The officials were in an uproar. No one had expected Fan Xian to be so stubborn as to refuse to defend himself. The face of the Minister of Appointments, Yan Hangshu, darkened. Just as he was about to say something, he looked up and saw that the few superior-ranked officials in front of him were all silent. Only then did he remember that things were definitely not so simple.
The head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, General Qin, had his white beard swaying in the wind. His old eyes were half-closed, as if he had fallen asleep. Yan Hangshu glanced down. General Qin's son, Qin Heng, was also keeping his mouth shut. He no longer had the courage to suggest Fan Xian go to Northern Qi in the early spring.
It was only right for the military to remain silent. On one hand, they had a good relationship with the Overwatch Council. On the other hand, this was an invasion of the Jingdou bureaucracy, and they had no need to intervene. But the head of the civil officials, Shu the Scholar, also had a respectful expression. It was as if he had not heard the conversation in front of the palace. The ministers had all turned into clay statues.
Yan Hangshu thought about it. It seemed that there was no need to offend Fan Xian for the sake of the Eldest Princess, who was far away in Xinyang. So he also kept his mouth shut.
...
...
Seeing that no officials had spoken up to reprimand Fan Xian, the Emperor's expression did not soften. A cold light flashed through his eyes. He stared at Fan Xian and said, "If you do not defend yourself, then let's hear what Minister Lai has to say."
The Imperial Censor of the Left, Lai Mingcheng, accepted the edict and stepped forward. He read out all of Fan Xian's illegal actions in the memorials. Stroke by stroke, it was clear. Fan Xian groaned in his heart. This Imperial Censor of the Left was indeed surnamed Lai. Why did he have to blame everything on him? What did the bribe from the First Bureau have to do with him?
The court was filled with discussion. The gazes that were directed at Lai Mingcheng and Fan Xian became somewhat strange. Among the matters that the Imperial Censorate was investigating, the one that bore the brunt was that Eunuch Dai was suspected of bribing the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council on behalf of his nephew, Dai Zhen. The officials thought, How dare a rogue like you drag this matter into the palace? On the other hand, they looked down on Fan Xian. This was such a great opportunity, and yet he had only accepted a thousand liang of silver from Eunuch Dai. Who among the elders in court would be in the mood to accept such a small amount of money?
Hearing that the matter involved the Palace, the Emperor's expression did not change. He directly ordered the guards to summon Lady Shu and Eunuch Dai from the Palace to the court for a confrontation.
Although the officials knew that this kind of investigation method was a bit ridiculous, they all knew that the Emperor was not a person who was bound by conventional rules and regulations. In addition, they were also curious about how this matter would turn out, so they all kept quiet.
Not long after, Eunuch Dai was led into the palace. He had long known what would be discussed in court today. He was anxious and puzzled. He had only given the banknotes to Yi Guipin. Her personality was cheerful, but she had always kept her mouth shut. Furthermore, she was Fan Xian's relative, so how could she have sold him out? How did this news get to the Imperial Censorate?
After entering the palace, Eunuch Dai first cried "Long live the Emperor," and then cried "I have been wronged." Eunuch Dai rubbed his buttocks, and tears streamed down his face as he kowtowed to the Emperor. "His Majesty has always forbidden the servants of the palace from communicating with the officials. I am timid, and I dare not break the rules. Speaking of Sir Fan junior, I have indeed heard of his name, because …"
Eunuch Dai looked pitifully at the Emperor on the throne. "Everyone in the world knows the great name of the immortal Fan Xian. Although I am a cripple, I am still a cripple of the Kingdom of Qing. When I heard that Sir Fan junior had gone to Northern Qi to bring glory to His Majesty, I was naturally happy. It was inevitable that Sir Fan junior would be mentioned in our daily conversations. But I have never even seen Sir Fan junior. How could I have bribed him? "
The Imperial Censor of the Left, Lai Mingcheng, asked coldly, "Eunuch Dai, have you really never seen Commissioner Fan?"
Eunuch Dai's knees hurt from kneeling, and he had long since cursed the meddlesome censor countless times in his heart. Hearing the question, he suddenly seemed to realize something. "I remember now. Last year, when I delivered the imperial edict to Fan Manor, I saw Sir Fan junior once. But at the time, it was to deliver the edict, so I left as soon as I entered the door. If that counts as a meeting … it would only be once."
Eunuch Dai then wailed and swore to the heavens. "Long live the Emperor, I have only seen Sir Fan junior once. If I have seen him again, let my intestines be torn apart and I die a horrible death. I will still be a eunuch in my next life."
This was a vicious oath, and His Majesty cursed angrily. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Imperial Censor Lai, on the other hand, looked slightly worried. He said, "Bribery doesn't necessarily mean that both parties must meet … Eunuch Dai, let me ask you, do you have a distant nephew called Dai Zhen, who is a minor official in the Vegetable Inspection Department at the entrance of Dengshikou?"
Eunuch Dai did not dare to hide anything and nodded.
Imperial Censor Lai reported seriously, "Your Majesty, that Dai Zhen is a corrupt …" He recounted everything that had happened in the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, then stared at Fan Xian and said coldly, "Commissioner Fan, may I ask where this Dai Zhen is now?"
Fan Xian thought for a moment, then replied, "The case has been closed. After this low-ranking official Dai Zhen spat out the stolen money, he was stripped of his position. I do not know where he is now."
Imperial Censor Lai said coldly, "You do not know? It was you who took bribes from Eunuch Dai and broke the law. That Dai Zhen has been in the Vegetable Inspection Department for six years, and who knows how much money he has embezzled from the palace. Commissioner, you say you do not know, and then strip him of his position, taking only a small amount of money and then letting him go. I do not know what is going on."
Fan Xian calmly replied, "The Council has investigated and found that Dai Zhen has embezzled 472 taels of silver in six years. According to the third rule of Qing law, if the amount is less than 500 taels of silver, he will be stripped of his position and given a fine. There is no need to transfer him to the Ministry of Justice. The case has been closed, and Dai Zhen has been stripped of his position and fined 1,000 taels of silver. What does Imperial Censor Lai think is wrong, and what is going on? "
Dai Zhen's case had been investigated by the Overwatch Council. As for how much he had embezzled, it was up to Fan Xian.
Imperial Censor Lai was so angry that he laughed. "472 taels of silver? Could it be that Commissioner Fan is trying to deceive the court officials without eyes? "
Fan Xian laughed. "Of course, Dai Zhen has also embezzled some vegetables and fruits. According to the rules, they should be converted into silver. If that is the case, then it is indeed the Council that has not been meticulous enough. Imperial Censor Lai's advice is reasonable, and I thank you."
Imperial Censor Lai saw that Fan Xian was being unreasonable and shouted angrily, "How dare you! In these six years, Dai Zhen has embezzled at least 4,000 taels of silver! The people are boiling with anger, and Commissioner Fan is trying to cover it up. What are you trying to do? "
The court was silent. The only thing that could be heard was the Imperial Censor's angry questioning.
Fan Xian slowly raised his head and glanced at the Imperial Censor with a slightly cold gaze. He took a light step forward.
Imperial Censor Lai saw the coldness on his handsome face, and for a moment, he was intimidated and unconsciously took a step back.
Fan Xian stared into his eyes and suddenly said, word by word, "What are you trying to do? The people are boiling with anger? "
He took a deep breath and said mockingly, "Dare I ask Imperial Censor Lai, as the Imperial Censor of the Imperial Censor, you have the responsibility of reporting to the public. Since you keep saying that Dai Zhen has embezzled so much silver, and the people are boiling with anger … then in these six years, why has the Imperial Censor not mentioned this? Are you the official who is trying to cover up Dai Zhen's crimes? The people are boiling with anger. Why don't you ask the capital's magistrate to arrest him? "
He suddenly became angry, and all the officials in the court were stunned.
Fan Xian didn't give Imperial Censor Lai a chance to speak. In a cold voice, he said, "I have been in charge of the First Bureau for less than a month, and I have already found out about Dai Zhen's embezzlement. In these six years, Imperial Censor Lai knew that Dai Zhen's people were boiling with anger, but he didn't say a word and acted like a mute! The Overwatch Council investigated the case, and it became a mistake. The Imperial Censors were mute for six whole years! … "
"Mute for six years! Now you say that the Overwatch Council is corrupt! "
Fan Xian bowed to the Emperor on the dragon throne, and turned around to ask Imperial Censor Lai angrily, "I would like to ask you, sir, what are you trying to do?"
The barrage of questions stunned the Imperial Censor of the Left. He knew that he had said something wrong, and now Fan Xian had something to use against him. If he admitted that the Imperial Censor had no knowledge of Dai Zhen's embezzlement, then Fan Xian could say that Dai Zhen had only embezzled 400 taels of silver, and there was no way he could overturn the case. In a fit of anger, he had said that Dai Zhen had embezzled a lot of money, and the people were angry, but he had fallen into Fan Xian's trap. As an Imperial Censor, if he knew about this, then why hadn't he done anything for six years? Why did he have to jump out to impeach the person who investigated the case when the Overwatch Council was investigating the case? After Fan Xian pointed out this fact, it became evidence that the Imperial Censor was jealous of the Overwatch Council, and had falsely accused the Overwatch Council.
The officials in the court looked at Imperial Censor Lai with hostility, but they looked at Sir Fan Xian with admiration. These old foxes knew the root of the matter, but Fan Xian had dug a hole in the court, and Imperial Censor Lai had jumped in. This skill and accuracy made these old foxes feel a little afraid — this was not like a young man who had been in the bureaucracy for less than a year!
Everyone sighed in their hearts. Fan Xian could write poetry, fight, and now be an official. They really didn't know how Fan Jian, that old money-grubber, could be so lucky to have raised such a good illegitimate son.
The Imperial Censor of the Left was so angry that his lips trembled. He waved his sleeves and knelt before the Emperor. In a raspy voice, he said, "Your Majesty, please punish me severely. But Commissioner Fan's abuse of the law is not something that Your Majesty can easily forgive. Let the Supreme Court investigate carefully, and I am sure they will find something! "
The Emperor had long since grown impatient. Seeing Fan Xian's behavior, a glimmer of joy flashed in his eyes. Immediately, he said impatiently, "Alright, alright. You are the Imperial Censor of the Left. It is normal that you do not know about the corruption of a lowly official. There is no need to punish him. Just remember, in the future, do not exaggerate this matter in court, and use the people's anger to talk about it … I am not the Emperor of Northern Wei or Northern Qi, and the Kingdom of Qing is not that kind of country. In the future, do not do such things. "
Do not do such things again? Lai Mingcheng was ashamed and angry. He would rather die than accept this kind of reputation. Gritting his teeth, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed again and again.
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