Wang Hongyi still had a sliver of hope in his heart, hoping that Yang Fan had only gotten some groundless information. However, when he saw the shopkeeper of the Elegant Depository Pavilion, Xue Pingyan, the waiter next to Xue Pingyan, Zhao Yu, who had given him three generous gifts and was now kneeling there crying, and the housekeeper who had witnessed all of his bribery and his brother-in-law who had helped him keep the stolen goods, Wang Hongyi immediately broke down.
There were not many people who had seen such a big scene. There was no need to use torture on them. They only needed to be interrogated separately and a little intimidation. The criminals who could not collude with each other would spill all their secrets.
The Ministry of Justice was not a monolithic entity. Someone had already leaked the irrefutable evidence of Wang Hongyi to the people of the Censorate. Wan Guojun, who had rushed back to the Censorate from the Supreme Judiciary, felt a chill in his heart when he heard the news. He knew that Wang Hongyi could not be saved.
If Wang Hongyi had fallen into the hands of others, he might have been able to exert pressure on the other party and turn a big problem into a small one. But since the opponent was the Ministry of Justice, would they let go of this opportunity to suppress the Censorate? Especially when the person in charge of this case was Yang Fan, who was once a prisoner of the Censorate. He hated the Censorate to the core. He would never let go of this chance.
Wan Guojun took a deep breath and said as if he had a toothache, "Yang Fan! What a good Yang Fan! What a good Ministry of Justice! What a good Government Affairs Hall! "
Wan Guojun sneered, his face twisted like a crazy gambler who had lost all his chips. "They would rather give up the three Prime Ministers to put us to death!"
Hou Sizhi seemed to have turned back into the ruffian who sold biscuits in Chang 'an City. He said angrily, "We caught three Prime Ministers, and they only caught one of us, the Censorate. This deal is worth it! I don't believe that all the officials in the court are clean. Even the Prime Minister has to take advantage of others. How can those officials be an exception? Let's find more evidence and catch more people. Let's see who can't take it anymore! "
Wan Guojun shook his head. "It's not that easy! You think too simply! Zhang Xi sold his official position and used the imperial court's public tool for his own personal gain. This was something the Emperor could not tolerate, so he flew into a rage. As long as it did not affect the overall situation, the Emperor would not mind if he only received some benefits in the process of governing. The Emperor understands this better than you and I. She will not allow us to capture and kill indiscriminately and throw all the officials into prison. Otherwise, who would clean up the mess in the court? You, or me? "
Wan Guojun laughed coldly and said, "The Emperor is old but not muddle-headed, he understands very well in his heart. She knows what we are for and what we can do. Governing the people and presiding over the court still depends on those scholars. She will not rely on us. "
Wei Suizhong glared at him. "Then what do you think we should do?"
Wan Guojun slowly paced a few steps in the room. Gritting his teeth, he said, "They are hoping that we will fall into disarray. As long as we fall into disarray and randomly bite each other, when the time comes, they don't need to make a move. When the Emperor sees that we have gone too far and weighs the pros and cons, he will have to kill us, these lackeys."
Hou Sizhi was not alarmed by this and quickly asked, "Then what do you think we should do?"
Wan Guojun glanced at him and said calmly, "The evidence of Wang Hongyi's crime is irrefutable. We cannot save him. Right now, they are hoping that they will save him so that they can use it against us. We will bide our time and deal with all changes by remaining unchanging. Hmph, they can bear to lose three Prime Ministers, but we can't bear to lose one Imperial Censor? "
Wei Suizhong and Wang Hongyi were born ruffians and have always been on good terms. Wan Guojun was a scholar and did not have such a close relationship with them. Hearing Wan Guojun's words, Wei Suizhong was immediately displeased. He said, "So they are not arresting you, Vice Minister Wan. As long as you are not caught, no matter which of us brothers is being schemed against, you will just stand by and watch?"
Wan Guojun angrily said, "They captured Wang Hongyi in hopes that we will save him so that they can scheme against us one by one. Knowing that it is a trap, they still want to charge in? How stupid! Vice Minister Lai entrusted the Imperial Censor to me. It cannot be destroyed in my hands! When it is time to endure, we must endure! Wang Hongyi's crime is not worthy of death. At most, we will be demoted and exiled. If we wait for an opportunity, we will be able to save him. "
Hou Sizhi heard the danger in his words and considered that there was still a scourge in their family that they had not yet dealt with. He quickly said, "Vice Minister Wan's words make sense. Let's wait and see. The current situation is not in our favor. So what if we wait for a while? Isn't Vice Minister Lai still waiting for an opportunity in Tongzhou? "
Seeing that he agreed with his opinion, Wan Guojun's expression became better. He said, "That's right. Who doesn't have tribulations? A temporary setback is nothing. Back then, Yang Fan was our prisoner. His life and death were in our hands. But now, isn't he riding on our heads and acting like a tyrant? If we endure it, we might have a chance to make a comeback in the future. Back then, when the Imperial Censor was in trouble, Lai Zixun was banished to Jiaozhi and Vice Minister Lai was banished to Tongzhou. Didn't they also endure it? "
Wei Suizhong remembered that he had contributed greatly to Yang Fan's release from prison. He never expected that today, Yang Fan would become the scourge of the Imperial Censor. He felt regret in his heart and his imposing manner weakened. He asked helplessly, "Then … what about the three Prime Ministers in prison?"
Wan Guojun narrowed his eyes slightly and said gloomily, "I'm afraid the original plan won't work. Let's put it aside for now and lock them up. If Wang Hongyi is really punished … "
Wei Suizhong said fiercely, "Then let the three Prime Ministers accompany Imperial Censor Wang!"
…
In the prison, Su Wei was no longer just sighing and groaning.
It was probably because Wang Hongyi's arrest did not change the situation for the three of them. Su Wei had completely lost hope. He often sat cross-legged on the ground and wept sadly. Every day, he did not eat the most delicious food that his family sent him. Later, he even begged Wang Deshou to bring him a pen and paper to write a will.
In the will, Su Wei earnestly taught his four sons. His words were sincere and full of remorse for his violation of the country's law. He left behind family teachings that his sons must be upright and serve the court well in the future to redeem themselves.
Because Su Wei was not involved in a major case of rebellion, it was not particularly difficult to pass on a letter. He was the Prime Minister, so Wang Deshou still had to give him face. Wang Deshou readily agreed to help him. After Su Wei finished writing, he took the letter and left.
Soon, Su Wei's will appeared on Wu Zetian's imperial desk.
Wu Zetian carefully read Su Wei's letter and gently placed it on the desk. She said to Wang Deshou, "How have the three of them been in prison?"
Wang Deshou bowed and said, "In reply to the Sage, Su Wei sighed and cried every day. Zhang Xi sat facing the wall and did not say a word. Other than when he was eating, he did not even turn his head. Cui Yuanzong scolded Zhang Xi a few times and occasionally sighed. After Yang Fan locked up Wang Hongwen and left, Cui Yuanzong seemed to be more relaxed. He often walked around in prison and occasionally recited a few poems. These days, his appetite has also increased. "
"You have done well!"
Wu Zetian nodded and praised Wang Deshou, saying, "As long as you are loyal to me and work hard, there is no need to worry about not being able to be promoted. Previously, you forced the Di Kingdom's Elder to accuse the ministers. It was a big mistake. It was not just a mistake, it was simply stupid!"
Hearing that there was a chance, Wang Deshou quickly knelt on the ground and said with tears, "The Sage's teaching is right. I was blinded by greed and later, every time I think about it, I am ashamed. I am guilty, I am ashamed! "
Wu Zetian waved her hand and lightly said, "Forget it! Seeing that you are sincerely repentant, you can be considered a promising talent. Nowadays, the Imperial Censorate is declining. Corrupt officials must be punished, but the Imperial Censorate cannot fall. I have the intention to promote you to be an Imperial Censor and serve the court well in the future! "
When Wang Deshou heard this, he was pleasantly surprised. So he was a judge and was hoping to be reinstated. He did not expect that he would be promoted. Immediately he kowtowed as if he was pounding garlic, swearing to show his loyalty. Wu Zetian impatiently said, "Alright, alright, Su Wei, take this letter home and have someone send it back to the Su family."
Wang Deshou quickly agreed and respectfully took the letter and left.
Shanghai Wan'er looked at his back and smiled. She said to Wu Zetian, "Does everyone intend to punish the three Prime Ministers?"
Wu Zetian nodded and said, "The three Prime Ministers are trapped in prison and have not been punished for a long time. The officials are restless and no longer have the heart to do official business. It is time to punish them."
She hesitated for a moment and said, "Wan'er, draft an edict. Zhang Xi, as the Heavenly Official, failed my expectations. He accepted money and sold his position. His crime cannot be pardoned. He is exiled to Xunzhou (now Huizhou, Guangdong). Cui Yuanzong is his accomplice. He is stubborn and does not repent. He is exiled to Zhenzhou (now Sanya, Hainan). Su Wei is a great poet but was deceived by others. Out of consideration of his talent, I will give him a way out and demote him to the provincial governor of Jizhou. I hope he will understand my intention and turn over a new leaf!"
Shanghai Wan'er bowed and said, "Everyone is merciful!"
Su Wei was enlightened by Yang Fan's words. Although he lost his position as Prime Minister, he was demoted to be the head of a prefecture. Zhang Xi and Cui Yuanzong were more miserable, especially Cui Yuanzong. He was the same as Su Wei. He was implicated by Zhang Xi and was exiled even further than Zhang Xi.
After all, he was one of the six branches of the Cui family in Qinghe. The nobles in Shandong opposed Li Zhi's appointment of Wu Zetian as Empress and protected Empress Wang. When Wu Zetian became Empress Dowager, he opposed Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne and protected Li Tang's line. Wu Zetian hated him to the core. Once she got the chance, she would suppress him.
The three Prime Ministers were punished. This meant that the Censorate had lost its support against the Ministry of Justice. Once the news spread, everyone in the court knew that Wang Hongyi was finished. The Imperial Court would rather give up the three Prime Ministers than let the Censorate off the hook.
Logically speaking, not to mention the three Prime Ministers, even one Prime Minister was more important than Wang Hongyi, a mere Censorate. However, over the years, countless nobles, generals, and ministers had fallen. All of them were caused by ruthless officials. These ruthless officials did not have high ranks, but they had great power. All the civil and military officials in the court had their eyes on them. Their power could not be measured by their official positions.
The commotion caused by the Eastern Palace's petition last time was too great, and seven officials were imprisoned. The Political Affairs Hall was almost wiped out in one fell swoop, leaving only Li Zhaode. Once the matter failed, Lai Junchen and Lai Zixun had to be severely punished. If not, who would be able to touch them? Therefore, although they exchanged three Prime Ministers for one Wang Hongyi, it represented a victory for the civil officials.
Even if it was a battle of attrition, with the number of civil officials, the Censorate would not be able to outlast them. Moreover, the Imperial Messengers were not strong enough. It would not be easy for them to catch the officials' weaknesses. Over the years, the officials of the Censorate had been unscrupulous.
Because of this, the ruthless officials of the Censorate began to lie low and play the role of harmless little white rabbits.
Three days later, in the afternoon, Yang Fan finished his lunch and took a stroll around the various rooms of the Ministry of Justice. After chatting for a while, he returned to his own detention room and had just fallen asleep when Yuan Han rushed over excitedly. "Doctor, Hou Si has regained consciousness!"
"Oh? This bastard can really endure. He waited for three days before making a move! "Yang Fan flipped over and sat up. He coldly laughed." Let's go! Let's catch him and the evidence! "
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