Chapter 250 The Battle Begins
Since Chang Yi came to Kyoto, Chen Shiyi has become very busy.
Sometimes I come back very late at night.
Pei Luoshu wondered why she was busier than me?
Once, after dinner, Chen Shiyi pulled Pei Luoshu into the study.
"A Luo, you know, I have my own information channels in the suburbs of Beijing. At that time, I just wanted to find out the different habits of using silver in each place. But recently, Chang Yi and I checked together. There is a yard in the northern suburbs of Beijing. It has been empty for several years. In fact, it is not a big deal. What is puzzling is that there are often a lot of footprints and horse prints on the road leading there."
"As for Bo Yuan, when he was drinking in the Crane Tower, he also discovered that Shen Wuyang often went to the northern suburbs, and Shen Wuyang was a very important subordinate of Uncle Ninth Prince, so the place he often went to must be Uncle Ninth Prince's territory. You can send someone to check there to see if there is any handle on Uncle Ninth Prince. Maybe he is hiding some secrets there."
Chen Shiyi opened the paper where she had written her notes.
"Also, Shen Wuyang revealed that every six months, Uncle Ninth Prince would go to a county town called Jiyun. I don't know what's there. Send someone to check it out."
Pei Luoshu looked at Chen Shiyi quietly.
Chen Shiyi raised his eyes and asked doubtfully.
"What's wrong?"
Pei Luoshu smiled.
"You've been busy lately, are you busy with these things?"
"Um."
"I've already told you that I'll take care of his affairs myself. You should take good care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."
Chen Shiyi shook his head.
"A Luo, I better go do something, otherwise I'll start to have wild thoughts."
Pei Luoshu lowered his eyes slightly after hearing this.
"Eleven, I'll do it as soon as possible."
Chen Shiyi pursed his lips and smiled.
"If I had known earlier, I would have just asked my superiors for some money. Now that I have this status, I can't make money openly. After all, officials should not compete with the people for profit. If it weren't for this status restricting me, I would have opened many shops in Kyoto and made a lot of money. I would have felt so accomplished."
Pei Luoshu pinched the tip of her nose.
"Yes, no one is as good as you. You already have many businesses on hand, and there is no need to open up new ones. How about doing something else?"
Chen Shiyi blinked.
"What?"
"Do what you love most besides making money."
"Then let me think about it carefully."
The next day when he went to court, Pei Luoshu began to be impeached by the historian.
"When Pei Tongzhi was in office in Jiangzhou, he dug the then Black Wind Gorge without authorization. The river behind the Black Wind Gorge does not belong to Jiangzhou. The lower reaches of the Michang River belong to Qingzhou. Jiangzhou and Qingzhou did not have any consultation at the time. Moreover, in the case of floods, if the governor of Jiangzhou did not operate properly and diverted the floods to Qingzhou, and something irreversible happened, how would the matter be punished? It is the greatest dereliction of duty for an official to bring disaster to another place. Your Majesty, please convict Mr. Pei of the crime of dereliction of duty."
Suddenly there was an uproar in the court.
Someone in the court immediately responded.
"The situation was urgent at the time, and the flood was rampant. If no timely treatment was provided, the people downstream of Jiangzhou would be threatened by the flood and would be displaced and homeless. Isn't this the most important duty of an official? As the saying goes, we should act according to the emergency rather than the discretion. The people should be put first in everything. How could Yu Shitai not distinguish right from wrong and insist on being such a wicked person?"
"If every prefecture is like Pei Tongzhi, not following the court's system and acting arbitrarily, then if everyone in the court follows suit, what is the use of the laws we have enacted?"
"The laws of the court are also compiled by officials. Since they are man-made, they can certainly be changed. If deficiencies are found, it is not impossible to revise them in time."
"Then, since it has not been amended, it must be implemented according to the current laws. Moreover, Pei Tongzhi's case is an isolated case and cannot be regarded as a general case."
"Then according to what Yu Shitai said, even if Lord Pei did good things for the people of the world, he would be punished for not reporting according to the normal procedures. Then, who among the officials of Daye would be willing to make great achievements for Daye in the future? Who would choose to protect themselves in the future? With such officials and such a court system, it would be stagnant. How could Daye become a rich and powerful country?"
"After secretly excavating the Black Wind Canyon, Pei Tongzhi launched a petition from the people. Was he unwilling to give in? Was he deliberately provoking the people to get a bigger reward? Or was he trying to cover up his own crimes?"
"Even without the people's petition, Lord Pei's achievements are still great. His Majesty will naturally commend and reward him. Why would he need to resort to trickery? Moreover, Lord Pei did not ask the Ministry of Revenue for any money. He completed the digging of the canyon out of his own pocket. It can be seen how critical the situation was at the time."
"So, how did Pei Tongzhi afford these tens of thousands of taels of silver?"
The two groups kept arguing, and the more the emperor listened, the darker his face became.
In the hall, Wen Zhiheng, Pei Luoshu, and Long Muchuan all looked at their ears, noses, mouths, and hearts, as if it had nothing to do with them.
Especially Pei Luoshu, it was as if the person they were arguing with was not himself.
Everyone was incredibly calm.
In the study, the emperor's face was livid, the floor was wet, and several tea bowls were broken.
"Zhiheng, is this your method?"
Long Muchuan sneered on the side.
"I don't know how the Prime Minister got to his current position step by step. His methods of dealing with people are so despicable. Not only did this fail to suppress him, but it also alarmed him. They will definitely be more on guard now..."
Wen Zhiheng smiled lightly.
"What's the hurry?"
The two looked at each other, very confused.
"What if we let him be proud for a few days?"
"Once a person becomes arrogant, he will inevitably become complacent and lax. In the future, a small thing can kill him. Powerful forces are eaten away bit by bit. After all, a dam that can hold back a flood cannot be built in a day. For hunters, patience is the most important thing when dealing with prey!"
When His Majesty saw Wen Zhiheng, who was confident in his plans, his anxiety eased a little and his expression gradually returned to its amiable state.
"Then I will wait for Zhiheng's good news."
Wen Zhiheng bowed and took his leave, then turned around. A faint streak of purple passed through the vermilion door frame. He looked back and saw the scorching sun burning this most decadent and dirty place.
He lowered his eyes slightly and walked out of the palace slowly.
Outside the palace gate, Qingsong was guarding the door and put an outer robe on him.
"Bai Songlin has already given in."
Wen Zhiheng replied nonchalantly.
"Well, that's easy."
When Wen Zhiheng returned to Lingyun Pavilion, he saw Bai Songlin standing at the door with his head slightly lowered. After seeing Wen Zhiheng, he lowered his head even more.
"Sit down."
Bai Songlin found a chair and sat down.
"How much did you embezzle while working at the gold mine?"
He lowered his head even more sharply.
“I can’t remember.”
"When Wen Zhirou was Bai Bo's wife, I suppressed this matter for you, but you should understand that she and you have already divorced. If this matter is brought up again, I will not protect you."
"I see."
"You have no power or position now, and you only have a title bestowed by your ancestors. If you still want to seek an official position in the court, then you must do as I say. Otherwise, you will have to live like this for the rest of your life, standing at the gate of Rou'er's yard every day to beg for reconciliation. Do you think she will agree or not?"