Wei Zhongxian was very excited about what he said, but Zou Yuanbiao, who was sitting next to him, could no longer bear to listen.
He glanced at Wei Zhongxian, then at Feng Sanyuan, and couldn't help but ask, "Lord Wei, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Whether it was Zou Yuanbiao, Yang Lian, or anyone else present, they all heard that Wei Zhongxian was trying to induce a confession, or even threaten them.
The incident between Yao Zongwen and Li Ruzhen had just made everyone aware of one thing, that is, Wei Zhongxian had long been in collusion with these people. Although it was unknown why Yao Zongwen turned against Wei Zhongxian, it was clear that his betrayal put a lot of pressure on Wei Zhongxian.
If it weren't for Li Ruzhen, Wei Zhongxian would have been in trouble this time. Although Li Ruzhen had confessed Zhang Laosan, Zhang Laosan was now dead and no one could prove that what Li Ruzhen said was true.
But if Feng Sanyuan spoke, even if he only proved that Zhang Laosan said the same thing to him, it would be difficult for Yang Lian to escape.
Even if the reason for Zhang Laosan's murder could not be found, Yang Lian's guilt could still be determined, and even many people would be implicated.
Under such circumstances, Zou Yuanbiao naturally didn't want Feng Sanyuan to speak.
If what Feng Sanyuan said was the same as what Yao Zongwen said, then Wei Zhongxian would be put in a passive position; but if what Feng Sanyuan said was the same as what Li Ruzhen said, then Yang Lian would be inseparable from it.
Obviously Wei Zhongxian also knew this, so he threatened Feng Sanyuan. And at this time, Zou Yuanbiao naturally had to speak.
Glancing at Zou Yuanbiao, Wei Zhongxian smiled and said, "Sir Zou, I am the presiding judge of this case. I have the final say on how the case is handled. If Sir Zou is dissatisfied, you can impeach me before His Majesty."
Obviously, after experiencing Li Ruzhen's incident and Zhang Laosan's death, Wei Zhongxian's self-confidence was greatly improved.
He didn't want to save face for Zou Yuanbiao anymore. Under such circumstances, Wei Zhongxian's words were naturally not polite.
Because there was no need for him to be polite anymore, everyone was about to turn against each other, and false politeness was no longer of any use.
The relationship has been broken off, and the two sides have reached the point of a fight to the death.
Wei Zhongxian didn't argue with Zou Yuanbiao anymore. Instead, he turned to look at Feng Sanyuan, raised his voice slightly, and asked, "Feng Sanyuan, what do you say?"
Feng Sanyuan's heart was in turmoil at this time, and his face was full of dejection.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Eunuch Wei, the prisoner did have contact with Zhang Laosan. Zhang Laosan also told the prisoner not to change his confession. As long as the prisoner insists that it was Eunuch Wei who framed me, then not only can I be acquitted, but I can also be reinstated and even become famous throughout the country."
At this point, Feng Sanyuan lowered his head and slowly said, "According to Zhang Laosan, this is what Yang Lian told him to say."
After hearing Feng Sanyuan's words, Yang Lian's body swayed.
Zou Yuanbiao also felt unwell.
He knew things were beginning to spiral out of control. This Wei the eunuch had clearly been prepared.
Once this matter was brought to His Majesty's attention, it was clear who His Majesty would trust and the outcome would be unpredictable. It was basically impossible for him to protect Yang Lian.
After hearing Feng Sanyuan's words, Wei Zhongxian immediately laughed. Without looking at Zou Yuanbiao and Yang Lian, he continued to ask, "Who instructed you to frame Xiong Tingbi?"
Hearing Wei Zhongxian's question, everyone was stunned again.
Zou Yuanbiao even stood up suddenly.
Obviously Wei Zhongxian was not prepared to stop there. He was now using Yao Zongwen and others to drag Li Ruzhen into the water; now he was using Li Ruzhen to drag Yang Lian into the water.
But even at this point, Wei Zhongxian was still not satisfied. He wanted to drag more people into the water.
Judging from Feng Sanyuan's confession, he had already obeyed Wei Zhongxian's orders and would definitely accuse anyone Wei Zhongxian asked him to.
Under such circumstances, there will definitely be a large number of people dragged into this by Feng Sanyuan.
Seeing Zou Yuanbiao stand up, Wei Zhongxian's face darkened.
He glared at Zou Yuanbiao and said loudly, "Master Zou, do you have anything to say?"
Zou Yuanbiao glared at Wei Zhongxian and shouted, "Eunuch Wei, you threatened Feng Sanyuan and others to frame loyal officials, falsely accuse others, and persecute court officials. Doesn't your conscience hurt? You have deceived His Majesty in this way. I will go to His Majesty and impeach you! The world is clear and bright, and I will not let you villains succeed!"
Zou Yuanbiao turned to Feng Sanyuan and said, "Feng Sanyuan, you colluded with powerful eunuchs and framed loyal ministers. Where have you read the books of sages? You will be infamous for eternity!"
Hearing Zou Yuanbiao's accusation, Feng Sanyuan's eyes flashed with resentment. He looked up at Zou Yuanbiao, then turned to Wei Zhongxian and said loudly: "Eunuch Wei, the offending official is the Censor of the Censorate, and our superior is Lord Zou Yuanbiao. All these things we did were told to do by Zou Yuanbiao; the false accusation against Xiong Tingbi was also what he wanted us to do."
"Although Liu Guojin was trying to help Li Ruzhen, we weren't all like that. We were following Zou Yuanbiao's orders. Zou Yuanbiao did this to bring down Xiong Tingbi."
"Before this, they had already brought down Fang Congzhe. According to Fang Congzhe's crimes, he must be punished. However, Fang Congzhe and them reached an agreement. As long as Fang Congzhe resigned as the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, they would stop attacking him and let him retire and return home."
"Zou Yuanbiao, Yang Lian, Gao Panlong and others formed a clique. They all graduated from the Donglin Academy, where they lectured together. However, the lectures were just a cover for what they were really doing: forming a clique, attacking the government in the court, and relying on each other in the court to pursue their own interests."
"These people claim to be serving the country and the people, but in reality, they are only pursuing their own selfish interests. They want to place their own people in Liaodong. Whether it's Yuan Yingtai, the Liaodong Governor, Wang Huazhen, the Guangning Governor, or Xue Guoyong, the Liaodong Governor, they are all members of the Donglin Party."
"They exclude dissidents, attack loyal officials, and collude with General Li Ruzhen to control government affairs and bring disaster to the country and the people! Please, Eunuch Wei, we are all being forced into this!"
When Wei Zhongxian heard what Feng Sanyuan said, he was so happy that he almost smiled. It turned out to be a surprise!
Once they turn against each other, they will bite each other harder than they would on their own and be more likely to hit the vital points.
Once the emperor decides on a major case of forming a clique for personal gain, he can then involve more people.
Those who offended him or did not listen to him could all be labeled as members of the Donglin Party.
At that time, who would dare to disobey me?
Thinking of that situation, Wei Zhongxian almost jumped up. He felt that he was about to reach the peak of his life.
Upon hearing Feng Sanyuan's accusation, Zou Yuanbiao and Yang Lian's faces turned pale and they could hardly stand.
They knew that if the Donglin Party was really accused of forming a clique for personal gain, then death would be the only way waiting for them.
According to the provisions of the Ming Dynasty Law, forming a clique for personal gain is a serious crime punishable by beheading!
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