A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 174 Imperial Ministers
As a subject assisting the ruler!

Zhang Tang did what all the people of the land wanted to do but dared not.

It exposed the cruel politics of His Majesty's reign.

That was His Majesty deliberately "allowing the wicked to act".

His Majesty explained in his edict of self-reproach that he had been deceived and was acting passively when he appointed cruel officials. He said that when he discovered this, he would execute the cruel officials.

For example, the cruel officials Ning Cheng and Zhou Yangyou not only died, but their families, including the Ning family and the Zhou family, were also wiped out.

Zhang Tang pointed out that although Ning Cheng, Zhou Yangyou, and their families met tragic ends, they did not fall or perish because of cruelty. Cruelty was always the only way for officials to advance their careers and gain personal benefits.

Therefore, in this world there are Zhang Tang, Yi Zong, Zhao Yu, and Wang Wenshu.

This is the real reason why "officials and common people are increasingly less likely to break the law," leading to widespread chaos.

The source lies with His Majesty!

"Grand Censor, does that mean His Majesty should be responsible for all the mistakes you made during your rise from a lowly clerk to Grand Censor?"

Among the marquises, Marquis Gaoling Zhao Zhou walked into the center of the hall. After bowing to the throne, he looked at Zhang Tang and said, "You keep saying 'inappropriate hints,' as if your previous handling of cases and implicating others were all done on His Majesty's orders. I dare to ask, in the past few years, in the major cases personally presided over by the Grand Censor, has the Grand Minister of Works never shown favoritism or perverted the law?"

"Whether there has been any favoritism or perversion of justice, the new imperial system allows for unlimited accountability. You, Marquis of Gaoling, can investigate. If there are any wrongful convictions, whether it's execution, dismemberment, or demotion, I will take full responsibility!"

"Does risking one's life and fortune really allow one to frame the Emperor of Han at will?"

Zhao Zhou remained unyielding and continued, "This is extortion, an attempt to smear His Majesty, a subject impeaching the ruler. Zhang Tang, this is utter disrespect, treason, rebellion, and the act of a usurper who intends to assassinate the emperor!"

After Zhao Zhou finished speaking, the Xuan Shi Hall fell silent, and the eyes of the emperor and his ministers were all focused on Zhang Tang.

Zhang Tang squinted as he pondered something, prolonging the silence in the hall for a while before calmly asking, "Dian Shuguo, have you finished speaking?"

Since the Qin Dynasty, China has been unified, and people from all over the country have integrated into the Chinese family. The central courts of Qin and Han established official positions in these areas.

The officials appointed to govern the subordinate states and the commanders of the subordinate states were all given a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain).

Zhao Zhou was a subordinate official whom His Majesty personally promoted.

Although they did not quite agree with His Majesty's rule, they resolutely stood up out of a desire to protect His Majesty and the imperial power.

There are quite a few people like this in the current court, and they are called "imperial ministers".

“That’s all, Grand Minister of Works.” Zhao Zhou nodded.

A glint of tears welled up in Zhang Tang's piercing eyes. "Only today did I realize that in my decades-long career in officialdom, I hadn't done much good. My crackdowns on wealthy merchants and the elimination of powerful figures were all for the sake of 'bending the law for personal gain,' to smear His Majesty, to commit regicide, and to become a usurper. I should have been exiled long ago!"

Large tears fell from Zhang Tang's eyes, landing loudly on the floor tiles in front of him.

Tears streamed down Zhang Tangren's aged and pained face, and his voice suddenly rose, "Then, what was it all for?"

Zhao Zhou was stunned.

Cruel officials are also human, and their actions are inevitably driven by ulterior motives. They become cruel officials to advance their careers, and they advance their careers to satisfy their personal desires. What were Zhang Tang's personal desires? In front of a multitude of officials, Zhang Tang proved that his cruel methods were based on inappropriate hints from His Majesty.

If you want Zhang Tang to fall from power, you must overthrow Zhang Tang's words and prove that Zhang Tang's cruel methods were for your own benefit.

Otherwise, the previous angry rebuke of Zhang Tang would have become a slander against Shangguan, which would have been a true act of defamation and framing!
"Is it wine and women? Is it money? Is it a prominent family?"

Zhang Tang proactively mentioned possible personal desires for Zhao Zhou to choose from, "Or perhaps, all of them?"

If one is addicted to wine and women, it will mostly show in one's body. If one is extremely wealthy, this is not apparent. However, despite the illustrious family background of the Zhang clan, no one from the clan has entered officialdom, including Zhang Tang's two sons, Zhang He and Zhang Anshi.

On the throne, the head of all officials, the emperor and his minister, made slight movements and understood what Zhang Tang was doing.

To manipulate and control others through cunning and strategy.

It seems like Zhao Zhou has many choices, but just like the "Quick Hands Magic Trick," Zhang Tang always makes Zhao Zhou choose the answer he wants Zhao Zhou to choose.

After a brief silence, Zhao Zhou spoke again: "During the administration of prisons in the Imperial Library and the Court of Justice, did the Grand Minister of Works embezzle any money or benefits?"

Zhao Zhou seems to have chosen an attack direction that can never be wrong!
money!

As a fellow official of the Han Dynasty, he did not believe that the wealth of high-ranking officials could withstand investigation.

As long as the Zhang family has money of unknown origin, even if it wasn't obtained through fraud in prison, a charge of embezzlement and perverting the law could put Zhang Tang to death!
On the throne, all the officials, the emperor and his ministers, smiled in unison. Zhang Tang also smiled, turned around and bowed, "Your Majesty, I request the Minister of Justice, the Vice Minister of the Censorate, and the Commandant of the Capital Region to jointly investigate me and my residence, and thoroughly examine my family's wealth!"

Joint trial by the three judicial departments!
The Three Offices.

It originated from the three judicial officials of the Warring States period: the Grand Commandant, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Education. They were also known as the Three Judicial Offices.

After Qin unified China, the positions of Grand Commandant, Minister of Works, and Minister of Education were no longer permanent and instead became the three main judicial offices in the court. In the Han Dynasty, the positions were: Minister of Justice, Vice Minister of the Censorate, and Commandant of the Capital Region.

Normally, without an imperial decree, the three judges, being of a certain rank, would not be qualified to jointly try the Crown Prince and the Three Dukes.

Just like the case of the Northern Army's embezzlement, Liu Ju was brought to the Imperial Library for trial only because he received an imperial edict. Otherwise, Li Cai, who was then the Imperial Censor, would not have dared to handle the case, nor would he have lost his life afterward.

At present, Zhang Tang's initiative to request a joint trial by the three judges is a different kind of joint trial.

But just like the Northern Army embezzlement case, people will die regardless of whether the investigation finds any problems.

If Zhang Tang is guilty, then someone else should be beheaded.

Zhang Tang, he's risking his life!

Zhao Zhou and all the imperial ministers changed color.

"Whether it is family wealth, wine and women, family, or other issues, I am willing to accept a joint trial. I will have no regrets about any problems."

Zhang Tang did not look at Zhao Zhou again. "Who I am is not for the Dianfuguo to say. As for my merits and demerits in my decades of official career, the emperor and the people will have their own evaluation, and the history books will have their own evaluation!"
A hundred years later, when I stand before Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Xiaowen, I dare to report to the late emperors: I, Zhang Tang, as the Imperial Censor, have devoted myself wholeheartedly to the Emperor and the court, and I have risked my life for them!
"Your Majesty, I am of limited wisdom and there are areas beyond my capabilities. I have made many mistakes in my official career, and I will inevitably make similar mistakes in the future. But one thing I can be proud of is that I have never betrayed the conscience of a high-ranking official of the Han Dynasty!"

The resounding voice echoed in the hall, prompting everyone to simultaneously ask themselves, "Who has betrayed their conscience?"

(End of this chapter)