Chapter 313 Suspension and Investigation

Chapter 313 Suspension and Investigation

Chapter 313 Suspension and Investigation
The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, there was a loud sound of horse hooves on the official road outside Kunming City.
A group of men and horses came galloping from afar, their figures rising and falling on their horses.
His face was solemn and stern, and a little anxious.

The team soon arrived at the tightly closed West City Gate.

After some negotiations, the city gate was quickly opened and a group of people rushed in.

When these people arrived at the Yunnan Dudusi Yamen,

There was already some light in the sky, and the white clouds on the horizon were dyed orange-red by the morning sun.

The light sprinkled on the earth, easing the originally grim atmosphere of the Command Headquarters a little.

The leader dismounted hastily, and without waiting for his followers, he rushed straight into the government office.

Seeing that he had a murderous look on his face, the guards did not dare to stop him and could only watch quietly.

The morning light was just breaking, with only a hint of light blue in the sky that permeated the night, but the main hall of the Commandery was already brightly lit.

The flames on the tall candlesticks danced, illuminating the interior as bright as day.

Between the interweaving of light and shadow, there is an unspoken tension!
The hall has a wide space and strong beams and pillars.

There were shadowy figures, officials in various official uniforms standing or sitting,

Their shadows were elongated and arranged in an orderly manner under the flickering candlelight.

Some people bowed their heads in deep thought, frowned, and sat on their chairs with sad faces.

There were also some adults pacing hurriedly in the lobby, with anxiety and solemnity in their eyes.

Below, several people were talking in low voices, and a sense of depression hung in the air.

At the top, Central Army General Xu Sima and Xiping Marquis Mu Ying sat quietly, their faces calm, without any clues.
He would just pick up the teacup and sip it from time to time, adding a touch of solemnity to the main hall.

Not far away, several clerks were bent over their desks.

On it were several thick documents spread out, with traces of wet ink still on them.
The man was writing quickly with a serious expression on his face.

At this time, faint footsteps sounded from outside the main hall.
It attracted everyone's attention and everyone looked over.

I saw a young man in his twenties walking into the main hall,
The armor on his body was still stained with blood, and his head armor was held in his hand.
The messy and tired face was exposed.
But at this moment, everyone could feel the murderous and angry look in his eyes.

This made everyone present feel a sense of palpitations for no reason.

The officials who were staggering sat up straight, the officials who were whispering to each other returned to their normal positions, the officials who were pacing stood aside, and bowed together with the many officials who stood up:
"Greetings to Duke Cao."

The man who came was Li Jinglong, who was in the Dragon and Tiger Guards of Pingshan'ao.
After receiving the news, he hurried back and didn't want to stay for a moment.

He stood at the door and glanced around, taking in the faces of the adults present.
Especially when he saw the upper right position, he snorted coldly.
Take a step forward and walk to the top.
He bowed to Sima Xu and Mu Ying.
He just sat there without saying anything, his face still gloomy.

This situation caused many officials present to turn to the right side and front.

The middle-aged official on the second right,

He looked to be in his forties, wearing a blue round-necked robe, a belt around his waist, and a black gauze hat on his head.

The long and straight beard hanging down naturally adds a sense of integrity to his square face.

He was Ma Yang, the Censor-in-Chief of Yunnan Province.

Many officials of the Dusi couldn't help but shift their gaze to the upper right position beside him.

There sat an old man in his sixties.
He was wearing casual clothes, had the same square face, gray beard and temples, and his face was full of majesty.

This person was originally Han Yike, the Right Governor of Shanxi.

Seeing that it was him, countless adults present sighed secretly and looked sad.

Han Yike was once a censor, and he did not shy away from impeaching the powerful.
He had impeached Prime Minister Hu Weiyong, Imperial Censor Chen Ning, and Minister of Justice Tu Jie, among others.
He accused them of being "evil appearing loyal, treacherous appearing honest" and requested the emperor to behead them.

In the 13th year of Hongwu, he resigned and returned home. In the 19th year of Hongwu, he was summoned to Beijing.
He wrote sacrificial texts in honor of Mount Zhong and the Yangtze River, and wrote manifestos to warn Japan and the Wuman people, and was appointed the Right Governor of Shanxi.

In the 20th year of Hongwu, Feng Sheng, the Duke of Song, was impeached for being arrogant and perverting the law.
His Majesty was furious and placed him in Yunnan to teach.

Although he held no official position at the moment, everyone present knew that
Although your Majesty's action is a crime, it is actually a protection.

Moreover, His Majesty arranged his disciple Ma Yang to serve as the Censor-in-Chief in Yunnan, which also has profound meaning.

At least at this time, the real censor who supervised all officials, monitored the military, and maintained discipline was Han Yike, who held no official position.

At this time, Xiping Hou Mu Ying looked around calmly.
He paused for a moment on Han Yike and Ma Yang, and spoke softly:
"The commander of the Beijing army, Duke Cao, has returned. If you two adults have anything to say, please start."

As soon as the voice fell, all the officials under the jurisdiction of Yunnan Dusi could not help but straighten their robes, sit up straight, and look solemn.

There were even some people who showed displeasure in their eyes and were the first to speak out:

"I didn't see you during the war, but you came out to make a fuss after the war. You have a bad temper towards your own people."

The person who spoke was a general in his forties, with a burly figure and untidy beard.

His name was Zou Tianrong. He was the deputy commander of the Yunnan Commandery and also the commander of Baishawei.

Ma Yang, with a calm expression, cast his eyes over and said lightly:
"The Censor-in-Chief supervises all officials and the military.
Now that such a scandal has occurred in the army, how can Ma betray your majesty's trust and ignore it?"

"Oh!"

Zou Tianrong was also very direct. He slapped the table with his palm, causing the teacup on it to fall all over the place and the tea to spill.

He looked directly at Ma Yang, his burly body filled with an oppressive feeling, and his voice was chilling:
"The war is not over yet, and you are impeaching the generals now.

Where is the safety of the country? Where is the morale of the army?
The morale of the front lines is completely lost, and the people are insulting them. Is this the result you want to see?"

Ma Yang's face was calm, and he looked directly at Zou Tianrong without backing down:
"National laws and government principles are more important than the laws of nature and human nature. Arrogance and perversion of the law will truly damage morale and attract abuse from the people!

As the chief of the front-line scouts, Lu Yunyi dared to kill the prisoners without authorization.
Doesn’t this move go against the benevolent purpose of our dynasty and will also chill the hearts of foreign nations all over the world!

If all the generals in the army acted like this,

How to reassure the people and stabilize the war situation?

The laws of our country are strict. Those who kill should be punished, let alone killing innocent people!

As court officials, how can we sit back and watch and allow the law and order to collapse? "

Zou Tianrong stood up suddenly with rapid breathing, fists clenched tightly, as if he was going to fight him.

But he was stopped by an old man who was nearly fifty years old.
He is Zhou Hao, the Left Counselor of Yunnan Provincial Government.
He was originally a military man. When the Luchuan war broke out, he was transferred to the provincial government to facilitate the transportation of grain.

He had an old face, with his features squeezed together, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Master Ma is wrong.

Although Lu Yunyi's killing of the prisoners seemed harsh,

However, the battle situation was urgent at that time and the enemy's situation was unclear. There might be spies among the prisoners who intended to confuse the public and endanger our army.

General Lu's move was made out of consideration for the overall situation and he had no choice but to do so.

Furthermore, the military strategy says that "kindness does not lead the army", and in times of chaos, severe punishments are also used.
If we only pursue benevolence and righteousness and ignore the cruelty of war, we may end up harming the country and the people.

The laws and regulations of the country are important, but we should also assess the situation and be flexible in order to protect the safety of the southwest and enhance the prestige of our country."

"Master Zhou, are you trying to use the war as an excuse to wantonly trample on the law?
The reason why a country is a country and the reason why the law is a law,
It is precisely because of its constancy that it can restrain the people and maintain etiquette.

If you abandon the law because of a temporary need,

If this continues, the country will no longer be a country and the law will no longer be a law.

Moreover, the people regard us as role models, and our actions directly affect the people's support.

If we indulge Lu Yunyi's behavior now, how can the people be convinced? How can morale be boosted? "

Zhou Hao shook his head slowly:

“Lord Zou is too obsessed with the laws of words and ignores the unpredictable nature of the battlefield.

The boost in morale is not only due to strict laws,
It also depends on the decision of the generals and the faith of the soldiers.

Although General Lu's move may be controversial,
But if we can use this to demonstrate our army's determination and scare the enemy, it may not be a bad thing.

As for the people's abuse, it is only a temporary storm.

When the war subsides and the truth comes to light, justice will be done to General Lu.

As ministers, we should put the interests of the country first and not lose sight of the big picture because of small matters or stop eating because of choking."

Zou Tianrong's eyes widened. The whole city of Kunming was cheering.
He was about to open his mouth to explain something, but Zhou Hao held his arm and patted him twice.

Doubt immediately appeared in his eyes, he frowned and thought deeply, and soon he understood.

Things are valuable only when they are reversed.
If the people continue to praise, and the situation does not change,
That is completely worthless, and the Censor-in-Chief and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner will not care about it.

Ma Yang's face remained calm, and he spoke calmly:
“This is sheer nonsense. Even when two countries are at war, they must follow humane principles.

Killing prisoners is not only against the principles of benevolence and righteousness,
It is more likely to arouse hatred and resistance from the enemy soldiers, which is disadvantageous to our army. Moreover, the people regard us as role models of the court.
If we condone such brutal acts, how can the people feel at ease?

If the people lose their hearts, how can their morale be boosted? "

Zhou Hao said calmly:
"Master Zou is wrong.

The art of war says, if you know yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.

On the battlefield, intelligence information is crucial.

Among the prisoners, there were enemy spies who intended to confuse the public and disrupt our military deployment.

Although General Lu's killing of prisoners seemed harsh, it was intended to ensure the security of our military's information.

As for the morale of the people, we need to prove it with actual results. As long as we defeat Luchuan, the morale will naturally be boosted."

Ma Yang said: "Your Excellency's words are just wishful thinking.

Boosting people's morale is not a one-day job.

If our generals treat prisoners harshly,
If this continues, it will inevitably damage the reputation of our army and cause doubts among the people.

By then, no matter how brave and skilled our army is, it will be difficult to win back the people’s hearts and minds.”

Zhou Hao frowned slightly:

"The hearts of the people are not static. We can see how the people in the city react in a few days."

At this moment, Han Yike, who had been silent all this time, finally took action.

He raised his teacup and took a sip.
"clatter"

Place the teacup,

The sound of collision with the wooden table was particularly obvious in the main hall.

The atmosphere in the scene fell silent, and almost everyone looked over there.

All the adults in the field know that

The one who really made the decision was Han Yike, who held no official position.

"Whatever the outcome, wrong is wrong."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly froze and everyone frowned.

Although the commander-in-chief was not present, most of the officials present were military commanders.

Even if they wanted to suppress Lu Yunyi, they would not be vague about such matters.

This is a matter of stance, not right or wrong.

Some people glanced at Xiping Hou Mu Ying who was at the top.

They just got married yesterday and today the impeachment document arrived. This is tantamount to a slap in the face of Marquis Xiping.

But Xiping Hou Mu Ying had not yet spoken.
Li Jinglong, the Duke of Cao, who was sitting nearby, spoke in a hoarse voice, staring at Han Yike intently.
"The killing was ordered by me, and the military order is preserved.

Lord Han, do you want to impeach me as well?
Lord Han, do you want to learn from last year's lesson again?"

Many people looked puzzled. At that time, the war was going on and Duke Feng Sheng of Song had nearly 200,000 soldiers under his command.

Such an act of overestimating one's own capabilities naturally aroused dissatisfaction among the court officials and His Majesty, which led to the issue of exile to Yunnan being put on hold.

Today, the Southwest remains the same.
Li Jinglong, Duke of Cao, was the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Army and was in charge of the western defense line.

Impeaching him is also overestimating one's own abilities.

The impeachment memorial would not even reach His Majesty's desk and would be suppressed by the Censorate.

As for Xiping Hou, there is no need to mention him. Every year, the impeachment memorials could fill up two large boxes.

But this did not prevent Xiping Hou from guarding southern Yunnan and doing his own thing.

Impeaching his new son-in-law is also overestimating one's own abilities.

Han Yike's face was calm, and he looked righteous:

"I used to be a censor, patrolling on behalf of the emperor, and my duty was to correct mistakes.

Now I am a teacher in Yunnan.

But there is also righteousness in my heart and order in my mind.

Even if it was Duke Cao who gave the order, killing the prisoners is killing the prisoners, and there is no change in the slightest."

"Can't there be some relaxation?"

Li Jinglong spoke calmly, his eyes scanning Han Yike, as if he had returned to his original state.
But almost everyone present felt a hint of danger.

Han Yike seemed not to notice and shook her head slightly:

"National law does not tolerate human feelings."

Bang!
The table was shaking from being slapped back and forth by Li Jinglong.

He stood up suddenly, put his hands on his hips and walked in front of Han Yike, looking down at him condescendingly.

"I also want to tell you that if you don't want to return to the court, I can help you and let you live out your life in Yunnan."

"Please do as you please, Lord Cao."

Many people in the field had slightly changed expressions.
These words are undoubtedly threats, but they cannot be ignored.
Duke Cao has no military power.
But in the capital, the more powerful the official, the more favor he had to show to him.
It is not difficult to keep Han Yike in Yunnan.

Han Yike looked at Xiping Hou Mu Ying who was at the top:
"Lord Mu, what Lu Yunyi did is a taboo in the military.

You have always been strict in disciplining the army, and I hope you can punish them severely."

"As for the impeachment memorial"

Han Yike glanced around, and Ma Yang beside him quickly spoke:
"It was sent to the capital yesterday."

wow——

The scene suddenly became noisy, with people talking and chatting among themselves.
At this time, even Sima Xu, who was sitting at the top, couldn't stand it anymore and shouted:

"There is a war going on at the front line, and you are disrupting it in the rear. I will definitely talk to Lord Zhan about this when I return to the capital."

Mr. Zhan is Zhan Hui, who has served as the Left Censor-in-Chief for many years.

"Master Xu, please make yourself at your own convenience."

Han Yike still maintained her cool attitude, showing no fear at all.

This made Sima Xu's eyes widen. Such officials who were strong without desires were particularly troublesome.

At this moment, Xiping Hou Mu Ying, who had been silent all this time, coughed lightly and spoke slowly:
"How does Lord Han want to punish Lu Yunyi?"

"It is not for a country bumpkin like me to decide how to punish Lu Yunyi. Your Majesty will naturally decide.

Lord Mu, on the other hand, was busy with military affairs in southern Yunnan.

This black sheep should not be allowed to cause trouble in the army, and the investigation should be stopped immediately!"

After the words fell, the generals present could no longer hold back and started talking at once.
The headquarters of the Military Command was as noisy as a vegetable market for a while.

Seeing the quarrel getting louder and louder, Mu Ying's eyes flashed with impatience, and he patted the table lightly.

"That's enough, stop arguing!"

In this way, the main hall gradually became quiet.

Many officials looked up, waiting for the decision of Xiping Hou Mu Ying.

Mu Ying's breathing quickened a little, and he waved his hands casually, as if he was discouraged:
"That's it."

"Master Hou!"

There were exclamations one after another.
Li Jinglong turned around in shock, his face blank.

Mu Ying seemed to have made up his mind.

He stood up suddenly and walked out of the main hall, leaving his voice slowly echoing:

"That's it. Lu Yunyi is suspended from his post for investigation."

(End of this chapter)