My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

Chapter 181 The Grand Judge in the Golden Hall

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the general trial was held in Xuanzheng Hall.

I didn't sleep all night.

Ah Liu slept for half an hour, and when he woke up, he insisted that he had only closed his eyes briefly.

I didn't expose him.

For someone who's afraid of death to close his eyes next to the evidence box is already a step forward. Besides, the first thing he did upon waking was to check if the curtain in his arms was still there.

The account is there.

The person is also there.

This makes him better than many court officials.

No ceremonial guards were set up at Xuanzheng Hall today.

There was only one long table placed below the imperial steps.

On the table were, in order, Bai Song's imperial tent, Yongfeng ticket stub, Yi Zhang's secret tail, Qinghe Yicang rice coupon, Nanyaopeng medical records, Ci'en Temple merit book, two batches of Qing account plaques, Wang's false confession from the West Courtyard, and half of the "By Order" plaque found in Feng Xikong's grave.

There was a fair amount of evidence.

But the living person actually standing next to the table is more important.

Angelica dahurica.

Qin Shangyi.

Sun Ajin.

Song Medical Officer.

Pei Shen.

Also brought in were Luo Chenghai, Zhou Bingli, Wang Fu, and the clerk in charge of the seal of the Secretariat.

Wang Song arrived last.

He was still wearing the court robes of a former regent, and the seal of office was still at his waist.

Gu Xingzhi did not put him in shackles.

Whether such a person wears a cangue or not makes little difference.

When he stood there, all the civil and military officials in the hall would automatically make way for him.

This is the weight of a veteran minister who has served as regent for over twenty years.

Wang Song walked into the hall and first bowed to the emperor.

The movements were steady.

The sound was steady.

"Your humble servant Wang Song pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The emperor sat on his throne, his face even paler than the night before.

Wei Zhi placed a medicine cup next to him.

The medicine was not touched.

I glanced at Physician Song.

Physician Song shook his head slightly.

He personally tested the medicine today.

At least in this case, no one arranged for the emperor to wake up.

The emperor said, "Rise."

Wang Song stood up and looked at the long table.

"Is Your Majesty reviewing the disaster relief funds today, or the old case of Chengxi?"

"All cases will be reviewed."

"This case spans over twenty years, involving the Six Ministries, the Inner Court, and the old systems established by the late emperor. Can it be resolved in a single day?"

I said, "It won't be resolved in a day."

Wang Song looked at me.

"Why was Imperial Censor Shen in such a hurry to open the palace?"

"Because people die."

I pointed at Sun Ajin.

"If it had been half a moment later last night, there would only be a false confession with fingerprints on it on the table today."

"The accounts can be checked at our leisure."

"We can't wait to capture them alive."

Wang Song did not answer.

The emperor said, "Present it to the imperial tent."

Gu Xingzhi placed the three sets of accounts left by Bai Song on the table one by one.

The first one, the blue-clothed tent.

An old record hidden in the stitching of the late empress's sick clothes.

The second document is the Yongfeng account.

Records of the hidden tails transferred from old silver exchange houses.

The third document is the Imperial Tent.

Old documents from Jiangbei that had been sealed away by the emperor for eleven years.

Bai Zhi walked into the hall.

She was usually quite impolite when she met high-ranking officials, but today she was unusually well-behaved.

Perhaps it's because everyone kneeling here owes her father a debt.

She unfolded the imperial tent.

"In the fourteenth year of Chengxi, the old method of calculating compensation in Jiangbei was adopted as a three-tiered compensation method."

"The first layer records the allocation of disaster relief funds and military pay."

"The second layer describes color changes, losses, and transportation."

"The third layer is not included in the main register; only the last few pages are recorded."

She pointed to several tiny symbols with her finger.

"The character '乙' has no tail, indicating the Wang family."

"The character '郑' with a reverse hook is a record of Zheng Fang, the Minister of Revenue."

"The character 'Zhou' is broken horizontally, indicating the old treasury of the Imperial Household Department."

"These hidden marks are the same as those found on the disaster relief accounts in Jiangbei this year."

Wang Song said, "The same accounting methods do not mean the same people are in charge."

"really."

Bai Zhi then took out the summary table of this year's accounts.

"So we checked the silver."

This year, 100,000 taels of silver will be allocated for disaster relief in Jiangbei.

The book expenditure was 140,000 taels.

The extra 40,000 was not because the Ministry of Revenue suddenly learned how to make money.

The same group of disaster victims were separated into multiple accounts.

Collect rice at Qinghe Yicang.

Pick up medicine at the South Pharmacy.

After death, one can go to Ci'en Temple to receive merit money.

One person, three accounts.

Some people received it three times while still alive.

Some people are clearly alive, yet they are written as dead three times in the account book.

Bai Zhi stacked the three ticket stubs together.

"Same name, same last four digits of household registration number, same hidden digits of the processing number."

"The last 28,000 taels were transferred to the Wang family's three offices through the Yongfeng three cabinets."

The private storeroom of the Prince's Mansion in the East Study.

Chongyi Village outside the city.

And the Southwest Grain Transport Route.

Wang Song said, "The Wang clan is large, with numerous businesses and estates. The fact that the money went into the Wang clan's assets does not mean that this old minister was aware of it."

I nodded.

"So we also checked the secret database."

Luo Chenghai was escorted into the palace.

His legs were so weak when he knelt down.

Last night at the Yongfeng secret warehouse, he said he was just managing the trucks for the grain merchants.

Seeing the Xuanzheng Hall this morning finally reminded me that grain carts could also send people to the execution ground.

Gu Xingzhi presented the list of those who had received the loose change.

The so-called grain and silver from the southwest did not all leave Beijing.

Twelve thousand taels of silver were converted into copper coins and distributed to those in the south of the city who were inciting the disaster victims.

Eight thousand taels of silver went into the private accounts of several officers in the Western Camp of the Imperial Guard.

Another three thousand taels were used to purchase old clothes from the Ministry of Rites, paper for medical records, and discarded plaques from the inner court.

Bai Zhi said, "Each transaction is not large."

"Each person only receives enough to complete a small section."

"Together, it's just enough for a civil uprising in the south of the city, a massacre at the granary, and a fake imperial edict with a genuine seal."

Wang Song looked at Luo Chenghai.

"Have you seen me before?"

Luo Chenghai shook his head.

No, no.

"Did I give you an order?"

"no."

"Then what makes you say that silver is related to me?"

Luo Chenghai opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Wang Song looked at me.

"Imperial Censor Shen, is this your evidence?"

"no."

I took out the small seal of the Wang family's west courtyard.

"This is the private seal of the West Courtyard under the control of Madam Wang."

Then he took out a monthly paper that he had found at the bottom of the secret vault.

Each month, after the end of account B on the paper, there is the same small seal.

The last line reads:

Your Excellency has read this.

No name.

There was no official seal either.

However, the rule provided by the Prince's Office was that any document marked "For the Master's Reading" had to be left in the East Study overnight.

If there is no rejection by cinnabar pen on the second day, the action can be taken.

Gu Xingzhi presented the night duty log of the East Study.

This year, Wang Song spent eleven of the twelve times he transferred silver from the second account to the Wang residence.

On the last occasion, he was on night duty in the palace.

But the silver didn't turn over that time.

A few murmurs finally broke out in the hall.

Wang Song remained calm.

"Rules within the household can be forged."

"Can."

I said, "So let's look at the cards again."

The real cards and the fake cards were raised at the same time.

The first batch only involved "clearing up old accounts".

The second batch included "An Chaogang".

Qin Shangyi recounted the process of making the plaque.

Zhou Bingli was also brought before the table.

Last night he insisted that he was only responsible for routine sample testing.

Faced with the old records of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices today, we can only admit that the second batch of tokens was indeed collected under the supervision of Wang Song.

Wang Song said, "This old minister admits to imprisoning them."

"At that time, the late Empress Dowager had the audacity to inspect the imperial treasury, which had alarmed the military funds and the old ministers who had been entrusted with the care of the emperor. The addition of the four characters 'to stabilize the court' was to limit the power of those holding the license."

"What's wrong with it?"

Xiao Lingyi stood below the imperial steps.

She is wearing a princess's court dress today.

He was not carrying a sword.

But when she looked at Wang Song, no one in the hall noticed that she didn't have a knife in her hand.

"No one is allowed to take the first batch of licenses."

"Why were the second batch of tokens able to control the palace gates, transfer medicine storage, and seal off the Imperial Wardrobe?"

Wang Song said, "The old cards were later abused, which was not my intention."

"Who is abusing it?"

"I do not know."

Again, I don't know.

The word "today" is also very busy.

I placed the half-card I took from Feng Xikong's grave next to the second batch of cards.

"Only the words 'By Order' remain on the sign."

"The three formal procedures were initiated simultaneously last night."

"Too often moves things."

"The Imperial Guards are being replaced."

"People were moved from the inner court."

"Each one uses the three lines left by the second batch of inventory cards: medicine, clothing, and door."

"The Grand Secretary said it was later misused."

"Then may I ask, who appointed the Grand Commander of the Inner Court?"

Wang Song looked at Pei Shen.

Pei Shen had already handed over the seal of the Secretariat and was kneeling beside the hall.

He remained silent for a moment.

"After the palace was conferred in the fourteenth year of Chengxi, it was proposed by Grand Secretary Wang."

The hall fell completely silent.

Wang Song frowned for the first time.

Pei Shen.

Pei Shen prostrated himself on the ground.

"Your Excellency, back then I received the imperial edict and delivered the imperial decree on your behalf, and I also said many times that I only did a small part of it."

"I can't say any more today."

Wang Song looked at him.

"Do you think you can wash away your sins by handing over a few old files?"

"cannot."

Pei Shen answered quickly.

"Therefore, I confess my guilt."

"But admitting guilt and continuing to cover up for the Grand Secretary are two different things."

I think Pei Shen finally said something that didn't sound like a riddle today.

The price he would likely pay was that he would never again be the gentle and harmless Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

The emperor said, "Summon Sun Ajin."

Sun Ajin was helped into the hall.

Wang's false confession unfolds.

The confession was written very completely.

The late Empress ordered Zhao Ning to bring Shen Lie's son to the capital.

An old acquaintance from Changning helped hide the knife.

After the grand wedding and entry into the palace, the court officials will be purged, and the old ways will be restored.

Only Sun Ajin's handprint is missing.

Wang Song glanced at it.

"This old minister has never seen it before."

Sun Ajin said, "This old servant has seen the true events written above."

Her voice was very soft.

The entire hall could hear it clearly.

"Her Majesty did indeed send this old servant to deliver sick clothes."

"His Highness Zhaoning did indeed investigate the Empress Dowager's old case."

"Lord Shen is indeed the son of Shen Lie."

A murmur arose again among the court officials.

Sun Ajin continued, "But Her Majesty has never allowed His Highness to rebel."

She said that Zhao Ning was her daughter.

"It wasn't her knife."

Xiao Lingyi's fingers slowly tightened.

Sun Ajin looked up at the emperor.

"The Empress did not leave a will to kill the emperor before her death."

"She only said that if the imperial tent could not be opened, she would give her sick clothes to someone who could bring the old tent into the light."

"She waited for His Majesty."

As the last sentence fell, the emperor's face turned even paler.

Wei Zhi wanted to help him up.

The emperor raised his hand in refusal.

"Go on."

Sun Ajin's eyes were filled with tears.

"The Empress waited and waited, but the door never opened."

No one dared to look at Xiao Lingyi.

I wouldn't dare either.

Some accounts cannot be settled solely based on evidence.

Evidence can only prove who did what.

It's impossible to explain to a daughter why her father didn't open the door back then.