Chapter 357 What a ruthless move!
Speaking of Jiang Chengye, the emperor sighed, "Your grandfather worried himself sick over him back then, and now it's your turn."
Jiang Yu gave a wry smile and then said, "However, my father has been very well-behaved since my grandfather passed away. He only left the manor this time because he was annoyed by the concubine's crying and thought of going to the Lu family to inquire about the situation."
"You may rise," the emperor waved his hand. "I hope he will tolerate what you say."
Jiang Yu stood up, but the emperor waved for him to sit down. Then he looked at the crown prince and said, "This action was too reckless. He killed someone without even asking what happened."
“That Ren Guanfei often acts arrogantly outside, using the names of the Marquis of Qingshan and your son. I have long wanted to teach him a lesson. Today, I heard that he has killed an official of the court, and in a fit of anger, I… I lost my temper,” the Crown Prince said.
"That was far too reckless. You are hereby punished to reflect on your actions within your residence for a month." The emperor's voice was calm, and it was impossible to tell whether he believed the crown prince's words.
"Thank you, Father Emperor." The Crown Prince kowtowed in gratitude. The Emperor waved for him to rise, then looked at the Prime Minister in silence for a long time before saying:
"My dear Minister Pei, since you entered the cabinet and became prime minister, I have always known of your diligence and dedication to public service, and I believe that your loyalty to the emperor and love for the people are as clear as day. However, what happened today—"
The emperor lightly tapped his fingertips on the imperial desk, his voice suddenly deepening. "You, Changsun, have disregarded human life. As an example for all officials, instead of upholding the law and upholding discipline, you have acted to cover up and protect others. This not only betrays the trust I have placed in you for so many years, but also disgraces the plaque in front of the Prime Minister's residence that reads 'Regulating Yin and Yang,' and is a disgrace to the heavens that all the people of the world look up to!"
"Your subject is guilty," the Prime Minister hurriedly kowtowed.
The emperor stared silently at the prime minister's prostrate body. In the past, he would have believed that the prime minister was sincerely admitting his mistake, but now that he knew about the prime minister's relationship with the Prince of Lingnan, he did not believe it at all.
"Tap tap tap..."
The emperor tapped his fingers on the table repeatedly, remaining silent for a long time. The prime minister kneeling below was truly nervous. If the emperor were rational, he wouldn't dismiss him from his post at this moment. But anything could happen; what if the emperor wanted to uproot him completely now?
If that were the case, he wasn't without the means and resources to resist, but he didn't want to confront the emperor directly at this time, or rather, he never wanted to confront the emperor directly.
After an unknown amount of time, the Emperor's voice rang out, "Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. Pei Qitang, as an official of the court, disregards the law and has secretly harmed the lives of ordinary people. He has betrayed the Emperor's favor and disappointed the people. If he is not severely punished, how can we silence the public's criticism? He is hereby handed over to the Ministry of Justice for deliberation. According to the law, he should be executed by being torn apart by chariots to uphold the law of the land!"
The Prime Minister suddenly looked up. He knew Pei Qitang would inevitably be executed, but he hadn't expected the Emperor to sentence him to dismemberment by five horses. What was dismemberment by five horses? Simply put, it meant being torn apart by five horses.
He didn't feel sorry for Pei Qitang, but the punishment of being torn apart by five horses was a blatant slap in the face. The emperor was trying to gradually diminish his prestige while simultaneously intimidating the officials who depended on him.
That's a ruthless move!
"It is my fault for failing to discipline my son properly, resulting in such an unworthy son in my family. He has disgraced the grace of the emperor and the dignity of the court!" The prime minister touched his forehead to the ground and continued, "As the prime minister, I should lead all officials to abide by the law. Yet I have allowed my rebellious son to trample on the royal decree. I am merely occupying a position without performing my duties and my crime is unforgivable! I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire and return to my hometown to atone for my sins to the people!"
This is threatening the emperor with resignation.
........
The room was deathly quiet!
Did the emperor intend to punish the prime minister for this? Of course he did. Although he had no evidence of the prime minister's treason, the mere fact that he was the uncle of the Prince of Lingnan was enough to warrant the extermination of his entire family.
But precisely because he was the Prince of Lingnan's maternal uncle, the emperor had to be cautious. Now was not the time to wage war against the Prince of Lingnan. Moreover, the prime minister had cultivated his position in the court for many years; if he were to suddenly retire, it would inevitably cause considerable upheaval within the court.
If the Prince of Lingnan were to launch an attack at this time, it wouldn't necessarily lead to the downfall of the Great Gan dynasty, but it would still cause considerable trouble. However, the emperor was unwilling to simply execute Pei Qitang.
"Minister Jiang, what do you think of this matter?" the emperor asked Jiang Yu with a gloomy face.
Jiang Yu knew the emperor was looking for a way out, so he immediately offered one, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Prime Minister Pei has served in the cabinet for twenty years, and his contributions to the administration are evident to all. With his busy schedule and tireless efforts, it's inevitable that he's had less time to discipline his children. 'A son's lack of filial piety is the father's fault,' and Pei Qitang's father's failure to properly educate his son makes his responsibility even greater."
The Emperor nodded, signaling her to continue. Jiang Yu then said, "In my opinion, Pei Qitang should be executed according to the law to uphold justice, and his father should be stripped of his official rank and fined to pay his salary. As for Prime Minister Pei..."
She paused, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the Prime Minister's back trembling slightly as he lay prostrate on the ground, and then said, "His loyalty and diligence over the years are evident. Why not let him handle affairs while he is atoneing for his crimes, and see how he behaves afterward?"
After hearing her words, the emperor tapped his fingers on the table in silence. After a long while, he finally said, "Let's follow Minister Jiang's suggestion."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty," the Prime Minister said immediately.
"Okay, you may leave."
The emperor waved his hand, and the prime minister stood up shakily, bowed deeply to the emperor again, and then left the imperial study. In that instant as he turned, his eyes met Jiang Yu's. He expected to see smugness in Jiang Yu's eyes; after all, Jiang Yu had won this battle decisively.
But no, Jiang Yu's gaze was calm, as if nothing had happened. He lowered his eyelids, concealing the expression in his eyes.
Today's outcome was both within his expectations and unexpected. Pei Qitang's execution and the emperor's reluctance to punish him at this time were both within his expectations. However, his son's dismissal and Prince Rui's proposal to have the Court of Judicial Review investigate Lu Peichen's death were unexpected.
It's just unknown whether today's events were entirely within Jiang Yu's expectations.
...
Inside the imperial study, the Crown Prince watched the Prime Minister leave, unsure whether he should stay or leave. Seeing his hesitation, the Emperor frowned and said, "Go back and reflect on your actions in seclusion."
"yes."
The Crown Prince bowed and withdrew, leaving only Jiang Yu and the Emperor in the room. The Emperor picked up his cup, took a sip of tea, and then looked at Jiang Yu, asking, "Tell me what happened."
Jiang Yu was taken aback, then understood. The emperor wasn't stupid; the seemingly unrelated events of Chancellor Changsun committing murder and Lu Peichen's death, when combined, indicated that things were not simple.
When faced with a smart person, Jiang Yu didn't try to play tricks; she simply recounted what had happened.
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