Yang Ling had first taken a stroll around the underground palace, purposely disturbing them. As expected, he had lured the two officials, who had ulterior motives, over. Now, he had used his words to deceive them. The Deputy Director of the Imperial Astronomer, Ni Qian, and the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Li Duo, turned pale and could not help but kneel on the ground, begging for mercy.
Yang Ling listened to the two tell the truth about the leakage of the Golden Well and how it was inauspicious in Fengshui. He was secretly shocked. Although he didn't believe in Fengshui, he knew how important this matter was to the people who traded in water.
He remembered when he was young and moved to a new house, the first thing his grandmother did was stick a small mirror on the back window, saying that it would expel evil spirits from the house. However, an old man who lived in the back of the house saw it and thought that the evil spirits had chased into his house. Because of this, the old woman and the old man quarreled a few times. The two old men fought over each other and stuck mirrors on the window. In the end, the windows on the upper floor were densely packed with small mirrors. It was impossible to tell whose house had more mirrors. This was so funny that Yang Ling still remembered it to this day.
If modern people were so superstitious, what about the ancients? This mausoleum was built for the Former Emperor. If Zhengde found out about this, it wouldn't be as simple as quarreling. It would be a crime punishable by death.
Yang Ling understood this and immediately stood up. He said, "Sirs, how dare you lie to the Emperor about such a big matter? Aren't you afraid of the extermination of your family? I'm sorry, Yang has to rush back to the capital immediately to report this matter to the Emperor and ask him to order the relocation of the mausoleum. "
Ni Qian and Li Duo were scared out of their wits. They had covered up this matter because of a moment of greed. In fact, they were worried about their gains and losses and sometimes regretted it. However, this matter had already aroused the suspicions of the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, Li Jie. Now that they wanted to go back on their word and expose this matter, Assistant Minister Li, who wanted to make a great contribution, might not be willing to let the matter rest. If they reported this matter to the Ministry of Works and the Imperial Censors got involved, it would be impossible for these people to be dismissed even if they wanted to.
When the two of them thought about the terrifying consequences of having their families exterminated, they couldn't help but kneel on the ground and kowtow repeatedly. In an instant, their foreheads were already overflowing with blood. Although Yang Ling couldn't bear to see this, no matter how much Emperor Zhengde doted on him, he wouldn't be merciful when he heard that they had fooled the Former Emperor's mausoleum. He steeled his heart and ignored their pleas. He lifted his leg to leave.
Seeing that Yang Ling wasn't moved, Li Duo hurriedly knelt two steps forward and cried bitterly as he hugged his thigh and howled, "Sir Yang, don't go. Sir Yang, please stay. We have made a big mistake because of a moment of greed. It's not a pity to have our families exterminated and beheaded, but this is also a good deed to benefit the people.
Sir Yang, I, Ming Destiny, only have an annual income of four million taels of silver. The initial investment in the Tailing Mausoleum has already reached two million and three hundred thousand taels of silver. The entire project will cost at least three million and eight hundred thousand taels of silver. Even if we had immediately reported to His Majesty to choose a place to move the mausoleum, we wouldn't be able to get back the money we have already invested. That's a year's worth of food for two million and three hundred thousand people.
Sir, now Henan and Hebei are suffering from floods, and Gansu and Shaanxi have been suffering from three years of drought. If His Majesty moved the mausoleum, he wouldn't have any money to use and would have to levy a heavy tax. At that time, wouldn't it be one disaster after another for millions of people?
Sir, have you ever seen parents exchange their children with their neighbors? Have you ever seen parents slaughter each other's children and cook them to satisfy their hunger? Have you ever seen an old woman in her eighties eat only Guanyin clay for three meals a day? She eats until her stomach is as big as a drum and she dies from eating too much?
Sir Yang, the Sage said, 'The ruler is more important than the country.' Even if you don't care about our lives, do you have the heart to see millions of innocent souls die in your hands? Are you going to disregard the people of the world for your own future? "
Listening to these words, Yang Ling's expression was blank; unconsciously he stopped walking. The Observing Sky Officials, Ni Qian, had kowtowed and begged for mercy, he had exhausted all his effort in persuasion, he was just short of saying that he wanted to give his two beautiful concubines to Yang Ling as well, but Yang Ling was still unmoved. This time he saw that Li Duo's words seemed to have moved Yang Ling, he could not help but feeling elated. Hastily he also knelt down and hugged Yang Ling's other leg and said, "Mr. Yang, the mausoleum is dug very deep, water seepage is a common thing. What if water seeps in another place? By that time the common people will not be able to bear the burden, they will certainly suffer unspeakably. For the sake of this underground palace, I am afraid at that time even … even the Golden Imperial Carriage will be swayed.
In fact, since ancient times, 70 to 80 percent of the Emperor's mausoleum seeps. If I did not know about it, how would I know about the method of using wooden thorns and dust to seal it? Once the seepage is sealed, there will be no more problems. Once the Former Emperor's coffin is buried and the underground palace is sealed, there will be no more danger. I beg you, sir, to have mercy and save us. This is a kindness to the two of us, but it is a kindness to the people of the world. Not only will we be grateful, but the people of the world will also be indebted to you. "
After entering the capital, Yang Ling also heard about the annual income of the Ming Destiny Dynasty. Once he heard that the Emperor's mausoleum would consume the entire country's annual tax, he could not help but hesitate.
He remembered when he was an advisor in Jiming County, he heard that many people were poor and had not paid taxes for many years. There were frequent wars there, but there were fewer natural disasters, so it was not the poorest place. And the places that Li Duo mentioned were even more bitter than Jiming County. Did he really want to build a tomb for the dead and put thousands of people in danger?
Yang Ling could not make a choice for a moment. He raised his head and thought to himself: Your Majesty Hongzhi, you are a good emperor who loves the people like your own children. If your spirit is in heaven, do you want to build yourself a magnificent tomb with good feng shui, or do you want to let thousands of people live with less exorbitant taxes?
Alas! Yang Ling thought for a long time. His heart was full of the situation of the common people who did not have enough food to fill their stomachs and clothes to cover their bodies. If he reported this to the Emperor, needless to say, these officials would be beheaded, and he would make a great contribution, so he would definitely be promoted.
But when the court imposed heavy taxes, what would the people of the world think? After more than a year, he would leave. If Young-niang stayed in this world, wouldn't she have to bear the curses of the people of the world for him?
Yang Ling gritted his teeth and suddenly turned around. He stared at Ni Qian and asked: "Official Ni, when I look at the Golden Well, I can feel the wooden handle with my fingers. If I shine the lamp, there will be no place to hide. Is there only one way to stop the water from seeping into the Golden Well?"
Ni Qian and Li Duo heard that Yang Ling's tone was relaxed and couldn't help but be overjoyed. Ni Qian carefully thought for a while, then cautiously said: "Of course there is more than one way, but this is the fastest way. That day, I was afraid that people would find out, so I had to use this method because it was urgent. Your Excellency means …? "
Yang Ling shook his head and said: "Inserting wooden thorns in the middle, after a long time, the thorns will rot and the water will overflow. Even if I managed to hide it from His Majesty at that time, I still feel uneasy. Do you have any way to make it so natural that no one will be able to see through it and at the same time, seal up the seepage?"
Ni Qian beamed with joy and said: "Thank you, Your Excellency, for saving me! As long as Your Excellency is willing to help me, I have an even more appropriate method. I only need to pour gravel into the seepage, tamp it down with soil, then cover it with yellow mud and a certain proportion of glutinous rice juice. This way, there will be no problem. Moreover, it looks natural. Unless you forcefully dig it up and test the soil, otherwise even the gods will not be able to see through it. It's just that this method will take some time. "
Yang Ling nodded and said: "Good. For the sake of the people of the world, I believe that the Emperor of Da Xing's spirit in the underworld will also approve of this. Today, I will find an excuse to mobilize the soldiers guarding the Golden Well in the left palace hall. Your Excellency will personally remove the wooden thorns and seal up the seepage. Will three days be enough? "
Ni Qian was ecstatic and said: "Enough, enough. There is enough time. I only need two days and it will be flawless!"
…
Eight days had passed. Yang Ling quietly patrolled the incomparable underground palace. The interior of the underground palace had already begun to take shape. The huge underground palace did not need pillars but arches. The front, middle, back, left and right of the five magnificent halls were completely built with pure stone and looked magnificent.
Such a huge project, even in the modern era, would have cost a lot of money. Moreover, the productivity at that time was low. Just digging, shaving and transporting a flat boulder from thousands of miles away, the cost was already staggering. It seemed that his decision was worth it. Instead of wasting millions of taels of silver here, why not give some benefits to the people?
Yang Ling stopped at the left palace hall. The floor here was made with extremely complicated workmanship. It was difficult for ordinary craftsmen to make the 'golden bricks'. Each piece of golden brick was flat like a mirror. At the end of the high and flat stone wall was the stone coffin bed lined with white marble. In the middle was the Golden Well.
Looking at the Golden Well, Yang Ling could not help but let out a sigh of relief. Ni Qian really had a pair of skillful hands. After he sealed up the seepage, Yang Ling checked again. He pulled out the wooden cork from the bottom of the hole and applied soil and rice juice to prevent water from seeping out. Now, unless he dug up the soil and examined it, it would be difficult to find any flaws just by touching it with his hands.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Works, Li Jie, often used the excuse of inspecting the construction to enter the underground palace. However, he was always stopped by Ni Qian and a few others, or they accompanied him into the mausoleum to make it difficult for him to inspect. However, it would be suspicious if Ni Qian kept on sealing up the Golden Well, so Yang Ling purposely let him enter the underground palace alone.
Yang Ling observed him from the shadows. Seeing that he did not notice anything amiss, and that he had come less often over the past two days, Yang Ling's worried heart slowly relaxed.
Yang Ling walked around the mausoleum for a while. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Yang Yiqing suddenly rushed over and said with a worried expression, "Sir, someone from the Shenji Battalion has gone missing."
Yang Ling was startled and asked anxiously, "Missing? Did some soldiers who did not follow military discipline sneak down the mausoleum? How could they go missing here? "
Yang Yiqing shook his head and said, "There is no one around here. The soldiers would not sneak down the mountain. Moreover, the person who went missing … is the Centurion, Lu Enlu, who said he saw water leaking out of the Golden Well a few days ago."
Hearing this, Yang Ling's heart jumped. He hurriedly said, "Send someone to look for him immediately. We must find him. If he is alive, I want to see him. If he is dead, I want to see his corpse!"
Yang Yiqing nodded and said, "Yes, I have already sent people to look for him. However, I have asked many people. The soldiers in the army have not seen him for half a day. What is even more coincidental is … this morning, Official Li from the Ministry of Works suddenly found an excuse to return to the capital. I have seen the footprints of Official Li's sedan bearers. That sedan seems to be quite heavy …"
Hearing this, Yang Ling was filled with regret. "Li Jie sneakily wants to enter the mausoleum every day to investigate. He only cares about the Golden Well. How could he have forgotten that other than physical evidence, there are also witnesses?"
He anxiously thought for a moment and said, "Immediately transfer the seven soldiers who witnessed this incident in the mausoleum that day into the army in front of the mausoleum. At the same time, secretly instruct all the officials to keep a close eye on them. Do not let a single person go missing. As for that Centurion …"
Yang Yiqing interrupted, "Daren, I have already sent someone back to the capital to ask the brothers of the Discipline Commission to investigate this matter." As he said this, he took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Daren, those seven people are seven living evidence that cannot be shaken off or hidden. Do you think … do you want to …" As he said this, Yang Yiqing's right hand fiercely chopped downwards. With a cold smile on his face, he said, "We have people on the mausoleum. Don't worry, Daren, I guarantee that it will be done cleanly."
Hearing this, Yang Ling's heart trembled. He looked at Yang Yiqing in shock. Yang Yiqing smiled faintly and said, "Daren, a viper stings its hand, a warrior cuts off his wrist. Whether it is fame and fortune or torture, for those few soldiers, it is a hurdle that they cannot pass. Daren, you must not be soft-hearted."
Yang Ling knew that what he said was the truth, but this kind of cold-blooded politician's argument was really difficult for him to adapt to. For a moment, his mind was in a whirl and he did not know what to do. He hesitated and struggled for a long time. In his heart, good and evil fought for a long time. In the end, he gave up that murderous intent.
With a dejected sigh, he smiled bitterly and patted Yang Yiqing's shoulder. He said, "Yiqing, you are also my subordinate. If one day you threaten my safety, what should I do to you? Forget it, there is no proof. Even if they speak eloquently, they may not be able to prove anything. Moreover, Lu Enlu has already left. This matter cannot be covered up. Forget it … don't mention it again. "
Yang Yiqing looked at Yang Ling's departing back and sighed softly. This Daren was good at everything, but unfortunately, he was not decisive enough. As the saying goes, a great man cannot be ruthless. One less witness means one less danger. Now that the fire was at his eyebrows, how could he not be decisive?
Yang Yiqing rubbed his chin and secretly pondered. He was not a hereditary Imperial Bodyguard, and he did not have Yang Ling's good luck. In this life, it would have been very difficult for him to advance. However, he had become Yang Ling's personal attendant. Seeing that Yang Ling had a bright future at such a young age, Yang Ling's future was his own future. The two of them were closely linked. How could he not think for Yang Ling?
Moreover, Yang Ling was a rare superior who treated people amiably and did not monopolize authority. Yang Ling trusted him to handle all the documents that the Discipline Commission of Nanzhen submitted to the capital. Moreover, most of the high-ranking officials of the Imperial Bodyguard had risen through bloodshed. They spent their days racking their brains to think of ways to harm others and extort money. A superior like Yang Ling could be said to be an anomaly among the Imperial Bodyguard. If he were to be punished, where could he find another superior like him?
Yang Yiqing clenched his teeth and quietly slipped out of the underground palace …
※ ※ ※
The civil and military officials in the golden hall dispersed, their expressions resentful.
It had been almost an hour since the court had begun, and the eunuchs had already entered the inner palace three times to urge the emperor to come, but the dragon throne was still empty. This had never happened when Emperor Hongzhi was in power, but this was already the fourth time in Zhengde's court.
The officials were whispering to each other when a young eunuch hurriedly flashed out from behind a screen at the side. He dragged out his voice and shouted, "Your Majesty, come to the palace. The civil and military officials are here to receive you!"
The civil and military officials did not even have time to line up when they heard this. They hurriedly knelt down to greet the emperor. Someone secretly looked up and saw Emperor Zhengde wearing a winged crown and dragon robe. He raised his head and yawned as he walked out from behind the screen.
The little emperor walked up the stone steps and sat down on the dragon throne. His face was full of impatience. He glanced at the officials and then at the door of the palace. At this time, the light was dim and the sun had not yet risen. Zhengde lowered his eyelids in annoyance and said, "My beloved officials, please rise. If there is a report, it should have been sent earlier!"
The three scholars from the cabinet were also full of anger. Just now, when they urged the eunuchs to invite the emperor to the palace, they heard that the emperor had abolished the attendants in the Minister's Palace and the Secretary's Office. How could this be? In this way, there would be no one to watch the emperor when he slept at night and when he read after the court session ended. Wouldn't the world be in chaos?
The three scholars held their breath and wanted to admonish him directly. As soon as Emperor Zhengde's voice fell, Xie Qian immediately left his office to present a report. This old official was indeed worthy of his reputation of being 'eloquent'. As soon as he opened his mouth, he talked non-stop. "Your Majesty, in recent days, Your Majesty has been visiting the court too late. Sometimes, the sun has risen high in the sky before he comes to the palace. The guards and servants in the court have been standing for a long time and are tired. Also, the officials and foreign envoys have been waiting for a long time. Not only are they tired, they are also wasting time.
You must know that the morning court session is the most important task for the ruler. The whole world is watching this session. As a ruler, he is concerned with the whole world. He is afraid that his cultivation is not enough. If the ruler neglects his superiors and the officials neglect their subordinates, how can the rule of peace be achieved? We are sincerely afraid that Your Majesty's heart is tied to something else. To guard against a mistake, we are afraid that Your Majesty will think twice! "
Zhengde raised one of his eyelids and looked at him. "Zhen knows," he said woodenly.
Liu Jian saw that Emperor Zhengde did not care at all. He was very angry. He immediately left his office and said in a loud and clear voice, "Your Majesty, since the ancient times, there has never been a ruler who has not been worried and diligent. I heard that Your Majesty abolished the attendants in the Minister's Palace and the Secretary's Office. I think this matter is very inappropriate. There is an ancient saying, 'Wandering in leisure, not indulging in pleasure'. Wasting the opportunity to prosper '. Your Majesty should immediately restore the old system and attend the morning court session on time! "
After Liu Jian finished speaking, he took a step back. Li Dongyang, who was on his left, immediately stepped forward. Emperor Zhengde saw this and could not help but panic. He quickly said, "I know, I will definitely correct it. Uh … we will discuss this matter later. Dear ministers, do you have any other proposals? "
Xu Guan signaled the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, Li Jie, with his eyes. Li Jie understood and immediately roused himself to respond. Channeling his energy into his dantian, his voice shook the roof tiles as he said, "Your Majesty, this subject has a memorial!"
Emperor Zhengde was relieved; he hastily said, "Beloved minister, quickly tell me." Seeing this, Li Dongyang smiled and withdrew.
Li Jie proudly said, "Your Majesty, I was ordered to supervise the construction of the Emperor's Mausoleum. I feel deeply responsible. I am trembling with fear, as if I am walking on thin ice and do not dare to slack off …"
Li Jie spoke for a long time. Zhengde found it boring. He only grunted and did not comment. Li Jie did not wait for the Emperor's praise. He was slightly disappointed and could only change the topic. "I heard that the Emperor's Mausoleum is not in the right place and the acupoints are merciless. The Golden Well in the Black Palace is unexpectedly gushing. This is an inauspicious sign. However, the Sky Observing Officials, Ni Qian, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Li Duo, the Director of Rites, Dai Yi, and Yang Ling of the Shenji Battalion, for some reason, did not report it … "
When he said this, there was an uproar in the court. It was like a thunderbolt on a sunny day. The officials were immediately in an uproar. This case involved five yamen. It could be considered the biggest case in Zhengde. Once it was verified, many people would be beheaded. How could they not be shocked?
Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and Li Dongyang were also very shocked. They looked at each other and slightly shook their heads to indicate that they did not know. Xie Qian glanced at Li Jie, then shifted his gaze to the Minister of the Ministry of Works, Xu Guan. Seeing the smug look flash across his eyes, Xie Qian immediately understood and could not help but secretly snort.
Liu Jian was also a little unhappy. As the First Minister of the Cabinet, he did not know about such a big matter in advance from the Ministry of Works. Instead, they bypassed him and directly reported it to the Emperor. Xu Guan's desire to compete for favor was too obvious.
The Ministry of Rites was also one of the yamen involved. However, Wang Qiong looked calm and did not panic at all. Xu Guan had already found him for a secret discussion. In his heart, Wang Qiong believed that the Emperor did not abide by etiquette. Now that he was slacking in court affairs, it must be Yang Ling, Liu Jin, and the other eunuchs and their trusted aides who instigated and tempted him. He already saw them as a big threat to the court. Therefore, as soon as he heard this, he immediately made up his mind. Even if he had to sacrifice Li Duo, he would still take down Yang Ling.
As soon as Li Jie finished speaking, he went out and kneeled on the ground. "Your Majesty, these imperial envoys are deeply trusted by Your Majesty. That is why they were entrusted with such a heavy responsibility. I did not expect them to be so daring. Their crime cannot be pardoned! As the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, subordinate officials were also involved. I am guilty of not knowing people well. I am truly terrified. Your Majesty, please punish me. "
Xu Guan floated out and reported to Emperor Zhengde. "Your Majesty, last year, when the site for the Emperor's mausoleum was being surveyed, Official Wang was in the capital preparing for the Spring Examination. Even if he was guilty of not knowing, it is still pardonable.
However, the officials in charge of the construction of the mausoleum dared to deceive the Emperor and not report the damage to the Dragon Vein and the damage to the fate of the country. They should be immediately arrested and interrogated. They should be punished according to the law to comfort the spirit of the Former Emperor in Heaven. "
When Emperor Zhengde heard that something had happened in his Imperial Father's mausoleum, he was already furious. When he heard that the damage to the Dragon Vein and the fate of the country, he felt even more uneasy. His sleepiness immediately disappeared. He was so angry that he jumped up. However, after thinking for a while, he still had some doubts. He couldn't help but ask, "Is this true? Do you have any concrete evidence? "
Li Jie immediately said without hesitation, "I have evidence. One of the Shenji Battalion Centurion, Lu Enlu, who was in charge of the construction of the underground palace, saw the Golden Well with his own eyes. I have brought this witness back to the capital!"
When Zhengde heard this, he was really angry. He slammed the imperial table and shouted, "Their evil intentions are punishable by death! Immediately escort this group of people to the capital and hand them over to the Ministry of Punishments, the Imperial Censorate, and the Dali Monastery for a joint trial. If they are found to be true … "
He suddenly thought of Yang Ling. He hesitated for a moment. Then he remembered that he trusted Yang Ling very much, but even Yang Ling had cheated on him for personal gain. His heart was sad and angry. He gritted his teeth and said, "If they are really deceiving the Emperor and offending the Emperor, behead them!"
* * *
Ever since he knew that the Shenji Battalion Centurion, Lu Enlu, had gone missing, Yang Ling had been frightened and could not sleep well the whole night. He was not naive enough to think that the officials in the capital had deserted or been eaten by wild beasts in the mountains. When Li Jie did not come back for a day and a night, he had already guessed that something was wrong.
At this point, Yang Ling could only pin his hopes on the special nature of the Golden Well. The Golden Well was an important place in Fengshui. It could not be touched easily. Moreover, Ni Qian had sealed it very cleverly. Unless the well was dug to test the soil, it would be impossible to see that water had leaked. Even if there were witnesses in the court, there was no material evidence, so there was no way to punish so many officials.
When Ni Qian and Li Duo heard that the whipped Centurion had gone missing and that the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works, Li Jie, had returned to the capital, they were so frightened that they were at a loss. Along with Dai Yi, they hurriedly went to find Yang Ling to discuss a solution.
Dai Yi was one of the four chiefs of the Department of Rites. He was the trusted aide of Minister of Internal Affairs Wang Yue and had always been on good terms with Dongchang Fan Ting. When he saw that no one could come up with a solution, a fierce light flashed in his eyes. He grinned and said, "Let's go back to the capital immediately and send someone to get rid of that pawn. Let's see what other tricks Xu Guan and Li Jie can play!"
Yang Ling hurriedly stopped him and said, "No, if Centurion Lu has really been bribed and taken away by him, he must be under strict protection. Xu Guan and Li Jie are not stupid. What if they use him as bait to lure us into the trap? We must not fall for this trick. "
Li Duo rubbed his hands and said in a panic, "Then what should we do? What should we do? Do we just sit and wait for death? "
Yang Ling thought to himself, "Since everyone is superstitious about feng shui, now we can only use feng shui to control feng shui." Yang Ling was just about to ask the Observing Sky Officials, Ni Qian, if they could do something about feng shui when suddenly the main door was slammed open with a crash. Peng Jizu rushed in, flustered and exasperated. With a rough voice he shouted, "Your Excellency, something has happened. The white jade bridge behind the 'One Line Gate' has suddenly collapsed. The earth on both sides has also caved in. The dozen brothers who were sent to dig the river have all been buried alive."
"What?" Yang Ling stood up in shock. He immediately remembered that the seven soldiers who were sent out of the underground palace yesterday were sent to dig the river under the bridge. How could it be such a coincidence that something happened at the place they were supposed to go?
Yang Ling was suspicious and immediately turned his head to look at Yang Yiqing. When Yang Yiqing met his gaze, his eyes immediately flickered and his expression was rather unnatural. Yang Ling suddenly understood and guessed that Yang Yiqing was the one who did it. He knew that Yang Yiqing was doing it for his own good, but this action not only caused the seven innocent soldiers to lose their lives, but also implicated other people. For a moment, Yang Ling could not describe the feeling in his heart.
He understood that if he was decisive and ruthless enough, if he wanted to succeed in this officialdom, he had to learn to be decisive and put his own interests first. Those who should be eliminated must be eliminated without mercy, and the obstacles in his way must be kicked away. But emotionally, he really could not accept becoming a cold-blooded politician.
Yang Ling stamped his feet and had no choice but to say to Peng Jizu, "Let's go, quickly go to the mausoleum and have a look. Organize people to rescue them!" He had just led a group of people out of the room when they saw dozens of red-clothed bailiffs belonging to the Ministry of Punishments rushing over with sabers at their waists. Someone in the crowd shouted, "The Imperial Edict has arrived, the officials supervising the construction of the mausoleum, kneel to receive the Imperial Edict!"
When Yang Ling and the others heard this, they were shocked and immediately knelt on the ground in unison. The crowd parted and a red-faced, white-bearded, burly old man with fluttering sleeves stepped forward. As soon as his foot touched the ground, he immediately unfolded the Imperial Edict and shouted with a loud Shandong accent, "In accordance with the will of the Emperor, the Imperial Envoy responsible for the construction of the mausoleum, Ni Qian, Sky Observing Officials, Li Duo, Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Dai Yi, Chief Eunuch of the Department of Rites, and General Yang Ling of the Shenji Battalion are suspected of committing fraud and deceiving His Majesty. They are to be immediately arrested and brought to the capital to be investigated by the three departments. Here is the Emperor's decree!"
As soon as the red-faced old man finished speaking, he waved his hand and shouted, "All suspected officials, report your names and arrest them!"
When the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Li Duo saw that the person who came was the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Punishments, Wei Shen, his body couldn't help but tremble and immediately collapsed to the ground. This red-faced, burly old man was from Qufu, Shandong, the same hometown as Confucius. Although he looked like a valiant warrior, he was an authentic scholar and was a Jinshi in the 17th year of Chenghua.
This person was upright and upright, he only recognized the law and not the person himself. There was once a person who pretended to be a relative of the emperor to swindle people. The various yamen of the Ministry of Punishments were afraid that the person was really a relative of the emperor, so no one dared to arrest him and interrogate him. Wei Shen received the accusation and without saying a word, he immediately brought his men to arrest him. After this case, Wei Shen's name spread throughout the capital and even reached the ears of the Emperor. From then on, whenever there was a major case involving the emperor's relatives, and if the emperor wanted to punish them severely, he would usually be sent to handle it.
After a few times, everyone also figured out the pattern. As long as Old Man Wei appeared, the person would most likely die. Coincidentally, the legendary Ghost Judge of the underworld was a red-faced man, so everyone simply called him Judge Wei behind his back. When Li Duo saw that it was him who came, he knew that he was going to die. Immediately, his body went limp like mud.
The group of yamen runners behind Wei Shen did not care that the person kneeling in front of them was a second or third rank official of the imperial court. They fiercely pounced forward. Dai Yi's voice trembled as he said, "Your servant is the Director of Rites, Dai Yi!"
As soon as he finished speaking, chains were put on his neck, followed by a large gauntlet.
Li Duo, Ni Qian, and Yang Ling reported their names one by one. Immediately, they were shackled and escorted to the prison cart, heading straight to the capital!
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