Chapter 140 I Want to Sit at the Poker Table
Report... Report again...
In the courtyard, it was a hot summer day, but in the main room, Yuan Li suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.
In a trance, I recalled the night when Zhao Duan came to report.
I just gave a long speech, trying to persuade him not to rush, saying that Zhou Cheng's flaws were hard to catch, and you just said you found them... Yuan Li's heart skipped a beat, and his face hardened, frowning slightly.
"Unjustly killing an important official of the imperial court and violating the law, do you know what you are talking about?"
Having been in a high position for a long time, Yuan Li has seen too many subordinates exaggerating their reports.
Although Zhao Duan is capable, he is still young. Perhaps he has caught some clues, but the four words "wrongfully killing an important official" cannot be used casually.
Therefore, this sentence has some warning meaning in it.
Zhao Duan said in distress:
"I have been silent because I was wondering if the evidence I found would qualify as what Lord Yuan called a 'small matter' that would not be pursued. After all, it only involved the deaths of a minor official of the Dali Temple, a censor, and a dozen implicated officials."
When Yuan Li heard the first half of his sentence, her body relaxed quietly, thinking that it was indeed not a big deal.
But when he heard the second half of the sentence, this powerful official in the court suddenly looked up, and the tea bowl in his hand tilted, spilling some tea without even caring.
Just a little?
The death of a dozen officials?
He was stunned for a moment, suspecting that he had heard it wrong.
When he saw Zhao Duan's determined and confident look, his breathing became slightly tighter.
At this moment, even with his cunning mind, he could not contain himself. A slight surprise appeared on his face, but he quickly restrained himself and said in a deep voice:
"Speak clearly!"
"Yes!" Zhao Duan stopped talking nonsense.
He immediately told everything, including how his colleagues discovered the missing files, how he found Xue Lin's descendants, and how he learned the truth of the old case.
Yuan Li listened quietly without interrupting.
When he finished his narration, the current Imperial Censor sat up straight, his eyes sharp:
"Do you believe what later generations said?"
Zhao Duan said firmly: "I think there must be something fishy about this matter."
Yuan Li stood up and paced slowly in the hall, as if thinking. After a moment, he sighed:
"I've heard of Xue Lin in the past. Although I've never met him, I know his reputation. Later, I heard he was imprisoned, and I felt sorry for him. As for the eunuch Wang Zhen... humph."
He snorted coldly, his disdain for the evaluation evident in his words.
Zhao Duan also got up early and blinked:
"Since Lord Yuan has heard of this matter, has he never investigated it?"
Yuan Li glanced at him and said unhappily:
"Thirteen years ago, I was still working as an official in another province. By the time I returned to Beijing, several years had already passed."
I see.
Yuan Li and Xue Lin have no friendship, and after so many years, how bored must she be to delve into the old case?
If Haitang had not investigated it to gain merit, and if the empress had not issued an order, this old case would have been buried in the dark archives until it was forgotten.
Zhao Duan said respectfully:
"This is exactly where I came across this investigation. I realized that it would be extremely difficult for me to find the erased clues by myself.
Especially since I am not the director of the imperial yamen, I have come to you with the courage to ask for your help."
Yuan Li was not surprised, and after a moment of silence, he said:
"Give me a reason. A reason to help you."
An old case from the "previous dynasty" was tried by the then Chief Censor, and the late emperor wrote the final verdict.
Even if she was wrong, Yuan Li had no reason to make a fuss about it.
Zhao Duan said without hesitation:
"As far as I know, Minister Zhou has a close relationship with Li Yanfu. He is in charge of one of the three judicial departments, and many of the affairs of the Censorate are subject to his checks and balances."
Just as Xue Lin could repeatedly reject cases reviewed by the Censorate back then, Zhou Cheng today also has a restraining effect on Yuan Li.
What Zhao Duan meant by this sentence was that Zhou Cheng was also Yuan Li's enemy, and if he could be abolished, it would be of great benefit to the Censorate.
Yuan Li stared down at him, narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is that all?"
Zhao Duan lowered his eyes and nodded: "That's it."
The hall was quiet for a moment.
Immediately, Yuan Qingyi, who had just looked so majestic, suddenly smiled, and the sharpness in his eyes turned into admiration.
He took a step, sat back in the chair, and said softly:
"I thought you were using the mission His Majesty gave you as an excuse."
Zhao Duan shook his head seriously:
"This is a task assigned to me by His Majesty, not to Lord Yuan."
Logically speaking, since the empress ordered Zhao Du'an to investigate, it was a "special authorization of the imperial power" and he could order the Censorate to cooperate.
Otherwise, you can file a complaint with the Empress.
But the truth is just "the truth".
When Zhao Duan left school in his previous life, he also believed that "the truth will prevail in the world" and he always had to argue about right and wrong in everything.
After working, I found that the rules governing this world have never had anything to do with the word "reason".
The words "right" and "wrong" are only important to the parties involved, and outsiders never care.
Just like when he watched "Flying Spurs 2" in the cinema before traveling through time, Shen Teng was in tears in the play, saying that he didn't care about the ranking, but what he wanted was innocence.
But even in the world of movies, no one cares about these things, they only care about the results.
Of course, he could threaten Yuan Li by complaining to the empress, but that would create a powerful enemy for himself and would be detrimental to solving the problem.
Therefore, even if Yuan Li asked him about it, he never mentioned the word "empress".
Let’s just talk about what benefits the Censorate will gain by defeating Prime Minister Zhou.
After hearing this, Yuan Li's eyes showed more admiration.
If Zhao Duan uses the name of the empress, he will also help.
With his broad mind, he would not hate Zhao Duan or harbor any grudge against him because of this.
But... the judgment of him in my heart will inevitably be lowered by several levels, and I believe that his future achievements will be limited.
If you are in the court and don't know how to win over allies, even if you gain power for a while, it will only be a flash in the pan.
"Very good," Yuan Li thought for a moment and said:
"It is indeed beneficial for me to bring down Zhou Cheng, but if the case is not as you investigated, or if we can't find enough evidence, then the intervention of the Censorate will cause a rift with the Dali Temple.
At that time, the consequences of falling out with Zhou Cheng will be borne by the Censorate."
There are risks indeed, but if it succeeds, the benefits will also be huge... Zhao Duan said nothing and waited for the next step.
Yuan Li pondered for a moment and said with a smile:
"So, you have two choices before you.
First, I can provide you with all the help you need in this case. Even if the evidence is insufficient, I can help you "fill it up". I can also take on any counterattack from Zhou Cheng.
You can enjoy the fruits of your labor and complete the mission entrusted by His Majesty, but...if it succeeds in the end, you will only receive a small share of the credit."
Implications:
Yuan Li also believed that this was a good opportunity and he was willing to take action to deal with Zhou Cheng.
But the vast majority of the fruits of victory must be given to the Censorate.
"What about the second option?" Zhao Duan asked.
Yuan Li said slowly:
"As for the second one, I will also provide what you need and help you get it. But that's all. How to defeat him afterwards is still up to you, or the Zhao Ya behind you.
You will have to bear all of Zhou Cheng's subsequent counterattacks alone. I will not protect you from the wind and rain...
But if it succeeds, you will get most of the credit, and the Censorate will only need a small part. You can think about it slowly and give me an answer."
"No need to think," Zhao Duan said without hesitation:
"I choose the second one. Please grant my approval, Mr. Yuan."
Yuan Li looked at him quietly and reminded him:
"You have to think clearly. Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. If you continue to investigate, even if you can conceal it for a while, Zhou Cheng will find out sooner or later.
At that time, if a third-rank official attacks with all his strength, it will not be easy even if you have Ma Yan's protection.
Just like Pei Kaizhi back then, if I hadn't been there before you, you would have been thrown into the Ministry of Justice's jail by him long ago.
Don't think that just because you're wearing brocade clothes, those important officials in the court will be helpless against you."
Zhao Duan said sincerely:
"Thank you, Mr. Yuan, for your advice. I know full well that Pei Kaizhi was brought down by the entire Censorate.
If it were just me, even if I could instigate a rebellion against Lu Liang and alienate the father-in-law and son-in-law, it would be useless. I would only be crushed to death by Pei Kaizhi who would react. But..."
He paused, pursed his lips, and said slowly:
"But... back then, I was just a powerless messenger. Now, things are different.
Of course, I know that a mere Lihuatang Jisi is still like an ant compared to Zhou Cheng, a dignified Nine Ministers...but..."
He suddenly laughed, a laugh that was somewhat rebellious, somewhat fierce, and somewhat ambitious:
"But I also want to be a chess player for once."
Chess player!
In the case of Pei Kai, although Zhao Duan called himself a "chess player", he was ultimately just a chess piece, and Yuan Li was the one who played the chess.
Only the chess player can take the biggest piece of cake.
But this time, facing the fat and plump cake of Zhou Cheng, Zhao Duan weighed the limited power in his hands and was eager to try.
If the struggle in the court is an endless game of cards, the empress is the dealer.
So this time, Zhao Duan wanted to tiptoe and sit at the poker table.
"Mr. Yuan once taught me that if I want to achieve merit, it's better to take a big chance instead of focusing on small fish and shrimp. I listened to this truth," said Zhao Duan.
Quiet.
In the scorching summer, the scorching sun in the courtyard seems not as bright and piercing as the sharp light in the boy's eyes.
Yuan Li looked at him quietly, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes suddenly became more and more fine, as if she saw herself when she was younger.
"Okay," he suddenly laughed out loud, then waved his loose robe sleeves:
"As you wish! This time, I want to see if you, a little police officer, can bite an elephant to death."
Zhao Duan bowed respectfully:
"Thank you, Mr. Yuan, for your help."
Yuan Li glanced at him:
"Tell me what you want me to help you check."
Zhao Duan took out the last page of the file from his arms.
That year, Zhou Cheng stamped the document and handed it over with both hands.
"Please ask Mr. Yuan to help collect the relevant documents from that year regarding this case.
And where are the officials of the Dali Temple who served in the Censorate or the Ministry of Justice and participated in the trial of the case, or were implicated and imprisoned?
If the person is deceased, who are their direct descendants?
Although many files have "disappeared", such a major case is bound to leave many indelible traces.
What I want is to gather together again these evidences that have long been scattered, disrupted, and buried in the dust of the past.
This will form ironclad evidence sufficient to bring Zhou Cheng to justice."
Yuan Li raised his hand to take it and glanced down.
The dense clues spread across various government offices and even outside the capital gave Haitang and Zhang Han a headache.
In the eyes of this top official of the dynasty, there seemed to be no obstacles at all.
"Someone come."
Yuan Li called over a man, who was the "Yuan family coachman" who always accompanied him.
He relayed what Zhao Duan needed, and finally said:
"Collect everything and send it to Lihua Hall before tomorrow. Remember, be careful not to attract the attention of outsiders."
Decisive and powerful.
"Yes, sir." The Yuan family's coachman bowed and went down without any hesitation.
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Actually, there's no need to be so anxious..."
After all, there are so many names, involving many government offices and places.
Yuan Li, however, remained calm and said calmly, "One day is enough."
Zhao Duan was fascinated.
Yuan Li solved the problem that had left the three halls of the Lingzhao Yamen helpless with just one sentence.
(End of this chapter)
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