In the capital, among officials of the same rank, there are more military ministers than civil servants, but there are no military ministers below the sixth rank.
As for the civil servants above the fourth rank, the absolute number is even smaller. They are still very valuable in the bureaucracy. Only a few dozen people are qualified to attend the court meeting this time.
Therefore, the number of people waiting outside the Meridian Gate was really not that large. It was not like the huge crowds at the formal imperial gathering.
And because there were few people, Eunuch Qin and his prisoner Qin Dewei appeared here, which made them stand out.
Of course, as a eunuch, Eunuch Qin's waiting place was not outside the Meridian Gate, so he continued to lead the prisoner to the inside of the Meridian Gate.
As he passed the front of the civil service team, Mr. Yan Ge suddenly spoke, "This court meeting is only for discussion and apology from the ministers. Why did you, Eunuch Qin, bring the prisoners here?"
Neither Eunuch Qin nor anyone else around him was surprised at all. Among all civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty, Yan Ge was always the most sensitive to Qin Dewei.
Anyone who knows anything knows that there are two different concepts: a court meeting with Qin Dewei attending and a court meeting without Qin Dewei attending!
What's more, there are rumors that Qin Dewei was in the prison and lawlessly beat Mr. Yan Ge's only son.
As for Qin Dewei's motives, some people think it was Qin Dewei's impulse.
After all, after being imprisoned in the sky jail for more than ten days, a person has emotions. Just beating someone is not against the law at all. Haven't you beaten people to death before?
Another group of conspiracy theory enthusiasts believe that Qin Dewei deliberately made things worse and dragged Mr. Yan into the water.
Out of respect for the elder, Eunuch Qin stopped and replied: "The situation after the disaster is more urgent. I was ordered to interrogate the prisoner Qin Dewei overnight. Now that the results have been obtained, I have to report to the emperor.
But because of Qin Dewei's special qualities, the emperor might want to summon him, so he brought Qin Dewei with him.
Therefore, Qin Dewei was not asked to attend the court meeting, he was just passing by! I didn’t want to coincide with the date of the court meeting, it was just a coincidence, and it actually had nothing to do with the court meeting!"
Just happened to be passing by? Everyone was speechless after hearing Eunuch Qin's reasonable explanation.
Yan Song immediately asked: "What was the result of the trial?"
Eunuch Qin said "hehe" a few times, then said back: "Does the elder also have to know about the prison edict?"
Yan Song responded: "I just want to hear the results of the imperial edict and whether there are any discrepancies with the Three Laws Division, so that I can have an idea."
Qin Dewei, who was being escorted by the Jinyiwei Officer School, said unwillingly: "I thought..."
However, Eunuch Qin shouted: "Prisoners are not allowed to communicate with outsiders! Don't force the official school to deny you dignity and shut your mouth!"
Qin Dewei opened his mouth, saying it was not the case, and it was not the case if he did not say it. Having a mouth and not being allowed to speak is so uncomfortable for a person whose half of his power is in his mouth!
At this time, an imperial edict suddenly came from the palace, and the court meeting was changed to Wenhua Hall.
Probably during this court meeting, the emperor and his ministers had to talk face to face, and the location of Fengtianmen was only suitable for formal etiquette with a large number of people, and was not convenient for dialogue.
Therefore, the court meeting was temporarily moved to the Wenhua Hall. Besides, the number of people this time was not large, and the Wenhua Hall could accommodate it.
Eunuch Qin had to go inside to wait for the court, so he knew that he could not delay any longer, so he hurriedly led the prisoner into the Meridian Gate first.
Surface calm returned to the outside of the Meridian Gate, and the ministers became quiet and looked solemn and sad. This was a court meeting after a disaster, so you should pay attention to the management of your expressions.
Later, another edict came out and the ministers came to see it. Everyone lined up and entered the Meridian Gate. The Wenhua Hall was inside the Zuoshun Gate, so we had to turn east again and enter the Zuoshun Gate.
But when everyone walked to Zuoshunmen, they found that a certain prisoner named Qin was being escorted by the official school and was standing in the porch of Zuoshunmen, looking weak, helpless and pitiful.
It reminds everyone of those people who were paraded with shackles outside the local government offices, and it would look more like being whipped a few times.
At the same time, everyone had doubts in their hearts. Could it be that Eunuch Qin didn't lie and didn't he really bring Qin Dewei to court?
When the courtiers lined up and passed through the Zuoshun Gate, everyone's eyes couldn't help but drift towards the prisoner named Qin in the porch next to him, as if they were watching a scene.
As Qin Dewei watched the people walking past him one after another, his heart ached deeply, and he didn't know what kind of medicine Eunuch Qin was selling in the gourd.
At this time, Eunuch Qin had already arrived at the back hall of Wenhua Hall, and together with other eunuchs and eunuchs serving the emperor, he was preparing to go to court.
What follows is a routine that is both familiar and unfamiliar: the emperor ascends to the throne in the palace, the ministers flock to the palace to pay homage, and the mountain stands tall after shouting "Long Live the Emperor."
Functionally, the Wenhua Hall was supposed to be the emperor's palace, a place where daily work, study, and meetings with ministers were held. However, Emperor Jiajing had not been here for two or three years.
After the ministers finished their salutes, the Wenhua Hall suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
According to the normal routine, the emperor should have a few opening remarks at this time, such as saying that his lack of virtue and inability to govern the country have caused repeated warnings from the celestial phenomena.
Then the ministers could find an entry point to comfort the emperor and express that they, as ministers, had also made mistakes.
But Emperor Jiajing didn't say anything, he just sat there blankly, without any intention of "sinning himself".
As the leader of the ministers, Zhai Luan, the chief minister, was very worried about getting himself into trouble and being criticized as "the chief minister's immoral". He also acted irresponsibly and said nothing because the emperor didn't like to listen to him anyway.
It was Eunuch Qin, the governor of Dongchang, who said next to him: "The day before yesterday, we were ordered to arrest Duan Chaoyong and several of his disciples.
After rigorous interrogation, some disciples of the Duan family said that after Duan Chaoyong was released from prison last time, he had many complaints and had evil intentions in his heart."
The courtiers then thought that the eunuchs of Qin would do the work, otherwise they would not be able to hold the position of Dongchang. This was obviously done step by step and steadily, and the responsibility for the disaster was passed on to Duan Chaoyong.
And anyone who is familiar with court politics knows that Admiral Dongchang is often the weathervane of the emperor's thoughts because of his special nature.
Therefore, from the behavior of the Qin eunuchs, we can get a glimpse of the emperor's thoughts. Then another core question comes, who released and reused Duan Chaoyong?
Suddenly Yan Song came out of his class and told Emperor Jiajing: "There had been no rain or snow in the capital for several months, and the spring drought was extremely severe. The Li Shu people were miserable!
Therefore, your father was so worried that he rushed to seek medical treatment for the sake of the health of the people, but he was taken advantage of by the monster!"
All the officials in the back thought together, without Qin Dewei, Yan Ge Lao would really be the only one to stand out.
When he heard this, Emperor Jiajing finally said, "This year is really full of disasters. Before the thunder and fire in the Ancestral Temple, there was a spring drought!"
The ministers immediately understood that the emperor was implying that he would never take the blame for the spring drought.
Then Emperor Jiajing issued another edict: "This is a special purpose to open up the road of speech, and to order Chinese and foreign ministers, soldiers and civilians all over the world to speak out and discuss the pros and cons of the government, so as to repair the warning from heaven!"
Yan Song, the elder Yan Ge, immediately wrote to him again: "It's all the ministers who have not cultivated virtues and failed to assist me properly, which caused God to warn and bring down a severe drought! Fortunately, your Majesty's sincerity moved God, and the rain came to relieve the difficulties the day before yesterday!"
As he spoke, Mr. Yan Ge took out the memorial he had prepared in advance: "I am willing to plead guilty and beg for mercy, in order to seek God's virtue for a good life!"
Originally, these words should have been spoken by Zhai Luan as the representative of the ministers, but Zhai Luan had a weak mentality and was always worried about a conspiracy to "take the blame" on his own, so he did not dare to take the lead in speaking.
In the same way, if Yan Song said it, it might be okay, but if he said it, something might happen, and the false resignation would become a real resignation.
It was not until Yan Song resigned that Zhai Shoufu was convinced that there was no conspiracy to push him out alone today, and he hurriedly followed up to plead guilty.
Yan Song sneered in his heart. Even if he launched it, he wouldn't launch it today. He would have to wait until the emperor issued an edict asking him to speak out, and then let the officials besiege Zhai Shoufu.
The ministers who came to court today all knew the rules, and each had a copy of the memorandum of apology and resignation. Yan Song, the great scholar, took the lead in resigning, so of course others did not hide it.
If you finish the formalities early, you can go home and rest early. You don't have to go to work these days, so it's just a collective vacation.
Today's most important "qualitative" issue of astronomical phenomena has been decided in this way.
The game between emperor and minister is like this. Since the emperor is unwilling to sin against himself and does not have a powerful minister, it is impossible to force the emperor to confess.
In order for the court to function normally and to have an explanation for the people in the world, the ministers can only bear a little more and take on the responsibility of apologizing to heaven.
As for criticizing the emperor's mistakes and admonishing the emperor to change, that is a matter for the officials. Ministers who can reach the fourth rank or above are rarely so upright.
Emperor Jiajing gestured to Zhang Zuo, the Chief of Ceremony, and said: "Take it all."
After that, Eunuch Zhang led several young eunuchs in the clerk's room to bring out the imperial case and place it in front of the throne.
The courtiers in the palace took turns to come forward according to their rank and respectfully placed the resignation memorials on the imperial desk. Soon, dozens of memorials were piled up more than a foot high.
Today's main procedures are these. Emperor Jiajing's mental state was not very good, and he said in a low mood: "If nothing happens, let's dismiss the court!"
When the ministers were about to disperse, the Qin eunuch next to the throne took the opportunity to say: "I was ordered to try Qin Dewei's case. The sudden trial overnight has already produced the results. I dare not act on my own, so I came here to report to Your Majesty."
Only then did everyone realize that they had almost forgotten that there was a prisoner showing off to the public at Zuo Shunmen! But he really had nothing to do with this court meeting.
Emperor Jiajing turned to Eunuch Qin and asked: "What is the result of the interrogation?"
Eunuch Qin replied with certainty: "Qin Dewei is not guilty of beating anyone to death!"
Originally, others didn't take it seriously, so even if Qin Dewei beat someone to death, what would happen?
But after hearing Eunuch Qin's response, some attentive people were slightly surprised.
Because what Eunuch Qin said was "not guilty" rather than "exempt from guilt", although the results were similar, the nature was definitely different.
The emperor was emotionally unstable now, and Eunuch Qin did not dare to let the emperor guess. He quickly continued: "After investigation, it was found that Qin Dewei did not kill anyone. The Taoist Xi Yuanren who was rumored to be killed is still alive."
Eunuch Qin wisely did not mention "opposing Duan Chaoyong" or anything like that. It was not the right time to say this. It would only make the suspicious Emperor Jiajing feel embarrassed, so he just tried his best to downplay it.
When the officials who had not yet dispersed the dynasty heard this, they were surprised again. Qin Dewei didn't kill anyone?
Qin Dewei has always given people the stereotype of being "arrogant and domineering", leading others to believe that he actually ordered his slaves to beat people to death.
The Taoist priest Xi came to provoke him. How could Qin Dewei, who was accustomed to doing so, endure this?
Instructing servants to beat provocative people, and then accidentally killing people, is exactly what Qin Dewei, who has several lives, can do.
Emperor Jiajing asked: "Then why did Qin Dewei confess during the three-court trial?"
Eunuch Qin replied: "I don't know why Qin Dewei confessed to the crime department. I only found out that Xi Yuanren is still alive. He was beaten seriously and was forcibly sent to Zhuangzi outside the city to work as a coolie."
Everyone present realized that Taoist Xi must have been "faked to death"! Qin Dewei took full advantage of other people's psychology and created a public opinion that everyone thought he had beaten people to death!
If he confessed in the Criminal Department, wouldn't it be possible that he was "beaten into a crime"? If he was beaten into a crime at the three-court trial, then the three judicial departments would be dragged into the water together?
Emperor Jiajing was very depressed now and was too lazy to think about the conspiracy among the ministers. He casually said: "I originally thought that Qin Dewei was violent and lawless and killed people, so he was imprisoned for punishment. If there was no such thing, he might as well be released."
Since there is no human life involved, it can be considered a step, and the reason for release and pardon is enough.
Eunuch Qin reported: "I have detained Qin Dewei at Zuoshunmen. I wanted to ask His Majesty to question him in person. If His Majesty is kind enough to forgive me, I can ask him to come and express his gratitude."
Emperor Jiajing nodded and said: "Yes."
Anyway, I'm already here, so I just met him today. Otherwise, Qin Dewei would have to go to Renshou Palace to express his gratitude, and he would have to take time to see him again.
Qin Dewei was so sleepy that he dozed off at Zuoshun Gate. He was suddenly woken up and escorted to the Wenhua Hall a hundred steps away. He was extremely familiar with this place.
When Qin Dewei was thanking him, Yan Song suddenly said: "Your Majesty! Qin Dewei deliberately spread the public opinion about killing people, and also deliberately confessed in the Ministry of Punishment.
In fact, he is using deception to seek personal gain and harm others. He has ulterior motives and is extremely abominable. Even His Majesty was kept in the dark and was included in the conspiracy! He is suspected of deceiving the emperor!"
Everyone secretly exclaimed, Mr. Yan Ge finally couldn't bear it anymore!
Yan Song's words were very cruel and directly made Emperor Jiajing feel extremely unhappy.
Don’t think that Qin Dewei’s “faking death” fishing is perfect! Don’t think that others can’t guess your thoughts! You think you are fishing, but you don’t know that others are fishing for you!
You still want to pretend to be beaten and drag the three law divisions into the water together? No way!
Qin Dewei quickly shouted: "Your Majesty clearly understands that I am willing to accept the death penalty because I have ulterior motives and am not using deception to harm others!"
Yan Song pointed at Qin Dewei and shouted: "What difficulties do you have! Is it possible that if you don't plead guilty to death, it will make you sad?"
Qin Dewei replied: "Mr. Ge is so right, it is indeed the case! If I don't plead guilty to the death penalty, I will be really sad!"
Everyone just felt that this sentence was incomprehensible and seemed like crazy talk.
Then I heard Qin Dewei arguing to Emperor Jiajing: "According to the Ming Dynasty laws, murder is punishable by beheading! And if someone is injured and blood comes out of the ears and eyes, or if there is internal damage and vomiting blood, the punishment is eighty sticks!"
I have the iron certificate given by Your Majesty, which can avoid the death penalty, so I confessed to the crime of beating people to death!
Otherwise, I will be punished with eighty canes for just being beaten and seriously injured. I wonder if I can be punished with a cane if I only have an iron coupon engraved to replace the death penalty!
If the judge does not agree with the punishment of being beaten with an iron coupon and a cane, I will receive eighty canes!
Therefore, I have no choice but to bear the charge of beating someone to death. It is a safe solution to bear the crime with an iron bond!"
Yan Song: "."
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that the legal provisions could be learned and applied in this way?
All the officials in the palace were extremely shocked. They all said that Qin Zhuangyuan had a dark history. He was once the number one litigator in Nanjing. It seems that the rumors are correct! He is so professional!
Also, as expected, it was only when Qin Dewei was away that Mr. Yan Ge could stand out. As long as Qin Dewei was present, Mr. Yan Ge and Zhai Shoufu seemed to be about the same.
Emperor Jiajing only thought it was funny. He couldn't help but laugh for a rare occasion in recent days. He waved his hand and said, "Qin Dewei is pardoned and restored to his original position!"
Anyway, Qin Dewei had no real crimes, and he didn't really want to kill Qin Dewei. It was normal for him to be reinstated.
As soon as the words "official reinstatement" came out of the emperor's mouth, all the resigned ministers in the palace suddenly realized that something was wrong!
