5 Chapter 005
◎Impeachment at the Court◎
On the 22nd of March in the Xinyou year, the spring weather was still chilly.
The court officials got up at midnight, walked through the cold and quiet streets, and arrived outside the Meridian Gate on time to wait for Yu Yinchu.
At the beginning of the hour of Mao, the palace gates opened and the ministers filed in to enter and attend the court meeting at Fengtian Gate.
For court officials, this was a common routine. Most of them only needed to pay attention to their appearance and speech to avoid being impeached by the censors.
But for Xie Changfeng, who had just arrived yesterday, this was undoubtedly an interview for which he was completely unprepared, and the interviewer was the country's top political elite.
In order to calm his mind, he chose to stay together with his family for warmth.
His Majesty Dan has an eldest son and a second son, and there is a phoenix throne next to the throne, which is the position of the queen. The book says that the queen interferes in politics and abuses her power. She ignores the opposition of the ministers and insists on setting up the throne during court meetings.
It fits the character very well and also makes it convenient for Meng Qi to act.
Xie Changfeng originally wanted Xie Mingzhuo to stand in the court as well, but Xie Mingzhuo refused.
She knows her own limitations. Right now, she can't even understand memorials, let alone participate in politics.
She would not challenge the bottom line of the court officials until she had enough confidence.
In the eyes of court officials, no matter how ignorant the prince is, he is qualified to stand in the hall, and no matter how knowledgeable the princess is, she cannot participate in court meetings.
However, the princess cannot attend court, but the eunuchs can.
She wore a low-key eunuch's uniform and found a corner with a good view. Standing there, she could observe the words and actions of most court officials.
Civil and military officials were arranged on the left and right.
The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard led the Han generals and stood solemnly on both sides of the Danbi.
When they entered the court, the emperor had not yet arrived. The ministers only saw two people standing in front of them with their backs to them, both wearing the prince's ordinary clothes.
Apart from the emperor's lineage and the clan members in the clan office, there are no other princes or dukes in the capital.
The Ministry of Clan Affairs was in charge of royal affairs and generally did not participate in court politics and would not appear at court meetings.
One of these two must be the King of Jin, the other can't be the King of Qi, right?
As everyone knows, the King of Qi is a fool.
Fan Wenxin, the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Dongke Academy, had to step forward and greet the guests under the instigation and urging of his colleagues.
Of course, he himself was also very curious.
"Your Highness, the Prince of Jin, is here to greet you. How are you these days?" His tone was respectful but not reserved, because he and the Prince of Jin had a teacher-student relationship.
Xie Mingshuo turned around when he heard that, and a group of ministers all looked at him with burning eyes.
He smiled nonchalantly, "I'm fine. How's Mr. Fan?"
"I am fine, Your Highness Prince Jin, thank you for your concern." He stroked his beard and laughed, but his eyes glanced at Xie Mingxuan from time to time.
Xie Mingshuo saw it, but kept silent.
The court officials were so curious that they wanted to grab the Prince of Jin by the collar and ask him what was going on.
Everyone present exchanged glances, but no one had ever seen the prince before.
Before they could figure it out, the emperor and empress arrived and the court meeting began.
The contents of the court meeting are roughly divided into three parts: fresh and important state affairs, pending state affairs, impeachment and impeachment.
For other issues, the emperor would usually call a small meeting with a few important ministers to discuss them.
The palace examination had just ended in mid-March, and the court had gained a new batch of talents. The world was also stable and peaceful. Apart from the abnormal weather, there was nothing new to report.
There are some unresolved issues, but they are not very important and can be written down in the memorial.
So a few officials who were good at flattering began to speak beautiful articles, using the most gorgeous words, praising the current peaceful and prosperous times.
Xie Changfeng: “…”
The rebels attacked three months later, and it was still a peaceful time. Go away!
He waved his hand and said impatiently, "Stop saying these empty and boring words."
The court officials fell silent and looked around.
If words of praise cannot be spoken, then the only option left is impeachment.
Who to impeach?
I had already written a memorial to impeach the princess yesterday, but unexpectedly the princess released Song Tanhua. I can only hold back my anger for now.
A man suddenly stepped out of the group. He was about forty years old, with a Xiezhi patch embroidered on his chest. He raised his tablet and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to report."
Xie Changfeng perked up a bit: "Speak."
"I wish to impeach Henan Commander-in-Chief Zong Zhen!"
The court was in a state of commotion for a moment, then quieted down, awaiting his next words.
The court officials all glanced at Weining Marquis Lu Ping.
Lu Ping holds the title of Marquis and also serves as the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army Commandery of the First Rank. Although he seems to be in a high position, he actually has little power.
In the early days of this dynasty, the Left General of the Five Military Commandery held real power, but later the power was divided among the military departments. Now it is just a nominal position, and the Five Military Commandery has become a "retirement" place for military generals and nobles.
The Henan Dusi was under the jurisdiction of the Central Military Governor's Office. Of course, the current Governor's Office no longer had any control over the Henan Dusi, and no matter what ridiculous things the Henan Duzhishi did, it had nothing to do with the Governor's Office.
But who can blame Zong Zhen for being Lu Ping's brother-in-law?
Lu Ping's heart skipped a beat. He had just apologized to His Majesty and the Princess yesterday, so why did something strange happen again today?
What on earth did this old fellow Zong Zhen do!
Xie Changfeng asked what everyone was thinking: "Oh? What did Zong Zhen do?"
"Your Majesty, the Zongdu Commander has disregarded the Ministry of War's orders, privately recruited troops, and stirred up unrest in various garrisons, harassing towns and cities across Henan. This has caused widespread public outrage and brought unrest to the people!"
When everyone heard this, they were all shocked.
What are you doing? You're rebelling!
Xie Changfeng is quite sensitive to "rebellion". Could it be that the rebels have already gained momentum by now?
No, the main force of the rebels was peasants, but this censor said that Zong Zhen's soldiers were disturbing the people's peace.
There are some contradictions.
Before he could figure it out, another person jumped out and said indignantly, "What is Zong Zhen up to?! Is he trying to satisfy his ambition to carve out a kingdom under the pretext of suppressing refugees?!"
"Minister Liao, be careful with your words." Lu Ping stepped out and said calmly, "The cause and effect of this matter are still unclear. I implore Your Majesty to order a thorough investigation."
The person who impeached was Jiang Kui, the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and he was echoed by Liao Hai, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.
Liao Hai immediately refuted: "Does Marquis Weining not believe Censor Jiang?"
"How can we convict someone without evidence?"
"Who says I don't have evidence?" Jiang Kui pulled out his sleeve and held up the memorial with both hands. "Your Majesty, last year Henan suffered a severe drought, and refugees rioted. Zong Zhen used the excuse of suppressing the refugees to recruit additional troops from the garrisons across the province. Could it be that the Henan garrisons weren't strong enough to suppress a mere influx of refugees?"
Lu Ping: "Censor Jiang, don't forget that last year when the northern barbarians attacked the border, Guyuan Town was short of troops, so the Ministry of War transferred some troops from Henan. Zong Zhen asked the Ministry for instructions at the time, and the Ministry of War approved it."
"But after suppressing the refugees, the Ministry of War ordered them to reduce their forces. However, Zong Zhen used the suppression of the refugees as an excuse to repeatedly disobey orders. Marquis Weining, are you still going to protect your brother-in-law?"
"If there really are refugees, why can't we recruit soldiers to suppress them?"
"Your Majesty was merciful and ordered the granaries to be opened and the grain released. How could there still be refugees now?"
Xie Changfeng: “…”
He communicated with Meng Qi with his eyes: Wife, my head hurts.
Meng Qi was also helpless: she also had a headache.
The two of them couldn't help but look down the stairs and meet the two brothers.
Yes, there is still one ultimate move that has not been used!
Xie Changfeng coughed lightly, stopping Jiang Kui's chattering, and asked, "King Qi, what do you think?"
In the hall, one could hear a pin drop.
King of Qi? What King of Qi? King of what?
Isn’t the King of Qi staying in the prince’s residence, eating, drinking and having fun without any worries?
Xie Mingxuan had no choice but to step out. Amidst the shocked and confused gazes of the ministers, he said pointedly, "Your Majesty, I believe that instead of wasting time here, we should go and investigate the truth."
Ministers: “…”
The King of Qi not only knows how to speak, but can also make sarcastic remarks?!
Even Jiang Kui and Liao Hai forgot what they were supposed to say.
After Xie Changfeng appreciated everyone's expressions, he said solemnly, "We'll discuss this matter later. Is there anything else you want to report?"
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Qi has regained consciousness. This is truly a blessing for us, Daqi." Minister of Rites Fan Wenxin stepped forward and asked, "I wonder which miraculous doctor brought him back to life?"
Xie Changfeng was delighted: "He's not some miracle doctor."
"What is that?"
"This matter must not be publicized." Xie Changfeng deliberately kept them in suspense. "Alright, since no one has come forward to report, let's adjourn the court."
The more he hides the truth, the more curious these people will become. When they use various means to dig out the "truth", their faces will definitely be very interesting.
He certainly couldn't hide the fact that he summoned the director of the Imperial Observatory last night. If these people found out, they would definitely ask Chu Jun for clarification.
I believe that within a day, they will all know about the stories of "Taoist Immortal Entering Dreams", "Taoist Immortal Enlightening Wisdom" and "Taoist Immortal Warning".
In the Fengtian Hall, a family of five waved away everyone and started another family meeting.
"Shao Shao, does the book mention Zong Zhen?" Xie Changfeng asked hurriedly.
Xie Mingzhuo nodded. "It was mentioned. After the impeachment, the emperor ordered Zong Zhen to return to the capital for investigation. Zong Zhen had no choice but to comply, but he died unexpectedly on the way back to the capital."
"He has no reason to rebel," Meng Qi said. "Henan is not far from the capital. Even if he captures the capital, it's not legitimate. Any vassal king with the surname Xie can command them to come to the king's aid."
Such a small piece of land is not enough for the princes to divide.
Xie Mingshuo said bluntly: "Ask the Jinyiwei to investigate."
"The Imperial Guards will be dispatched, and a new Supervisory Censor will also be sent, one in the dark, the other in the open." Xie Mingzhuo said, "Not only will we investigate the Henan Provincial Military Commission, but we'll also investigate the Ministry of War."
We can’t just listen to one side of the story now, we must get solid evidence.
As a secret agency directly under the emperor, the Jinyiwei is relatively more credible. Of course, this is not absolute.
"There are only 23 days left before the snowstorm. Can we really make it in time?" Xie Changfeng said dejectedly. "Time is too tight."
Xie Mingzhuo smiled and reassured him, "Don't be too nervous. Shaanxi and Shanxi were spared last year, and the harvest was decent. Families have surplus food, so they can survive for a few months. But in three months, with the heavy summer taxes, problems will definitely arise. The most critical situation is Henan. Henan had no harvest last year, and the people don't have any food reserves. A snowstorm will completely destroy their hopes."
"That's right. The most urgent task is to comfort the people of Henan," Xie Mingshuo said seriously. "I've followed disaster relief reports several times and have some experience with disaster relief. Why don't you write it down and then improve it based on the specific national conditions?"
"That's great. However, the current situation in Henan is complicated, and disaster relief work is difficult."
If Zong Zhen's private recruitment of troops is not thoroughly investigated, disaster relief work cannot proceed smoothly. If we are not careful, the food we have worked so hard to obtain will end up in the pockets of the rebels.
"Shao Shao, I know you have an idea." Meng Qi looked at Xie Mingzhuo, "Just tell us, we'll listen to you."
"I don't trust anyone," Xie Mingzhuo said, deliberately trying to scare them. "I want to go to Henan myself."
"No!" the four of them said in unison.
Xie Mingzhuo: “…”
As expected, you said you would listen to me?
【Author’s words】
Send 100 red envelopes~
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