minister Gu was thin and weak, but his movements were inflexible. Probably because of some illness in his legs, he could not bend or bend as he wished. When he bent down to pick up the edict, he could only stick his chin up high, looking very unsightly.
Li Zhaode had a bellyful of nameless anger because of the imprisonment of the three Prime Ministers. Seeing him like this, he loathed him even more. He scornfully rebuked, "When the court selects officials, they must pay attention to one's character, words, books, and judgment. Looking at your thin and weak stature, your vulgar speech, your lack of wisdom, your lack of talent, your stubbornness, your cowardice, your movements slow, you are like a frozen fly. I really don't know how someone like you became the assistant minister of the Phoenix Pavilion! "
Even an insignificant official would be angry if he was humiliated like this, let alone Gu Zili, who was the current Prime Minister. But under Li Zhaode's influence, he did not dare to refute. The higher one's position, the more scruples they had. Although Assistant Minister Gu's heart was filled with hatred, he did not dare to offend Prime Minister Li, who could cover the sky with one hand.
Gu Zili was so angry that his lips trembled and his vision went black. With great difficulty, he picked up the edict and panted heavily. For a moment, he was unable to take a single step away. Hearing Li Zhaode's insults, Gu Zili's body swayed and he almost fell.
The supervising Imperial Censor Chen Liejiu, who had also come to the Political Affairs Hall to report, saw this and quickly helped him up. Chen Liejiu helped Gu Zili steady, but when he saw Li Zhaode glaring at him, he quickly withdrew his hand.
Li Zhaode scolded, "Look at the two of you. Gu Zili is thin and withered, with no flesh on his cheeks, but you are as fat as a ball, with a round face and big eyes, just like a Pi Xiu. The court's standards for selecting officials are getting worse and worse. What kind of people are they using?"
Pi Xiu was one of the names for pandas. This Chen Liejiu was short and plump, with a round face and big eyes. If one looked closely, he really did look like a panda. The little servants in the two rooms couldn't help but cover their mouths and snigger.
Chen Zhaode was also someone who liked to give people nicknames. After today's matter, with the big mouths of these little servants spreading the news, the elegant nicknames of Assistant Minister Jelly Fly and Imperial Censor Pi Xiu would probably spread.
Being scolded by Li Zhaode, Chen Liejiu's plump face also turned red. Li Zhaode waved his hand in disgust, saying, "Get out! All of you, get out! Looking at the two of you makes me annoyed! "
Gu Zili and Chen Liejiu nodded and were about to leave when a little servant came into the hall and said to Li Zhaode, "Master Li, Minister of Justice Yang Fan wishes to see you!"
"Let him in!"
Li Zhaode gave the order in a bad mood and sat down on the couch.
Because Li Zhaode's administrative hall was a building in the palace, it was very different from the yamen outside. This was a palace building. Li Zhaode's residence was a main hall. On the left and right side of the hall, there were eight huge hall pillars. On the two sides, there were side halls, forming a courtyard.
Yang Fan stepped into the hall and saw Li Zhaode sitting angrily on the seat of honor. He didn't bother to look at the people beside him and quickly went forward. He crossed his hands and bowed, saying, "This lowly official Yang Fan greets Prime Minister Li!"
Li Zhaode snorted and glanced at him coldly. He said in a strange tone, "You, a plague doctor, are so idle. As the head of the Ministry of Justice, you don't do proper work, idle around, let down the Emperor's expectations, and do wrong to the people. To think that I have always looked at you differently. I didn't know that you are so useless!"
Yang Fan was startled. He didn't expect to be reprimanded by Li Zhaode as soon as he entered the government hall. Yang Fan couldn't help but get angry. He replied coldly, "Prime Minister Li, I came here under orders to listen to your instructions, not to listen to your lecture. As the head of the Ministry of Justice, whether I don't do proper work, idle around, or not, will be judged by the public. "
In his anger, Yang Fan didn't even address himself as' lowly official '. Instead, he called himself' so-so '. Strictly speaking, even a bricklayer could call himself' so-so 'in front of a prime minister if he didn't want to bow and scrape. This wasn't considered rude, and Li Zhaode couldn't find fault with it.
Yang Fan continued, "As for whether I have let down the Emperor's expectations and done wrong to the people, I don't know if Prime Minister Li can represent the Emperor's wishes or the people of the world? Yang Fan didn't know how the Sage would evaluate me. As for the will of the people, they all praised me as the reincarnation of justice. The plaque that was given to me by the people of Luoyang is still hanging in the yamen of the Ministry of Justice. Prime Minister Li, do you want to take a look? "
Hearing this, Li Zhaode flew into a rage. He slammed the table and shouted, "Yang Fan! How dare you speak to me like this! "
Yang Fan laughed and said, "I'm not as powerful as Prime Minister Li. This is the government hall, the heart of the country's secrets, and Prime Minister Li is the prime minister of the country. In this dignified place, you call me by my nickname. I have my own surname. How can you call me Doctor Pestilence in this dignified place?
I've always been like this in front of the Sage, Master Di, Princess Taiping, Prince Liang, and Prince Wei. I didn't know that Prime Minister Li was so powerful. If Prime Minister Li summoned me today just to show off, then I'm sorry. I still have many official matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now! "
The people that Yang Fan mentioned were either of higher status than Li Zhaode. Although Di Renjie was now a small county magistrate, when he was in the government hall, Li Zhaode was still the youngest brother. In the bureaucracy, seniority mattered, and Di Renjie was also of higher status than him.
Assistant Minister Gu and Censor Chen, who deliberately slowed down their footsteps and listened to the movements behind them, looked at each other in shock. This Yang Langzhong was really bold. Nowadays, all the civil and military officials in the court trembled with fear and respect when they saw Li Zhaode, but a mere assistant minister like him dared to be so arrogant. Speaking of which, it was because he had a strong backer.
In fact, even Yang Fan's backers wouldn't dare to be so rude to Li Zhaode, who was full of righteousness. However, the two officials could only think of it from the perspective of their backers. Who would think that they didn't have the guts not to bend down for a few buckets of rice?
Doulu Qinwang and Tao Wenjie, who were waiting in the side hall, came out from behind the screen when they heard the commotion. When they heard Yang Fan and Li Zhaode talking in such a manner, they couldn't help but turn pale with fright. Doulu Qinwang hurriedly stepped forward and shouted, "Yang Fan, shut up!" Then he bowed to Li Zhaode and said, "Yang Fan is young and impetuous, and doesn't know proper etiquette. Prime Minister, please forgive me!"
"Get out, get out! All of you, get out! "Li Zhaode angrily waved his sleeves and chased out all the attendants in the two rooms. When the hall was empty and only the four of them were left, Li Zhaode glared coldly at Yang Fan and said in a cold voice, "Young man, don't be too arrogant."
Yang Fan shrugged his shoulders and said indifferently, "I am a bit arrogant. I don't get along with Prime Minister Li, the minister, and the assistant minister. Presumably, the entire court, from the saints down, would be happy to see this happen. Doesn't Prime Minister Li think so too?"
Li Zhaode snorted coldly and didn't say anything.
On the surface, it didn't seem like the entire Ministry of Justice was united. This was their strategy from the very beginning, but there was no need for it to escalate to the point where a Minister of Justice contradicted a Prime Minister. Everything that happened today wasn't part of their plan.
Li Zhaode had a straightforward personality. Perhaps because he was born of a concubine and had received some unfair treatment in his early years, he always had a bit of an extreme and unkind temperament in his bones. Back when he was still a junior in the Political Affairs Hall, he dared to ridicule Lou Shide, who was an elder and had just made a great contribution. Now, he was even more so.
When he was reprimanding Yang Fan, it was indeed because he was angry and didn't care about other people's dignity. As for why Yang Fan opposed him, it was because they had an agreement beforehand and he wasn't afraid that Li Zhaode would really fall out with him. However, it was also because he was really disgusted by Li Zhaode's domineering attitude.
Ever since Li Zhaode monopolized the Political Affairs Hall, the unsociable, arrogant, mean, and merciless character that was hidden deep in his bones became increasingly obvious. Now, Li Zhaode considered everyone beneath his notice and acted arbitrarily. For a short period of time, this image of a solitary official could ensure that he could be unscrupulous no matter who he faced. However, in the long run, it wasn't a good thing.
When Yang Fan and the Hidden Sect were considering the officials in the court who they could ally with, they had already listed this person as a person that they couldn't associate with. Therefore, when Yang Fan used this as a pretext to purposely let others see that he wasn't on good terms with Li Zhaode, it was also because of Yang Fan's far-reaching considerations. "Li Zhaode's faction is now an ally, but they definitely can't be true comrades!"
"Why are you mingling with Daoist Si Fang and Old Nun Jingguang?"
Li Zhaode was a true disciple of the Confucian School and a pious disciple of the sage. He didn't care about those so-called gods and monsters. Once the conflict was revealed, he asked with displeasure.
Yang Fan ridiculed, "This matter doesn't seem to conflict with our objective. This lowly official heard that the three Grand Chancellors were imprisoned, so I hurried back to the capital city. It seems that Minister Li isn't anxious about this matter and actually has the leisure to inquire about this Yang's friendship. "
Li Zhaode snorted heavily as he was asking for a snub again. As the saying goes, a barefooted person isn't afraid of a shoe-wearing person. He wouldn't be able to gain the upper hand in a quarrel with Yang Fan as the disparity between their statuses was too great. Yang Fan didn't need anything from him, and the few influences behind him didn't fear him either. He couldn't do anything to Yang Fan, and if there was any quarrel, it would actually help Yang Fan to increase his prestige.
Doulu Qinwang quickly changed the topic and said, "The people from the Imperial Censorate have started to retaliate. I didn't expect that after Lai Junchen left, they are still so vicious when it comes to biting people. In just a short while, three Grand Chancellors were imprisoned, and the entire court was shaken. I called you here to discuss how we should deal with this. "
Yang Fan frowned and asked, "Why were the three Grand Chancellors imprisoned?"
Doulu Qinwang let out a bitter laugh and wanted to say something but stopped.
Watching them quarrel fiercely, Tao Wenjie sat at the side and smiled without saying a word. He was Princess Taiping's man, not Li Zhaode's faction, and he couldn't wait to see them suffer a setback. Hearing Yang Fan's question, Tao Wenjie interrupted, "This time the matter is very tricky. The Imperial Censorate has conclusive evidence in their hands, and both witnesses and material evidence have been presented to the Emperor."
Tao Wenjie explained in detail. Yang Fan listened carefully and finally understood the reason behind it.
So the cause of this incident was the Grand Chancellor Zhang Xi. The Grand Chancellors of the Political Affairs Hall were each in charge of an errand. For example, Su Wei was in charge of the judiciary, while Zhang Xi was in charge of the selection of the Celestial Officials, and was in charge of the selection of officials. To put it bluntly, he was in charge of the appointment of officials, and the corresponding yamen was the Ministry of Appointments.
This position had a lot of power, and the official in charge of personnel had always been popular since ancient times. A few officials with similar qualifications and popularity competed for the same lucrative position, and in order to obtain his approval and support, they would bribe him. In the beginning, he was still restrained and careful in his actions, but later he gradually became unscrupulous. He walked too much at night, and eventually encountered a ghost, and the people of the Imperial Censorate got hold of him.
Now that the Imperial Censorate was attacked, they used this incident as a weapon to attack the civil officials. As for Su Wei and Cui Yuanzong, they were an unexpected harvest. The people of the Imperial Censorate did not expect to be able to fish out two big fishes. If they knew from the beginning that these two Grand Chancellors were also involved, they might have used this incident as a bargaining chip to seek reconciliation with the Political Affairs Hall.
In the end, Zhang Xi was also a person without a backbone. He was afraid of suffering physical pain, and besides, the evidence was conclusive, and he could not defend himself. But the crime of corruption could not take his life. After weighing the two factors, as soon as he entered the Censorate, he confessed everything. Like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, he even confessed Su Wei and Cui Yuanzong.
Su Weiwei and Cui Yuanzong were both prime ministers, and some of their official powers overlapped with his. Zhang Xi had received benefits from them, so if he wanted to do things properly, he couldn't do without Su Weiwei and Cui Yuanzong's help, so he wanted to drag them down.
Su Weiwei's character has always been ambiguous and she is unwilling to offend anyone. Cui Yuanzong has just become a Prime Minister and his foundation is still shallow so it is impossible for him to offend Zhang Xi. The two of them can only push the boat along with the current. Speaking of which, the two of them didn't get much benefits, and they didn't directly intervene in Zhang Xi's affairs. They just turned a blind eye to some of his actions. As a result, Zhang Xi was exposed, and the two of them were implicated and sent to prison together.
Yang Fan's frown deepened as he listened. "Since the Censorate has witnesses and material evidence, I'm afraid it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven to rescue the three Prime Ministers."
Li Zhaode's face was gloomy. "Why do such a futile thing?"
Su Weiwei was promoted by Di Renjie, so he can say that it was none of his business. But Cui Yuanzong and Zhang Xi were promoted by him. Now that the two of them have committed a crime, he is responsible for failing to recognize people and recommending them wrongly. Even if the Empress doesn't punish him, he will still lose face.
Li Zhaode's cheeks bulged. Gritting his teeth, he said, "These people don't know how to behave, so they only have themselves to blame. Now that the evidence is conclusive, how can we save them? If we compromise, the ruthless officials will become even more powerful, and they will become a great scourge in the world! "
He coldly glanced at the three people in front of him and said, "For the righteousness of the court and to eradicate evil, why should we cherish our lives? Moreover, the three of them have their own blemishes. I called you here because I want to ask, other than using people to impeach and beating around the bush, do you have any methods to directly attack them? "
Dou Lu hurriedly said, "According to the original plan, the specific measures are the responsibility of Yang Langzhong. Yang Langzhong, how are the preparations on your side? "
Yang Fan said, "I have not slacked off for a moment and have been in the midst of preparation. To tell the truth, I have already cast my net. Even if this incident did not happen, it will be time to pull in the net in a few days. "
Li Zhaode coldly said, "What methods do you have? Don't use those frivolous methods on those small shrimps. I want you to directly attack the heart of the imperial censor, take down their leader, and immediately return the favor! "
Yang Fan smiled and said, "Right now, there are only a few Eagle Claws in the imperial censor. Wang Hongyi and Hou Sizhi are two of the leaders. My first target is them. As for the methods … "
A strange expression suddenly appeared on Yang Fan's face. He slowly said, "It is the same as their methods. It is just giving them a taste of their own medicine!"
…
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