Volume 1: Birth! Seven time travelers Chapter 049: A Slap on the Face Must Hurt (Ten)
In a country that claims to govern by morality, it is inevitable that many hypocrites will be born. But as the saying goes, a gentleman should deceive with a method: to deal with a hypocrite who talks about morality but is full of thieves and prostitutes, you must use great principles and great morality to deal with him.
The cowpox method can save the people of the Ming Dynasty from the suffering of smallpox. The promotion of potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes can effectively improve people's livelihood. Even the emergence of candles and glycerin is beneficial to society. Therefore, when Zhu Youdong stood at the highest moral point, all the impeachments against him quickly dissipated into nothingness.
What else can you do? The entire Ming officialdom, from top to bottom, is very clear: ordinary people rent out their land and exploit hired farmers, and if one person out of a hundred people takes some money out to build bridges and roads, it's already good enough. Like the prince, who made money to save the world directly... Who of you can do it? If you can't do it, what qualifications do you have to speak?
So, when the enthusiasm in the hall gradually faded, everyone suddenly reacted: Oh, when did the situation in which so many censors collectively impeached the crown prince suddenly turn around completely without anyone noticing?
At this time, the censors outside the palace were secretly thankful: Fortunately, they spoke up late and didn't go in, otherwise it would be so embarrassing. The three censors inside the palace looked at each other. Finally, the three of them nodded in unison: "Your Majesty, Crown Prince, we failed to understand the Crown Prince's painstaking efforts, and we wrote a letter recklessly, blaming the Crown Prince wrongly. We are willing to accept the punishment."
"Well, I have already said that no one will be held accountable for rumors, even if they are untrue. This is the rule set by our Taizu. So, in this matter, you three are not at fault. There is no question of any punishment."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. With that, I will take my leave."
"Yang, wait a minute!"
"Is there anything else that the prince wants to tell me?"
"Haha, I don't have anything to tell Yang Jijian, but I also have a copy of the impeachment document here ."
After saying this with a smile, Zhu Youdong turned around and said, "Grandfather Emperor, I, your grandson Zhu Youdong, impeach Yang Yingwen, the Minister of the Household Department, for secretly marrying a concubine during his father's funeral, accepting bribes from others after his reinstatement, and his family bullying men and women and seizing the land of good people in his hometown of Yingtian Prefecture!"
Confucianism is actually a very passionate school. Confucius is a martial arts master, Mencius is a debate king. They are not sissy men with delicate fingers and weak body. Confucius said that repaying evil with good is the right way to repay good, repaying evil with justice, and repaying good with virtue is the right way. And the great revenge of Confucianism full of blood.
As a supporter of Confucian fundamentalism, Zhu Youdong did not stop at this time to show his awareness of the king's mind: What, you are allowed to play with me whenever you have something to do? But I can't play with you?
Zhu Youdong had remembered Yang Yingwen's name since he said he was the reincarnation of an evil dragon a year ago. After he had money in the past six months, he sent Wei Zhongxian and Li Shizhong to collect negative materials on Yang Yingwen. Today, when Yang Yingwen jumped out again, Zhu Youdong knew that it was time for him to fight back.
"Grandson... Your Highness... I, as a censor, have a duty to report rumors and matters as set by Taizu... Why would you allow Grandson to say such... ridiculous things?"
"Haha, Yang Yingwen, I have explained it so clearly, why are you still quibbling? In the 27th year of Wanli, your father passed away. You returned to Yingtianfu to mourn for three years, during which time you took a concubine, hmm." He lowered his head and looked at the note in his hand: "This concubine is called Ruhua, and she was originally a prostitute in the capital (Nanjing). In the winter of the 28th year of Wanli, your concubine gave birth to a son. In order to cover it up, you bought another house in the capital for the mother and son to live in. In the winter of the 29th year of Wanli, you finished the mourning period of 27 months and returned to the capital to resume your post. Ruhua and her son followed you to the capital. But in order to pretend to be a gentleman, you still didn't dare to let them live with you. So, you rented a house in Tiemao Hutong for the mother and son to live in. Excuse me, is that right or not?
In addition, you also accepted bribes from others. You were the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, so the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue had to be checked by you. Then you used this as evidence to let those who gave you money, if the accounts were slightly wrong, forget it. If they didn't give you money, you would make things difficult for them. At least you were not too timid, and you didn't dare to let go of those accounts that were obviously problematic.
In addition, your brother passed the provincial examination after becoming a scholar, but he failed many times, so he helped you manage the business at home. During this time, he did a lot of bad things and didn't know how to be a good person. You had to find officials in the capital to settle many things. Do you need me to read them out one by one?"
"Bah!" For Yang Yingwen at this moment, what else could he do except faint?
The grand court meeting ended quickly and hastily. Wanli held Zhu Youdong's hand with a complicated expression and said, "Follow me."
The grandfather and grandson came to the back hall. Wanli asked the eunuchs and palace maids to leave and said, "Dong'er, if you hadn't impeached Yang Yingwen at the court meeting today, Grandfather would have been very satisfied. But why did you do such a thing when ?"
"Grandpa Royal, are you trying to say that your grandson is just adding insult to injury? However, the Gongyang Commentary of the Spring and Autumn Annals says, 'Can a gentleman's vengeance be avenged in nine generations?' The answer is, 'Even in a hundred generations! Grandpa Royal, don't you know what those censors outside are? Don't you hate them? If you just console yourself with the kingly demeanor and don't bother with your subjects, who knows how arrogant these guys will become?"
"Well, what you said makes sense. But if you do that, the ministers outside might have a different opinion of you..."
"Grandpa Emperor, no matter how well I do, I can never satisfy everyone. I never want to win everyone's satisfaction. I just want those who agree with my approach to stand by my side."
"Hmm..." Holding his stomach, Wanli took a few steps with difficulty and said, "What you said is not without reason. Back then, my father was very tolerant of the censors, but in the end he was scolded accidentally. However, this matter should not be handled too harshly. How about this, when the time comes, Grandpa will ask the cabinet to come up with a solution. Then he can be pardoned in the name of the empress dowager."
"As for how this matter will be handled, your grandson will definitely follow Grandpa Huang's instructions."
"Humph, you've caused such a big mess, and I'm going to clean up after you. But, seeing Yang Yingwen collapse in the hall like a puddle of mud, it's really refreshing. Hey, tell me, how did you get so much evidence against him?"
"This is a simple matter. Just throw money at it! My grandson asked Li Shizhong and Wei Zhongxian to observe the servants of the Yang family and picked out a scum who liked gambling and whoring. Then he went straight to him and told him to either bring in the dirty information on Yang Yingwen and I would give him three thousand taels of silver. Or he could just chop him up and use him as fertilizer for the flowers!"
"Alas, it seems that my Jinyiwei and Dongchang, with so many people, are not as capable as your few subordinates in getting things done."
The Jinyiwei and Dongchang organizations are too bloated , so it is inevitable that they will be infiltrated by civil officials. Besides, they are people within the system, although they are already the ones who rarely follow rules and procedures within the system. But compared with my small family, it is really not very convenient to do things.
"Hiss~~~Grandpa Royal, I have been standing in the hall for most of the day and have said so many things. I am really a little tired. If Grandpa Royal has nothing else to say, I want to go back and rest."
"Huh? Why do you look so bad? Is there something wrong with your body?"
"It's okay, Grandpa Huang. I'm just a little tired. I just need to rest for a while."
"Well, then you should go back to Xinghua Palace first. Grandpa will send the imperial physician to see you later."
"Yes, thank you, Grandpa Emperor. I'll take my leave now."
After walking out of the Huangji Palace and sitting in his sedan chair, Zhu Youdong reached out and touched his back.
At this moment, his back was burning hot! And the hottest part was not his natal star Kaiyang, but the fifth star of the Big Dipper, Yuheng!
"What's going on? It's Yuheng that exploded? Could it be that the one in the south has already reached the top?"
