Mu Zhuohua took off his hood, revealing his handsome and fair face. She stared at Mu Minghua quietly, as if examining her. Being stared at by such a pair of beautiful and clear almond eyes, Mu Minghua shuddered involuntarily.
"Eighth sister, it seems that you have got what you wished for, but you are not living as you wished." Mu Zhuohua sighed softly, "Zhuang County Magistrate doesn't seem to be very good to you."
Mu Minghua's face froze, and she didn't answer Mu Zhuohua's words. She clenched the corner of her clothes and stared at Mu Zhuohua nervously: "Who are you! Prince Ding... You brought Prince Ding here!"
"You are not living well, so you want to drag me down with you, right?" Mu Zhuohua tilted his head and frowned slightly to examine Mu Minghua, "You were not this kind of person originally, what made you change?"
Mu Zhuohua didn't answer, but it also confirmed Mu Minghua's guess, and her face suddenly turned pale. She knew how beautiful Mu Zhuohua was, and Mu Zhuohua's scheming was even better than hers. Did she cling to Prince Ding? If that was the case, wouldn't it mean that she was doomed if she kidnapped Mu Zhuohua...
Mu Minghua fell into deep fear and trembled involuntarily - although she was now living a life worse than death, she still longed to live, she didn't want to die!
Mu Zhuohua opened the cell door at some point, and walked up to Mu Minghua with a rustling sound on the straw on the ground.
Mu Minghua hid in the corner, her back pressed against the cold, hard and rough wall, but there was nowhere to escape. Mu Zhuohua grabbed her wrist, she was tired, hungry, in pain and sleepy, and had no power to break free. Mu Zhuohua frowned and looked at her, then suddenly raised his hand to tear open her front, and was stunned.
Mu Minghua screamed, pushed Mu Zhuohua away, and trembled as she covered her chest, but there was no way to completely cover the bruises on her chest. The criss-crossing bruises on it were new and old, and it was horrible to look at.
Mu Zhuohua's hand stopped in mid-air, and the whole person couldn't recover, staring at Mu Minghua in a daze.
Mu Minghua screamed hysterically: "Go away! Go away! Don't come over here!"
Mu Zhuohua swallowed and looked at Mu Minghua in disbelief: "He... is this how he treats you?"
Mu Minghua seemed to have seen a ghost, her face shrank into the shadows, and she kept shouting: "Don't come over here, don't come over here..."
Mu Zhuohua felt her palms getting cold, and her whole body felt like she was falling into an ice cave.
It turned out that this was how she had been living for the past year...
"Eighth sister, don't be afraid..." Mu Zhuohua said hoarsely.
Mu Minghua froze, she slowly raised her head, stared at Mu Zhuohua with lifeless eyes, and suddenly let out a ghostly low laugh.
"Are you feeling lucky?" Mu Minghua smiled coldly, "Are you feeling lucky that you escaped from the marriage and don't have to endure all this?"
Mu Zhuohua sighed, "Marrying County Magistrate Zhuang was what you wanted with all your heart. I escaped from the marriage, isn't that what you wished for? As for what you suffered afterwards, I couldn't expect it, and neither could you. You resent me, it's ridiculous."
Mu Minghua bit his lower lip, with hatred in his eyes, "If it weren't for you who caught his eye first and made him fall in love with you but couldn't have you, how could I have suffered so much torture! Since you escaped, why did you appear in front of us again? He forced me to tie you up. If I didn't do it, do you think I would still have a way to survive! Now you have climbed up to Prince Ding, haha, I was blind and offended you. Are you here to laugh at me now? Are you satisfied?"
"I'm not here to laugh at you. I'm here to make a deal with you." Mu Zhuohua was not affected by her emotions and said slowly, "Eighth sister, you are a smart person. You always know how to plan for yourself and know how to choose to benefit. So this time, I'll give you a choice. Do you want to die in prison with County Magistrate Zhuang, or come forward to testify against him?"
Mu Minghua was not stupid. She quickly understood what Mu Zhuohua meant and said in astonishment, "You want me to betray him?"
Mu Zhuohua nodded and said, "I know you hate him. I knew it when I saw the way you looked at him in the inn. If he dotes on you, you will live as you wish. You would never tie me to him to share your love. You always keep good things for yourself and push bad things to others. "Mu Zhuohua said with a chuckle, "It is also because I know who you are that I will make this deal with you. I know you can put aside your hatred for me and make the best choice for yourself."
Mu Minghua stopped trembling and stared at Mu Zhuohua suspiciously: "How do you know I have evidence of his guilt."
Mu Zhuohua smiled and said, "Since you hate him, why don't you keep some for yourself? Although he abused you, he still brought you to Dingjing, which shows that he loves you very much, but in a special way. "I've learned a little bit. You must have evidence of his crime in your hand. As long as you hand this evidence to the Ministry of Personnel, Magistrate Zhuang will be punished. Then I will help you get rid of the Zhuang family and give you a large sum of money. You will be free and have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life."
Mu Minghua bit his lip, his eyes flashing, "Do you have the ability? Can Prince Ding listen to you so much?" "This kind of trivial matter does not require his help." Mu Zhuohua's hand stretched out from the cloak, holding an official seal in his small white palm, "I know you are suspicious, so I'll show you the evidence. I am now a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, an official of the fifth rank, and you are just "Zhuang County Magistrate's concubine, I want to protect you, it's easy."
Mu Minghua looked at the official seal in Mu Zhuohua's hand in shock, dumbfounded, and couldn't believe it: "You...you actually...how did you do it?"
Mu Zhuohua took back the official seal and smiled faintly: "Although you are smart, your eyes are always limited to the inner house. This year's imperial examination, I was the third place in the imperial examination, and now I am being used by His Majesty. If you want to find a backer, isn't it more reliable for me? Eighth sister, ask yourself, have I ever taken the initiative to harm others? "
There are too many people in the inner house of the Mu family. When there are too many people, there will be unrest, and the seventh child, Mu Zhuohua, is definitely the most peaceful one. When everyone thinks of Mu Zhuohua, there is only an outline of a silly smile holding a book in their minds. They can't remember her face and ignore her existence. After Mu Zhuohua lost her mother, she lived with Mu Minghua. Mu Minghua was more familiar with Mu Zhuohua than others, but even if they slept in the same room, she didn't take Mu Zhuohua seriously, and always regarded her as a good-tempered nerd. It was not
until the heavy rain washed away her disguise that she suddenly came to her senses.
But Mu Zhuohua was right, she was scheming, but she had never taken the initiative to harm others.
Mu Minghua was somewhat tempted, and her breathing became rapid. One was the tyrannical Magistrate of Zhuang County who had offended Prince Ding, and the other was a sister with a gentle personality and the emperor's favor. This choice was not difficult to make.
Mu Minghua stared at Mu Zhuohua: "How much silver can you give me?"
Mu Zhuohua said: "One thousand taels."
Mu Minghua sneered: "Do you know how much silver Magistrate Zhuang County has extorted?" She paused before saying, "One hundred thousand taels."
Mu Zhuohua was silent for a long time before saying coldly: "Then he deserves to die."
"I want 10,000 taels." Mu Minghua said.
Mu Zhuohua frowned helplessly: "Eighth sister, these 100,000 taels will be confiscated. Do you think they all went into my pocket?"
"Then 3,000 taels." Mu Minghua didn't expect to get 10,000 taels. "I have to think about my second half of life."
Mu Zhuohua gritted his teeth and said, "Okay." Mu Minghua
glanced at Mu Zhuohua in surprise. 3,000 taels was not a small amount. Mu Zhuohua agreed so readily, either she really had money, or Prince Ding really loved her.
No matter which reason it was, it gave her more confidence to surrender to Mu Zhuohua.
"There is another condition. This account book, except for Magistrate Zhuang, I am the only one who knows where it is. You let me go, and I will take it to the Ministry of Personnel to provide evidence in person." Mu Minghua said.
Mu Zhuohua smiled, looking at her knowingly: "You are worried that if you tell me where the account books are, I will not let you out after I get the evidence." Mu
Minghua faked a smile and said: "I always have to be careful."
Mu Zhuohua looked at Mu Minghua carefully, and after a long time, he smiled: "Eighth sister, you have grown up a lot, and your good days are ahead."
At this moment, Mu Minghua was lying on the bed, and said coldly: "When I returned to the farm, the old hag beat and scolded me, saying that she would beat the drum to make a big deal and let His Majesty make the decision. If she beat the drum, she would be punished with thirty strokes of the cane. How could she go in person? Naturally, she would force me to go."
Mu Zhuohua looked at Mu Minghua's indifferent profile, smiled slightly: "So that's it... You deliberately took these thirty strokes just to make a big deal, let the whole city know, and know that you, the Mu family, are wise and brave for the sake of justice. In this way, you can not only completely Get rid of the relationship with County Magistrate Zhuang, and you can step on him to get to the top, and even be famous forever. "
Mu Minghua raised the corners of his pale lips, revealing a cold and complacent smile: "Thanks to the reminder of the seventh sister, my vision was too narrow in the past, and I only focused on the small piece of land in front of me. When I came to the capital, I realized how big the world is. Three thousand taels is too little. I, a weak woman, may not be able to keep it. Unless this money is a reward from His Majesty, no one dares to rob it. "
Mu Zhuohua looked at Mu Minghua with appreciation: "I know you have always been smart and bold, but I still underestimated you. You have done a good job, and His Majesty's reward will not be small. Now you can rest assured to recuperate in the Imperial Hospital. The family surnamed Zhuang will not have an easy time. "
Mu Zhuohua left the Imperial Hospital. It was already dark, but there was a slender and tall figure standing in the shadow of the porch waiting for her.
"You are here." Shen Jinghong's voice came out from the shadow with a smile.
Mu Zhuohua raised his eyes and saw Shen Jinghong walking towards him with a smile. In terms of outstanding appearance, among all the officials in the court, only Prince Ding Liu Yan can compete with him. But Prince Ding's handsomeness is introverted and gentle, like the spring breeze and drizzle, moistening things silently. Shen Jinghong is as his name suggests. He is beautiful and unrestrained, with handsome sword eyebrows, bright eyes, and his every move shows the elegance of a celebrity. No matter where he stands, he is the most dazzling one. In brothels and mansions, he is the man that these prostitutes want to sleep with the most, and among the aristocratic families, he is also the most ideal son-in-law for the heads of various families.
It's just that this man has long said that he will not get married unless he becomes a first-class official.
Mu Zhuohua looked at Shen Jinghong who was walking towards him, and vaguely remembered the scene he had secretly seen in the Xiaoqin Palace - not getting married does not mean that there is no desire. Master Jinghong must also have a confidante.
Shen Jinghong walked up to Mu Zhuohua and chuckled, "What are you thinking about so much, Lord Mu?"
Mu Zhuohua came back to her senses and smiled, "I was thinking about Lord Shen's brilliant plan, which was perfect."
Shen Jinghong said, "You are too kind. Both of us work for His Majesty and do our best. It's only natural."
Mu Zhuohua's courtyard only received two people late at night, one was Liu Yan and the other was Shen Jinghong. That night, Shen Jinghong sat in her room for a long time.
"I have been keeping an eye on Zhuang Wenfeng, who was arrested and imprisoned in Jingzhao Yin's prison today, for a long time." Shen Jinghong held the tea bowl, skimmed the tea residue and said slowly, "He is the nephew of the Chief Censor Zhuang Zixian. His father was a frontier official. After his father died, he was appointed as an official by grace. Although he is dull in talent, he has managed to get a good job. It is said that Jiangnan is the richest place in the world, and Huaizhou is the warehouse of Jiangnan. Huaizhou is the richest place in Chen State, and Yongding County is one of the three counties with the highest taxes in Huaizhou. Zhuang Wenfeng has little ability, but he can be the county magistrate of Yongding County. It is really incredible."
Mu Zhuohua guessed Shen Jinghong's intention and said, "Zhuang Zixian has been in the court for many years. It is not difficult for him to find a good job for his nephew."
"Lord Mu also knows that I am now in charge of the performance evaluation of foreign officials under the order of His Majesty. Zhuang Wenfeng is naturally among them. He has not yet arrived in Dingjing, but the performance results are already out. They are all A-grade. He will be transferred to Jiangling as the prefect next year. Lord Mu, you came from Huaizhou and should know about Huaizhou affairs. Is Magistrate Zhuang really such a capable official?" Shen Jinghong said with a smile.
"Heh." Mu Zhuohua sneered, "Although I am still in the boudoir, I have heard of County Magistrate Zhuang's ability, but this ability is not the same as that one. To be able to get all the A's in the performance evaluation, I believe that Censor Zhuang has made a lot of efforts and also benefited a lot."
Shen Jinghong said leisurely: "You work in the Ministry of Revenue, you should know that the court is now redundant and many officials are in office without doing
anything. The court has to spend an extra 2 million taels every year for this. Not only that, these mediocre and corrupt officials take advantage of their positions to plunder the people's wealth, making the people miserable." Mu Zhuohua nodded: "That's why there is a small test every three years and a big test every nine years."
Shen Jinghong laughed and said, "What's the point of this kind of assessment? A parasite like Zhuang Wenfeng also got the A's this year. The assessment of the Ministry of Personnel is hosted by the Ministry of Personnel and supervised by the Censorate, but the assessment has always been a formality. How many people will actually be dismissed? Those who are really dismissed, It's not because of bad officialdom, but because of offending superiors. Now the assessment of the Ministry of Personnel has become a tool for officials to make money. "
Mu Zhuohua looked solemn, and sighed heavily, "The world is like this..."
The teacup was placed heavily on the table. Shen Jinghong's phoenix eyes were surprisingly bright. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he looked at Mu Zhuohua with a smile, "Then why don't you and I join forces to subvert this world!"
Mu Zhuohua was frightened by the movement and his heart skipped a beat. He looked at Shen Jinghong in surprise, his breath choked, and slowly asked, "What does Lord Shen want?"
Shen Jinghong smiled slightly and said, "A woman detained in the prison today is the concubine of County Magistrate Zhuang, named Mu Minghua. If I'm not mistaken, she is Lord Mu's sister. "
Mu Zhuohua clenched his fists suddenly, and let go after a while, and sighed, "Lord Shen, you want me to instigate Mu Minghua to bite out evidence of County Magistrate Zhuang's crimes, and use this as a sword to punish evil and traitors. "
Shen Jinghong chuckled and said, "You are a smart man. You can understand what I mean without me saying much."
"Sir Shen, although I understand, I am also a little worried." Mu Zhuohua frowned slightly, "You are fighting against the entire court alone. This matter affects the interests of the aristocratic families. They will not let it go."
Shen Jinghong raised his eyebrows slightly, smiled and asked, "So what?"
Mu Zhuohua was stunned.
Shen Jinghong said: "This matter has four benefits. Revenge for your private grudge is the first, and the king's predicament is the second. Eliminating the accumulated malpractices in the government is the third, and establishing your majesty's power is the fourth."
"Lord Shen's analysis is reasonable, but what about the harm?" Mu Zhuohua asked, "Pros must have harms."
Shen Jinghong smiled faintly: "At most, I will die. What's more, I don't think they can succeed."
The phoenix eyes were smiling, and the look was bright. Shen Jinghong, who laughed at life and death, was more frightening than the young master Jinghong who talked about poetry and Taoism. Even Mu Zhuohua, who always sought benefits and avoided harm and was cautious, could not help but be persuaded by him.
What's more, this matter was caused by her, and she did not intend to stand idly by.
Mu Zhuohua said slowly: "Lord Shen has this determination, and Mu Zhuohua must do her best."
This is why she went to the prison to persuade Mu Minghua to let her go.
Mu Zhuohua and Shen Jinghong left the palace side by side, and it was already dark.
"Today's incident has a much more serious effect than I expected." Shen Jinghong smiled and said, "As expected of Lord Mu's sister, this kind of courage and character is not something that ordinary women can achieve."
Mu Zhuohua touched his nose and smiled and said, "That's because men in the world look down on women. Women are more cruel than men, especially when they attack themselves."
Shen Jinghong seemed to have realized something and nodded gently. After a moment, he said, "I have discussed this matter with His Majesty today. The Dali Temple has taken all the people into the Tiger Prison. I believe that the relevant people will be tried soon."
"Lord Shen has seen the account book. What do you think?" Mu Zhuohua asked.
Shen Jinghong said, "The wide range of involvement is beyond my expectation. Although His Majesty was furious today, he did not read out the names of all the officials involved. Some of them are too important."
Mu Zhuohua did not ask which few people. Since His Majesty did not say it, it would be better for her not to know.
"Your Majesty has grown up a lot now and knows the importance of things." Liu Chen was impatient. If he went over, I'm afraid he would pull everyone out on the spot.
"In the next few days, please ask Lord Mu to write a memorial, listing the amount of treasury silver consumed by redundant government affairs every year."
"It's already been calculated, and it will be completed in the next two days." Mu Zhuohua said that she had walked to the fork in the road. She bowed to Shen Jinghong and said solemnly, "Lord Shen, take care."
Shen Jinghong smiled and nodded at her. After watching Mu Zhuohua's back disappear around the corner, the smile on his lips slowly faded.
Mu Zhuohua's every move fell into the eyes of Prince Ding. Would he watch her become the bird that stood out?
Liu Yan lowered his eyes and listened to Zhimo's report on Mu Zhuohua's whereabouts.
Mu Zhuohua had encountered accidents twice, and he could no longer rest assured to see her walk alone. Therefore, even though Mu Zhuohua pushed him away coldly, he still asked the Purple Guards to take turns to protect her secretly.
That's why he knew that Shen Jinghong entered her room and sat for a long time late that night, and now he knew that Shen Jinghong was waiting for her to go home at the palace gate.
After Zhimo finished his report, he saw Liu Yan was silent in deep thought. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Highness, are you worried about the two of them..."
Liu Yan laughed and shook his head, "No, she is not that kind of person. I was just thinking that Shen Jinghong is really bold. A small official, he actually wants to snatch food from the mouths of officials. I underestimated him."
Zhimo didn't understand and asked, "Your Highness, what does he want to do?"
Liu Yan bent his slender index finger and tapped the table lightly, slightly closing his eyes, and slowly said, "Zhuang Wenfeng has no talent or virtue. He is only an official because of the grace of the emperor. But he has brought disaster to the people."
Zhimo frowned and said, "In this case, the grace of the emperor is an evil policy."
"Yes, when the system of imperial favor was first established, it had its advantages, but now the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Official positions are inherited by the children of the powerful and wealthy, which gave rise to many aristocratic families, and the government therefore fell into the hands of the aristocratic families. Now that your majesty has ascended the throne at a young age, he has been constrained by the aristocratic families in several political discussions, and he is naturally resentful. Zhuang Wenfeng is just a typical example. Your majesty wants to take this opportunity to kill people to establish his authority and abolish the system of imperial favor. Then, your majesty can place his own people in the vacant positions. This group of people is the force that your majesty can trust and rely on in the court."
Zhimo suddenly realized. He originally had a little suspicion of Shen Jinghong, but after hearing what Liu Yan said, he felt some respect for him. "Lord Shen, what you are doing is good for the country and the people."
Liu Yan shook his head and said, "How can aristocratic families compromise easily?"
"Then what should we do?"
"Haha..." Liu Yan chuckled, "Now that things have come to this, I can't sit idly by."
It was not difficult to dig out evidence of County Magistrate Zhuang's crimes. After Mu Minghua beat the drum to report the crime, the Zhuang family was arrested. Under severe torture, those who had done evil things for County Magistrate Zhuang and forced people to death all confessed the matter one by one. The number of crimes was unexpected, and the huge amount of stolen silver seized was also jaw-dropping.
At the morning court, Liu Chen's face was grim as he listened to the report from the Dali Temple.
"The criminal Zhuang Wenfeng, who created all kinds of pretexts and imposed exorbitant taxes, forcibly collected dozens of taxes from the people of Yongding County, including water conservancy fees, marriage taxes, city defense donations, and school development donations. The people's income from farming was only one tenth of what they earned, and Zhuang Wenfeng made a huge profit of 50,000 taels."
"... In the twelfth year of Zhaoming, Zhuang Wenfeng was tempted by a beautiful woman and raped a decent woman to death. The victim's parents wanted to sue the prefecture, but Zhuang Wenfeng let his slaves commit the crime. The family of four was knocked unconscious and burned to death at home." "
... In the thirteenth year of Zhaoming, Zhuang Wenfeng colluded with many local wealthy businessmen, lent money at high interest rates, and forged contracts. The annual interest rate was as high as 4,048 times. Dozens of people were unable to repay and their farmland and workshops were forcibly occupied. Zhuang Wenfeng thus annexed 600 acres of high-quality farmland."
"... In the fourteenth year of Zhaoming..."
The Dali Temple official talked for half an hour, and Liu Chen's face became colder and colder, and the hearts of all the officials became heavier.
Zhuang Wenfeng's crimes were listed, and there was only a dead silence in the hall.
"This... is the official who is our father and mother..." Liu Chen's voice was as cold as ice and he spoke in a
heavy voice, "What a ruined county magistrate!" "The late emperor worked tirelessly to implement benevolent policies and reduce taxes and levies, but what happened when it came to the local people! My Chen soldiers are fighting on the front lines to defend our country, but you corrupt officials are doing such dirty things behind the scenes! I feel sick just listening to them!"
All the officials knelt down and kowtowed, saying in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please calm down..."
Liu Yan also stood up slowly and bowed his head.
Liu Chen sneered, "Shen Jinghong, tell me, what are the results of Zhuang Wenfeng's performance evaluation this year?"
Shen Jinghong stepped out and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, Zhuang Wenfeng passed the evaluation in every category and has been recommended by the Minister of Personnel to be transferred to the post of prefect of Jiangling."
The Minister of Personnel's face suddenly changed, and he knocked his head heavily on the ground, trembling and said, "I have been deceived by a villain and deserve death!"
"The evaluation of the Ministry of Personnel is supervised by the Censorate. Has the Censorate also been deceived?" Liu Chen looked down coldly at several senior officials of the Censorate.
Everyone's head was pressed to the ground, and they pleaded guilty in unison.
"Good, really good..." The murderous intent in Liu Chen's eyes almost solidified, and he wanted to chop off the heads of these dog officials. "These are the officials of our Chen country... These are the hopes of the people of our Chen country!"
"That Zhuang Wenfeng is only a seventh-rank county magistrate, but he can harm one side and put tens of thousands of people in dire straits. Who of those kneeling here is not a loyal minister or a frontier official? When local officials are corrupt, the people suffer. When ministers in the court neglect their duties, my great Chen Dynasty suffers! You actually ask me to calm down. Can I calm down? Do I dare to calm down? You can remain indifferent, but I can't!" Liu Chen was furious and slammed the table and stood up: "The people of Beiliang are still eyeing us covetously. How many lives of our Chen country have sacrificed in exchange for today's peace? The reason you can sit in the court today is because of the bloody battles of the soldiers, the people's blood and sweat, and the trust and promotion of the late emperor! How did you do it? You people, who are in office but do nothing, oppress the people. Are you worthy of the heroic souls who died in battle, the people who support you, and the late emperor who entrusted you with important tasks?"
Many officials were trembling with suppressed sobs, and their shoulders were shaking violently. The high officials of various departments were calm and dared not to defend themselves. Liu Chen was so righteous that they were speechless.
Liu Chen closed his eyes tiredly, his chest rising and falling violently, suppressing his murderous intent and anger. He was now an emperor and could not act impulsively. Even if he knew that nine out of the ten people kneeling below were not innocent, he could not do anything to them.
"Sentence, Zhuang Wenfeng, be executed by slow slicing, those who aided the tyrant in the palace will be beheaded immediately, and the rest will be exiled." Liu Chen announced in a deep voice.
All the officials said in unison: "Your Majesty is wise!"
Liu Chen sneered: "Is it enough to explain to the people by dealing with one Zhuang Wenfeng? Such a parasite passed the performance evaluation of the Ministry of Personnel with openness. Not only did he bring disaster to Huaizhou, but he also had to be transferred to Jiangling? Shen Jinghong, you are in charge of the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department. Who gave Zhuang Wenfeng the A-level promotion after he passed the test?"
Shen Jinghong held a memorial in his hand and bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, Zhuang Wenfeng is only a seventh-rank county magistrate. The initial evaluation of his political achievements was submitted by the prefecture, and then the Ministry of Personnel's Performance Evaluation Department made a reply. The Ministry of Personnel, from top to bottom, is indeed responsible for negligence. I am worried that other scum like Zhuang Wenfeng have been overlooked in this performance evaluation. Therefore, I have reviewed the performance evaluation results in detail in the past few days, and indeed found a lot of suspicious people with omissions. The names of the people are all on the list. I hope Your Majesty will make your judgment."
Although Shen Jinghong admitted that the Ministry of Personnel was wrong, he still pushed the main responsibility onto the prefecture, which made everyone in the Ministry of Personnel feel a little relieved.
The eunuch handed the memorial to Liu Chen, who spread it out and said coldly with a frown, "There are so many."
Shen Jinghong said, "A total of 135 people."
As soon as this was said, everyone in the room was shocked, and everyone looked at Shen Jinghong's slender back in amazement.
Everyone thought that Shen Jinghong would just capture three or four people to vent his anger, but who could have expected him to go so far!
Shen Jinghong seemed unaware of the gazes and surprise of others. He said slowly and calmly, "These 135 people, like Zhuang Wenfeng, all became officials because of their father's favor. They have never gone through the imperial examination. They have neither the talent to govern nor the virtue of a saint or gentleman. I think that selecting officials for the people is the most important thing. Local officials are the parents of the people. If they do not have the benevolence of parents, they will bring disaster to the people, causing the court to lose the support of the people, and even more so, Your Majesty will be unjust, making the people of the world resent Your Majesty. If people's resentment arises, the country will be in danger. Therefore, I dare to advise you and implore Your Majesty to abolish the system of favor!"
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