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

Chapter 81 A Feast at Hongmen: Sima Guang Confesses His Crime!

After the court session ended, the thirteen successful candidates in the imperial examinations searched together for the letters of complaint written by the remaining thirty-odd people.

Among them, the one written by Chen Xin, the transport judge, was the most extensive, totaling ten pages.

Unsurprisingly, it points to Sima Guang's plan to address taxation.

The memorial to the emperor is in twelve volumes, and his name is in every volume.

"Where is Sima Junshi's letter?" Jiang Zhao asked with great interest.

"A blank sheet of paper." Wang Shao handed over the letter.

Jiang Zhao shook his head.

"A blank sheet of paper—"

At the same time, Sima Guang, Chen Xin, and Liu Ping gathered together.

Sima Guang's face was somber as he asked, "Have either of you written anything that shouldn't have been written?"

"Don't worry, sir, I didn't write anything," Chen Xin assured, patting his chest.

"This is a plan to sow discord, please rest assured, sir," Liu Ping replied calmly.

Sima Guang glanced at the two men, then waved his hand, and the three parted ways.

After the two men left, Sima Guang sighed deeply.

He couldn't believe what the two of them were saying!

At this point, he was truly in a difficult situation!

Jiang Zhao's practice of having officials write their own complaint letters thwarted his plan.

The timing was perfect.

It was precisely after Liu Ping was recommended that he was exposed for his intention to resist taxes, a period when the two sides were almost evenly matched.

How could the officials below withstand the pressure?
This is tax evasion!

If Chen Xin and Liu Ping report his tax resistance, he will likely face at least dismissal from office, or at worst, exile.

Even the three clans might not be able to survive.

But if he doesn't continue with the plan, it seems like he's just wasting his time.

Anxiety and resentment intertwined in Sima Guang's heart.

Three clans!

Sima Guang's heart sank.

Just as it was impossible for more than thirty officials to trust each other, he also didn't quite trust Chen Xin and Liu Ping.

These two men were his confidants.

However, the connection of interests is not as deep as one might imagine.

He was only a fifth-rank official, and these two had not even been promoted by him.

Jiang Zhao's timing was so perfect that he must have known about his plan through someone.

Otherwise, if a new official can't collect taxes, his first priority should be to urge them to pay.

Sima Guang looked up at the sky.

This time, he really went too far.

The stifling feeling of not being promoted for eleven years led him to make an irrational decision.

Ultimately, it leads to utter ruin.

Jiang Zhao's "whistleblower letter" made him calm down a lot.

After a long pause, Sima Guang made a decision.

The next day, noon.

Transport Commissioner's Office.

In the main seat, Jiang Zhao calmly reviewed the documents in his hand.

The allegations made by more than 30 officials have been verified by subordinates.

If nothing unexpected happens, Sima Guang will likely never have a chance to recover.

“My lord, Vice Envoy Sima said that a banquet will be held at Xinfeng Tower, and he would like to invite you to come and have a chat,” Zhang Zai stepped forward and said.

The thirteen successful candidates in the imperial examinations had different duties.

Zhang Zaixing's duties were consistent with "handling official business," similar to those of a secretary.

"Having a banquet?"

Jiang Zhao was startled.

Zhang Zai nodded: "The Vice Envoy Sima just sent someone over, saying that a banquet will be held at Xinfeng Tower."

As he spoke, Zhang Zai looked surprised: "Vice Envoy Sima, is this a deliberate confession?"

"Confess?" Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then go!"

"Speaking of which, Xiang Yu held the Feast at Hongmen in Xianyang in ancient times, which is now the Jingzhao Prefecture."

Jiang Zhao shook his head and smiled: "Unfortunately, the one who hosted the banquet is the loser!"

After saying this, Jiang Zhao stood up and strode out.

……

Xinfenglou.

This is one of the best restaurants in Jingzhao Prefecture.

Jiang Zhao arrived by carriage, dismounted, and strolled leisurely with an air of elegance. Behind him were several more carriages carrying thirteen scholars, including Zhang Zai, Cheng Hao, Wang Shao, and Jiang Zhiqi.

The group of fifteen attracted a lot of attention.

"My lord, please." At the entrance of Xinfeng Tower, Sima Guang straightened his clothes and bowed.

It was almost visibly that he adopted a very humble posture, a stark contrast to Jiang Zhao's demonstration when he first arrived in Shaanxi.

"Junshi, please." Jiang Zhao smiled gently and extended his hand.

Sima Guang smiled with an extremely humble demeanor, falling a full step behind.

Accord.

As the host, Sima Guang did not take the seat of honor, but instead invited Jiang Zhao to sit down.

After the group took their seats, Sima Guang raised his cup and stepped forward, straightening his posture: "My lord, I have offended you in the past, and I hope you will forgive me."

After speaking, Sima Guang drank the wine in one gulp, and a servant presented him with a stack of envelopes.

Jiang Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly.

That's quite a humble posture.

However, if we had known this would happen, why did we do it in the first place?

Jiang Zhao did not return the wine.

He still dared not drink Sima Guang's wine for the time being.

Logically speaking, Sima Guang certainly wouldn't dare to poison him.

However, a wealthy man shouldn't sit under a dangerous roof; what if something happens?
He only has one life, and he dared not gamble with it.

Jiang Zhao calmly took the envelope from the servant and began to read it.

At a glance, most of the evidence consisted of Sima Guang's own writings.

It was either embezzlement or bribery; it was almost always a transaction of power for money.

The only thing not mentioned was taxation.

The remaining evidence consisted of crimes committed by more than thirty officials in the Transport Commissioner's Office, all of which, to varying degrees, were sufficient to lead to demotion or even dismissal.

After reading it only a few times, Jiang Zhao understood Sima Guang's meaning.

He voluntarily confessed his crimes and betrayed more than thirty officials of the Transport Bureau, hoping that Jiang Zhao would show leniency and not mention the matter of "taxes," thereby protecting the Sima family.

Sima Guang chickened out!

From the moment Liu Ping was promoted and Jiang Zhao had officials write their own letters of denunciation, the officials on Sima Guang's side lost all trust in each other.

Sima Guang was the same; he no longer dared to trust the officials under his command.

Rather than being sold out, it's better to sell out your subordinates sooner rather than later.

At least, it won't implicate the family.

This is his last chance to repent.

If he really manages to hold out until the end of July, then there will be no room for retreat.

Jiang Zhao sighed.

If you had been this sensible earlier, there would have been no need for political infighting.
"Does Junshi think the taxes from those three prefectures can still be collected?" Jiang Zhao asked calmly.

"can."

Sima Guang answered very decisively.

"Then, Junshi, where do you think would be a suitable place for you to continue serving as an official?" Jiang Zhao asked again.

Theoretically speaking, with evidence of Sima Guang's crimes, he could have taken Sima Guang under his command and made him work for him.

This is, after all, a figure who has left his mark on history.

Even if it's mostly about enduring hardship, the fact that he managed to rise to the top through perseverance proves that he's quite capable.

However, Jiang Zhao did not have such intentions.

Firstly, Sima Guang was too conservative, and the two had different governing philosophies.

Such people who sell out their subordinates will inevitably cause controversy when they take them under their command, affecting the trust and unity of their subordinates.

Secondly, he has no shortage of talented people around him.

Whether it was the friends of the Seven Sons of Jiayou, or Wang Shao, Jiang Zhiqi, and others, they were all capable of being ranked as ministers of the Six Ministries.

Compared to Sima Guang, these people only lacked an opportunity.

There's no shortage of talent, so there's no need to recruit them.

Sima Guang understood Jiang Zhao's meaning and couldn't help but laugh bitterly: "Guangnan West Road?"

He had studied the matter and found that several of Jiang Zhao's political enemies had been demoted to Guangnan West Circuit.

To be precise, he was demoted to Danzhou.

However, the prefect of Danzhou was Chen Ting, the former Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who was a high-ranking official of the third rank.

He's only a fifth-rank official; even if he went, he'd probably only get a county magistrate position.

Jiang Zhao hesitated for a moment before replying, "Perhaps he could serve as the magistrate of Changhua County in Danzhou."

"It's entirely up to you, sir," Sima Guang sighed.

"Hahaha!"

Jiang Zhao smiled, then waved his hand and said, "Let's eat!"

One meal can erase all grudges.

(End of this chapter)