The quarrel in the court continued. While everyone was enjoying the quarrel between Fang Zheng and Jiang Zhongcheng, they glanced at the emperor. What happened today was extraordinary. None of the ministers came out to stop the quarrel between the two because they
Their minds were constantly racing, and they needed time to digest this sudden big event.
The emperor who used to pay the most attention to rules and etiquette in this golden palace, now for some reason, saw the two of them quarreling like shrews buying vegetables at the market. The emperor didn't say anything, but looked at them calmly, with a look in his eyes.
It's like a pool of stagnant water with no ripples visible.
"…………"
"You...you are shameless! You are slanderous..." Jiang Zhongcheng was so angry that he stammered.
"Why am I shameless? You have done so many bad things yourself, and you are shameless when I say it? Then aren't you more shameless than me?" Fang Zheng completely restored his nature, with his nostrils turned to the sky, looking carefree, in the Jinluan Palace.
It seems extremely dazzling.
"Your Majesty,... a humble minister accused Jiang Zhongcheng of robbing a tomb!" Fang Zheng planned to pursue the false accusation to the end. After all, after Pan Shangshu fell, this guy would definitely not survive, so he would be offended if he offended him.
As soon as Fang Zheng said this, there was another uproar in the civil and military affairs of the court. Today's morning court was really lively, with one wave after another. How come Jiang Zhongcheng, the dignified minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, was accused of tomb robbing? Even though
Even though they knew that the two of them were engaging in a meaningless war of words, throwing dirt at each other and making false accusations, everyone still watched with interest, just like sitting in a teahouse, listening to books and watching a drama.
"You...you fart!" Jiang Zhongcheng was so angry that he couldn't speak at all.
Fang Zheng sneered: "You still don't admit it? Humph, do you think I don't know? You buried your own chamber pot in the ground, poured manure on it every day, dug it out after a year and sold it to others, claiming that it was Qin Shihuang's.
Used chamber pot..."
"You..." Jiang Zhongcheng couldn't lift it up in one breath and almost fainted.
After taking a few deep breaths, Jiang Zhongcheng reminded himself not to talk to him too much. This man was a scoundrel and he would not get any advantage by arguing with him.
"Your Majesty, Fang Zheng was born a merchant. He is uneducated and has no skills. He behaves perversely, is arrogant, and has low conduct and vulgarity. I believe that this person is not qualified to be an official." Jiang Zhongcheng's words resonated with Pan Dang ministers.
Few people nodded in agreement.
"Haha, it's a joke! You said I'm not qualified, so I'm not qualified? Does it mean that I have to get your consent to be an official? As we all know, my official title is awarded by the emperor. You said I'm not qualified. What you're saying is,
Does it mean that the emperor has no sense of judgment? Jiang Zhongcheng! You are so brave! You don’t abide by your duties as a minister, and you dare to make insinuations to the emperor in front of all the civil and military officials. Do you know your guilt?" Fang Zheng said the last sentence with a stern tone.
.
Jiang Zhongcheng's face turned pale with fright. He had already felt uneasy when he had just disrespected himself in front of the emperor. Now that Fang Zheng had taken off this big hat again, he really couldn't bear it. Jiang Zhongcheng couldn't help but raise his head and look at the emperor.
Seeing that the emperor's face was calm, but the eyes looking at him were cold, Jiang Zhongcheng felt awe-inspiring in his heart. Fang Zheng used the emperor as a cover for every sentence he spoke, and quarreled with him, and accidentally got him.
He said, forget it, it is not appropriate to quarrel with him at this time, otherwise Long Yan will be so angry that he, a small official minister, cannot afford to suffer.
"Your Majesty, I will die!" After all, Jiang Zhongcheng was an old man who had been in the officialdom for many years. He knew that if he continued to quarrel with Fang Zheng, the emperor might actually attack him, so he immediately quit the quarrel very bachelorly.
Fang Zheng glanced around coldly and saw that the ministers were all looking at him with complicated eyes, including admiration, hatred, and ridicule.
Humph, as much as you guys hate it, once Pan Shangshu falls, at least half of you will lose your heads, let's see who laughs last...
"Lord Fang, do you have any conclusive evidence for the ten counts of impeaching Pan Shangshu?" A minister slowly walked out of the queue and asked word for word.
This person's name is Wu Qian, he is the supervisory censor, the chief official in the court, and a backbone of the Pan Party.
"Evidence? Some have it, some don't, what's the matter?" Fang Zheng looked so unreasonable that Wu Qian was so angry that he couldn't make a sound for a long time.
"Catching thieves for dirty things, catching traitors and cheating couples, have you ever seen the crimes you mentioned with your own eyes?" Wu Qian sneered.
Fang Zheng said with a smile: "I don't agree with what Mr. Wu said. For example, the official molested your daughter..."
Seeing that Wu Qian's eyebrows were raised and he was about to get angry, Fang Zheng quickly smiled and said: "A metaphor, I'm just making a metaphor..."
Wu Qian snorted heavily, flicked his sleeves fiercely, and turned his head to ignore him.
Fang Zheng continued: "...Suppose I molested your daughter - by the way, do you have a daughter?"
Wu Qian was stunned, and before he could react, he subconsciously nodded and said: "...Yes." Then he realized that he had made a mistake, but the words had already been spoken, so he could only glare at Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng slapped his thigh and said with a smile: "It would be nice to have a daughter, haha, it would be nice to have a daughter... For example, I molested your daughter, and then your daughter took me to court, but she couldn't find any evidence to prove that I
I molested her. I didn’t catch the thief, and I didn’t catch the adulterer. I dare to ask Mr. Wu, is it considered that my daughter, Ling Qianjin, was molested by me in vain?"
Fang Zheng's words were quite vicious. Wu Qian was immediately speechless and didn't know how to answer.
"Master Fang, you have been an official for a long time, and I don't need to tell you that you must know the laws of the court. Impeaching a court minister without evidence is really difficult to convince your fellow ministers. Master Fang, you yourself will be framed."
The crime of a minister, court laws are the foundation of governing the country, and a prince who breaks the law is guilty of the same crime as the common people. The emperor is extremely wise, even if he shows you all kinds of favors, I am afraid he will not tolerate you." Wu Qian sneered.
Hey, this old boy blocked the emperor's mouth with words first. Hey, he has a much higher IQ than Jiang Zhongcheng.
Fang Zheng sneered and said: "Master Wu, since you are telling me about the court laws, then I will talk to you carefully. There is an article in our Hua Dynasty laws that cases involving court officials should be jointly tried by the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple
, after thoroughly investigating the case, it was directly submitted to the Emperor for inspection. Mr. Wu is the supervisory censor and the head of the public officials. He has nothing to do with the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple. I would like to ask, what qualifications do you have to inquire about this case? "
Wu Qian was stunned. Fang Zheng was right. The cases involving court officials in Hua Dynasty were indeed what he said. As a supervisory censor, he couldn't say anything.
Fang Zheng was unreasonable, looked Wu Qian up and down with evil eyes, and said with a smile: "I am impeaching Pan Shangshu because I am loyal to the emperor and eliminate harm for the people, but I want to
I don’t understand. Mr. Wu couldn’t wait to jump out to speak to Pan Shangshu. Why did he come? Could it be that Mr. Wu and Pan Shangshu have a close personal relationship and have already secretly communicated with each other? "
Many ministers in the courtroom laughed out loud.
Secret communication generally refers to an affair between a man and a woman, but Fang Zheng used this term on Wu Qian and Pan Shangshu, which was really too dirty.
Wu Qian's face turned blue and white. He was so embarrassed and annoyed that he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Fang Zheng continued: "Pan Shangshu is an important minister in the court, and he is extremely powerful. If a subordinate has no evidence, how can he dare to stroke the tiger's beard? However, although the evidence of Pan Shangshu's lawlessness is in my hands, it is not for you to see.
, the lower official must directly submit it to the emperor, and ask the emperor to make a decision."
After hearing this, the people in Pan's party looked at each other with gloomy expressions and said nothing.
Fang Zheng had a quarrel with Jiang Zhongcheng and Wu Qian. Unexpectedly, he made a false move and simply stopped arguing with them. He used the laws of the Hua Dynasty to hold them tightly, making everyone silent. At this time,
If they insist on defending Pan Shangshu again, it will be inappropriate. Otherwise, what will the emperor think of them? Isn’t it true that there is no three hundred taels of silver here?…
Fang Zheng took out a thin book from his arms with seriousness, and respectfully handed it to the small yellow gate standing under the dragon chair in the Golden Palace, from which it was delivered directly to the emperor.
The ministers were in an uproar when they saw this. They thought Fang Zheng was just making false claims, but they didn't expect that he actually produced the so-called evidence. What the ministers were most curious about now was what was written in this thin book?
Could it be that Pan Shangshu really has something in his hands?
The emperor took the book, glanced at it casually a few times, then closed it, sighed deeply, looked far away into the distance, and said with infinite nostalgia: "I have known the old minister for decades, and I am very fond of the old minister.
I am very trustworthy in his character and virtue. In the past few decades, I have been accustomed to discuss with the old minister no matter how big or small the matter is, public or private. I treat the old minister as both a teacher and a friend, and we have a close personal relationship. I really do not believe that Fang Zheng impeached the old minister.
These are the charges. Lao Shangshu wanted to resign and return to his hometown last time, but I didn’t want him to leave me, so I didn’t approve it. I never expected that not long after, someone would impeach him. It’s really an unreasonable disaster..."
After the emperor's words came out, all the ministers in the court, including Pan's party members, were moved by the deep friendship between the emperor and his ministers for decades. The emperor still missed the old friendship. Pan Shangshu could stay with the emperor for decades, and his position was extremely high.
Ren Chen fully refutes the saying "accompanying the king is like accompanying a tiger".
Many ministers looked ashamed. Before the court, they had heard some rumors about the emperor and Pan Shangshu, saying that the emperor was going to deal with Pan Shangshu. At that time, they believed it to be true. But now after hearing the emperor's words, they felt ashamed that they had mistakenly believed the rumors.
Endless.
After a pause, the emperor looked coldly at the reactions of the ministers in the palace, and then said: "...However, it is a national law. Since Fang Aiqing has submitted a memorial to impeach Pan Shangshu, he must act according to the laws of our Hua Dynasty. Before the law,
Princes are equal to common people. I instruct Liu Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment and Zhao Siqing of Dali Temple to personally come forward to hear the case. It is necessary to find out the matter. I hope you can clear Pan Shangshu's name!"
Two people walked out of the class and responded solemnly.
The emperor glanced at Fang Zheng coldly and said calmly: "Fang Aiqing, it was you who proposed the ten charges against Pan Shangshu. You'd better pray to God and pray to Buddha to hope that these charges can be confirmed. Pan Shangshu is an important minister of the country and serves China."
The people of the dynasty have worked hard all their lives. Whether in the court or among the people, Pan Shangshu is highly respected. If what you said is found to be untrue, then you will be responsible for the charge of groundless frame-up of the minister! I understand.
?"
At the end of the sentence, the emperor's voice became fierce, almost roaring. His voice echoed in the quiet hall. Long Yan was furious, and the whole world was shocked. The civil and military officials in the court all changed their colors. They all knelt down and shouted: "Your Majesty, calm down!"
The emperor glared at Fang Zheng coldly and snorted heavily.
Fang Zheng seemed to be frightened. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, and he knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, what Wei Chen played just now is actually... maybe, maybe it's not quite complete..."
Fang Zheng's eyes rolled around as he spoke, looking very guilty.
The emperor sneered and said: "Now that the memorial has been submitted, your case against Pan Shangshu has been established. It is already too late to regret it now! If the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple find out that this case is false, you will be questioned and executed."
!”
"What?" Fang Zheng raised his head in shock and looked at the emperor in disbelief: "It's not that serious? It's just a complaint. Is it necessary to chop off the head?"
"Hmph! You just had a good discussion about law with Wu Yushi, so I will tell you another law. Anyone who falsely accuses a minister will be found guilty of false accusation once it is found out."
"What does 'sitting on the back' mean?" Fang Zheng asked with a confused look.
Wu Qian walked out at this time and explained with a sneer: "On the other hand, if you sue Pan Shangshu for the crimes that meet the standard of punishment, this standard will be imposed on you. For example, if you sue Pan Shangshu,
The minister deceived the king and ignored the emperor. This is a crime of beheading. If it is found that you are falsely accused, then your head will be killed.”….
Wu Qian and Pan Dangzhong were now proud. Looking at Fang Zheng's guilty look, it seems that the so-called evidence he presented may not be enough to bring Pan Shangshu down. After all, this man is still too young to know the court.
It is dangerous to think that impeaching a minister is as easy as eating and drinking. How can things in the world be so simple? This time, let's take a closer look at how this young and proud minister lost his head.
When Fang Zheng heard what Wu Qian said, he couldn't help but trembled all over, and said with a timid expression: "Wu... Master Wu, isn't it so serious?"
Seeing his appearance, Wu Qian became even more convinced that Fang Zheng was just talking nonsense when he sued Pan Shangshu. There was no strong evidence to support it. Those worries he had just worried about were his own worries. Thinking of this, Wu Qian sneered and said: "The emperor said
Yes, it’s state-owned and state-owned law, Mr. Fang, let us wait and see.”
Fang Zheng's face suddenly turned pale. He turned around and said with a sad face: "Your Majesty, can Wei Chen take back the memorial to Pan Shangshu just now? Wei Chen just remembered that there seemed to be a punctuation mark that was wrong, and he wanted to take it back and correct it.
…”
The emperor said angrily: "The memorials submitted by the ministers to the emperor must be filed in the palace. You can submit them if you want, and take them if you want. Do you think that it is a matter of national importance?"
Fang Zheng's eyes turned red, he lowered his head and said aggrievedly: "... Your Majesty, I was wrong, really... forgive me, I am less than twenty years old, in fact, I am still just a child..."
The ministers all looked at him with disdain. Seeing Fang Zheng's performance, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty finally confirmed that Fang Zheng was really a false accusation. The so-called ten crimes of Pan Shangshu were just that this young boy used his personal grudges to openly
It's just revenge on Pan Shangshu.
The emperor said calmly: "Some mistakes cannot be corrected once they are made. Today, in order to convince you all, I have decided that while the case is being thoroughly investigated by the Ministry of Punishment and Dali Temple, no one is allowed to enter or leave Pan Shangshu's house.
Troops will be sent to protect the Shangshu Mansion day and night to prevent anyone from thinking that the old Shangshu has annihilated evidence, exchanging confessions, and ruining the old Shangshu's reputation for life. It is also to prevent some people with ulterior motives from being desperate and attacking the old Shangshu and his family.
cause some damages."
There is no doubt that the "certain people" mentioned by the emperor naturally refer to Fang Zheng.
The emperor's favor towards Pan Shangshu moved the ministers so much that they all knelt down and shouted loudly: "Long live my wise emperor, long live long live!"
Only a few core members of Pan's party had a look of surprise in their eyes after hearing that the emperor sent troops to protect the Shangshu Mansion.
Fang Zheng still looked extremely remorseful. He lay on the ground and refused to get up. He kept saying: "Your Majesty, please, please return the memorial to me. I haven't read much, so I really made a mistake."
The punctuation is correct, please let me revise it..."