Cheng Wenzhang laughed angrily, "Fine, speak, I'm listening."
"Yes." Minister Liu took out a memorial from his robes and handed it to Wuchang. "Your Majesty, please take a look. This is the memorial I drafted, and two pieces of evidence are also included in it."
He bowed respectfully and said, "It details Lord Cheng's crimes, including nepotism and promoting an incompetent relative to the position of Prefect of the Capital, which is one of them."
The second point is that he colluded with the casino owner.
Accepting bribes in private is the third point.
As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lord Cheng must have been well-versed in the laws of Dayu. Therefore, knowing that Dayu forbids officials from visiting gambling dens, he still knowingly broke the law. This is the fourth point.
“The crime should be punished four degrees more severely. In my opinion, according to the law, the official should be stripped of his official position, his property should be confiscated and all of it should be put into the national treasury, and his nine generations of relatives should be executed.”
After Emperor Yuming finished reading the memorial and the two pieces of evidence sandwiched inside, his face turned ashen, but he remained silent, because the memorial contained more than just information about Cheng Wenzhang.
As the sun sets behind the pavilion, clouds begin to rise over the stream; a mountain rain is imminent, and the wind fills the tower.
Cheng Wenzhang's face turned ashen. He never expected that a mere dispute involving injury would expose all his secrets.
He was both angry and anxious. He had never had any conflict with Liu Mumou, yet Liu Mumou had repeatedly hurt him, and this time he had even dragged him into it.
The ministers, all adept at reading between the lines, fell silent upon seeing this. Judging from the expression on the face of the man on the dragon throne… this Lord Cheng was likely doomed.
As expected, Emperor Yuming remained silent for a moment before issuing a stern order.
"Cheng Wenzhang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is corrupt in his official conduct, indulging in gambling and accepting bribes, practicing nepotism, and knowingly breaking the law. I am deeply indignant."
According to the laws of Dayu, his entire family should be executed. However, considering Cheng Wenzhang's diligent and conscientious service during his tenure, he is stripped of his official rank, demoted to commoner status, his family property confiscated and put to public use, and the entire Cheng clan exiled to Qiongcheng, departing immediately.
Qiongcheng, as its name suggests, is a city of magnificent palaces and towers. However, upon arrival, they discover that the "Qiong" in its name doesn't refer to fine wine and delicacies, but rather to extreme poverty and ruthlessness!
Cheng Wenzhang's face turned ashen, and his legs suddenly went weak, almost causing him to kneel on the ground.
Liu Mumao remained calm and composed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise."
Seeing Cheng Wenzhang being led away, Prince Ye stepped forward, bowing with a worried expression. "Father, in this way, won't the position of Minister of the Court of Judicial Review be left vacant?"
"Cough...cough cough cough..." Emperor Yuming seemed to have aged several years, coughing repeatedly before he could catch his breath. He waved his hand, "Let Minister Li Ningqi temporarily take over."
Li Ningqi quickly stepped forward and bowed to Emperor Yuming, saying, "Your humble servant obeys the decree and will certainly not fail in his mission."
Emperor Yuming shook his head somewhat dejectedly, "Let's adjourn the court."
"Respectfully bidding farewell to our Emperor, long live our Emperor! Long live our Emperor!" The solemn and dignified voice echoed from within the hall once more, like the deepest sigh of this capital city, never ceasing.
...
...
The notices were quickly posted all over the streets and alleys, and everyone from the elderly to children was talking about it.
Upon learning that the gambling den had indeed been shut down, some people were happy while others were sad.
Most of the happy people were women; their joyful expressions shone on their faces, making even their ordinary looks more beautiful.
The gamblers, however, are the ones who are worried. Many gambling dens in the capital have already been shut down, and now even the largest one is gone. They really don't know where they will be able to find a gambling den again in the future.
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