Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 308 Everything is under control!

Upon hearing this, Lu Huai looked up at the two of them, then turned to Jiang Liuyun.

Jiang Liuyun never showed any expression.

In such situations, saying too much can lead to mistakes; keeping quiet is the best course of action.

But it was clear that even though he didn't speak, someone else spoke for him.

Most of those who oppose the retrial of Lin Congrong's case have some connection with the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion.

Of course, this cannot be made public.

As soon as the Duke of Pei and the Grand Tutor spoke, those who supported a retrial began to disagree, and as before, the debate raged on.

The Crown Prince simply said they would discuss it another day, and the matter was quickly put aside, just like before.

After the hall quieted down, the censors from the Censorate began to attack Jiang Liuyun.

The main point is that he was caught in the street going to a brothel.

Jiang Liuyun had no room to refute this matter, after all, the incident that day had caused quite a stir, and his annulment of his engagement with Lin Zhiqing also proved this point.

He remained silent, adopting an air of being in a difficult situation but not offering any explanation.

There were always people speaking up for him.

In this situation, the crown prince only gave him a symbolic reprimand.

Lu Huai quickly looked away from him.

Because it's almost the Ministry of Revenue's turn to appear.

Not long after, Xu Yuansui, the Minister of Revenue, took a step out.

But before he could speak, Zhou Chongzheng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, spoke up: "Your Majesty, I have a report to submit."

Upon seeing this person, Lu Huai frowned slightly.

Minister of Revenue Xu Yuansui remained silent for the time being and returned to his original position.

The crown prince waved his hand.

"Your humble servant accuses the Minister of Rites of violating etiquette by having an affair and being morally deficient." Zhou Chongzheng's voice was very clear.

His words immediately caused a huge uproar in the hall.

The memorial impeaching the Minister of Rites for violating etiquette is far more serious than Jiang Liuyun's frequenting of brothels.

Lu Huai looked at Zhou Chongzheng's figure, then glanced at Jiang Liuyun.

Glancing at Jiang Liuyun, I saw that his back was straight and his eyelids were drooping, which clearly indicated that he knew but was pretending not to know.

Lu Huai didn't show it on his face, but he already had a guess in his heart.

The Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion launched a counterattack, and it came swiftly and urgently.

Zhou Chongzheng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, had previously behaved in a proper and unbiased manner, without taking sides.

Looking at it now, this should be a hidden pawn of the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion.

By employing Zhou Chongzheng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, at this particular time, and even doing so in the Golden Palace in front of all the civil and military officials, Jiang Liuyun clearly intended to directly eliminate the Minister of Rites.

The Minister of Rites had a secret relationship with Lin Zhiqing.

This is why, in the imperial court, the Minister of Rites mostly did things in secret to protect the Lin family and support the retrial.

Now that Zhou Chongzheng has suddenly stepped forward, under normal circumstances, Lu Huai might have thought that his memorial came from the heart.

But this time period is too sensitive.

Lin Zhiqing used a woman with a mole, causing Jiang Liuyun to lose his ally, the Minister of Justice.

The Minister of Rites, who was aligned with Lin Zhiqing, was immediately impeached.

Lu Huai didn't believe that Zhou Chongzheng and Jiang Liuyun hadn't made some private deal.

His mind raced, sensing that things couldn't be as simple as just talk. Zhou Chongzheng dared to bring this up in the imperial court; he must have solid evidence. Lu Huai knew about the Minister of Rites' incestuous relationship, and if this were brought to the forefront, the Minister of Rites would certainly be in jeopardy.

Therefore, Lin Zhiqing lost another ally in the court.

Furthermore, if the Minister of Rites' secret affair is exposed, and the secret is no longer a secret, then Lin Zhiqing's use of this method to rewrite the records of imperial gifts from the Ministry of Rites will also be discovered.

Things will get complicated then.

Moreover, Zhou Chongzheng was so confident that he clearly had evidence in his possession.

Who has the most direct evidence?
Lu Huai knew without even thinking that Zhou Chongzheng must have controlled the son or daughter-in-law of the Minister of Rites.

As expected, after the Minister of Rites repeatedly protested his innocence, Zhou Chongzheng pressed on, stating that he had evidence in his possession.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, the son of the Minister of Rites was led into the main hall.

He tearfully began to accuse the Minister of Rites of various disgraceful acts of forcing his wife.

When Jiang Liuyun heard those words, his eyes remained calm, but a hint of murderous intent appeared when his gaze swept over the Minister of Rites.

However, he hid it very well.

He noticed the gaze behind him, turned around, and met Lu Huai's eyes.

He smiled slightly.

On the surface, it seemed like he was greeting Lu Huai, but Lu Huai sensed his provocation and looked away first.

Jiang Liuyun sneered inwardly. His move was swift and accurate; the Minister of Rites would surely die without a burial place!
Indeed, when faced with accusations from his own son, the Minister of Rites seemed to have been completely devastated and could barely stand.

Zhou Chongzheng seemed to have anticipated this, and just as he was about to deliver the final blow to the Minister of Rites, Xu Yuansui, the Minister of Revenue, moved his feet.

Upon seeing Xu Yuansui step forward, the other officials showed no outward reaction, but inwardly they all became vigilant.

The Ministry of Revenue has been making significant moves lately.

Jiang Liuyun frowned almost imperceptibly. Was the Ministry of Revenue going to protect the Minister of Rites? Or was it Lu Huai who wanted to protect the Minister of Rites?

But now that the evidence is conclusive, it's clear that this matter can't be stirred up again, so... Jiang Liuyun couldn't help but turn around and glance at Lu Huai.

Lu Huai followed suit, revealing the same smile as Jiang Liuyun had just given.

Jiang Liuyun's heart skipped a beat; he sensed something was wrong.

The next moment, Xu Yuansui's voice rang out:

"Your Majesty, this matter is based on only one person's account. If you wish to uncover the truth, why not invite the victim to come up and ask him? It would be better than unjustly slandering an innocent person."

Zhou Chongzheng also sensed something was wrong and immediately retorted, "Lord Xu, you are mistaken. If we are talking about the aggrieved party, isn't the son of the Minister of Rites the biggest aggrieved party?"

“The Dali Temple is the place that values ​​evidence the most. If you can just say whatever you want, it can be considered evidence. There must be a lot of aggrieved people all over the world.” Xu Yuansui was clearly prepared.

Jiang Liuyun frowned. He had tried to talk to the daughter-in-law of the Minister of Rites, but the woman was too timid to speak up.

Could it be that Lu Huai and Lin Zhiqing have some kind of scheme up their sleeve?
He had a strong, bad feeling.

At Xu Yuansui's insistence, the Crown Prince soon issued an order to summon the daughter-in-law of the Minister of Rites.

During this period, the Minister of Rites always appeared to be deeply hurt, showing no remorse or distress whatsoever.

Upon noticing this, Jiang Liuyun's heart sank.

Lu Huai, on the other hand, lowered his head and furrowed his brows, as if he knew nothing at all.

With the arrival of the victim, all eyes turned to the daughter-in-law of the Minister of Rites.

She immediately burst into tears, but those tears were for her husband, the son of the Minister of Rites.

She spoke tearfully, not only denying the allegations but also accusing the Minister of Rites' son of constantly beating and verbally abusing her.

The testimonies of the victim and the witnesses do not match.

(End of this chapter)