Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 609 Attacking the Heart
Yang Yuan came and Yang Yuan left again.

By the time the Minister of Personnel Tan Yingwen learned that his people had been detained, Yang Yuan had already left the Tianguan Yamen with Qiu Shunquan.

Li Jianwu stood upright in Minister Tan's signing room and angrily told him everything. He shouted, "Grand Chancellor, our Ministry of Personnel is being manipulated by others. All officials, from top to bottom, regard it as a great shame and humiliation. I beg you to do us justice."

Minister Tan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He really wanted to rush to the Censorate in anger and scold that old guy Zhu Zhuo.

But will they give in?
If you go there but can't bring the person back, you're bringing shame upon yourself.

Minister Tan thought about what was going to happen at the grand court meeting tomorrow, and then he slowly suppressed his anger and said slowly: "I know."

As soon as Li Jianwu saw his expression, he knew that he had successfully provoked his anger, so he bowed and said respectfully: "It's all at the Grand Chancellor's command!"

Yang Yuan brought Qiu Shunquan, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Personnel, back to the Censorate, which immediately caused a sensation among the Inspectors General.

After hearing the news, Zhu Zhuo was stunned for a while.

Xiao Hongji is the Deputy Chief Censor, so he has to be very cautious when investigating Li Jianwu. He can only conduct a circuitous investigation and inquire from the side. Is this Yang Yuan so tough?

I am already seventy-one years old. After I help the Censorate for a while longer, I will retire.

But how old are you? How can you offend people like this? Do you plan to be a lone minister?

Since ancient times, most loyal ministers have not had a good ending.

This does not mean that a lone minister will not have a good end because he made a mistake, but that a lone minister will eventually become a "lonely man".

But the emperor who called himself "a lonely man" was definitely not really a lonely man.

A true loner will eventually be abandoned by everyone.

However, Yang Yuan is still the banner of the radical faction. He just shows signs of becoming a lone minister. He cannot be called a lonely man yet, so there is no need to rush.

When I retire and return to my hometown, I will take good care of this young man.

Chief Censor Zhu Zhuo stroked his beard and thought secretly.

Yang Yuan brought Qiu Shunquan back to the Censorate and immediately arranged for him to be interrogated alone.

In the interrogation room, Yang Yuan waved his hand and drove out all the jurors and bailiffs, including the secretary who was taking notes.

Qiu Shunquan was restrained in the prison chair. Seeing his appearance, he could not help but sneer: "What? Dismiss the people around. Is Yang Qianxian planning to torture me personally?"

Yang Yuan walked to the desk and sat down, moving the lamp closer, because this interrogation room had no windows and the light was very dim.

Yang Yuan ignored him and just flipped through the files quietly.

After a while, Yang Yuan read out the number of times, the amount and the methods that Mo Dujian bribed Qiu Shunquan.

Mo Dujian adopted the method of elegant bribery according to Qiu Shunquan's request.

He transferred the gold and silver that he was going to use for bribery to a third party in a reasonable and legal manner by purchasing calligraphy and paintings, and by donating to temples and monasteries.

On the surface, this person has nothing to do with Qiu Shunquan.

Qiu Shunquan did not even collect bribes from Mo Dujian directly from the third party. Instead, he sold calligraphy and paintings and artifacts to the third party, or deposited a sum of money into the temple's longevity storehouse and set a very high return rate, thus getting the bribe back in a fair and open manner.

If it weren't for Supervisor Mo reporting himself, this case would have been difficult to investigate.

But Mo Dujian has already blown himself up. If Xiao Yiran and Lu Chengze, who are actually the "number one talents" and "number two talents" cannot get real evidence and confessions, then they are really bookish wastes.

However, even in the eight-legged essay imperial examination, which had a rigid form during the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were no real nerds among the Jinshi who passed the examination.

Yang Yuan read out each and every one of the incidents to Qiu Shunquan, who turned pale as he listened.

He now understood that the person who reported him was Mo Dujian.

That madman, would he rather go to jail than report him?
Yang Yuan read out the crimes that had been found to him one by one, closed the file and said, "Qiu Shunquan, I don't know how many crimes you have committed during your years as the Minister of Examination.

However, based on what we have already found, according to the Imperial Song Criminal Code, you can be sentenced to death by public execution."

Qiu Shunquan's forehead was covered with sweat, but he still clenched his teeth and sneered.

Yang Yuan added: "Since you are guilty of corruption, the stolen money will be recovered and confiscated according to the law, and all your property will also be confiscated."

Qiu Shunquan's face suddenly froze, and he said in a hoarse voice: "My family's property is not all stolen money."

Yang Yuan spread his hands and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. I don't care who you gave the money to. Since I can't find out, the money you received will be deducted from your property."

Qiu Shunquan's eyes suddenly went dark.

He also hoped that the Ministry of Personnel could bail him out, after all, he was aware of the crimes of so many of his colleagues.

But Yang Yuan never asked him about these things. Yang Yuan didn't even ask what other crimes he had committed.

The evidence Yang Yuan currently has is enough to sentence him to death.

On the way to the Censorate, Qiu Shunquan had thought that if things were impossible, he would just stick to his guns and not reveal anyone else. That way, at least he could leave a generous inheritance for his family, and his colleagues would also take care of his family.

But he didn't expect that Yang Yuan would sentence him to "confiscation" after the death penalty. So who was he working so hard for?

Qiu Shunquan shouted in a timid tone, "Yang Yuan, you...you don't have to threaten me. I know nothing and I won't say anything."

Yang Yuan shook his finger and said calmly, "You are wrong again. I am not using any tricks on you. I am telling you the truth."

Yang Yuan smiled and said, "Is the Ministry of Personnel easy to mess with? Of course not. If I find out about you and stop there, sentence you to death and never investigate further, do you think the people in the Ministry of Personnel will still hate me? Will they still feel that I have offended them?

No, no, no, they will only return the favor and treat me as their close friend, you say... is that right? Qiu Shunquan, if you were an official with a dirty bottom in the Ministry of Personnel, and I did this, would you be grateful to me and get close to me? "

Qiu Shunquan stared at Yang Yuan as if he saw a devil!
How could this devil have such an idea and say it out loud?

Yang Yuan continued, "Do you think I want to make the case bigger and arrest more people? Frankly speaking, I do want to. But I am also a human being, and I also have selfish desires.

I also know that if I really overthrow the entire Ministry of Personnel, I might get great credit, but I might also bring disaster upon myself.

Therefore, if I cannot continue investigating this case, I will lose a great opportunity.

But at the same time, I will also gain the friendship of a group of officials in the Ministry of Personnel who control the future of all the officials in the world, so I am not losing out."

Yang Yuan smiled and said, "So, for me, I can advance or retreat. I'll leave it to you to decide whether to advance or retreat. If you are willing to explain, I will take the risk to fight for a greater future of wealth and honor. If you don't explain, I will just feel at ease to reap the benefits that I can reap now."

"you you you……"

Yang Yuan’s words made Qiu Shunquan tremble all over.

Yang Yuan spread his hands and said, "As for letting you go, don't count on it. It's hard to sheath a sword! If I let you go, it will prove that I was wrong. I was wrong, and I have to pay the price.

Did you see what happened to Liu Yiguan? Lin'an Prefecture released me. They released me, which proved that they were wrong. They were wrong, so Liu Yiguan is now in my hands. "

Yang Yuan stood up, walked in front of Qiu Shunquan, looked down at him, and said deeply: "So, whether I continue to investigate the Ministry of Personnel or not, you must be guilty. Even if you are not guilty, I will find some guilt for you, not to mention that you are indeed guilty."

With a "crash", Qiu Shunquan jumped up and tried to strangle Yang Yuan's throat.

However, his body was tied to the prison chair, his wrists were bleeding, and he couldn't stand up at all.

Qiu Shunquan screamed, "Cruel official! Cruel official! Yang Yuan, you are a cruel official, you will not die well!"

"No matter how bad it is, you will die one day. Anyway, you will die before me."

Yang Yuan sneered nonchalantly and said, "When I took you out of the Ministry of Personnel, you spoke affectionately to Doctor Li. Did you ask him to help you clean up the mess?"

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk..."

Yang Yuan shook his head disapprovingly and said, "I can hear it, but I am too lazy to send someone to keep an eye on him."

Yang Yuan suddenly bent down, grabbed Qiu Shunquan's hair, forced him to look up, and said, "Why? Because I will stop as soon as I find you, so if I bet one bet, I will definitely get ten bets.

If I continue to follow this, I might make a hundred bets, but I might also lose all the ten bets that should have been a sure win. I am also undecided in my heart, so I might as well leave it to fate!"

Yang Yuan let go of the hand that was grabbing his hair and patted his face: "This sky is you."

Yang Yuan stood up and said to Qiu Shunquan, "Today, I have arrested you. I don't believe that there are so many people in the Ministry of Personnel who have extensive connections and connections and can attack me.

So, if you are willing to confess, then confess. I will regard it as God's will for me to continue investigating. If you don't confess, I don't care. I will regard it as God's will for me to stop while I am ahead.

Anyway, I will wait for you until 3:45 tomorrow morning at most. Because tomorrow is a big court meeting, if you don't hand it in after the deadline, I will immediately close the case and take your verdict to the court meeting to make a good relationship with the Ministry of Personnel. "

After Yang Yuan finished speaking, he leisurely walked out of the door of the interrogation room.

When Qiu Shunquan heard Yang Yuan walk out of the door, he ordered the officials waiting outside, "Take him to jail and prepare a closing statement for Qiu Shunquan overnight. I will use it tomorrow."

……

Inside the Yang Mansion, Lu Xi got up early in the morning and started making preparations for tomorrow's Zhongyuan Festival.

On July 15, the Ghost Festival is held. The dead return to the world and descendants welcome their spirits and offer sacrifices to their ancestors.

This is an extremely grand festival. Tomorrow night, we will be preparing to burn paper clothes, paper money, incense and candles, fresh fruits, and fine wine for the ceremony, as well as cleaning and arranging the ancestral temple...

As the housewife, Lu Xi needs to take care of all these things.

Fortunately, there are many people in the mansion now, and some rules that Luxi does not understand are clear to the housekeepers and maids in the mansion.

With their help and a group of servants to do the work, Luxi was not worried.

Everything was almost arranged. Luxi returned to the flower hall and had just taken a few sips of warm tea when Fujiwara Himeka arrived.

Lu Xi smiled and said, "Miss Ji Xiang, are you satisfied with the courtyard I arranged for you?"

Luxi gave the largest courtyard in the east wing adjacent to Luo's Medical Clinic to Jixiang, Hanane and Xiaonai.

The environment there is elegant and the decoration is gorgeous.

Ji Xiang held her knees and bowed, saying, "Madam is so considerate of Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang is very grateful."

"Hey, we're family, let's not talk behind each other's backs." Lu Xi waved his hand with a smile.

They just haven't officially offered tea yet, so they are indeed not outsiders, so they should be given what they should, but they will not exceed others.

As the head of the family, she has to be fair, otherwise the other sisters, no matter how open-minded they are, will still be resentful.

Ji Xiang said: "Ji Xiang is from Japan, and has no relatives in Song State. With Madam taking care of her, Ji Xiang feels at ease."

As she spoke, she held up a brocade box that she had brought in with both hands and said respectfully, "This is a gold-leaf engraved sutra, the An Zhai Dharani Mantra Sutra, which is a treasure of the Japanese royal family and was previously kept by the Japanese queen.

This sutra is the best gift for the Yang family, especially for people with great potential. Therefore, Ji Xiang thinks it is the most suitable gift for the Yang family. Madam, please accept it with a smile. "Lu Xi's pretty face turned slightly red, and she said with some anger: "Ji Xiang."

"Yes."

Lu Xi said in a somewhat coy tone, "Some things are enough for you to know, you don't need to speak them out. Of course, you are from Japan and don't understand the customs of the Middle Earth. I don't blame you, I just want to remind you."

Ji Xiang was stunned. So this couldn't be said?
Ji Xiang hurriedly bowed her head and said, "Hai, Ji Xiang will remember it."

How could the little cook Luxi understand that "great roots" refer to having wisdom and destiny?

However, Ji Xiang also didn't understand how this innocent and sweet-looking young lady with a pair of double-eye bags understood the concept of "great potential".

The two people perfectly misunderstood each other's meaning, but the conversation was still smooth.

Luxi said to Ah Ta who was waiting beside him, "Ah Ta, go get the purple sandalwood box from my cabinet."

Little Ah Ta hurried into the inner room and soon brought out a box.

Lu Xi handed it to Ji Xiang and said softly, "I see that you wear simple makeup, so I'm giving you this headdress. Although it's just a small gift, I hope you won't despise it, sister Ji Xiang."

Ji Xiang quickly took it with both hands and said happily: "Thank you, ma'am, Ji Xiang likes it very much."

It was a complete set of head jewelry, including headdresses, hairpins, necklaces, ear hooks, bracelets, arm ornaments, etc., all made of gold, silver and gemstones, and were the work of Xiao Qianyue, and were exquisite.

Ji Xiang returned to the East Courtyard happily. Duo Zi was kneeling in the porch and immediately bowed to her: "Ji Xiang, you are back."

This is what Jixiang asked of Duozi. She said that a maid should look like a maid, even though you are my cousin.

Fujiwara Takako is actually Himeka's cousin, but she was adopted by Himeka's uncle. From the adoption perspective, she is also her cousin.

"Ok!"

Ji Xiang took off her shoes without hesitation, walked into the door of the wooden corridor in her socks, and handed over the box of gold and silver jewelry: "Put it away."

Duozi agreed respectfully and took the box with both hands.

As Ji Xiang walked towards the hall, she muttered to herself, "He arranged such a large courtyard for me and gave me such expensive jewelry and head ornaments. This Lu Xi is quite sensible.

Forget it, I, Ji Xiang, am a good woman who will treat others twice as well as I do if they treat me well. She is so sensible, so I will... not make things difficult for her."

Ji Xiang sat cross-legged in the hall. When she saw Duozi holding the box and still looking at her, she couldn't help but glared at him: "What are you still looking at, you stupid fool. The ungrateful people I'm talking about are people like you."

Duozi hurriedly picked up the box and walked towards the inner room in panic. After turning around, he curled the corners of his lips in disdain.

When she arrived at the inner room, she opened Ji Xiang's box that kept her treasures. Just as she was about to put the jewelry box in, she suddenly found that something seemed to be missing.

Looking closely, the sutra "An Zhai Dharani Mantra Sutra" engraved with gold foil by the great monk himself was missing.

This is the treasure of the royal family. When Ji Xiang took her out of Kyoto, she took away seven carts of valuables. These were treasures that were carefully selected and easy to carry.

As a result, they were all taken away by this black-hearted female bandit.

That gold-foil engraved sutra "An Zhai Dharani Mantra Sutra" is a treasure among treasures and is priceless. That stinky woman Ji Xiang loves it very much, so how could it disappear?
In the front hall, Hanane and Xiaonai both came back.

They had changed into the clothes of Song Dynasty women and looked like a pair of little girls about thirteen or fourteen years old.

The two of them had quietly taken a careful look around the Yang Residence and the Luo Clinic, especially the "master and disciple" pair of Luo Cheng'an and Yan Qingyu, whom they also recognized clearly.

During the day, the master and disciple would sit in the clinic, so there was no need to keep a close eye on them, so after they were done, they would rush back.

Ji Xiang was sitting cross-legged drinking tea. When she saw them coming back, she said, "Come and sit down, have some tea."

Hanane and Xiaonai sat down on the left and right, and Hanane said, "Himeka, have you gone to see Madam Luxi?"

Ji Xiang spread her hands and said, "We'll meet, why are you bowing?"

Xiao Nai said: "Madam Luxi is the master's principal wife, we need to show respect."

Ji Xiang glared again: "If you want to toast, you can do it. Why should I toast?"

Ji Xiang said proudly, "Just now, I went to see her, and she gave me a set of very precious jewelry and head ornaments. It's really funny. Is she afraid that I will take her position? Is she trying to please me like this? I don't care about her position. In order to make her feel at ease, I had to accept her gift reluctantly."

Xiao Nai's eyes widened as she asked, "Ah? Then... what about the return gift? No, no, no, it shouldn't be a return gift. You should present a gift to Madam Luxi, and Madam Luxi should give you a return gift, right?"

"What gift should I offer? My presence here is the greatest courtesy. Go away, don't bother with me."

Kanon and Kona looked at each other helplessly. They were really worried about Himeka.

How can Ji Xiang integrate into the Yang family in the future if she is so arrogant? She will suffer a lot.

Xiao Nai thought, "Forget it, I'll make amends for her. I'll give the silver-gray-blue pearl necklace to Madam Luxi as a token of my sister Ji Xiang's love. I'll just give her something else."

Hua Yin also thought: "It doesn't matter whether Madam Luxi likes me or not, but Sister Ji Xiang is so unkind that she will suffer a great loss.

Never mind. When I go to visit Madam Luxi later, I will give my share of the Heavenly Bead to her in the name of Ji Xiang. I hope that Madam Luxi will not take it personally and will not bear a grudge against her in the future."

……

While Huayin and Xiaonai were trying hard to maintain harmony in the Yang family, Li Shishi had already arrived at the "Song Family Flavor Building".

Of course, she wouldn't be stupid enough to tell others that Yuye lost her virginity to Yang Yuan.

Even if Old Man Song is Yang Yuan's biological father, it is inappropriate to say this, as it will be bad for Yuye's reputation.

Li Shishi meant that her adopted daughter Yuye was dismissed from office because she left her post to save her father in the north, and she has been working for Yang Yuan ever since. As time goes by, they develop feelings for each other.

At the same time, due to the frequent contact between her adopted daughter and Yang Yuan, people did not know the truth and talked a lot about it, which ruined her reputation.

Especially this time, she was implicated by Yang Yuan, kidnapped, and imprisoned alone in the underground palace. Although the two of them did not cause chaos, the people in the streets would not think so.

Now Yuye's reputation has been ruined because of Yang Yuan, and she has no other way out except to marry Yang Yuan, so she comes to seek justice from the Yang family.

However, the Yang family no longer has any elders, so as the godmother, she can only discuss the matter with Old Man Song.

After receiving the "letter of entrustment" from his old boss Fei Tianlu, Father Song adopted the ostrich strategy because he felt sorry for his daughter. If you don't come to me, I will pretend to be confused, but he still felt guilty towards Fei Tianlu.

Now that Madam Li had stood up for her adopted daughter, Old Man Song went with the flow and adopted Fei Tianlu's strategy of marrying off the concubine.

In fact, in this era, the concubine system before the Spring and Autumn Period no longer exists, and co-wife system also does not exist.

However, this does not exist only in the sense that it no longer exists in official law, and the objective phenomenon has always existed.

During the Three Kingdoms period, the heroes and heroes took in wives and concubines. If the wives and concubines' families were powerful and could be of great help to them in their struggle for dominance over the world, the actual status and rights of this lady in her husband's family were equivalent to those of the legal wife.

Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the actual phenomenon of combining legitimate wives among the people has emerged one after another.

Neither the Tang Law nor the Song Law has ever recognized it, but it objectively exists among the people.

Whether it can be enforced, of course, depends solely on the parties themselves.

These are constraints at the level of public opinion and morality. If they change in the future, it will be impossible to resort to the laws of the imperial court.

After Old Man Song and Shishi Li discussed a solution, they began to worry about how to tell their daughter. Little did they know that Yang Yuan had already confessed to Lu Xi everything that happened after he was kidnapped.

Those who are favored can be fearless, but you also have to be sincere enough.

……

Qiu Shunquan was taken to the prison of the Censorate.

The prisoners imprisoned here are awaiting trial. After the investigation of the case is completed, they will be transferred to the Dali Temple. After the trial in the Dali Temple, they will be transferred to the Ministry of Justice for punishment.

Therefore, these temporary cells are all fence-type cells, where you can clearly see who is imprisoned next to you.

The cell next to Qiu Shunquan was where Prisoner Mo was imprisoned.

When he saw Mo Dujian, Qiu Shunquan exploded: "Mo, are you crazy? What good will it do you to report me?"

"What good have I done? I am comfortable! I have nothing left. I have spent all my fortune just to get a real official position, but now I can't even do this idle position!

If you don't pay me back, my whole family will starve to death? You are unkind and I am unjust. I would rather go to jail than sue you."

Unexpectedly, Mo Dujian jumped higher than Qiu Shunquan, his voice was louder than Qiu Shunquan, and his emotions were stronger than Qiu Shunquan.

Qiu Shunquan was so angry that he trembled: "Who could have thought of such an accident? You asked me for money? Do you think I took all the money? Don't I need to bribe people?"

"Then I don't care. I have nothing left, and I can't let you have an easy life."

"If I get beheaded, you'll be exiled three thousand miles away and never come back. Even if you die, you'll be buried in a foreign land and never come back. Are you happy?"

"Not always."

Mo Dujian was very proud: "Yang Qianxian said that I am doing this to make up for my crime. Moreover, the person I caught is a corrupt official who sits in a key position in the Ministry of Personnel. It is of great benefit to the court and the people. This is a great merit, and I will definitely be pardoned."

There was no such thing as a tainted witness in the Song Dynasty, but there was a corresponding system called "making meritorious contributions while serving a sentence."

Qiu Shunquan was so angry that his head felt dizzy. He staggered to the straw mat and fell headfirst.

On the other side of the fence, Supervisor Mo made a disdainful "tsk" sound and sneered, "It serves you right! This is the result of you putting money before your life. Humph, if you want to compete with me in ruthlessness, who can be as ruthless as me, ahahahahaha..."

As he laughed, he began to sob.

Because even if the stolen money from bribes is recovered, it will not be returned to him, but will be turned over to the "sealed pile warehouse".

He has lost his official position and his money. Now all he can do is compare his misery with Qiu Shunquan to make himself feel better.

After Qiu Shunquan was arrested, he thought of countless countermeasures to deal with the interrogation, but the only thing he didn't expect was that Yang Yuan's expectations for the case would be like this.

He did not doubt the sincerity of Yang Yuan's words, not only because it was completely in line with human nature, but also because Yang Yuan now had too many targets to target. If he insisted on not telling the truth, Yang Yuan could really make a "quick decision" on his case and turn to target others.

An ordinary sixth-rank official, whether he died or was demoted, would not cause any waves.

However, the sensational effect of a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel was enough to elevate Yang Yuan and the Censorate to an even more unstoppable height.

If you sacrifice me and my family, what can I get in return?

In the cell next to him, the "criminal meritorious" prisoner Mo Dujian had already laid down on the straw mat, crossed his legs, pointed his big feet at Qiu Shunquan, and hummed a song:

"Since the day we parted, I have been thinking about you every day. You don't miss the love we had before, why don't you come back? When the peach and plum blossoms bloom, you don't come back; when the crabapple withers, you don't come back; when the chrysanthemums fade, you don't come back..."

Qiu Shunquan's head was about to explode from his singing. He roared, rushed to the fence, and roared at Mo Dujian: "Come here, come here, I'm going to strangle you to death~~~"

(End of this chapter)