Chapter 313: Verbal Warfare
Dark gold visor... bronze visor... Is there any connection between the two?
Zhao Duan couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Although it was hard to imagine that an unknown gold medal shadow guard would be connected with the "circle of friends" of Dayu Taizu.
But...the inheritance of spiritual practice does exist.
"If the Armored Sorceress is indeed a master from a real historical lineage, then it's only natural that the descendants of the same lineage would retain similar traits and traditions."
Zhao Duan rubbed his chin, feeling a little eager to do something.
Just like when you get stuck in a game and can’t pass a level, you will habitually look for a guide.
Although there was a lack of vigilance, he was killed the moment he appeared, which shows that the gap between him and the sorceress is quite large.
However, being abused unilaterally is not good for cultivation. At this time, if we can find the inheritance of the sorceress based on this clue, figure it out, and then fight, our chances will be much greater...
"Well, there's no rush. Let's go to the government office tomorrow and ask Xiao Ma. He has experience."
Zhao Duan made up his mind, but couldn't help but feel a little resentful:
"Old Xu's design is completely unreasonable. How can we encounter such a powerful opponent just after entering the Divine Chapter? This is simply hellish difficulty."
Shaking his head, Zhao Duan felt exhausted and fell asleep.
…
Nothing happened that night, and the next day dawned.
At daybreak, the ministers who had come to attend court had already gathered at the Meridian Gate Square outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
In the past, ministers would arrive early, take a nap, or gather in groups of two or three to discuss.
But the atmosphere today was obviously a little strange. Many eyes were cast on Chen Hong, the censor of the Censorate, accompanied by whispers.
It seemed that after the fermentation throughout yesterday afternoon and evening, the matter of Taicang Prefecture had spread.
"When His Majesty asks you something later, just respond truthfully. If anything unexpected happens, don't talk nonsense." Yuan Li stood beside Chen Hong with his sleeves rolled up, and spoke in a low voice without looking away.
Censor Chen nodded quickly to show that he understood. Being appointed as Zhao Duan's deputy, he naturally knew the importance of today's morning court.
Yuan Li nodded and turned to look outside the Meridian Gate.
At this time, the big, cold and irritable "King of Hell" Ma Yan also walked in.
The relationship between the Imperial Court and all the other major government offices was hostile. Ma Yan usually went to court alone, and few people approached him. Today was no exception.
At this moment, the two sides looked at each other, nodded to each other, and continued to wait.
After a while, Li Yanfu arrived late.
The old Prime Minister of Dayu had a blank expression on his face. Unlike his usual drowsy appearance, his back seemed to be straightened a little today.
Following behind him were several members of the Li Party, all of them with serious expressions. When they saw the people from the Censorate, their eyes rubbed against each other in the air, as if sparks were flying.
"when--"
The bell rang and all officials entered the court.
When all the ministers stood firmly in the Golden Palace, the empress, wearing a dragon robe and a pearl crown on her head, walked onto the dragon throne with increasing majesty.
The eunuch next to him went through the procedures and asked if anyone wanted to make a statement.
Censor Chen Hong stepped aside, walked forward, holding the memorial in his hand, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, the Taicang Silver Mine corruption case has been thoroughly investigated, and the implicated official, Linfeng Governor Gao Lian, was escorted to the capital yesterday..."
As the deputy envoy, he represented Zhao Duan in court today.
Even though the news had already spread, the ministers were still shocked after hearing Chen Hong's complete version of the story, and there was some commotion in the palace.
Xu Zhenguan, sitting on the dragon throne, looked indifferent:
"The Governor-General has the audacity to commit numerous crimes and disregard the dignity of the court. What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"
The first sentence sets the tone, and the second sentence asks questions.
If it were an ordinary case, after the empress said this, the ministers should have followed the tone she set and taken the initiative to propose severe punishment, and then the empress would nod.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Li Yanfu stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said:
"This old minister believes that this matter is of great importance and involves the innocence of a provincial governor. We should conduct a thorough investigation, or transfer officials from Taicang to Beijing to confirm that everything is correct before making a judgment."
Taking action personally?
The officials present were shocked. Generally speaking, when it comes to disputes, the censors within the faction are arranged to speak first. The censors’ questioning is legitimate and there is room for maneuver.
But this time, Li Yanfu was the first to speak out, which already shows a certain attitude.
"Haha, the Prime Minister is mature and prudent. The idea of a retrial is not wrong. But the word 'innocent' is a bit inappropriate." Yuan Li walked out with a smile, facing his old rival, and talked freely:
"This time, when Envoy Zhao went to Taicang, he solved this major case. With all the witnesses and evidence, there is no doubt about it. Gao Lian is already a criminal and cannot bear the name.
As for the investigation, our Censorate carefully examined the evidence yesterday and found it to be exactly as stated in the memorial. Therefore, there is no need to delay any further. The perpetrators should be punished as soon as possible. This has been made known to the world, demonstrating the majesty of the law."
Do you want to review the case?
No problem, I've checked it for you.
Li Yanfu raised his eyes to look at Yuan Qingyi and said:
"Investigating a case requires avoiding suspicion. This trip to Taicang was conducted with the participation of Censor Chen. How can the Censorate's investigation be considered valid? Moreover, does this so-called evidence include Gao Lian's confession of guilt? If not, then there is doubt. How can a dignified provincial governor convict him without allowing him to defend himself?"
You said you checked, and that's all? Do you understand avoiding suspicion?
Yuan Li sneered:
"Prime Minister, you're wrong. Chen Hong was only my deputy during the Taicang trip. Why should I, the Censorate, be so cautious? Yes, I heard that the Prime Minister and Zhao Duan are not on good terms and have many personal grudges. Could it be that the Prime Minister is questioning this case because it was Zhao Duan who solved it?"
It's impossible. Is it because Gao Lian, who is from the same Jiangnan aristocratic family and is from the same hometown, that he is protecting him?"
This is too harsh.
Before Li Yanfu could say anything, a member of the Li Party's Imperial Censorate jumped out and started scolding Yuan Li, questioning his nonsense and false accusations against court officials.
On the side of the Censorate, some censors also jumped out and fought back fiercely, criticizing Li Yanfu for taking revenge on personal grudges and preventing Zhao Duan from making achievements.
For a moment, there was an uproar in the Golden Palace.
The two camps are clearly divided.
Li Dang’s strategy is to “drag”, hoping to prolong the trial process. It would be best if they could go to Taicang a few more times to collect evidence, first to gain enough time to move around, and then find a way to rescue the person.
The Censorate advocated for a swift execution, emphasizing the importance of speed in war.
Finally, the Empress reconciled the two sides and issued an order in a casual tone:
"This case will be handed over to the three courts for joint trial and the investigation will be completed within ten days at the latest."
…
…
Imperial Court, Governor's Hall.
"So the result of the argument at the morning court was to send the man to the Ministry of Justice jail first? And then have the three courts hold a joint trial?" Zhao Duan asked in surprise, holding a piece of cake in his hand.
In the "meeting room" where the Nine Halls used to hold meetings.
After the court session, the governor Ma Yan returned to the yamen and sat in the main seat.
In the hall, besides Zhao Duan, there were also Zhang Han and Haitang who came to ask questions.
Zhao Duan rushed to the yamen early this morning and simply dealt with the trivial matters that had accumulated in Lihuatang during this period.
Upon learning that Ma Yansanchao had returned, he ran over to inquire about the news.
"Well, if you want to convict the governor, even if you have evidence, according to national law, a retrial in the capital is necessary. Otherwise, it would be too easy for any imperial envoy to fabricate a false case."
Ma Yan explained, "So, Lord Yuan's goal is neither to prevent a retrial nor to prevent a joint trial by the three courts, but to avoid procedural delays. Otherwise, it's not unprecedented for a case to take six months or even a year to be tried."
Brother Xun once said something similar, which was that Chinese people like harmony the most. If you want to open a window, you have to say that you want a broken house... Zhao Duan nodded to show his understanding.
Beside her, Haitang couldn't help but say:
"So, what will Li Yanfu do? Will he try to delay the case again, or what? Pei Kaizhi from the Ministry of Justice has been removed, and Zhou Cheng from the Dali Temple has also been removed... It's impossible for them to lead the trial now."
Ma Yan nodded, then shook his head and said:
"It's indeed difficult, almost impossible, for Li Yanfu to take the lead, but that doesn't mean they can't get things done. Never underestimate the strength of the 'Li Party'.
When Your Majesty eliminated Pei and Zhou, Li Yanfu didn't fight tooth and nail to protect them. This was a voluntary concession, but also a retreat to advance. He sacrificed a great deal, but also protected his foundation...
Don't think that the so-called Li Party relies on those pillar ministers. The reason why the Li Party makes Your Majesty wary is not because it has a few high-ranking officials, but because of the complex connections among the middle and low-level officials, many of whom are from the Jiangnan gentry!
For example, in the Ministry of Justice, Pei Kaizhi has fallen, but there are still a large number of Li Party officials there. They may seem insignificant, but they are the ones who really do the work.
So, the subtext is that the Li Party seems to have lost several important members and has been severely weakened, and indeed it has been severely weakened... but the foundation is still there...
The reason why Li Yanfu acquiesced in the abandonment of the pawn just shows that the fall of Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng was not fatal.
Zhao Duan's heart trembled and he took note of this.
After several consecutive victories, he began to disenchant with Li Yanfu and even looked down on him... This was most likely an illusion.
Never underestimate the enemy!
"Okay, you guys go back first. If anything happens, I'll look for you later." Ma Yan said.
"Yes." Zhang Han and Haitang stood up and said goodbye.
However, Zhao Duan stayed, put on a smile, and rubbed his hands: "Um... Senior Brother..."
Ma Yan glanced at him and said calmly, "If you have to fart, just fart."
Tsk, what a lone minister with a bad temper. Even though my favor has increased, he still treats me harshly... He has a bad temper... Zhao Duan said with a smile:
"I'd like to ask you about my cultivation. Well, I recently finally entered the Six Chapter Sutra, and then I encountered that ancient female sorceress in red who used a scale to smash people's skulls... Since you're also cultivating the Martial God Path, you must have encountered this before, so I wanted to ask how to deal with it."
Ma Yan listened attentively at first, ready to offer some advice on cultivation, but after hearing the last part, he was stunned:
"Red Sorceress? What Sorceress?"
(End of this chapter)
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