Chapter 68 A group of people gathered together, asking questions in detail.
The Feng family is unruly; they have caused trouble for the Prefect of the Capital by riding their horses recklessly in the city center and injuring people several times.
Xue Guangting impeached the Earl of Yuyang. The Prefect of Jingzhao had a good impression of this upright and honest newly appointed scholar. Moreover, Xue Guangting had worked under him for a few days and could be considered one of his own.
The Prefect of the Capital originally intended to keep the case under wraps in the Capital Prefecture before reaching a conclusion, and to report to the Emperor after investigating the Yu family background and whereabouts in Yunyang County, verifying the truth of her words, and making some progress in the case. However, he did not expect that it would cause such a stir in the city in the blink of an eye.
The censors of the Censorate were always impartial and incorruptible, and they would impeach even their own colleagues without hesitation. In just a few days, a memorial impeaching Xue Guangting for his lack of moral integrity was presented to the emperor.
After the censor finished his impeachment, the emperor's face was gloomy, and he remained silent.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, the Prefect of Jingzhao quickly reported, "Your Majesty, although there is indeed a woman accusing Censor Xue, currently there is only one testimony from Ms. Yu, and no other witnesses or evidence. Censor Xue vehemently refutes this case, claiming he has never met Ms. Yu."
The Prefect of the Capital bowed his head, his gaze cautiously glancing at the Emperor from above: "I have ordered people to go to Yunyang County to check the Yu family's household registration and whereabouts, and I have also sent people to search the place in the capital that the Yu family claimed to be staying, but so far no clues have been found."
"Hmph!" Duke Shen interrupted the Prefect of the Capital with a cold laugh and stepped out of the ranks.
Upon seeing him step forward, nearly half of the officials in the hall turned to look. Gao Zi'ang gave Xiao Shaoqing a wink, and Xiao Shaoqing shook his head slightly, indicating that he also did not know why the Duke of Shen had suddenly become involved in this matter.
Duke Shen strolled into the hall, first glancing sideways at the Prefect of the Capital, before speaking: "That woman was pleading her case in the street, looking utterly miserable. Many people witnessed it that day. Could there really be a woman willing to ruin her reputation just to frame a complete stranger?"
He turned to look at the Prefect of the Capital, his words carrying a pointed meaning: "Your Prefectural Office accepted the case of the Yu family, but refused to investigate, and you didn't even detain Xue Guangting. The Prefect of the Capital keeps saying there's no evidence, but isn't what the Yu family said itself evidence? How could the child in her womb be fake?"
This question left the Prefect of the Capital speechless. Regardless of whether Madam Yu's words were true or not, her pregnancy was undeniable. The Prefect of the Capital then summoned three doctors to examine her pulse, and all of them said that Madam Yu was already two months pregnant, which indeed matched the time she had stated.
Seeing this, Duke Shen pressed his advantage: "Your Majesty, Xue Guangting, as an imperial censor who oversees all officials, behaved improperly during his trip to the capital for the examinations. After becoming an official, he became even more outrageous, which led to this despicable act. If he is not severely punished, wouldn't the world laugh at our dynasty for its poor selection of officials?"
The emperor rested his forehead on one hand, his expression completely hidden by his hand, so it was unclear whether he was even listening.
Seeing that the emperor did not react, the Duke of Shen spoke up again, saying loudly, "Your Majesty! This matter has already caused a great uproar in the capital. If Xue Guangting is not punished quickly, it will damage the face of the royal family! As a censor, Xue Guangting should be a role model for all officials. If he is not severely punished today, more people will follow suit in the future!"
“Duke Shen, no matter who the person involved is, there is no reason to convict someone before trial,” the Prefect of the Capital said, unable to contain himself when he heard that Duke Shen was about to convict and punish Xue Guangting immediately.
"Our dynasty's laws require that crimes be consistent with punishments. No matter the crime, there must be clear evidence before a conviction can be made. Now, the case has not even been tried, and there is no evidence at all. If a hasty judgment is made just to appease public opinion, then the laws and regulations will become mere decorations. How can our Jingzhao Prefecture live up to the plaque of justice and impartiality that hangs high above us!"
The Duke of Shen sneered at the Prefect of the Capital: "Prefect of the Capital, there's no need to bring up the law. I think it's obvious that your Capital Prefecture is colluding with Xue Guangting, which is why you're deliberately covering it up."
The Prefect of the Capital never expected that the Duke of Shen would accuse him of favoritism and perverting the law. He did indeed have some personal motives in this case, but it was only because of the strange origins of the Yu family. He never intended to cover up anyone's crimes.
Having served in this position for over a year, the Prefect of the Capital believed he had a clear conscience. As a third-rank official, one of the Three Ministers, how could he swallow such an insult when someone pointed their finger at him in court and accused him of unfairness?
In front of the emperor, the Prefect of the Capital was furious, but he suppressed his anger and said in a calm tone as much as possible: "Duke Shen, when discussing matters in the court, the law should be the guiding principle, not decisions made based on emotions."
"The Prefect of Jingzhao need not utter such high-sounding words here. You know what you are thinking. Your Majesty, what I have said is not unfounded. Since Xue Guangting claims to have left the capital to investigate, why did he not return to the Censorate to report back upon his return, but instead went to Prince Mu's residence? Prince Mu holds the position of Governor of Yongzhou, and Xue Guangting left the capital under the name of the Jingzhao Prefecture. How can we be sure there is nothing fishy going on?"
The capital city was under the jurisdiction of Yongzhou, and the highest-ranking official in charge was the Governor of Yongzhou. In principle, the Jingzhao Prefecture was under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Yongzhou, but all the previous Governors of Yongzhou were princes, and they rarely really intervened in the management of the Jingzhao region. Therefore, all matters in the Jingzhao Prefecture were decided by the Jingzhao Yin.
The Duke of Shen's mention of Prince Mu's appointment as Governor of Yongzhou at this time seemed somewhat deliberate.
The Duke of Shen's abrupt suggestion immediately sparked much speculation in the court. Prince Mu's preferences were no secret, and everyone had seen Xue Guangting's appearance; though thin, his features were quite handsome. His frequent visits to Prince Mu's residence inevitably fueled contemplation.
Even the Prefect of the Capital was at a loss for words, as it was the first time he had ever heard that Xue Guangting had visited Prince Mu.
Although Prince Mu was nominally the superior of the Prefect of Jingzhao, the Jingzhao Prefecture had been established since the founding of the dynasty, and Prince Mu had never condescended to set foot there even once. The Prefect of Jingzhao had almost forgotten that Prince Mu also held the official position of Governor of Yongzhou.
A soft chuckle rippled through the crowd. The prince consort of Princess Xiangcheng said disdainfully, "There are plenty of people in Prince Mu's residence. Do you think they all have connections with the Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Upon hearing this, Duke Shen laughed heartily, drawing out his words: "Everyone knows what kind of people come and go in Prince Mu's residence. If Xue Guangting and Prince Mu don't have any private dealings, then it can only mean they have a private affair."
The laughter stopped abruptly after only a few moments. The Duke of Shen shut his mouth, composed himself, and bowed his head.
The emperor, who was sitting at the head of the table, had stood up at some point and was coldly staring at the people below him.
The officials all held their breath, lowered their heads, and adopted a respectful and courteous demeanor. The emperor watched for a long time, but ultimately remained silent, and simply turned and left.
The matter did not end with the emperor's suspension of court. A note circulated among several officials in the capital, and when court resumed, the story had changed.
The day before was a bright sunny day, but today there's not a glimpse of the sun.
The doors of the main hall were open, and a cold wind carrying fine ice shards howled in. Officials near the doors tucked their frozen hands into their sleeves and shrugged, shivering.
Xu Asheng came out from the back and was hit in the face by a cold wind. He quickly ordered two eunuchs to close the palace door.
As soon as the door closed, the hall darkened, with only the flickering candlelight casting shadows on everyone's faces.
"Your subject has a memorial to present."
Knowing that he had angered the emperor yesterday, the Duke of Shen dared not step forward again today. Just when everyone thought that the morning court session would end peacefully, the Secretary stepped forward.
"When I was sorting through the old records, I found several poems by Prince Mu, one of which was unusual."
The Secretary presented a poem written by Prince Mu during his visit to the garden, which reads: "The river's sound at midnight rolls up the clouds, as if a dragon is weeping before the sun shines. A thousand-foot-tall pine tree holds up the sun, while a river of frosty reeds rustles in the wind."
"Your Majesty, the poem describes a dragon weeping and the sun breaking, every line of which is an allusion to the Emperor. Prince Mu wrote this poem precisely to harbor evil intentions and resentment towards his superiors."
The emperor casually set the poem aside and looked meaningfully at the secretary: "Prince Mu loves to drink, and he always writes a poem after drinking. Eight out of ten of them are incoherent. This one must also have been written by Prince Mu after drinking. Secretary, you are overthinking it."
"Your Majesty, I believe the Secretary's words are reasonable."
The Vice Minister of Justice stepped forward and reported, "When I was investigating Meiyuan County, I learned that someone had spoken with Xue Guangting. At that time, Xue Guangting mentioned 'asking Prince Mu in return.' As an imperial censor, he should speak on behalf of the emperor. Why does he not consult the emperor's will when faced with a matter, but instead ask Prince Mu in return?"
"Your Majesty," the Secretary-General also seized the opportunity to speak, "Poetry is the voice of the heart. If Prince Mu had written 'I suspect a goddess is weeping, the sky is not yet clear,' I could understand it as Prince Mu having some insights on a rainy day. But the three words 'the dragon weeps' in this poem make one think more deeply. The dragon represents the Son of Heaven. Prince Mu's direct statement that the sky is not clear is surely a sign of resentment towards the Sage."
The emperor found it laughable that a prince would be punished for treason over two obscure lines of poetry. What did these people take him for? Did they really think he was a cruel and ungrateful tyrant who couldn't distinguish right from wrong?
He waved his hand: "Prince Mu is my elder brother, and I cannot punish him for two unfounded poems."
The Vice Minister of Justice discerned the underlying meaning in the Emperor's words; it seemed the Emperor's mind was wavering, but he lacked a more compelling excuse. Coincidentally, this excuse had already been prepared for Prince Mu and Xue Guangting by Prime Minister Wang.
“Your Majesty, this matter is not unfounded. After interrogation by the Ministry of Justice, it was found that Xue Guangting had falsely conveyed imperial edicts, and the contents of those edicts all came from Prince Mu.”
The magistrate and clerk of Meiyuan County will fill in the details of what Xue Guangting said and did. Previously, the Tian family matter only involved the Feng family, so it was understandable that Meiyuan County wanted to hide. Now that Minister Wang has returned to the capital, they will not be allowed to be fence-sitters again.
"Your Majesty, the laws of our dynasty were originally established to govern all people, including the royal family. Your Majesty must not disregard the law for the sake of family ties."
If Prince Mu and Xue Guangting are not dealt with today, he will be confirmed as "disregarding the law of the land." Although the emperor did not believe that Prince Mu had the audacity to rebel, he was also curious about why Xue Guangting was entering and leaving the prince's residence. He pointed to the Prefect of the Capital: "Isn't Xue Guangting's case still under trial? Let's try this one as well."
Just as the Prefect of the Capital was about to respond, he was interrupted by the Secretary: "Your Majesty, what the Duke of Shen said yesterday is not without reason. As the Governor of Yongzhou, Prince Mu's case should be recused by the Capital Prefecture."
The emperor slowly curled the corners of his mouth, a half-smile playing on his lips as he glanced at the Secretary and the Vice Minister of Justice. Since Wang Bochang returned to the capital, these men had become bolder.
"In that case, since the case of the Earl of Yuyang is still pending in the Ministry of Justice, and since it all started with Xue Guangting's impeachment of the Earl of Yuyang, let's just leave it all to the Ministry of Justice."
The Minister and Vice Minister of Justice hurriedly accepted the imperial decree and withdrew. The Minister of Justice asked one more question: "The way the Ministry of Justice handles cases is different from that of the Prefectural Governor of the Capital. The Prefect of the Capital does not need to interrogate the people involved after accepting a case, but the Ministry of Justice has to ask about every detail. Vice Minister Xue is still in the Censorate, so I'm afraid it will be inconvenient for him to ask questions."
"Interrogate or detain as you please," the emperor replied coldly. "Since Xue Guangting is to be detained, the Feng family will be detained as well. With them all together, we can interrogate them thoroughly."
When the Ministry of Justice sent people to arrest Xue Guangting, he was still organizing case files. Upon hearing the purpose of the Ministry of Justice's visit, Xue Guangting did not argue much. He tidied up the unfinished files, gave a few instructions to his colleagues, and prepared to leave with the Ministry of Justice personnel.
The men who came to escort him had smiles on their faces and stopped him: "Imperial Censor Xue is going to the Ministry of Justice for trial. Wearing this official robe, how dare we lowly officials interrogate him?"
Those nearby frowned upon hearing this. Although it was inappropriate for an official to be seen entering and leaving a prison while wearing an official robe, the words were indeed unpleasant to hear.
Xue Guangting asked the visitor, "May I go home and change my clothes?"
The man gave a forced smile and refused to back down: "The superior is in a hurry, Imperial Censor Xue, don't waste time."
"What are you saying!" Finally, someone couldn't hold back any longer. An old censor with a white beard rushed forward and angrily rebuked the man: "It's just a questioning. It's the same whether we interrogate him today or tomorrow. Is he going to run away? Why are you in such a hurry that you don't even have time to change your clothes?"
Xue Guangting stopped the old censor. These people were clearly trying to make things difficult for him, and he couldn't let his colleagues be implicated and resented because of him.
He removed his official hat with both hands and placed it on the table, then unbuttoned his clothes and took off his official robe in front of those people.
"Is it ready?" he asked the man indifferently.
Without waiting for their reply, he walked forward, wearing a plain white undergarment, and stepped out of the gate of the Censorate.
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