Chang Mao's words made many civil officials feel rather depressed, because there were some scoundrels among the military officers, but not all scholars were necessarily noble.

Some local officials also curry favor with the powerful and wealthy, or even colluded with them. In Zhang Wen's case, some local officials were involved.

Chang Mao's meaning was actually very simple: he certainly wouldn't protect Zhang Wen, but he also wouldn't allow the civil officials to use this matter to argue that it couldn't be elevated to the level of the nobility.

Even at this point, it's still worth considering dragging some civil officials down with us. We're all birds of a feather, so let's not pretend to be righteous and treat the nobles as parasites of the Ming Dynasty. If they really have to be severely punished, then we should all be severely punished together. If we have to lose face, then we should all lose face together.

Ru Chang couldn't help but glance at Chang Mao. He had a feeling that this matter wasn't just Chang Mao's idea; perhaps the person sitting on the dragon throne was also secretly giving instructions.

Chang Mao is indeed the leading figure among the military elites in the capital, and it is only natural that he would protect the interests of the noble groups.

For the past few days, Chang Mao has basically been playing dead and remaining silent. Even if we're talking about big shots getting involved in hand-to-hand combat, it seems quite normal for Chang Mao to step in at this time; it's almost understandable.

Consider Chang Mao's personality; he's not usually like this, and he wouldn't normally think about these things. If it were Xu Huizu, Ru Chang could understand, but Chang Mao's actions are a bit hard to comprehend.

It was definitely at the emperor's behest. The emperor disliked the arrogance of the nobles, but he also didn't want to see the rapid growth of the civil officials. What the emperor needed was a balance between the nobles and the civil officials, and he hoped they would oppose each other on certain issues.

Emperor Ying Shi has always been a "smiling tiger," a fact that Ru Chang knows all too well, and he is also familiar with the methods employed by this emperor.

At this moment, Feng Cheng also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Huining has violated the law, and the court should severely punish him. We hope Your Majesty will consider his many merits in his early years and grant him leniency."

"Absolutely not!" A censor from the Censorate immediately stepped forward, his expression solemn. "Your Majesty, the dynasty has its own laws. The Marquis of Huining had merits in his early years, and the court bestowed titles and honors upon him, which was already a reward for his achievements. Now that he has committed embezzlement and perverted the law, the court will punish him according to its own laws."

This has sparked some debate again. Many people are now debating how Zhang Wen was punished, and it seems that no matter what he does, it's not good.

No one would deny that Zhang Wen made contributions, as evidenced by his being granted the title of Marquis.

But now that he has committed a crime, that's obvious to everyone, otherwise people wouldn't be discussing it at this time.

Some felt that Zhang Wen had rendered meritorious service and was old, so the court could issue a reprimand, etc. In other words, they believed that the old minister should be treated leniently and that the court should not be too harsh, such as confiscating his property and exterminating his family. However, others felt that the court should follow the law and handle each matter separately.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yunying remained expressionless, continuing to watch the civil and military officials argue incessantly.

This is actually quite good; Joo Yoon-young doesn't think there's anything wrong with it. This is exactly what he needs to see; he needs to escalate things further, even to the point of making a big deal out of it.

Only in this way can the example of the chicken serve as a warning to the monkey, for a marquis's title carries considerable weight.

Since a marquis title has been awarded, and Zhu Yunying is even willing to bear the infamy of 'killing a meritorious official,' it naturally means that this infamy cannot be taken lightly; it must have a significant effect.

The constant bickering among the civil and military officials has had some effect. Zhu Yunying needs to wait a little longer; the time isn't right yet.

In the midst of the heated argument, Feng Cheng said, “We, the nobles, have forever been blessed by the nation. Marquis Zhang Wen of Huining should be severely punished, but how can those who colluded with him be punished lightly?! We, the nobles, have shed blood on the battlefield, how can we be humiliated by you clerks! Your Majesty, I request that this matter not be investigated by the Three Judicial Offices. Marquis Zhang Wen of Huining has concealed farmland and household registrations, which involves collusion with many local officials, and the Ministry of Revenue is also heavily implicated.”

Zhu Yunying seemed to realize something and said, "The Duke of Ying is right. This case should be thoroughly investigated."

Ru Chang lowered his head and remained silent, as if he understood. The emperor deliberately made a big fuss about this matter not only to investigate Zhang Wen, but also to clean up official corruption, to rectify officialdom, and to fully implement the land tax reform.

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