Chapter 154: The Young Lord Shows His Prowess in Front of the Palace (Subscription Request)

In front of Wanshou Palace.

With the arrival of the cabinet ministers, the officials who had been noisy and gossiping suddenly became quiet.

Gao Gong walked silently to Xu Jie's side, and glanced at Yan Shaoting with a complicated look in his eyes.

Yuan Wei originally wanted to get closer to Yan Shaoting, but after thinking about it, he felt that he had walked too much today.

It’s definitely not because I don’t want to get close to my confidant today!
Yan Shaoting's expression was calm. He walked to Old Yan with his hands held high, only to find that Yan Shifan was also there today.

Without waiting for Yan Shaoting to speak.

Yan Shifan had already waved his hand, and then swept his eyes over everyone present with a rather defiant look.

Afterwards, Yan Shifan turned to Xu Jie, Gao Gong and the others and said softly, "You can rest assured today. I want to see who dares to frame my son again like last time!"

Yan Shaoting looked embarrassed. He glanced at the young minister who seemed to be in a state of rage today, and then looked at Old Yan.

Yan Song glanced at Yan Shifan, and then whispered: "Don't talk nonsense here. Your Majesty is wise and powerful, ruling the country with ease and making decisions alone. There is no need for you to say anything."

Yan Shifan was about to refute something.

However, Lu Fang walked out of Wanshou Palace with a tense face.

"Lord Yan, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Lu Fang first went to Yan Song and bowed, and then bowed to Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Yuan Wei.

Yan Song placed one hand on Yan Shifan's arm and waved the other hand casually: "Your Majesty has summoned us, and we should wait no matter how long it takes. The court just received news today that something happened in the southeast. As ministers, we should share your Majesty's worries."

After hearing Yan Song's words, Lu Fang smiled and nodded, saying, "That's what Lord Yan meant. There are so many things to do in the court, and we need Lord Yan to help with them."

The two of them talked to each other.

Only then did Lu Fang step aside and invite everyone present to walk into the Wanshou Palace.

To the main hall of Wanshou Palace.

All the ministers bowed and saluted to perform the etiquette of being a subject.

Yan Shaoting only bent halfway and looked into the hall.

The curtain hanging from the beam of the hall obscured the emperor's face, making it a little blurry. Naturally, the people outside could not see clearly what the emperor's attitude was today.

"I will see you, Your Majesty."

"May your majesty live long and be healthy."

All the ministers bowed in greeting.

In the Wanshou Palace, the voices of the ministers gradually subsided.

And to silence.

From the huge purple-gold Beast Mountain incense burner, smoke swirled into the void.

The cranes that live in the Taiye Pond in the Western Garden flap their wings and fly high, flocks of birds circle, and ducks float on the ripples, creating thousands of waves.

"To make you a Yao or Shun."

"Let the customs be pure again."

Inside the main hall of Wanshou Palace.

Behind the curtain, Jiajing opened his mouth slowly, reciting poetry in a long voice, like the sound of an immortal in an empty valley.

Yan Shaoting frowned slightly.

This is a poem by Du Fu, which talks about the customs of officials and people.

The ministers assist the king so that he can surpass Yao and Shun, and the customs of the people can get rid of the barbaric and crude customs and become pure and simple.

Has the Taoist changed his temper?
Instead of asking about the Tao, you ask about the countryside?
Jiajing continued, "I was reciting scriptures this morning, but I felt uneasy. After noon, I realized that there seemed to be something wrong in the nine provinces and people's livelihood had changed. You all have failed the country. Can you calm my mind and practice the mystical arts?"

There was silence in the hall.

The emperor is very abnormal today.

Yan Shaoting was even more confused.

But there is one truth that is clear.

Although it is said that the bigger the wind and waves, the more expensive the fish.

But if one day, everything is calm, it is not good either, because it only means that there are undercurrents beneath the surface of the water.

When the tide recedes at the coast, it doesn't mean the water is drying up, but that huge waves are approaching.

Is the old Taoist priest retreating to advance?

Just as Yan Shaoting was wondering what the old Taoist was thinking today.

Ouyang Bijin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, had already stepped out of the ranks with a tablet in his hand and started speaking.

"I am Ouyang Bijin, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and I have something to report."

The Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate is the official in charge of the Censorate, and the boss of the Censorate.

Speaking of Ouyang Bijin, he was originally going to become the Minister of Personnel this year.

This incident will also cause a series of personnel changes in the court.

But because of Yan Shaoting, this matter did not come to pass. Now, the position of Minister of Personnel has been vacant until now as Xu Jie was dismissed and the former Minister of Personnel Wu Peng retired.

Privately, everyone in the court knew that Ouyang Bijin and the Yan family were in-laws, and the two families had a very close relationship.

"allow."

Behind the curtain, Jiajing said only one word.

Ouyang Bijin immediately spoke up: "Your Majesty, I heard from the Censorate today that something happened in Lianghuai. Tens of thousands of salt households and salt workers in Lianghuai Salt Field are heading to Yangzhou City, and they are even shouting slogans to kill Yan Maoqing, the Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate and the Imperial Commissioner for Salt Tax Inspection. I request that Your Majesty issue an order to hand over the matter to the relevant officials for a thorough investigation."

He was the boss of the Censorate, and Yan Maoqing was the Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief.

It is reasonable to speak out about this matter now, both for the sake of court rules and for the sake of the Censorate itself.

But after Ouyang Bijin finished speaking, everyone present began to feel confused.

Could it be that Ouyang Bijin was upset with the Yan family, his in-laws, because he failed to transfer to the Ministry of Personnel last time?

Everyone knows that Yan Maoqing was recommended by the Yan family to inspect the salt industry in Lianghuai. Today, many people have been preparing to punish the Yan family for this matter when they made a proposal to the Emperor in front of the Wanshou Palace.

Lord Xu and the others haven't spoken yet.

How come it is you, Ouyang Bijin, who are the first to lead the charge?

For a moment, everyone present became suspicious.

But Gao Gong stood up right after him.

"I have a high profile and I have my heart set on what I want to say."

Behind the curtain, Jiajing was also accurate to the point.

Gao Gong said solemnly: "Today, the capital received an urgent report from Lianghuai. Tens of thousands of salt households and salt workers in Lianghuai went to Yangzhou City, and some even shouted that they wanted to kill Yan Maoqing.

"Throughout the ages, the people have been well aware that the people should not fight against the officials.

"Now, tens of thousands of salt households in Lianghuai are so powerful that they are not afraid of the government troops and march forward bravely. It can be seen that it is Yan Maoqing who carried out the emperor's order but acted against his will, which led to the chaos in Lianghuai today.

"It is Yan Maoqing who has brought disaster to the country, killed and oppressed the people, and the officials have forced the people to rebel. In order to protect themselves, the common people have no choice but to rebel against Yan Maoqing.

I ask Your Majesty to issue an order to dispatch the officials and the factory guards to arrest Yan Maoqing and appease the salt households in Lianghuai."

Following Gao Gong's lead, he proposed to smoke out Yan Maoqing.

Many officials from the Five Temples and Nine Ministers came on stage and demanded that Yan Maoqing be brought to justice.

At this time.

Another person stood up with a tablet in his hand.

This person was the Minister of Justice Pan En, whose courtesy name was Ziren, and a native of Songjiang Prefecture in Nanzhili.

Pan En's face was gloomy, and he spoke in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the salt administration of our dynasty is particularly important to the thirty salt fields of the Lianghuai Sanfen Division. Yan Maoqing, the Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate, was ordered to go south to Lianghuai to inspect the salt affairs in order to check the regular tax amount of the salt affairs and make up for the deficit of the court.

"The original intention was to protect the country and the people of the Ming Dynasty, but since Yan Maoqing was sent by the emperor, he has been committing crimes every day in the Huai River area, killing civilians, oppressing merchants, forcibly abducting women, looting property, and acting tyrannically, ignoring the emperor's orders and the king's laws.

"It was because of this turmoil in Huaibei and Huainan that tens of thousands of people had no choice but to go to Yangzhou to denounce the traitor Yan Maoqing.

"The laws of our Ming Dynasty are clear and strict, and Yan Maoqing cannot escape his guilt.

"However, the court decided to inspect the salt production in Lianghuai to supplement the deficit in the national treasury. When the emperor first discussed it, the cabinet decided on the candidate for the imperial envoy. There was no treacherous Yan Maoqing. At the beginning, Gao Gelao even mentioned the evil deeds Yan Maoqing had done in the past during the salt inspection.

“But that day, Yan Shaoting, the Imperial Academy’s Attendant, strongly recommended Yan Maoqing to inspect the salt industry in Lianghuai.

"Now the Huai River and Huai River are in chaos because of Yan Maoqing, which has triggered a civil uprising. If the civil uprising is not stopped, it may turn into a civil riot. Civil riots may lead to civil rebellion.

"If a civil uprising occurs in Lianghuai, leading to a rebellion, our grain transport will be disrupted. Now the capital has seen a surge in prices due to Yan Maoqing's chaos in Lianghuai. If the people in Lianghuai revolt and the grain transport is interrupted, there will be no more goods from the south arriving in the capital, and the nine borders will be short of military supplies and fodder, and will be invaded by foreign countries.

"Yan Shaoting recommended the wrong person, which put the country in danger and caused great unrest among the local people. The main culprit, Yan Maoqing, is unforgivable. Yan Shaoting also committed a serious fault by recommending him, and the country is also guilty of a serious crime.

I am in charge of the Ministry of Justice and I am in charge of the law. I ask Your Majesty to sentence Yan Maoqing to death for treason and to punish Yan Shaoting with the same crime!"

Inside the main hall of Wanshou Palace.

Ouyang Bijin only mentioned the unrest in Lianghuai, which needed to be thoroughly investigated.

But when it came to Gao Gong, the intention became to punish Yan Maoqing.

Once Paine opened his mouth, he meant that both Yan Maoqing, who instigated the rebellion in Lianghuai, and Yan Shaoting, who recommended Yan Maoqing, would be held accountable and beheaded.

The censors who had impeached Yan Shaoting in the previous incident immediately agreed and requested the execution of Yan Maoqing and Yan Shaoting.

In view of the fact that the six major crimes that Zheng Mao impeached Yan Shaoting for last time were all refuted.

This time, the censors were really holding back their energy.

The current civil unrest in Lianghuai is something that has actually happened, and the culprit is Yan Maoqing, who cannot escape responsibility no matter what.

Then Yan Shaoting, who nominated him, must naturally bear joint responsibility.

There was silence in the hall.

Everyone's eyes turned to Yan Shaoting.

Because according to the rules, Yan Shaoting should kneel down and plead guilty and defend himself at this time.

But that was at this time.

A cold shout was heard from Wanshou Palace.

Everyone looked around and saw that Yan Shifan, the Minister of Works and a junior cabinet minister of the Ming Dynasty, turned around with a look of resentment on his face and looked at Pan En, the Minister of Justice who started shouting for death.

"May I ask Minister Pan?"

"When did the Ming Dynasty start to adopt the trend of clinging and biting others?"

Finished in one sentence.

Yan Shifan winked at Yan Shaoting, who was looking puzzled.

Then he didn't wait for Paine to refute.

Yan Shifan continued to maintain his upright and righteous appearance. He turned around and looked at Paine, waving his robe heavily.

At this moment, Yan Shifan looked at him and thought that he was even more powerful than the censors.

"May I ask Minister Pan, if what you said is true, I, er... Yan Shaoting, the Imperial Academy Reader, will be executed for recommending Yan Maoqing."

"Then you, Minister Pan, are the Minister of Justice of the Ming Dynasty and are in charge of the laws of the country. You have already known about Yan Maoqing's various evil deeds in Lianghuai. Why didn't you report it?"

"Why did Minister Pan wait until today, when Lianghuai urgently reported to the capital, before launching an impeachment?"

"Is Minister Pan guilty of knowing the crime but not reporting it?"

"Minister Pan said that Yan Maoqing had committed many illegal acts, but Minister Pan knew about it but did not report it, which led to the chaos in Lianghuai. Can I conclude that it was Minister Pan who sat back and watched the chaos in Lianghuai?"

"If so."

"According to Minister Pan, Yan Maoqing deserves to die, and Yan Shaoting deserves to die."

"Minister Pan, do you deserve the death penalty?"

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(End of this chapter)