In the dim prison of the Ministry of Justice, a candle was burning in an inconspicuous cell.
The candlelight was dim and couldn't even illuminate the entire cell.
In the corner of the cell was a bed of dry straw, on which sat a thin old man, muttering something.
"The bandits have occupied the Hetao area and harassed the border areas for nearly a hundred years... If they leave the area, they will attack the three major passes of Xuanda, thereby disturbing the capital; if they enter the area, they will attack Yan, Ning, Gan, and Gu, thereby disturbing Guanzhong... I request that 60,000 elite soldiers, supplemented by 2,000 Shandong spearmen, be sent every spring and summer, with 50 days' worth of rations, to attack their lair directly by water or by road."
This is his memorial to the current emperor, Emperor Jiajing, requesting the recovery of the Hetao region.
When the emperor first saw the memorial, he praised his strategy highly. However, who would have thought that a few months later, the situation would change suddenly. The Jinyiwei rushed thousands of miles to arrest him and bring him to the capital to be punished.
At that time, he didn't know what the crime was against him, he just thought that he was framed by a villain.
It was not until he was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice that he learned from some gossip of the jailers that someone had impeached him for secretly making friends with Prime Minister Xia Yan.
How ridiculous!
He had been an official for many years and had never bowed his head to the powerful.
Lord Xia agreed with his policy of restoration from the perspective of national economy and people's livelihood. What does it have to do with forming a clique for personal gain?
These treacherous ministers are afraid that the world will not be in chaos, so they spread slander and harm loyal and good people. They are truly despicable.
At that time, Zeng Xin cried out in prison every day that he wanted to see the emperor and confess his grievances to him.
But how many people who enter the Ministry of Justice prison can get out?
As for meeting the emperor, it is just wishful thinking.
Zeng Xin felt heartbroken when he thought about his lifelong ambition being thwarted.
What's more, he also implicated Lord Xia, causing him to lose his job and retire.
This is truly a tragedy for the loved ones and a joy for the enemies!
Zeng Xin has never been brought to trial since he was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. He has been imprisoned like this and no one knows when it will end.
Just as Zeng Xin was feeling somewhat lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone walking towards him. Upon closer inspection, he discovered there was more than one person.
The cell where Zeng Xin was imprisoned was located in a very remote area. Normally, no one would come except the jailer to bring food and water.
Could it be that the emperor wants to see him?
Zeng Xin couldn't help but be overjoyed. He tidied up his appearance, stood up and looked outside.
Sure enough, I saw an official in a scarlet robe walking in front, followed by two jailers.
Although Zeng Xin had never met this person, he felt that since an official of the fourth rank or above had come, it showed that he was valued very much.
Zeng Xin took a deep breath and adjusted his mood.
The person who came was naturally Zhao Wenhua.
He came here under the orders of Yan Song, so naturally he didn't want to talk too much with Zeng Xin.
"Your Majesty, Zeng Xian, I have received a memorial impeaching you for bribing the former Prime Minister, Xia Yan. Now that the evidence is irrefutable, will you plead guilty?"
Zeng Xin was stunned, then furiously shouted, "Slander! This is all slander!"
Zhao Wenhua sneered, "Whether it's slander or not is not up to you. Your son Zeng Chun has already confessed. This is a confession. I advise you to sign it as soon as possible to avoid physical pain."
Zeng Xian asked coldly, "Who are you?"
Zhao Wenhua said proudly, "I am Zhao Wenhua, the Left Minister of Justice."
Zeng Xin laughed wildly and said, "So he's a lackey of Yan Song's."
Although Zeng Xin did not know Zhao Wenhua, he had heard of his name.
This man rose to power by currying favor with Yan Song, and regarded himself as Yan Song's godson, often doing things that were completely disrespectful and shameless.
"How dare you! You're still stubborn even when death is imminent! If you sign and seal your name honestly, I can still protect the lives of your wife and children. Otherwise..."
Zhao Wenhua snorted coldly.
Zeng Xin, however, was not frightened at all. He sarcastically said, "Are you so anxious to convict me? Are you afraid of more trouble? You want me to sign my name? Forget it!"
"Do you think you can refuse to sign just because you don't want to?" Zhao Wenhua said with a sneer, "Come here, serve Master Zeng!"
At his command, two jailers rushed forward, one grabbing Zeng Xian's hand while the other smeared the ink on Zeng Xian's hand.
Zeng Xian angrily scolded, "You bastard official, aren't you afraid of retribution?"
"Retribution? I never believe in that."
Zhao Wenhua paused and said, "I know that with your confession, you and Xia Yan will definitely die!"
Although Zeng Xin struggled hard, he was no match for the two jailers and was eventually forced to sign.
"I'm not afraid of being torn to pieces, I just want to leave my innocence in this world!"
Hearing Zeng Xin reciting Yu Qian's poem before his execution, Zhao Wenhua sarcastically said, "Are you reciting Yu Shaobao's poem to satirize the current emperor? How audacious!"
"It's already this time, what else can I be afraid to say?"
Zeng Xin angrily rebuked him, "If the emperor listens to your slanderous words, the country will no longer be a country, and the ruler will no longer be a ruler! Sooner or later, the Ming Dynasty will perish at the hands of you treacherous villains."
After swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Zeng Xin continued chanting:
"Mr. Yuan originally planned for a hundred years, but Chao Cuo brought the Seven Kingdoms into danger."
Seeing Zeng Xin's quick talk, Zhao Wenhua said impatiently, "I advise you to save your energy, lest your legs get weak and you make a fool of yourself when you hit the road."
After saying that, he turned and left.
"I'm not afraid of being torn to pieces, I just want to keep my innocence in this world! Traitorous ministers are ruining the country, traitorous ministers are ruining the country!"
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After getting the confession, Zhao Wenhua went directly to the Ministry of Justice.
He was the Zuo Tongzheng, so naturally he could not be the one to make this confession.
It was just because the people from the Ministry of Justice were dragging their feet that his godfather couldn't stand it anymore so he sent him to put an end to it.
After handing the confession to the official from the Ministry of Justice, Zhao Wenhua left immediately, indeed not wanting to stay there any longer.
In Zhao Wenhua's opinion, the Ministry of Justice and the Embroidered Uniform Guard Headquarters are the places with the heaviest yin energy. Too many people have died unjustly in these two places, and it would be unlucky to stay there for a long time.
After leaving the Ministry of Justice, Zhao Wenhua ordered the sedan bearers to go directly to Yan's mansion.
He wanted to report this good news to Yan Shifan personally.
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The general was brave enough to march south, with a goose-feather sword on his waist.
The wind blows the drum and the mountains and rivers shake; the lightning flashes and the flags rise high as the sun and the moon.
The unicorn in the sky has its own species, how can the ants in the hole escape?
On the day Taiping returned, I and you took off your battle robes.
At the beginning of the new year, Miao Long Xu Bao in Guizhou rebelled, and Emperor Jiajing sent Right Censor-in-Chief Governor Zhang Yue to quell the rebellion.
This poem was given to Zhang Yue by Emperor Jiajing.
After Yan Song learned about this, he wrote a special letter praising the emperor's poems, and the flattering words were comparable to those used in Qingci.
For a time, the upright poets and officials despised Yan Song.
But even though they despise him, he is now the Prime Minister of the Cabinet and holds great power. There is nothing they can do except talk and complain behind his back.
Occasionally, there were a few memorials impeaching Yan Song, but they were all suppressed by the Ministry of Public Security and could never be sent to the palace.
For a time, the Yan Party had absolute power and was extremely arrogant.
On March 18, the 27th year of the Jiajing reign, Zeng Xin was beheaded in Xishi, and his wife and children were exiled 2,000 miles away.
Later, the evidence of Zeng Xin's "bribing" Xia Yan was sent to the palace. The Jiajing Emperor was furious and ordered Lu Bing to arrest Xia Yan, who had been dismissed from office, and put him in the Jinyiwei prison for strict interrogation.
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