Literati are all good at Spring and Autumn style of writing, and Huo Tao and Huo Shilang are no exception.
The transcript he presented to the emperor deliberately highlighted Qin Dewei from beginning to end. Of course, the facts were absolutely correct. Who made Qin Dewei so active?
According to Huo Shilang's original intention, he just wanted to secretly hint that Qin Dewei might be the real mastermind and instigator behind the scenes.
But he didn't expect Emperor Jiajing to have such a big idea. He directly suspected that Qin Dewei was the ghostwriter. This idea instantly gave Huo Shilang a burst of inspiration.
Those words were spoken by the emperor, and he was not afraid of being accused of confusing right and wrong and calling a deer a horse!
To be honest, for Huo Shilang, it is more pleasurable to play with Qin Dewei than to play with Feng En.
Besides, if you mess with Feng En, you will be scolded as "ungrateful", which is a sign of bad moral character; if you mess with Qin Dewei, the most you will get is "retaliation", which is called daily operation in officialdom.
It was clear at a glance which one was more important, so at this moment Huo Shilang's face was cleared of all the gloom, he was full of energy, and he smiled like a child under fifty.
Yan family shovel! I'm on the street!
"Qin Dewei! Will Feng En's Comet Memorial be ghostwritten by you or drafted by you? Please call me quickly!" Huo Tao, who returned to the writing position, asked.
"This is absolutely not the case! The memorial was written by the official himself and has nothing to do with anyone else!" Master Feng, who was kneeling in front of the three-foot altar, shouted desperately.
Huo Tao scolded Feng En: "I am asking Qin Dewei now, not you Feng En!"
Qin Dewei, who was caught off guard by the emperor, said with a wry smile: "When Feng En came to the throne last November, Wan Sheng was in Nanjing. How can I ghostwrite or help with conception?"
Huo Tao sneered and said: "The comet appeared in Dongjing in October, and then the emperor asked for a frank statement, and Feng En went to the throne a month later!
So from the time you saw the comet to when Feng En came to visit, there was a month, enough time for you to write a letter to Feng En to communicate!
So just because you said you were in Nanjing at that time does not rule out suspicion! Your evidence is ineffective!"
Qin Dewei subconsciously retorted: "Why did Wansheng have to provide evidence on his own for a non-existent suspicion?"
This means that whoever doubts is the one who provides evidence and asks him what Qin Dewei is doing?
Huo Tao cupped his hands to the north and said, "Your Majesty is so suspicious. How dare you not defend yourself?"
Qin Dewei: "..."
There is really nothing to say about this horse rider. After all, this is a feudal society, and the emperor is the greatest being who is above all laws.
The emperor's word is the law. As the saying goes, the emperor has no reason to doubt you, so you have to prove your innocence by yourself.
Moreover, sometimes the emperor would not look at the evidence at all, and would just testify with his own free will.
Lawyer Qin, who was taught by the emperor to be a man, sighed and said from the bottom of his heart: "Please be enlightened! How could this little white article be written by a late student!
With my talent as a late student, even if I were to ghostwrite memorials, I wouldn’t be able to write it like this.”
Although everyone didn't quite understand what Xiaobaiwen meant, they could guess some of the connotation from Qin Dewei's tone.
Although Mr. Feng knew that this was a special moment, he still couldn't help but glare at Qin Dewei.
Bastard, you said who wrote the memorial is a novice!
Huo Tao was unmoved and calmly analyzed: "Although you are talented in poetry, memorials are different from poetry after all.
Writing memorials does not place much emphasis on talent, but rather on sophistication and thoroughness. And you were only fourteen years old last year, which is the age when you are young, ignorant and arrogant.
It is very possible for you to write such a...little white article without knowing the heights of the world.
Therefore, I cannot rule you out as a suspect just because you are talented."
If he were said to be young and ignorant at another time, Qin Dewei would definitely scold him until he could no longer take care of himself, but at this moment Qin Dewei would rather be seen as young and ignorant.
"That's right! I'm young and ignorant! How can I have the ability and knowledge to criticize the people in the court?"
In order to get rid of suspicion, Qin Dewei did not hesitate to debase himself like never before!
Huo Shilang sneered again and again: "There are many people traveling between the two capitals. Even when I went north, I stayed in Nanjing for a few days.
I heard that when you, Qin Dewei, were in Nanjing, you spent a lot of time in official circles and scholars. You would have heard and seen everything, and you would have had the opportunity to get to know the people in the court.
Besides, this style of listing Zang Fu’s characters is very much yours!"
Qin Dewei asked in dissatisfaction: "How can I behave in such a way?"
Huo Tao refuted: "A while ago, you criticized the Eight Talents of Jiajing one by one in public! You still dare to say that you don't have such a style of conduct?
You can find the pros and cons and criticize even a junior like the Eight Talents of Jiajing, let alone a high-profile minister of the temple!"
Qin Dewei: "..."
I want to cry, why can't I explain this clearly?
When the ministers on both sides of the court heard this, they finally had lingering doubts.
Could it be that the holy emperor's gaze was like a torch, and the memorial that condemned the three traitors and praised and criticized the twenty-two ministers was really written by Qin Dewei?
Could it be that the conscience of the Ming Dynasty and the true gentleman who speaks out for justice is not Feng En, but Qin Dewei?
"No~~~" Master Feng covered his head in pain, wailed at the top of his lungs, pointed at Huo Tao and cursed:
"I originally thought that you, Huo Tao, have no integrity, but I didn't expect that you are also a treacherous evildoer! You deliberately set up a trap and persecuted innocent people. Qin Dewei was innocent and fell into your hands!"
Huo Tao really wanted to say something, I want to be a traitor when I step on the horse now!
But he still argued rationally: "When I was passing through Nanjing, I heard some stories about Feng En and Qin Dewei.
Everyone in Jiangning County knows that Qin Dewei helps you with all government affairs, including your paintings and official documents.
Looking at today's defense, Qin Dewei responded fluently to the memorial, as if he was well prepared and well prepared, which is hard not to make people suspicious."
Feng En also wanted to cry. How could the work that made him famous become someone else's? "I am willing to swear to heaven that the memorial was indeed written by me!"
Huo Taofeng said calmly: "No matter whether others believe it or not, I don't believe it anyway."
Everyone's eyes glanced back and forth between fifteen-year-old Qin Dewei and thirty-something Feng En, and their intuitive feelings became deeper and deeper.
Perhaps only a young man with a young spirit can write such refreshing prose that denounces Fang Qiu and only seeks to understand his thoughts. It’s great to be young.
Huo Shilang suddenly changed the topic and asked: "Qin Dewei, what is your motive in tinkering with this memorial? Do you hate the emperor and criticize the gift?"
Let’s ask the question again. It was Feng En who was on trial just now, and now it’s you, Qin Dewei, who is on trial!
Of course Qin Dewei won't pick up the fight. If he does, doesn't it mean he accepts it?
He said seriously: "I still have something to say, this memorial..."
Huo Tao slapped the table hard, interrupted Qin Dewei, and said sadly:
"Everyone says that you are a righteous man. In order to repay Feng En's support, you traveled thousands of miles from Nanjing to the capital to save people.
You usually think of yourself as a righteous man and show off in the capital, right? I advise you to think about it carefully."
Qin Dewei: "..."
This hint is very clear. If you are really a righteous man, you should take the opportunity to bear it for Feng En. If you don't dare to bear this thunder, what kind of righteous man are you?
Huo Tao's smile gradually became abnormal, making the street kid dance happily. This is called making one's own trouble!