Isn't this just partisanship?
Xu Jiang asked, "The sage doesn't care?"
"I can't do anything about it. The imperial edict was issued after the emperor's approval. If we stop it now, it will undermine the emperor's authority. Moreover, the various government offices have already started to make a fuss, and the court has officials such as the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and Minister Kou working together. It will be difficult to suppress it easily."
"Don't these officials commit dereliction of duty or abuse of power? If they can investigate, can't we do it too?" As soon as he said this, Xu Jiang figured it out. The most suitable person to investigate would be Lou Yunchun. Now that he has been suspended, who should investigate?
I think they had already calculated this, so they tried to stop Lou Yunchun first.
Xu Jiang was silent for a moment, then asked, "What is Zhaoyue's current situation?"
"He's offended quite a few people since entering the Dali Temple. Last time, because of the Du Hui incident, he completely offended the Censorate. Now, they've all submitted a petition demanding his dismissal. However, the Zhongshu Ling rejected the request, and the emperor is also delaying the matter, waiting for a better situation before taking action."
Master Lin saw Xu Jiang's worry and said, "Don't worry, he was promoted by the Saint and the Three Masters. He won't be brought down so easily."
How can we not be worried? This incident has obviously been planned for a long time. Now that Lou Yunchun is under control, how can they give up easily?
Xu Jiang noticed that Master Lin looked a little tired and asked with concern, "How about you? Did they give you any trouble?"
Master Lin shook his head. "I've only just entered the court, and my position isn't likely to be implicated. Besides, there's no previous case to reopen, so I'm relatively safe. However, many people are taking this opportunity to bring up the matter of Zhao Xiu's fraud, reporting that the emperor has been too lenient with Lord Lou and Lord Yuan, and demanding that they be severely punished."
Xu Jiang clenched her fists. "In the end, they're still trying to restore the old system. They're even willing to disrupt the court for this. These people are simply insane!"
"The previous emperor intended to reduce the power of the aristocracy, so he used an iron fist to reform the imperial examination system. Over the past few decades, the new system has sharply reduced the number of aristocrats who can serve in the court. The five major families have lost much of their power and wealth and are on the verge of decline."
Master Lin's half-life tragedy was caused by the previous emperor's exploitation, but he had to admit that as a king, only by using thundering means and a ruthless heart could he suppress these complex and clique-based aristocratic forces.
"The current sage is gentle, and his methods are not as forceful as those of the previous emperor. Moreover, he has only been on the throne for eight years, and his foundation is not yet solid. The nobles still have the strength to fight now. If they wait until the sage's power grows, they will be forced to watch their families fall and perish. Therefore, they would rather ignite factional strife to eliminate dissidents and place their own people in power, waiting for the right moment to restore the old order."
Throughout history, the gentry and imperial power have always been interdependent and defensive. In times of chaos, the gentry can support a new king, but in times of prosperity, the gentry becomes a major threat to governing the country.
Xu Jiang felt powerless in the court struggle, "Is there no way to break the deadlock?"
"Yes, but you'll have to wait."
"Waiting for what?"
"Wait for the impeached court officials to fight back." These court officials were at a disadvantage because they were killed without warning. Those who are in the officialdom are not fools, and they will not sit and wait for death.
Counterattack? A light flashed in Xu Jiang's mind.
"Just now, Master said that someone in the court submitted a petition requesting severe sentencing for Mr. Yuan and Mr. Lou?"
Master Lin nodded.
Xu Jiang suppressed his trembling, exhaled slowly, and said in a deep voice: "This may be the turning point that the saint wants."
It was almost dusk when Xu Jiang came out of Nanshan Academy. She looked in the direction of Dali Temple, but finally resisted the urge to go and visit it, and returned to the bookstore.
Liang Mo had already returned home. The bookstore was dark and quiet. It was not a big shop, but it looked desolate and empty because there was no one there.
Yue Nu heard the door open, crawled up from the corner, rubbed against Xu Jiang's feet, and spoke to her in a coquettish manner.
"Hungry?"
Yue Nu rubbed her feet.
Xu Jiang picked it up and flicked its forehead. "Don't say anything. Just starve to death."
Yue Nu shook her head and rubbed her chin against her hand.
Xu Jiang laughed, "He's used to manipulating people." Then she murmured, "I wonder if he's doing well in the Dali Temple."
Although Master Lin said that Lou Yunchun was fine and he was awaiting trial in his own territory, Xu Jiang was still worried.
Yue Nu rubbed her hand with his teeth. She came back to her senses and pinched his ears. "I know. I won't let you starve."
There were also some small crucian carp and loach in the tank, which were its food. Xu Jiang cut two of each and stewed them for the cat, and simply cooked a bowl of noodle soup for herself. The man and the cat ate it quietly.
The next day, Yue Nu's food rations were only half left.
Xu Jiang prepared a dish of braised crucian carp with green onions, a dish of braised chicken with soy sauce, a dish of mixed amaranth, a pot of oily wheat rice, a bowl of pork bone and lychee stew, and a pot of rice wine, and sent them to the Dali Temple.
When the guard saw her carrying a food box, he knew why she came.
"Please help deliver it to Lord Lou."
"My lady is thoughtful."
"Excuse me, is he okay?"
"It's fine, don't worry, my lady. In our own territory, no one dares to disrespect you."
Xu Jiang felt relieved and said with a smile, "That's good."
The guard's eyes held a hint of anticipation. "Madam, do you have any message for the Lord?"
Xu Jiang shook her head. Then, noticing several mosquito bites on the guard's neck, she asked, "How many mosquitoes are there in the Dali Temple?"
What kind of question was that? The guard was a little confused, but still answered, "Since the beginning of summer, there have been more than usual."
Xu Jiang nodded, then bowed to him and walked away with the donkey.
That's all? The guard grabbed the bag around his neck and handed the lunch box to Lou Yunchun.
Lou Yunchun was confined to the Dali Temple's office. In the past few days, the Dali Temple Minister and the Censorate took turns interrogating him, but they couldn't find anything.
There were no errors in the judgments of the three cases he was involved in. Some of them were disputes over regulations or the severity of sentencing. This would not be a problem in normal times. The criminals were all extremely evil and treacherous. With conclusive evidence, exile and beheading could be decided by the county magistrate.
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