Chapter 495: Emperor Chongping: How dare you do this, how can you do this!
The story is divided into two parts, but it is said that after Dai Quan and Jia Heng parted, they rode fast horses and led the internal guards to Chonghua Palace.
At this moment, it was almost evening, the sky and the earth were vast and the light was dim.
Therefore, in front of Tihe Hall, the octagonal vermilion palace lantern on the eaves has been lit with candles. The light and shadow sway with the wind, and the wind and rain cast down circles of bright light and shadow, falling on the Danbi covered by rain, as if
There is light and shadow flowing.
In the open space in front of the palace, an old figure was reflected on the cold jade steps.
King Zhongshun lowered his head, his shoulders were slumped, his hair was blowing in the wind, his brows were furrowed, and he endured the pain from his knees.
After only two hours of kneeling, I felt my legs were sore, my vision was turning black, and my heart was filled with panic and regret that I didn't know where to start.
At the beginning, he was really blinded by lard. How could he think of touching the imperial mausoleum?
If it weren't for the imperial mausoleum, just relying on his current status as the eldest brother, as long as he doesn't commit the crime of rebellion, no matter how big a mistake he makes, no one can touch him.
Now... everything is over.
At this time, beside the red-painted door frame, Xu Guan, the eunuch in charge of Chonghua Palace, stood with several minor eunuchs, their hands hanging down.
Xu Guan looked at Prince Zhongshun, who had gray hair and slightly frosty temples, and sighed in his heart, fearing that the old prince might get sick from kneeling like this.
In the afternoon, the Supreme Emperor ordered King Zhongshun to kneel outside the palace and wait for the palace guards to verify the truth. An hour or two passed in a flash. Even a young and strong man could not withstand this, let alone an old king who was over fifty years old.
?
Moreover, it is early spring, the spring is cold, and it has just rained. At this time, the cool wind is blowing, carrying a biting feeling of dampness and coldness, and slaps on King Zhongshun, making King Zhongshun's shoulders tremble.
His lips were slightly blue and his teeth were trembling.
However, no matter how cold the weather is, it can't overcome the coldness in my heart.
Just when King Zhongshun was thinking about how to escape, he was suddenly startled when he heard voices not far behind him, and then the voice of Xu Guan in front of him.
"Eunuch Dai, why are you back?" Xu Guan took a few steps forward, raised his eyes to look at Dai Quan, who was wearing a coir raincoat and came in the rain, and asked, "Have everyone been arrested?"
Dai Quan stood under the eaves of the corridor, took a deep look at King Zhongshun, and did not answer Xu Guan's question, but said: "Let's go see the Holy Master."
With that said, he took off the coir rain hat on his body, handed it to the young eunuch, and trotted towards the hall.
Since the light in the palace was dim, many candles had been lit, and the lights were bright, as bright as day. Dai Quan entered the palace and stood up.
The Supreme Emperor was sitting on the bed at the moment, leaning on the pillow, closing his eyes slightly to rest, but his face was gloomy, clearly still immersed in the anger of the mausoleum's collapse.
After taking the decoction, I actually took a nap for a while, but was immediately awakened by a nightmare.
He was lying in the mausoleum, and then the soil collapsed, followed by endless darkness. He was extremely panicked and shouted loudly, trying desperately to catch something, but couldn't catch anything.
On the embroidered pillar beside the bed, the silver-haired Empress Dowager Feng accompanied the Supreme Emperor.
The Empress of Song Dynasty, the eldest princess of Jinyang, the princess of Xianning and others were also sitting not far away, wearing brocade embroidered clothes, elegant hairdressers and misty temples, with faces that were either graceful, glamorous or elegant.
With a cold and frosty feel.
At this moment, everyone is waiting for Dai Quan to come back from Jinyi Mansion.
As for Emperor Chongping, he also did not return to Daming Palace. Under the worried eyes of Empress Song, he was pacing back and forth in front of Yuxuan window, thinking about the collapse of Gongling Mausoleum and the ensuing prison, which would bring to the court.
Influence.
In fact, the emperor's stay in Chonghua Palace also had a deeper meaning.
First of all, it shows that the emperor is filial and sincere.
The mausoleum collapsed, causing the emperor to faint, but the emperor personally served the soup and medicine and never left. This self-imposed confinement spread to the outer dynasties. Can you imagine what kind of impression it would have on the people of the world?
Secondly, Emperor Chongping did not want to see the cabinet ministers who were waiting in front of the Daming Palace for advice.
Gein, when Jia Heng led the Jinyi Mansion guards to arrest relevant officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the entire Shenjing City was almost shaken.
Create a great prison!
These three words are like a big stone weighing heavily on the hearts of the civil and military officials in Shenjing, making people breathless.
It is unknown how many people were implicated in this prison, who lost their jobs and lost their families.
"His Majesty."
Just when the Tihe Palace was enveloped in a depressing and dignified atmosphere, Dai Quan walked into the palace, bowed his hands towards Emperor Chongping, and said.
"How?" Emperor Chongping paused slightly and cast his cold eyes at Dai Quan with an aggressive gaze.
The Supreme Emperor also slowly opened his eyes and looked at Dai Quan.
Dai Quan cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, the officials involved in the case from the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were all arrested by the Jinyi Mansion Guards and are now being interrogated in prison."
The Supreme Emperor sat on the bed, feeling a little more energetic, and said coldly: "Corruption must be spreading among them. After some torture, the truth will be revealed to the world."
He didn't believe the rumors that the mausoleum was destroyed by an earthquake. He had been in power for more than thirty years and had never seen anything like this. He didn't bother to pay attention to these corrupt officials and didn't want to have his thoughts on his auspicious land.
Emperor Chongping frowned, his face as cold as iron, and asked: "Who have been captured?"
He needs to know about this matter in order to deal with the next meeting of the officials and the subsequent balance of the government.
Dai Quan said: "Pan Bingyi and Lu Cheng'an, the ministers of the Ministry of Industry, as well as relevant officials from the Tuntian Cleaning Department of the Ministry of Industry, were all locked up in imperial prisons by the Jinyi Mansion. In addition, the Kuaiji Department, Construction Department, Shen Penalty Department and other relevant officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
All the officials were captured in one fell swoop and escorted to prison."
The Supreme Emperor said coldly: "Corrupt officials, collusion, and audacity should all be killed!"
When Emperor Chongping heard this, his expression changed, and his mind was thinking about the impact on the court situation.
The Ministry of Industry is not among the three parties, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs has reserved its own land for the Tianjia, so it can start work after adjusting personnel.
"There is one more thing I want to report to the Holy One." Dai Quan hesitated for a moment and then said.
Emperor Chongping frowned and shouted: "Why are you hesitating? Tell me!"
Empress Song also looked at Dai Quan at this moment, her phoenix eyes shining, thinking about the impact of this matter on the court situation.
"Your Majesty, the guards of Jinyi Mansion arrested the officials involved in the case of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Wei Chengye, the counselor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, resisted the arrest and confronted the guards of Jinyi Mansion. Later, Jia Heng, the governor of Jinyi Mansion, arrived and beheaded him with the Emperor's Sword. Jinyi Ti's cavalry was not immune.
Block them and go to the Yamen to search for the imperial convicts!" Dai Quan said quickly.
After hearing this, Emperor Chongping's face darkened, and he said in a cold voice: "How courageous is the Ministry of Internal Affairs? The Jinyi soldiers were ordered to question him, but he actually resisted the order and resisted arrest with his troops!?"
This is simply incredible and almost unimaginable!
People in the palace, such as the Empress of Song, the eldest princess of Jinyang, and the princess of Xianning, also looked at each other, secretly surprised.
The Supreme Emperor looked slightly cold and said: "Most likely he was turned away because there was no edict. Ning Guogong's descendants handled it properly and made a decisive decision. The emperor found a good general."
Thinking of the military parade in the first month, Ning Guo was so heroic that he indeed had the legacy of his ancestors.
Emperor Chongping nodded and said: "Although Jia Ziyu is not as young as a weak official, he is strong and decisive and has the air of a general. His suppression of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not what I expected."
Dai Quan bowed and saluted, listening to the two emperors' conversation.
The eldest princess of Jinyang's beautiful face moved slightly, but there was a trace of worry in her heart.
Did he start a fight with someone else?
Princess Chen Zhiqing of Xianning had bright eyes, her expression was dazed, and she was obviously a little worried.
Sir, he seems to be injured on his shoulder. Why did he start fighting with those bad guys?
The Supreme Emperor said coldly: "Come here, tell him outside the palace. Look at how arrogant his subordinates are. If you don't have any evil intentions in your heart, why are you so panic-stricken that you fight against the angels?"
This is talking about King Zhongshun.
An eunuch immediately took the order and left the palace, came to the eaves of the corridor, looked at King Zhongshun who had begun to become uneasy since he took the right to go in to perform, and said in a sharp voice: "The emperor is shocked to hear that the General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Wei Chengye gathered troops to fight against the imperial envoy, but he was killed by the commander in chief..."
King Zhongshun knelt with his head lowered. After listening to the eunuch's narration, his old face changed dramatically and his heart was filled with fear.
Zhou Changshi was helping to delay time and deal with some problems, but Jia Heng, the child, actually dared to kill someone!
All of a sudden, he lost one of his confidants.
As for Zhou Shun and others, now that they have fallen into the hands of Jia Heng and are in jail, the situation is more likely to end.
"In prison, I hope they can withstand the torture, otherwise..." King Zhongshun shuddered in the cold wind.
But such thoughts were swirling in King Zhongshun's mind. In fact, he didn't even believe that he could endure the torture.
In the palace, Emperor Chongping pondered for a moment, raised his eyes to look at Dai Quan, and said: "There are people in the imperial prison who are always watching and delivering the latest news at any time."
In fact, Dai Quan has more experience, so I think he can share some of this.
Dai Quan responded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I have sent an internal prison to find out the news."
Emperor Chongping nodded and said nothing more.
However, in the palace, the atmosphere was as frozen as ice, like the cloudy sky outside. The wind and rain had come, and an even bigger storm seemed to be brewing.
As time passed by, new news gradually came through the internal prison, and the Jinyi Mansion sent troops to blockade the Zhongshun Prince's Mansion, restricting the access of the royal family and others.
The truth gradually emerged, and it seemed that the truth was not far away.
Until late in the evening, news came that made King Zhongshun frightened and incomprehensible.
Prince Zhongshun's Mansion was inspected by Jinyi Mansion Guards!
At this moment, King Zhongshun was kneeling on the ground with a dejected expression. It was already nightfall, and the dark night was like ink that soaked the palace garden, making King Zhongshun seem to be surrounded by a dark abyss.
No, even if they search the palace, it will be nothing. They will never be able to search the secret room in the inner study!
In the Tihe Palace, the Prince Consort of Yongchang, who had gone to Gongling Mausoleum to inspect the situation, had already entered the palace and reported to the Supreme Emperor.
The Supreme Emperor looked at the Prince Consort of Yongchang and asked urgently: "How is the situation in the mausoleum?"
Yongchang Prince Consort sighed and said: "Your Majesty, seven out of ten of the mausoleum palaces collapsed, the Xuan Palace plank road collapsed, and the corridors were isolated. Many craftsmen were buried inside, and their lives and deaths are unknown... Gonglingwei and Jingzhao
People from the Yamen and the Military and Horse Department of the Five Cities went to rescue the people, and I also met His Highness the King of Wei."
As soon as these words came out, Empress Song, who was originally instructing the palace maids to prepare dinner, her delicate body trembled slightly, her phoenix eyes sparkled, and she showed a hint of joy.
Secretly, Ran'er went to rescue the imperial mausoleum?
Originally, King Chen Ran of Wei had visited the Supreme Emperor in the afternoon, and he was not idle. He turned around and returned to the Wucheng Army and Horses Division. He saw Fan Yi and other generals of the Wucheng Army and Horses Division heading towards Gongling. An idea struck him, so he also went to Gongling.
Ling rescued people and was seen by the Prince Consort of Yongchang.
The Supreme Emperor nodded, looked at Empress Song who was standing aside, and praised: "Ran'er has a pure and kind temperament, and the empress has a good way of educating her son."
Empress Song was overjoyed, but her face showed no trace of it. She hurriedly said: "Father, this is what he should do. Now that Gongling has been robbed and the capital is shaken, he, as his grandson, should run to save her."
The Supreme Emperor said one thing and said no more.
The eldest princess of Jinyang said softly: "Father, please calm down and don't let your anger break your body. It's already night, why don't you pass on the meal? There are also decoctions, it's time to use them, right?"
The Supreme Emperor nodded, looked at Empress Dowager Feng and said, "Pass the meal around."
Empress Dowager Feng looked calm and ordered the eunuch to deliver instructions to the imperial kitchen to prepare meals.
Not long after, groups of palace maids and eunuchs came in from outside the palace carrying meals. Empress Song ordered the female officials beside her to place the meals in the main hall of the palace.
The Supreme Emperor used the decoction first.
The eldest princess of Jinyang and the princess of Xianning also left the palace and went to the main hall. At this moment, the candles on both sides were lit, like fire dragons. The floor tiles in front of the hall were as clear as water, reflecting the figures, and the aroma of the delicious dishes also passed through the main hall door.
Floating outward, King Zhongshun, who was kneeling under the pillars, felt his stomach growl a few times.
King Zhongshun was really in pain and hungry at the moment. His eyes were turning black and he opened his mouth, but he couldn't open his mouth to beg for food.
Just as Empress Song ordered the female officials to prepare dinner in the palace, she also invited Empress Dowager Feng, Princess Jinyang and others to take their seats.
Suddenly, a lantern came from outside the palace in the rainy night, and walked to the front of the palace. The eunuch quickly entered the palace, knelt down with a bang, and reported: "Your Majesty, Jia Heng, the Commander-in-Chief in Jinyi, is asking for an audience in front of the Daming Palace."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the palace who was washing their hands and preparing to eat was slightly shocked.
There was a hint of surprise on the beautiful face of the eldest princess of Jinyang, but it disappeared briefly.
Emperor Chongping called: "Xuan!"
The eunuch left in a hurry.
Outside the palace, King Zhongshun was kneeling. His heart trembled. He couldn't help but look back and saw lanterns gathering in the direction of Daming Palace. A familiar figure gradually came into view.
Jia Heng glanced at King Zhongshun, his face expressionless.
However, just this glance made King Zhongshun's heart thump. He felt something was wrong and said loudly: "Jia Heng, you and I have a grudge for a long time. Are you going to take this opportunity to frame me?"
Jia Heng ignored King Zhongshun's "dying struggle" and strode into the palace.
At this time, Emperor Chongping in the palace naturally heard the shouting, frowned, and told Dai Quan: "Go and have a look, don't let him shout randomly!"
Dai Quan quickly took the order and went out.
Not long after, I saw a tall and straight-looking young man in a python suit. He quickly walked into the hall, stood upright, and first saluted Emperor Chongping who was sitting behind the table.
"I have seen your Majesty, I wish you long live, long live, long live."
"Jia Qingping is here." Emperor Chongping looked at the young man and said in a deep voice.
At this moment, not only the eldest princess of Jinyang and the princess of Xianning, but also the empress of Song Dynasty looked at the young man with a pair of phoenix eyes with graceful eyebrows, waiting for his words.
Emperor Chongping asked: "How was the investigation of the case?"
Jia Heng said: "After receiving His Majesty's order, I quickly went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Industry to arrest the relevant criminals and detained them in prison. After preliminary interrogation, according to Luo Chengwang of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, King Zhongshun was involved in the case and was the main conspirator! According to
Luo Chengwang confessed that they colluded with Pan and Lu from the Ministry of Industry, and Liang Yuan, the right minister from the Ministry of Accounts, and others to delay the construction period by falsifying accounts, shoddy goods, and delaying the construction period... Embezzling Gongling's money in excess of millions
Ju, in order to clarify the accounts and divide the spoils, they have recorded the account books, including the details of the division of the spoils by the relevant officials. The current books are here, and your Majesty is requested to have a look at them and check them!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the palace was shocked.
He secretly thought, King Zhongshun is so brave, he dared to set his sights on the imperial mausoleum, and then people found evidence of his crime?
But, it involves not only the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but also the Ministry of Household Affairs?
This is really... there are no good people in Hongdong County.
All officials involved in supervising the construction of the imperial mausoleum were dragged into the water. If not all of them were evil, what else could they be?
Jia Heng said with a solemn expression, turned around and took out the book from the cowhide briefcase he was carrying.
When Emperor Chongping heard this, his heart moved and he said in a deep voice: "Dai Quan, go get it."
"Your Majesty, this book was searched and inspected from the secret room of Prince Zhongshun's Mansion. The records on it are clear and written down. There are also confessions from Luo Chengwang and others. They are still being recorded in Jinyi Mansion. The confessions of the relevant imperial prisoners will be recorded in detail. Your Majesty.
Check them out together." Jia Heng raised the book in front of him and said loudly.
Dai Quan stepped forward to take the account book, turned around, and handed it to Emperor Chongping respectfully with both hands.
Emperor Chongping stretched out his hand, took the book, and started flipping through it. He read very slowly at first, and then "brushed through..."
Flip through the pages.
The Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Household Affairs all have names and surnames of offenders recorded on them. It is clear that they regard the construction of the mausoleum as a gluttonous feast.
As time passed, the middle-aged emperor's face became clouded, as if there was thunder hidden in it, and it would fall at any time.
"How dare you do this, how can you do this!"
Emperor Chongping looked livid and said angrily.
The country's finances are in straits, and there are also such silverfish and rats running rampant. How can the country not be in dire straits and the rivers are declining?
When the Supreme Emperor in the inner room heard Emperor Chongping's roar, he also walked slowly to the main hall with the support of several internal eunuchs. He looked at the account book in Emperor Chongping's hand and understood the details. He looked slightly cold and asked: "Find out."
Already?"
"Father..." Emperor Chongping looked unhappy and said, "I already have some features."
There is no glory in the face. Almost all the officials appointed by the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are involved in the case.
The Supreme Emperor sat down on the Luohan bed, took the book from Dai Quan, and slowly flipped through it. His old hands were slow and strong. At this time, Empress Dowager Feng took the candle from the palace maid's hand with a calm expression and helped to hold the candle for lighting.
An old man and an old woman were looking through books.
Seeing this scene, Jia Heng's eyes moved slightly, and he thought to himself, at a quick glance, there is indeed a sense of tenderness between a husband and wife.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at the eldest princess of Jinyang, but saw that the beauty seemed to have a tacit understanding, and cast her beautiful eyes full of autumn water towards her. Her jade face was gentle, and she seemed to have similar thoughts to Jia Heng.
Hold your son's hand and grow old together with him.
Well, it's just that the Supreme Emperor is not a loyal person.
Princess Xianning's clear eyes sparkled, she grabbed her handkerchief and bit her lips gently.
I thought to myself, my aunt and my husband...are they flirting with each other?
This is still in Tihe Hall.
However, at this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the Supreme Emperor and the book in his hand, or in other words, they were waiting for the Supreme Emperor's reaction.
How to deal with King Zhongshun?
Emperor Chongping could not be the first to speak out, because unlike his foreign ministers, the Emperor Zhongshun was the most suitable to deal with, and the more straightforward the treatment, the more likely it would be to calm the public opinion among scholars and set the tone for the upcoming prison.
If you can't guarantee it, what's the point?
Jia Heng also held his breath at this moment, waiting for the result.
Imprisonment for seizing the title? Or something else?
If it is a court meeting, there will be eight meetings to discuss the marriage, but most likely the feudal king will handle it as a family matter, and the foreign ministers will be handed over to the minister.
The water is flowing slowly, my body can't hold it anymore.
