Hearing this, beads of sweat appeared on Li Mingfu's forehead. He bowed his head and said respectfully, "I understand. Please rest assured, Master Secret Guard." After sending this mysterious visitor away, Li Mingfu fell into deep thought...
The next morning, the sun shone brightly, but the atmosphere in the imperial court was unusually solemn. Prime Minister Li Mingfu solemnly addressed the Emperor, "Your Majesty! Yuqing Governor Li Mingjie has performed poorly in disaster relief efforts and has failed to effectively assist the victims. I implore Your Majesty to punish him severely!"
These words were like a huge rock dropped into a lake, stirring up a thousand waves. The officials in the court were all shocked upon hearing this. After all, Li Mingjie was Li Mingfu's cousin! Was Li Mingfu's act a traitor to his own family for the sake of justice? Everyone looked at each other, speculating secretly.
Emperor Wen narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at Li Mingfu, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Then let him serve as the chief clerk in Yuqing!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the court erupted in an uproar. Although this chief clerk was a minor official, he was a world apart from the former fourth-rank Yuqing prefect. The crown prince was stunned; he had never expected Emperor Wen to make such a decision. He opened his mouth to say something, but the prime minister gave him a disarming look, and he swallowed the words back.
At this moment, the Third Prince stepped out of the group, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty! While the inadequacy of the disaster relief efforts was certainly a mistake, it wasn't a heinous crime. Why demote Li Mingjie to the ninth rank? Isn't this punishment too harsh?"
However, Li Mingfu responded righteously, "Since its founding, Dazhao has always been committed to caring for the suffering of the people. Li Mingjie dared to neglect the people and deserved his punishment! I believe your Majesty's handling of the matter is appropriate!"
The corners of Emperor Wen's mouth twitched slightly, a barely perceptible smile flickering across his face. Seeing this, Eunuch Gao, standing nearby, immediately shouted, "Dismiss the court!" With this cry, the ministers in the court rose and respectfully left the palace. The turmoil had, for the time being, come to an end.
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