The outcome of the Guangning battle is unknown, but everyone in the capital is keeping a close eye on the progress of the Li Sancai case.
The Li Sancai case continues to ferment, and this time it was the opposition that launched the incident.
Censor Xu Zhaokui was the first to submit a memorial, impeaching Li Sancai for being "extremely treacherous but appearing loyal, extremely deceitful but appearing honest"; then Censors Liu Guojin, Qiao Yingjia, and Imperial Censors Wang Shaohui, Xu Shaoji, Zhou Yongchun, and Yao Zongwen also submitted memorials to impeach Li Sancai for a list of crimes.
The Donglin Party officials, who had already felt that something was amiss, became even more enraged. The Imperial Censors Hu Xin and Cao Yubian, and the Censors Shi Xueqian, Shi Jishi, Ma Mengzhen, Wang Jihong and others submitted memorials to the emperor again, pleading for help for Li Sancai.
The emperor's attitude remained unclear, but the "Da Ming Forum" had published a special edition. There were simply too many memorials for debate and they could not be published in one issue.
However, the emperor ignored the case of Li Sancai but did not slack off in other government affairs.
The Prime Minister Ye Xianggao submitted a petition requesting his resignation due to illness, and the emperor immediately approved it. He promoted him to Junior Tutor and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and rewarded him with 100 taels of gold, four pieces of colorful silk, and a red dragon-shaped sitting object. He also sent messengers to escort him back home.
Liu Zongzhou, the head of the Ministry of Rites and Right Vice Minister, submitted a petition for resignation. The emperor, still extremely efficient, approved the petition, awarded him silver and a title, and gave him a handwritten inscription: "If I cannot be a famous minister who can save the world, why not be a famous scholar who can spread the truth?"
This handwritten letter clearly shows the emperor's evaluation and positioning of Liu Zongzhou. You are very good at academic philosophy, and the content of the books you wrote is complex and obscure. Although I can't understand it, I am very impressed.
But you are not good at being an official, and even less good at doing practical work. Go home and teach to popularize education!
Just when officials were arguing over the Li Sancai case, the Imperial Censor Wang Zhidao submitted a memorial to impeach Gao Panlong, accusing him of being disrespectful in his words accusing the emperor of being unfilial in his memorial "Respectfully Proposing the Essentials of Learning to the Holy Emperor" submitted a few months ago.
Gao Panlong wrote a petition to the emperor to apologize, but the emperor ignored it. Gao Panlong then wrote a petition to leave, and the emperor agreed. He rewarded him with silver and a title, and allowed him to return home by post carriage.
The dazzling array of requests and approvals blinded people's eyes. No one had expected the young emperor to be so rude, granting every request from the Prime Minister and other important officials without even trying to persuade them to stay.
Apart from Ye Xianggao, the Prime Minister who was trying to smooth things over, Liu Zongzhou and Gao Panlong were both bigwigs of Donglin.
Together with Zou Yuanbiao who had retired earlier, three heavyweights of the Donglin Party in the court were gone at once, which inevitably led to different speculations.
Could it be that the emperor, unworthy of his former support, was about to take action against the Donglin Party? Or was it that the emperor had a preference in the factional struggle and was going to support the Five-Party Alliance?
There are still four days before the palace examination. Amidst the chaotic speculations of everyone and officials and the almost heated debate, everything has been settled.
The door was flung open, and Fu Guan, a scholar at the imperial examination, rushed in breathlessly. He waved the newspaper in his hand at the stunned Huang Daozhou and shouted, "The trial of Li Sancai has concluded. He is guilty of corruption and his assets total 4.53 million..."
"A lot, how much?" Huang Daozhou's eyes almost popped out, and his mouth was so wide open that two buns could be stuffed in.
Fu Guan took two deep breaths, his face also showing shock, and repeated: "Four million five hundred and thirty thousand! When I first saw it, I thought I was dizzy. Let's go and take a look."
Huang Daozhou was still in shock and confused. He asked stupidly, "What are you going to see?"
"The stolen goods are on display at the Meridian Gate!" Fu Guan waved the newspaper again and shouted, "The emperor is furious and has displayed the confiscated silver, treasures, jewels and valuables outside the Meridian Gate. Not only has he ordered all officials to go and view the stolen goods, but those with achievements in the capital are also allowed to go and view them."
Huang Daozhou was dragged out of the door, still shouting, "Brother Fu, don't worry, don't worry, it's not too late to let me take a look at the newspaper first!"
"Come back and read it. I haven't had time to read it carefully!" Fu Guan folded the newspaper a few times and put it in his arms.
When I came to the street, I saw many people who looked like scholars walking hurriedly, all heading towards the Meridian Gate.
The so-called honor and achievement does not mean carrying a diploma with you, but can be distinguished from the clothes you wear.
The common people at the time were quite conscious of the court's regulations, and naturally most of them followed them. Some wealthy people did it for show, but no one questioned them, but they were not the majority.
"Brother Lu, Brother Liu." While walking on the road, Fu Guan saw a familiar tribute scholar and waved to greet him.
Lu Xiangsheng and Liu Lishun were walking together. When they heard the call, they stopped, bowed to Fu Guan and Huang Daozhou, exchanged a few words, and then went to the Meridian Gate together.
The Meridian Gate is the main gate of the Forbidden City. Its Five Phoenix Tower evolved from the Yingtian Gate of the Purple Palace City and was first built in the 18th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty.
Inheriting the structure of the Qianghe Gate in Luoyang during the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Yingtian Gate in the Ziwei City of Luoyang during the Tang Dynasty, the Wumen Gate has an "concave" shape in its plane, is located in the center and faces the sun, and is located at the noon, hence the name Wumen Gate.
The Meridian Gate's east, west, and north terraces are connected, surrounding a square plaza. The northern gatehouse boasts a double-eaved, yellow-tiled, hipped roof. Thirteen rooms extend from each of the east and west terraces, stretching southward from either side of the gatehouse, forming a goose-wing shape, hence the name "Yanchi Tower."
From the overall shape, the Meridian Gate is like being surrounded by three mountains with five protruding peaks. It is majestic and shows the royal majesty to the fullest.
During the Ming Dynasty, the emperor would usually cane ministers who committed misconduct in the square outside the Meridian Gate, which was also known as the court caning. In the event of a major war and a victorious army, a "prisoner presentation ceremony" would be held at the Meridian Gate to present prisoners of war to the emperor.
As for the beheading at the Meridian Gate, that was a fabricated story in the storytelling. Apart from spanking civil servants, there was no bloodshed involved here.
Normally, the Meridian Gate, the main gate of the Forbidden City, would not allow ordinary people to enter. But today, people came in an endless stream, as lively as a market.
The square at the Meridian Gate was already filled with soldiers, forming a hollow shape with three sides closed in. There were two rows of soldiers, about ten meters apart, standing opposite each other, forming a passage.
On one side of the human-shaped passage, there were boxes and other objects, all of which were the stolen goods confiscated from Li Sancai.
Boxes of gold, silver, jewels, fine goods, silks and other items were lined up along the passage formed by the soldiers.
People who came to watch, under the guidance of soldiers, entered from the left side of the passage, walked around, looked at the stolen goods, and came out from the right side. They were not allowed to stay and could go back.
One box of money is already dazzling, let alone dozens or even hundreds of boxes. Of course, if you don't see it with your own eyes, the effect will definitely not be so good.
When people walked in this passage of wealth, dazzled by the dazzling yellow and white, they felt great shock and emotion in their hearts that were difficult to express in words. They all talked in low voices and clicked their tongues.
"For such a huge corruption, yet those officials still wrote petitions to defend him. It's really ridiculous."
"They're bringing such corrupt officials into the cabinet. Are those officials blind?"
"Gu Donglin even wrote a letter to Ye Xianggao, praising his integrity and honesty, and vigorously defending Li Sancai!"
"Hypocrite, how many people have you deceived?"
………………
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