Yang Lian's words made Zou Yuanbiao's face turn ugly again. This matter might be troublesome.
"Your Majesty first consulted Gao Panlong on this matter. Apparently, Gao Panlong's answer did not satisfy Your Majesty, so Your Majesty turned to you. Your answer satisfied Your Majesty, so Your Majesty followed your advice and is willing to hand this case over to you for trial."
Zou Yuanbiao said this and sighed helplessly: "But this matter is probably not easy to handle!"
Looking at Zou Yuanbiao, Yang Lian's heart sank to the bottom of the valley instantly: "Then how do you think this matter should be handled?"
Zou Yuanbiao looked up at Yang Lian. This was the second time Yang Lian had asked him this question today. He was asking him to express his stance. If he didn't, wouldn't that mean he had no stance? Because not expressing one's stance can sometimes be a form of attitude.
From a public perspective, I was Yang Lian's superior, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, while Yang Lian was my subordinate, the Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Your Majesty's handing over the case to Yang Lian meant handing it over to the Censorate for trial. I should have given my subordinate sufficient support while also expressing my stance to Your Majesty, which was the Censorate's stance.
From a personal perspective, Yang Lian was a rising star in the Donglin Party, and as a veteran of the Donglin Party, he should be more caring and supportive.
Whether from a public or private perspective, I should indeed support him.
But if only this matter were that simple.
Although others may not know about Xiong Tingbi's affairs, Zou Yuanbiao must have known about it. On the one hand, it was indeed the Donglin Party that colluded with Li Ruzhen in Liaodong. On the other hand, the Donglin Party was eliminating the remnants of Fang Congzhe, that is, the remnants of the Qi, Zhejiang and Chu Party.
The Donglin Party is too deeply involved in this. Once the truth is revealed, countless people will be in trouble.
Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao, and seeing him silent, his heart sank instantly.
When the court demoted Xiong Tingbi, Xiong Tingbi submitted a memorial requesting that someone be sent to investigate. Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, Zhang Xiude and others wrote a series of memorials accusing Xiong Tingbi of wrongdoing. Xiong Tingbi then requested that the three of them be sent to verify the matter. Yang Lian firmly opposed this matter.
At that time, Yang Lian felt that something was wrong, but he only knew that someone was excluding Xiong Tingbi. However, he did not expect that there was also collusion with Li Ruzhen involved.
Think about it carefully. The Censorate was at full power at that time. Wasn't Zou Yuanbiao involved?
Yang Lian did look down on Xiong Tingbi, but that didn't mean he could tolerate malicious framing.
At this moment, Yang Lian felt that the sage before him was a little unfamiliar. When he was teaching at Donglin Academy, they did not say this.
Yang Lian did not think there was anything wrong with the Donglin Party employing its own people. After all, all members of the Donglin Party were gentlemen and virtuous people.
But now it seems that there are many things I don’t know.
Yang Lian stared at Zou Yuanbiao closely, wanting to see what he was going to say.
After a long silence, Zou Yuanbiao slowly said, "Wen Ru, we need to consider this matter carefully!"
Zou Yuanbiao then looked at Yang Lian and said, "Although Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, Zhang Xiude, and others accepted bribes and were morally deficient, impeaching Xiong Tingbi is appropriate. Xiong Tingbi is a violent and erratic person, and a great threat to the country."
"Now that Your Majesty has reinstated Xiong Tingbi, and Wei Zhongxian has introduced the evil Taoist priest into the palace, these people are already showing signs of forming a clique for personal gain."
"If this case implicates more people, how will the loyal and upright people in the world cope with it? Are we in cahoots with the eunuchs?"
Yang Lian immediately realized that Zou Yuanbiao's words were gradually getting more serious. Just now, Xiong Tingbi and Wei Zhongxian showed signs of forming a clique for personal gain, but now it has directly turned into a eunuch party.
The first part is a conjecture, and the second part is a characterization. Zou Yuanbiao only used one sentence to go from conjecture to characterization.
Yang Lian also disliked Wei Zhongxian and Xiong Tingbi, but a gentleman should act uprightly. How could I abandon my own virtue just because they were lacking in virtue? Is this what a gentleman does? This is the behavior of a villain!
"This case is easy to judge. Since Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude have already confessed, let them plead guilty and sign." Zou Yuanbiao continued, "Li Ruzhen watched Tieling fall in Liaodong. This is the first crime. He colluded with the imperial envoy to frame the border generals. This is the second crime. He can be imprisoned and sentenced to death. As for Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude..."
"Accepting bribes is a violation of moral character. Dismissal and demotion are the only punishment." Zou Yuanbiao looked at Yang Lian again. "What do you think, Wen Ru?"
Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao. He didn't expect that the person he admired, Zou Yuanbiao, would actually say such words. Is this what human beings say?
As for Li Ruzhen's death, once Li Ruzhen died, that was the end of it. You've gone even further, you're even worse than Gao Panlong. Gao Panlong was trying to save Li Ruzhen's life, but you just let him die?
Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude were dismissed from office for lack of moral integrity? And that was it? Wei and Zhang were never reappointed, and no mention of them? Is that the end?
For some reason, Yang Lian thought of the young emperor sitting on the dragon throne, and the care the late emperor had bestowed upon him. He spoke, "Sir, I believe this matter should be thoroughly investigated and severely punished. Court officials colluding with border commanders is a grave offense. Furthermore, these individuals are censors, the eyes and ears of the emperor, and their role as law enforcers. Yet, they accepted bribes and maliciously framed the emperor. Without severe punishment, the public outrage will be quelled."
"Furthermore, Your Majesty has asked me to conduct a thorough investigation. I feel that if I do not do so, I will be failing both Your Majesty's trust and that of the late Emperor."
Zou Yuanbiao's face suddenly turned ugly after hearing Yang Lian's words, but he still said earnestly: "Wen Ru, don't think about this matter like this. A gentleman should uphold the greater principles. When the greater principles are in front of him, all other matters are trivial. Now Wei Zhongxian wants to use this matter to frame court officials and implicate innocent people. We cannot help him commit evil and become his accomplices. The most urgent task is to overthrow Wei Zhongxian, the powerful eunuch."
"Advising Your Majesty to return to the teachings of the sages and not allow your wisdom to be clouded, Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude are nothing more than trivial matters in comparison."
Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao and fell into deep thought. Aiding the tyrant? Abetting the evil?
He knew that he had no way to convince the person in front of him. At this moment, Yang Lian suddenly felt that this person was a little strange, so strange that he didn't even recognize him.
This way of doing things reminded him of Xu Jie, who did the same thing to defeat Yan Song.
He flattered Yan Song and gave his granddaughter to Yan Shifan as a concubine. He and Yan Shifan became in-laws, making him one generation lower than Yan Song. In his hometown, he gave away 240,000 acres of land.
How did the Donglin gentleman in front of me become the likes of Xu Jie?
Yang Lian didn't understand. He felt a little confused and quickly stood up and said, "Sir, I need to think about this."
Looking at Yang Lian's departing figure, Zou Yuanbiao's eyes flickered, and after a while he sighed: "You are still young!"
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