Volume 5 Chapter 28 Mission
"This shit is not punishable by death!"
On a hot summer day, on Xinggang Hill, Emperor Zhao's anger could be clearly felt even through a distance of several old apricot trees. This inevitably made the guards of the Chixin Team, who were on duty for the first time, sweat profusely and feel nervous.
If the guards were like this, one can imagine what the situation was like for the four prime ministers, a chief censor, and several important officials of the inner court who were facing Emperor Zhao beside the thatched pavilion.
"Is this a matter of official position? Is this a matter of the behavior of a villain?"
"Yes, it is a mean act! But is it just a mean act? He has been the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works for half a month, so he should know what the Ministry of Works is busy with right now, right? But knowing that the Ministry of Works is in charge of the preparations for the Northern Expedition, he dared to do such a thing for a mere chance of promotion... and he is not sure that he can be promoted easily, at most he can only serve as an acting official, and it is very likely that he will not even serve as an acting official...!"
"What does the country mean to him? What do the people of the two rivers mean to him? What do the people of the court who have worked so hard and used every possible means to build up their wealth mean to him? What do the blood and sweat of the people of the Central Plains and Jiangnan mean to him? Are they all just things he can use?"
"That day he even said to me openly that every time he saw the people of Jiangnan working hard, he was worried that the Central Government was wasting the blood and sweat of the people of Jiangnan... It was simply ridiculous!"
"You have no idea what I am angry about... Do you know how Wang Shuwang's reform failed? Wasn't it because of this kind of villain in the New Party? This kind of cause is like sailing against the current. Once villains get involved, they will not only ruin the reputation, but will really cause the whole situation to collapse!"
"If he really was a Jurchen spy, and it was a long-planned move by the South, I wouldn't be so angry! It's because he is a villain, a villain who pretends to be harmless and is beneficial to the overall situation, that I am so panicked!"
"Do I need to talk about the harm of villains? Now there is only one Gou Long Ruyuan who suddenly appeared under my nose. How many are behind him? Are there any southerners among you? Have you seen cockroaches in the south? If you open the pottery jar and see a cockroach underneath, there are already hundreds of cockroaches making their home in your room!"
"Why did I want to protect Hu Mingzhong? First, I trust Hu Mingzhong and know that he has extenuating circumstances and is a talented person. Second, I want to tell the world that for anyone and anything related to the Northern Expedition, I dare not say that I can give them a golden ticket to avoid death, but I will definitely do my best to prevent them from being disturbed by these messy matters... If you help me defeat the Jurchens, I will give them fame and fortune!"
"Why are you, the gentlemen, scholars, generals, and great commanders, so stable? Isn't it just common sense? If this premise is gone, what's the point of keeping you?! Do you really think you are invincible?!"
"This matter is bad because it was impulsive and has no legal basis! This person deserves death because he is just a villain who was blinded by lust for power. He deserves death because his crime does not deserve death!"
"You say his crime is not punishable by death, that it will cause unrest in the court, and that people all over the world will not understand... Then think of a way to make him commit a crime punishable by death ! Think of a way that will not cause unrest in the court and that people all over the world will understand!"
"Anyway, I'm going to kill him! If he has a reason, I'll chop him up, and if he has no reason, I'll chop him up too!"
Emperor Zhao's roar lasted for nearly half an hour. The ministers and close officials tried to persuade him in vain and all of them gave in.
There was no way. Things had come to this point. On the one hand, Emperor Zhao's anger was uncontrollable, and on the other hand, the ministers themselves could not maintain a unified stance... Apart from others, Prime Minister Zhang Jun had always followed the emperor's lead. This time, he was even more uneasy because he had recommended Gou Longruyuan. Instead, he hoped that Gou Longruyuan could be severely punished in order to defend himself.
At the same time, the close ministers also split from the beginning - Yang Yi Zhong and Liu Yan should not have intervened in the matter, but because Emperor Zhao's anger was too scary, they both tried to dissuade the emperor at the first time. As a result, Hanlin scholar Lu Benzhong, however, acted contrary to his usual behavior during the subsequent assembly and interrogation, and firmly expressed his agreement with severe punishment.
Of course, Zhang Jun and Lu Benzhong's severe punishment did not mean to kill Gou Longruyuan, but the problem was that if the ministers could not speak in unison and think in unison from the beginning, how could they fight against an angry emperor?
Just like that, as the noise in the thatched pavilion gradually died down, Yang Yi Zhong came down personally and strictly requested the attendants not to spread any words without permission. However, the gentlemen had no choice but to disperse under the pressure of Emperor Zhao.
However, even though he had submitted to Emperor Zhao, how could he easily think of a 'legal' way to kill a villain like Gou Longruyuan?
Therefore, when they returned that day, the four men who were under the greatest pressure were at a loss as to what to do, but they did not want to discuss the matter with others. After finally getting off duty, they returned home and got together in pairs, and at the same time hurriedly invited some key figures to discuss the matter together.
Among them, the Prime Minister of the Capital Province, Zhao Xianggong, and his deputy Liu Xianggong went to the Minister of Personnel Chen Gongfu, the Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen, the prefect of Kaifeng Yan Xiaozhong, and the Minister of Processing, the person involved in this case, Hu Yin himself. On the other side, the Privy Envoy Zhang Xianggong and his deputy Chen Xianggong went to the Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo, the Minister of War Liu Ziyu, and his "brain trust" Personnel Assistant Minister Lü Zhi, plus a cavalry commander Qu Duan... The heads of the two prefectures did not dare to expand, nor did they dare to go to Li Guang and Ma Shen, who were straightforward.
Now that the invitation had been sent out, not to mention that gatherings at Zhang's house had become a routine, on the other hand, as the prime minister, Zhao Ding had always insisted on being a gentleman and not forming factions, and it was rare for him to do so at this time. Chen, Zhai, Yan, Hu and others all knew that something was wrong, but they did not dare to delay and arrived one after another.
However, when Zhao Ding led a few people to sit in a circle under the awning in his backyard and carefully explained the matter, several senior officials were stunned again.
After being stunned, there was a long silence - everyone couldn't help but look at the expression of the person involved, Hu Yin.
Unexpectedly, although Hu Mingzhong was obviously angry at first, for some reason he soon calmed down and just sat there motionless and silent.
After a long while, seeing that Hu Yin had no intention of speaking, everyone turned their eyes away from him and thought for a while. It was Yan Xiaozhong, the prefect of Kaifeng, who broke the silence first: "So, the emperor has made up his mind to kill, and there is no way to reverse the situation?"
"Yes." Liu Ji, who was theoretically in the same party as Yan Xiaozhong, frowned and emphasized. "But if there is a possibility, we all tried to persuade him to stop in Yanfu Palace today, but it was impossible to persuade him... And if it really came to the point of issuing an imperial decree to kill him, even though Yang Yizhong and Liu Yan tried hard to persuade him, I'm afraid they would still execute him immediately."
"Does that mean we should follow the emperor's wishes and find a proper way to kill this man?" Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen interrupted.
"That's exactly what I mean." Zhao Ding also nodded.
"Can you find a way to kill him secretly?" Zhai Ruwen asked. "Go and tell this guy the government's decision, so he won't be implicated..."
"No!" Before Zhai Ruwen could finish, Yan Xiaozhong interrupted him again. "In my opinion, we should not only not hide the execution, but also make it clear. It would be best if we can make this person's crime known to the world, so that everyone in the world knows why he died... This is the government's original intention!"
"That's right." Zhao Ding sighed. "When I think about it carefully now, since this person is bound to die, if he can't be killed as a warning to others, his death will be in vain... To be honest, I feel that it is better to let this person be killed by the government than to kill him secretly or put the blame on other crimes!"
"If that's the case, then there's no solution to this matter?" Zhai Ruwen frowned slightly. "Are you really going to sit back and watch the government kill a senior official of the Secret Council? You have to know that Gou Long's actions are shameful, but also very cunning... Let's not talk about the Quanzhou Fan Temple. Even if he tried to impeach Minister Hu, at most he could be said to be morally corrupt and a mean person, but he couldn't be said to have violated the law."
"So, we still have to think of a way to trap him, and it would be best if we could take the opportunity to expose him..." Liu Ji emphasized his superior's request again.
"Forgive me for speaking frankly, but it is not up to Prime Minister Zhao and Prime Minister Liu to figure out how to deal with the emperor." But at this moment, the Minister of Personnel, Chen Gongfu, who had been silent, took the initiative to speak, and his words were shocking. "As the governors of the capital, you two ministers should not be troubled by the death of a villain... The emperor was angry, and he was furious. Are you two ministers also angry to that extent?"
"What does Minister Chen mean by this?" Prime Ministers Zhao and Liu were both moved, but after looking at each other, Zhao Ding took the initiative to ask.
Even Hu Yin, who was equally silent, was staring at Chen Gongfu together with Yan Xiaozhong and Zhai Ruwen.
"What I mean is that Zhang Xianggong is more anxious about the matter of Gou Longruyuan!" Chen Gongfu was calm and serious. "This person is Zhang Xianggong's fellow villager, and he was recommended by Zhang Xianggong to join the ranks of the secret cabinet. So how to deal with Gou Longruyuan and how to make him expose his faults should be something Zhang Xianggong should think about... Moreover, in my opinion, Zhang Xianggong has people like Minister Lin and Minister Lu who are so introverted and scheming. If there is a way, it will definitely not escape their control. Why should the two ministers worry about it?"
Everyone looked at each other, unable to refute, and then they relaxed a little.
Zhao Ding thought for a moment and felt that Chen Gongfu had more intentions, so he immediately asked back: "Then may I ask Minister Chen, the emperor is so angry after all, and puts pressure on us. What should we two, the two ministers of the province, do at this time?"
"Of course, it is to relieve the emperor's worries from the root." Chen Gongfu remained calm. "My two ministers, is the emperor's anger only directed at Gou Longruyuan? Isn't he worried that the villain will plot and destroy the overall situation from the inside? If so, why don't you abandon Gou Longruyuan and take a high-level view, so that the emperor can put his mind at ease from the root and promote the Northern Expedition?"
The people around him were all thinking about something, and Zhao Ding felt that the other party's thoughts were consistent with his own, so he asked seriously again and again: "Minister Chen, do you have a good plan?"
"I dare not say it is a good strategy, it is just a copycat..." Chen Gongfu answered frankly. "There are two methods. One is aimed at officials in the court, and it is based on the financial strategy of Minister Lin of the Ministry of Revenue and the recently promoted large table method. The other one is aimed at the morale of the people in the south, but it is a commonplace... In fact, if we don't do some things ourselves, I'm afraid the government will have to use other people to do it."
Several people around, including Hu Yin, all raised their eyebrows, and finally couldn't help but look at this Minister Chen together.
"You four called your friends last night, but have you come up with a solution?"
The next morning, Emperor Zhao summoned the four ministers again at Shiting. As soon as they met, he questioned them directly, and it seemed that he was still angry.
The four ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, but allowed the Prime Minister Zhang Jun and Zhang Deyuan to step forward and bow to each other in front of the stone pavilion: "Reporting to the emperor, regarding the matter of Gou Longruyuan, the Minister of Personnel Lu has come up with an idea for me, which may work!"
"Tell me."
Zhao Jiu spoke bluntly.
"Although the case of the Fujian scholar impeaching Minister Hu has been settled, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, Gou Longruyuan, once said in the Wende Hall that there might be something fishy behind this matter. Maybe there is a villain like Wang Ciweng who is secretly doing something illegal, openly impeaching Minister Hu and secretly alienating the royal family... I think, since he is so enthusiastic, why not transfer him to the position of Dali Temple Minister, let him personally try the case and make sure to find the villain behind it?" Zhang Jun's forehead was slightly sweaty, but his words were smooth, as if he had been prepared. "If he finds it, then naturally someone is responsible for alienating the royal family and accusing the emperor. If he can't find it, then naturally Gou Longruyuan is accusing innocent people!"
Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sneered and nodded: "Are you trying to lead someone into a trap?"
"Yes!" Zhang Deyuan nodded.
"Okay!" Zhao Jiu nodded in agreement.
Everyone inside and outside the stone pavilion breathed a sigh of relief.
"Besides that." Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Zhang Jun continued to bow his hands and speak seriously. "The Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo advised me last night that a prime minister should not be obsessed with appearances and neglect the inner world... The reason why the emperor is angry with Gou Longruyuan is not only because Gou Longruyuan is a shameful villain, but also because he is worried that the officials in the court are not in a good mood, or that a thousand-mile embankment may be destroyed by an ant hole... Therefore, last night, I referred to Minister Lin's past financial strategy, combined with the form system recently promoted by the emperor, and came up with a method of internal supervision!"
"What do you mean?" Zhao Jiu noticed the strangeness of Zhao Ding and Liu Ji behind Zhang Jun, but he still couldn't help being moved, because these words touched his heart.
"Please give six ministries, nine temples, and five academies a six-month deadline, and have them list the policies they should implement in the next six months, like a military order. Then, let the Privy Council set up various departments to supervise the ministries, temples, and academies... First, those who fail to act within the deadline will be dismissed; second, it is also to assist the Censorate to ensure that officials of various ministries do not do anything illegal or immoral." Zhang Jun bowed his head and answered sincerely. "I wonder what the emperor thinks?"
"I think it's great." Zhao Jiu nodded, his anger subsiding a little. "I know that we can't rely on people's hearts, we can only rely on the system... You and Lin Qing can think in this way, which shows a very good overall view... It's better than me being angry and confused."
Zhang Jun was overjoyed when he heard this, but he still hurriedly bowed: "Besides this, there is also the matter of the South... Your Majesty, the former Shaoxing officials who resigned from office and the Daoist academies in the South have been able to unite in the South and repeatedly influence the central public opinion. In fact, there is a reason... Speaking of the root cause, after all, the southern scholars and people are heavily taxed, so that every penny is paid to pay for the military expenses, so people hate the Northern Expedition, but this is human nature. I think the court should not just use force to suppress them, but should use both kindness and power!"
Zhao Ding simply looked up at the flying eaves sculptures on the stone pavilion.
As expected, Emperor Zhao was also delighted: " What other ideas does Deyuan have?"
"This is not my idea. This is the idea of Minister Liu of the Ministry of War... He thinks that although there are still small battles on the front line, the overall situation is fine. Why don't you go south to Suyang to appease the people in the southeast?" Zhang Jun became more and more serious.
Zhao Jiu also became serious after hearing this: "How much does the southern tour cost?"
"The emperor only brought two thousand guards, no carriages, no tributes, and just patrolled the river in the winter of previous years. How much money can he ask for?" Another Western Palace official, Chen Gui, stepped forward and showed his presence. "The emperor's patrol wasted money, all because of excessive extravagance."
Zhao Jiu's heart was pounding, but he nodded slightly, and Zhang Jun and Chen Gui were also very happy.
However, Emperor Zhao still remembered that there was a prime minister standing over there, and immediately looked at Zhao Ding: "What do you think, Prime Minister Zhao? Is what Prime Minister Zhang and the others said feasible?"
Zhao Ding said nothing, but took out a book that was half soaked with sweat from his arms and handed it forward in silence.
Emperor Zhao personally took it and opened it. He glanced at it casually and saw two titles clearly:
First, we request the establishment of six departments under the capital province to supervise the six ministries;
Second, please lead the emperor on a tour to the south to reassure the people.
"That's it!" Zhao Jiu finally laughed, but his expression suddenly turned cold after he closed the letter. "But we have to kill that guy first!"
