This memorial from the Censor Xie Jing was merely a clarion call for the reformists' counterattack.

Or it can be said to be a starting point.

Because Wang Anshi was currently recruiting troops, and in the political battlefield, what matters is one's stance. Many low-level officials saw this as a great opportunity to get promoted.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It is conceivable that the conservative side must include many vested interests, who occupy a large number of key positions. If they are not defeated, how can others get to the top?

As a result, one after another, many people submitted memorials to impeach Fan Chunren, Su Shi and others.

This scene made Fu Bi and Wen Yanbo terrified.

They form cliques for personal gain and exclude dissidents.

How similar.

The ghost of Qingli seemed to have come again.

...

...

What was even more terrible was that public opinion continued to ferment, because the people and the ministers had different thoughts. There was no other way around it. So many good tribute fruits, which cost so much money to transport to the capital, were just wasted. Everyone felt heartbroken when they heard about this.

Public opinion is directly in favor of the new policy.

The people just think they are rational and see through everything, but in fact they are still mainly emotional.

The emperor had no choice but to come out.

Chuigong Hall.

The solemn atmosphere in the hall made many ministers tremble with fear.

This meeting can be said to be the first direct confrontation between the reformists and conservatives.

Zhao Xu threw the memorial on the table and asked the ministers, "What is going on?"

Imperial Censor Yang Hui immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Xie Jing and others are trying to eliminate dissidents, so they are spreading rumors and slandering Fan Chunren, Su Shi and others. The prosecution's complaint against the two prefectures' regulations department was delivered to Kaifeng Prefecture a few days ago. They are obviously seeking to resolve the issue through judicial means, which is aboveboard. How can they be accused of forming a clique for personal gain or abusing public power for personal gain?"

Lu Huiqing immediately stepped forward and said, "Yang Yushi, let me ask you, is what Xie Jing said in his memorial true? Recently, Fan Chunren and Su Shi have been communicating with Liu Shu, Qi Hui, Qian Yi and others, plotting to appeal. And Gu Ji, Li Zhan, Lin Dan and others have also been cheering for them in the court and supporting them."

Yang Hui immediately retorted: "They are not conspiring, they are just discussing the details of the prosecution. As for Gu Ji, Li Zhan and others, they support the appeal and the law. What's wrong with that?"

Sima Guang stood up and said, "Your Majesty, this is actually due to my incompetence. Although the Procuratorate was established, it did not have enough staff. Even Fan Chunren was temporarily assigned to the Legal Aid Department. As a result, when the Procuratorate encountered problems, it could only seek support from other government offices."

After saying this, he glanced at Wang Anshi sitting opposite him, and seeing that the other party was resting with his eyes closed, he couldn't help but look down on him.

Why are you pretending!

Zhao Xu nodded slightly, "I see."

Lu Huiqing asked with a smile: "I remember that when the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs were first established, Sima Xueshi repeatedly emphasized loyalty to the law or justice. I wonder if I am wrong."

Sima Guang nodded and said, "You are right."

Lu Huiqing added: "Since you are loyal to justice and the law, shouldn't you perform your duties with a neutral attitude? This is the only way to ensure fairness."

Sima Guang nodded: "Yes."

Lu Huiqing immediately said to Zhao Xu: "Your Majesty, if you look carefully at the list of names in Xie Jing's memorial, you will find that people like Liu Shu, Gu Ji, Li Zhan, etc. are all against the new law, without exception.

I am not sure whether there is any conspiracy or collusion among them, so I will not make any rash conclusions. However, it is hard for me to be convinced that this prosecution is based on neutrality and fairness.

Their actions are not only intended to undermine the new policy, but also to undermine judicial reform.”

Yang Hui immediately retorted: "Being against the new law does not mean it is unfair. Why doesn't Proofreader Lu review whether there is anything wrong with your new law?"

Lu Huiqing smiled and said, “Not to mention that their prosecution seems ridiculous and unreasonable to me, even if there are problems with the new law, the actions of the procuratorate have deviated from its original intention.

The Procuratorate is not the Censorate or the Court of Remonstrances. It represents justice and law. Everything it says and does should be based on justice and law. It should not have any political stance, and should not conspire with court officials to discuss how to prosecute other officials. The thought of this makes people feel creepy.

If justice becomes a weapon in political struggle, there will be no justice in the world."

What?

The procuratorate cannot have a political stance?

Officials from the conservative side could not help but look at each other in bewilderment.

There has never been a department with such standards.

Has this been mentioned before?

Suddenly everyone was at a loss.

Obviously, they have not studied the public security, procuratorial and judicial organs carefully. If the procuratorate has a strong political stance when performing its duties, then it will be completely over.

Because the powers of the Procuratorate are very special, and are very different from those of the Censorate and the Court of Remonstrance.

When the Censorate and the Court of Remonstrance impeach ministers, the key lies in the emperor's attitude, and in nine out of ten cases, nothing will happen.

Which prime minister has not been impeached hundreds of times?

But if he were sued hundreds of times, he would probably be dead by now.

Because once the procuratorate formally prosecutes, it has nothing to do with the emperor and is completely based on the law. Once successful, the other party will be completely finished.

This power is very scary, so it must be used with caution and without strong political stances, otherwise it could cost lives!

Sima Guang certainly knew this and was speechless for a moment.

You discussed the details of the prosecution with a group of conservatives and said that the prosecution had no political stance. I'm afraid you don't believe it yourself.

If Fan Chunren were to come here to testify, he would admit it.

Zhao Xu glanced at the several ministers standing in the front row and asked, "What do you think?"

Wang Anshi said: "Although I do not think there is anything wrong with the new law, I also respect the authority of the procuratorate. I have hired the Bianjing Law Firm to defend me."

Wen Yanbo looked at Wang Anshi with deep contempt.

But in my heart I can't help but give a thumbs up to Wang Anshi's move.

Wang Anshi would not easily destroy Sima Guang's judicial reform. Not only that, he had to show everywhere that he was defending the judicial reform.

Because the original lawsuit made it very clear that the Regulations Office of the Two Prefectures would be subject to judicial supervision, and the emperor was also very satisfied with this situation in the court.

If his goal is to undermine judicial reform, first of all, the conservatives will definitely rise up to fight back and will not put their hopes on the judiciary.

The key point is, what would Zhao Xu think?

This would instead put more restrictions on Wang Anshi.

He must make it clear that he is willing to accept the prosecution of the procuratorate and is willing to fight this lawsuit.

If he does not express his position, or in other words, he does not take the case, then officials will think that the Regulations Office of the Two Prefectures is not subject to judicial supervision at all.

In fact, Su Shi and Fan Chunren sued the Regulations Office of the Two Prefectures in order to test Wang Anshi and see if the judiciary could restrict him.

This was actually very disadvantageous to Wang Anshi.

At the same time, he had no reason to attack Fan Chunren and Su Shi. You are cheating yourself, so why don't you allow others to cheat?

Since the rules cannot be broken, the only way to avoid this lawsuit is to cut off the source of the problem and replace someone else in charge of the procuratorate.

It’s not that I don’t want to be prosecuted, but that the procuratorate does not prosecute me.

Zhao Xu looked at Sima Guang again.

Sima Guang hesitated for a while and said, "I also think that this prosecution is indeed illegal. Even if it goes to court, it will be hard to convince people. In order to seek judicial justice, I suggest that the appeal of the procuratorate be rejected."

Yang Hui and others looked at Sima Guang in surprise.

The Privy Councilor Chen Shengzhi suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, this fact has proved that Fan Chunren and Su Shi are not qualified for the position of prosecutors. In their eyes, this procuratorate is just a weapon to attack political enemies. There is no justice at all. I suggest that they be dismissed from their posts immediately and accept the court's investigation.

I recommend Xu Zun, the judge of the Dali Temple, to serve as the prosecutor of the Procuratorate. Xu Zun is not only experienced in judging cases, but also fair and strict. During his time at the Dali Temple, he has always been focused on assisting Sima Xueshi in judicial reform. His ability and personal character are sufficient for this position. "

Zhao Xu nodded. "Your words make sense. I have always had great expectations for the Procuratorate, and I am very disappointed with what Fan Chunren and Su Shi did in this matter. Regardless of whether they formed a clique for personal gain, they are no longer suitable for serving in the Procuratorate. I appoint Xu Zun as the new prosecutor, and he is also responsible for investigating the case of Fan Chunren and Su Shi."

Lu Huiqing immediately said, "Your Majesty, the Taifu Temple has been selling tributes without permission and poisoning the people, which has caused public resentment."

This was really one problem after another. The conservative officials were already in a state of grief, and Sima Guang's direct giving up also deprived them of the ability to fight back.

As for the key matter of the tribute peaches, they all knew the truth and did not dare to discuss it. They could only watch the other party's performance.

Zhao Xu nodded and said, "I have also heard about this matter. Is Superintendent Cao here?"

"I am here."

Cao Ping stood up immediately.

Zhao Xu asked, "Has the police station investigated this matter?"

Cao Ping replied, “Your Majesty, according to my investigation, the rotten tribute peaches did come from the Taifu Temple. They sold a total of 2,000 kilograms of tribute peaches from Qianfeng County to a merchant in Luoyang.

Originally, the merchant from Luoyang was planning to transport the peaches to Luoyang for sale, but when he saw that the peaches were rotten inside, he was worried that they would all rot during transportation, so he decided to sell them locally. As for whether there was corruption within the Taifu Temple, it is still under investigation. "

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At this point, he decisively kicked Gu Ji out and wanted to kick him again.

"How can this be possible!"

Zhao Xu slammed the table hard and ordered immediately: "After the General Police Department investigates the case, it will immediately hand over the evidence to the Procuratorate for examination."

"I obey your command."

Cao Ping clasped his fists and bowed.

......

After the meeting, Wang Anshi walked across to Sima Guang and said, "My new policy is only to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and it is not directed against anyone."

After saying that, he left.

What I mean is that I also hope that your judicial reform is for the sake of fairness and justice, and not specifically targeting me.

The pattern is really clear.

Yang Hui, who desperately defended Fan Chunren and Su Shi, also complained to Sima Guang: "Sima Guang, why did you just...?"

"What do you think I should say?"

Sima Guang was furious and said: "Fan Chunren and Su Shi's lawsuit is political in nature, not based on the law, or neutral."

Yang Hui said excitedly: "But who among the officials in the court doesn't have a political stance? Doesn't Xu Zhongtu have one?"

Sima Guang asked in return: "When have you seen Xu Zhongtu submit a memorial to support or oppose the new law? Even when he discussed the new policy, it was based on the law, which is the most important thing."

At this point, he sighed and said, "It's not that you can't have a political stance, but even if you do, you have to keep it in your heart. Everything should be based on justice. But the two of them are unscrupulous and want to tell everyone in the world that they want to use the procuratorate to oppose the new law. Now that they have been caught by the other party, how can I defend them?

I have warned them and asked them to think it over, but they didn’t listen to a word I said.”

Yang Hui said: "Sima Xueshi should know what kind of people Fan Chunren and Su Shi are. They would not form cliques for personal gain. Even if they did something wrong, it would not be punishable by death!"

Sima Guang's expression eased a little. "If they didn't form a clique for personal gain, I believe Xu Zhongtu would give them a fair judgment."

That's a weird one, God knows what charges he can come up with!

Yang Hui immediately turned away.

Wen Yanbo understood Sima Guang. In this matter, the other party was indeed more reasonable. According to the design of this system, the procuratorate cannot have political positions and must defend the law.

In this case, Fan Chunren and Su Shi did not hide their political stance at all and discussed the matter with a group of conservatives every day.

But it must be said that Wen Yanbo had not considered this before.

As Lu Huiqing said, he also confused the Procuratorate with the Censorate and the Court of Remonstrance. However, the Censorate and the Court of Remonstrance could report to the emperor upon hearing anything, and they mainly investigated dereliction of duty, which had little to do with the law.

"I didn't expect to lose so badly."

Wen Yanbo sighed, "Not only did we lose the Procuratorate, but even the Taifu Temple was taken over by the other side."

In the entire tribute system, the treasury of Taifu Temple is the top priority. If Wang Anshi wants to carry out reforms in this regard, he must take over Taifu Temple. Without this treasury, he cannot do anything.

Sima Guang took a look and saw that all the ministers had left. He smiled and said, "That may not be the case."

Wen Yanbo asked hurriedly, "What do you mean?"

Sima Guang said: "In fact, what Su Shi and Fan Chunren were worried about was the emergence of corruption in the local areas."

Wen Yanbo was still confused, "So what?"

Sima Guang said: "Why not let them go to the local area to prove this point."

......

After leaving the imperial city, Lu Huiqing immediately ran to look for Zhang Fei, but found him empty-handed. After asking, he found out that Zhang Fei was playing football in a training ground in the west of the city.

This made Lu Huiqing very depressed.

It’s already this late, and you’re still in the mood to play football?

But there was no other way, so Lu Huiqing hurried to the parade ground in the west of the city.

Zhang Fei is indeed here.

I saw him running on the playground with a group of people with a whistle in his mouth, holding up yellow cards, red cards, and swearing at those people from time to time.

Greet each other's families warmly.

No different from the hooligans in the market.

What are they doing?

Lu Huiqing suddenly felt that this guy was not so reliable!

After waiting for a while, Zhang Fei finally found Lu Huiqing, so he let the players "end their lives" on their own and went off the court himself.

"Why is Lu Xiaokan here?"

"What are you doing?"

"Exercise."

"Does exercising mean insulting someone's parents?"

"Uh... that's just a catchphrase."

Zhang Fei smiled awkwardly.

You should talk trash when playing football, otherwise, what's the point.

Lu Huiqing shook his head helplessly and continued, "The emperor has just appointed your father-in-law as a trusted prosecutor of the procuratorate, and he is also responsible for investigating the case of Fan Chunren and Su Shi forming a clique for personal gain."

Zhang Fei immediately asked, "Lu Xiaokan hopes to confirm this case."

Lu Huiqing didn't expect Zhang Fei to be so direct, and felt a little embarrassed. "I just don't understand how to judge this kind of clique for personal gain under the law, so I want to consult you."

Zhang Fei thought for a while and said truthfully: "The key to forming a clique for personal gain in the law is not forming a clique, but for personal gain. It depends on whether there is any interest generated among them."

Lu Huiqing was very smart and immediately said, "Taifu Temple! As long as we investigate the Taifu Temple case together with their clique case, we can prove their crime of forming a clique for personal gain."

This is the logic of the people.

Zhang Fei couldn't help but look at Lu Huiqing sideways.

Lu Huiqing also realized that he had let the cat out of the bag, and asked awkwardly, "What do you think?"

Zhang Fei said: "We brought down Fan Chunren and Su Shi with impartiality and fairness, so we must judge this case with impartiality and fairness. Otherwise, the gains will outweigh the losses. The other party is not someone you can easily mess with."

Lu Huiqing nodded and said, "What you said makes sense."

In fact, what he said in class was also taught by Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei said: "So it depends on the specific investigation. If they are caught, then they can only wish for the best."

Chief Justice of the Northern Song Dynasty