I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 167 A Bad Example of Putting the Country First! The Unscrupulous Marquis of Wuqing
Inside the Wenhua Hall, all was quiet.

Everyone was waiting for the arrival of Sun Desheng, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, and they were all pondering how to judge and convict Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing, if he was the mastermind behind this matter.

At this time.

Chen Zan, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, coughed and nudged Lu Guangzu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who was standing beside him.

Lu Guangzu looked at Chen Zan with suspicion, and the latter pointed with his chin to the spot where Feng Bao had just been.

Lu Guangzu immediately understood, nudged Liu Yingjie, the Minister of Justice beside him, and then pointed with his chin to the spot where Feng Bao had just been.

Liu Yingjie immediately understood what this meant and nodded to the two of them.

These three chief officials of the three judicial departments have jointly investigated numerous criminal cases and work together seamlessly.

Just now.

Feng Bao's sudden departure was clearly a private arrangement to protect Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing.

Therefore, the eunuch Sun Desheng might lie next, or he might take all the blame upon himself.

What the three of them wanted to do was to uncover the truth and not let the matter be glossed over.

The laws of the Ming Dynasty cannot be trampled upon by anyone!

In addition, the three could accept that the young Wanli Emperor would send informants to the Three Judicial Offices to monitor them, but they could not tolerate others using these informants for personal gain.

Only by severely punishing the masterminds behind the scenes can the three judicial departments regain their dignity.

Later, if the young Wanli Emperor cannot get any information or is unwilling to ask further, the three of them will take the initiative.

In their eyes.

The judiciary was equivalent to ancestral rules, and ancestral rules were greater than imperial power.

……

After a while.

Sun Desheng, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, was led into the main hall.

Compared to Feng Bao's corrupt practices of "pretending to be cultured and acquiring wealth through legitimate means," Sun Desheng had a relatively good reputation in the previous dynasty.

He was a low-key person, conscientious in his work, and deeply trusted by the two empress dowagers. There was never any report of him soliciting bribes from officials.

"This old servant, Sun Desheng, greets Your Majesty!" Sun Desheng knelt on the ground and bowed.

Emperor Wanli's face was grim as he asked, "Sun Desheng, let me ask you, on the 22nd of August, did you see the Earl of Wuqing, and what did you say to each other?"

Sun Desheng thought for a moment.

"Yes, I saw him. He said... he said some trivial things, such as asking if the Marquis of Wuqing was in good health and if the mansion lacked anything!"

Empress Dowager Li frequently bestowed gifts upon the Earl of Wuqing, and Sun Desheng was often the one who carried them out.

The two were acquainted, as everyone knew.

"Is that so? Do you know what business the Marquis of Wuqing had with the palace that day?"

“Greetings to the Holy Mother Empress Dowager!” Sun Desheng replied.

The young Wanli Emperor then asked, "Do you know that the Marquis of Wuqing, citing my upcoming wedding, requested the Empress Dowager to pardon this year's death row inmates?"

"This old servant...this old servant does not know!"

"Are you aware that the death row inmate files of the Three Judicial Offices have been altered without authorization?"

"This old servant...this old servant also does not know!" Sun Desheng knelt on the ground and answered with his head bowed.

At this time.

Chen Zan, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward.

Even if Xiao Wanli asked the same question for another hour, he still wouldn't get any useful information.

Chen Zan bowed to the young Wanli Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the reputation of the Three Judicial Offices. I humbly request permission to ask a few questions!"

Little Wanli nodded.

He was at a loss for words.

Chen Zan turned to look at Sun Desheng, puffing out his chest.

“Eunuch Sun, deceiving the emperor is a capital offense! Do you think the Three Judicial Offices are all useless? Do you think we can’t find out about your informant there just because you don’t speak? Do you think we can’t find out the whole story just because you don’t speak? Do you think we can’t trace it back to you, or even find the whereabouts of Xu San Niang, the mistress of Shang Qu Dong, who may have already been killed? We know far more than you do!”

Chen Zan spoke with a murderous intent.

Everyone felt that the temperature inside the hall had suddenly dropped significantly, as if they had entered the interrogation prison of the Three Judicial Offices.

At this time.

Lu Guangzu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, bowed slightly to the young Wanli Emperor, then looked at Sun Desheng.

“Eunuch Sun, a eunuch’s loyalty is only true loyalty to His Majesty. If you conceal this from His Majesty today, will he still trust you inner court eunuchs in the future? The Three Judicial Offices will not allow any eunuch with selfish motives to interfere in their affairs!”

Lu Guangzu's unspoken message was: If Sun Desheng deceives the emperor today, the three judicial departments will then resist the eunuchs in the inner court and thoroughly investigate them.

No sooner had these words been spoken than Liu Yingjie, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward.

"Sun Desheng, your death is no loss, but do not let it implicate all the eunuchs or cause chaos in the inner court!"

Liu Yingjie's tone was very serious.

He knew that Sun Desheng was not afraid of death, but he must be afraid that the eunuchs in the future would lose the trust of the court because of him.

Sun Desheng also had a group of godsons.

If these godson sons are severely punished because of him, not only will no one collect his body after he dies, but he may also be left to rot in the wilderness.

Faced with the powerful offensive from the three judicial officials, Sun Desheng knew that the matter could not be concealed at all, and he quickly backed down.

"boom!"

He kowtowed loudly on the ground.

“Your Majesty, this old servant is guilty! The Earl of Wuqing is kind-hearted. Seeing a weak woman seeking help at his door, he told the Empress Dowager that since Your Majesty is about to get married, the punishment of execution in the autumn should be abolished.”

"He was unsure whether the Empress Dowager would listen to him, so he told the old servant about it. The old servant also spoke a few words to the Empress Dowager on his behalf, and only then did the Empress Dowager issue this edict. The Empress Dowager knew nothing about Xu San Niang's rescue of the death row inmate."

"Lord Wuqing originally thought this matter could be resolved with a single word. But unexpectedly, His Majesty did not agree to abolish the autumn execution punishment. In order to please Lord Wuqing, this old servant took it upon himself to instruct his informants to change the criminal record of the death row inmate Shang Qudong. This matter... this matter... Lord Wuqing was unaware of it. It was all done by this old servant on his own initiative. This old servant deserves to die! This old servant deserves to die!"

Feng Bao straightened up beside him.

He instructed Sun Desheng to first pretend to know nothing, and then take all the blame upon himself.

Only in this way can it be considered credible.

As for the matter of Wu Qingbo accepting bribes from Xu Sanniang, it has been discovered by Shi Qing, and Wu Qingbo has no choice but to bear the consequences.

this moment.

This incident then became known as the mastermind behind the affair, with Wu Qingbo merely wanting to save a vulnerable woman.

Little Wanli frowned slightly.

"Where is Xu San Niang now?"

"After I learned that this matter had been leaked the day before yesterday, I... I ordered someone to kill her!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian and the others gasped in shock; now there was no way to prove anything.

"This old servant...this old servant is sorry, Your Majesty! This old servant begs for death! This old servant begs for death!"

boom! boom! boom!
Sun Desheng suddenly kowtowed to the ground and quickly fainted.

At this time.

Cao Wei, the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, this case involves imperial relatives. I suggest that the Earl of Wuqing be immediately arrested and imprisoned for strict interrogation, and then confronted by Sun Desheng!"

Cao Wei obeyed the imperial authority.

Wu Qingbo and Sun Desheng were arrested and taken to the imperial prison for trial. The outcome of the trial was entirely up to the young Wanli Emperor.

However, if Wu Qingbo were captured and brought before the Three Judicial Offices, the outcome might be different.

Hear this.

The three chief officials of the three judicial departments were immediately displeased.

Liu Yingjie, Minister of Justice, immediately cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, this matter concerns the standing of the Three Judicial Offices in the hearts of the officials and the people. All those who seek personal gain within the Three Judicial Offices must be expelled. This matter should be jointly tried by the Three Judicial Offices!” “I second that!” Lu Guangzu, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Chen Zan, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward at the same time.

Seeing that the young Wanli Emperor had frowned, Cao Wei immediately looked at the three of them.

“Ministers, matters involving imperial relatives have always been handled by the Imperial Prison. If you want to investigate anything, just order the Imperial Prison to carry it out.”

Liu Yingjie puffed out his chest and sneered, "The Imperial Prison doesn't handle cases, it only uses torture. Do you dare to torture the Marquis of Wuqing?"

"The Imperial Prison has many methods for investigating cases and does not rely entirely on punishment. The three ministers have seriously underestimated the Imperial Prison!"

Just as the two sides were about to start arguing, Zhang Juzheng stepped forward.

As soon as Zhang Juzheng stood up, the officials of the Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial Prison immediately fell silent.

"Your Majesty, I suggest that the three judicial departments conduct the trial!"

"I second that proposal! I second that proposal!" Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang stepped forward respectively.

Emperor Wanli frowned slightly. He did not want the three judicial departments to conduct the trial, and he couldn't help but look at Shen Nian.

He hoped Shen Nian could give him an idea.

Shen Nian met the gaze of the young Wanli Emperor and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I suggest that the Three Judicial Offices conduct the trial!"

The imperial prison trial was essentially like having the young Wanli Emperor interrogate his maternal grandfather; it was impossible for him not to be biased.

Emperor Wanli looked helpless.

Judging from his expression, he very much hoped that the imperial prison would investigate the matter.

After his plea for help from Shen Nian went unanswered, he couldn't help but look at Feng Bao, who was not far away.

After a moment's thought, Feng Bao immediately said, "Your Majesty, I believe that since this matter involves imperial relatives, it should indeed be investigated by the Imperial Prison. However, the reasons for the Three Judicial Offices to conduct the trial are also quite valid."

"I suggest that we each compromise, first hand the case over to the Imperial Prison for a thorough investigation, and then submit the findings to the Three Judicial Offices for review!"

This approach represents a compromise between the two sides.

The three chief officials of the Three Judicial Offices were still somewhat unwilling and were about to object.

At this moment, the young Wanli Emperor loudly proclaimed, "The Earl of Wuqing is my maternal grandfather!"

Immediately, the officials clasped their hands in agreement, agreeing to send the case to the imperial prison for investigation first, and then hand it over to the three judicial departments for review.

……

After a while.

All the officials left the Wenhua Hall, and the young Wanli Emperor quickly headed towards the Kunning Palace, where Empress Dowager Li resided.

at this time.

Liu Yingjie, Minister of Justice, Lu Guangzu, Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, and Chen Zan, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, surrounded the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

Shen Nian happened to be standing a little behind.

Liu Yingjie was the first to cup his hands and say, "Three Grand Secretaries, we would like to ask a question: If we find out that Marquis Wuqing is the mastermind, would you three agree to impose a severe punishment on Marquis Wuqing?"

"The laws of the Ming Dynasty are above all else and must not be defiled in the slightest!" Zhang Juzheng said directly.

Hear this.

Liu Yingjie, Minister of Justice, Lu Guangzu, Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, and Chen Zan, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, bowed to the three Grand Secretaries and then strode towards the yamen.

With Zhang Juzheng's guarantee, they had the courage to handle official business impartially and regained the dignity of the three judicial departments.

……

At night, inside the imperial prison.

Wu Qingbo was placed in a relatively clean and tidy cell.

Its conditions were far inferior to the room where Shen Nian and Yin Zhengmao had lived.

Although Cao Wei only obeyed the emperor, he knew that Shen Nian and Yin Zhengmao were not at fault, but Wu Qingbo might be seriously at fault.

Therefore, we cannot be too nice to him.

Just then, a group of Imperial Guards and eunuchs suddenly burst into the prison.

After they entered the imperial prison, the Imperial Guards on duty inside all walked out.

After they left, eunuchs immediately stood guard in the corridor of the imperial prison.

After a while.

Feng Baoxian arrived at the prison gate, and then two men dressed in black robes came to the imperial prison.

One was Empress Dowager Li, and the other was the young Wanli Emperor.

This is the first time Empress Dowager Li has come to the imperial prison. Whether the Earl of Wuqing can tell the truth depends entirely on her questioning.

Lean slightly.

Inside the prison cell, only Empress Dowager Li, the young Wanli Emperor, and the Earl of Wuqing remained. Feng Bao stood outside the door, while the other Imperial Guards and eunuchs retreated to a distance of fifty paces.

"Your subject, Li Wei, Earl of Wuqing, pays respects to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty!"

After kneeling and bowing, Li Wei, seeing that no one was around, said, "Daughter, Your Majesty, please release me! This place is truly uninhabitable. I know I was wrong, and I accept the punishment!"

Li Wei thought that such a crime would at most punish him with a few months' salary.

Empress Dowager Li glared at him with immense anger.

"Father, from now on, I will ask you a question and you will answer it. You must not lie!"

"I understand, Father wouldn't lie to you!"

"Did you take a bribe from Xu Sanniang, the mistress of that death row inmate? How much money did you receive in total?"

"Take it, ten thousand taels in total!"

"You...you dare to do such a thing that undermines the law for ten thousand taels of silver? You...you don't want to live anymore? Father, are you that short of money?" Empress Dowager Li was furious.

Marquis Wuqing, Li Wei, scratched his head.

"Father is not short of money, but when someone comes to ask Father for a favor, it is because they are doing Father face. Father thought that he could get it done with just a word, but I didn't expect it to fail!"

"If it didn't work out, just refund the money. Why did you arbitrarily alter the death row inmate's file? That's a capital offense!"

"Father also has his own difficulties. If I can't even handle such a small matter, what kind of Earl of Wuqing am I? Who will ask me for favors in the future? My pride is the most important thing in my life. I had no choice but to ask Eunuch Sun for help. He did a good job, but I didn't expect it to be discovered!"

this moment.

Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Wanli have confirmed that the mastermind behind this matter is the Earl of Wuqing.

"Then... that mistress, Xu Sanniang, was also killed by you?"

"Yes! I... I only gave a brief instruction, but I didn't expect the people below to carry it out so decisively!"

Hear this.

Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Wanli both wished they could beat up the Earl of Wuqing.

He completely treated the Ming Dynasty court as his own personal home, doing whatever he wanted.

Empress Dowager Li paused for a moment and looked at Feng Bao.

"Eunuch Feng, please make a decision!" Empress Dowager Li trusted Feng Bao very much, and at the moment, only Feng Bao could give them advice.

Feng Bao thought for a moment.

"Earl Wuqing must grit his teeth and claim that he only spoke to the Empress Dowager out of pity for a weak woman, suggesting the abolition of the autumn execution punishment. As for the other crimes, he should pin them all on Sun Desheng. Only in this way can his crimes be reduced to the least severe level! As for the details, they can only be dealt with slowly to convince the court officials of this fact!"

Empress Dowager Li looked at the young Wanli Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, is it permissible to do this?"

The young Wanli Emperor hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

This was his maternal grandfather, and he had no choice but to save him.

Seeing the young Wanli nod, Marquis Li Wei of Wuqing couldn't help but smile.

Empress Dowager Li said angrily, "Father, if you make this mistake again, neither you nor your son can save you, nor will we!"

"I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong! There will never be a next time!" Wu Qingbo promised.

He had said these words to Empress Dowager Li no less than fifty times.

(End of this chapter)