Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 224 Burning the Imperial Envoy, Acting on Behalf of the Emperor, and Taking Advantage of One's Own Powers! The Chain Reaction Caused by the Yang Wu Case!
Empress was deposed and removed from the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Once it spread, it shocked the world.

The empress of a nation is the head of the central palace, the mother of the nation, and a model for women.

Entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple to receive the emperor's sacrifices brings glory to the entire family and sets a model for all subjects.

In terms of influence, whether it was the Empress or the meritorious officials of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, they were all top-notch.

However, it was precisely these two figures who were subjected to political persecution at the same time.

The empress was deposed, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple was moved!
As for civil and military officials, decrees of demotion continued to be issued, with dozens of people being demoted in succession.

In an instant, the entire land of China was shaken.

Jiang Mansion, Cool Pavilion.

The copper bells jingled softly, and the water rippled gently.

Several pear wood tables, each about ten feet long, were set out with pastries, fruits, and tea.

The couples Sheng Minglan and Gu Tingye, Sheng Changbai and Hai Shi, and Cai Jing and Sheng Rulan were all present.

"Hi~!"

“That old bastard Qi Heng has submitted memorials several times opposing the removal of the empress. Even when Zichuan petitioned for the removal of the empress, he showed no sign of backing down.”

Gu Tingye munched on a plum, looking puzzled: "Someone like him wouldn't be wrong to be demoted to the ninth rank, so why was his salary only slightly reduced?"

"cough!"

Sheng Minglan glanced at her husband and coughed.

It's been several years already!

Are you jealous?

“Upright and stubborn, inflexible, it’s hard for him to rise to a high position.” Cai Jing pondered for a moment, then said calmly, “But such a person has integrity, and he doesn’t necessarily have to be demoted.”

As he spoke, Cai Jing looked at his brother-in-law.

This time, as many as sixty or seventy people were demoted.

Many people were demoted three or four ranks in succession, and some ministers of the third rank or above were even demoted four or five ranks in succession.

Qi Heng, however, only had some of his salary deducted, and his official rank was not even affected. He was the one who received the lightest punishment, without exception.

He doesn't believe there's nothing fishy going on here!
Sheng Changbai sipped his tea and sighed, "They came to question him, and instead of demoting him, they protected him. A prime minister's belly can hold a boat!"

Qi Heng's visit to question the Grand Secretary was already widely known in official circles and was no secret.

After this incident, many people praised Qi Heng for his courage and Jiang for his magnanimity.

When questioned, instead of punishing them, they actively offered protection.

Such tolerance truly demonstrates a broad mind.

Jiang Zhao held the chilled honey water, shook his head, and said calmly, "It's just that we won't suppress them."

"The one who protected him was actually the Empress Dowager."

We're not on the same wavelength, so it's perfectly fine to tolerate Qi Heng's "offense" out of appreciation.

However, it's impossible for them to offer active protection.

The constant protection of a Grand Secretary in the Cabinet is a privilege enjoyed by only a handful of people in the Korean faction.

Previously, the only Koreans to receive this treatment were Wang Yaochen and him.

Subsequently, Wang Yaochen and he entered the cabinet one after another, and Zhang Fangping and Zhang Heng were the only two to receive this treatment.

They are all typical candidates for cabinet positions.

What virtue or ability does Qi Heng possess?
“Not suppressing them is also a form of protection, isn’t it? Brother-in-law, you truly have the magnanimity to tolerate others,” Cai Jing said earnestly.

Recently, Qi Heng has been almost going against the government and Jiang Zhao. The fact that they haven't taken the initiative to suppress him is already a form of "protection".

Jiang Zhao nodded and pondered for a moment before saying, "There are specific ways to use an advisor."

"If one were to condemn someone based solely on momentary joy or anger, every official in the land would only have one chance in their entire life to speak the truth."

Generally speaking, if an official who offers advice gets too arrogant and tries to test the limits, he will almost certainly be demoted, and Jiang Zhao will not tolerate such a person.

But a straightforward and stubborn remonstrating official like Qi Heng is truly quite rare.

Such people possess a rare kind of "foolishness" and "straightforwardness," daring to say anything, which can serve as a warning to those in positions of authority.

Therefore, neither he nor the government would easily suppress Qi Heng.

Gu Tingye, Sheng Changbai, Cai Jing and the others nodded in succession, seemingly deep in thought.

In some respects, Qi Heng is indeed a rare "talent".

"Hey~!"

"Eh-"

A few cries broke the silence.

"ah!"

Sheng Rulan was startled and quickly got up: "You-ge'er is awake."

Youge'er, also known as Cai You, was Cai Jing's eldest son.

"Quickly, tell You-ge'er to ask his uncle for a longevity lock. His uncle is a well-known and powerful figure in the world," Gu Tingye laughed and egged him on.

"Have."

Jiang Zhao smiled gently: "Yes."

Today happens to be Cai You's "hundred-day celebration," and the group took the opportunity to have a small gathering and rest.

As he spoke, Jiang Zhao took out a gold longevity lock from his sleeve. The front was engraved with the four characters "Long Life to a Hundred Years" and the back with the character "Jiang". It was understated yet meaningful.

Some longevity noodles, longevity cakes, and longevity fruits were also served up by the maids.

A short while later, Sheng Rulan, carrying the child, slowly walked out.

A longevity lock was passed over at just the right time.

Cai Jing caught a glimpse of it and was secretly startled. He quickly accepted the gift and said, "Thank you, brother-in-law."

"Here, may you live a long and healthy life." Gu Tingye smiled, took out a golden longevity lock from his pocket, and passed it over.

Sheng Changbai followed the same method and also made a longevity lock.

Cai Jing accepted them all and returned the gifts repeatedly.

Just as he was about to say something.
"The imperial edict has arrived—"

A sharp cry rang out, and more than ten people turned to look, all of them surprised.

Oral instruction?

More than ten people bowed down one after another.

"Grand Secretary Jiang."

At a call, Li Xian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, approached and bowed deeply.

After bowing, he said, "His Majesty has decreed that the Grand Secretary be summoned to the palace for an audience."

Jiang Zhao understood.

"Lord Gu is here too?" Li Xian looked at Gu Tingye and continued, "Lord Gu also has to enter the palace to pay his respects."

"Yes, sir." Gu Tingye quickly bowed.

The act of bowing and paying respects to high-ranking officials was a privilege usually reserved for senior cabinet ministers or the head of military officers.

He is not enough yet.

Royal study room.

On a corner of a wooden table, a memorial to the emperor was picked up.

Zhao Ceying glanced at it, his face unusually cold.

The Yang Wu case!
This was a case that went through the legal stages step by step, from the county, prefecture, circuit, Dali Temple, and Ministry of Justice, before finally being submitted to the Imperial Study.

Conventionally speaking, the highest judicial authority for adjudicating cases is the Dali Temple. If the Dali Temple adjudicates a controversial case, the Ministry of Justice can review it; it is impossible for the case to be submitted to the Imperial Study.

However, there are occasional exceptions.

Some cases with significant political impact might be submitted to the palace in the form of memorials.

The case of Yang Wu is one such example.

This is a case related to the candidates for the imperial examinations, and the difficulty of judging the case is not particularly high.

The suspect in the case was named Yang Wu, a native of Chun'an County. He was a scholar in his early twenties who occasionally wrote petitions for ordinary people, which also served as practice for the third round of the imperial examinations. He was quite well-known.

His wife was the third daughter of a school official in Danyang County, surnamed Xu.

The couple ran a small hotel together, and they had both money and social standing, living a very comfortable life.

One of the tenants was a man named Ge Lian, who was a student in the imperial examinations, and his wife was surnamed Bi.

One day, Yang Wu was writing a legal document for someone when he happened to pass by an inn and saw Bi practicing calligraphy. He offered her a few words of guidance.

Who would have thought that these street scoundrels would spread rumors that he had "raped and seized Bi's property."

After Bi cried for several days, her husband Ge Lian, worried about his reputation being damaged, took the initiative to move out of the inn run by Yang Wu and Xu.

Originally, the matter was simply a matter of being "spread rumors," not even a minor incident.

Unexpectedly, just a few days after the couple moved out of the hotel, Ge Lian died from foaming at the mouth, convulsions, and chills.

Ge Lian's birth mother, Shen, suspected something was amiss and believed that her daughter-in-law, Bi, had indeed had an affair with Yang Wu and that her son had been poisoned by her wicked daughter-in-law.

Therefore, the matter was reported to the magistrate of Chun'an County, who was requested to conduct an autopsy.

Upon examining the body, the magistrate of Chun'an County concluded that the corpse bore at least six or seven parts similarity to arsenic poisoning. Without further investigating whether the remaining thirty or forty parts of "dissimilarity" might lead to a wrongful conviction, he directly arrested Yang Wu and Bi Shi.

Yang Wu and Bi Shi initially denied it, but after several days of beatings and severe torture, they had no choice but to confess.

The magistrate's initial assessment concluded that the defendant was guilty!
After the county magistrate has heard the case, he must report it to the presiding judge.

As a result, during the first trial in Hangzhou, Yang Wu surprisingly recanted his confession in court, claiming that he had been severely tortured and that he did not admit to the crime.

Immediately, public opinion was in an uproar.

Logically speaking, the case should have been overturned from this point on.

Unfortunately, the Hangzhou Prefectural Magistrate and the Chun'an County Magistrate were brothers-in-law.

In order to protect the magistrate of Chun'an County, the prefect ordered a second round of torture to extract a confession, and took the opportunity to have someone tamper with the logically flawed testimonies and autopsy records.

Even the source of the arsenic was meticulously documented, and there were even arsenic dealers who testified in court.

Yang Wu and Bi were beaten twice, and they were once again forced to confess under torture.

Thus, it combines testimony, witnesses, and physical evidence.

In order to quell public opinion and with the witness of the people, a second review was conducted.

The court, after deliberation, decided to sentence Yang Wu to immediate execution by beheading and Bi Xiugu to death by slow slicing.

This move is intended to eliminate the root of the problem and create an ironclad case.

However, it was this very move that led to Yang Wu and Bi recanting their testimonies for the second time.

Ultimately, Yang Wu and Bi confessed without hesitation just to save their lives, yet the magistrate sentenced them to death.

This marks the second time he has recanted his testimony in court!

The people of Hangzhou were in uproar, and Yang Wu's wife, Xu, wept uncontrollably.

Many ambitious scholars, as well as Yang Wu's friends, drafted petitions almost overnight and reported them to Chen Ji, the Pacification Commissioner of Liangzhe Circuit, and Liu Jun, the Transport Commissioner. Unfortunately, the Vice Prefect was a former subordinate of Pacification Commissioner Chen Ji. Considering the possibility of joint liability and the upcoming triennial performance evaluation, Pacification Commissioner Chen Ji did not want to create trouble.

After all, in terms of testimony, witnesses, and evidence, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what the Hangzhou magistrate submitted.

This case could theoretically be suppressed.

In order to quell public opinion as soon as possible, Chen Ji, the Pacification Commissioner of Liangzhe Road, personally conducted the third trial.

The court, in its third instance, decided to reduce the sentence.

Yang Wu was stripped of his Juren degree, and Bi Shi was drowned in a pig cage!

Transport Commissioner Liu Jun remained silent and did not intervene throughout the process, nor did he express any opinion.

The reduced sentence after three trials is already a rather "mild" approach.

According to common sense, the matter should be settled peacefully.

Yang Wu was already a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) in his early twenties, and was a promising candidate for the imperial examinations.

Losing his degree to the imperial examination in one fell swoop would mean that half a lifetime of hard study would be in vain.

The wife, Xu, was naturally dissatisfied with this verdict.

Whether it was due to guidance from a wise person or not, Xu inexplicably received her husband's blood-written letter from prison. She simply filed a lawsuit and went to the capital to appeal to the emperor.

However, things didn't go as planned, and his attempt to appeal to the emperor in the capital was unsuccessful.

The Dali Temple tried the case, but the imperial petition was sent back to Liangzhe Circuit, whereby the Pacification Commissioner of Liangzhe Circuit was ordered to conduct a retrial.

The pacification commissioner Chen Ji retried the case, upheld the original verdict, and reported it to the Ministry of Justice for review.

The Ministry of Justice reviewed the case and determined it to be correct.

Because this case was tried by the Court of Judicial Review, and the Ministry of Justice reviewed it and found no errors, it was the final judgment!
It was proposed that Yang Wu be stripped of his Juren degree and that Bi be drowned in a pig cage!

Generally speaking, once things reach this point, even if the Xu family has a powerful backer, it's almost impossible to reverse the situation.

Fortunately, there is always a glimmer of hope.

This case, neither too big nor too small, went through trials at the county, prefecture, circuit, and capital levels, with appeals filed all the way up the chain of command, taking nearly a year to finally reach the triennial performance evaluation.

Most of the heads of the Ministry of Justice have been replaced.

Yang Wu's wife, Xu, was dissatisfied with the verdict and appealed twice, submitting a second petition to the emperor.

The newly appointed Minister of Justice, Chen Shengzhi, read the imperial petition and concluded that there was a major injustice involved. He then ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct an investigation in Liangzhe Circuit.

The imperial investigation process must not involve the Liangzhe Circuit or the Dali Temple in the slightest.

Ultimately, after seven imperial envoys were burned to death, some of the truth was finally uncovered.

The case of Yang Wu was a miscarriage of justice, a case of forced confession and collusion among officials.

Seeing a glimmer of hope for overturning the verdict, Yang Wu and Bi Shi quickly recanted their confessions and denied any wrongdoing.

Thus, Chen Sheng, the Minister of Justice, submitted a memorial to the Emperor, hoping that the Ministry of Justice would be allowed to try the "Yang Wu case".

The Emperor has granted permission for a second trial in the capital!

The trial of the "Yang Wu case" was conducted twice in Beijing, with Chen Shengzhi, Minister of Justice, serving as the chief judge, and Wang Anshi, Vice Minister of Justice (Left), and Feng Jing, Vice Minister of Justice (Right), serving as the deputy chief judges.

Yang Wu and Bi Shi were initially found not guilty in the second instance.

However, Chen Shengzhi believed that there were many doubts in the "Yang Wu case" and that there might be errors or omissions. He also believed that too many officials were involved, and that even an imperial envoy dared to commit arson and murder, but he dared not make any rash judgments.

After going through six trials—county, prefecture, circuit, and capital—and three recantations of confessions, resulting in the deaths of seven imperial envoys, the "Yang Wu case" finally saw a turning point.

The Ministry of Justice's investigation results were submitted to the Imperial Study.

Zhao Ceying held the memorial in his hand, his eyes slightly closed, and slowly paced back and forth.

Burning the imperial envoy—that's pretty ruthless in Liangzhe Road!

There were six trials in total, and apart from the second trial in Beijing, the other five trials all had problems.

Even the first trial in Beijing had major problems.

The worst part is, they even dared to set fire to the imperial envoy!
The imperial envoy was the "embodiment" of the emperor, representing imperial power to tour the regions and handle important matters; his status inherently carried the "extension of monarchical power."

They dared to kill them?!
"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Jiang and Marquis Gu have been summoned to the palace." The Grand Eunuch Li Xian approached and announced.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand.

About ten breaths later, Jiang Zhao and Gu Tingye entered one after the other.

A quick glance revealed that apart from Zhao Ceying and a few eunuchs and palace maids, there was no one else.

At this moment, Zhao Ceying held the memorial in his hand, his face cold and unpleasant.

Jiang Zhao secretly raised his eyebrows, making his own guesses.

Recently, besides deposing the empress, there is indeed something else that might anger Zhao Ceying.

The Yang Wu case!
This case did not go through the cabinet.

However, officials and ministers have disciples and former subordinates all over the country, so they are bound to have some spies and informants.

The Ministry of Justice made significant moves, including the "heroic" act of burning the imperial envoy; it would be difficult for Jiang Zhao not to know about it.

"Your Majesty, this humble subject pays his respects!" The two bowed in unison.

"No need for such formalities," Zhao Ceying waved his hand.

As he spoke, the memorial was passed on by a eunuch and ended up in Jiang Zhao's hands.

really!

With just one glance, Jiang Zhao understood.

On the surface, Yang Wu's case is a case of injustice suffered by a scholar, but its actual implications go far beyond that.

On a smaller scale, this is a case of officials protecting each other.

On a grander scale, this reflects a lack of imperial authority.

In the case of Yang Wu, his wife fought repeatedly despite her repeated defeats, even going so far as to petition the emperor and appeal to the Dali Temple, yet she was still able to continue to suffer injustice!

It should be noted that this case was not particularly complicated, the magistrate of Chun'an County did not have a powerful background, and it was not a difficult or unusual case.

However, relying on the protection of officials, he actually filed a petition with the emperor twice, which was truly appalling.

For an imperial envoy to investigate a case and for the imperial envoy to be burned alive would be an even more fundamental taboo.

After about half an incense stick's time, Jiang Zhao lowered his hand and passed the memorial to Gu Tingye.

"A century of national rule, yet filth abounds!"

Zhao Ceying said in a deep voice, "The people of Liangzhe Road are filled with resentment and public opinion is overwhelming. This case must be an ironclad one."

"The Liangzhe region must also be deterred!"

"Does His Majesty command his subjects to investigate the case in Liangzhe Circuit and purge the traitors?" Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow and asked.

The burning of the imperial envoy foreshadowed a major upheaval in the Liangzhe region.

Shake an egg so hard the yolk will break, and you'll have to split an earthworm in half!

"No, I want you to investigate the two capitals and fourteen circuits!"

Zhao Ceying slammed his hand on the wooden table and roared, "I want you to go on a hunting expedition for me!"

Who would have thought that some people would even dare to kill an imperial envoy?
This is utterly disrespectful to imperial authority and unforgivable!
"To patrol and inspect on behalf of Heaven?"

Jiang Zhao understood and nodded.

In fact, given his official position, if it were just a routine imperial inspection tour, it would definitely be considered a "waste of talent".

Throughout history, the officials who routinely acted as imperial inspectors varied considerably.

However, apart from the emperor's personal tours, almost all of them were limited to the Imperial Censorate's inspection tours.

During the Zhou Dynasty, the power of inspection was divided.

The Censorate, the Pacification Commissioner, and the Transport Commissioner were all qualified to conduct inspections, which meant that both local and central authorities could conduct routine inspections.

In other words, routine inspections generally stop at the second rank.

Of course, this time is different.

The phrases "burning the imperial envoy" and "inspecting the two capitals and fourteen circuits" certainly do not belong to routine inspections.

In comparison, it's more like a special case handled specially.

In the event of border unrest or rebellion in a certain area, a high-ranking official of the Grand Secretary level would be appointed to pacify and inspect the area.

In a split second, Jiang Zhao had a few ideas and pondered, "In my opinion, it would be better to freeze the promotion of all officials, big and small, in Liangzhe Circuit."

"If an official has already been promoted or has taken up a post elsewhere, he or she must return to Liangzhe Circuit within thirty days. Otherwise, he or she will be guilty of the same crime as 'burning the imperial envoy'."

Zhao Ceying's body stiffened, and he nodded emphatically:

"allow!"

This move alone was enough to intimidate at least 70% of the population in the two capitals and fourteen circuits.

After all, this involves promotion.

Freezing all personnel and affairs—just hearing about it sends chills down your spine.

"call."

Zhao Ceying let out a long breath.

It has to be Jiang Qing who puts my mind at ease!

"Your Majesty, Teng Fu, the Left Censor-in-Chief; Wang Gui, the Acting Prefect of Kaifeng; Chen Jian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel; Wang Anshi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice; Wang Shao, the Earl of Zhennan; and Yao Si, the Loyal and Martial General, have all requested an audience," Li Xian reported.

Excuse!
There were other people too?
Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow. He had thought it was just him and Gu Tingye, one a scholar and the other a warrior!

But this configuration?
The ranks are: Grand Secretary of the Cabinet (rank 1), Left Censor-in-Chief (rank 2), Acting Prefect of Kaifeng (rank 2), Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel (rank 3), and Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice (rank 3).

Marquis of Ningyuan Gu Tingye, Earl of Zhennan Wang Shao, and Earl of Haifeng Yao Si.

Is this all the equipment you need to suppress the border regions?
After a few breaths, the six people entered one after another.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!"

"No need for formalities," Zhao Ceying waved his hand.

The memorial in Gu Tingye's hand was delivered in a timely manner.

Before long, all six of them understood.

"The imperial envoy is my eyes and ears, and he travels on behalf of Heaven, carrying the imperial seal. His orders are my orders, and his power is my power! Now, this traitorous minister dares to set fire to the envoy's house, which shows that he regards the law as nothing and treats me as nothing!"

Zhao Ceying angrily rebuked, "Such outrageous acts not only harm my envoy, but also shake the very foundations of the nation! I will investigate the root cause thoroughly, bring the ringleader to justice, and implicate all his followers. Even if they are hidden in the deepest hell, I will dig three feet into the ground and execute them!"

"This time, we must not only investigate Liangzhe Road, but also thoroughly investigate the fourteen roads of the two capitals!"

Zhao Ceying said coldly, "I hereby appoint the Marquis of Ningyuan and the Earl of Zhennan each to lead 10,000 troops, and the General of Zhongwu to lead 5,000 troops. In addition, all my beloved ministers shall be in charge of the Censorate, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Justice, to conduct a thorough investigation on my behalf!"

Those people even dared to burn the imperial envoy!

The fact that they dared to set fire to the imperial envoy demonstrates their fearlessness in the face of imperial power.

One day, they might dare to rebel!
Investigate the two capitals and fourteen prefectures?
The group exchanged glances, their hearts skipping a beat, and quickly bowed, saying, "Yes, sir."

"Jiang Qing!"

Zhao Ceying looked at Jiang Zhao alone and said in a deep voice, "You shall thoroughly investigate the affairs of the inspection tours of the two capitals and the fourteen routes. Wherever you go, you shall act as if I were personally present and have the authority to act expediently!"

Jiang Zhao was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

(End of this chapter)