Chapter 2100 Question
There were many things to do at the beginning of spring. After the emperor dealt with them one by one, he called the governor Niu and Yang Heshu, who were waiting in the side hall, to come to see him.
Manbao and County Magistrate Tang sat up straight at the same time and looked ahead with concern.
Yang Heshu followed Governor Niu in and knelt down to pay his respects.
The emperor sat at the head of the table, looking at the two men gravely. He asked, "Xiazhou is experiencing a raging smallpox outbreak. What do you two have to say?"
Governor Niu paused. Before the Dali Temple officials came to Xiazhou in person, he was thinking of accusing Yang Heshu of insubordination and dividing the blame equally with him.
But the Dali Temple officials went to Xiazhou in person, saying they were investigating, but in fact they were escorting the father and son. He vaguely understood the attitude of the capital.
I'm afraid the Yang family is operating in the court.
In terms of connections and friendship with His Majesty, Yang is naturally more prestigious, so Governor Niu was very quiet along the way. He couldn't be that stupid to be able to reach the position of Governor.
He was just used to the fact that the emperor was far away, Xiazhou was desolate, and not close to the capital, but he didn't expect to meet Yang Heshu, who had a strong background and was a stickler for details.
Kneeling here at this moment, thinking of his youngest son who was still imprisoned in the Dali Temple, he knew that there was no escape. Moreover, he also had some understanding of the current situation and knew that shirking responsibility would only make him more angry.
So Governor Niu immediately kowtowed and confessed his guilt, saying that it was because he had failed to manage the inner house well and educate his son well, which led to the outbreak of smallpox in Xiazhou.
Hearing him evade the main point, Old Master Tang could not help but snort coldly. He then asked on behalf of the Emperor, "Governor Niu, when did Niu Kang's concubine, Hu Ji, invite a doctor?"
He was an expert in criminal cases, so I didn't bother arguing with him. I just asked about the key points and sorted out the matter. The officials sitting in the grand court would think for themselves.
Governor Niu paused and was unable to answer for a moment.
Old Master Tang snorted again, then stood up and walked into the hall and asked Yang Heshu, "County Magistrate Yang, tell me."
Yang Heshu replied, "I'll invite you to the doctor on September 18th."
"When did Hu Ji die?"
"The night of September 20th."
Old Tang asked Governor Niu, "Governor Niu, do you know when your son had a fever and smallpox and asked for the doctor's help?"
Governor Niu paused and said, "Early morning of September 22nd."
"When did the doctor suspect it was smallpox?"
Governor Niu clenched his fists in his sleeves and replied, "That day."
"Do you know what the doctor said? Did they quarantine your son? Did they report it to the county government? Did they prohibit him from contacting anyone? Did they also identify and restrict the people in your home who had contact with him?"
Governor Niu lowered his head in silence for a moment before knocking it to the ground. "I am guilty. I shouldn't have pitied my young son and harbored such a lucky mentality..."
"Governor Niu, Niu Kang left for Chunfeng Tower at 5 p.m. on September 23rd, but didn't return home until noon on the 24th. He spent the entire night and half a day hanging out with someone in Chunfeng Tower. Why didn't your Niu family send someone to look for him?"
Governor Niu's face turned pale.
The emperor was so angry that he slammed the table. Governor Niu immediately said, "I know I am wrong. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"While the punishment must be meted out, the officials must also understand why it is being meted out," Wei Zhi interjected quietly, "Your Majesty, what Yang Heshu and the Imperial Hospital said is correct. We should learn from the incident and avoid making such mistakes again. The 2,289 people who died in this way would have been of little value."
The emperor then looked at Old Master Tang and said, "Mr. Tang, please continue asking."
Old Lord Tang responded and continued to question Governor Niu and Yang Heshu. He asked about everything from the time Niu Kang fell ill, to the time the doctor first thought it was smallpox, to the time a doctor went to the county government to report it, and to Yang Heshu's subsequent responses. He asked about everything, no matter how big or small.
There were other officials from the Censorate checking for omissions and filling in the gaps, and the questioning lasted for more than an hour.
In the end, the emperor and the officials did not directly convict the two men, but instead withdrew from the court.
The emperor summoned important officials such as Wei Zhi and Old Tang to discuss matters in the study. The others withdrew from the court, but Yang Heshu and Governor Niu remained in the palace to listen to the announcement.
Manbao walked over to Yang Heshu, gave him all the snacks she had stuffed in her purse that morning, and whispered, "Eat some if you're hungry."
County Magistrate Tang also offered him his snacks and whispered, "It seems His Majesty isn't too angry with you. With luck, we should have a result today or tomorrow."
Yang Heshu collected their things and nodded slightly, "I know, you don't have to worry."
The results came out quickly. Manbao had lunch at the Imperial Hospital, applied for leave with Imperial Physician Liu, and then went to the harem to see Mingda and Changyu first, then took them with him to see the Crown Princess and the Emperor's grandson. Before he left the palace, a well-informed eunuch arrived with a report: "Prefect Niu has been sent to the Dali Temple's Tianlao, and Lord Yang has been reprimanded, but I heard he might be promoted to Prefect of Xiazhou."
In fact, the emperor was hesitant because he couldn't find a suitable person to take over Xiazhou.
Xiazhou is now severely damaged, and it will definitely take a long time to recover. Capable officials can only be transferred from other places, but the transfer will also have an impact on other places.
He discussed with Wei Zhi and others for a long time, but in the end they still couldn't find a suitable candidate because there were still too few talented people.
In the end, it was Old Tang who suggested Yang Heshu.
The emperor then said, "I have heard that many local gentry in Xiazhou were killed or injured. Many of them resent him for sealing off the city and cutting off their escape routes. If he continues to stay in Xiazhou, I am afraid it will be disadvantageous to him."
Letting a person who is resented by Xiazhou be the governor of Xiazhou would be very detrimental to the local construction and development, and the emperor did not want this to happen.
Moreover, the emperor had heard that when the city was closed, some people attacked Yang Heshu and his wife and children in order to leave the city, so even if it was to protect him and his family, he was inclined to transfer those people away.
Yang Heshu was still young. Although he had committed the taboo of rebellion this time, he did it for the greater good. The emperor still trusted his personal ability and character and wanted to train him.
Old Master Tang sensed the emperor's appreciation for talent and after a pause said, "Your Majesty, why don't you ask County Magistrate Yang?"
He said, "The resentment in Xiazhou is actually quite easy to resolve. The culprit is the Niu family, and a little guidance is all that's needed. Public opinion in this matter isn't difficult to manipulate. Furthermore, County Magistrate Yang is familiar with Xiazhou affairs. He's been acting as the governor for the past four months, so I believe there's no one more suitable."
Wei Zhi also said, "Your Majesty, why not ask him? If he is willing, this experience will bring him no less benefits than going to the Jiangnan area. Although Xiazhou is desolate, it is below Fengzhou and is the most important checkpoint between the east, west, south and north. It will not be a disadvantage for Yang Heshu's talents."
He knew that the emperor had previously wanted to transfer Yang Heshu to Jiangnan to use him to deal with the remaining ties of the various aristocratic families in Jiangnan, where illegal salt was rampant and also difficult to manage.
But Wei Zhi also felt that Yang Heshu was more suitable for Xiazhou at this time.
See you at 6pm
(End of this chapter)
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