NFBE Chapter 207 The dog jumps over the wall in a hurry
Chapter 207 The dog jumps over the wall in a hurry
Chapter 207 The dog jumps over the wall in a hurry
While Wang Yun and Fu Wan were arguing, Henan Yin Zhong Ji, Luoyang Magistrate Chen Gong, and Luoyang Cheng Sima Lang also arrived at the Ministry of Personnel.
Xun You didn't exchange pleasantries with them. The three of them stood in front of him instead of sitting.
Xun You had a cold expression and a calm tone, saying, "The Henan Yin is capable and has caused such a big commotion. The three of you are now famous. Look, how about my position? Come up and sit down?"
"I admit my guilt." Zhong Ji, Chen Gong, and Sima Lang immediately raised their hands.
Xun You was known to have a good temper. He was always gentle and polite to others, and never said a harsh word. This kind of weirdness clearly revealed his anger.
The incident of "Henan Yin misappropriating autumn grain for disaster relief" attracted great attention from both the government and the public, and huge pressure was directly placed on Xun You, the Minister of Personnel.
Xun You sat upright, his eyes stern, looking at the three people, and said, "I have been to the Censorate more times recently than since I entered the government. Prime Minister, the prince just came back and called me to the Shangshutai. I stood there for more than two hours. I am so thirsty that I have explained to you so many times that I can't find any words. Three colleagues, should you give me a reasonable explanation?"
Zhong Ji was tall and strong, full of courage and bravery. He raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "I am sorry for causing trouble to the minister. I will take full responsibility for this matter and will never bring trouble to the minister!"
Xun You stared at him, snorted coldly, and said, "You want to take the responsibility? How do you want me to deal with you? How do you want the Secretariat, the Censorate, the court, and His Majesty to deal with you? If I deal with you, will His Majesty's dignity be damaged and cause countless criticisms?"
Zhong Ji's face twitched, and he raised his hand and said, "This humble official embezzled the autumn grain, which is a serious crime. I have already written a letter to confess my crime and request to be dismissed from my post!"
"Dismissal?"
Xun You could no longer suppress his anger and said, "Is it me who is here to change the government, or is it the Shangshutai? If you leave us, how can we explain this to His Majesty? How can His Majesty explain this to the victims and the people of the Han Dynasty?"
Zhong Ji had a straight face and opened his mouth several times but no words came out.
Sima Lang stood aside and watched Xun You's rapid-fire scolding. He lowered his head and remained silent.
Chen Gong wanted to defend Zhong Ji, but he couldn't find any reason.
Now, although Zhong Ji violated the law, he gained fame and put the court in a dilemma.
Xun You vented his anger, but he still couldn't contain it. He said, "Speak!"
Zhong Ji said with a sullen face, "I have nothing to say, I am willing to plead guilty!"
"you!"
Xun You's anger rose again, his face was gloomy, and he wished he could send this guy to jail right now!
He glanced at Sima Lang and said, "You, take him to see Sima Shangshu. Zhong Tingwei is waiting there too!"
Sima Lang was startled and quickly raised his hand and said, "I obey your command."
Zhong Ji raised his hand towards Xun You, and left side by side with Sima Lang.
The Criminal Department and the Supreme Court are not part of the Five Departments, so they are still some distance away.
Chen Gong was left behind, his expression unchanged, bowing in front of Xun You.
Xun You looked at him and said, "I have noticed that you used to act in a methodical and smart way, and you handled the government affairs of Luoyang County quite well. How come you are so stupid this time?"
Chen Gong was startled, looked at Xun You, slowly raised his hand and asked, "What does Minister Xun mean?"
"You are still so ignorant. It's a pity that His Majesty has taken such a fancy to you and appointed you as the governor of Luoyang."
Xun You saw that Chen Gong was still in the dark, so he sneered and said, "Didn't you have any doubts about this matter from beginning to end?"
Chen Gong felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave. All the doubts he had had seemed to be suddenly cleared up at this moment. He opened his eyes wide and asked, "Is his plan to provide disaster relief fake, but is his plan to embezzle money real?"
Xun You opened his mouth and was about to curse, but the clerk on duty came in and said, "Shangshu, Commandant Han is here."
Xun You snorted again and said, "How dare he come?"
Han Bin came in later and happened to hear this. He looked helpless and said, "In the past few months, I went from Sili to Bingzhou, and then from Bingzhou back to Sili. Before I could even stop, I went to Yanzhou and Qingzhou. I ran back non-stop and encountered this kind of thing. There was also chaos in the Three Auxiliary Regions. I rushed there in a hurry and only came back today. I said, Minister Xun, what do you want me to do?"
Xun You listened to him complaining and said, "No matter what, you are the governor of Sili. You are responsible for this matter."
Han Bin was exhausted and had not had time to change his clothes. He was sweaty. He glanced at Chen Gong and said to Xun You, "Let's not talk about my responsibility first. Tell me about this matter. What are your plans?"
The autumn harvest is coming to an end, and all the important figures have returned to Beijing. The case of the Henan Yin is about to be brought to justice.
Xun You had a lot to say but didn't know where to say it. He said, "You ask me, is it something I can decide?"
Han Bin saw that Xun You was suppressing his anger. Although they were old friends, he did not want to provoke him any more. He hesitated for a moment and said, "The autumn grain has been delivered. It is much less than expected."
After hearing the serious matter, Xun You took a deep breath and asked, "How many are there?"
Han Bin glanced at Chen Gong and said, "Less than 100,000 shi."
One third less?
Xun You's expression changed, and he stood up hastily, saying, "Go to the Household Department."
Han Bin did not move, and asked, "What should we do with County Magistrate Chen?"
Chen Gong quickly raised his hand, feeling nervous.
He had a clear premonition that the development of this matter had exceeded his expectations, and perhaps there would be thunder!
Xun You looked at Chen Gong, hesitant to speak, and then said: "Go find a place to stay and be ready for orders."
"I obey your command." Chen Gong said, but he sighed in his heart and left Xun You's duty room.
Xun You didn't have time to take care of him, so he went to Xun Yu's duty room with Han Bin.
As the commander of the grain department of Sili, Han Bin collected the actual autumn grain, but Xun Yu was not aware that there were only 100,000 shi.
On the other side, Sima Lang led Zhong Ji to the Criminal Department.
Sima Jun of the Criminal Department was on duty in his room, with Zhong Yao sitting beside him.
As a Yingchuan family, the Sima family was quite prestigious. Although Sima Jun had never been a high-ranking official, he lived to be nearly eighty years old. All the officials in the current court were his juniors, and they could even be his grandsons.
Zhong Yao was in his early forties. He looked respectful to Sima Jun, who had always had an excellent reputation, and said, "Sima Jun, the case has come. I don't know how to judge it."
Sima Jun knelt down, his eyebrows raised, a fierce look on his old face, and said: "Let's make a decision. Zhong Ji embezzled the autumn grain, and he should be executed according to the law!"
Zhong Yao was shocked and asked, "Sima Gong, are you really going to execute him?"
Zhong Ji was the governor of Henan Province. To execute him, he must have committed a serious crime. The crime of "misappropriating autumn grain" was not enough to sentence him to immediate execution.
After all, Zhong Ji was sentenced under the pretext of "relief for disaster victims". Once such a verdict is made, it is hard to say how big an impact it will cause.
"In troubled times, heavy punishments are needed,"
Sima Jun said without hesitation: "Han laws should be strict. There should be no room for corruption!"
Zhong Yao's usually solemn face became even more serious.
Sima Jun was summoned by the palace personally at the Zhaoxian Hall. This should be the palace's intention, right?
"Is this what your majesty meant?" Zhong Yao was still worried and asked. In the past, he would never have said this.
Sima Jun looked at him and said, "No."
He was telling the truth. Judging from Sima Lang's retelling, Sima Jun judged that Liu Bian wanted to reuse Zhong Ji, because there was no distinction between loyalty and treachery in Liu Bian's words, but more of a "pragmatic" tone.
However, in order to politely refuse Liu Bian's summons, he was determined to severely punish Zhong Ji in front of Liu Bian. Now that he has risen again, he naturally cannot go back on his word.
Zhong Yao was stunned when he heard this. Isn’t this the palace’s intention?
Since it was not the intention of the palace, there was room for maneuver. Zhong Yao pondered and said, "Sima Gong, you should be cautious."
Sima Jun remained calm and said, "The evidence is irrefutable. I intend to arrest him immediately and send him to the Heavenly Prison for strict interrogation. I will announce it as soon as possible to prevent criticism!"
Zhong Yao did not expect that Sima Gong would be so strong and had no intention of negotiating.
He couldn't help but frowned and said, "Sima Gong, this move may cause officials from all over the country to worry."
Zhong Yao's words were actually very clear. There was no official in the Han Dynasty who was not greedy. Zhong Ji had the protection of "relief for disaster victims". Once Zhong Ji was openly dealt with, it would certainly cause a tsunami-like chain reaction, which would be extremely detrimental to the court's "new policy".
"The Secretary of State, the Minister of Justice Zhong, the Governor of Henan, Zhong Ji, and the Chancellor of Luoyang, Sima Lang, request to see you." At this time, the clerk suddenly came to the door and said stiffly.
Sima Jun's eyes sharpened and he said, "Let them in."
Zhong Yao looked at Sima Jun and inexplicably had a bad feeling in his heart.
It's not just about the current Henan Yin issue, but also about the future political situation!
This Sima Jun may occupy a very special and important position in the court!
Zhong Ji and Sima Lang came in one after the other, and their expressions were different.
Zhong Ji had a broad face with a hint of ferocity, while Sima Lang was cautious and lowered his head.
"Your humble servant greets Minister Sima and Justice Zhong." The two men came closer and raised their hands to greet him.
Sima Jun threw the pile of documents in front of him and said in a deep voice: "Zhong Ji, you extorted money from many noble families in Henan Yin, and used the money as autumn grain relief for disaster victims. You deceived the emperor and humiliated the court. Do you know your crime?"
As soon as Sima Jun finished speaking, four officers rushed in and surrounded Zhong Ji.
Zhong Ji's face suddenly changed. He looked at the scattered documents on the ground, then his face became gloomy and his eyes flickered violently.
Sima Jun waved his hand and said, "Take him to the prison and interrogate him strictly!"
"and many more!"
Zhong Ji's eyes widened in anger, staring at Sima Jun and Zhong Yao, and asked, "Why did you arrest only me? Not to mention the twelve states of the Han Dynasty, even in Luoyang County, am I the only one who has committed corruption and bribery?"
Sima Jun's eyes moved sharply, and he said, "You say!"
"Prime Minister Yang Biao!" Zhong Ji stiffened his neck and shouted, "His son Yang Xiu took away my precious inkstone ten days ago, which is worth a million dollars!"
Zhong Yao's heart skipped a beat, his expression sullen, and he shouted, "Zhong Ji, you dare to slander the Prime Minister, your crime is three times more severe!"
Zhong Ji said: "I have committed a capital crime, so why should I be afraid?"
Zhong Yao suppressed his uneasiness and said to Sima Jun: "Sima Gong, this man's words cannot be trusted. If the Prime Minister really accepted his bribe, he could have threatened the Prime Minister to save him instead of confessing it now."
Zhong Ji sneered and said, "Since you have all discovered it, can the Prime Minister still save me?"
Sima Jun had a blank expression on his face. He said, "Take him to the prison and interrogate him strictly!"
"Yes." Four officers locked Sima Jun tightly and dragged him out.
"Hahaha……"
As soon as he went out, Zhong Ji suddenly laughed out loud towards the sky. His laughter was so loud that it lasted for a long time.
Seeing that Sima Jun handled the matter so decisively and even involved Prime Minister Yang Biao, Zhong Yao felt as if a huge stone had fallen from his heart. He stood up and raised his hand and said, "Lord Sima, I have other things to do. I will take my leave now."
Sima Jun nodded slightly and watched Zhong Yao leave.
After Zhong Yao left, Sima Lang hurried forward and asked, "Grandfather, this, this involves the Prime Minister as well?"
Sima Jun picked up the crutches beside him and said, "Go back early. I have to go to the palace."
Sima Lang's panic was written all over his face. Seeing that his grandfather refused to say more, he could only bow respectfully and walk out.
I had not walked far when I heard all kinds of discussions in the Criminal Department.
"Minister Sima is so decisive. He can capture this kind of person just by saying so!"
"I feel like something big is going to happen. Apart from anything else, everyone in Henan Yin said the same thing, and there are at least a dozen people involved!"
"I am the one who is worried about the tens of thousands of disaster victims in Henan. If anyone instigates them, something terrible might happen!"
……
When Sima Lang heard this, he was immediately deeply worried about his grandfather. He turned around to look at his grandfather's duty room and left in a hurry.
As soon as he walked out of the Criminal Department, he saw Xun You, Xun Yu and Han Bin walking quickly towards the Supreme Court.
Sima Lang immediately raised his hand to salute, but the three men ignored him. Not far away, Zhong Yao was already waiting.
At the same time, inside Deyang Palace.
Liu Bian sat on the chair, quietly looking at the memorial that Han Bin had just delivered.
This memorial is very long, listing the autumn grain situation in each county, from estimation to depletion, and then to the actual storage in Taicang, it is written in great detail.
Liu Bian had a calm expression and his eyes were like swords as he stared at the number of "100,000 shi".
From the initial 220,000, then 150,000, to the final 100,000 now, it is more than half less!
Pan Yin approached quietly, observing Liu Bian's expression, and stood not far away, not daring to move forward.
"What's the matter?" Liu Bian said calmly without raising his head.
Pan Yin's heart skipped a beat, and he hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, the prince has been in the Censorate for more than half an hour, and it is said that he was discussing some matters concerning officials in Bingzhou. Zhong Ji went to the Criminal Department, and was arrested by the Minister of Criminal Affairs under the witness of the Chief Justice, Zhong Tingwei, and was sent to the Heavenly Prison."
Liu Bian's eyes flickered slightly, and he said to himself: "Does Sima Jun not care about his reputation?"
Although there is solid evidence that Zhong Ji embezzled the autumn grain, in the eyes of outsiders, it is still a kind and fearless act of "misappropriating the autumn grain to help the victims at the cost of his own life"!
This kind of action is most likely to be praised by scholars.
Pan Yin waited for a while and then said, "Your Majesty, the Criminal Department said that before Ji was taken away, he said that he had sent an inkstone worth one million to the Prime Minister's Mansion."
Liu Bian was startled, thinking about Yang Biao's temper, he turned to look at Pan Yin and said, "Have you accepted it?"
Pan Yin said: "It is said that it was given to Yang Xiu."
Liu Bian looked strange and asked, "Didn't Yang Xiu go to Cao Cao's army?"
Pan Yin paused and said cautiously, "The clerk who reported it didn't go into detail. We have to interrogate him to find out the truth."
Liu Bian snorted, then looked at the memorial in his hand with a calm expression. After a moment, he said softly, "It seems that we can't delay any longer in terms of priorities. Pan Yin, pass on the order to the Shangshutai, Yushitai, six ministries, the court judge, and the nine ministers to enter the palace and discuss the matter in Jiade Hall."
Pan Yin's mouth twitched unnaturally, his mind tensed, and he whispered, "Yes, I'll go right away."
After a check-up, the situation is not optimistic. The stones are a bit large and I probably need to go out for a minor surgery.
Temporarily, I cannot stay up late, I cannot sit for long periods of time, I must stop drinking and practice martial law…
〒▽〒
My thoughts are in a mess, I will update first and then revise. Today is a little short, I will make up for it tomorrow. For the next period of time, I will update in the evening~ I need to recuperate and prepare for surgery.