It should be said that the current civil and military ministers of the Ming Dynasty have very complicated feelings towards the eunuchs. Because of Wang Zhen's incident, they hate the eunuchs' autocratic power to the extreme and are extremely wary of them. However, at the same time, when targeting a certain individual,
, but at the same time, they were slightly afraid.
Although Eunuch Shu Liang is not as powerful as Wang Zhen, his reputation is well-deserved in terms of ruthlessness and ruthlessness. From the time when the Xuan Mansion kidnapped the Supreme Emperor to the time when he forced his way into the Nangong Palace after the spring hunt,
Then this time, Yu Qian, a high-ranking official, was forcibly taken away in full view of the public. Each of these incidents confirmed Eunuch Shu's reputation as a "mad dog".
No matter what kind of court official you are, a noble relative, or even... as long as Eunuch Shu has an oral message in his hand, you are just like a chicken or a dog in front of him.
As the saying goes, the soft one is afraid of the hard one, and the hard one is afraid of the violent one. This Eunuch Shu has made it clear that he is the one who is violent, and sometimes, he may even be the one who is risking his life.
Originally, this matter was nothing. After all, they were just relaying the memorials of other ministers, not impeaching them personally, so they just said it.
But who would have thought that Shu Liang would be in the palace today, complaining in front of others, which would naturally make people feel sad, but even so, what needs to be done must be done.
The purpose of the two of them coming here today is to save Yu Qian. This is not only their intention, but also the idea of many ministers in the outer court. To put it bluntly, they were just pushed out. There is no guarantee that they can succeed, but if this happens
If you don't draw all the cards, you may be blamed after leaving the palace.
Fortunately, the emperor was not an unreasonable person. He looked at the two cabinet ministers kneeling below, and after his anger slowly subsided, he realized that this was not their fault.
So, with a slightly calmer expression, Zhu Qiyu waved his hand and said.
"You guys get up first."
"Thank you, Your Majesty..."
The two of them stood up carefully, but they did not dare to look to the side for fear of meeting a certain father-in-law's smiling face that had remained unchanged for thousands of years.
However, they did not dare to provoke Shu Liang, but some people dared to push the memorial in front of them forward. Zhu Qiyu turned to the side and said.
"Shu Liang, now the officials in the court are impeaching you for being arrogant and insulting the dignity of the court officials. What do you have to say?"
Facing the emperor's 'questioning', Eunuch Shu looked calm and stepped forward.
"Going back to your Majesty, this slave was sent to Shaobao's home for confinement in accordance with the Imperial Majesty's decree. I really don't know why your lords impeached this slave."
"snort!"
Under the gazes of Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue, the emperor suddenly changed his expression, snorted coldly and said.
"You still dare to quibble. I asked you to take Yu Qian back to his home. Who asked you to take someone to take him away? I have issued an order, how dare he resist it?"
"You relied on my will to be so rude to a high-ranking member of the imperial court, and even now so many courtiers are petitioning for impeachment. How dare you say that you are right?"
This was said in a very harsh tone, but Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue, who were listening in the audience, felt inexplicably that the emperor was somewhat criticizing Sang Huai.
Shu Liang was sensible, and when he saw the emperor was "angry", he immediately knelt down on the ground respectfully and said.
"I know my fault and am willing to be punished!"
"In this case, the East Factory will be temporarily under the control of Huai En. You can hand over your errands and go back to the harem to serve..."
The emperor's face softened slightly and he gave instructions.
Immediately, Shu Liang also kowtowed and thanked him.
"I thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."
So, Zhu Qiyu turned to the two cabinet ministers on the side and asked.
"Gentlemen, are you satisfied with this arrangement?"
Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue gave a wry smile. They knew that starting with Shu Liang was not a good idea.
Look at the question, the dissatisfaction is almost overflowing.
The eunuch in the inner palace is, after all, a slave of the emperor. As long as the Sacred Heart is still there, it is impossible to do anything to him.
Apart from anything else, the emperor's decision was indeed very insincere.
Being dismissed from a job would be a serious punishment for anyone, but for Shu Liang, it was nothing.
After all, there has been an experience once, and, look at what the emperor said, Dongchang asked Huai En to take charge of it. You know, after Cheng Jing left, Huai En served in the imperial court again, and had to take charge of the ceremonial supervisor. Now again
With the addition of Dongchang, it would be better to split the Duke Huai into three pieces.
Putting Dongchang under Huai En's name, to put it bluntly, actually leaves Shu Liang in charge. What's the difference between this and not being demoted?
And, more importantly, their goal is not Shu Liang...
After hesitating for a moment, Wang Ao cautiously spoke.
"Your Majesty, although Eunuch Shu is wrong in doing this, I think it is enough for me to come here to apologize and be careful in my words and deeds in the future. It does not need to be such a serious matter as dismissal."
"Yeah?"
Zhu Qiyu didn't buy this account, knocked on the table in front of him, and said.
"But that's not what this memorial says. Eunuchs monopolize power, bring harm to the country and the people, ignore superiority and inferiority, and arrogantly overstep their authority. Judging from these crimes, my punishment is rather light. I should be demoted to Fengyang to guard the mausoleum!"
This was clearly an irony, so much so that the two ministers on the side couldn't help but sweat, and said hurriedly.
"Your Majesty, the ministers in the DPRK do not know the specific situation, or may have made inappropriate remarks. Please forgive me."
"Excuse me?"
The emperor sneered, but did not comment on these words. After a while, the emperor spoke again, but he had calmed down and said.
"I gave you the punishment you asked for. Shu Liang made a mistake and I punished him. The courtiers made mistakes and I can't forgive them easily. That's it for today. I'm exhausted. You can go back and do your errands."
this……
The two looked at each other, looked at the emperor's calm face, and sighed silently.
They really didn't expect that the emperor would be so angry this time. Originally, they came here with the intention of minimizing big things and turning small things into small things.
Among the memorials to impeach Shu Liang, many were written by important officials in the court. The leader was Chen Yi, the censor of Zuodu. Others included two ministers from the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Punishment, as well as Lang Guan and other officials from various ministries.
officials.
Because of this, they put these memorials together with Yu Qian's affairs. They originally thought that if the emperor wanted to protect Shu Liang, he would definitely not care about Yu Qian. In this way, they would get the best of both worlds and the matter would be over.
Although the emperor must be feeling uncomfortable, that will happen in the future...
But who would have thought that this time the emperor was so determined that he wanted Yu Qian to bow his head and submit, that he would not even hesitate to take Shu Liang's job to silence the ministers, but was not willing to forgive Yu Qian.
It seems that they still underestimated the seriousness of this incident.
That's right, since Yu Qian returned to the capital, the emperor has not tolerated him once or twice. This claustrophobic confinement seems to be because of the palace gate kneeling to remonstrate, but in fact, it is probably the concentrated outbreak of conflicts during this period.
.
Having said that, they couldn't continue to persuade Shu Liang. Shu Liang was demoted, which could be regarded as an explanation to the government and the public. However, with the emperor's attitude, it would be difficult for Yu Qian to be released...
Wang Ao and the two left with sad faces, but Shu Liang stayed. After the two figures disappeared, Zhu Qiyu looked away from the memorial on the eucalyptus and asked.
"Shu Liang, what do you think about this matter?"
"I know that these bosses are not targeting me, they just want to save Yu Shaobao. The emperor asked me to return to the harem to serve you for the sake of the stability of the court."
Shu Liang bowed and spoke respectfully.
These words were spoken very skillfully, and he answered two questions at once. If it were an ordinary person, he would probably only understand that the emperor was asking him if he felt aggrieved.
However, Shu Liang was able to go one step further and express that he had no complaints about the ministers' participation in the impeachment. It had to be said that these words indeed touched Zhu Qiyu's heart. He nodded and said.
"You are doing things for me. This time, I have indeed wronged you. However, it is also a good thing. I just have an errand for you..."
After listening to the emperor's instructions, Shu Liang blinked, hesitated, and said.
"Your Majesty, why don't you discuss this...such a big matter with the courtiers?"
"No, you can just do it yourself. Besides, I asked you to keep an eye on Song Wenyi before. How's it going?"
It was certainly not a trivial matter that could shock Shu Liang. However, Zhu Qiyu's expression did not cause much trouble. After a brief explanation, he asked about another matter.
So, Shu Liang suppressed the shock in his heart and said.
"Back to the emperor, Song Wenyi has been very busy in recent days. After his attempt to seize people's land failed to come to an end, there are many people who are clinging to him both inside and outside the palace. Now, in his house, there are
There is a bustling market, and it is said that there are people who send money, calligraphy and paintings, but Song Wenyi does not refuse anyone who comes, and he has gathered many confidants under the banner of the emperor asking him to prepare manpower. "
Zhu Qiyu nodded, but did not comment on what Song Wenyi did, but just gave instructions.
"Let him go to the palace tomorrow. I have something to tell him."
"yes……"
Shu Liang then quietly retreated.
At the same time, Wang Ao and Yu Shiyue were stopped as soon as they left the palace. At a quick glance, they found that they were not easy to mess with. Chen Yi from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Chen Xun from the Ministry of Works, and Jin Lian from the Criminal Ministry
, picked up a reluctant Hubu Shen Yi, and then there were two ministers from the Ministry of War, waiting outside to hear the news.
Among these people, Chen Yi is under the greatest pressure. After all, he has a lot of scientific censors under him. If the matter does not come to an end, there is no telling what trouble will happen to the gang of brats in the Inspectorate.
"How about it? Your Majesty agrees to let Yu Shaobao out?"
Looking at the expressions of the two of them, Chen Yi had an ominous premonition, but he couldn't help but be the first to ask.
Unsurprisingly, Yu Shiyue sighed and said.
"Your Majesty has decreed that Shaobao should meditate on his faults in his mansion. If he thinks clearly, he can submit a letter of apology and he will be forgiven."
Chen Xun and others on the side couldn't help but be a little surprised, and then asked.
"Then Shu Liang's side..."
"Shu Liang was relieved of his duties as the eunuch supervisor of the East Factory by His Majesty and sent back to serve in the harem. The East Factory was temporarily put in charge of Eunuch Huai'en."
After hearing these words, everyone frowned. Apparently, they all realized the emperor's intention of doing this.
As a result, their eyes moved to Shen Yi who was standing aside, and then Chen Yi spoke.
"Shen Shangshu, this matter originated from the Ministry of Revenue. I'm afraid the Ministry of Revenue has to find a way to solve it..."
Being looked at by so many people, Shen Yi couldn't help but feel bitter in his heart.
He provoked whomever! Why did it all become his fault...
However, he just thought about this in his mind. He himself knew that Yu Qian was more or less taking the pressure on Hu Bu.
If Yu Qian had not come forward to oppose Huangzhuang, then all the pressure would have come to the Ministry of Finance.
If he, the Minister of Household Affairs, obeys the order without saying a word, he will definitely be impeached by the court officials. However, if he speaks out to protest, let alone that he does not dare to confront the emperor, just saying that he has agreed to the emperor that day, if it is now
If you object, I'm afraid you will really anger the emperor.
Now that other methods have been used, he, the Minister of Household Affairs, can only handle this matter. As for the method...
"Everyone, it's not that Shen doesn't want to help, but at this moment, confronting His Majesty may not have any effect, let alone..."
Shen Yi sighed, bowed his hands to the people present, and said helplessly.
"What's more, your Majesty has already sent people to take away the detailed household registers and fish scale albums a few days ago. Even if the Ministry of Household Affairs delays, I'm afraid they may not be able to stop your Majesty."
To be honest, he is not willing to come to Japan today. Everyone is a thousand-year-old fox. Of course, Shen Yi can also think of any solution that others can think of.
Nowadays, if you want His Majesty to be too noble and overly modest, in addition to asking Yu Qian to admit his mistakes, it is also a matter of weighing the pros and cons.
The emperor has always valued the stability of the court and the implementation of major policies. This is their opportunity. They want to save Yu Qian. Now they have three cards in their hands to play.
The first is to rectify the military camp. Needless to say, as the presiding officer, Yu Qian is banned in the house, so this matter will inevitably be delayed. However, this is also the reason why they are eager to rescue Yu Qian, because
In this matter, Yu Qian is not the only candidate, and the emperor is angry now, so this card is of little use. Judging from the statements of Yu Shiyue and others, this is indeed the case.
In addition, there is Shu Liang. After all, what Shu Liang received that day was just an oral order. No matter whether the emperor really gave the order or not, if he wanted to take away an important official of the imperial court by force, without an edict, strictly speaking, it was against the rules. This
One thing, Shu Liang could not be relied upon. Because of this, the courtiers dared to seize this point for impeachment. After all, this was also the law of the court.
Because oral orders are too easy to forge. Even if Jinyiwei arrests someone, he still needs a driving certificate issued by the Sixth Section, let alone Shu Liang detaining an important court official based on the so-called oral order. If there is no impeachment in this case,
So in the future, it is not impossible that someone will falsely spread the imperial edict and lock up all the important officials in the court for other purposes.
The courtiers were right about this, and it was impossible for the emperor not to understand. Therefore, if he wanted to protect Shu Liang, then the best way would be for everyone to turn a blind eye. The emperor would not blame Yu Qian, nor would the ministers.
Investigate Shu Liang’s bold behavior.
But this move is obviously useless. Your Majesty would rather punish Shu Liang than let Yu Qian come out. Then, they will only have the last card left...