Chapter 415: What a cheap duke (asking for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month)
"Duke, we have arrived at the foot of the Imperial City."
Hearing the call of his personal coachman, Cao Mao, who was leaning against the carriage and dozing off, opened his eyes.
After all, he is getting older. Even though he always appears to be full of energy, his increasingly exhausted energy can never be compared with that of young people.
Attending court in the dead of winter was undoubtedly a tough job for him.
Cao Mao was dressed in his best today. Not only was he wearing a military officer's robe, but he also had a golden belt given by the late emperor tied around his waist. Eleven pieces of jade were inlaid on it, showing that he was of extraordinary status.
He moved his body, refused the driver's help, and got off the car by himself on a small stool.
The boots stepped on the shallow snow, and the cold wind penetrated into the body through the bones.
Cao Mao adjusted his belt, opened an umbrella, and walked toward the doorway.
Even the Duke who is in charge of a region still looks insignificant compared to the towering archways and majestic city gates.
When he arrived outside the Meridian Gate, the officials in the court were already gathered there in groups of three or four waiting.
Everyone was holding paper umbrellas to keep out the snow. When they saw Cao Mao coming, the discussions stopped for a moment and everyone cast complicated glances at him.
"Gong Cao Guo."
"Duke Cao is here."
Someone said hello.
Cao Mao nodded and glanced at the crowd.
Prime Minister Li Yanfu stood in a sheltered place, with his sleeves rolled up and his eyes closed as if he was taking a nap, and he looked like he had no intention of getting involved in any of the fights today - Li Dang's intention to spend a peaceful new year was almost written on his face.
Privy Councilor Xue Shence had a blank expression on his face and stood like a javelin. Both of them were military generals, so they nodded to each other as a greeting.
"Mr. Yuan, how are you?" Cao Mao walked towards Yuan Li, who was standing next to a white marble pillar with an umbrella, and greeted him lightly.
Yuan Li smiled and nodded: "The Duke looks rosy and in good health."
Cao Mao said with a forced smile:
"I'm not dead yet. At least a few rumors won't disturb my composure. If Mr. Yuan has any opinions about me, you can tell me directly."
Yuan Li looked surprised: "Why do you say that, Duke Cao?"
Cao Mao's eyelids drooped, and he wanted to speak, when suddenly a whirlwind came over, and Yuan Li moved aside to make room for him.
Cao Mao glanced at him, turned around and stood shoulder to shoulder with the leader of the Qingliu Party, and then said:
"In the past few days, the censors under the Censorate have been impeaching me repeatedly. I'm sure you are aware of this."
Yuan Li sighed softly, showing helplessness:
"Duke Cao has misunderstood. The Censorate is no military camp, and the capital is no Jubei City. How can I, a Censor-in-Chief, have the final say in the north? Haha, it would be better if these Censors under my command were as obedient as the Duke's soldiers."
"..." Cao Mao's nose was not a nose, and his eyes were not eyes. He always felt that Yuan Qingyi's words were secretly mocking him.
But there is no evidence!
Especially the sentence "The capital is not the north city", which brought back some bad memories for him.
"Hmph, censors shouldn't speak nonsense." After a moment's silence, Cao Mao still said something in a veiled tone.
Yuan Li said seriously, "Duke Cao will say the same thing in the palace later."
Since they had nothing in common, both of them lost interest in conversation.
In the silence, amidst the falling snow, the dull sound of bells could be heard.
The ministers entered the palace.
…
Cao Mao followed the crowd, walking up the white marble steps one by one, from the square to the Golden Throne Hall.
The hall was still not warm, but it was much better than the cold wind outside.
The umbrellas in the hands of the ministers were also placed neatly at the door.
While waiting for the arrival of the empress, Cao Mao was surprised to find that there were many more unfamiliar faces in the court, and many of the officials he was familiar with had quietly disappeared.
It was only a year, and although Cao Mao had heard of the turmoil in the court many times, he was still moved when he saw with his own eyes that things and people had changed.
"His Majesty has arrived!"
A figure wearing a dragon robe walked up to the dragon throne from behind.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"
"Everyone, please stand up." Xu Zhenguan was wearing a dragon robe and a crown on his head. The pearl curtain hanging from his forehead covered most of his face.
Her fairy-like beauty was now filled with a mysterious majesty.
She looked down at the ministers in the hall and said calmly:
"It snowed heavily today, and I had no wish to burden you all with this much hardship. However... I have heard recently that there is widespread public discontent in the capital. People are spreading rumors that the court is handling cases unfairly, and several censors have repeatedly impeached us... Therefore, we will hold a court meeting today to clarify the entire matter. Duke Cao, what do you think?"
Cao Mao was called out without any panic. He stepped out of the team and bowed, saying:
"I have a clear conscience and am just about to clarify this matter."
"Okay," the empress nodded, turned her bright eyes to the censor, and said:
"Censor Chen Hong, since you were the first to impeach the Duke, you should speak publicly so that the officials in the hall can hear clearly."
"yes!"
Censor Chen stepped out of the line, as if he had been prepared. He took out a thick letter from his sleeve, held it in both hands, and without opening it, he recited the contents of the impeachment.
The words were harsh and directed at Cao Mao.
The content starts with rumors among the people, then goes to the Dali Temple to accept cases, visits with many censors of the Censorate, and retrieves official documents that were rejected from the North City and submitted to the capital in the past. It is analyzed in detail and every word is precious.
Impeachment of Duke Anguo Cao Mao for indulging his descendants, causing chaos and oppressing military families. After the incident, Duke Anguo covered up and whitewashed the incident, fabricated content, and misled the court's judgment.
The ministers in the hall all had different expressions on their faces, especially Chen Hong's memorial, which mentioned many charges that were not mentioned in the rumors outside, which was even more surprising.
"What nonsense!"
Cao Maoqiang suppressed his anger and listened to the end, then immediately spoke loudly:
"Your Majesty, what Censor Chen said is mostly false and exaggerated. I have also investigated the recent public discussions. Not to mention that there are many falsehoods and the intention to slander an old minister is not concealed. The speed with which these rumors spread and their sudden appearance are full of strangeness.
"I believe this rumor was maliciously promoted by someone, perhaps a rebel faction within the capital. Their sole purpose is to tarnish the reputation of the court and me, and to alienate the bond between the ruler and his subjects. I implore Your Majesty to discern right from wrong and restore my good name!"
Rebellious?
When the ministers heard this, they grinned slightly and thought to themselves, Duke Cao, you have really been away for too long and are out of touch with the current situation in the capital.
The rebels in the capital were all dealt a heavy blow by the Zhao guy. Now even three-year-old kids are looking for someone to take the blame, and they all know that they can’t put the blame on the rebels.
Censor Chen was even more excited than him and shouted:
"Your Majesty! There's no rumor without a root! Right now, everyone in the capital, from the streets to the court, is talking about Cao Mao's scandal. Public opinion is overwhelming and cannot be ignored!"
Cao Mao was so angry that his nose almost crooked. He thought to himself why public opinion outside was so overwhelming. You guys know the psychology better than anyone else.
Sitting on the dragon throne, the empress said calmly:
"Whether the rumors are true or not, there is no proof of their existence. Dali Temple Junior Official Lu Zhi, please tell us about the case."
Inside the hall, Lu Zhi, who had been hiding in the crowd, came out. Due to his rank, he could not attend court unless there was a grand meeting.
Although he felt uncomfortable all over, he still said loudly:
"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have personally examined the Northern Blood Knife case over the past two days. After verifying various facts, I have confirmed that there is indeed something fishy about the previous verdict. The man who defiled the eighteen wives of the criminal General Lang is suspected to be the son of Duke Cao..."
"You're slandering me!" Cao Mao was furious. He didn't know Lu Zhi, so he pointed at him and cursed, "How dare you slander me?"
"Duke Cao! Please listen to Mr. Lu's explanation of the case." The empress's high and cold voice came from behind the pearl curtain.
Yuan Li also made a timely move and said quietly:
"Duke Cao, this is the Golden Palace, not the military camp in Jubei City. Even if Your Majesty is kind and doesn't mind, yelling like this is still unbecoming."
Cao Mao was choked and had to shut up.
Lu Zhi was a stubborn man and did not give him any face. He immediately stated on the spot what he had found out from the investigation, one by one.
Just as Lang Shiba said in prison, many people knew about this matter, and Cao Mao did not handle it properly at the time.
It was simply because no one in the entire court was willing to offend Duke Cao for an inexplicable lieutenant general.
That's why he turned a blind eye and acquiesced to the official document sent by Ju Beicheng.
Now, under Yuan Li's control, the relevant chain of evidence can be easily found. As Lu Zhi made his statement, the atmosphere in the hall became depressing and dull.
Even though the court officials were all experienced politicians, when they heard about what Cao Mao and his son had done, they felt ashamed in their hearts even though they didn't say it on the surface.
Cao Mao's face became increasingly ugly, with beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead. He finally realized that something was wrong.
As he had originally expected, the empress wanted to use this matter to punish him and would definitely give him a way out. Cao Mao was even prepared and he would admit to some of the lesser charges in the impeachment.
In this way, it is equivalent to expressing submission, and the empress can accept it if she finds a crime and punishes him once.
But from the moment he started court, the empress didn't give him any way out, and instead acted as if she was going to convict him.
"His Majesty!"
Finally, after Lu Zhi finished his statement, Cao Mao took a deep breath and suppressed his excitement.
He forced himself to calm down, bowed his hands and looked towards the dragon throne, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, I do not know how this Lu Shaoqing conducted his so-called investigation, and where did he get the so-called evidence from.
I only know that Lang Shiba rioted in the military camp years ago, assassinated his superiors, and injured and killed several of his comrades. He was later arrested under military law, violently resisted the law, and killed many people...
There's irrefutable evidence for all of this! How could such a criminal have any camaraderie? How could he have any respect for the law and military regulations?
Even if we take a step back and assume there were extenuating circumstances in his murder, military law is ruthless! This man has violated military law and should be beheaded according to the law, a just and fair punishment! How can the so-called injustices of such a disloyal and treacherous person be trusted?
Or were this Lu Shaoqing and this Chen Yushi trying to plead for the lives of these criminal generals in the army? To overturn the verdict?
"Haha, if this news gets out to the army, how will the officers and soldiers react? If they learn that you sympathize with a madman who slaughters his comrades, wouldn't it further undermine the prestige of the court?"
Cao Mao was alert!
After realizing that the atmosphere was not right, he immediately overturned his original plan to compromise and did not refute the evidence presented by Lu Zhi - those things were difficult to refute without verification.
Therefore, he wisely chose to turn the tide and state Lang Shiba's crimes.
And tied the case to the military's morale.
However, before Cao Mao could continue speaking, Xue Shence, who had been silent in the crowd, suddenly stepped out.
The Great Yu "God of War" said calmly, "Your Majesty, I have a report concerning military affairs. I implore Your Majesty to summon Officer Tang Ping of the Divine Machine Battalion and Lieutenant General Tang Zhao of the Northwest Frontier Army into the palace."
Cao Mao was stunned.
The empress nodded slightly: "Announce."
Immediately, a eunuch went out to pass on the message. Not long after, a hole was torn open in the palace door, letting in the pale light of the sky and sporadic snow.
Tang Zhao and Tang Ping, brother and sister, entered the Golden Palace respectfully. They appeared extremely reserved and bowed to the empress.
The young master took out a thick "book" from his arms and said:
"Your Majesty, in the past few days, rumors about Lang Shiba have been spreading like wildfire among the Beijing camp. The officers and soldiers in the army expressed deep sympathy for the fate of the Northern Blood Blade and were outraged to learn that he was imprisoned.
Therefore, the generals in the army jointly wrote a petition, begging me to present the "Ten Thousand Soldiers' Letter" to Your Majesty, begging Your Majesty to show your grace and re-examine this case to comfort the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Beijing camp who are feeling aggrieved!
As they spoke, the brother and sister each grabbed a thick, folded silk cloth and spread it out to both sides.
“Clatter—”
Then, a "petition" several meters long, with a white silk background, covered with ink names and interspersed with red handprints, was presented to the public.
There was a brief silence, and then the entire Golden Palace was in an uproar.
Li Yanfu, who did not interfere at all, raised his eyelids and looked at the empress sitting on the dragon throne with a complicated expression. He sighed softly, closed his eyes again, and sighed in his heart: What a good trick.
On the surface, this drama seems to provide a reason for retrial of the case, but its real intention is to shut up some people who question the court's leniency towards criminal generals.
After all, the law is beyond human nature.
Only a joint petition from the military could ensure that the empress's reputation would not be damaged, or even enhanced, and this fatal move against Duke Cao could be launched.
In other words, this drama is not for the officials in the court, but for the military and civilians all over the world.
This move was not only a natural move to attack Cao Mao, but also an opportunity to capture the soldiers' loyalty to the empress.
"You...you..." Cao Maoru was struck by lightning. Although he held all the power in the north, was used to being domineering and did many extraordinary things, it did not mean that he was stupid.
At this time, how could he not realize that this was a trap?
Does the empress want to exchange herself for the reputation of being a good emperor in the hearts of the soldiers?
"Duke Cao," the empress stood up from the dragon throne and cast a cold gaze at him, instantly cooling his anger.
"Now, not only the people but also the army have petitioned. Although I trust you, in order to set the record straight, this case will be immediately submitted to the three courts for trial. Are you willing?"
Cao Mao was silent for a moment, then he grinned, revealing a hint of self-deprecating laughter:
"Your Majesty, I am willing!"
Xu Zhenguan nodded with satisfaction and looked down at his ministers:
"In that case, let's end today's meeting here."
The eunuch next to him raised his neck and shouted:
"Withdraw from the court!"
…
…
The court meeting ended in a strange atmosphere. All officials left one after another. Cao Mao walked in front without looking back.
He did not waste time arguing with Yuan Li and others, but hurried out of the imperial city.
As soon as he left the Imperial City Gate, he immediately opened the curtain and got into the carriage, growling at the driver's surprised gaze:
"Return home immediately! Immediately! Right now!"
The carriage sped along in the heavy snow, leaving two clear tracks outside the majestic imperial city.
Not long after, the master and servant returned to the Duke's Mansion. Cao Mao got off the car impatiently, then hurried into the house with a sullen face.
"Duke? What are you doing..." The steward in the mansion was shocked when he saw his expression.
"Tell Ke Di to come see me!"
Duke Cao, with gray hair at the temples and deep wrinkles on his face, said expressionlessly.
After saying this, he rolled up his sleeves and went straight to the back hall to drive away the concubine who came to greet him.
Cao Mao entered the house, took off his hat angrily and threw it on the table, not caring at all that his snow-covered boots left stains on the expensive knitted carpet.
"Godfather, are you looking for me?" Cao Kedi pushed open the door and asked carefully.
Cao Mao's face was as gloomy as water. He stared at his adopted son with eyes as deep as a wolf's:
"Your Majesty is about to come to the fore. You must leave immediately, take my badge, and go invite the nobles and royal family members in the city to come to your residence."
He wants to fight back!
Although he was in the capital and had no soldiers, he could still ask the nobles and royal family members who were allied with him to take action.
Mediate in the temple.
"What?" Cao Kedi's face changed drastically, and he looked terrified. "What should I do?"
Cao Mao glanced at him dissatisfiedly:
"Why are you panicking? Humph, if Your Majesty had truly made up his mind, he would have sent officials to arrest my father by now. But she didn't do that, and instead just seized on the excuse of overturning the verdict. This shows that things haven't reached the worst yet.
Your Majesty is not crazy. She wouldn't dare risk losing Jubei City by killing me, but I can't let them lead me by the nose. Go immediately and don't waste your words.
As soon as the words fell.
Suddenly, the father and son in the room heard a commotion outside, accompanied by shouts of shock and anger:
"What are you going to do?"
"This is the Duke's Mansion!"
The father and son looked at each other and had a bad feeling.
…
at the same time.
Outside the main gate of the Duke's Mansion, a large number of officials dressed in brocade clothes and with swords hanging from their waists swarmed in on horseback. They did not try to block the entire house, but just rushed to the gate of the Duke's Mansion in a large crowd.
The leader was none other than Hou Renmeng, the "little expert in breaking into doors". This large group of officials almost mobilized the entire Lihua Hall.
Behind the team, in a carriage in the spacious streets.
Zhao Duan did not rush to get out of the car, but watched quietly as his men began to break down the door, and then, as expected, they clashed with the guards of the Duke's Mansion.
"How many soldiers can a mere Duke's Mansion have? As long as Duke Cao and that Cao Kedi don't take action, there's no need for so many people."
The young secretary Qian Kerou was standing by, her round buttocks only half touching the seat, and she couldn't help but speak as she watched the scene outside.
"What do you know? This is called psychological warfare."
Zhao Duan looked lazy. He had been here for a long time and had been waiting nearby until Duke Cao returned from court before summoning men to break down the gate.
"If we want to capture him at the lowest cost, this might be the best way. Um, where's the wine? Give me a sip."
The secretary said "oh", took out the wine naan obediently, pulled out the cork with a "pop", and handed it to the mouth of the lazy guy Zhao.
The wine was warm, slid down my throat, and had an average taste.
"Yellow wine is better when it's heated. It's much worse when it's warm, and it's worse than horse urine when it's cold." Zhao Duan commented with emotion.
After stuffing the wine naan back into the secretary's hands, he stretched his arms, straightened his waist, and stepped out of the carriage.
"Let's go, it's time to meet this Duke."
The young secretary followed behind him nimbly, shook out a fur cloak with both hands, and put it on Zhao Duan.
The long cloak dragged on the ground, leaving clear traces on the white snow.
Zhao Duan stepped over the threshold and walked straight in. All obstacles along the way were cleared. When he stepped into the courtyard, he finally saw the two parties confronting each other.
Hou Renmeng and other men in brocade uniforms held steel knives in their hands and lined up in a large semicircle, like a pack of wolves lurking around.
Among those surrounded, apart from a few elite guards, there was also the butler, who was lying on the ground wailing with his swollen face, and had several of his teeth knocked out by a scabbard of an unknown brocade man.
And there was Duke Anguo Cao Mao, whose face looked like a volcano about to erupt.
Cao Ke Di stood one step behind him, his face fearless.
"Tsk tsk, what's wrong with you? Old Hou, what did I tell you? You should handle cases in a refined manner. You guys, when I'm not keeping an eye on you, just mess around. What the hell!"
Zhao Duan walked over with an unhappy tone.
“Clatter—”
The Jinyi officers who had blocked Duke Cao and others like an iron barrel tacitly parted like a tide and made way for them.
Zhao Duan, wearing a fox fur cloak, an official hat and an official robe, walked leisurely in the courtyard, followed by a round-faced secretary.
He glanced at the whole audience, frowned, and waved his hand:
"Put your knives away! This is disgraceful! I'll show you how I'll deal with you when we get back!"
“Swish, swish, swish—”
The soldiers in brocade clothes sheathed their swords at the same time, their movements were in perfect unison, and an indescribable aura permeated the air.
"Godfather, this person is Zhao Duan." Cao Kedi reminded softly.
Cao Mao was still wearing the same esteemed robe of a duke that he wore when attending court, and the golden belt around his waist shone brightly.
However, at this moment, the general who held military power was standing in the snow, his body trembling slightly.
Cao Mao stared at Zhao Duan intently and squeezed out the words: "Are you going to rebel?"
Zhao Duan smiled and looked at the northern tiger calmly:
"Duke Cao, you're joking. This is the Emperor's territory. We are his guards. How can we be involved in a rebellion?"
Cao Mao's chest heaved violently, and he stared at him with deep eyes:
"You're brazenly breaking into the Duke's residence. Mr. Zhao, do you think I wouldn't dare kill you?"
The moment these words were spoken, without any warning, Cao Mao suddenly reached out and pulled out the sword he had been holding when he ran out of the house.
“clang!”
The sword was unsheathed, and in full view of everyone, the old duke raised his hand and threw it out.
At this distance, the sword was almost like a powerful crossbow, whistling through the wind towards Zhao Duan's heart.
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes, stretched out his right hand like lightning, and suddenly pinched the tip of the sword with his thumb and index finger.
His right hand was covered with a faint glow, and his fingers rubbed against the tip of the sword, making a sharp "squeak" sound.
The kinetic energy of the sword was transmitted along his arms, shoulders, spine, lower body... all the way to his feet, sweeping away a circle of snow around his black boots.
Zhao Duan held the tip of the sword with one hand, with a smile still on his face.
He slowly lifted the sword suspended in mid-air horizontally with both hands, lowered his head, and rubbed his fingers admiringly over the sleek blade that almost reflected his face, praising it:
“Nice sword!”
Zhao Duan raised his head and casually inserted the long sword into the bluestone floor tiles under his feet. With a "puff", the brick and stone floor was cut open like tofu, and the sword body sank an inch into the snow.
The hilt of the sword was still shaking slightly.
He stared at Cao Mao, the smile on his face slowly fading: "What a despicable Duke."
…
Thanks to: There is a place called Penglai for the 5,000 points reward support
Thanks to the book friend Jianxin Jingdu Dahuo for the 100-coin reward
(End of this chapter)
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