Today was the day of the ceremonial meeting. Regardless of rank, everyone did not need to pay their respects when they met in the Hall of Literary Glory. They merely greeted each other and then sat down for the meeting. Thus, the formal name of this meeting was "ceremonial meeting."
In modern terms, the ceremonial meeting was mainly for the six officials to report their work to the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, as well as some of the sharp problems found in the departments they were in charge of. At the same time, they would criticize and self-criticize.
Today's meeting was a little special because the head of the Internal Court's Board of Rites, Liu Jin, had also come and sat at the head of the table. Li Dongyang and the other two had been demoted by one position. The officials of the six departments were surprised but did not dare to show their emotions.
Right now, the power of the court was in Liu Jin's hands. He also had the final say in the promotion and demotion of the officials. It was the end of the year examinations. Who would stay, who would be promoted, and who would be demoted would be decided by a word from Liu Jin. Once the year-end examinations were over, everyone would compete for positions again. Other than the three Grand Secretaries, it could be said that everyone was appointed by Liu Jin. Who would dare say no to him?
They did not usually go to court, but they heard that the civil and military officials of the imperial court now went to court every day and dispersed court, other than kowtowing to the Emperor, they all had to bow to the upper left, because Liu Jin was standing there. Right now Liu Jin's grip on power was very tight, he really did not feel at ease leaving the Presiding Imperial Court's affairs in the hands of a young boy, thereupon he diligently assumed the post of Presiding Imperial Court's eunuch, and stood at the left corner of Emperor Zhengde's dragon writing desk.
Fortunately, it was a ceremonial meeting. The officials would not come forward to greet Liu Jin. They only bowed and sat according to their ranks. Then, they began to discuss politics.
When it came to discussing politics, High Official Liu was in a hurry. He had just issued dozens of reform orders against the six departments. No one wanted to mention the rights and wrongs of these orders, but they had to if they wanted to discuss politics. The officials looked at each other for a while. Under the repeated urging of Grand Secretary Li, Huang Jing of the Ministry of Revenue rolled up his sleeves and appeared.
He was in his early forties with a dark face and a small beard. He looked like a simple and honest businessman. Huang Jing stood up and bowed. He said passionately, "I would like to say a few words. I am the Minister of Revenue. Eunuch Liu has ordered the Ministry of Revenue to clear the land during the winter break. This was especially true for the fields on the sides. The Ministry of Revenue had already dispatched local officials, led by Ministry of Revenue examiners, to Liaodong, Xuanfu, Datong, Yansui, Ningxia, Jizhou, Cangzhou, and other places to clean up and measure the fields.
At present, the relatively nearby Jizhou, Cangzhou, and other places have already sent back news that many local tyrants, officials, and military generals have indeed embezzled the fields, leaving the soldiers with no land to farm and no means of livelihood. They were forced to take their wives and children and flee from their hometowns. After the clearing of the fields, we have cleared out these lands and ordered the local officials to hand them over to the state, thus strengthening the imperial court's control over the fields.
However, I feel that this order came from the inner court and is not justified. Those local tyrants, officials, and gentry who were ordered to return the embezzled land have used this opportunity to spread rumors, accusing Eunuch Liu of arbitrarily making decisions and monopolizing the court. This is very inappropriate for Eunuch Liu's personal reputation. This is clearly a good thing that benefits the country and the people. The ones who benefit are the people, but the one who suffers is Eunuch Liu himself. Why can't the cabinet stand up and take responsibility? "
At first, Liu Jin did not understand, but when he heard the last part, he was overjoyed. So it turned out to be one of his own. He was about to say a few humble words when suddenly there was a snicker from the crowd, "Bootlicker!"
Although there were many people in the hall, it was very quiet. This sentence was clearly heard by Liu Jin, and his face immediately darkened. Huang Jing looked around and found the person who spoke. He immediately sneered in displeasure, "Official Yang, this hall is a place to discuss politics. Please speak more politely. Clearing the fields is beneficial to the imperial court and the people. Can anyone refute this?"
Yang Shen was talented and learned, but he was still young, and this was the time to show off his abilities. That kind of steady and sophisticated politician was slowly honed from his hot-blooded youth. Yang Shen, on the other hand, had never encountered any setbacks or tribulations. In addition, the person who recommended him was Yang Ling, and his old man was also a Grand Secretary. In the officialdom, he had rarely encountered people who tried to hit his crotch or trip him up. His temperament was still a little impulsive.
He slowly stood up and said, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Fire can cook food and keep warm, but it can also burn houses and hurt people. It all depends on how you use it. Measuring the fields is indeed a good thing. The corruption of the military is no longer a secret, and it should have been investigated long ago. But the generals of the military do not abide by the law, so it needs to be investigated. If the person in charge of the investigation also does not abide by the law, then is it to solve the people's misfortune, or to make things worse? "
Huang Jing had been an official for more than ten years, and Yang Shen, a young boy, had a higher rank than him. This had long made Huang Jing unhappy. He sneered and said, "Don't be deliberately mystifying. Clearing the fields, what harm can there be? Are you afraid that those corrupt officials have not harmed enough? "
Yang Shen folded his sleeves and put them behind his back. He leisurely strolled and said, "The problem is that now we are too eager for quick success and instant benefits. The fields in various places have been exploited a lot, and some have been exploited less. As long as we find out the land that has been embezzled and exploited, we can just return the land to the people.
But what is the standard for the imperial court to evaluate these officials? It's how much you have cleared. A lot is a merit, a little is a fault. The Ministry of Revenue's official, Imperial Censor Zhang Daren was in charge of investigating the Datong area. Because there were no major problems to be impeached, and because he could not find that much embezzled land and claimed credit, he was unexpectedly imprisoned for dereliction of duty. Let me ask you, is there such a preposterous thing? "
"Gentlemen!" Yang Shen cupped his hands and said solemnly, "For the sake of their own political achievements, the dispatched officials overflowed to claim credit, collected money to ask for rewards, impeached officials at will, and even tortured the wives of border soldiers. They used all kinds of means to turn some of the border soldiers' land to the imperial court, pretending that it was embezzled by officers.
Not only did the common people and soldiers not benefit from this, they suffered even more. The local tyrants and gentry took the opportunity to spread rumors and incite trouble. A few days ago, the garrison troops in Jinzhou and Yizhou in Liaodong caused trouble because they could not pay their soldiers. Now because of the uproar in clearing the fields, they burned the government offices, beat the officials, and the area is in chaos. Well-intentioned doing bad things, the disaster is no less than cruel government. "
Liu Jin's handling of official duties was not completely muddle-headed. For example, clearing the fields, there were indeed a large number of corrupt and law-breaking officials who were caught. However, his motive was not pure; it was not for the sake of the country's thousand years of prosperity, but rather for the sake of achieving outstanding political achievements during his term of office. Therefore, it was unavoidable that he was eager for quick success and instant benefit.
What he wanted was to be able to report to His Majesty a set of significant figures to demonstrate his administrative ability. Therefore, the officials he sent to clear the fields all carried targets. Whether there was embezzled land or not, if they could not clear it, they would be derelict of duty and would be imprisoned. Naturally, these people were fiendish. When they arrived at the place, they did not ask about right and wrong, they only cared about collecting the land, which inevitably led to a popular uprising.
Being criticized by Yang Shen, Liu Jin could not keep his face. In a strange tone, he said, "Sir Yang has just entered the imperial court, there are some rules that you might not understand. You are the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Appointments, not the Ministry of Revenue, aren't you overstepping your boundaries? As an official, how can you not follow the rules? "
Yang Shen smiled slightly and bowed deeply to him, saying, "Gong-gong, speaking of rules, Gong-gong is the eunuch of the Bureau of Rites, isn't it against the rules to come to the cabinet to listen to politics? Isn't your hand reaching further than this lowly official's? "
"You?!" Liu Jin slammed the table with a 'bang' and pointed angrily at Yang Shen for a long time. Suddenly, he was so angry that he laughed. Flicking his sleeve, he said, "Little child, I am too lazy to argue with you!"
Huang Jing laughed coldly, "Gong-gong is a magnanimous person and won't argue with you, but I want to argue with you. Since you meddle in the affairs of my Ministry of Revenue, then let me ask you about the work of the Ministry of Appointments. The Ministry of War submitted a list of twelve high-ranking military officers to be transferred, as well as the proposal for the return of the 'thousand-man brigade' left by the former governor-general of the six provinces, Yang Ling, to the provinces. Why did you suppress each and every one of them? You nitpicked bones in an egg and refused to submit them to the Emperor? Of the twelve high-ranking military officers, only three were approved by you, right? "
Yang Shen said with a smile, "This is indeed within this lowly official's responsibility. Most of the twelve high-ranking military officers have not performed the slightest bit of meritorious service. There has never been such a case. The officials are the Emperor's right-hand men in governing the country. The responsibility is very important. This lowly official has to investigate each and every one of them."
"Not rewarded for meritorious service? If there is no battle for a hundred years, the high-ranking military officers will not be promoted? Accumulating experience will not be promoted? "
These twelve promoted military officers were either people who had long since defected to Liu Jin, or they had recently given Liu Jin heavy gifts to buy an official position. Like Zhou De 'an and the other two, although they were bribed with heavy gifts, in any case, they did have military achievements. Yang Shen could not suppress them all and did not report them. As for the other mediocre officials, he dragged on as long as he could.
As soon as he heard Huang Jing's words, Yang Shen said, "If the reward is excessive, the officials do not know the importance of kindness. Right now, there are not many vacancies among the officials. What is the need for accumulating experience to be promoted?"
He cupped his hands in obeisance to Liu Jin and said, "Eunuch Liu values the law and is careful in giving favors. He does not care about personal fame and wealth, and wholeheartedly works for the imperial court. I am also learning from Eunuch Liu. 'Xiao Zong's Authentic Record' has been compiled. According to the old rules, the Hanlin who participated in the compilation should be promoted. Didn't Eunuch Liu only reward them with silver and transfer the sixteen Hanlin to the Six Ministries of Nanjing? "
More than half of the Hanlin Academy was in the hands of Yang Tinghe. Liu Jin hated those Hanlin who pretended to be virtuous and refused to curry favor with him. As a result, after the compilation of the Authentic Record, according to the rules, these Hanlin should have been promoted and their salaries increased. Instead, he beamed and rewarded each of them with silver. Then he promoted them but secretly demoted them, sending them to the Six Ministries of Nanjing to retire.
What could those Hanlin do? They knew how to play with the pen. With a series of sarcastic remarks, this matter was made known to the entire city. Yang Shen took this opportunity to ridicule Liu Jin. Huang Jing did not dare to be entangled in this matter. He sneered disdainfully and said, "Flowery words, flowery teeth, the dignified number one child prodigy of the capital is just someone who shows off his tongue. At such a young age, you only know how to deliberately pester others. Don't think that by relying on your father's shadow, you can do whatever you want. The waters of the imperial court are deep. Be careful not to step into the mud pit and choke on a mouthful of muddy water. "
Yang Shen relied on the Recommendation Department to enter the imperial court. What he hated the most was people saying that he relied on his father's face to become an official. Hearing these words, his face turned red. He flicked his sleeves and immediately retorted sarcastically. He was a gifted scholar, and gifted scholars did not even use vulgar words when cursing people. They used metaphors and innuendo, causing this bootlicker's face to turn red and he could not help but curse.
Yang Shen was a filial son. Whenever he cursed, he would either curse his father or his mother. As soon as he heard the vulgar words coming out of his mouth, the civil fight immediately escalated into a physical fight. Yang Shen stepped forward and punched him. Yang Shen was young and agile. Huang Jing could not hit him back. The two of them treated the Hall of Literary Glory as a wrestling ring. One chased and the other fled for a while. Huang Jing revealed his bruised eyes and 'flaunted' everywhere, shouting that the son of the Grand Secretary was beating someone up in court.
Yang Tinghe saw that the commotion was getting out of hand. Regardless of right or wrong, as a father, he had to do something. He could not let others say that he was not strict in his upbringing. As a result, he grabbed his son and slapped him several times. Yang Shen did not dare to dodge and obediently took the beating.
Seeing this, Li Dongyang hurriedly stepped forward to mediate. Unexpectedly, Huang Jing took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. He punched him on the shoulder, causing the old man to stagger. This time, Wu Yishan, who was also a member of the Ministry of Revenue, could not stand it. He was a member of Li Yang's faction and immediately jumped out to fight with his colleague.
Both sides had good friends and colleagues. The more experienced ones knew to step forward to mediate, while the younger ones immediately rolled up their sleeves and joined in the fray to help. This fight was a delightful one. Liu Jin watched as the foreign officials fought. He only snickered in his heart and did not intervene. The old fox, Jiao Fang, did not want to get involved. He immediately called for the eunuch who was serving him to find someone to stop the fight.
Du Fu of the Imperial Steward was on duty today and was in charge of the palace's safety. He hurried over and saw that everyone was a bunch of officials, especially Grand Scholar Yang, whose face was ashen as he chased after someone. There was a crowd in front of him and a crowd behind him to stop him. Grand Secretary Li, on the other hand, was being squeezed by a large group of people until he stumbled. The men from the Imperial Steward and the Imperial Bodyguard that he had brought with him saw the situation and did not dare to use force to stop them. Du Fu was especially obedient and had no choice but to run away like a wisp of smoke to report to the Emperor.
When Yang Ling arrived, the battle had already reached its climax. The calmer ones who had stepped forward to mediate were pushed and shoved by the crowd. Some were even hit with a cold punch. They angrily joined in the fray. There were more than eighty Imperial Stewards in the six departments. Other than those who were on leave or on a business trip, there were sixty-nine of them today. All of them had joined in the fray.
Yang Ling stood on his tiptoes to take a look. The scene was too chaotic. The officials were fighting in an unseemly manner. Their robes were torn, their black veils had fallen off, and their faces were swollen. As they fought, they constantly launched propaganda attacks. Their mouths were full of shouts, but Yang Ling did not know what they were saying. Liu Jin, who was the furthest away, had his legs crossed. He held a cup of tea and smiled as he blew on it gently. It was as if nothing had happened in front of him. In the corner stood Jiao Fang. He squinted his eyes and tugged at his white beard. He had an anxious expression on his face, but no matter how one looked at him, his eyes were full of treachery.
Yang Ling did not have the time to greet him. He hurriedly shouted, "Stop! Stop! Stop fighting! "
Yang Ling's voice was not soft. However, the word 'stop' was not threatening at all. The entangled officials were either clutching their necks or hugging their thighs. No one listened to him. Yang Ling did not dare to say 'His Majesty has arrived'. That would be deceiving the Emperor. Seeing that the situation was out of control, he suddenly shouted, "Spare them!"
This shout was very effective. Even if the Emperor was here, shouting 'Stop' would not be as effective. The sixty over officials who were fighting stopped in their tracks and looked towards the door.
Yang Ling laughed and cupped his hands together, "My Lords, my Lords, it's been a long time."
He Shen, the Imperial Steward of the Ministry of Rites, hurriedly let go of Old Wang's collar from the Ministry of Works. He returned the greeting, "Greetings, Duke Wei."
Yang Shen struggled a little and shouted, "Let go of me!" Huang Jing was looking at Yang Ling in a daze. When he was shouted at, he hurriedly let go of Yang Shen's thigh that was raised high by him. Yang Shen tidied his clothes and walked forward, bowed and said, "Greetings, Duke Wei."
Only then did the officials react. They let go of their opponents and bowed to Yang Ling. The 'greeting' was like the beginning of the meeting. Everyone bowed to each other and the hall was filled with harmony.
Now that Yang Ling was a duke, his status was above the three scholars. The three of them also came forward to greet each other. After exchanging greetings, Yang Ling took the opportunity to ask about the situation. Only then did he know the cause of the incident. Only then did Liu Jin put down his teacup and greeted him with a smile that did not reach his eyes. He said, "Greetings, Duke Wei."
When he met a duke, he would have to greet them. However, with his current power, many dukes would have to greet him instead. Therefore, Liu Jin bowed casually.
Yang Ling did not mind. He returned the greeting casually and said with a smile, "Duke Liu, long time no see. Duke Liu looks good. You look like you are ten years younger."
Liu Jin laughed dryly, squinted her eyes and said, "Duke Wei's complexion is not bad too. You seem to be enjoying yourself. Aiyo, you seem to have put on some weight and your face is paler too. Not only are you more handsome, you also have the majestic bearing of a duke. Looking at you, I feel happy for you."
"Hahahaha …" The two laughed at each other. However, there was no smile in their eyes. Everyone looked at the two and quietly took a step back. They heard Liu Jin say, "Duke is free now. It's snowing heavily today. Why are you suddenly in the mood to come to the Hall of Civil Glory? What is your purpose?"
Yang Ling blinked and said with a smile, "I am also curious. The 'greeting' of the Hall of Civil Glory is where the three scholars and six officials discuss politics. Eunuch Liu is not in the Department of Rites. Why are you enjoying the snow here? Be careful that the Emperor sees you and scolds you for breaking the rules! "
Liu Jin choked; she was about to speak when she suddenly saw Du Fu and Emperor Zhengde hurriedly walking in. As soon as Emperor Zhengde entered the room, he stretched his neck and shouted, "Who's fighting? Who is fighting? All of you are stuffed! All of you … Aiya, hahaha, Official Yang is also here … "
This international policeman had just scolded a few words when he saw Yang Ling. He immediately walked over happily. Yang Ling and all the officials bowed to greet him. Zhengde supported him and said with a smile, "There's no need. Official Yang, you haven't been to the Leopard Garden to accompany us for two days. I wanted to look for you this morning but it's a pity that it's snowing heavily and the Empress Dowager's illness has worsened …"
All the officials took this opportunity to quickly tidy up their official appearances. Two of them lost their hats and hurriedly retreated to the back of the crowd to find their hats and quietly put them back on. Yang Ling hurriedly asked, "The Empress Dowager's phoenix constitution has always been difficult to heal. Do the imperial physicians not have any good ideas?"
Zhengde's expression darkened and he lightly shook his head. Yang Ling's eyes flashed and he said, "My wife, Wen Xin, has excellent medical skills. Moreover, she's a female official appointed by His Majesty. Can she come and check the Empress Dowager's pulse?"
Zhengde happily said, "That's right. How could I have forgotten about her? Alright, alright, alright. Bring her over later." Zhengde wasn't the kind of person who didn't show his emotions. He was quick to be sad and quick to be happy. He immediately moved closer to Yang Ling's ear and whispered, "Yixian told us that you're the bride on your wedding night. No sense of loyalty, no sense of loyalty. You actually didn't inform us about such a fun thing."
Emperor Zhengde treated the sixty to seventy officials as decorations. He also forgot his purpose for coming here and started chatting with Yang Ling. Liu Jin watched with a sour feeling in his heart, "Luckily I pushed him away. Otherwise, with His Majesty's divine favor, how could I still be here?"
Liu Jin took a step forward and said in a soft voice, "Emperor, the Ministry of Appointments' Imperial Censor was discussing politics in the imperial court. Just because they didn't agree with each other, they actually fought. This is truly outrageous. They've thrown away the dignity of the imperial court."
Liu Yunfeng, the Imperial Censor of the Ministry of Punishments, immediately bowed and said in a deep voice, "Yang Shen is young and inexperienced. His conduct is lacking. He fought and stirred up trouble. This is truly improper. This lowly official accuses Yang Shen of losing his bearing as an official and should be removed from office!"
A large group of officials who had already pledged their allegiance to Liu Jin immediately agreed, "That's right, that's right. If the imperial court doesn't abide by the law, how can they subdue the people? Yang Shen takes advantage of his power to bully others. His Majesty should punish him severely! " The crowd was furious and the more they spoke, the more serious it became. If they didn't get rid of Yang Shen, it seemed that Ming Destiny's country would no longer be a country.
Zhengde frowned as he listened, his face full of displeasure. Liu Jin was overjoyed. Just as he was about to take the opportunity to push that little bastard away, Yang Ling suddenly laughed and said, "It's not a big deal. Is there a need to be like this?"
With a light sentence, those Imperial Censors immediately shut their mouths. Yang Ling cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the official who entrusted the orphan to me, the senior statesman of three dynasties, the current Grand Secretary University Student Li Daren, not only once seized the horsewhip in the Imperial Palace and angrily beat the Imperial Uncle Zhang Heling, he also seized the weapons of the Golden Melon Warriors in the Golden Hall and was pursued throughout the hall. The Former Emperor felt his true nature and loyalty to the country. Not only did he not punish him severely, he even consoled and encouraged him many times.
When Yang Shen entered the capital at the age of thirteen, he was greatly favored by Grand Secretary Li. Not only did he take him in as a disciple, he also called him little friend. Hehe, they really are both passionate people. Even their way of doing things is the same. Yang Shen's talent is outstanding, young and promising. His qualifications are still shallow, but when it comes to state affairs, he doesn't care about personal gains and losses. It is really Your Majesty's good fortune. If you cultivate him well, he will definitely become a trusted official of the Emperor in the future. "
When Zhengde heard this, his eyebrows immediately relaxed. Isn't that right? Li Dongyang even used the Golden Melon Warriors to beat my Jiujiu in the Golden Hall. What's so great about fighting in the Hall of Literary Glory? But … He looked at Liu Jin. Liu Jin was bent over and hadn't gotten up yet. He had to give him some face.
Zhengde brushed his sleeves and glared at them, "Look at all of you. All of you are disheveled and have no manners at all. Why can't we talk things over? Why must we fight? If fighting can determine who is better, then why do we still need you all? Isn't it enough to transfer a group of Han generals to handle the six subjects? Are all of you too full from eating? Go! Du Fu, each person has a wooden shovel. Go sweep the snow for us. When the three Princes have finished sweeping the snow, we will leave! "
"This servant obeys!" Du Fu quickly accepted the decree. The sixty or so Imperial Censors were all brought out. Each person was given a shovel to sweep the snow in the Imperial Palace. Zhengde said, "The Empress Dowager is seriously ill. We still have to return to the Imperial Palace to visit her. All of you can leave now."
He hurriedly walked to the door and suddenly turned back to say, "Oh, that's right. Subject Yang entered the Imperial Palace. What important matter does he have to see us about?"
Yang Ling had just straightened his back when he quickly bent down again and said, "Replying to Your Majesty, it is Her Highness Princess Yongfu who has summoned this subject for an audience."
Zhengde's eyes turned and he said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "Oh … En en, we understand. You can go and see Yongfu. We will return to the Imperial Palace first."
When Liu Jin heard that Yang Ling was summoned by Princess Yongfu, he immediately guessed that it was for the selection of the Prince Consort. He secretly cursed in his heart, "This Yang Ling has great fortune. If it wasn't for Yang Ling coincidentally entering the Imperial Palace, we would have taken the opportunity to chase this brat out of the Ministry of Personnel! Humph, the future is long. Yang Ling is no longer in the Imperial Court. I want to see how long he can protect you. "
Liu Jin put on a fake smile and said, "Duke Wei, three Grand Scholars, I, the Director of Rites, still have some matters to attend to. I will take my leave now. Hehe, goodbye, goodbye!"
Looking at Liu Jin's two sleeves fluttering as he swaggered out of the Imperial Hall, Yang Tinghe sighed heavily and shook his head, saying, "Duke, since you left the Imperial Court, the current situation has changed. Liu Jin is becoming more and more …"
With a trace of hope, he said, "Duke is still young. It is really a pity that you have left the Imperial Court. His Majesty's trust in Duke has not decreased. If the three of us Grand Scholars make a request at the same time, His Majesty will definitely make an exception to allow Duke to re-enter the Imperial Court. I wonder if Duke …? "
Yang Ling laughed heartily and said, "His Majesty is wise and there are three Grand Scholars in the Imperial Court. I believe there is no harm. If something major happens in the Imperial Court, as a subject, as long as His Majesty has decreed, I will naturally do my best and will not dare to slack off. However, it is unprecedented for a Duke to enter the Imperial Court to manage the Imperial Court. The ancestors' rules cannot be changed easily. How can Yang Ling dare to offend them? "
He smiled and cupped his hands together, saying, "I still need to see Her Highness Princess Yongfu. I will take my leave."
Jiao Fang and Li Dongyang also cupped their hands together. Yang Ling turned around and left. Yang Tinghe chased after him and called out, "Duke Wei, are you really going to be a playboy and have no interest in the Imperial Court?"
Yang Ling paused and raised his head for a moment. He sighed and said, "Everything is better than a cup in hand. How many moons will there be in this lifetime?"
Seeing that Yang Ling had left, Jiao Fang stroked his beard and cupped his hands together, saying, "Sirs, this old man has official business to attend to. I will take my leave."
Yang Tinghe frowned and said worriedly, "Ai! Today, Liu Jin has also started to interfere in the Imperial Court. He has also taken on the position of the Imperial Court Eunuch and the Office of Transmission has become a decoration. All the memorials to the throne have to be handled by him. Yesterday, there were a few people who impeached Zhang Yong … It seems that he is plotting against Zhang Yong and wants to control the Imperial Court. Originally, Yang Ling can contend against him. However, he covets the position of Duke and has betrayed the trust of the Former Emperor. If this goes on … what should we do? What should we do? "
The experienced Li Dongyang gave him a meaningful look and patted him on the shoulder, saying with a smile, "Jiefu, why are you so worried? Hehe, even if the sky really collapses, there will be someone taller to hold it up. What are you worried about? "
He slowly said, "The New Year is coming soon. This old man has not returned to my hometown for several years. I plan to ask the Emperor for a long vacation and come back next spring."
Hearing this, Yang Tinghe became anxious. He grabbed his sleeve and said, "You can't leave. Old Sir, Jiao Fang's attitude towards Liu Jin is warm and friendly. If you leave, who in the world can control Liu Jin?"
Li Dongyang gently flicked his sleeve and said in a low voice, "Liu Jin drives the fish from the abyss and the sparrow from the servant. Why should this old man stay and hinder other people's business? Hehehe … "
Yang Tinghe let go of his hand and looked at Li Dongyang's back as if he had understood something.
Li Dongyang walked steadily out of the Wenhua Hall step by step. He turned his head to look at the snow removal team under the supervision of Du Fu. He smiled and stroked his beard, then swaggered away.
* * *
The Treasurer of the Ministry of Revenue, An Dongchen, staggered back to the mansion. His face was pale and he was in a daze. His wife came up to him and patted the floating snow off his body. She asked with concern, "Old Master, what happened? Why do you look so bad?"
"Something big has happened, something big has happened!" An Dongchen sat on the chair with his eyes straight and murmured for a long time. He suddenly said, "Where is Ye 'er? Hurry up, pack your luggage. Take him back to your parents' home to visit your relatives. Take all the valuables at home."
"Are you crazy?" His wife was shocked. "Old Master, how can Ye 'er's body withstand such torture? From here to Bazhou, it's snowing so heavily. The carriage hasn't even arrived, and Ye 'er has to … What exactly happened? "
An Dongchen smiled bitterly and said, "Eunuch Liu of the inner court, Liu Jin, suddenly thoroughly investigated Sishku." He grabbed the cup and took a big gulp of tea. He continued, "Originally, Sishku reported the number of cashiers every two months. No one could see anything wrong with it, but who knew …"
He stamped his feet angrily. "I don't know whose idea Liu Jin listened to. He investigated for three years. Every purchase and every shipment was accounted for. I can't hide it anymore. This time, I really can't hide it anymore."
Mrs. Li's face also changed. She said in a panic, "Then … then there's no other way. In the past, there were occasional problems when checking the accounts. Wouldn't it be solved by giving those people some money?"
An Dongchen gritted his teeth and sneered. "That bastard Liu Jin. Does he think I don't know? He has been greedy for a lot of things in the palace treasury. Many things have been moved back to his mansion. But if he eats the meat, others can't even eat the soup. These people who were sent to check the accounts were all under Liu Jin's strict orders. The confiscated things will be rewarded at one-tenth of the price. But if anyone dares to hide it from him and connive, their whole family will be in prison. Who dares to take his money? Who dares! Besides … "
He stood up and pointed around. "Our big house, our old house in Bazhou, these antiques, paintings, and the thousands of hectares of land in our family. How much money is that? How can it be converted into a bottomless pit to feed those people in a short time? "
He smiled bitterly. "It's over! It's really over this time! As soon as they came, they sealed all the account books and changed the guards of the treasury. Then, they checked the accounts one by one. Now the Jia treasury has been checked. The eunuch in charge of the treasury is an acquaintance of Liu Jin's from the palace. He has also been locked up in the imperial prison. That place … that place, if you go in, you will be skinned. Can you still get out?
Storekeeper Wang, Sir Huang, they have all been arrested. Liu Jin is ruthless. He often says that the law does not punish the masses, but he, Liu Jin, is stronger than the law. 162 people. Do you know? As long as they are involved, no matter how much they have embezzled, they will all be arrested. 162 people were arrested in the Jia treasury. I estimate that less than half of them will survive. "
An Dongchen shed tears and said in despair, "I am the storekeeper of the Punishment Treasury. I was the last one to be investigated. Haha, our family can still celebrate the New Year. Then … then we will have to wait to be executed."
Mrs. Li covered her mouth and trembled. "My god, he arrested so many people. He … he … he, he arrested everyone in the Jia treasury …"
"He didn't arrest them all!" An Dongchen said dejectedly. "The deputy manager of the Jia treasury, Sir Qiu, is fine. His embezzlement is no less than mine."
"Ah?" Mrs. Li grabbed his hand and said anxiously, "How much money did he give? What kind of connections do you have? Why don't we ask him? "
"It's useless!" An Dongchen pushed his wife away and said in a daze, "Sir Qiu is the younger brother of Prince Consort Qiu. They asked the An Kingdom Princess to send a huge sum of money to the Chief Steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ma Yongcheng. Then, Ma Yongcheng went to beg Liu Jin. Only then did Liu Jin let him go. Even so, he became more obedient. He still dares to help others? We … "
Just as he said this, his brother-in-law, Li Hu, who also worked in the Sishku Store, slammed the door and rushed in. He was scared out of his wits. "Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, something bad has happened. Storekeeper Wang confessed that his brother was involved in the case, and so was Huang Daren's maternal uncle. Now the people of Dongchang have been ordered by Liu Jin to go out of the city and raid their homes. What should we do? What should we do? "
When Mrs. Li heard this, she was scared out of her wits. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have asked for this ill-gotten wealth. Her three sisters and five brothers all relied on their husbands to make a fortune. Now, wouldn't they all be wiped out by Liu Jin? That eunuch is ruthless. He eats people without spitting out the bones. Even if we spit out all the money, I'm afraid it would be good to leave a whole body. "
Mrs. Li's body softened, and she sat on the ground. She hugged An Dongchen's thigh and cried, "What should we do? My lord, our whole family is going to be beheaded. This damn Liu Jin, why doesn't he fall and die! My … God … Ahhh … "
Li Hu swallowed his saliva and said, "Brother-in-law, how about … we run away!"
"Run? Where to run? We are a big family. I have been studying since I was a child, and then I became an official. I don't even know the way out of the capital. Besides, do you think the guards are idiots? They are investigating Sishku Store. How can they not look at us? "
Mrs. Li was still crying, but An Dongchen covered her mouth and shouted, "Be quiet. If the people in the mansion hear this, if there are spies from the guards, you and I will be torn apart!"
Mrs. Li wiped away her snot and tears. Her hair was disheveled as she said, "Bah! Spies from the guards! How high are you? Are they willing to give you face and send spies to your house? "
She hugged her brother's thigh again and cried, "Why don't I have a brother who is related to the emperor? Our whole family is finished …"
"Are you related to the emperor? Did you give birth to a good daughter? If we had a daughter who would be the empress, or a son who would be the emperor's son-in-law … "An Dongchen suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes were dark and shiny. Mrs. Li was scared and trembled," Master, you … What's wrong with you? Don't be scared to death. "
"I'm not crazy …" An Dongchen said firmly, "Our son, our son has just turned 16, and he has passed the Juren examination. He is handsome and has an official title. Isn't Princess Yongfu choosing her husband? That's the current Emperor's imperial younger sister. Even Liu Jin would have to think twice before trying to get involved in this marriage. Even if we don't have to spend a single silver, our family will still be as stable as Mount Tai and won't be blown away by the wind! "
"Our son?" Mrs. Li's face was full of snot and tears. She said foolishly, "Ye 'er's illness … Can it be cured? Didn't the doctor say that even if we take good care of him, he won't survive next spring? Even if he is chosen, if the princess just marries, Ye 'er … Won't the emperor exterminate our nine generations? "
An Dongchen was familiar with the rules of officialdom and the royal family. He laughed sinisterly, "There is no such thing. Even the emperor sometimes has to suffer in silence. Even if his son dies in the middle of the ceremony, he still has to recognize us. The princess will always be the An family's daughter-in-law. We are relatives of the emperor. Even if Princess Yongfu wants to eat us, she still has to call us father-in-law and mother-in-law. She can't just watch our family get beheaded, hahaha …"
Li Hu said foolishly, "Brother-in-law, will I be chosen? If I don't, it's useless. "
"Why not?" An Dongchen sneered, "The selection of the emperor's son-in-law is for teenagers between 14 and 16 years old. There are not many people who have passed the Xiucai examination at this age. Do you think everyone is a child prodigy like Yang Tinghe? Ye 'er is a High Scholar, which makes him unique. He is quiet and delicate, and his appearance is worthy of her. Not to mention … "
An Dongchen's eyes flashed and slowly said, "Although my official position is not high, I am in charge of the palace treasury in the Ministry of Revenue. I often deal with the eunuchs in the palace. As long as I give them enough money, and my son is outstanding, if Princess Yongfu doesn't marry into our family, where else can she go?"
Mrs. Li thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up, "Okay! I think it's okay! My son suddenly got a serious illness, and it seems that he won't be able to live. If he marries the princess before he dies, I, as his mother, will not let him down. Moreover, I can save the lives of our family. Master, let Ye 'er choose the emperor's son-in-law. "
Li Hu slapped his forehead and said, "I remember, today seems to be the last day, and those who don't have scholarly honors are not allowed to sign up again. After today, there will be no chance."
An Dongchen hurriedly said, "After the investigation of Sisi Ku Quan is completed, we have to investigate until the beginning of spring. The selection of the emperor's son-in-law will be decided at the end of the year at the latest. As long as Na Cai asks for his name and Najina passes the examination, the name will be decided. Even the emperor can't take it back! There is still a chance. The life and wealth of our family are all on Ye 'er. Hurry! Madam, go and wake him up. Huzi, prepare the carriage and take him to sign up immediately! "
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