But the emperor had his reasons for asking this question at this time.
Although Chu Yi had no respect for the emperor and his father, it was not a good idea for him to offend the emperor at this time.
After all, it was his planning that allowed the refugees to mess up the entire Anyang city.
Out of kindness, at most he would be charged with dereliction of duty.
Anyway, the emperor can't take away his position as Shangshu.
Chu Yi said:
"The entire Bei'an Prefecture is in cahoots with the imperial court, deceiving the emperor and their superiors. This is a serious crime. As the head of the Ministry of Personnel, I have indeed committed dereliction of duty."
Seeing that Chu Yi was so obedient today, Xiao Ling, who had originally wanted to find an excuse to deal with Chu Yi, was a little surprised.
However, seeing Chu Yi's attitude, she didn't bother to worry too much and continued to speak.
"In that case, I will fine you one year's salary. What do you think, Lord Chu?"
"I accept my guilt and thank you!"
The more Xiao Ling faced Chu Yi's neither humble nor arrogant attitude, the more puzzled she became.
However, when she thought of the 10 million taels of silver that the rebels in Anyang City had taken away, her heart bled.
After thinking for a moment, he added with some anticipation, "Also, twenty strokes of the cane!"
Chu Yi: “?”
He was just being polite and fining the salary as a token of his respect, but why did the little emperor want to go even further?
Twenty strokes of the cane. You think spanking is fun, right?
Although he didn't know where the little emperor got the courage to talk to him today, his face was already ugly because he was just watching the show and was recommending an official from his faction to take the position.
He took a step forward and spoke in a cold voice:
"Your Majesty, I have been weak since childhood and I am afraid I cannot withstand this punishment!"
The attitude in his words clearly showed that he was disobeying the emperor's order.
When the officials behind saw that Lord Chu had angered the emperor so much, they hesitated and stood up straight, looking at each other.
Xiao Ling's face also darkened.
How dare this traitor disobey me so openly?
Although beating him with a stick was just a whim on her part, Chu Yi's attitude really made her extremely angry.
She had originally thought that if Chu Yi was willing to admit his guilt, she would then forgive him half of it and just give him ten strokes of the board as a token of her respect.
What a surprise! Chu Yi actually disobeyed the order.
Before Xiao Ling could reply, Chu Yan stood up.
"Your Majesty, my brother is a civil official after all. Twenty strokes of the cane are indeed a bit too severe. It is really unworthy of Your Majesty's benevolent demeanor!"
This time, Xiao Ling clearly saw murderous intent in Chu Yan's eyes.
That look seemed to be saying, if you dare to hit my brother's butt today, I will rebel tomorrow and repay you tenfold.
After all, it was the first time that Xiao Ling saw such a rebellious look at the morning court. For a moment, the dissatisfaction in his heart was immediately deflated.
Her clenched fists showed her inner reluctance and depression, but she had to give in.
"In that case, I think Lord Chu was just negligent in his duties and didn't do anything serious, so let it go."
"Regarding the matter of the refugees in Anyang, if I remember correctly, Lord Chu seemed to have gone to Anyang City that day. Lord Chu, would you like to explain this matter to me?"
He casually glossed over the matter of caning, and Xiao Ling got to the point.
When asked about this, Chu Yi was naturally prepared and immediately showed a look of relief.
"Your Majesty, I did go to Anyang that day, and I happened to encounter the rebels attacking the city. I was lucky that I was not recognized by the rebels that day, so I escaped the disaster."
"Oh? Are you sure it's just luck?"
After hearing this explanation, Xiao Ling tried not to laugh.
This traitor is quite good at telling lies.
You would never have thought of it even if you died. If I hadn’t seen you raising your arms and shouting with my own eyes, and followed the rebels into the city with you, I would have really believed it!
In response to the emperor's question, Chu Yi simply nodded repeatedly, "I am indeed lucky."
Xiao Ling was speechless.
However, she didn't expect to find any evidence against Chu Yi, she just wanted to disgust Chu Yi.
"In addition, since this is a rebellion by refugees, and many local officials in Bei'an Province have been convicted, I have already drafted a new group of officials to take up the post. I would like to review this for your Majesty!"
As he spoke, Chu Yi presented a memorial in his hand.
Xiao Ling asked the eunuch to bring it over and looked at it for a long time.
As expected, the officials on the list are indeed from the Chu Yi faction.
The traitor was merciful and reserved three places for him, the emperor, to appoint.
But... who knows if Chu Yi will really agree after I decide on the candidate?
For a moment, Xiao Ling felt powerless.
She simply nodded slightly in approval of the list.
In the hall, Chu Yi saw this and returned to the team of civil officials.
Then he signaled the Minister of Rites in the team with his eyes.
The Minister of Rites also understood and stood up with Leng Youyou.
"Your Majesty, the position of Prime Minister is now vacant. I believe that a new Prime Minister should be appointed as soon as possible to help Your Majesty relieve his worries."
"Oh, does Lord He have any candidates? And who among the other ministers in the cabinet do you think could be the Prime Minister?"
Although he was asking, Xiao Ling's cold eyes were looking at Chu Yi, as if he was hinting at something.
Chu Yi also looked up at the roof, as if he didn't notice the emperor's ambiguous gaze.
The Minister of Rites also continued the topic:
"Your Majesty, all the Grand Secretaries in the Cabinet now have important tasks to attend to, and their qualifications and experience are not yet sufficient to convince the public. I believe that one of the six ministers should be transferred to take up the position of Prime Minister."
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