Chapter 286 We Build It Ourselves

At noon that day, the news of Taichang’s suicide spread throughout Chang’an.

By that afternoon, Chang’an was in an uproar.

The expected commotion arrived as expected. His Majesty, the Grand Marshal, and the Prime Minister were not in Chang’an, and the threshold of the only remaining residence of the Three Dukes and the Grand Censor was immediately broken down by officials.

A dignified Minister of Rites, who had just been in the Imperial Court for less than half an hour, without even a proper interrogation, consultation, or judgment, committed suicide! ?

The prince did not avoid people when he went to visit the Minister of Rites in prison. After the two of them thought about it, who wouldn’t know what was going on?

At present, Chang’an has different reactions.

The princelings remained silent and did not react at all. Neutral officials who had never participated in party struggles stayed away and just watched coldly.

Since he is neither a member of the crown prince’s faction nor a neutral party, he will be very busy today.

When a man is about to die, his words are good. What Prime Minister Du said before his death was right. Many people are eyeing the Prince’s Palace!

One of them was the Grand Censor, who was asked by all the officials to speak for everyone; the other was Han Yue, the Minister of Imperial Censorship, who went to the Grand Censor’s mansion.

The former represents the King of Qi, and the latter represents the King of Yan.

That is to say, the Fourth Prince’s faction is at the cusp of re-emergence and has no time to spare, and there are no important figures in the capital, otherwise he would have been involved in today’s affairs.

The voices of the people standing on the field were very loud, one after another: “The prince disregarded the laws of the country and murdered the ministers!”

“The prince is overbearing. If we leave this unchecked, disaster will surely follow!”

“If the crown prince is disrespectful, the country will no longer be a country!”

People who have a stance will shout no matter how serious the situation is. But if we put stance aside, are there any voices that stand for the law and justice?

There should be.

——The Minister of Justice, Du Zhou.

Taichang was arrested by the subordinates of the Chief Justice and died in the Chief Justice’s prison. The Chief Justice had the authority to oversee criminal law and prisons. Du Zhou had every right and reason to question Crown Prince Liu Ju directly!
But Du Zhou did not do so.

Because Liu Ju was “chatting about everything” with the Minister of Rites in prison, Du Zhou sent a fast horse to Ganquan Palace to make a request.

By the afternoon, when the city was in an uproar, Du Zhou had actually received a reply from Ganquan Palace. At that time, Taichang had not yet “committed suicide”. Du Zhou asked His Majesty how to deal with this matter. His Majesty did not give a positive answer, but asked a question instead:
“Is it true that Taichang is guilty?”

These seven light words neither held the crown prince accountable for secretly ordering the arrest of the Minister of Rites, nor did they scold Du Zhou, the chief justice, for his incompetence.

I only asked whether the guilt was real or not…

hiss!
Du Zhou still remembered that when he received the oral order, his heart was pounding with fear and countless dark speculations popped up in his mind.

“What does your majesty mean? Does he also think that Taichang was well caught?”

“Or, did His Majesty secretly order the prince to arrest the Minister of Rites? But I am the Minister of Justice, why didn’t His Majesty give me a hint?”

Du Zhou was full of doubts, and he couldn’t guess the emperor’s intention for a long time. When he heard the news of Taichang’s death in prison, Du Zhou was shocked and dared not do anything more.

When his colleagues impeached the prince, the Minister of Justice sent someone to Ganquan Palace to ask for instructions again. Later, an imperial censor came to the Minister of Justice’s Office and directly asked him to go to the Prince’s Palace to arrest people and hold them accountable.

“Who? The prince?”

“Just interrogate the prince’s retainers first? Oh, OK, do you have a warrant from the Imperial Censor?”

“You didn’t say shit!”

Those with authority did not dare to move, and those without authority could not move. After a commotion with loud thunder but little rain, whether out of deliberate indulgence or being coerced, the Chief Censor, along with several Nine Ministers and a group of remonstrators, rushed out of the Luo City gate.

They went to Ganquan Palace together.

It goes without saying what they are going to do.

Staying in the capital… to be precise, staying in the Guanjun Marquis’s Mansion, the protagonist involved in the case who was chatting leisurely had also talked about this matter with others.

Huo Qubing asked: “Bu Shi seems honest, but he is actually treacherous, and Han Shuo is not an upright person either. If they go to Your Majesty to complain, aren’t you worried?”

Liu Ju replied: “Don’t worry.”

“So confident?”

“That’s right. I have a firm grasp on Old Liu’s thoughts now.”

“Ho-“

Liu Ju was a little crazy, but Huo Qubing didn’t need to breathe, because the fact was indeed the fact, and it was not beyond Liu’s expectations.

That evening, a group of officials headed by the Imperial Censor arrived at Ganquan Palace and accused the prince of misbehavior.

It was mainly a few young censors who were filled with righteous indignation and made impassioned speeches, while people like Bu Shi, Han Shuo, Du Zhou and others did not say a word.

Although these leaders had a tough attitude before, when they really appeared before the emperor, they were definitely not the ones who went into battle shirtless and charged into battle.

them……

They were just being coerced by the upright people in the court and the capable officials who dared to speak out against the emperor, and there was nothing they could do!

How could the emperor not be aware of this?

After the group of people finished their performance, the Grand Marshal and the Prime Minister, who did not need to listen, spoke up, and Liu Che repeated the question again –

“Is Taichang’s guilt true?”

Everyone was speechless. Du Zhou stepped out of the line and said, “It’s true.”

“If it is true, why can’t the court judge enforce the law impartially, but ask me for instructions? Recently, many officials have been detained and imprisoned by the court judge’s office. Why didn’t you come to make a request when they were questioned?”

“Is it because Prime Minister Du is the Minister of Rites, the head of the Nine Ministers, and a noble, that he is special and superior to others after being imprisoned?”

“Ok?”

After a series of questions, everyone was speechless.

In reality, the emperor’s words were avoiding the important issues, even avoiding the fact that “the prince is good at arresting and killing the Minister of Rites”, and focusing on the attitude issue of “whether the Minister of Rites should be arrested and killed”.

What attitude does the emperor imply?

The treacherous Imperial Censor Bu Shiyipin, combined with the current situation, immediately understood –

Your Majesty must be loyal to the emperor!

“Recently, due to the scandal of accusing the emperor of corruption in the court, many officials have been questioned and imprisoned by the court officials, but most of them are less than 1,000 stones.”

“At this moment, the Minister of Rites is being used by the Crown Prince’s Palace, and has been pinched by a weak spot. In addition, Prime Minister Du is dead. How can Your Majesty not make full use of him?”

Capturing ten thousand-stone officials is not as violent as executing the head of one of the Nine Ministers, and the deterrent effect is even greater!

If Taichang’s death is also involved in the scandal of reporting the corruption, with this previous lesson in mind, who will dare to go against Your Majesty in the future?

Shouldn’t you think about it carefully?

It was not only the Imperial Censor Bu Shi who realized the truth. After hearing what Your Majesty said, the Court Judge Du Zhou also immediately realized the truth.

The Taichang case must be dealt with in a major and special manner!
Turn him upside down!

The ministers who came to file complaints came excitedly and left in bewilderment. After all, only a few people could guess the emperor’s mind in a short time, and they were either one of the Three Dukes or the Nine Ministers.

but.

Those who are in doubt will not be confused for too long, because the imperial censors who are good at guessing the emperor’s intentions and considerate of the emperor’s heart will help them resolve their doubts.

After all, how can the emperor intimidate his disobedient subjects if his intentions are not made clear?
How could Bu Shi pretend to be ignorant when he knows the truth? How could he put Your Majesty in an embarrassing situation?

Ouch.

Otherwise, it would be impossible for Bu Shi to be one of the Three Dukes.

The group of people came and went in a hurry. The emperor did not let them stay overnight in Ganquan Palace. On the way back to Beijing, the ministers who were slow to realize the situation finally realized it after being pointed out by the imperial censor.

Then, he was secretly shocked at the cold-heartedness of His Majesty, and hated the Crown Prince for escaping the disaster by chance by killing the mouse.

But you can change your mind.

Someone with a bright mind suddenly asked, “What do you think? Did the Crown Prince figure out your majesty’s plan, so he used the incident of accusing the emperor of corruption to force the Minister of State Affairs to be killed?”

After the question was asked, no one answered. Bu Shi kept his mouth shut, not wanting to explain any more. Han Shuo and the others had eyes that flickered and were afraid, but they also said nothing.

On the way back to Beijing, this makeshift “revenge team” was disbanded.

Yan has its own way.

Qi has Qi Dao…

The next morning, the officials of the Supreme Court scattered out and began to investigate the former Taichang Yangping Hou Du Xiang’s trusted old subordinates one by one. The names they used had nothing to do with the Crown Prince’s Palace, but were related to the trend of “rectifying the administration of officials”, the same trend that suppressed the disturbance of reporting corruption!

Obviously, Du Zhou began to attribute the death of Taichang to the “Emperor’s wrath”. The cruel officials’ actions were extraordinary.

Du Zhou not only targeted Du Xiang’s former subordinates, but also targeted their families. Officialdom struggles have always had a tradition of bringing disaster to wives and children, punishing parents, and even destroying the whole family.

Is the cruel official kidding you?
Furthermore, this action was taken with the push of the Crown Prince and the tacit approval of His Majesty, and both the ‘current emperor’ and the ‘future emperor’ of the empire are pleased. If Du Zhou does not know how to act ruthlessly and show some performance, he will have lived in vain!

Let’s not talk about what kind of storm the Du family of Zhuo County will face for now. The undercurrent targeting the Prince’s Palace not long ago has stopped recently.

What about the second, third, and fourth brothers? The previously vigorous “anti-prince alliance” disappeared in an instant.

Fewer officials visited Bu’s residence.

Han said that the voices campaigning on behalf of Prince Yan had become smaller.

The Pingnan Marquis faction, which had risen again and was quietly rebuilding its influence in the court, was now completely silent.

This was because two days ago, at a banquet at the residence of Grand Herald Dongfang Shuo, Mr. Dongfang, under the influence of alcohol, jokingly talked about an interesting story that some people knew and some did not.

“Haha, I heard that the former Minister of Rites and the Marquis of Pingnan were very close in private, but the situations of these two good friends are completely opposite.”

“One watched the flowers bloom and the moon shine, while the other suddenly fell.”

“It’s true, fate plays tricks on us.”

The officials in Chang’an were not sure whether fate would play tricks on people, but they were basically certain that if they messed with the Crown Prince’s Palace, they would be punished by the Crown Prince…

Is what Dongfang Shuo talked about interesting stories?
He was clearly conveying the message to the outside world on behalf of the prince – be quiet!
The sound made by sacrificing the head of the Nine Ministers was powerful enough and terrifying enough that no matter who it was, they would remember it and had to remember it…

……

late at night.

Manor in the western suburbs of Chang’an.

In the dim secret room, several people were sitting or standing, and the atmosphere was solemn.

“The Du family did not give up their previous salt business, and was discovered by the Imperial Guards. The emperor was furious, and the Yangping Marquisate was abolished. I heard that the Imperial Court Judge Du Zhou was holding on to it, and the Du family would most likely be exiled with their entire family.”

“Humph! It’s not just the Du family that is being exiled. The Crown Prince’s Palace is also taking action. The Changshan He, Taiyuan Qu, and Shanyang Qian families are all on their way to Zhangye County!”

Book endorsement.

He from Changshan, Qu from Taiyuan, and Qian from Shanyang were the three families that Liu Ju first targeted: Taijuling, Taizailing, and Zhongleiling.

at the moment.

After saying this, which was full of resentment, although there was not enough light in the secret room, one could still feel that the faces of the people present were gloomy and uncertain, some were clenching their beards, and some were holding swords.

After a while, someone on the left asked anxiously, “Did they miss the news?”

“will not.”

The young man sitting in deep thought at the head did not hesitate and calmly continued: “If they stir up trouble and sell us out, they will not be exiled, but the three tribes will be exterminated.”

“If we keep our mouths shut, as long as we are still here, they will have a chance to turn things around in the future. They will choose what to do, and they don’t need outsiders to teach them.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the tense atmosphere in the secret room relaxed a little. This is the reason.

The pressure was reduced and there was more rational analysis during the session.

“What Bochu said is very true. We fell into trouble repeatedly because of Li Cai and Li Ji. Now, there is only one person in each family who communicates with each other at home. The others are just helping and don’t know the inside story.”

“The one who came forward from the Du family of Zhuo County is the second son of the eldest branch. Chancellor Du probably doesn’t know about our specific plans, so he should be able to rest easy.”

As soon as one person finished speaking, someone else took up the conversation.

“Yes, there is absolutely no possibility of a repeat of the past where dozens of families were implicated. Moreover, if the news were to leak out, would we still be able to sit here in peace?”

call–

This sentence completely calmed the restlessness and anxiety. Everyone present was a young generation, and when they learned that several families were exiled, they inevitably lost their composure.

At this moment, the danger was gone, and the few people who had been standing with their arms folded sat down.

It was only after they were all seated that the young man who had been sitting firmly in the main seat spoke again: “This injury was an unexpected disaster.”

“The Crown Prince’s Palace took action. It was clearly caused by the Pingnan Marquis’s faction, but they implicated Du Shibo for no reason…”

“Ugh.”

After he said this, there were finally voices mourning Prime Minister Du in the room, but not many. After just a moment, the first scholar on the right turned around and asked:
“Li Guangli has a chance to return to the capital. How is Bochu’s contact with him? Are you willing to join forces?”

Hearing this, the man in the main seat said with a cold face: “I wrote to him and asked him to join his army as a staff member when he was sent to Kunming, but he declined.”

“In my opinion, he does intend to use us, but he has no intention of joining forces with us.”

The voice just fell.

Someone immediately scolded: “You are such a short-sighted person!”

“Who says it isn’t?”

Song Jia, Song Bochu, thought quietly.

The person sitting in the middle of the secret room at this time was none other than the Confucian scholar Song Jia, who had once served under Li Guangli.

He has many labels. When Madam Li was still alive and the Li family was in great demand, Song Jia joined Li Guangli as a doctoral student under the tutelage of Kong Anguo.

Wait until the Li family loses power.

After Madam Li passed away, Li Guangli was demoted to Lingnan. Some of his followers asked to be sent away, such as Shangguan Jie, while others asked to follow him to Lingnan, such as Pu Cang.

But Song Jia left on his own.

He just said that he would “apply to rejoin Li Guangli’s army to serve”, but he was rejected. It is hard to say that there was no influence of betrayal…

Of course.

Song Jia didn’t care what Li Guangli thought. When he joined the Li family, he was just using the guise of Confucianism to make profits for his own family.

So what family is he from?

It’s very simple. Song Jia, his surname “Song” has the same origin as Han Yan and Han Shuo’s surname “Han”.

The latter originated from Korea, while the former originated from Song.

in short.

Song Jia was born into a prominent family that has been passed down from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to the present day!
During the Yuanding period, when he defected to Li Guangli, out of caution, Song Jia did not defect in the name of his own family, but instead supported the Li family in the name of his school of thought to compete for the throne.

After the Li family lost power and Song Jia left midway and lost the vassal relationship, he instead pointed out the conspiracy and had several exchanges with Li Guangli in the name of a noble family.

But I don’t know why.

Li Guangli was always distant from them…

“Well, he’s just a lucky guy who can’t see the situation clearly, so why should we accommodate him?” A tepid voice sounded in the room, saying slowly, “We didn’t need him before, and we won’t need him in the future.”

Someone nodded and then asked, “In this case, what should we do with the person who contacted the Xiongnu introduced by Li Yannian?”

“Simple.”

Song Jia said in a relaxed tone: “Although the man’s surname is Wei, he is a Hu man. He appears greedy and lustful on the outside, but is timid and cowardly on the inside. It is not difficult to bribe him with some money and women.”

“Okay! Then we’ll get rid of the Li family from now on.”

A young man responded decisively, while a scholar stroked his beard and said, “It’s easy to get rid of the Li family, but who will we support in the future?”

The fourth prince is short-sighted, and the second prince is weak and sickly, so…

“King Yan?”

As soon as the hesitation sounded, Song Jia’s voice came, “The Prince of Yan lives far away in the borderland, and there are no strong men in the capital. The Longxi Li family, which can be regarded as the mother’s family, has become the prince’s helper.”

“He’s not a good choice.”

Everyone looked at Song Jia shaking his head, how could they not know that he was confident? Several people looked at each other, and according to each other’s temper, they all bowed and complimented him:

“Bochu’s strategy is unparalleled, and we are far from being able to match him. This is a matter of great importance, so please stop playing dumb and tell me.”

“Easy to say.”

Song Jia smiled slightly and looked around, “Everyone, you support this and that, but you can never get what you want.”

“Instead of that, why don’t we grow one ourselves?”

oh! ?

(End of this chapter)