A loyal servant died to show his loyalty; an upright official pleaded for the people

It was the beginning of autumn when Gu Yanzhou recovered. He heard a knock on the door early in the morning. Gu Nanfeng opened the door and saw that it was Jiang Huai, so he led him into the house.

"Brother Gu, how are you feeling recently?" Jiang Huai asked

"Thank you for your concern, Brother Jiang. Although I wasn't happy a few days ago, I'm doing fine now." Gu Yanzhou said

"It's thanks to you that you found out the truth about the tax and banking case, otherwise I would be the number one suspect." Jiang Huai said

"Then you should thank Miss Dongmei for saving you from danger. If she hadn't rescued you that day, I think you would be in great danger." Gu Yanzhou said

"Of course I have to thank her. By the way, I came here today to investigate the case of embezzlement of disaster relief funds. You and Pei Weiwei went to Jinan to provide disaster relief. The emperor originally wanted to allocate funds from the national treasury, but who would have thought that the national treasury tax revenue would be so different from the account books. The emperor was furious and was determined to catch all the corrupt officials in the court, so he sent me to investigate this case with you." Jiang Huai said

"In that case, let's sort out the details of this case. Taxation and money collection are the responsibilities of the Minister of Agriculture. Who is this new Minister of Agriculture? What is his work and character like?" Gu Yanzhou asked

"The new Minister of Agriculture is named Hu Fuyou. He is from Chang'an and comes from a humble family. He does not form cliques in the government or engage in private activities. He is sixty-two years old. He was previously the governor of Liangzhou in the northwest. He has served in three dynasties and has a wealth of experience. He was recommended by many people and was appointed Minister of Agriculture." Jiang Huai said

"The position of Grand Minister of Agriculture may seem like one of the Nine Ministers, but it's actually a hot potato. Taxes and money are not easy to manage, not to mention the various prefectures, counties, and government offices, which one is easy to deal with? If you are not a slick and cunning person, you will be eaten up sooner or later, leaving nothing but your body. If you are not careful, your family will be in dire straits. This person has no foundation and no ability. He is neither good at networking nor flattery. Otherwise, why is he only the Grand Minister of Agriculture at the age of sixty? He must have been pushed up as a scapegoat. Once this case comes out, he will definitely suffer a lot. Let's go find him." After Gu Yanzhou finished speaking, he pulled Jiang Huai and ran out.

The two men stood up, but before they could leave, they saw Banjin come into the house and say, "Sir, the Minister of Agriculture has committed suicide at home."

The group arrived at the Grand Minister of Agriculture's Mansion, only to find a middle-aged steward in the entire mansion. "Sir, please make the decision for my master."

"What grievances have you suffered? Tell me quickly. Gu Tingyuan hates evil and can distinguish right from wrong. He will definitely uphold justice for you." Jiang Huai said

"My master was an honest official. He never formed a clique for personal gain or accepted bribes. He wanted to spend his last years in Liangzhou, but fate played a trick on him. He took this position and was forced to death. He lost his life." Hu Tu said

"How can you say that? He was forced to death. Who is so bold as to murder an official appointed by the imperial court?" Gu Yanzhou asked

"Master Gu, my master hasn't had a good night's sleep since he took office as the Minister of Agriculture. Either General Pei or Prime Minister Chen comes looking for him. He is so worried that his hair and beard are all white and he looks like an octogenarian. You said it wasn't their fault, so how could my master be so depressed that he committed suicide? I hope Master Gu will understand." Hu Tu said

"That being said, there is no conclusive evidence that Duke Anguo and Prime Minister Chen were related to the death of the Minister of Agriculture. We need to perform an autopsy and conduct a thorough investigation before we can draw any conclusions," said Gu Yanzhou.

"What you said later makes sense." Jiang Huai said

A group of people came into the room and saw Hu Fuyou lying straight on the bed. His body was cold and emitting a foul smell. After Gu Yanzhou carefully examined the body and the room, there was no sign of intrusion. It was undoubtedly suicide. Hu Tu burst into tears upon seeing this, "Master, I am a nobody and my words carry no weight. I have no one to protect me or obey my orders. It's a pity that I failed to save your life. I have prevented you from enjoying your old age. I am useless. These people who bring disaster to the country and the people enjoy wealth and glory. Look at these corrupt officials who exploit the people. It's a pity that these honest and upright people can hardly be loyal, filial, and righteous. I have no choice but to die to express my indignation, to show my loyalty, and to express my dissatisfaction with injustice. Master, wait for me, I will accompany you." After that, he hit his head on the ground and died with a bleeding head. Everyone was shocked. This man was so strong-willed that his blood spurted out, splashing a clear spring. The smell of rust spread and blinded the eyes, raising a layer of blood mist. Gu Yanzhou understood that if this case was not investigated thoroughly, how could he dare to support the collapsing building and save the people from the dire situation? Who would dare to believe in justice in the world? He had to investigate it thoroughly.

"Banjin, you stay here and deal with the aftermath. I will go to Pei Mansion with Master Jiang to investigate." Gu Yanzhou said

"Yes, sir." Banjin said

Gu Yanzhou and Jiang Huai came all the way to Pei's residence. When Pei Linyan came out to greet them, he asked, "Gu Tingyuan and Jiang Shaofu, what brings you here to visit?"

"I came here originally because of a corruption case. Coincidentally, the Grand Minister of Agriculture committed suicide. During this period, I heard that General Pei and Prime Minister Shen visited me many times, so I came here to inquire." Gu Yanzhou said calmly, suppressing his manic heart.

"So that's how it is. My father happened to be summoned to the palace today. You two will only know if he comes back." Pei Linyan explained.

"In that case, we will not bother you any more. Goodbye." After saying this, Gu Yanzhou and Jiang Huai stood up and left.

I heard a woman's voice saying, "Lin, who is coming?" and then I saw Dujuan coming out.

When Gu Yanzhou heard this, his rationality vanished like a bolt of lightning. It turned out that even when I wasn't around, someone still called me that. Everything was the same as before, it was just that my lover was heartless. His mind was erupting like a volcano, and he asked, "Has General Pei repeatedly pressured the Minister of Agriculture about the corruption case? Is General Pei connected to the corruption case?"

"Gu Tingwei, please think carefully about what you mean by this and do not act impulsively. After all, slandering the Three Dukes is a serious crime. I hope you will be careful with your words and actions." Pei Linyan said

"I have my own thoughts on this matter. I hope Mr. Pei can give me an explanation on this case." Gu Yanzhou said

"I know nothing about the corruption case that Lord Gu mentioned. Besides, my Pei family has two outstanding people, three officials in four generations. My father has worked tirelessly for the court and is loyal to the emperor and the country. How could he be related to the corruption case?" Pei Linyan said

"Oh, so the famous Pei Linyan, the Pei Weiwei, is just a person who relies on the protection of his family. He doesn't look like a man fighting on the battlefield at all. I often hear about the absurd things that Lord Pei did. He always bullies others by taking advantage of his power and robs people. It seems that it is because his parents are not upright. If the son is like this, what is the fault of the father? I think this huge Pei Mansion is a place where filth and corruption are harbored and people's lives are disregarded." Gu Yanzhou said sarcastically.

Pei Linyan rushed towards Gu Yanzhou after hearing this, grabbed his collar with his right hand, stared into his eyes fiercely and said, "You insulted my father, slandered the Pei Mansion, and are courting death." He was about to hit him, but he saw his own eyes reflected in Gu Yanzhou's eyes, revealing unspeakable sorrow. His heart was in a trance. Jiang Huai took the opportunity to rescue Gu Yanzhou and said, "Gu Tingyuan, I have just recovered from a serious illness. I hope you can forgive me for some of my incoherent words."

"Are you sick?" Pei Linyan asked

"Thank you for your concern, Pei Weiwei. I'm not going to die." Gu Yanzhou said

An inexplicable awkwardness spread between them. "I think Lord Gu must have worked hard, so please have your meal here." Du Juan said.

"Thank you for your concern. Since you are going to have a meal, I won't bother you anymore. Goodbye." Gu Yanzhou said and left. Jiang Huai bowed and followed him. Pei Linyan looked at Gu Yanzhou's back and fell into deep thought.

As Gu Yanzhou walked out of the door, he held on to the pillar, breathing loudly, his heart beating non-stop, as restless as the morning bell.

"Brother Gu, are you okay?" Jiang Huai asked

"Nothing, everything is fine. I just sigh that things have changed but people remain the same. The past is like the wind and it is hard to keep it." Gu Yanzhou said

"Brother Gu, you know that although the emperor is in power in name only, he has no real power. The crux of the matter is that the empress dowager is in power; secondly, the relatives of the emperor's wife are interfering in politics; and thirdly, there are many prominent families. The emperor wants to create a peaceful and prosperous era and continue the legacy of his ancestors, but he is like a housewife without rice. He has no one to trust. If the emperor has Brother Gu to assist him, he will be even more powerful. What's the worry about not being able to accomplish great things and not being able to prosper?" Jiang Huai said

"Brother Jiang, this is wrong. This world belongs to the Han Dynasty, and the people are the emperor's people. You and I serve in the same court to serve the emperor; you and I work hard to benefit the people; you and I share the same hatred for the enemy; it is for the people of the world, so serving the people is also serving the emperor." Gu Yanzhou said

"Brother Gu has a broad mind. This idea is beyond my reach. Jiang Huai admires it. However, in life, there are people who cannot be abandoned and things that are difficult to give up. In a moment of life, there will always be a time to bow your head. It is better to make plans early." Jiang Huai said

"That being said, I just want to have a clear conscience. This world is not the world of one family or one surname, but the world of thousands of families. If he is doing well, I will be at peace." Gu Yanzhou said

"Brother Gu, why are you doing this?" Jiang Huai said,

At this time, Ban Jin came running over from a distance and said, "Sir, we found a secret letter between the Minister of Agriculture and the Imperial Censor in the secret compartment of the Minister of Agriculture's study. It contains detailed evidence of the Imperial Censor's selling of official positions, corruption, and exclusion of dissidents. The Minister of Agriculture refused to comply, so he committed suicide to prove his will."

Jiang Huai snatched the secret letter, flipped through it and said, "Okay, okay." Then he quickly walked towards the palace.