Li Sancai was a high-profile person who was generous and lived a luxurious life. Even the Donglin Party who defended him could not deny this fact and commented that he "could not be honest by nature."
Because Li Sancai did not demonstrate integrity, he was constantly attacked by his political enemies. However, he was "talented and fond of using power, and was good at winning over officials. He governed Huai River for thirteen years and made friends all over the country."
To put it bluntly, Li Sancai is generous with his money, has a wide network of contacts, and has strong communication skills. He has many close friends in the court.
Whenever there was a slight disturbance, this group of people would jump out to defend him, including Gu Xiancheng, who "did not doubt his extravagance" but praised his integrity and uprightness.
It must be said that Li Sancai was truly talented. He was able to persuade the emperor and speak out his opinions directly; he was also compassionate to the people and was praised by them for his contributions to tax collection and exemption of commercial taxes.
Therefore, Li Sancai's reputation in the court and the country is good, good, good! He is truly a good official with strong character, who speaks for the people and cares about the people.
If Li Sancai had been honest and self-disciplined, then there was no need to say anything, he would have been a good official praised by the court and the public; but if one peeled off the surface and looked only at his millions in assets, one could reveal his inner self of being "extremely treacherous while appearing loyal".
It is certain that he is greedy, so don't use his good business and financial management as an excuse.
But on the one hand, he coveted the taxes that should have been paid to the state by merchants who traveled the canal, and on the other hand, he spoke on behalf of the merchants, asking the court to provide them with relief and reduce taxes. He harmed the country to enrich himself and gain fame, so why did he get all the good things?
Besides, he was sympathetic to the people and during his time in Huaihe River, he repeatedly requested the court to reduce local grain levies and distribute grain for disaster relief.
It was his responsibility to maintain stability in the region, and he was so wealthy, but did he ever contribute a penny to tax relief or disaster relief? At most, he reported the truth to the court. How could this act of compassion for the people become a means for him to gain fame?
During his 13 years as the governor of the grain transport system, Li Sancai not only had the support of countless officials in the court, but also won praise from the people among the people. He even became the leader of the merchants in Tongzhou.
With all these things, even Zhu Youxiao had to admit that Li Sancai was really good at playing games. He embezzled millions and was praised by the government and the public. He was impressed!
The leather boots made a dull sound as they stepped on the wet stone floor.
Luo Sigong walked into the prison with an expressionless face, as if there was something wrong with his nose. He did not react at all to the stench of moss, dirty water, rotten wood, etc.
The emperor's secret decree clearly stated that the case should be concluded and made public before the palace examination. Luo Sigong did not think it was difficult to handle, but he was very apprehensive about the emperor's intentions.
Is it just Li Sancai? If that's the case, His Majesty should immediately announce the amount of Li Sancai's assets and shut up those officials.
However, the emperor kept the East Factory's confiscation strictly confidential and sent the factory supervisor, Mr. Wei, to take charge. The stolen goods were not publicized and were even brought back to the capital secretly at night.
It was precisely because of this kind of treatment that those officials, regardless of the consequences, submitted petitions to appeal for justice for Li Sancai, and their voices became louder and louder.
The emperor didn't need to fabricate charges, he just handled the case honestly. But there was a conspiracy behind it, which few people could see.
Is it complicated? In Luo Sigong's opinion, it is very simple. But how complicated does it take for the emperor to deal with his ministers?
The reason why emperors in history wanted to find a crime to punish officials was to save face and worry about being recorded in history books and having a bad reputation!
But if they encounter a shameless person, whether he is a tyrant or a fool, what other means of resistance can the officials have except to curse a few times and write about it in history books?
In Luo Sigong's view, those officials who jumped out were fools. They couldn't see the situation clearly and insisted on running into the emperor's knife.
I was just trying to deal with you, but you still don't know what's good for you. You deserve it.
"Sir, we're here." The warden respectfully reminded Luo Sigong, interrupting his thoughts.
Luo Sigong nodded, and without saying anything, the warden retreated away knowing the opportunity.
Li Sancai was sitting on a pile of straw across the thick wooden fence. His white hair was a little messy, but he looked at Luo Sigong with a very calm expression.
He was suddenly arrested from his home and taken to the Beijing Town Pacification Office overnight. Li Sancai gradually calmed down from his shock and began to ponder why he was convicted.
Li Sancai was no ordinary bureaucrat; his intelligence surpassed that of most others. He possessed wealth, social skills, and a knack for judging people, allowing him to weave a vast network to protect himself from the elements.
Moreover, apart from corruption, Li Sancai is straightforward, daring to speak and act, and has his own values, political propositions and ideological orientations. He is truly an extremely complex person.
But no matter what, Li Sancai, who was imprisoned, did not despair. Although he was now a commoner, he had a wide circle of friends and connections, many of whom were high-ranking officials in the court. How could he not help?
Therefore, Li Sancai felt that as long as he held on and refused to admit his mistake, he would be rescued soon.
Another reason why Li Sancai was quite confident was that the officialdom at that time followed an unconventional rule, which was to dismiss an official and not investigate his crime further.
Simply put, if you are guilty of corruption and someone impeaches you, and you feel you are in trouble, you should resign immediately. In this way, even if the court does not approve your resignation, the matter will basically be settled.
It may sound strange, but this is the evil result of factional strife. The main purpose of impeaching you is not to punish you and recover losses for the court, but to unite the party and drive you out of office.
Everyone is gone, the goal has been achieved, who cares how much you have embezzled.
Pursuing relentlessly will only lead to criticism. Besides, always leave a way out. Who knows if you will do the same in the future?
Therefore, after being demoted to a commoner, Li Sancai returned to Tongzhou and lived a peaceful life as a wealthy man, without any worries. After being arrested and taken to the Zhenfu Division, he was not very frightened after a brief panic.
However, when Luo Sigong stood outside with an expressionless face and was stared at by cold eyes, Li Sancai appeared calm on the surface, but he had an ominous premonition in his heart.
If it was an official who reported and impeached him, Li Sancai would not be afraid; but if the emperor issued an order to investigate the case, things would become difficult.
Li Sancai had thought about this, but he felt it was unlikely.
The emperor was still young, and they had no connection. In the first year of the Tianqi reign, Liaoyang fell, and the censor Fang Kezhuang submitted a series of petitions requesting the appointment of Li Sancai. The court debated the matter, but officials were deadlocked, and the matter was shelved.
Even if he wasn't appointed, I heard the emperor was quite interested. How could he suddenly turn against me, a commoner, and attack me, just how long ago?
Now, when Luo Sigong stood in front of him, although Li Sancai was still confused, his heart sank.
When you are seventy years old, what you care about is not your own life, but the life and death of your family, right?
Luo Sigong looked at Li Sancai in prison, trying to figure out Li Sancai's mentality and thoughts. He pursed his lips slightly and was very confident in his judgment.
"Lord Luo." Li Sancai finally bowed and said, "Your humble servant is polite."
Luo Sigong narrowed his eyes and uttered a heavy and cold voice, "The Emperor has asked me to bring you a message..."
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