Chapter 43: Eunuch, you thief!
In the Tang Mansion in Jiyun Lane, Tang Ning slept extremely soundly, completely unaware that someone outside the door was arguing about her. While in her dream, the court was in chaos, like a frying pan exploding.
The second wave of impeachment in the court was far more ferocious than Song Hong and his companions had imagined. This time, not only the Imperial Censor Cao Dejiang, but also people from the three ministries of Zhongshu, Shangshu, and Menxia were impeached one after another. The harsh words they spoke in the court almost destroyed the reputation of Song Hong and his son for many years.
Correspondingly, Xiao Yan's behavior of beating the imperial edict, usurping the power of the Imperial Medical Bureau, threatening the Beijing Chinese Medicine Hall with the Black Armor Guards, and running rampant in the market were also seized upon by the Zhongshu Ling Lu Chongyuan and others.
"The Song family was at fault first, trespassing into Jiyun Lane and injuring someone..."
"That's no excuse for assaulting a court lady without authorization! Your Majesty, Xiao Yan relied on your Majesty's favor and used the Black Armored Guards to intimidate the imperial court and the capital. Today, he dared to coerce the Imperial Medical Bureau and the Beijing Pharmacy to not provide treatment. Tomorrow, he will dare to endanger Your Majesty and the Imperial City. Such domineering behavior must not be tolerated!"
"That old woman from the Song family is immoral and vicious, how can she be worthy of being a lady of high rank?"
"She is the grandmother of the Song family. How could it be wrong for her to teach the children of the mansion..."
"What a joke! The Song family treated their concubine as a concubine, and then allowed their son to commit murder. The old woman of the Song family even wanted to disfigure her and kill her. How can such a vicious person be worthy of being an elder?"
The two sides were arguing fiercely in the court, one accusing the Song family of being immoral, and the other scolding Xiao Yan for being arrogant.
The huge hall was like a street market. Seeing the high-ranking court officials arguing with each other until their faces turned red and their necks became thick, people were just about to roll up their sleeves and rush up to fight.
Emperor An took the golden elixir last night and spent half the night with Concubine Chen and others. The result of this indulgence was that he felt tired when he woke up early.
He was already in low spirits, worried about the golden elixir that had been newly opened and had not yet been delivered. Now, hearing the commotion below, he felt an even greater headache.
“That’s enough!”
The emperor spoke, and the crowd below instantly fell silent.
"What's all this noise?" Emperor An glanced at Xiao Yan, who was standing in the hall, seemingly watching the commotion. "Xiao Qing, you speak."
Lu Chongyuan's eyes suddenly darkened, and those who had just impeached Xiao Yan also cursed inwardly. No one knew what method this eunuch had used to make His Majesty trust him so much.
Xiao Yan walked forward leisurely, meeting everyone's gazes.
"I don't really understand what's going on." He turned to look at the man who had first impeached him. "Lord He just impeached me for assault, right?"
The man named was from the Imperial Censorate. He glanced at Lu Chongyuan, then took a step forward, holding his imperial tablet. He said righteously, "So what if I said it? Yesterday, in front of everyone, you injured the old lady of the Duke of Song's mansion and threw her on the street for the servants to humiliate her. Do you think you're going to deny it, Governor Xiao?"
"I'm not trying to deny it, but I just want to ask, where did I start?"
Censor He's expression changed: "Although it's Jiyun Lane, but..."
"Yeah, Cumulus Alley."
Before Censor He could finish his words, Xiao Yan said calmly, "I, the Governor, beat up someone who trespassed in my own residence. What's wrong with that? Or does Censor He think that your house is wide open, allowing anyone to walk in and bully your women and assault your daughters? Otherwise, if they bring people to smash and destroy things, Censor He will still respectfully escort them out?"
Censor He's face flushed: "You are just making excuses. Madam Song went to visit her daughter..."
"Did your family's visit disfigure someone, cause them to faint, or beat them until they vomited blood and lay unconscious?"
Xiao Yan's words made the man choke on his words.
"Not to mention that I haven't given the house to Miss Song yet, the Song family is wrong to trespass. Even if I really gave it to Miss Song, as the Privy Councilor, I saw someone trespassing into someone else's house and hurting people, and heard someone in the house calling for help. Can I just sit back and do nothing?"
Censor He's face turned pale and red, and he said angrily, "How can this be the same? Old Madam Song is only teaching the younger generation in the mansion a lesson."
"So the way Censor He's family disciplines their nephews and nephews is by beating them to death?"
"You!" Censor He was so angry that he was blocked, "You are obviously avoiding the topic. Even if we don't talk about the reason why Old Madam Song and Young Lady Song are together, it's no wonder that you threatened the Imperial Medical Bureau and forced the Beijing Pharmacy to stop patients from seeing patients!"
"Where does this nonsense come from?"
Xiao Yan frowned. "The Song family's men trespassed into Jiyun Lane yesterday. I was so frightened that I stayed in the mansion the entire day without leaving. How can this be called coercion or intimidation?"
Censor He almost slapped Xiao Yan in the face with a "Pah". It was clearly Xiao Yan who beat the man up and threw him out, not only breaking his hand but also ruining his reputation. He was so cruel and vicious.
How could he have the nerve to say that he was frightened? Censor He wanted to spit in his face.
"Why is Governor Xiao trying to argue? Everyone in the court knows about this..."
"Oh? Really?"
Xiao Yan raised his eyes and looked at the crowded court officials. "The Imperial Medical Bureau hasn't filed a complaint, and no one at the Beijing Pharmacy has complained. The Black Armor Guards remained in the Privy Council camp the entire day yesterday. I'm curious, is there anyone in the court who, like Censor He, knows who I've threatened?"
The court, which had been bustling with activity, became extremely quiet. Even those who had followed Censor He to impeach Xiao Yan avoided his gaze.
Xiao Yan had indeed injured Old Madam Song, and had indeed threatened the Imperial Medical Bureau not to see patients. Even the words of those pharmacies in the capital were known to everyone. But in the final analysis, these words were just spoken by a random person, relying entirely on Xiao Yan's "reputation for evil."
No letter or writing was left at the Governor's Mansion, Xiao Yan did not show up in person, and even his confidants did not go. Unless someone from the Imperial Medical Bureau is willing to file a complaint, who can prove whether this matter is true or false?
Even if there is a stubborn person in the Imperial Medical Bureau who comes out to testify, the same logic still applies. The person who delivered the message was just an insignificant servant. Xiao Yan never showed up at the Imperial Medical Bureau from beginning to end and never said a word. Even the Black Armor Guards never went to any pharmacy. They can just push a scapegoat out at that time, but the person who sued Xiao Yan is doomed.
Even though they cursed Xiao Yan in their hearts for being shameless and cunning, and their faces turned blue with anger, no one in the hall spoke a word.
"If anyone knows anything, please feel free to speak up. This Governor will not make it difficult for you."
Everyone was silent.
"No?"
After Xiao Yan finished speaking, no one spoke. He glanced at Censor He, his eyes filled with a cold mist and a hint of mockery. "Master He, is this what you call a court-wide knowledge?"
Except you, no one in the court knows about it?
Censor He turned around and looked at the people behind him in disbelief: "Master Huang, Master Lin..."
He had just opened his mouth when he saw the two people he named quickly lower their heads and take two steps back, as if they could not avoid him. There was no trace of their previous shared hatred for the enemy. Although the Minister of the Central Secretariat Lu Chongyuan, who was not far away, also had an ugly expression on his face, he did not say a word.
The color drained from Censor He's face instantly.
Xiao Yan sneered, "This Governor knows that in the past, in order to clean up the court for Your Majesty, the interests of many people were affected. I also know that some people are dissatisfied with my leadership of the Black Armor Guards and their efforts to eliminate those who dissent from Your Majesty. But I never expected that someone in the Censorate, who has always been known for his integrity and unyielding spirit, would even make such groundless accusations."
"Lord He, you're trying to slander me without even a shred of evidence, and you're using this ridiculous excuse to accuse me. Are you dissatisfied with my previous actions on behalf of His Majesty, or are you dissatisfied with His Majesty appointing me as the head of the Privy Council? So, you're willing to sacrifice your reputation as a censor just to destroy me?"
Emperor An's expression had turned cold.
Censor He was sweating profusely, his knees buckling as he knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no selfish motives. I am simply fulfilling my duties as Censor."
"Is there any concrete evidence regarding the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
"Your Majesty..." Censor He's face turned pale. "Your Majesty has only heard..."
Xiao Yan chuckled when he heard this: "When did you falsely accuse a high-ranking official in the court? All you need is hearsay."
"My Censorate has the authority to report anything it hears..."
"Then where did this rumor come from, and who reported it? You're the only one in the court who's heard it, and no one else in the capital knows about it. So, is what Lord He reported just a rumor from outside, or did you make it up yourself?"
Xiao Yan's words were so sharp and cunning that for a moment he left the usually eloquent Censor He speechless.
Emperor An's brows were tightly knitted together. He looked at the censor He who was hesitant and pale below, and he felt unhappy. Then he heard Xiao Yan say coldly:
"This Governor asks, Lord He, what are you looking at Lord Lu for? Could it be that Lord Lu gave you this wind? Or is it because of some other Lord in the court who dislikes this Governor?"
"I don't!"
Although Censor He denied it very quickly, Xiao Yan's words still made Emperor An suspicious of Lu Chongyuan and others.
Emperor An looked at Lu Chongyuan deeply and said coldly, "He Zongran, do you have any evidence to support what you said to Xiao Yan?"
Censor He opened his mouth for a long moment: "Your Majesty...your Majesty..."
"Yes, and no."
"Your humble servant... has no..."
Emperor An was so angry that he laughed when he heard this, his eyes filled with anger.
"The Imperial Censorate was established to allow you to supervise officials and enforce discipline, not to allow you to pursue personal grudges and collude to murder loyal officials. Without any concrete evidence, you have falsely accused the Privy Councilor and the highest-ranking officials in the court. I think you've had enough of your time as an Imperial Censor."
"Come here, drag this man, who is full of nonsense and selfish thoughts, away, give him thirty strokes of the cane, and demote him to the position of imperial emissary in the palace. If he does it again, there will be no mercy!"
Censor He was almost demoted to the lowest position. The Imperial Envoy in the Palace was still a Censor, but he was only an eighth-rank official, in charge of the offering ceremony in the palace and punishing those who left their posts or spoke incoherently outside the cabinet. In other words, he was just the lowest-ranking disciplinary official inside and outside the cabinet, which was a world of difference from his current position of Chief Censor, which was only one step away from him.
Censor He knelt on the ground and hoarsely said, "Your Majesty, I have not falsely accused Xiao Yan. Everything I said is true."
"He has been running rampant in the capital for a long time, and he has harmed countless people. He relied on Your Majesty's favor to deceive his superiors and subordinates. The Song family incident was all his doing. He dared to harm the imperial concubine today, but who knows if he would dare to harm Your Majesty tomorrow? Your Majesty, please do not be deceived by this treacherous eunuch."
Emperor An was so annoyed by the noise that he just wanted to go back to the palace to take the elixir.
When the imperial guards stepped forward, Censor He suddenly became anxious. He couldn't just be convicted and demoted like this. He didn't know where he got the strength to break free from the imperial guards who were dragging him, and he stood up and rushed towards the imperial steps.
"Your Majesty, everything I have said is true. Eunuch Xiao Yan has abused his power, wantonly eradicated dissidents, and wronged court officials. I simply do not want to see Your Majesty being deceived by him. Everything I have said is true. Eunuchs in power is a sign of the country's demise. Your Majesty, please think twice..."
"Shut up!"
Emperor An was instantly furious. He dared to curse him to the destruction of his country: "Come, drag him down."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am loyal to you and I am loyal to you..."
Seeing that Emperor An didn't listen to him at all, Censor He wanted to rush to the stage in desperation.
Emperor An staggered back in fear and fell on his chair. At this moment, Xiao Yan suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of Emperor An. He only said "Your Majesty, be careful" and kicked Censor He, sending him flying and hitting the pillar next to Lu Chongyuan.
After a loud "bang", the man fell down. Lu Chongyuan's face turned pale and he retreated in panic, but he had no time to dodge. He saw that Censor He spit out a mouthful of blood, which splashed onto Lu Chongyuan's official robe.
"Traitor, traitor, drag him away and beat him to death!"
Emperor An was so shocked that his face was full of anger. He looked at He Zongran who was lying on the ground like a dead fish and cursed loudly.
Lu Chongyuan stepped forward with his bloody official boots: "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable. Censor He only lost his composure in a moment of desperation. Your Majesty, you cannot beat him to death..."
Xiao Yan stood before Emperor An and said, "He called Your Majesty a king who lost his country because of impatience. He frightened Your Majesty in front of the palace and nearly injured Your Majesty's body because of a momentary loss of composure. Does Secretary Lu think that he will be called a traitor only when he holds a knife to Your Majesty's neck?"
Emperor An was also extremely angry. When He Zongran rushed over just now, he was frightened and almost fell off the dragon throne. This loss of composure made him furious: "This thief is talking nonsense in front of the palace, drag him down..."
Lu Chongyuan shouted, "Your Majesty, you can't do that!"
Emperor An looked at Lu Chongyuan fiercely: "Why not? He cursed me for the destruction of my country and deserved death. Or do you also think that I am the king who destroyed my country?"
Lu Chongyuan didn't want to confront Emperor An head-on, but He Zongran couldn't die.
The impeachment of Xiao Yan today was originally initiated by the Lu family, and He Zongran was the first to be impeached in the court with his instructions.
If it was just a demotion, he could still think of other ways to make up for it and not lose the support of the people. But if He Zongran really died in front of the palace, who would dare to conspire with their family in the future, and who would dare to listen to him as the Minister of the Central Secretariat?
"I dare not."
Lu Chongyuan said he didn't dare, but his back was straight as he held the white jade tablet in his hand.
He had a light fish bag on his waist and spoke in a very firm tone.
"Censor He's misconduct in the palace is indeed a crime and should be punished, but the reason for this is that the Censorate is responsible for reporting on rumors. Although the impeachment has not been proven, if he is accused of being executed for criticizing a court official, who will dare to speak out in the future? Moreover, the Censorate is supposed to criticize and correct wrongdoing, and all officials are intimidated by this threat. If Your Majesty executes Censor He for impeaching Governor Xiao, it will surely lead to criticism from the people and damage Your Majesty's reputation."
"Censor He is guilty and deserves punishment, but his crime does not warrant the death penalty. I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
As soon as Lu Chongyuan finished speaking, the court officials from aristocratic families also spoke up.
"Mr. Lu's words make sense. Censor He was simply doing his job. Although he made mistakes, his crime is not punishable by death."
"I second the motion. Censor He's indiscretion in front of the palace is understandable. Your Majesty, please reconsider."
"If Your Majesty beats the censor to death during the court session, I'm afraid people will criticize you."
"Your Majesty, please think twice!"
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
Emperor An looked at the people who came forward one after another. Half of the court was kneeling behind Lu Chongyuan. He was so angry that his throat was gasping for breath, and he was on the verge of rage.
The other court officials looked at each other for a moment, and couldn't help but look at the Imperial Doctor Cao Dejiang.
Cao Dejiang pursed his lips tightly and looked extremely unhappy. Although He Zongran spoke on behalf of the Lu family, it was indeed not appropriate for people from the Censorate to be killed for impeachment. Otherwise, once this precedent was set, the Censorate would be obstructed everywhere. However, he couldn't plead for He Zongran. He Zongran impeached Xiao Yan with selfish motives, and the Lu family was not a good family either.
He remained silent, and several other old ministers in the court also frowned and did not speak for a while. Seeing their silence, those ministers from humble backgrounds also quieted down.
Seeing Emperor An's face livid at the hands of those courtiers from aristocratic families, and him isolated and helpless, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke up, "Your Majesty, what Secretary Lu said does make some sense."
Emperor An looked at him fiercely: "Xiao hates you!"
"Your Majesty, please let me finish what I have to say."
Xiao Yan soothed the furious Emperor An with a gentle voice, "It is the duty of the Censorate to impeach court officials. Although I have been wronged, I do not want Your Majesty to break the rules of court for me. However, Your Majesty cannot be forgiven lightly for the offense you have suffered. Secretary Lu just said that Lord He's misbehavior in front of the palace is indeed a crime and deserves punishment. Why not change the punishment?"
Emperor An was stunned: "Change it?"
Xiao Yan raised his lip, "As Your Majesty has said before, I will punish him with thirty strokes of the cane and demotion from office. I will also have Censor He receive ten lashes of the cane daily in front of the palace and recite the Five Classics. This will not only help him remember his mistakes today and discipline himself, but also serve as a warning to the rest of the court to avoid committing such misconduct and reckless remarks again and to remember the ways of a minister."
"Your Majesty, what do you think of this punishment?"
When Emperor An heard this, he suddenly looked strange, but in a moment his anger subsided and he almost laughed.
"Your idea is good. I am a lenient person. It is indeed not easy to beat the censor to death. So I will do as you say. I will give him a small punishment and a big warning. Let him remember this lesson."
The faces of Lu Chongyuan and others below were as black as the bottom of a pot.
Ten lashes would not hurt any bones, and reciting the Five Classics of Confucianism was a piece of cake for someone who had been studying since childhood. However, the place and method of execution were extremely humiliating. It was like tearing off He Zongran's face and stepping on it on the ground. For He Zongran, it would be worse than killing him.
Seeing He Zongran just waking up from the pain, but then spitting out a mouthful of blood and fainting, Lu Chongyuan said anxiously: "Your Majesty, this method is not acceptable."
"Lu Zhongshu, you can't do this, and you can't do that. So what do you want?"
On the stage, Xiao Yan's beautiful face was slightly tinged with coldness, and the slight raise of the corners of her eyes was very puzzling.
"Your Majesty has already forgiven Lord He as you wished, and this Governor will not pursue the matter further. What else do you want? Do you want Your Majesty to suffer Lord He's curse and wrath for the destruction of the nation in vain? Or does Secretary Lu share Lord He's thoughts and believe that our Great Wei will perish?"
Lu Chongyuan: “…”
Eunuch!
Thief!!
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