Chapter 80 Forcing the Palace 【For further reading】
Who can tell me, who am I, where am I, and how did I become Li Huan's accomplice?
Ma Yongcheng, who was laughing angrily, pointed at Luo Wenxiang with a trembling finger and said: "Luo Wenxiang, you have sullied our family's innocence out of thin air. Our family will remember you!"
As he spoke, Ma Yongcheng bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said: "Your Majesty, every word of the old slave is true. Whether it is Li Huan's residence or the eighteen young eunuchs, there are documents and archives that can be checked. Luo Wenxiang slandered the old slave out of thin air. Please ask your majesty to prove his innocence."
The old slave is in charge!"
Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but frowned, looked at Luo Wenxiang rather unhappily and said: "Luo Wenxiang, this is the Great Court Meeting, where all civil and military officials are present. Since you said that Ma Yongcheng is Li Huan's comrade, do you have any evidence?"
Luo Wenxiang couldn't help but be stunned. He just said it casually in a moment of urgency. There is no evidence.
He is a dignified censor. What evidence does he need to impeach Ma Yongcheng, a eunuch? He knows without thinking that Ma Yongcheng must have an unusual relationship with Li Huan, otherwise how could Ma Yongcheng help Li Huan deal with the aftermath.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Wenxiang bowed his hands and said: "Back to Your Majesty, I... I have evidence, but I just need time to investigate and confirm."
Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but said angrily: "It's extremely ridiculous. You are supervising the censor. Don't you know how sinful it is to make false accusations without evidence?"
Luo Wenxiang insisted: "Your Majesty clearly knows that I am loyal and dedicated to serving the public. I dare not have the slightest selfish thoughts. How can I frame others!"
Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but laugh angrily when he saw Luo Wenxiang's upright and awe-inspiring appearance. He ignored Luo Wenxiang and looked at the senior ministers in the cabinet: "What do you think?"
Looking at each other, Xie Qian sighed in his heart, secretly scolding Luo Wenxiang for not doing things well, and just impeaching Li Huan. Why didn't he collect more charges against Li Huan? Why did he involve Ma Yongcheng again halfway?
We had already discussed that during this great court meeting, we would try our best to impeach Li Huan. It would be best to convict Li Huan of the crime, so as to completely dispel the idea of the emperor reorganizing his bodyguards and taking control of the imperial guards.
But now things are going wrong. The charges of impeachment are too far-fetched. Dongchang has stepped in to take down the most deadly task of raising eunuchs. It is a bit unrealistic to take the opportunity to crucify Li Huan.
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Xie Qian raised his hands and bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said: "The Supervisory Censor Luo Wenxiang did not investigate strictly and the evidence is unclear, which is a dereliction of duty. I beg your Majesty to fine him a salary for one year and order him to stay on duty and think about his mistakes as a warning to others!"
"
Obviously Xie Qian only said that Luo Wenxiang was derelict in his duties, but did not mention the issue of him framing others, and the punishment was only a fine on his salary. For Luo Wenxiang, it had no impact at all. This clearly means that Luo Wenxiang was
Keep it safe.
Zhu Houzhao frowned and looked at Liu Jin, while Liu Jin coughed lightly and said with a smile: "I'm afraid this is inappropriate for Mr. Xie Ge."
Nowadays, the relationship between the cabinet and the Supervisor of Ceremonies has deteriorated extremely because of Liu Jin's coming to power. The cabinet is trying every means to get rid of Liu Jin, and Liu Jin is also trying every means to drive away Xie Qian, Liu Jian and others.
The relationship between Xie Qian and Liu Jin was the worst, and the fight between the two was almost obvious. Xie Qian criticized Liu Jin more than once in the cabinet for being ignorant and incompetent, and for deceiving the emperor, he was an eunuch who brought disaster to the country and the people.
Similarly, Liu Jin also clamored more than once among the ceremonial supervisors to teach Xie Qian how to behave.
When he heard Liu Jin speak, Xie Qian glanced at Liu Jin with disdain and snorted: "We, the pillars of our country, are discussing matters with the emperor. What qualifications do you, a eunuch, have to speak in front of Fengtian Palace!"
The literati's words were as sharp as a knife. He almost pointed his finger at Liu Jin's nose and cursed, "You are just a dead eunuch and you are not worthy of speaking in front of Fengtian Palace."
Liu Jin was so angry that she almost spit out a mouthful of blood. She pointed at Xie Jian with wide eyes and wanted to yell at Xie Jian.
There was a slight cough, and among the hundreds of officials, an official stood up. It was Zhang Cai, the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs who had just taken office.
All I heard was Zhang Cai say: "Your Majesty, I, Zhang Cai, have something to say."
Zhu Houzhao glanced at Liu Jin first, then nodded slightly and said, "Ai Qing, please speak."
Zhang Cai is a capable person recently recruited by Liu Jin. Zhu Houzhao knew this, and Zhang Cai stepped forward to help Liu Jin.
After all, Liu Jin was speechless after being retorted by Xie Qian. In front of all the civil and military officials, in front of the Fengtian Palace, even he, the emperor, could not support Liu Jin.
Zhang Cai raised his hands to Xie Qian and said, "Mr. Ge, I thought that Luo Wenxiang, as a supervisory censor, was talking nonsense and slandering people's innocence at will. How does such a person have the qualifications to be a supervisory censor?"
Xie Qian frowned and said with great disgust: "No one has ever made a mistake. Luo Wenxiang has good intentions, is dedicated to the public, and is selfless. Shouldn't he be given a chance to change his ways?"
Zhang Cai sneered and said: "Ordinary people can make mistakes, but as a supervisory censor, he cannot make mistakes."
As he spoke, Zhang Cai bowed to Zhu Houzhao and said, "I am sure that your Majesty will remove Luo Wenxiang from the post of supervising the censor and demote him to a commoner, as a warning to others."
As Zhang Cai finished speaking, several figures among the officials bowed down and said, "Your Majesty, please punish Luo Wenxiang severely."
Looking at those figures, everyone in the cabinet and Luo Wenxiang had ugly expressions. Among them were Jiao Fang, Duan Jiong and others, all officials who had been attracted by Liu Jin these days and turned to Liu Jin.
Liu Jin stared at Xie Qian fiercely, with a bit of resentment and pride in his eyes.
Xie Qian ignored Liu Jin at all, took a deep breath, and said to Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty, Luo Wenxiang has no selfish intentions. I beg your Majesty to be merciful and spare him! If your Majesty really wants to punish him, even the veteran minister
Let’s punish them together.”
Looking at Xie Qian kneeling in front of him, Zhu Houzhao grabbed the armrest of the throne with his angry hands. This was basically forcing him, the emperor.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. A sharp look flashed in Zhu Houzhao's eyes. Just when he was about to speak, he heard Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and other senior ministers prostrate themselves in unison and said, "Your Majesty, please be merciful!"
Zhu Houzhao looked at the ministers who were kneeling on the ground, stood up angrily, with anger and disappointment on his face, pointed at the ministers and said: "You... ok, ok, I will do as you wish.
,Retreat!"
With a flick of his sleeves, Zhu Houzhao left angrily. Gu Dayong, Ma Yongcheng and others quickly followed. Liu Jin watched the emperor leave in anger and couldn't help but look at Xie Qian who was still kneeling on the ground. Liu Jian and others smiled sinisterly.
Said: "Gee, you are really the pillars of the country. You have made His Majesty so angry. I admire you..."
Xie Qian stood up and sneered: "You eunuchs, you are all treacherous people who are trying to alienate Your Majesty and us. We are entrusted by the late emperor to assist Your Majesty, and we will not let you and other villains deceive Your Majesty.
Your Majesty makes mistakes again and again!"
Liu Jin was no match for Xie Qian based on words alone, so she could only sneer: "We'll see!"
A great court meeting ended unhappily. Looking at Zhang Cai, Jiao Fang, Duan Jiong and other officials leaving with Liu Jin, thinking of the emperor leaving in anger, Li Dongyang, the chief minister of the cabinet, couldn't help but feel dizzy.
He rubbed his forehead and looked at Xie Qian and said: "Yu Qiao, as ministers, we should not force your majesty like this!"
Xie Qian stroked his beard and said: "Brother Bin, what you said is wrong. We bear the important responsibility entrusted by the late emperor. Your Majesty is young, so we have the responsibility to teach. Whenever we make mistakes, we should give advice. Only in this way can we avoid them."
Disregarding the late emperor’s entrustment!”
Looking at Xie Qian, Liu Jian and others, Li Dongyang couldn't help but sigh: "That's all, I will go to the palace later to see your majesty. I hope your majesty can understand my good intentions!"