The hundreds of officials knelt for the sake of the emperor, causing a rift between the emperor and his subjects. The affairs of the country came to a standstill. Zhu Houzhao, who was growing more mature by the day, once again showed his stubborn temper: I don't think I'm wrong. Even if the sky falls, don't expect me to admit defeat.
Actually, it wasn't that their superiors, leaders, and high-ranking officials couldn't use their influence and faction to stop the low-ranking officials. It was just that letting their subordinates take the lead was a common tactic of high-ranking officials. This way, they could adjust their strategies according to the direction of the wind and reveal their goals too early. Only then could they advance and retreat freely.
Now that this matter had come to an end, the focus of the Imperial Court was on the upcoming reorganization of the Education Department. The ones causing trouble were mostly the Education Department officials, so this was a bit like playing with fire. Everyone settled down and began to prepare to deal with the reorganization, so naturally, no one caused trouble.
Liu Jin, Zhang Cai, Liu Yu, and the others had an urgent discussion. Right now, Yang Ling was attacking, and they were defending. The battlefield was the science path, and the ammunition was whether the science officials had any weaknesses. Therefore, they took this opportunity to start making preparations. They told their subordinates to be careful and not let any weaknesses fall into Yang Ling's hands.
However, when Yang Ling fought, he always paid attention to planning and declaring war only when he had a card up his sleeve. The investigation of the officials had already begun in full swing. Because of their carelessness in the beginning, they underestimated Yang Ling's power after he was out of the field. It was hard to predict how effective Liu Jin's plan would be.
The first thing to do now was naturally to bury the Empress Dowager. When the funeral was over, the coffin was carried on a carriage. Around it were the imperial carriage, the Nine Horses, the Yellow House, the Left Horse, the Feather Treasure, the Drum Trumpet, the Ban Sword, and the Bright Tiger. The number of mourners reached tens of thousands. The officials, concubines, and the six palaces lined up to follow behind the coffin.
Wherever the hearse passed, there was a road sacrifice. The emperor's son-in-law, dukes, marquises, civil and military officials, and noblewomen all set up altars. Yang Ling's wives also wore plain mourning clothes and set up altars to pay their respects. Emperor Xianzong Chun, Zhu Jianshen, was buried in the Maoling of Changping. Ming Destiny and the Empress were to be buried together, so the Emperor had to bring his trusted officials to Changping.
The Imperial Army, the Imperial Horse Supervisor and other Imperial Guards in charge of guarding the Imperial Palace, the relatives of the Emperor, the civil and military officials of the third rank and above, and the foreign envoys stationed at the Imperial Palace. The large group of people and horses stretched for thirty li, the mournful bells incessantly all the way to Changping.
He was buried, covered, and escorted to the Hall of Enjoyment before the final memorial ceremony was held in the funeral plaza in front of the mausoleum. Under the guidance of the officials of the Bureau of Rites and the Ministry of Rites, Emperor Zhengde wept and kowtowed before the coffin, then burned incense and prayed. Only then did the funeral come to an end.
Zhengde was really a young man who did not know what it was like to be sad. Along the way, he played the role of a filial son and grandson, but after the funeral was over, he reverted to his old ways. When he heard Liu Jin say that Changping had Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest, Ravine Cliff, Tiger Valley, White Tiger Stream, Mortar Valley, and other famous scenic spots, he immediately rushed to find Yang Ling, wanting to bring his trusted aides to visit incognito.
Yang Ling's head was full of things and he was busy taking care of things. When he saw the Emperor suddenly come to find him, he did not know what important matter it was. In the end, when he heard that this troublemaker who had not suffered enough was up to something again, he was so angry that his nose almost became crooked. He did not care about the etiquette of a ruler and subject, and just glared at him without saying anything.
When the Emperor of Zhengde saw that Yang Ling was not in a good mood, he quickly fled with his tail between his legs. On the way, he ran into Yongchun and Xiang 'er, who were furious and chased after him all the way to the temporary imperial residence.
Yongchun did not care whether he was the emperor or not. She put her hands on her waist and pointed at her brother's nose and scolded him. Zhu Xiang 'er did not dare to scold him, but she did not care about Liu Jin. She glared at Liu Jin and scolded him. This time, Zhengde finally knew his place and obediently followed the schedule arranged by the Ministry of Rites. He completed the entire funeral process and then set off for the capital. At least he did not cause a big incident that would cause the officials to go crazy again.
※ ※ ※
The 'Royal Independent Commission Against Corruption', which was directly responsible to the Emperor and did not need to go through the Office of Transmission or the Bureau of Rites, was established. It was called the 'Royal Independent Commission Against Corruption'. Yang Ling chose this name because he could not think of a more impressive name. Secondly, he knew Zhengde's temper. With the word 'Royal' in it, it would give Zhengde a sense of closeness and make him see it as his own strength. It was just like how he had taken in the Four Armies as his disciples, so he took special care of this army.
Although this yamen was powerful, it was not a permanent organization. It was only set up temporarily when the Emperor felt that there was a need for an investigation. Furthermore, there was no salary or salary. It was made up of people drawn from the Emperor's relatives and meritorious officials, so it did not even have a place to work.
It just so happened that the Zhuwang Tavern was idle at the moment. When Yang Ling was choosing Princess Yongfu's son-in-law, he saw that the place was spacious and empty, so he requested an imperial edict to make it a temporary office. He also carefully selected a group of noble families and had them send people to participate in the investigation. When Yang Ling chose these people, he did not consider their ability to do things. In reality, every noble family had many descendants, so he could not forcibly choose who to send. What he considered was the family's social relations, connections, and power. What he wanted was the reputation of a noble family.
The people who truly investigated the officials of the Department of Science were all the elite intelligence agents under Yang Ling. They were the elite spies of the Inner Works that the two Qianhu Liu and Qianhu had carefully trained. These people were originally attached to the yamen set up by the Inner Works in various places. One was in the light, one was in the dark, and they cooperated with each other. However, the roster of these people was set up separately. They were the true elites of the Inner Works.
As soon as the Inner Works was handed over, this group of people immediately left. They were originally responsible for investigating in secret, and then handed over to the publicly established Inner Works organization to arrest and investigate people. Therefore, without the public banner of the Inner Works, it did not affect their ability to act.
Early in the morning, Yang Ling rushed to the Zhuwang Tavern. Today was the day that the various noble families had sent people to establish the Independent Commission Against Corruption. As soon as he arrived at the Zhuwang Tavern, he saw an endless stream of carriages and horses. It was even livelier than the last time the Princess had chosen a son-in-law.
Last time, although there were many people, he could still get in with a little push. This time, it was either a horse or a sedan. Yang Ling waited anxiously outside until the patrolling monster trainer of the QING: Five Cities Warlords personally came to direct the traffic. With Yang Ling's guidance, roadblocks were set up, and there were four gates and four streets that were one-way traffic. Only then was the traffic problem solved.
Yang Ling was also puzzled. He had only recruited a total of eighty people. Why was it so crowded?
When he entered the Zhuwang Tavern, he was even more puzzled. Today was the day to establish the Independent Commission Against Corruption, not to choose a son-in-law. This … what were all these children doing here?
In the hall, there were at least sixty or seventy young men in embroidered robes and jade belts, with oily hair and powdered faces. They were either sitting or standing, laughing and joking. The tables beside them were filled with tea, snacks, preserved fruits, and dried meat. The oldest of these people was no more than eighteen years old, and the youngest was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Each of them had soft skin and tender flesh. One look and you could tell that they were the children of noble families.
Were they going to organize a tour? Yang Ling's eyes stared blankly at them. His brain stopped for a moment before he reacted. The noble families had many businesses and many descendants. Who didn't have a bit of selfishness? Who didn't plan for their own future? Yang Ling couldn't be offended, but from the looks of it, Liu Jin couldn't be offended even more. It was still uncertain who would win the court battle between the two of them.
Sending a few young children from the younger generation would be enough to handle Yang Ling's task. If they really made a deal with Liu Jin during the examination and Yang Ling failed, then the elders could step in to show that they had no intention of supporting Yang Ling. They could then send a generous gift and call the children over to kowtow to Liu Jin. They could then scold him in front of his face. Everyone would laugh and be done with it.
Yang Ling was exasperated and amused at the same time. "These men from the noble families are not to be trifled with. I have underestimated them. Luckily, I did not expect them to study the way of the academy. Otherwise, I would have to rely on this group of young masters to do so. But if you want to stay out of this, that's impossible. A bunch of young children is just right. The children of the noble families are arrogant and hot-tempered. They're all spoiled little suns at home. Isn't it easy to get you to help me sincerely? You want to play with the wind? The little ones are already tied to me. I'm not afraid that you old ones won't stand up for me! "
The establishment of the yamen was very simple. Yang Ling only gave a simple speech and told them that they were directly under the Emperor. They would be investigating some corrupt officials of low rank. He cheered them on. The Independent Commission Against Corruption, which looked chaotic on the surface but was actually a tightly organized yamen, was thus established. The Independent Commission Against Corruption was too incorruptible. It didn't have any funds, nor did it have uniforms. They were only given different yamens to investigate, detain, and interrogate them. Among them, they were selected to be officials who had better family backgrounds and were slightly older. Then, they were given the water and fire cudgels, shackles, and other things from the Ministry of Punishments yamen.
These young masters were born with nobility but no position. They were assigned to be the head of a department or an officer of a department. They were all excited and happy. They wore embroidered clothes and were as thin as bean sprouts. They carried a water and fire cudgel in their hands and a pair of iron chains on their jade belts. They looked very funny to others, but they even walked horizontally. They felt that they were very impressive.
Seeing this, Yang Ling let out a slight smile. With this bunch of young masters who don't play by the rules, just wait for me to sweep the city of Beijing into a cloud of dust!
※ ※ ※
The six subjects, including officials, revenue, rites, military, punishment, and engineering, were all officials. The officials were the departments. The Imperial Censorate and the thirteen supervising imperial censors were the departments. The two yamens added up to less than three hundred people. They supervised more than a hundred thousand local officials of Ming Destiny.
Most of the officials in the department were minor officials. The six departments were all officials, and the officials were only seventh-level officials. The general officials were only seventh-level officials, similar to the county magistrate. The supervising imperial censors were also seventh-level officials. Although their ranks were low, they could impeach first and second-level officials. This was one of Zhu Yuanzhang's great inventions.
Since ancient times, the hierarchy had always been strict. It had always been from top to bottom. Only high-ranking officials could supervise and restrain low-ranking officials. But Zhu Yuanzhang was original. He set up his own department outside of the hundreds of officials. It was to "use the low to look down on the high", "use the small to control the big", and "maintain internal and external balance". If there was anything, he could directly report it to the Emperor.
The "low position" was because the official position was low, so the idea of cherishing the future was small. They would not have many scruples because of the "high position and high salary". They also would not be like the "old foxes" in the officialdom, who tolerated and shirked the responsibility for violations of the law. "Power" was because it had the power to rectify the officials, so it could fully play the role of supervision.
So the department not only had the power of public opinion. That was in front of the Emperor. At the lower levels, the department officials had a lot of real power. They were valued and feared by the local officials.
At this time, the imperial censors of the Inspectorate were working. Their work could be said to be busy, but it could also be said to be very leisurely. It all depended on whether one was diligent or not. If one looked around and saw that everything was clear and peaceful, then naturally there was nothing to do. They were just drinking tea every day to pass the time.
After Liu Jin's dictatorship, the power of the imperial censors was broken. The imperial censors were divided into three factions. One faction was clean. Because Liu Jin was powerful, they could only endure it for the time being. The other faction was idle, hoping that one day they could get a job outside and save up some money for retirement. Then they could wait for the imperial court to reward them by one rank and go back to their hometown to retire.
The third faction was ambitious. They were unwilling to be left out, so they turned to Liu Jin and became the scum of the moon barking dogs. However, as a result, they were immediately isolated by the other two factions. The taste of being drowned in saliva was not good.
Since the Song Dynasty, the most important religion was etiquette. For scholars, "starving to death is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a big matter." For scholars, especially the imperial censors and hanlin officials, turning to a eunuch like Liu Jin was no different from losing one's chastity to a woman. Therefore, when Yang Ling made a move against the department, some were excited, some were nervous. The Zhuwang Tavern once again became the center of attention.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the quiet Imperial Censorate. The imperial censors who had rushed out upon hearing the commotion saw a strange group of people rushing in. It was a large group of noblemen with water and fire rods and shackles in their hands. The leader was even holding a fire stick for arresting people. They laughed and laughed as they rushed into the courtyard, completely ignoring the guards who tried to stop them.
The imperial censor Chen Zhongkun frowned and went forward. He suddenly felt that the youth in front of him was familiar. After a closer look, he recognized him as the Young Marquis Luo Youwei. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Young Marquis, what … what are you doing?"
Luo Youwei smiled mischievously and said, "That, that … that, eh, what is it again?"
He turned his head and asked the person beside him. Zhang Xiaozu, the son of the Marquis of Jianchang, Zhang Yanling, was only thirteen years old, so he was more obedient. He remembered Yang Ling's matters very well and quickly replied, "It is the imperial censor Li Tongqin."
Luo Youwei quickly smiled and said, "Yes, yes, Li Tongqin. Call the one with the surname Li to come out. After my serious investigation, this person has taken bribes and broken the law. The evidence is conclusive. Under the orders of Duke Wei, this person is to be arrested and transferred … transferred what?"
Zhang Xiaozu answered again, "To investigate and collect evidence!"
"Yes, yes, investigate and collect evidence. Hurry up, don't delay my work."
Li Tongqin? That was Liu Jin's godson. Liu Jin now had seven godson, and Li Tongqin was one of them. He was only five years younger than Liu Jin, but he had no sense of shame and accepted a power eunuch as his godfather. However, this relationship was indeed very beneficial to him. In the Inspectorate, even the Left Chief Imperial Censor did not dare to offend him. Yet Yang Ling's first move was to target him? The crowd of imperial censors and imperial censors was in an uproar. Indeed, High Duke Yang was targeting Liu Jin.
When Chen Zhongkun heard this, he immediately pointed to the crowd and said, "This is Lord Li."
Luo Youwei walked over with his shoulders swaying. He looked him up and down and asked, "You are Li Tongqin?"
Li Tongqin had already heard their conversation, but he did not know what he had done to offend Yang Ling. His face turned red as he said, "That's right, I am Li Tongqin. I enforce the law impartially and am honest. What crime do you want to arrest me for, Young Duke?"
"I am not arresting you, I am investigating and collecting evidence." Luo Youwei rolled his eyes impatiently. "I have conducted a meticulous investigation and collected evidence. You have taken bribes and perverted the law. The evidence is conclusive. Under the orders of High Duke Wei …"
Imperial Censor Li sneered, "Meticulous investigation and collected evidence? Young Marquis, you couldn't even call out my name just now. "
Luo Youwei's face turned red from his mockery. The group of hedonistic sons behind him jeered and laughed. Luo Youwei's face became even more embarrassed. He was usually a young master who rode on eagles and dogs. How could he endure such ridicule? He immediately flew into a rage out of humiliation and scolded, "So what if I can't call out your name? Father knows that you are guilty. You shameless old man, perverting the law and harming the people for a bunny husband. How dare you challenge your grandfather? Take him away. Father doesn't believe that he can't punish you! "
This person had a group of good friends from aristocratic families. They were all in the same group. At this moment, two of them rushed out and grabbed Li Tongqin's arms from both sides. Yang Ling originally only wanted them to bring Li Tongqin back for investigation. However, they did not care about the difference between investigation and arrest. This group of indiscriminate fellows immediately put a metal chain around Imperial Censor Li's neck and dragged him away.
Li Tongqin was furious and roared, "I am an Imperial Censor. An Imperial Censor is not guilty. You cannot arrest me! Even if Duke Wei was here, he would not be able to capture me! You brats who do not know the immensity of heaven and earth. You shut your mouths and bring disaster to the country. Aren't you afraid of being punished? "
Behind him, someone kicked his buttocks and scolded, "F * ck your mother's salted duck eggs! Do you think your father doesn't understand? An Imperial Censor is not guilty. It means that you did not investigate the matter even if it was not true. It doesn't mean that you are not guilty of fooling around with the people! "
These Young Masters of the Royal Family were usually well-behaved and refined in front of their seniors, but in reality, they usually ran amuck outside and were fawned upon by others. Not only were all of them proud and arrogant, they were also full of vulgarities. How could any of them be reasonable? The gang of hooligans kicked and shoved Li Tongqin, the old hooligan, away like they were leading a donkey.
This was the first time the imperial censors saw someone being taken away like this. All of them were dumbfounded. Someone angrily scolded, "Asking a group of ignorant nobles to investigate the Dao? This is simply outrageous. If High Duke Wei can't produce any concrete evidence, I will definitely report him! What a disgrace, what a disgrace! "
At the side, Liu Jin's faction felt a sense of sympathy and agreed. The Pure Sect, on the other hand, rejoiced in Li Tongqin's misfortune. Their faces were full of eccentricity. The Waiting for Death Faction, who had always been bored to death, finally became spirited and started to whisper to each other, trying to find out what kind of romantic affairs Censor Li had, which hall's husband he had slept with, and how he had harmed the people.
Censor Li suffered quite a bit along the way, but the fiercer he screamed, the more this bunch of fearless young masters got angry. Li Tongqin saw that he could not reason with this bunch of people and could only keep his mouth shut. He could only hope that someone would quickly send a letter to Liu Jin and think of a way to save him.
When he arrived at the Zhuwang Guesthouse, he entered the dark interrogation room. With a whoosh, eight bright butter lamps were lit at the same time. The white paper cover at the mouth of the trumpet shone all the light in his direction. Li Tongqin's eyes were dazzled and he could not concentrate at all. The young masters in charge of the interrogation hid in the dark. They felt that this game was much more interesting than visiting the temple fair, competing in poems, and drinking.
Naturally, Yang Ling would not allow them to continue fooling around. He placed two of his men among these young masters. On the surface, they were to assist these officials in interrogating the case. In reality, they were the ones who had the real information and were in charge of the interrogation process.
It turned out that there was a man with the surname Feng in Tongzhou. Everyone called him Feng Xue 'er. This man had bright eyes and was a romantic. His skin was like jade, and he was intelligent and good at singing. This man was often invited by the rich and powerful. In Ming Destiny, where men were the most popular, these rich and powerful men naturally had ulterior motives. In the day, they wanted him to sing and dance. At night, they would inevitably have a bright moon on the bed, a jade rabbit crouching, and a vajra pounding on the pestle.
Feng Xue 'er was doted on by some of the rich and powerful men. They often brought him into the inner residence and did not let him return for half a month. This man was a man and astonishingly beautiful. After a long time, he had seduced and played with countless wives and concubines of the rich and powerful families. However, he was originally raised as a woman by the rich and powerful men, and it was convenient for him to have an affair. Surprisingly, no one noticed.
This man grew bolder and more complacent. Sometimes, when he returned to the troupe, he would get drunk and talk about all kinds of romantic affairs in the inner residence. The listeners were speechless, but no one dared to tell the rich and powerful men. After all, this kind of scandal was unusual, and it might not be a good thing to tell the secret.
Unexpectedly, one day Feng Xi 'er was invited by a wealthy gentleman in Tongzhou, Shen Changming, who specialized in horse and carriage business, into his mansion to sing a song. Incidentally, she stayed for a few days, enjoying the beauty of a beautiful woman whistling under the bright moonlight and singing the flowers in the backyard. Feng Xue 'er was very bold and went to seduce the young lady of the Shen family. The two of them secretly communicated and formed an affair. As a result, the young lady, who was still unmarried, unexpectedly became pregnant.
When Feng Xue 'er found out about this, he was terrified. He secretly asked around and obtained a tiger and wolf medicine, which he gave to the young lady. As a result, the child was aborted, but the young lady bled profusely and breathed her last. Feng Xuan 'er was usually escorted here and there with great honor. All the landlords and aristocrats treated him like a treasure, but in reality, he was just an entertainer who was played by others. His reputation and status were all based on these people's flattery. Once they turned against him, he was worthless.
Feng Xue 'er was reported and thrown into prison. He was sentenced to death for seduction and murder. Coincidentally, Censor Li arrived in Tongzhou on official business. This man was interested in men. The last time he came to Tongzhou, someone had paid a large sum of money to hire Feng Xue 'er to serve on the bed. Li Tongqin had a special liking for this fair and smooth rabbit. Unfortunately, his family's wealth was limited and he couldn't buy her back. This time, when he arrived in Tongzhou, he heard that Feng Xue' er had been arrested and immediately had evil thoughts.
At this time, he had already thrown in his lot with Liu Jin and all the officials in Tongzhou were in awe of him. Li Tongqin first went to the prison to see Feng Xi 'er. Li Tongqin asked him to sell himself in exchange for his release. With the contract in hand, Li Tongqin tucked it into his sleeve and went to find trouble with the Shen family.
Li Tongqin found out that Shen Changming liked to play with weapons. Not only did he keep ancient swords, spears, and halberds in his house, but he also asked someone to buy a variety of modern military sabers for his collection. Li Tongqin colluded with the prefectural magistrate and arrested him on the charge of possessing military weapons. The Shen family begged everywhere and bribed everyone. In the end, they found out that it was Censor Li who was behind all this. The eldest son of the Shen family paid a visit with lavish gifts. Li Tongqin bluntly requested that the Shen family withdraw the charges and release Feng Xue 'er.
The Shen family had no choice but to withdraw the charges in anger. They ended the case by claiming that Feng Xue 'er had become pregnant with an adulterous child and that she had accidentally lost her life by buying abortifacients. Shen Changming was indeed released, but because he had committed the crime of making a false accusation, he had to bribe everyone and spend a large sum of money. All of it was used as Feng Xue 'er's dowry, which was then pocketed by Li Tongqin.
The inner factory also ran a horse and carriage business, so they had long heard of this matter. As for witnesses and material evidence, it was naturally easy to find, so they started with Li Tongqin. When Liu Jin received the letter, he was extremely flustered. Ever since Li Tongqin had thrown in his lot with Liu Jin, he had been at his beck and call and had done many bad things. Many of them were related to Liu Jin. If Yang Ling found out everything and reported it to the Emperor, it would be disastrous.
He wasn't afraid of Li Tongqin's confession alone. Just like in the case of Zhang Zhong, he could easily shift the blame to someone else. At most, he would be reprimanded by Zhengde. However, if he toppled one person, there would be a second. If Yang Ling continued on like this and arrested a bunch of officials, even three of them would make a tiger, not to mention ten or dozens of them. How could the Emperor not believe him? Moreover, the power he had planted in the Department of Science and Technology would definitely be uprooted by Yang Ling. As a result, Liu Jin immediately went to see Emperor Zhengde and talked about how the sons of the aristocratic families were impolite, causing the hundreds of officials in the Department of Science and Technology to be resentful and dissatisfied.
The indecent Emperor Zhengde, on the other hand, couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, thinking, 'This is too venting my anger. This bunch of scoundrels have been finding trouble with me all day long. This time, I've finally made them suffer.' However, after venting his anger, he was afraid that it would really cause a big mess. As a result, Zhengde issued an imperial edict for Yang Ling to enter the palace, hoping that he would exercise some restraint.
When Yang Ling entered the palace, in front of Liu Jin, he forcefully and forcefully said, "Your Majesty, in fact, this official has also restrained the sons of the nobles and officials, telling them to do things according to the law and not to be arrogant. However, these youths are all newborn calves, full of vigor and vigor, they hate evil as if it were their mortal enemy. Especially when they are working for Your Majesty, they feel extremely honored. Each and every one of them is eager to express their loyalty to Your Majesty, to catch all the corrupt officials, and to protect the land of Ming Dynasty. Therefore, this official did not dare to dampen their enthusiasm.
Moreover, this is the first battle that Your Majesty has issued an imperial edict to reflect on their mistakes and rectify the Department of Science and Technology. If we stop now, then the next step will be difficult to handle. The hundreds of civil and military officials, as well as the people of the world, are all watching Your Majesty's every move. If this official is afraid of slandering the officials in the Department of Science and Technology, and does not dare to be swift and decisive in cracking down on corruption, then isn't that putting Your Majesty in an unjust position?
Moreover, this Li Tongqin has indeed committed a great crime. If we don't arrest him, it won't be enough to appease the people; if we don't arrest him, it won't be enough to enforce discipline; if we don't arrest him, it won't be enough to enforce the law. Your Majesty, tell me, should we arrest him? "
Without hesitation, Zhengde said, "Arrest him! He should be arrested! "
※ ※ ※
In the first round, Liu Jin lost.
Yang Ling recounted the case from beginning to end. Zhengde heard that this person abused his official position for personal gain, and framed the rich gentry and the people. Since he actually did such a thing, there was no reason for him to be spared.
When Liu Jin heard this, he was slightly relieved. He had not even heard of the rabbit case that Yang Ling was investigating, and it had nothing to do with him. Although he had to protect Li Tongqin if he could, it was indeed impossible to stop the Emperor from doing such a thing now. It was impossible that there would not be a single mistake. As long as it was not a serious injury, and as long as he did not dig out other things, then it would be easy to handle.
It was not that Yang Ling did not have other evidence of Li Tongqin's crimes, but that he had the intention of not mentioning it now, and did not investigate it, in order to prevent Liu Jin from retaliating with all his might and obstructing the investigation process. His idea was to first plow the ground and turn up all the 'fruits', then walk again and start to pick them up. This was much faster than plowing one step at a time and picking up one fruit at a time.
The specific method was to find the science officials in Liu Jin's faction, and specifically dig out illegal things that had nothing to do with Liu Jin, so that Liu Jin could not interfere in the name of his own defense. This way, he could calmly make arrangements, pull down this group of corrupt officials without interference, and clean up the science team first.
When the science team was replaced with new blood, and under the control of Li Dongyang and Yang Tinghe again, at the same time, he would install some of his own people, and then instruct them to conduct a second combing, and thoroughly investigate the crimes of these corrupt officials. At that time, these corrupt officials would already be charged as criminals, and would also be removed from the yamen. First, the resistance to handling the case would be greatly reduced, second, it could prevent internal strife, and third, these officials who had already been convicted of crimes would have less will to resist, and their mouths would be more open.
Li Tongqin remained in the Zhuwang Tavern, saying that he was arrested, but there was no jail cell, and he was not charged with treason. Saying that he was not arrested, but he was not released, and the tactic of fatigue was being used. A moment later, the real Inner Factory fan's words were sharp and went straight to the point. The questions made his forehead break out in cold sweat. While he was thinking nervously, thinking of how to make it watertight, another voice suddenly jumped out from the other side, asking him curiously if rabbits were really better than women, and what exactly did it feel like?
Li Tongqin's nerves were tense and relaxed, and there were always eight ever-burning lamps in front of him, blinding him to the point. He could only eat to survive, and drink to ensure that he would not die of thirst. Sleep did not allow him to sleep at all, and this spineless person only lasted for two days and two nights before confessing. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, the young masters cheered in unison, and left Li Tongqin, who was eagerly waiting for him to confess, to drink and celebrate. The two real officials smiled bitterly at each other, and only after everyone had left and the door was closed did they begin to record Li Tongqin's statement.
Kedao, this piece of land that had not been touched for hundreds of years, was continued to be plowed by a group of energetic, troublemaking young masters led by Yang Ling. This holy land of scholars was plowed into even more ugliness.
Three days later, Gu Changting, who had just returned from Hubei as the Imperial Envoy last month and was now a Hanlin scholar, was also arrested and interrogated. Hanlin Academy was in an uproar, and all the officials stretched their necks, waiting to see the show of Yang Ling against Liu Jin. But when Gu Changting was arrested, even the officials rose up to protest.
Gu Changting was forty years old, and had an excellent reputation as an official. It was said that he would burn incense and report to the heavens at night for what he did during the day, in order to be open and aboveboard. Such an honest person, who had been serving as an official outside and had just returned to the capital, could be said to have nothing to do with Liu Jin, so why was he arrested?
Yang Ling's actions were too fast, and before they could link up to complain, Gu Changting's crimes were announced to the public, causing the Hanlin scholars to be tongue-tied and speechless. Gu Changting was the Imperial Envoy of Hubei, and had a good relationship with the officials of the three departments and the guarding eunuchs. He also had great power. On the surface, he seemed to be clean and honest, but in reality, he was fishing for fame.
He did not like money, because the Gu family was originally an aristocratic family in Jiangnan, and their family was extremely wealthy. But he was lustful, and he especially liked women from good families. If he saw someone who moved his heart, he would use all means possible, using both the carrot and the stick, to get them into his hands. Moreover, he was narrow-minded, and the ancient saying said that one must seek revenge for the smallest grievance, and this person had really reached the point of seeking revenge for the smallest grievance.
When he was serving in Hubei, he played leaf mahjong with an official, and one of his cards happened to be matched by the player next to him. This was called 'catch' in leaf mahjong. Gu Changting's face turned sour, and he asked, "Who dares to catch my cards?"
Although the official next to him was of a lower rank than him, he did not expect this official to be so serious in playing mahjong, and so he replied with a smile, "What's the big deal about catching?"
Gu Changting laughed, and said no more. The two continued playing mahjong, and Gu Changting called over his attendants in the middle of the game, and whispered a few words. When the game was over and everyone cupped their hands in salute, a group of bailiffs from the magistrate's yamen rushed over to arrest the official, and tied him up. The official was flabbergasted, and asked curiously, "What crime did I commit, that you want to arrest me to the yamen?"
Gu Changting sneered at the side, "What's the big deal about catching?" Only then did the officials understand that because of a conflict of words, Gu Changting took revenge on the official out of hatred, and in the end, he framed the official for a crime, and sent him to exile.
Another time, Gu Changting and the officials were watching a play in a theater, and the son of a garrison official with the surname Hao came to the theater to look for his father. Because the garrison official and Gu Changting sat at the same table, the garrison official told his son to greet Gu Changting. Young master Hao casually cupped his hands in salute, and his father reprimanded him for not understanding. The young man impatiently said, "I am not familiar with Master Gu, what's the big deal?"
Not long after, the local magistrate arrested a bandit, and the bandit confessed that Young master Hao was his accomplice. Young master Hao was arrested, and Garrison Hao knew that Gu Changting was on good terms with the garrison official of Hubei, and all the local officials gave him face. Fortunately, he was on good terms with Gu Changting, and so he went to Imperial Messenger Gu's door with a thousand taels of silver, and begged for help.
Gu Changting stepped forward, and sure enough, his son was bailed out. Garrison Hao brought his son to the door to thank him, and the young master knelt down to thank him. Gu Changting ordered someone to return the box of silver to Garrison Hao, and said to his son with a smile, "Young master Hao, do you recognize Master Gu now?"
Only then did the Hao family know that it was Gu Changting who stepped forward and instructed the bandit to frame Young master Hao. To think that Gu Changting and Garrison Hao were friends, and because of a word from his good friend's son, a junior, he took revenge. For a lowly person to do this, it could be considered unprecedented.
These two victims were usually in contact with him, and their relationship could be considered friendly. Moreover, they both held official positions, yet they were still persecuted by him like this. From this, it could be seen how domineering and evil he was in the local area. As for his bad habit of being a good wife, it was even more well-known in the local area.
There was a famous silversmith in the area called Wu You. His craftsmanship had been passed down from generation to generation. Because of the exquisite workmanship, the silver ornaments he made could be sold for ten times the original price of silver. The rich and powerful often went to him to order ornaments. Once, Gu Changting also came to order silver ornaments, and coincidentally saw Wu You's wife, Zhi Yan, serving tea and rice to her husband.
Seeing this, Gu Changting lecherously praised, "Your wife's appearance may only be seventy percent pretty, but her eyes are extremely charming. With these eyes, she is a hundred and twenty percent beautiful."
Wu You was scared out of his wits upon hearing this. Once Gu Changting left, he hugged his wife and cried bitterly. As long as Gu Changting took a fancy to a woman, he would definitely lay his hands on her, and would only be satisfied when he got what he wanted. As a lowly silversmith, how could he compete with others?
Madam Wu was also staunch, and wanted to jump into a well to commit suicide, so that her family would not be ruined and she would not be humiliated by others. However, an old craftsman in the shop came up with a good idea, and let her blind herself. To outsiders, she would say that she was accidentally splashed by lime.
Gu Changting really had his eyes on Wu You's wife, but before he could play any dirty tricks, he heard that the woman was blind, and felt very regretful. For this reason, he specially composed a poem, "Beauty's Eyes", and recited it to his friends in public to express his sorrow.
Although this person had committed many crimes, he was good at making a name for himself. In addition, he was extremely sinister, and even his friends were on tenterhooks, not daring to say a word about him outside. When his reputation spread to the capital, this person became a saint of Daoism.
His crimes were detailed and irrefutable, and Gu Changting's notoriety spread throughout the capital in an instant. A villain was more hated than a villain, and this person's actions were even reviled by those sent by Liu Jin. Gu Changting's arrest was indeed what everyone expected.
In reality, this person had nothing to do with Liu Jin, but he was close friends with Cheng Feng, the eunuch in charge of Hubei City. Cheng Feng had done many things for him, and as a patrolling imperial messenger, he had also helped Cheng Feng conceal many of his crimes. He did not report them, and was an accomplice.
Yang Ling had only punished him for his crimes, and had this witness in his hands. His real purpose was naturally to use this insider to implicate Cheng Feng, the eunuch, and from Cheng Feng, the clues would point to Liu Jin.
* * *
As the imperial censors from the Imperial Censorate, Hanlin Academy, the six departments, and the 13 departments were continuously arrested, Liu Jin could no longer sit still. These were all the mouthpieces that he had painstakingly planted in the science department while Yang Ling was inspecting the north and south of the Yangtze River!
With them causing trouble, Li Dongyang and Yang Tinghe would not be able to use the science department to exert influence on the emperor, allowing him to dominate. Now that Yang Ling was creating a political massacre and was lining up to cut people down, how could his absolute advantage disappear just like that?
Liu Jin's subordinates were all experts in messing with people, but Yang Ling was leading a group of young masters, and none of them were officials in the imperial court. There was simply no flaw to be exploited, so what was there to accuse him of? After the scourge was over, the people in the science department would just leave, what could you do to them?
Achievements? He was not an official, so what achievements were there to talk about? Dereliction of duty? Now that Yang Ling was in full swing, Ming Destiny had a total of less than 300 supervising officials. Half of them were placed in the local areas, and the other half were left in the capital. Almost half of the half in the capital had been killed by Yang Ling, could you say that he was not doing a good job?
Liu Jin rubbed his chin anxiously, almost to the point of puking. The Great Scholar Lu rushed over from the construction site, and Lu Shijie gave his fellow villager an idea: "Immediately retaliate, get your weapons, he's messing with people, we'll mess with him too. Aren't there a few of our people left in the science department? Didn't you also recruit some people from the Brocade Uniform Guard and the East Faction Guards? Let Dongchang collect the mistakes of the science department's officials, then let our people write a memorial, impeach, and muddy the waters. "
Zhang Cai's eyes lit up, and said: "Great idea, Young Master Lu is using fire to extinguish the fire."
Liu Jin blinked and asked: "What do you mean?"
Zhang Cai said with a smile: "Young Master Lu means to find the mistakes of the officials, and then impeach them, causing the entire science department to fall into a state of paralysis. At that time, some of the officials with foresight will worry that the situation will be out of control, and the investigation will become a big mess. If the investigation continues, both sides will suffer, and the entire science department will be completely destroyed. They will then petition the Emperor to stop the investigation."
Zhang Wenmian looked at Lu Shijie's proud smile, and slowly said: "I'm afraid … it's not just that?"
"Of course it's not just that," Lu Shijie said with a slight smile: "As the Son of Heaven, what he cares about is the world, what he pursues is peace, and not the pleasure of hating evil. Emperors who want to achieve something all hope for reform, reform, but if the reform has already reached the point where it affects the stability of his country, then the Son of Heaven would rather kill the person he has always supported, the person who helped him reform and stabilize the country, quell the people's grievances, and balance the political situation.
This kind of thing has existed since ancient times, and punishing corruption is the same. The Emperor will not kill Yang Ling, but if the Imperial Censorate, Hanlin Academy, and the six departments and thirteen departments all fall into a chaotic battle, the Emperor will have to keep the peace, give up on the investigation, and seek stability in the political situation. After that, Gonggong, you can write a memorial to impeach Yang Ling for corruption in the investigation, for being domineering and despotic, and beat down his arrogance. If he fails this time, as a foreign Duke who does not involve himself in politics, the military will certainly collapse, and it will be difficult for him to be a threat. "
Liu Jin's eyes lit up, and he said through gritted teeth: "Good! Young Master Lu is wise! Yang Ling, Yang Ling! I have never wanted to directly confront you, but you are so pleased with yourself, and want a mile after taking an inch. Now is not the time for you to control the Inner Court, and stand above me. The entire court is filled with my people, if I don't make you disgraced, my surname is not Liu! "
As the corrupt officials fell one by one, the profligate sons under them became extremely dedicated to their work. They no longer talked about romance, and when they opened their mouths, they talked about court politics, and about eliminating corruption. Each and every one of them became hot-blooded young scholars who cared about the affairs of the country. Their parents and grandparents repeatedly told them to keep a low profile, to muddle along, and not to stand out, but they had long since thrown them to the winds. Each and every one of them rushed to work very early, interrogating criminals, and organizing materials. These people were cultured and capable, and when they were serious, there really weren't many useless people.
But Yang Ling was extremely bored. This kind of roundabout battle, slow and steady, although appropriate, did not have much passion. So when some of Liu Jin's remaining officials began to counterattack, and made a big fuss about the Qing sects, Yang Ling unconsciously became spirited: With the younger brother taking action, the boss will not be far away. Very soon, Liu Jin will be fighting him head on.
Jiao Fang sat in his study, frowning slightly, and twirling his beard, he said: "Liu Jin's people have accused Imperial Messenger Qi of hiding his death from the imperial examinations. Imperial Messenger Qi is an honest and upright official, and is a capable general of the Imperial Messenger. Hiding his death from the imperial examinations is a loss of moral integrity. If this is true, he can no longer be an official."
Yang Ling smiled: "Don't worry, Minister. Liu Jin is at his wit's end. This Imperial Messenger Qi has been an official for thirteen years. Investigate him for hiding his death from the imperial examinations thirteen years ago? That will be enough for him to investigate for a while. Besides, Yang Tinghe is not a simple person. His people are not willing to sacrifice their lives to protect him. Even if he can't do it, that kid Yang Shen is full of tricks, and will help old father come up with ideas. "
Jiao Fang shook his head: "If it's just him, it's fine. Liu Jin's people are not few in number. Among them, some are fence-sitters, and some are from the Qing sects. My people think that this is Liu Jin deliberately making a big fuss, to make His Majesty feel uneasy, and thus stop the investigation."
Yang Ling said: "I can't always be the one charging and breaking through the enemy lines, and Yang Tinghe reaps the fruits of others' labor. There are not many people left in the imperial examinations for Liu Jin. He can handle them, and let them fight. The remaining few small fish and shrimp, leave it for Yang Tinghe to clean up. Minister Elder, there is no need to worry about these things. You must pay attention to the new scholars, and select those who have both ability and integrity to serve. The chaos in the imperial examinations must be pacified as soon as possible. At that time, we will need these people to fill in the gaps. "
He slowly straightened his body and slowly said: "From now on, I will not investigate new officials. I will only focus on organizing the files of these arrested officials, and prepare all the crimes that are related to Liu Jin. If my predictions are correct, I will soon have a direct confrontation with Liu Jin!"
Yang Ling's words hit the nail on the head. Liu Jin and Yang Tinghe engaged in a murderous war of words on the battlefield where Yang Ling's troops had not yet fully withdrawn. After three days of throwing memorials to Zhengde, Huang Jing, the Minister of Revenue, presented a memorial at the morning court. He accused Yang Ling of being tyrannical and incompetent, and of betraying the Emperor's will. He investigated the imperial examinations for countless crimes, causing the yamen of the imperial examinations to be completely paralyzed, and there was no one available to supervise the imperial examinations.
Huang Jing, whose face was slightly dark, said in a powerful voice: "Emperor, please quickly dismiss Yang Ling's missions, and clean up the political system, and make the laws clear!"
Coincidentally, whether it was intentional or not, for the past few days, Minister Jiao had arranged for Yang Shen to be on duty in the palace hall. This pair of enemies, who had put on a full show of martial arts during the 'greeting ceremony', had once again quarreled in the golden palace hall. As soon as Huang Jing's voice fell, Yang Shen stepped forward and impeached Liu Jin, saying that many corrupt officials in the imperial examinations were under Liu Jin's tutelage. He even took out the appointment books of the Ministry of Appointments, which contained many of Liu Jin's handwriting of interference.
The two giants were impeached at the same time, and the court's civil and military officials immediately became spirited. At this time, Li Dongyang entered from the south gate, and Cheng Qiyun entered from the east gate …
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