Chapter 313 War of words
Chapter 313 War of words
Dark gold visor... bronze visor... is there any connection between the two?
Zhao Duan couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Although it was hard to imagine that an unknown gold medal shadow guard would be connected with the "circle of friends" of Dayu Taizu.
But...the inheritance of spiritual practice does exist.
"If the Armored Sorceress is indeed a master of a certain lineage that really existed in history, then it is only natural that the descendants of the same lineage would retain similar characteristics and traditions."
Zhao Duan stroked his chin, feeling a little eager to make a move.
Just like when you are stuck in a game and can't pass a level, you will habitually look for a guide.
Although there was a lack of vigilance, he was killed the second he appeared on the stage, which showed that the gap between him and the sorceress was quite large.
However, being abused unilaterally is not good for cultivation. At this time, if we can find the inheritance of the sorceress based on this clue, figure it out, and then fight, we will have a much better chance...
"Well, there's no rush. Go to the government office tomorrow and ask Xiao Ma. He has experience."
Zhao Duan made up his mind, but couldn't help but feel a little resentful:
"Old Xu's design is totally unreasonable. How can we encounter such a powerful opponent just after entering the God Chapter? This is simply hellish difficulty."
Shaking his head, Zhao Duan felt exhausted and fell asleep.
……
There was no conversation that night, and the next day dawned.
At daybreak, the ministers who had come to attend court had already gathered at the Meridian Gate Square outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
In the past, ministers would arrive early, take a nap, or gather in groups of two or three to talk.
But today the atmosphere was obviously a little strange. Many eyes were cast on Chen Hong, the censor of the Censorate, accompanied by whispers.
It seemed that after the fermentation throughout the afternoon and evening of yesterday, the matter of Taicang Prefecture had spread.
"When His Majesty asks you questions later, just respond truthfully. If anything unexpected happens, don't talk nonsense." Yuan Li stood beside Chen Hong with his sleeves rolled up, and spoke in a low voice without looking away.
Censor Chen nodded quickly to show that he understood. Being appointed as Zhao Duan's deputy, he naturally knew the importance of today's morning court.
Yuan Li nodded and turned to look outside the Meridian Gate.
At this time, the big, cold and irritable "King of Hell" Ma Yan also walked in.
The relationship between the Imperial Court and all the other major government offices was hostile. Ma Yan usually went to court alone, and few people approached him. Today was no exception.
At this moment, the two sides looked at each other, nodded to each other, and continued to wait.
After a while, Li Yanfu arrived late.
The old Prime Minister of Dayu had a blank expression on his face. Unlike his usual drowsy appearance, today his back seemed to be straightened a little.
Following behind him were several members of the Li Party, all of them with serious expressions. When they saw the people from the Censorate, their eyes rubbed against each other in the air, as if sparks were created.
"when--"
The bell rang and all officials entered the court.
When all the ministers stood firmly in the Golden Palace, the empress, wearing a dragon robe, a pearl curtain crown on her head, and her majesty growing day by day, walked onto the dragon throne.
The eunuch next to him went through the procedures and asked if anyone wanted to make a statement.
Censor Chen Hong stepped aside, walked forward, holding the memorial in his hand, and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, the case of corruption at the Taicang Silver Mine has been investigated, and the offender, Linfeng Governor Gao Lian, was escorted to the capital yesterday..."
As the deputy envoy, he represented Zhao Duan in the court today.
Even though the news had already spread, the ministers were still shocked after hearing Chen Hong's complete version of the story, and there was some commotion in the palace.
Xu Zhenguan, sitting on the dragon throne, looked indifferent:
"The governor dared to commit numerous crimes and disregarded the dignity of the court. What do you think?"
The first sentence sets the tone, and the second sentence asks questions.
If it was an ordinary case, after the empress said this, the ministers should have followed the tone she set and taken the initiative to propose severe punishment, and then the empress would nod.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Li Yanfu stepped forward, cleared his throat, and said:
"I think this matter is very serious and involves a provincial governor. We should investigate it carefully or transfer officials from Taicang to Beijing to confirm that it is correct before making a judgment."
Taking action personally?
The officials present were shocked. Generally speaking, when it comes to a dispute, the censors within the party are arranged to speak first. The censors’ questioning is legitimate and there is also room for maneuver.
But this time, Li Yanfu was the first to jump out and express his position, which already shows a certain attitude.
"Haha, the Prime Minister is mature and prudent, and the idea of retrial is not wrong, but the word 'innocent' is a bit inappropriate," Yuan Li walked out with a smile, facing his old opponent, and talked freely:
"This time, Envoy Zhao went to Taicang to solve this major case. With all the witnesses' testimonies and evidence, there is no doubt about it. Gao Lian is already a criminal and cannot bear the name.
As for the verification, my Censorate has carefully examined the evidence yesterday and it is exactly as stated in the memorial. So there is no need to delay any further and the perpetrators should be punished as soon as possible. The majesty of the national law has been announced to the world. "You want to verify and re-examine?
No problem, I've checked it for you.
Li Yanfu raised his eyes to look at Yuan Qingyi and said:
"When investigating a case, we should avoid suspicion. This trip to Taicang was participated by Censor Chen. How can it be counted when the Censorate comes to investigate? Moreover, among the so-called evidence, is there a confession of Gao Lian's guilt? If not, it means there is doubt. How can a dignified governor convict him without allowing him to defend himself?"
You said you checked it, that's all? Do you understand avoiding suspicion?
Yuan Li sneered:
"What the Prime Minister said is wrong. Chen Hong was only an assistant in the Taicang trip. Why should our Censorate avoid suspicion? Yes, I heard that the Prime Minister and Zhao Duan are not on good terms and have many personal grudges. Could it be that the Prime Minister is questioning this case because it was Zhao Duan who solved it?
It's impossible. Is it because Gao Lian is from the same Jiangnan gentry family and is from the same hometown that he is protecting him?"
That's really harsh.
Before Li Yanfu could say anything, a member of the Li Party jumped out and started scolding Yuan Li, questioning his nonsense and falsely accusing court officials.
On the side of the Censorate, some censors also jumped out and fought back fiercely, criticizing Li Yanfu for taking revenge on personal grounds and preventing Zhao Duan from making achievements.
For a moment, there was noise in the Golden Palace.
The two camps are clearly divided.
Li Dang’s strategy is to “drag”, in order to lengthen the trial process. It would be best if he could go to Taicang a few more times to collect evidence, first to gain enough time for activities, and then find a way to rescue the person.
The Censorate advocated for a swift execution, stressing the importance of speed in war.
Finally, the empress reconciled the two sides and issued an order in a casual tone:
"This case will be handed over to the three courts for trial and the case will be investigated within ten days at the latest."
……
……
The imperial yamen, the governor's hall.
"So the result of the argument at the morning court was to send the person to the Ministry of Justice jail first? And then have the three courts hold a joint trial?" Zhao Duan asked in surprise, holding a piece of cake in his hand.
In the "meeting room" where the nine halls held meetings in the past.
After the court session, the governor Ma Yan returned to the yamen and sat in the main seat.
In the hall, besides Zhao Duan, there were also Zhang Han and Haitang who came to ask questions.
Zhao Duan rushed to the yamen early this morning and simply dealt with the trivial matters that had accumulated in Lihua Hall during this period.
Upon learning that Ma Yansan had returned from court, he ran over to inquire about the news.
"Well, if you want to convict the governor, even if you have evidence, according to national law, a retrial in the capital is necessary. Otherwise, it would be too easy for any imperial envoy to fabricate a false case."
Ma Yan explained: "So, Mr. Yuan's purpose is not to prevent the retrial, nor to prevent the three courts from hearing together, but to avoid procedural delays. Otherwise, it is not unprecedented for a case to be tried for half a year or a year."
Brother Xun once said something similar, which was that Chinese people like harmony the most. If they want to open a window, they would rather break down the house... Zhao Duan nodded to show his understanding.
Beside her, Haitang couldn't help but say:
"So, what will Li Yanfu do? Will he try to delay the case, or what? Pei Kaizhi from the Ministry of Justice has been removed, and Zhou Cheng from the Dali Temple has also been removed... It's impossible for them to lead the trial."
Ma Yan nodded, then shook his head and said:
"It is indeed difficult for Li Yanfu to take the lead, almost impossible, but this does not mean that they can't do anything. Never underestimate the strength of the 'Li Party'.
When Your Majesty removed Pei and Zhou, Li Yanfu did not fight to the death to protect them. This was not only a proactive concession, but also a retreat to advance. He sacrificed a big thing, but also protected the foundation...
You must not think that the so-called Li Party relies on those few pillar-like ministers. The reason why the Li Party makes Your Majesty wary is not because it has a few high-ranking officials, but because of the complex connections among the middle and low-level officials, many of whom are from the Jiangnan gentry!
For example, in the Ministry of Justice, Pei Kaizhi has fallen, but there are still a large number of Li Party officials in it. They may seem insignificant, but it is still these people who really do the work. "
Therefore, the subtext is that the Li Party seems to have lost several important members and has suffered a great loss of vitality, and it is indeed a great loss of vitality...but the foundation is still there...
The reason why Li Yanfu acquiesced in abandoning the pawn shows that the fall of Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng was not fatal.
Zhao Duan's heart trembled and he made note of this.
After several consecutive victories, he began to become disenchanted with Li Yanfu and even looked down on him... This was most likely an illusion.
Never underestimate the enemy!
"Okay, you go back first. If anything happens, I'll look for you later." Ma Yan said.
"Yes." Zhang Han and Haitang stood up and said goodbye.
However, Zhao Duan stayed, put on a smile, and rubbed his hands: "Um... Senior Brother..."
Ma Yan glanced at him and said calmly, "If you have to fart, just fart."
Tsk, he is really a lone minister with a bad temper. Even though my favor has increased, he still treats me harshly... He has a bad temper... Zhao Duan said with a smile:
"I want to ask you something about cultivation. Well, I recently finally entered the Six Chapters Sutra, and then I encountered the ancient sorceress in red clothes who smashed people's skulls with a scale... You are also practicing the martial god path, so you must have encountered it before, so I want to ask, how to deal with it?"
Ma Yan listened carefully at first and was ready to give some advice on cultivation, but after hearing the last part, he was stunned:
"Red Sorceress? What Sorceress?"
(End of this chapter)