The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 107 The insignificant Xie Jin is truly a nuisance (Second update later)

When Zhu Di asked him, Liu Zhong replied truthfully: "Your Majesty, Lord Lin's operation this time was to eliminate the human trafficking gang that was entrenched in Guangou, and he rescued more than a hundred women and children."

However, his despondency seems to be due to a woman.

"A woman? Who is she?" Zhu Di pressed.

"The bartender at Zuixianlou was originally going to marry a scholar, but she was sold into the Green Gang by him. Scholar Lin only met her once, but he was deeply troubled by her plight. This crackdown was also intended to avenge her."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di raised an eyebrow, a look of disbelief on his face.

Emperor Yongle expressed his incomprehension, saying that she was just a woman he had only met once, not worth mentioning. It wasn't like he had lost his wife and children, so why was he so heartbroken?

But it doesn't matter. As long as you have exceptional abilities and valuable skills, someone will naturally accommodate your temperament.

Lin Yue was someone whom the Yongle Emperor was very willing to accommodate.

Zhu Di pondered for a moment, then turned to Hou Xian, who was standing beside him, and instructed him: "Go to Kuai Siyaodian in private and ask her to say a few words of comfort to Lin Yue. I remember that Kuai Yue has a younger brother, right? Bring him to the capital to study and raise him properly."

Hou Xian bowed and replied, "As you command."

He turned and quietly left the hall, thinking to himself that His Majesty still favored this Scholar Lin to some extent, almost like treating him as a son.

The next day, during the morning court session at Fengtian Hall, the morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the bronze bells at the corners of the gilded hall occasionally rang softly.

Xie Jin stepped forward from his rank, holding an ivory tablet, his face ashen and resolute, and declared in a loud voice: "Your Majesty! I impeach Lin Yue for his utter disregard for the law and his reckless actions; he deserves severe punishment!"

Zhu Di sat upright on his throne, remaining silent.

Xie Jin continued, "Your Majesty! Lin Yue, the acting prefect, dares to disregard the law and act recklessly!"

The Five Cities Military Commandery was directly under the Ministry of War and was the emperor's personal army. The Great Ming Code clearly stipulated that military power was centralized and that no one could mobilize even a fraction of it without the imperial edict and the tiger tally.

In the early Sui Dynasty, during the Kaihuang era, the governor Doulu Tong privately mobilized soldiers to repair the city walls. When Emperor Wen heard of this, he demoted him to a commoner. During the Tianyuan era of the Zhou Dynasty, Yuchi Jiong arbitrarily mobilized troops from Xiangzhou to resist Yang Jian. He was eventually executed for "arbitrarily mobilizing troops and defying orders."

"Now, Lin Yue, relying solely on a prefectural governor's edict, has mobilized patrol troops to besiege the city and has also arbitrarily deployed over a thousand archers and constables from Yingtian Prefecture. Such overstepping of authority and insubordination is no different from Yuchi Jiong's unauthorized use of military power."

"What's worse, their indiscriminate arrests of innocent people have reached an appalling level!" He was increasingly distressed.

"In just a few days, thousands of people were arrested in Yingtian Prefecture. The prefectural jail was overflowing with prisoners, who wailed day and night."

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In the past, when Wang Jun of the Western Jin Dynasty was the governor of Yizhou, he indiscriminately imprisoned thousands of displaced people, turning their homes into prisons, which ultimately led to the Li Te Rebellion and widespread suffering. Lin Yue's actions now are even worse than Wang Jun's; the people are filled with resentment, and gossip in the streets and alleys says that "the prefect is like a tiger." If this continues, I fear it will cause a popular uprising!

"Not only that, but their actions of taking human lives are even more contrary to the laws of nature! Throughout history, there has been a practice of having three appeals before a death sentence is submitted, because human life is of paramount importance and there is a fear of wrongful convictions."

Lin Yue has now reported nearly a hundred death row inmates. Is this not blasphemy? I fear the wronged souls weep in the netherworld, appealing to Heaven!

"The most heinous thing is the abuse of torture!" Xie Jin's voice suddenly rose, his expression furious.

"Many of the prisoners were tortured and their bodies were covered in wounds, with many having broken bones and tendons. The prisoners cried out in agony day and night, a truly unbearable sight!"

The purpose of governing a prison is to distinguish right from wrong and redress grievances, not to establish authority through cruelty or to subdue people through violence!

Lin Yue, as an official appointed by the imperial court and in charge of criminal matters in a prefecture, brazenly trampled on the precept of "prudent use of punishment," treating the lives of the people as worthless and making harsh punishments his specialty!

Xie Jin bowed and kowtowed, vehemently denouncing Lin Yue's illegal actions: "Such unauthorized use of troops, arbitrary arrests, cruel killings, and perverted justice are all violations of national law and against the will of the people!"

"I urge Your Majesty to dismiss him from his post and imprison him, to punish him according to the law, so as to set an example for others and bring peace to the people!"

Zhu Di remained noncommittal, his gaze sweeping over Lin Yue, and said in a deep voice, "Lin Yue, you have also heard of Xie Jin's report. Do you have any explanation?"

""

Lin Yue's emotions came and went quickly. After a night of comforting words from his caring older sister, he had regained his composure.

Seeing this, he rolled up his sleeves, strode out of the line, pointed at Xie Jin, and sternly refuted him.

"Jie Jin! You spout benevolence and morality, but you're utterly ignorant. How dare you falsely accuse and frame someone before His Majesty? Do you really think the entire court is deaf and dumb?"

Lin Yue retorted loudly, "The Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture is in charge of the administration of the prefecture, and has the authority to arrest thieves, suppress evil and prohibit violence. Although I am temporarily acting in his place, the daily security patrols of the Five Cities Military Command are also under the control of the Prefect."

He sneered and said, "I mobilized the archers and constables directly under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture, and coordinated with the military command of the five cities. I did not touch the soldiers of the garrison. How could this be considered overstepping my authority?"

In the past, during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Dai Zhou served as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He dared to defy the emperor and enforce the law, refuting Emperor Taizong's anger, simply because the law is the foundation of the state's credibility throughout the world!

"What I have done today is precisely in accordance with the law, yet you falsely accuse me of treason. Have you lost your mind from writing so many books that you have forgotten even the regulations of the court?"

Xie Jin was furious and was about to speak when Lin Yue interrupted him sharply.

The claim that "you are arbitrarily arresting innocent people" is even more absurd!

The prisons are not enough, not because I have arrested too many people, but because there are too many treacherous and wicked people in the capital.

"With wolves in power, why bother with foxes? The underground brothels of the capital are now teeming with wicked and corrupt officials. The Green Gang is trafficking women and children and running casinos. How can we expect peace and stability for the people if these wolves are not eliminated?"

Lin Yue looked around and said in an impassioned tone: "Those I have arrested all have been reported by the people with their names on file, the evidence is obvious, and the victims have pointed out that Yi Tong is a bully who cheats the market, runs gambling dens, sells innocent people, robs and kills people. Which one of them is not utterly wicked and has aroused public outrage?"

Moreover, I have long ago issued a strict order that if no evidence is found during interrogation, the person should be released immediately. To date, more than three hundred people have been released!

His gaze was sharp as a torch, piercing straight at Xie Jin: "You hold a high position in the imperial court, yet you are ignorant of the suffering of ordinary people, and dare to speak recklessly about the indiscriminate arrest of officials!"

Such remarks are utterly absurd. When the common people are bullied by thugs and have nowhere to turn for help, I stand up for them and wipe out the evildoers. Instead of praising my achievements, you criticize my mistakes!

Your mere adherence to outdated rules is nothing but a hypocrite seeking fame and fortune while ignoring the suffering of the people!

Xie Jin's face flushed red as he retorted, "That's sophistry! A thousand people were arrested in a single day and night, and a hundred were executed. Are all these people deserving of death?"

"How can you expect me not to be executed? Does the Great Ming Dynasty disregard justice and spout some bullshit about the law not punishing the masses?" Lin Yue glared angrily.

"The Great Ming Code clearly stipulates that anyone who abducts or sells three or more free people, or who engages in theft or mutilation of living people, shall be executed by slow slicing; anyone who gathers a crowd to commit theft or kills people shall be beheaded immediately!"

The criminals I reported to be sentenced to death were all ringleaders of trafficking women and children, bandit leaders who committed murder and arson, and corrupt officials who colluded with evil forces!

The blood on their hands is enough to form a stream; the evidence is overwhelming, both witnesses and physical evidence are sufficient. According to the law, they should be executed. I have petitioned for their execution; what do you, Xie Jin, have to say?"

"Emperor Taizu Gao established the empire and deeply understood the principle of using severe punishments to govern chaotic times. In the past, when Yin Shang governed Chang'an, he dug up a tiger's den and buried a wicked young man alive, which eventually made people not pick up lost items on the road!"

You, Jie Jin, were commissioned by His Majesty to compile the "Veritable Records of Emperor Taizu." You studied Emperor Taizu's sacred teachings every day, but you turned around and forgot the true essence of governing the country. This is truly wrong.

You show mercy to the most heinous criminals, yet turn a blind eye to the wronged and humiliated. What kind of sage's way is this?

Lin Yue stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "You seek justice for the bandits, but who will seek justice for the children who were abducted and the people who were murdered in the capital?"

Instead of seeking justice for the deceased, you defend the wicked. With words and actions like yours, are you worthy of being a Hanlin Academician, or of discussing how to bring about a monarch like Yao and Shun?

These words were forceful and purely personal attacks. Xie Jin was rendered speechless, his face turning from red to green, then to white, his lips trembling but unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.

Lin Yue ignored Xie Jin and turned to Zhu Di, saying loudly, "My actions are in accordance with the law and the will of the people. I only hope that the evil spirits of the world today will be eradicated. Although I have ruthless methods, I have no selfish thoughts whatsoever!"

If Your Majesty punishes me based solely on Xie Jin's one-sided account, I have nothing to say; I can only ask Your Majesty for a clear judgment.

Upon seeing this, all the officials and civil and military officials remained silent.

Everyone could see that Emperor Yongle was clearly biased towards Lin Yue. Lin Yue was enjoying the Emperor's favor and had just purged the Green Gang, a major threat to the capital. He was popular with the people, and impeaching him at this time would not benefit his career and would be detrimental to his promotion.

Zhu Di originally did not want to punish Lin Yue too much. Seeing that he had won the argument at court, he pondered for a moment and then happily went along with it.

"Lin Yue's words are quite insightful. His efforts to eliminate the Green Gang and rescue women and children are a great achievement!"

However, his actions were rash, and he mobilized troops without prior notification, which violated regulations and was unacceptable. He deserves a minor punishment as a warning.

Effective immediately, Lin Yue is relieved of his post as Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. From this day forward, all officials must remember that any military or political measures must be reported to the emperor first; no further decisions may be made arbitrarily. Any recurrence of this offense will be severely punished.

Zhu Di's words basically meant that Lin Yueqian did indeed have problems and did not follow the rules, but he admired him and asked everyone to give him face. However, he made it clear beforehand that if anyone else followed Lin Yueqian's example, they would be courting death and he would definitely punish them severely.

The court officials felt a chill run down their spines and bowed in unison, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and your laws are clear!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue bowed deeply in gratitude: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your leniency! From now on, I will strictly abide by the laws of the court and will never dare to act on my own again, lest I betray Your Majesty's teachings and trust!"

Zhu Di glanced at the assembled officials, and seeing that no one dared to object, he waved his sleeve to signal the court session to continue.

The Left Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial stepped forward, holding a yellow-sealed memorial in his hand. He bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, the Office of Transmission has forwarded a secret memorial from the Commander of the Thousand-Household Guard at Chengtian Gate. It concerns illegal activities by government officials, and I have read it aloud to you!"

According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty, a thousand-household commander was only a fifth-rank official and had no right to present his memorials to the emperor in person. His memorials had to be forwarded by the Office of Transmission and then read aloud by an official of the Court of State Ceremonies at the court assembly. This was the established rule that "memorials from outside the capital must be sent to the Office of Transmission and read aloud by the Court of State Ceremonies".

Zhu Di nodded in acknowledgment, and the temple official then unfolded the memorial and read it aloud.

"At the first watch of the night, a craftsman left the palace, leaving behind a wooden plaque. It was unsigned, with the words 'Precious Money Management Office' engraved on one side and a list of illegal acts committed by the officials of this office on the other side."

Firstly, he corrupted the government offices, secretly taking the daughters of hereditary artisans under his jurisdiction into his harem for illicit affairs, and promoted their fathers and brothers to lucrative positions in the paper money bureau, abusing his power for personal gain and corrupting official conduct.

Secondly, he misappropriated money and wages for craftsmen to purchase clan land and private residences for his relatives.

Thirdly, he fraudulently claimed student positions at the Nanjing Imperial Academy to secure official posts for his relatives and pave the way for their future careers.

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion within the hall.

Everyone in the court knows that Lin Yue is currently in charge of the Treasury of Paper Money. This anonymous report is suspicious. Could it be that someone is trying to harm Lin Yue?

Everyone supports taking action against Lin Yue, but is it unwise to do so at this time, and is the method too crude?

Zhu Di was slightly surprised upon hearing this.

However, Emperor Yongle thought again that Lin Yue was only in his twenties and lived alone. Most of these reports were unfounded or were made by others. But no matter who was being reported, such reports were something that those in power could not support.

In ancient times, imperial rule relied on a top-down, hierarchical information system. If people were allowed to bypass normal official channels and engage in unauthorized "anonymous reporting" or reporting to higher authorities, it would lead to a massive loss of information.

The emperor would be overwhelmed by a large amount of unverified and dubious private information, making it impossible for him to judge the advantages and disadvantages of national policies. Unless it was to suppress dissent, those in power would generally choose to suppress such behavior.

The Yongle Emperor quickly determined the nature of this anonymous report.

Zhu Di said in a serious tone: "These anonymous documents are nothing more than petty people using public office for private gain, taking revenge on personal grudges under the guise of the law, and framing loyal and virtuous people!"

The Court of State Ceremonial immediately burned this wooden plaque. From now on, any further anonymous false accusations of this kind will not be accepted and will not be investigated.

Subsequently, the court officials successively reported on several government affairs, such as the canal transport in Jiangnan and local disaster relief. Zhu Di made his decisions on each of them and then turned his attention to Lin Yue, Hu Guang, and Wang Da.

"The provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture is imminent, and it is a crucial event for selecting candidates, so it should not be taken lightly."

"Hu Guang, Wang Da, Lin Yue, you three must quickly determine the examination questions. They must test both the students' understanding of classical texts and their practical application of policy. Submit them to me for review as soon as possible, and do not delay the provincial examination schedule."

Hu Guang and Wang Da exchanged a puzzled glance, but still bowed and accepted the decree along with Lin Yue: "Your subjects obey the decree!"

According to regulations, the provincial examination was a talent selection examination at the provincial level. The chief examiner and co-examiners, together with the provincial administration commissioner and the provincial education commissioner, would draft the examination questions. After the draft was finalized, it would be printed and distributed. After the examination, the examination questions and examination papers only needed to be submitted to the Ministry of Rites for filing. There was never a case of the examination being submitted to the emperor for personal review.

Zhu Di's special request to see it was quite simple: he wanted to see what kind of exam questions Lin Yue could come up with, but at the same time, he was not confident in the exam questions Lin Yue had chosen.

Lin Yue has pulled too many shady moves; we have to be wary.

After recounting this matter, Zhu Di said, "Court is adjourned."

The assembled officials shouted their gratitude and withdrew from Fengtian Gate in turn.

After exiting the Meridian Gate, Lin Yue walked side by side with Hu Guang and Wang Da.

Hu Guang, dressed in a blue robe, with a gentle face, slowed his pace to walk alongside Lin Yue, speaking in a humble tone.

"Although Scholar Lin has temporarily relinquished his duties as Prefect, his responsibility for setting the questions for the provincial examination remains unchanged, which shows that he is still highly regarded."

Your efforts to quell the banditry in the capital region and rid the people of this scourge are evident to everyone in the court; please rest assured.

He glanced at Wang Da beside him and continued, "The provincial examination was the first one in the first year of Yongle's reign, and it was of great importance. The examination questions must be formulated with utmost care."

"Tonight, let's find a quiet and secluded place for the three of us to gather and discuss in detail. Our discussions should adhere to classical principles and regulations, while also addressing current issues. We should also listen to Supervisor Lin's insights into practical matters in rural areas, so that the policy essay questions don't become empty rhetoric."

Hu Guang is only in his thirties this year, which is the time when he should be making progress. He took the initiative to lead the discussion, simply because he wanted to get things done well and also get closer to Lin Yue.

The best way to advance one's career is to gain the emperor's favor, and the second best way is certainly to gain the friendship of the emperor's favorite ministers.