How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

This is the style of a prime minister.

As the head of all officials, he acted with perfect composure and stability.

This major case has sparked such a heated debate in the imperial court, involving the crucial question of whether the entire Zhou family should be executed. In any case, it is impossible to draw a conclusion hastily. The safest approach is to conduct an investigation before taking any action.

It is also the place where the laws and regulations of the imperial court reside.

Upon hearing this, Song Liqing, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward...

However, before he could speak, someone else spoke first.

This person was none other than Li Lüyi, a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Li Lüyi spoke up: "This old minister believes that the Prime Minister's suggestion is the most prudent. As the sage said, there is no greater good than a popular uprising, and no greater law than capital punishment. This matter involves a popular uprising and even the death penalty for nine generations of a family. We must not act rashly. I request Your Majesty to order the Dingchao Division to go to Qishan immediately to investigate the case and then deal with it according to the law."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall felt a jolt in their hearts.

Li Lüyi, the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, was the most detached and aloof, because he was in charge of literature and the Wenyuan Pavilion was under the dual jurisdiction of the imperial court and the imperial dynasty.

Therefore, he basically didn't concern himself with worldly affairs in the court.

He usually doesn't speak, but once he does, he carries the weight of a high-ranking official.

In the past, he did not get along well with Prime Minister Du Tiangang, but today he echoed the Prime Minister's suggestion.

Moreover, his opening words were perfectly in line with his identity. He began by quoting the words of a sage: "Nothing is more important for governing than a popular uprising, and nothing is more severe than capital punishment."

what for?

Popular uprisings are the most important issue in governance.

The death penalty is the most serious matter in the legal system.

What is meant by "great decree"?

Another name for "death penalty"!

What happened today is far more than just the death penalty. This is the maximum death penalty, which, once verified, will result in the extermination of nine generations of the perpetrator's family. Indeed, nothing could be more severe than this.

Therefore, one should not blindly believe what is said, but should verify the facts thoroughly before making a decision.

However, those who pay close attention can still detect the difference.

The prime minister said that the Ministry of Justice should investigate.

He was referring to the "Dingchao Division" investigating the matter.

Dingchao Division.

Its name sounds imposing, but in fact, its position within the imperial structure is even more imposing.

Because it is under His Majesty's personal control.

He possesses both literary and martial talents, as well as various other unique abilities.

It is the stabilizing force that controls all aspects of the imperial court.

It is also the "Imperial Domain" that no prince or nobleman can interfere with.

check!

This term originated with Lin Xiangdao, the Minister of Works. He was forced into a corner and became desperate, so he volunteered to investigate on his own!

It's highly unlikely that he would investigate, since he is the Minister of Works.

The relevant department in charge of the case is the Ministry of Criminal Justice, which has absolutely nothing to do with the Ministry of Works. How could they possibly let him investigate? His expertise is completely mismatched, and he simply wouldn't be able to find anything.

The Prime Minister's suggestion is the right approach; the Ministry of Justice should investigate!

However, just as Song Liqing, the Minister of Justice, was about to accept the order, Li Lüyi, the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, stepped forward and offered another option: the Dingchao Division!

The general direction is to investigate.

However, who should investigate is a complex issue.

The Ministry of Justice is the Crown Prince's inner circle, and the Crown Prince was the driving force behind the Yantai case!

Zhou Liangsheng, however, was a direct victim in the Yantai case.

If the Ministry of Justice were to investigate, they would surely punish Zhou Liangsheng, this "remnant of Yantai," mercilessly!

How can it be fair?

Therefore, the prime minister's seemingly reasonable suggestion actually sowed the seeds of a hidden danger.

Li Lüyi, a Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, outwardly agreed with the Prime Minister's proposal, but replaced the most crucial investigator with the Dingchao Division.

How could the prime minister not see this?

However, that's how it is in officialdom; you can see through things but you can't say it out loud.

In any case, the proposals from the two high-ranking officials have already been submitted to His Majesty...

His Majesty slowly spoke: "The suggestions of the Prime Minister and Grand Secretary Li are the prudent course of action. Order the Dingchao Division to immediately proceed to Qishan in Lingnan to investigate this case!"

He also pretended to be confused, outwardly accepting the proposals of the Prime Minister and the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, but in reality, he only accepted the Grand Secretary's proposal and rejected the Prime Minister's proposal.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" A second-rank official strode forward and bowed to receive the imperial decree.

This person's surname is Ming, given name Luo, and he is the head of the Dingchao Division.

Although the Chief of the Imperial Secretariat was only a second-rank official, on par with the Minister, he was not under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister and was directly under the Emperor's command, making him the most independent second-rank official.

"Dismiss the court, but Minister Ming, please remain for now!" His Majesty declared.

"Dismiss the court!" With the chief eunuch's booming voice, all the officials bowed and withdrew, leaving only the Emperor and Ming Luo, the head of the Imperial Court, in the hall.

His Majesty slowly rose and walked down from the high platform.

Minglu bowed slightly.

"The whole thing happened under your watchful eye today. What are your thoughts?" His Majesty said softly.

"This old minister has discovered a business opportunity!"

"A business opportunity?" His Majesty's eyes lit up slightly. "Tell me about it!"

"By order of Your Majesty, I have been pondering day and night for over a month the best candidate for the 'Green Mountain Literary Gathering.' Today, someone has suddenly appeared, giving me a sudden inspiration: Zhou Wenju, the master of ci poetry who pioneered a new chapter in the art of ci, is he not the most suitable candidate for the art of poetry for our Great Yu Kingdom?"

His Majesty was slightly taken aback: "This is the business opportunity you discovered?"

Mingluo was also slightly taken aback: "Does Your Majesty mean there are other...other business opportunities?"

"By crafting powerful weapons, ordinary villagers can be transformed into battle-hardened elites. I have long suffered from a shortage of soldiers. If this young man can be used by me, how can I worry about the instability of the four borders?"

Mingluo suddenly looked up: "Your Majesty's vision is truly remarkable; this humble subject has suddenly gained enlightenment!"

"However, this young man's character is unpredictable; he dared to incite the villagers to rebel. If he is blindly employed, the consequences are unpredictable. Furthermore, this young man is the son of Zhou Liang-sheng, whose father was demoted to Lingnan due to the Yantai case. Easily employing him would also unsettle the court." His Majesty said, "Therefore, you must…"

"As you command!"

The capital is rife with unpredictable events, preventing us from reaching Jiangnan.

The increasingly cold winter winds of Luoyang, the capital, transform into warm breezes as they travel south of the Yangtze River.

Nanyang, the capital of Haizhou.

At this moment, it still feels like spring.

Old Qi came down from the Haizhou Wenyi Tower and walked along the bustling long street.

He was also quite moved.

"The spring light stretches for ten thousand miles to Nanyang, but the year is unknown once the screen is erected."

The two lines of poetry left behind by that official who committed the crime always evoked a different feeling in him.

He was never an official.

However, he also became one of the "Unknown Years Beyond the Screen".

Because his master, the only official in his life for whom he was willing to repay with his life, was one of these people.

The greatest wish of officials who crossed Pingfeng Ridge was to receive an imperial edict granting them permission to return to the capital.

But that's not his wish today...

He only hoped that the winds of Lingnan would still be calm, and that the people he knew in the Qishan County government office would still be alive...

Is this storm really over?

A voice came from the side: "A crane soars into the clear sky, inspiring poetic thoughts that reach the heavens! Today, the sky is clear again, and indeed, there is another spectacular sight of a crane soaring into the clear sky..."

Two scholars passed by, both pointing to the blue sky.

Old Qi looked up and saw the white crane they were talking about, soaring into the sky with timeless grandeur.

The next chapter is even more exciting: Chapter 73, "The Imperial Court is investigating," awaits your visit.