Chapter 369 Li Yifu (2)
"Duan Baoxuan, is what Li Yifu just said true? Are you framing the minister?" Li Chengqian asked.
"Your Majesty! I absolutely did not framing Li Yifu. I checked the list of prisoners and found that there was indeed one female prisoner missing from the Dali Temple Jail."
"After repeated inquiries from me, Bi Zhengyi finally said that it was Li Yifu who took the female prisoner away and destroyed all her crimes, and took her into the mansion as a concubine yesterday." Duan Baoxuan said. Although he and Li Yifu did not have a quarrel, he would not use this to framing the other.
"Your Majesty! It is obvious that Duan Baoxuan deliberately framed me. It is true that Bi Zhengyi did come to me. At that time, Bi Zhengyi said that there was a beauty to be presented to me."
"However, I have already rejected it! Who knew that such a thing would happen? Your Majesty must make the decision for me." Li Yifu said.
Anyway, Bi Zhengyi is dead, and Li Yifu is now fearless and is not afraid that Duan Baoxuan will harm him.
"Since this matter is true, why don't you report it to Di Renjie, the Minister of the Dali Temple, and why don't you take people to Li Yifu's house to ask for the person."
"Let's not talk about Li Yifu's crime for now. What crime should you be charged for letting him take the prisoner away?" Li Chengqian stretched out his hand to stop Li Yifu and asked.
Li Chengqian was very puzzled. Why did Duan Baoxuan not report it, nor stop Li Yifu from taking the man away, but instead bypassed Di Renjie to report it to him.
"I know my crime!" Duan Baoxuan said. He did not make any excuses. After all, he did not inform Di Renjie immediately, nor did he stop Li Yifu. Instead, he bypassed Di Renjie and reported it to Li Chengqian.
Apart from anything else, one dereliction of duty is enough to deal with him!
"Your Majesty! Duan Baoxuan is just a first-time offender, and it is understandable. I hope Your Majesty can give him a lighter sentence." Di Renjie said.
Duan Baoxuan worked under him and was quite capable. He also performed his duties conscientiously on weekdays. Di Renjie had a good impression of him, so he decided to help him.
"Duan Baoxuan, as the Junior Minister of the Dali Temple, neglected his duties and allowed others to take the prisoner away from the Dali Temple. I will now demote him to the position of Sihu of Laizhou, and
he will leave for Laizhou soon." "If it were not for his meritorious service in recommending and not colluding with the crowd, I would have executed you long ago. I hope you can reflect on this." Li
Chengqian said. "
Your Majesty, I will ask Bi Zhengyi if this is true." Li Chengqian said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Yifu said with tears of gratitude.
At this time, an eunuch ran in from outside, and Wang Quan hurried forward. The eunuch whispered something in Wang Quan's ear.
"What happened?" Li Chengqian asked.
Li Chengqian saw that the eunuch looked strange, so he guessed what might have happened.
"Everyone! Bi Zhengyi committed suicide out of fear of crime!" Wang Quan exclaimed.
"What?" Li Chengqian was shocked and frowned. Just when he was about to question the witness, the witness suddenly committed suicide out of fear of crime.
Li Chengqian didn't believe anything that there was no cat stuff in it.
"Everyone! Here is a blood letter left by Bi Zhengyi." Wang Quan walked up to Li Chengqian and handed the blood letter given to him by the eunuch to Li Chengqian.
After Li Chengqian took the blood letter and read it, his face turned pale. Although the blood letter clearly stated that it was Duan Baoxuan who forced Bi Zhengyi to death, Li Chengqian didn't believe it.
It was full of loopholes. First of all, it did not explain what had forced him to death, and it did not explain why the female prisoner was released, although Li Yifu was cleared of the crime.
On the contrary, this made Li Chengqian very suspicious. Most of the words in this blood letter were vague and did not make it clear.
"Now that Bi Zhengyi is dead, whether Li Yifu really released the female prisoner and took her as a concubine is beyond proof. I will no longer pursue Li Yifu's guilt." Li Chengqian said.
"Your Majesty is wise! Bi Zhengyi had already seen Duan Baoxuan's wolfish ambition, but he was forced to death by him. Our Tang Dynasty has lost another pillar of talent." Li Yifu looked grief-stricken.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Bi Zhengyi broke the law knowingly, he is already a criminal, and now he is committing suicide out of fear of crime. Such a black sheep is not worthy of becoming the pillar of the Tang Dynasty. Isn't this the misfortune of the Tang Dynasty?" Li Chengqian scolded.
"Your Majesty, calm down! I spoke without thinking! I am guilty!" Li Yifu hurriedly bowed and admitted his mistake.
"Your Majesty! I think there is something strange about Bi Zhengyi's death. I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly." Di Renjie bowed.
He knew Bi Zhengyi to some extent. Although he was a bit opportunistic in his daily life, he would never commit suicide out of fear of crime.
Bi Zhengyi and Duan Baoxuan had no grudges on weekdays, and they had a good relationship privately. Therefore, it might be true that he was forced to commit suicide, but it was not necessarily Duan Baoxuan's doing.
Di Renjie subconsciously glanced at Li Yifu, and he felt that Li Yifu was the most suspicious.
"What Di Qing said makes sense! I will leave this matter to you, Di Qing, and I want to know the answer within a month." Li Chengqian said.
"Your Majesty, I obey your order!
" Di Renjie saluted. "Your Majesty! The Imperial Guard Wang Yifang requests to see you!" an eunuch saluted.
"Wang Yifang, why is he here! Summon him to see you!" Li Chengqian said.
"Yes!" the eunuch replied, turning around and shouting outside: "
Xuan Wang Yifang is here to see you!" Wang Yifang walked in from outside, saluted to Li Chengqian and said: "Your Majesty, I, the Imperial Guard, Wang Yifang, pay my respects to you!"
"My dear minister, who are you here to impeach?" Li Chengqian asked.
"I want to impeach the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Li Yifu, for abusing his power to release a female prisoner privately, taking her as a concubine, and forcing the Supreme Court Minister Bi Zhengyi to death." Wang Yifang said loudly.
"Wang Yifang, as an Imperial Guard, you slandered the court officials in front of your Majesty. You are really vicious." Li Yifu was so angry that he was shaking, pointing at Wang Yifang.
He had just solved the problem, but Wang Yifang suddenly jumped out to mess with him and impeached him for murder and silencing people.
"Every word I said is true. I have evidence to prove Li Yifu's crime! Yifu killed a sixth-rank temple secretary without authorization, and he should be punished." Wang Yifang said.
If Wang Yifang hadn't happened to run into Bi Zhengyi's family members who were crying out for justice and understood the situation, he wouldn't have known that such a thing had happened.
So Wang Yifang hurried over to impeach Li Yifu to Li Chengqian.
Li Yifu naturally couldn't let Wang Yifang expose his crimes in this hall, so he stood up and argued with Wang Yifang, who reprimanded him three times.
Li Yifu then left in displeasure, but he was not happy at all. He was thinking about how to turn the disadvantage around.
After Li Chengqian saw the evidence presented by Wang Yifang, he became even more angry. This Li Yifu was so bold that he dared to do such a thing.
He really had no respect for the law. Such a person should be punished.
"Remove Li Yifu from his official position and put him in the Dali Temple Prison. The Dali Temple Minister will judge his crime." Li Chengqian pronounced the verdict.
"Your Majesty! I am innocent!" Li Yifu said unwillingly.
"I obey your order!" Di Renjie saluted.
"Where are the Golden Gourd Warriors!" Wang Quan shouted outside the hall at the instruction of Li Chengqian.
"Here!" A group of Golden Gourd Warriors rushed into the hall and saluted with their fists.
"Why don't you quickly arrest the criminal Li Yifu and take him to the Dali Temple Prison, and let the Dali Temple Minister deal with him later." Wang Quan gave the order.
"Yes!" The Golden Gourd Warriors hurriedly arrested Li Yifu and sent him to the Dali Temple Prison.