The layout of the Golden Hall had not changed for a thousand years and the officials attending the court had not changed either. Outside the hall, the sun was shining brightly and the flowers were blooming in the spring season. The air was unspeakably fresh and everything looked so beautiful but Liu Jin could definitely feel a murderous aura, a murderous intent condensed from the hatred of countless people.
The Emperor ascended the throne and the civil and military officials also paid their respects. After the cheers of 'long live the Emperor', Liu Jin was still in a daze. Zhang Cai saw that he was in a daze and the eunuch from the Directorate asked twice, 'If there is something to report, the court will be dismissed without a report' but he did not respond. She became anxious and took a step forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have a report. The situation in Bazhou is getting more and more tense, the people are homeless and some refugees have already escaped to the capital. The reason why the Ringing Horse Bandits are so serious is all because Duke Wei Yang Ling rashly recruited these unrepentant rebels to surrender and take in the rebels, raising a tiger to cause trouble. I think that we should execute Yang Ling internally to enforce discipline and quell the rebellion externally to pacify the people. The crime of Duke Wei is clear and Your Majesty must not have a merciful heart anymore. The country is the most important. "
Liu Yu and the rest knelt down together and spoke vehemently, saying that if Yang Ling did not die, discipline would be corrupted, the people would lose their hearts and it would be difficult to quell the rebellion.
Zhengde did not think much of such a crime. The four bandits of the Eastern Sea were also recruited by Yang Ling. Now that the coastal area has been pacified, they could not do without the contributions of these people. If they were to rely on the Imperial Court to train soldiers and build new ships, how much silver would that cost? Who knew that the few hundred Ringing Horse Bandits in Bazhou could create such a big mess?
But he was the Emperor and such a big thing happened in Bazhou Prefecture, someone had to take responsibility. This was not only to give an explanation to the people but also to uphold the discipline of the Imperial Court. Otherwise, if such a huge rebellion was triggered and the related people were not punished, the other officials would follow suit and not fear the law and discipline of the Imperial Court, then the prestige of the Imperial Court would be gone.
Zheng De sighed inwardly, "Subject Yang was originally ordered to investigate and plunder the imperial edict, he has meddled in a lot of matters, all out of a loyal heart. Unfortunately, those horses were arrogant and untamed. Now that they had created such a mess, what should they do? I have to appease the officials and the people, but I can't ignore the discipline … How about … deducting my salary for half a year? Isn't it too light? "
Zhengde couldn't make up his mind and couldn't help glancing at Jiao Fang. Seeing that Jiao Fang was looking straight ahead and standing steadily, Zhengde felt a little angry and glared at him fiercely.
For the past two days, whenever Liu Jin's faction mentioned punishing Yang Ling, Jiao Fang and the others would jump out and start debating as if their butts were on fire. This debate lasted for a whole day, and this was how Zhengde dragged on. Why didn't Jiao Fang say anything today? Did she shout herself hoarse? You're such an old man, yet you don't know anything. Can't you drink some Fatty Big Sea when you get home? Trash!
Li Dongyang saw his expression and smiled faintly. Suddenly he went out to present a memorial, "Your Majesty, subject has a report regarding the rebel rebellion in Bazhou, to present it to Your Majesty."
Finally, someone stood up. Zhengde heaved a sigh of relief. He straightened his back and smiled, "Mister Li, please feel free to speak."
When Li Dongyang heard this, his eyes became moist. In the past, only the Hongzhi Emperor didn't address the Emperor as an official and instead addressed the three elders of the cabinet as Mister. It's been so long, it's rare for the Emperor to use honorifics. Li Dongyang suppressed his excitement and bowed, "Your Majesty, there was a rebellion in Bazhou. The Ringing Horse Bandits ran amok in all the prefectures. Within ten days, they gathered tens of thousands of people with just a few hundred people. They also recruited soldiers and bought horses everywhere and put up posters to buy the people's hearts. I have a recruitment notice written by the bandits in memory of Zhao Huaizhong. It contains the reason why the Ringing Horse Bandits first surrendered and then rebelled. I present it to Your Majesty. "
"A recruitment notice for the people?" Liu Jin and the rest were shocked. They watched as the old fox slowly took out a neatly folded piece of white paper from his sleeve. The strings in their hearts tightened.
Emperor Zhengde laughed coldly, "The bandits are restless and rebelled against me. What are they trying to say? Bring it over and let me see what they have to say! "
Du Fu hurriedly walked down the steps and took the notice from Li Dongyang's hands. He held it in his hands and walked back to respectfully present it to Zhengde. All the civil and military officials knew that they couldn't see it but they still stretched their necks to look up.
Zhengde took the white paper with a cold smile on his face. But when he opened the notice, the smile on his face gradually disappeared. The more he read, the tighter his brows became. Finally, with a 'bang', he slammed the dragon writing table and flew into a rage, "Bastard! The Ringing Horse Bandits engage in extortion and kidnapping. As a guard, Liang Hong extorted without limit. He's even more ruthless than the Ringing Horse Bandits. Zhao Huaizhong's words are not wrong. So it was he who forced the Ringing Horse Bandits to rebel and then framed Yang. This person really deserves to be killed! "
Li Dongyang was stunned at first, then sighed and cupped his hands in warning, "Your Majesty, this is the reason why the Ringing Horse Bandits rebelled after surrendering. There are also thirty major crimes and sixty minor crimes listed by Zhao Huaizhong, each of them pointing directly at the eunuch Liu Jin of the Department of Rites. So when this notice came out, the common people responded and the number of bandits increased day by day. "
Liu Jin had come to court today to deal with Yang Ling. He never would have thought that Li Dongyang would change the topic and point the spearhead at him. Liu Jin flew into a rage and took a step forward, shouting, "Preposterous! Can the words of the traitors be accepted? If that's the case, in the future when there are rebels, they only need to insist that it was the officials who forced them, and also fabricate charges against the officials in the imperial court. Won't the imperial court give the rebels a helping hand by executing the officials to atone for their crimes? "
Li Dongyang smiled faintly, "Liu Gong-gong," he said, "I am only presenting the bandit chief's notice to Your Majesty. Justice is in the hearts of the people, why are you so flustered? The truth of the matter must be investigated thoroughly. Who said that one bandit chief's notice can convict someone of a crime? "
Liu Jin was stumped. Liu Yu immediately jumped out and said in a stern voice, "Grand Secretary Li, this bandit chief's notice, where did you get it?"
Li Dongyang smiled and said, "What does Minister Liu have to say?"
Liu Yu snorted and said, "As the Minister of War, I am in charge of the military affairs, but I know nothing about it. Grand Secretary is the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. Where did you get this notice? If a local official submitted a memorial, it should be submitted to Your Majesty through the Office of Transmission and the Bureau of Rites. Grand Secretary's action today, the notice came from an improper source, and the action was sneaky, as if it had been premeditated. Could it be that it was specifically aimed at Liu Gong-gong? "
Li Dongyang laughed and stroked his beard, saying, "Minister Liu, you are wrong. My notice came from the Ministry of War. As for not going through the normal channels, hiding it in my sleeves and reporting it to Your Majesty, I had no choice. "
Liu Yu was startled and cried out involuntarily, "Why haven't I seen such an important thing?"
Li Dongyang flicked his sleeve and said, "This notice was taken down by the Emperor's disciple, General Xu Tai, the Commander-in-Chief of the Four Armies of the Outer Realms, when he was pursuing the rebellious bandits and reporting it to the Ministry of War. When Assistant Minister Yang Yiqing saw this notice, he knew it was an important matter and didn't dare to conceal it, so he handed it over to me."
Liu Yu's face turned red and said, "This matter is against the rules. Why didn't he report it to me when he got the notice? Why didn't he report it to Your Majesty through the Office of Transmission? It's obvious that you are colluding with each other to frame me. "
Hearing them quarreling again, the Emperor Zhengde impatiently raised the notice and looked at it, saying, "It was right not to tell you, and it was also right not to go through the Office of Transmission. On this Zhao Huaizhong's notice, the sixth of the Thirty Great Crimes: 'Forming a clique for personal gain, treating the public world as the private world, Liu Yu, Cao Yuan, Liu Yu and their ilk seek to curry favor with those in power …' The person I'm accusing is you. Naturally, Yang Yiqing wouldn't dare to give it to you. The eighth crime: 'One hand covering the sky, the Office of Transmission becoming a decoration, the Department of Rites wielding great authority, the one above deceiving the Son of Heaven, the one below suppressing the hundred officials …' Here, Yang Yiqing is also right not to go through the Office of Transmission. Hmm! This man is quite prudent in handling matters. "
These words came out of his mouth as if nothing had happened, as if nothing had happened, but the people he had named were scared out of their wits. Before Zhengde could finish speaking, Liu Jin rushed forward and knelt down. His knees touched the ground, and unexpectedly he slid more than a foot along the smooth golden brick floor. He kowtowed and said, "Old Slave is wronged … wronged!"
Immediately afterward, the people Zhengde had named all knelt on the ground and kowtowed as if they were pounding garlic, repeatedly complaining about their grievances.
Zhengde said in astonishment, "What are you shouting for? All of you, stand up. The bandits are rebelling, so naturally they have to give themselves a high-sounding reason. They want to fool the common people and build a good reputation for enforcing justice on behalf of the heavens. Humph! Do you think Zhen will convict you based on the rebel bandits' notice? What a joke!
However, they have already surrendered and become officials. The court can't be said to have not treated them well, yet they went back on their word and openly rebelled. There must be some secret behind this. Liang Hong extorted and blackmailed them. I'm afraid there is an eighty to ninety percent chance that this is the truth. This matter must be investigated as soon as possible. "
Liu Jin's heart was somewhat at ease. Standing up, he said, "Your Majesty is wise. The rebel bandits want to bewitch the people's hearts, so naturally they will slander the court. These bandits are arrogant and unruly, disobeying etiquette and law. After surrendering, they couldn't bear the court's restrictions, so they raised their troops and rebelled. It might not have been Liang Hong who extorted them. The Old Slave thinks that Your Majesty should still be cautious, so as not to chill the ministers' loyalty and service. "
Cao Yuan hastily said, "That's right. This notice is clearly a load of nonsense spouted by the rebel bandits, creating something out of nothing. How can his rebellious words be believed? Liu Gonggong is hated by the rebel, which proves that he is loyal to Your Majesty. That's why the rebel hates you to the bone and can't wait for Your Majesty to clip your wings. "
Jiao Fang immediately came out to present a memorial: "Your Majesty, a few days ago State Duke Wei and Liu Jin confronted each other in court, listing his crimes. Many of them coincide with Zhao Huaizhong's condemnation. Your Majesty shouldn't look down on them just because they came from the mouth of a rebel. Since Liu Jin considers himself to be open and aboveboard, this subject requests Your Majesty to announce the rebel Zhao Huaizhong's notice to all the ministers and judge them in public. "
Yang Tinghe, Wang Hua, Yang Shousui and the other old ministers voiced their assent in unison, one after another coming out to urge the emperor. The officials who have been standing quietly and solemnly all this time started to stir, their voices growing louder and louder. Even the honest Du Fu could see that the crowd was surging and difficult to control, so he had no choice but to shout for silence.
Zhengde frowned: Looking at the situation, it seems that after resting for a few days, everyone has caught their breath and is preparing for another big battle among the officials. He passed the notice to Du Fu and gestured: "Read it out for me."
Du Fu respectfully complied, took the notice, spread out his hands and began to read it out loud. Du Fu read it in cadence. He had just read out two crimes when suddenly someone shouted from among the officials: "Wait! This subject has a memorial! "
As he said this, someone walked out and knelt on the ground, loudly saying: "Your Majesty, Liu Jin is corrupt and extorted bribes, disobeying the government and breaking the law. This subject believes that this matter is true. This subject has just received a report from the Inspectorate …"
As he said this, he took out six or seven reports from the local officials from a few months ago from his sleeve and respectfully said: "The local officials are unanimous and have many complaints about this matter. The Tax Collector appointed by Liu Jin imposed arbitrary taxes and acted recklessly. Originally five mu of land, he demanded ten mu of rent. Originally fifty mu of land, he demanded one hundred mu of rent. The people have no way to make a living and the place is not peaceful.
He cleared out the land, saying that it was for the sake of the country, but in reality, he filled his own pockets and transferred a large amount of private land to the state in order to seek personal political achievements. He caused the people to become destitute and destitute, causing riots in the remote areas. The officials he appointed were not willing to help the evildoer, so they were punished for dereliction of duty. They had to bribe tens of thousands of gold before they were released … "
This person was the Imperial Censorate's Left Imperial Censorate Official Zhai. When he finished speaking, he raised his head and saw Liu Jin and his people glaring at him fiercely. Looking at their expressions, they looked as if they wanted to swallow him whole. Old Zhai stood up as if nothing had happened, took a step back, and stood motionless in his seat.
Liu Jin gritted his teeth: This old man, did he eat a bear's heart and a leopard's gall? This time he didn't have the same flattering expression he used when he was begging me to do something. He … he wasn't worried that his mushy letters to flatter me would spread and ruin his reputation for the rest of his life?
Liu Jin was still in doubt. Du Fu paused for a moment. Seeing that no one signaled him, he continued to read. He had only read two lines when someone else came out of his seat and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Liu Jin has abused his power. His edicts have been passed on to others, but he has personally approved them. He has falsified the law and destroyed the ancestors' system of government. This subject believes that his words have substance and cannot be taken lightly.
Emperor Taizu removed the Prime Minister's position, and set up the cabinet and the Department of Transmission to govern separately, in order to prevent one party from monopolizing power and breaking the law. Liu Jin has relied on Your Majesty's trust. Other than the hundred official memorials and the white one, he also prepared a red one. He insisted that Liu Jin read it first before presenting it to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, before you read the memorials, Liu Jin has already passed down the order on how to deal with them. If this is not falsified, then what is it? If this is not overthrowing Your Majesty and monopolizing power, then what is it? "
Liu Jin fiercely glared at the speaker; it was the scholar of Hanlin Academy, Lu Shichen. Liu Jin immediately retorted, "Everything that our family has done is to act on behalf of Your Majesty, to display Your Majesty's authority, to share Your Majesty's burden, it is our family's responsibility. Picking up the memorials, choosing the priority and the priority, what is wrong with that? You are clearly playing to the gallery by claptrap, you are blaming me. "
Before Liu Jin could finish his accusation, Hanlin Academy Wang Ziwen jumped out to defend Lu Shichen. This old man was the teacher that Duke Cheng Zhu Gang had hired for his grandson. Although he was an old Hanlin, he was usually steady and only cared about making some extra money. Such an old fellow also jumped out to oppose him. Liu Jin's nose was almost crooked from anger.
Zhang Cai and the others were secretly shocked. The people who jumped out today were all fence-sitters a few days ago. The biggest characteristic of fence-sitters was that they would not easily express their stance when they could not see the direction of the wind. But once they saw the direction of the wind, they would definitely jump out faster and more loyal than the other party's most loyal subordinates. They wished that everyone was waving the flag and shouting battle cries, and only he was the main force in eliminating the traitors and supporting the government. What did it mean for these people to stand out? Did something big happen that he didn't know about?
Fear and foreboding, like a dark cloud, slowly shrouded their hearts. As Du Fu read out the thirty major crimes and sixty minor crimes, more and more officials jumped out. Many of them were officials that they originally thought they could control. The list of crimes was also varied, becoming more and more bizarre. There were things like asking for and accepting bribes, selling official positions, persecuting loyal people, monopolizing the court, privately keeping warriors, privately storing weapons, inciting a mutiny, etc. In any case, whichever one was the fastest to die would be the one to lean on.
Liu Jin was also panicking, but he still forced himself to calm down and laughed coldly, "Using the words of a traitor to slander my family. What great evil has Liu Jin done to cause you all to be so incompatible?"
Liu Jin turned around and kowtowed to the Emperor. With a sorrowful voice, he cried, "Your Majesty, a few days ago, they colluded with each other and tried to force the Old Slave to death. This is a plan that failed, so they used the words of a traitor to kill loyal people. Your Majesty is wise, please investigate clearly and redress the injustice of the Old Slave!"
Zheng De listened to the hundreds of officials recount so many crimes, his heart gradually grew suspicious, but seeing Liu Jin's heart brimming with grief and indignation, plus a group of ministers and assistant ministers waving the flag and shouting battle cry for him, sparing no effort to defend him, he could not help but hesitate, "Liu Jin really dares to do so many things behind my back?"
Due to the fact that the hundred officials had already concentrated their full strength to attack Liu Jin twice in an attempt to put him to death, Zheng De was already somewhat immune to it. He really had some doubts about the crimes and intentions they had put forward. At this moment, the Palace Guard General strode into the hall, knelt down and reported, "Reporting to my Emperor, the Left Assistant Minister of War, Yang Yiqing, requests an audience."
※ ※ ※
The noisy scene suddenly quietened down. The eyes of the officials all turned to the Palace Guard General. Zhengde asked curiously, "Assistant Minister Yang? Oh, he is on duty at the Ministry of War today and did not attend court? He can just come to the hall, why does he need to ask for an imperial edict? "
The Palace Guard General reported, "Your Majesty, Yang Yiqing brought someone to wait outside the Meridian Gate. He said that this person is the Guerrilla Warfare General of Bazhou, his name is Jiang Bin. He knows the details of the rebellion in Bazhou, so he hurriedly brought him here for Your Majesty's inquiry."
"Oh? Quickly summon him to the hall! " Zhengde's spirit was lifted. The annoyance brought about by the officials quarreling with each other was swept away. He was anxious to know the situation in Bazhou, but he did not realize that the arrival of this person would bring about serious consequences to the officials' quarreling with each other.
The officials did not need to be ordered. They stopped quarreling and quietly returned to their duties. The hall was completely silent, waiting for the final moment to reveal their cards.
"Summon! Left Assistant Minister Yang Yiqing of the Ministry of War, Guerrilla Warfare General of Bazhou Jiang Bin, come to the hall! "
With the announcement, two people walked in from outside the hall. The one in front had a stern expression, his chest puffed out and his head held high. He was the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, Yang Yiqing. Behind him was a person of a tall and stocky build. He wore a chilling iron armor that was stained with mud and blood. This person's legs seemed to be filled with amazing elasticity. When he walked, it was as if he was trying his best to suppress his eager body.
His hands were spread apart, as if he was holding two invisible steel blades that could be slashed out at any time. His head looked around, up and down. That look … that look was like a male praying mantis showing off its prowess.
When Emperor Zhengde saw this image, he couldn't help but want to laugh. He watched as Yang Yiqing walked to the front of the hall and bowed respectfully. The person behind him was in too much of a hurry. When he saw Yang Yiqing kneeling, he didn't even pick a place to kneel and lowered his head to the back of Yang Yiqing's buttocks.
Even at such a tense moment, all the civil and military officials in the court were amused by this silly warfare general and roared with laughter. Seeing that his trick was effective, Jiang Bin couldn't help but feel a trace of pride. However, he still pretended to be stupid and kneeled there. He even raised his head and looked left and right as if he didn't know the rules.
Emperor Zhengde coughed twice and suppressed his laughter. He said, "Subject Yang, please rise!"
Yang Yiqing said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Then he stood up. When Jiang Bin saw this, he also stood up in a daze. Yang Yiqing was about to turn around and go back to work when he turned his head and saw that Jiang Bin was still behind him. He couldn't help but jump in fright and quickly said in a low voice, "I didn't call you. Go back and kneel!"
Jiang Bin said, "Oh." With a whoosh, he flashed back to his original position and was still kneeling on the ground. All the civil and military officials in the court roared with laughter again. Emperor Zhengde's eyes lit up and he praised, "What a fast movement. Subject Jiang, raise your head. Subject Jiang? … Uh, Jiang Bin, raise your head. "
"Oh! This subject obeys! " Jiang Bin seemed to have just realized that he was being called and hurriedly raised his head. When Zhengde saw that half his face was covered in blood, he couldn't help but jump in fright. He cried out, "Subject Jiang, are you seriously injured?"
Jiang Bin pointed at the tip of his nose and asked, "Is Your Majesty asking this subject?"
He grinned and said, "Your Majesty, this subject isn't injured. This subject has two horse-chopping sabers in my hands. Among the thousands of soldiers and horses, no one can match me. The number of rebels that died in this subject's hands is innumerable. This is all the blood of the rebel horses."
When Zhengde heard this, his royal countenance was delighted, "This person is indeed a brave general!"
He asked in a pleasant tone, "Subject Jiang, I heard that you know the details of the Bazhou rebellion. Tell me in detail."
Jiang Bin hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, this subject was originally a general in the Xuan Prefecture. By Your Majesty's grace, this subject was promoted to a guerilla commander in Bazhou and was usually stationed in the Armor Camp in Bazhou. When this subject heard the news of the Bazhou Bandits' rebellion, this subject was shocked and angry. I immediately wanted to lead the army to quell the rebellion. Unexpectedly, the generals in the army were suspicious of this subject. The hearts of the people were not united and it was difficult for me to take action. "
Zhengde was furious, "Bastard, soldiers are trained for a thousand days to be used in a single day. Hearing that there was a rebellion, you actually hesitated?"
When Jiang Bin saw this, he hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Yes, yes, yes, this subject is a bastard, this subject is a bastard." As he said this, he gave himself a backhand slap on the face. The slap was so loud that it could be heard by the entire hall.
Emperor Zhengde didn't know whether to laugh or cry. However, he was even more delighted with this straightforward and valiant general. He hurriedly said, "I'm not saying that you are a bastard. Tell me, why didn't these generals follow your orders and advance in fear of the enemy? These soldiers should all be beheaded!"
Jiang Bin hurriedly said, "Don't blame them, don't blame them. This is all this subject's fault."
He knelt there and mumbled, "This subject doesn't dare to hide this from Your Majesty. The Bazhou Bandit Zhang Mao is this subject's cousin. This subject has just received orders to take up the post in Bazhou. The generals were worried that this subject and my cousin would have an affair and send them to their deaths. This is understandable."
The imperial court was in an uproar. Liu Jin and the rest were originally frightened but when they heard this, their faces instantly revealed joy, "Rebellion is punishable by nine familial executions. Now that Zhang Mao has rebelled, you are the suspect. Li Dongyang and the rest found such a clown to bring me down? How much weight do his words have? "
Emperor Zhengde was also shocked. His face darkened and he said coldly, "The one who caused chaos in Bazhou and rebelled against me is your cousin?"
Jiang Bin answered honestly, "Yes! This subject heard about it and was extremely shocked and furious. The soldiers were also suspicious of this subject and didn't believe this subject. This subject had no choice but to lead twelve of my personal guards into the city to see my cousin Zhang Mao. I pretended to surrender and took his head. Only then did this gain the trust of some generals and recaptured Bazhou City. "
Jiang Bin lowered his head and said in a sobbing voice, "After the remaining rebels, Liu Liu, Liu Qi and the rest heard the news, they coerced countless citizens to attack Bazhou again. Your Majesty, this subject doesn't have many soldiers and the morale of the army isn't stable. This subject fought hard for a day and a night and has no more soldiers to use. This subject had no choice but to retreat out of the city in order to obstruct the rebel army and stop them from escaping.
These days, this subject fought hard every day and even saved the Gu 'an County Magistrate, Lord Qiao Yushu who was prepared to die with the city. At this time, this subject didn't have many soldiers left. I originally wanted to risk my life and die to serve the country. Thus this subject brought a few of my trusted subordinates and set up an ambush at the outskirts of Wen 'an County to assassinate the leader of the rebels, Liu Liu Liu. Unexpectedly, Liu Liu Liu had many guards around him. After this subject failed, he chased after me. I heard that Your Majesty had sent the Son of Heaven's disciple, the brave and skilled General Xu to Bazhou. This subject submitted to you and thus spared my life. However, this subject didn't have any merit in the battle and I am guilty. "
When Zhengde heard this, his expression softened and he praised, "Good! My dear subject is able to distinguish between public and private affairs, placing righteousness above family and fighting to the death, sparing no effort for the court. This is a loyal subject. Even though your cousin rebelled, this crime shouldn't be placed on you. I see that my dear subject is indeed a valiant general. To be able to fight to the last soldier and still think of assassinating the leader of the rebels, you have already done your duty as a subject. I see that not only are you not guilty, you have also performed meritorious deeds. "
As You Ji of Bazhou, Jiang Bin was responsible for the peace of the area and had the responsibility of defending the land. In the end, the rebels were rampant. Not only did his army fail to wipe out the rebels and take back a city or land, they were scattered by them. He only managed to escape with a dozen soldiers. It was many times more serious than when General He was ambushed at Chicken Cry Inn. According to the strict laws of Ming Destiny, even if he didn't die, he would lose a layer of skin.
In the end, when he had just entered the palace, his honest and honest performance, in addition to these moving words, not only was he not guilty, he was even praised by Zhengde. With the Emperor's words, no one could pursue his responsibility. When Jiang Bin heard this, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
In reality, this matter really couldn't be blamed on him. He had just arrived in Bazhou and wasn't familiar with the soldiers under him. The military's battle power was already a problem. If the generals and officers weren't united, then the battle power would be greatly reduced. In addition, the soldiers were counting on Jiang You Ji to lead people to protect his hometown. If the hearts of the people were not united, Jiang Bin's bravery alone wouldn't be able to turn the tide of the battle. The failure of the battle really wasn't his responsibility.
Jiang Bin relaxed and only then did he return to the main topic. He kowtowed a few times and said, "Thank Your Majesty for your grace. This subject rushed back to Bazhou and wanted to be a soldier under General Xu to make up for my mistakes and serve the court. Unexpectedly, the military supervisor, Eunuch Liang, accused me of delaying military plans and not doing enough in battle. He requested for this subject to be punished and executed immediately. General Xu and the other generals pleaded again and again, but Eunuch Liang refused. General Xu knew that Eunuch Liang wanted to silence me, but the power of the military supervisor was great and he didn't dare to disobey. He could only order this subject to return to the capital at night and report everything to His Majesty. "
Liu Jin's heart thumped again. As expected, Zhengde's gaze froze and he asked suspiciously, "Silence you? Why do you say that? "
Jiang Bin kowtowed again and said loudly, "This subject only knows Your Majesty in my heart. If Your Majesty asks, this subject will tell you everything and is not afraid of anything."
Zhengde nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes. You don't have to be afraid. Whatever zhen asks, just say it directly. zhen will not accuse you of any crime."
Jiang Bin was secretly delighted and straightened his neck to say, "Replying to Your Majesty, this subject's cousin was originally a great bandit and his ancestors were all secret bandits. Duke of Wei, Yang Ling, came to Bazhou and carried out Your Majesty's edict to arrest corrupt officials, beat up swindlers, and exterminate horse thieves and secret bandits. The people of Bazhou all said that the current Emperor is wise and that Duke of Wei is a loyal subject to Your Majesty and has eliminated great harm for the people of Bazhou. My cousin saw that under Your Majesty's rule, the country of Ming Destiny is becoming more and more prosperous and the people are getting richer, so he has the heart to do good.
Duke of Wei said that the heavens have the virtue of caring for all living things. The current Emperor is a hero rarely seen in history. Even bandits can be taught to do good under the benevolent rule of the current Emperor. The Four Great Bandits of the Eastern Sea is an example, so he ordered me to persuade my cousin to surrender and serve the imperial court from then on.
My cousin revered the benevolence of Your Majesty and led his men to accept the summons. He even said that he wanted to turn over a new leaf and be a new man. With his martial arts skills, he should serve the army for Your Majesty and make contributions. His children and grandchildren will all be good citizens of Ming Destiny and will never be bandits again. "
Zhengde listened with a joyful expression and nodded his head repeatedly, feeling that his face was shining. Although these words were said with flattery, anyone could see that this general in front of him was a little simple-minded. He had a straightforward and honest personality and did not even know the etiquette of the imperial court. He spoke carelessly and rashly. How could the words of such a simple-minded person not be trusted?
Emperor Zhengde had a pleasant expression and said repeatedly, "Yes, yes, continue. Why did he rebel later on? What kind of mouth did Liang Hong kill you to silence? "
Liu Jin, Zhang Cai and the others' faces were like little devils as they stared fiercely at this big idiot who pretended to be a pig to eat a tiger. Jiang Bin opened his mouth wide and continued to talk non-stop, "Your Majesty, after my cousin and the others accepted the offer of amnesty, they knew their place and strictly followed the military discipline. After joining the Anti-Thief Battalion, they went around arresting bandits and small thieves. Just when the Bazhou was in peace, the new Garrison Guard Liang Hong extorted one hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver from my cousin and the others. Otherwise, he would find a reason to punish them."
Liu Jin was stunned and then angered, "Wasn't it one hundred and eighty thousand taels? How did it become one hundred and eighty thousand? Liang Hong, this bastard, actually dared to use me as an excuse to extort money! He's really black-hearted, asking for an extra eighty thousand taels and I didn't even know about it. This daring bastard! "
He was still sulking when Jiang Bin continued to complain, "My cousin was only a bandit to make a living. How could he have such a huge sum of money? Helpless, he even asked me to plead with Eunuch Liang for forgiveness. He said that if it was only eighty thousand taels, he would sell his house and his children to give it to Eunuch Liang. If it was any more, even if he sold his children, he really wouldn't be able to take it out. Unexpectedly … unexpectedly … "As Jiang Bin said this, he seemed to be in a difficult position.
Emperor Zhengde was about to explode from anger when he heard this. He slammed the dragon writing table and said, "Speak! Speak freely. No matter what it is, no matter who it involves, we will make the decision for you! "
Jiang Bin closed his eyes and said in one breath, "Who would have thought that Eunuch Liang would scold me, saying that this money was … was given by Eunuch Liu from the capital. Last time, Eunuch Zhang Zhong extorted the rich gentry and forced the people's families to hang themselves because of this matter. He also said that this money was to be used to build Xuanming Palace and for the Empress Dowager's funeral. If he didn't hand it over, then he would be disloyal to Your Majesty and disobeying Eunuch Liu. Even he would be beheaded. My cousin really couldn't take out the money, so he was forced to rebel. He rebelled against the court, so I didn't dare to disobey my duty and behead him. But there was a reason for my cousin's rebellion. Your Majesty, please investigate clearly! "
After Jiang Bin finished speaking in one breath, he knelt down and didn't say a word.
This sentence was earth-shattering. Not only did it expose the reason for Bazhou's rebellion, it also proved that Madman Zhao's notice was not false. Even the Emperor was involved, so who among the civil and military officials dared to say anything?
Liu Jin and his group were about to have a heart attack today. Their hearts were tense one moment and then relaxed the next. One moment, they were so scared that they were about to jump out of their chest. The next moment, they were filled with joy, as if they had picked up a gold ingot. Just now, they were clearly scared half to death. When Jiang Bin pulled the Emperor in, Liu Jin was so happy that he was about to fly, "What a stupid move. Of all people, you used such a useless person. If you only said that Liang Hong was extorted by me and didn't mention the use of this money, how would I dare to say that it was for Your Majesty in front of all the officials? Heh heh, you were the ones who said it. His Majesty lost all his dignity and face, and in the end, you guys pushed the crime of Bazhou's rebellion onto the Emperor. Yang Ling, ah Yang Ling, you're really capable! Hahahaha … "
Liu Jin slyly glanced at Emperor Zhengde. She saw that His Highness Zheng De's face looked like it had opened a dye shop. One moment it was red, the next moment it was green, the next moment it was white, the next moment it was black. But these words were heard by all the civil and military officials, how could he cover it up? After a long time, Emperor Zhengde said with an embarrassed expression, "Liu … Liu Jin, didn't you say that the money used to build Xuanming Palace was donated by the people and that the money was enough to use? Why … why do we still need the money from the local government to … to cause such a thing? "
After half a day, the cause was actually him. Today, Emperor Zhengde had truly lost all face. Sitting high above, it was as if he had made a fool of himself in front of the hundreds of officials. He wished he could find a hole in the ground to burrow into. This matter really touched him. The little Emperor's self-esteem was seriously damaged. His face was burning and he didn't dare to look at anyone.
Liu Jin heard that he didn't have much confidence and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. He coldly glanced at the silent civil and military officials: You're amazing. You've made the Emperor lose face. I want to see who else dares to make a fuss about this. Why isn't Li Dongyang saying anything? Why isn't Jiao Fang saying anything? And Yang Tinghe … aren't you guys good at talking? Continue talking, I'm waiting!
He disdainfully rubbed his eyes and walked into the hall: Today, even if the Emperor is unhappy, I'll make him lose all his face. Let's see who he hates in the end. Humph!
Liu Jin kneeled on the ground and said, "Your Majesty is busy with the affairs of the country and has to deal with thousands of affairs every day. If you give the Old Slave some tasks, how would the Old Slave dare to disturb Your Majesty? In fact, the Old Slave already knew what they were accusing him of, but for the sake of Your Majesty, the Old Slave is willing to take on everything. But now that things have come to this, the Old Slave can't be frank. "
He raised his head and said with deep emotion, "Your Majesty, the court is revealing the truth! Every time I see Your Majesty worried, the Old Slave's heart feels like it's being cut by a knife. How can I make it worse and make Your Majesty unable to sleep at night? You are the ruler of the world, you can't hurt your dragon body! "
Liu Jin spoke emotionally and was moved to tears, "The court is holding a funeral for the Former Emperor, for Your Majesty's ascension to the throne, for the Empress Dowager's funeral, and for the Great Wall, Jiangnan, and the northwest. How can we have money to use? Originally, the money donated by the common people could be used to pay for the funeral, but the Empress Dowager's funeral is the dignity of the royal family, and the court doesn't have money. The Old Slave had no choice but to use the money from the construction of Xuanming Palace to pay for the funeral so that the Empress Dowager can rest in peace.
The construction of Xuanming Palace is halfway done, we can't just give up halfway. The Old Slave … … The Old Slave can only order the guards to try their best to transport the taxes to the capital as soon as possible. Cough! I think Liang Hong just took office and wanted to gain some achievements to win the Emperor's favor, so he did this. The Old Slave didn't know how to use the right people and didn't use the right people. It's hard for him to atone for his crimes! "
He raised his head and his face was full of tears, "Your Majesty, please kill the Old Slave! Kill the Old Slave and give the world an explanation. The Old Slave is a useless person and can only do this for Your Majesty. "
These words were truly moving. Emperor Zhengde was moved, his eyes were also brimming with tears. He dejectedly stood up and said, "Old Liu, stand up. This is Zhen's incompetence, it has nothing to do with you. This is Zhen's fault, how can I let you bear the responsibility for Zhen? No, this is my crime! This is my crime! "
Emperor Zhengde beat his chest and stamped his feet. Two streams of hot tears rolled down his face. All the officials in the court saw the Emperor crying and knelt down in shock. The Emperor is worried and the officials are humiliated. The Emperor is humiliated and the officials die! To force the Son of Heaven to this point, it was a dereliction of duty as an official. The civil and military officials all kowtowed. Many of the officials saw that the Emperor was so grieved and couldn't help but have tears on their faces. The hall was filled with cries.
Liu Jin sneered inwardly. The situation was finally reversed. Let's see who still dared to make a fuss about this matter. That would be forcing the Emperor to his death. I, Old Liu, will open my eyes and see who among you three scholars and all the civil and military officials in the court dares to do so! Just wait for me to deal with you one by one!
He took a step forward and endured the pain and kowtowed. He added more to the Emperor, "You must not! You must not! The Emperor is the ruler of the world. How can you bear such a heavy responsibility of humiliation? All of this was done by the Old Slave! All of this was done by the Old Slave behind the Emperor's back. It has nothing to do with my Emperor, nothing to do with my Emperor. The Old Slave … … will atone for his crimes with death! "
He stood up and let out a loud roar. Pulling up his sleeve, he stiffened his neck and charged toward the coiling dragon pillar, scaring Emperor Zhengde into hastily shouting, "Stop him! Quickly stop him! "
There was no need for him to shout. In the time that Liu Jin was posing, Zhang Cai, Liu Yu, and the others had already rushed forward. Jiang Bin stretched his neck to watch the show. Seeing that the commotion was quite big, he couldn't run more than three steps. He couldn't help but twitch his mouth in boredom.
How could Yang Ling's scheming be limited to just this? If you don't make the Emperor feel pain in his heart, if you don't make the Emperor be moved to the extreme by you, how can he hate you to the extreme? Be angry to the extreme? Be able to harden his heart to kill you?
What Liu Jin relied on was the Emperor's trust and affection. Whatever it was to establish the Emperor or sit on the throne, one word from the Emperor could make him live or make him die. The only reason he was able to stand tall under the many attacks of the civil and military officials was because of the Son of Heaven's trust and the supreme power that the Son of Heaven had bestowed upon him.
His performance today, anyone who didn't understand what he had done would be moved to tears. Liu Jin was also very satisfied. After today's matter, his position in the Emperor's heart had undoubtedly risen by another level. It was even possible that he might even surpass Yang Ling and no one would be able to surpass him … …
Liu Jin was still struggling, crying and shouting, "The life of the Old Slave is just a cheap life, what is there to cherish? Everyone, let go of me. Let me hit my head and die. Let this matter end here! "
Jiao Fang knelt there and looked up with shifty eyes, "Old Liu's acting is almost done. It's almost time for lunch, let him go and rest for a while."
He raised his head and looked at the back of the throne. In the corner of the hall, there was a small eunuch who was waiting. He raised his hands and straightened his official hat, then lowered his head again. A few of the unassuming eunuchs were Miao Kui's subordinates. As soon as they saw Pavilion Elder Jiao's signal, one of the eunuchs immediately retreated and hurried out of the back hall.
Emperor Zhengde was very embarrassed and said, "Old Liu, don't quarrel anymore. The court has no silver to use, it is this Emperor's incompetence! Forcing the people to rebel, it is this Emperor's fault! What can you bear for this Emperor? Even if I can bully the people, can I bully the earth, can I bully the heavens? Can I bully the eyes of the civil and military officials in the court? Someone come, help Old Liu to rest … "
He dejectedly sat down on the chair. Just as he was about to blame himself and take responsibility for everything and stop the series of disturbances caused by the people of Bazhou's rebellion, the Palace Guard General rushed in and reported to him, "Your Majesty, Dongchang's Admiral Dai Yi has an important matter to report to Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhengde lowered his eyes expressionlessly and said with a lonely, self-deprecating smile, "Major event? Another important matter? My Zhengde court really has a lot of important matters! Call him in, zhen, see if the sky is falling and the earth is collapsing! "
Liu Jin saw that Emperor Zhengde was angry out of humiliation and had nowhere to vent his anger. He didn't dare to cry anymore and quickly retracted his stance, dispiritedly retreating to the side.
He turned his head and saw Dai Yi swaying as he walked into the hall with a smile. His heart, which had just relaxed, suddenly tightened again, "This bastard, why is his smile so scary?"
Dai Yi walked to the front of the hall and picked a clean spot. He lightly knelt down and kowtowed, "Old Slave Dai Yi pays his respects to the Emperor, long live, long live!"
Emperor Zhengde unhappily waved his hand and said, "Stop messing with Jing 'er, if you have something to say then say it, zhen … zhen's heart is troubled, if it's not a big matter, don't bother zhen!"
Dai Yi hurriedly said with a smile, "Yes, yes! Your Majesty, the investigation of the Old Slave is not a big matter. But the people involved are different, so it's not a small matter. This action is detrimental to Your Majesty's prestige, so it's a big matter … "
"Pa!" Another good piece of jade was destroyed by Zhengde, the broken pieces flew all over the hall. The depressed Emperor Zhengde jumped up and roared, "Get out! Get out of here! I don't want to hear anything! Get out! Get out! "
Dai Yi was startled and hurriedly got up. He lifted the hem of his robe and bowed as he retreated. At the same time, he said, "Yes, yes, yes. I just want to report that someone has moved a large sum of money to build Xuanming Palace. It should be a small matter, but …"
"Wait! Get back here right now! What embezzlement? Make it clear, make it clear to me! "
Dai Yi hurriedly ran back and carefully knelt on the broken pieces of jade, saying, "Your Majesty, the people of the capital donated more than four hundred thousand taels of silver to build Xuanming Palace. The Old Slave's people in Dongchang found out that the eunuch Liu Jin of the Department of Rites had embezzled two hundred thousand taels of silver and transported it back to his hometown in Shaanxi to build a tomb for his parents.
And … and the size of the tomb was beyond the norm. It was grand and magnificent, complete with pavilions and pavilions. It had already surpassed the size of a Marquis's tomb! The Old Slave wouldn't dare to disturb you for embezzlement, but the tomb of a fourth-ranked eunuch's parents is beyond the size of a Marquis's tomb. This is almost treason. The Old Slave wouldn't dare to not report it! "
After Dai Yi finished speaking, he lay there waiting for Emperor Zhengde's instructions. But after a long time, there was no movement at all. The hall was as quiet as a tomb. Not even a breath could be heard.
Something was wrong, with His Majesty Zheng De's firecracker temper, it would be a normal reaction for him to push down the dragon writing table. First, he suffered a great humiliation, was moved to tears, now that he heard how Liu Jin treated him, how could he not lose his temper? How … how …?
Dai Yi nervously raised his head and saw Emperor Zhengde standing behind the dragon writing table. His sleeves were hanging down and his eyes were wandering, as if he couldn't find a focus. On that face, not only was there no anger, there was a bit of … a smile that wasn't a smile. It was just that his face was pale, without a trace of blood. It was so pale that it was scary.
"His … Majesty?" Dai Yi shivered. He was a little scared. He had never seen the Emperor with this expression before.
"Haha! Hahaha! " Suddenly, a string of laughter rang out. All the civil and military officials looked up in fear. They saw Zhengde rocking back and forth from laughing. He sat back on the dragon chair and leaned his body sideways. His elbows rested on the armrest. He held his forehead as he laughed and took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from his eyes.
The hall was deathly quiet. The Emperor was clearly laughing up there, but the people below felt that it was too quiet. It was so quiet that they could hear a pin drop. An invisible cold current caused everyone who heard the laughter to feel goosebumps all over their bodies. Even Jiang Bin, who had been feigning ignorance, felt an invisible pressure, and the frivolous expression on his face became solemn.
Emperor Zhengde laughed until his shoulders trembled. The large jewel on Yishan's crown trembled non-stop. He stood up with a smile and casually waved his hand, saying, "Court dismissed, return to the palace!"
After saying this, he turned and left. Du Fu led the four eunuchs and hurriedly followed. After Zhengde turned around the screen, his laughter suddenly became louder. A burst of "hahaha" laughter once again passed into everyone's ears.
Liu Jin, who had been stunned like a wooden chicken, quivered as if he had just come back to life. He knelt on the ground with a "gudong" sound. He didn't care where he was or who he was kowtowing to. He cried out in despair, "Emperor! Emperor! "
The loud laughter had already gone far away, and didn't stop at all. Liu Jin knelt for a long time in a daze. He felt his lips tighten, and his face was a little cold. He slowly raised his head, only to see Zhang Cai, Liu Yu and the rest standing there in a daze, looking at the empty Dragon Throne. That expression, was like a dead person …
※ ※ ※
Liu Jin, it's over!
The Emperor ordered for the court to be dismissed, but none of the civil and military officials left. They all stood in a daze in the Throne Room. They needed time to digest this news. When they understood that this was the truth, they began to guess how the Emperor was going to deal with Liu Jin.
Fortunately, they only waited for an hour before a eunuch came to deliver the edict. The one who delivered the edict was still Du Fu. He stood in the Throne Room and saw that other than Yang Ling, everyone who had to deliver the edict was present. Du Fu issued the edict: The three Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet went to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to see the Emperor. Liu Jin was to be detained in the inner prison to listen to the Emperor. The rest of the officials returned to their residences. After delivering the edict, this dear friend did not stop and went straight to Duke Wei's Public House.
The civil and military officials dispersed in a hubbub. Some were preparing to drink and compose poems to celebrate, some were preparing to change to another family, some were preparing to send their families away, and some were busy with their own affairs.
When the imperial edict was delivered, the Imperial Bodyguards withdrew from the Public House. Yang Ling entered the Palace to see the Emperor and had a secret discussion with the three Grand Secretaries and the Emperor for an entire afternoon. Immediately after, the Emperor issued an edict, ordering the Imperial Bodyguards and Dongchang to search and confiscate Liu Jin's residence.
Liu Jin was locked in the inner prison. The inner prison was a dilapidated house randomly found in the Palace and locked up there. Since it was not handed over to the Warden, there was still a chance for him to live. Liu Jin knew that what he did today had completely hurt the Emperor's heart, but he only wanted his life now. As long as he was alive, the Emperor's anger would subside sooner or later. Only then could he plan to stage a comeback.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the people guarding him were all Miao Yu's carefully selected trusted aides. No matter how much he begged, no matter how much he tried to entice them, no one helped him send a message to the Emperor. Liu Jin had no choice but to lie down on the brick bed and stare at the ceiling, he did not feel sleepy at all. After holding on for a long time, unexpectedly the Emperor came to see him.
Liu Jin was ecstatic; as soon as he saw Zhengde enter the Hall, he immediately pounced on Zhengde and hugged his boots. With a hoarse voice he cried out, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please forgive me, the Old Slave has served Your Majesty for more than ten years, the Old Slave cannot bear to part with Your Majesty!" As he said that, he banged his head on the ground repeatedly.
Zhengde was extremely angry; he was about to kick him when he saw Liu Jin was no longer wearing his crown, he was wearing a white inner robe, his grizzled hair was scattered, his forehead was badly mangled from banging his head on the ground. Under the light of the lantern, his face was full of wrinkles, he looked incomparably old, very pitiful. His heart was like a spark, all kinds of things in the past could not help but float up in his mind.
The Emperor's family has always lacked affection. Ever since he was little, he did not spend much time with his Imperial Father and Imperial Mother, the only ones who accompanied him were these eunuchs by his side. From when he was little, he sat on Liu Jin's back riding a big horse, to when he was naughty, he was scolded by his Imperial Father, and how Liu Jin took the beating for him. Then he thought about how he was troubled by the imperial court's politics, how he was attacked by the imperial censors, how Liu Jin and Liu Jin did everything possible to make him happy, to make him happy; these were the companions who accompanied him since he was little.
With tears in his eyes, Zhengde said with a trembling voice, "Liu Jin, have Zhen ever treated you poorly? Why, Zhen trusted you so much, yet you are two-faced, three-knifed, outwardly agreeing but inwardly opposing, unexpectedly you deceive Zhen like this, hurt Zhen? "
How quick-witted was Liu Jin? Hearing the grief in Zhengde's words, his anger lessened a bit. He immediately cried until he couldn't breathe as he said, "Your Majesty, the Old Slave is stupid. The Old Slave came from a poor family. Obtaining Your Majesty's favor, in a moment of greed, he wanted to fish for some money. The Old Slave is a eunuch, a shameful thing. He disgraced himself in front of the elders of his hometown. The Old Slave only wanted to show off in the twilight of his parents' lives. "
He cried until his voice was hoarse, snot and tears streamed down his face as he said, "The Old Slave really doesn't have any bad intentions. I beg Your Majesty to be merciful, Your Majesty to be merciful. The Old Slave's death is not to be regretted. The Old Slave has been in the palace for so many years, and only has Your Majesty as his master. The Old Slave considers Your Majesty as his closest relative. Thinking that he can no longer serve by Your Majesty's side in the future, the Old Slave can't die in peace! "
With tears streaming down his face, Zhengde said, "Liu Jin, you, you really let zhen down too much, you hurt zhen's heart too much! Considering that you have served zhen for so many years, zhen came to see you today, and will never see you again! "
Zhengde's words were resolute, but his pain was far greater than his anger. Liu Jin's mind turned, seeing that the Emperor was about to turn around and leave, he hastily knelt down several steps, crying and begging, "Your Majesty, the early spring weather is cold, this hall is even more damp. The Old Slave is only wearing undergarments, he is shivering from the cold. I beg Your Majesty to take pity on me and bestow me with some old clothes to ward off the cold!"
Zhengde paused for a moment, then gave a cold humph. Without saying anything, he swaggered away.
Liu Jin anxiously knelt there until his knees went numb. Suddenly he saw two eunuchs by the Emperor's side leading a dozen or so people to bring him a large bundle of old clothes and bedding. Liu Jin was overjoyed: the Emperor's heart was softened by his pitiful appearance, this time he had hope.
He immediately knelt down and kowtowed again and again, thanking the Emperor for his kindness. One of these two eunuchs was one of his people. Right now he had been kneeling for a long time without getting up. The Emperor bestowed him clothes and bowed his head to thank him for his kindness. These words were embellished by the eunuchs and passed back to the Emperor's ears. Naturally it would add a bit of sentiment.
The other eunuchs went back and found some time to go to the Rites Department to report everything to Miao Kui. Right now Miao Kui was sitting in the Rites Department. Listening to the eunuchs' report, he laughed coldly twice and waved his hand to dismiss the eunuchs. Then he poured himself a cup and drank a cup, muttering, "The Duke really has a divine plan, this old turtle is still thinking of turning the turtle around!"
He picked up a mouthful of food and sipped a mouthful of wine. A strange smile appeared on his face, "Tomorrow, invite His Majesty to your residence to have a look. With these two old friends, Zhang Yong and Mou Bin, helping to bring things to your residence, Liu Jin ah, Liu Jin, what's the point of turning things around? What's the point of returning to His Majesty's side and having only one person above tens of thousands of people? This time, if your old brother doesn't enter the ranks of immortals and ascend to heaven, heh heh, I will write my Miao character backwards!"
…
Forty thousand gold ingots, fifty-seven thousand eight hundred taels, four million five hundred and thirty-three thousand six hundred taels of silver, two buckets of precious stones, countless other gold and silver treasures, and seventy pieces of official clothing. Emperor Zhengde personally came to the scene of the confiscation. Seeing such wealth, he couldn't help but be secretly angry, "Liu Jin, using my name to extort such heavy bribes. I originally wanted to demote him to Nanjing to hold a post, but looking at him, humph! Let him go back to his hometown in Fengyang to do some idle work. "
Zhengde was secretly sulking. The things that were found were starting to feel strange: a thousand pieces of armor, five hundred bows, and four pieces of eight-clawed golden dragon robe. What was Liu Jin trying to do? Did he really have the intention to rebel? There were also two large sable fur fans. Could it be that he had even prepared these?
This type of fan was not an ordinary small fan. Instead, it was a long-handled round fan that was used in the Emperor's ceremonial procession. It was weaved with colorful pheasant feathers and was called the 'Fan Yu'. It was used to cover the Emperor's back and was used to block the dust. Regardless of the season, it was used everywhere. But for the winter, it was decorated with sable fur.
Zhang Yong held the large fan and turned it over and over for half a day before he found the so-called mechanism that Mou Bin had told him about. Zhang Yong tried it and it was indeed effective. He immediately rushed over to show it to the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, look, there is a hidden mechanism in this fan. His heart is really vicious."
Zhengde curiously asked, "What mechanism does the two round fans have?"
Zhang Yong excitedly said, "Your Majesty, look here, as long as you press it!" As he spoke, he pulled the spring. With a "whoosh", a sharp knife that was as thin as a willow leaf popped out. The blade of the knife was glistening blue, and it was obviously coated with a deadly poison that could seal one's throat.
Zhengde immediately stood up, his heart thumping wildly. How could there be a poisonous knife hidden in the fan? He was in charge of the Department of Rites. It was very easy for him to change two round fans for the Emperor. If he arranged for two of his trusted aides to hold this round fan and cross it behind him, then with a secret signal, the two blades would cross. At such a close distance, and also from the back, even the gods would not be able to save the Emperor.
Zhang Yong happily said, "Your Majesty, there is a similar mechanism on the other fan. Old Slave, let me show it to you!"
Zhengde coldly smiled and stood up, saying, "No need. You can search your house. Zhen won't look anymore. Let's return to the palace!"
Zhengde took large strides and turned around, his heart determined. This time, no matter what he said, no matter how much he cried until the Great Wall collapsed, Zhen will not tolerate him!
Seeing this, Mou Bin, the commander of the Imperial Bodyguard, hurriedly followed behind him.
Emperor Zhengde had really given up. Although the weather was warm, he felt as if he had fallen into an icehouse. A bone-chilling chill seeped into his bones, causing his laughter and his voice to be incomparably cold.
He sternly shouted at Mou Bin, who was following closely beside him, "Pass down the order! Arrest Zhang Cai, Liu Yu, Cao Yuan, Ma Yongcheng … … Increase the vigilance of the Red Cavalry. The Imperial Army is to be stationed in the nine cities. Liu Jin … … Hand him over to the three departments. Publicly interrogate him and publicly punish him! "
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