Chapter 415: Such a Cheap Duke
Chapter 415: What a Cheap Duke (asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month)
"My Lord, we have arrived at the foot of the Imperial City."
Hearing the call of his personal coachman, Cao Mao, who was leaning against the carriage and dozing off, opened his eyes.
After all, he is getting older. Even though he always appears to be full of energy, his increasingly exhausted energy can never be compared with that of young people.
Attending court in the dead of winter was undoubtedly a tough job for him.
Cao Mao was dressed in his best today. Not only was he wearing a military officer's robe, but he also had a golden belt given by the late emperor tied around his waist. Eleven pieces of jade were inlaid on the belt, showing that he was of extraordinary status.
He moved his body, refused the driver's help, and got off the car on his own using a small stool.
The boots stepped on the shallow snow, and the cold wind penetrated into the body through the bones.
Cao Mao adjusted his belt, opened an umbrella, and walked toward the doorway.
Even the Duke who is in charge of a region still looks insignificant compared to the towering archways and majestic city gates.
When he arrived outside the Meridian Gate, the officials of the court were already gathered in groups of three or four waiting.
Everyone was holding paper umbrellas to keep out the snow, and when they saw Cao Mao coming, the discussions stopped for a moment and everyone cast complicated glances at him.
"Gong Cao Guo."
"Gong Cao Guo is here."
Someone said hello.
Cao Mao nodded and glanced at the crowd.
Prime Minister Li Yanfu stood in a sheltered place, with his sleeves rolled up and his eyes closed as if he was taking a nap, and he looked like he had no intention of getting involved in any fight today - Li Dang's intention to spend a good year in peace was almost written on his face.
Privy Councilor Xue Shence had a blank expression on his face and stood like a javelin. Both of them were military generals, so they nodded to each other as a hello.
"Mr. Yuan, how are you?" Cao Mao walked towards Yuan Li, who was standing next to a white marble pillar with an umbrella, and greeted him lightly.
Yuan Li smiled and nodded: "The Duke looks rosy and in good health."
Cao Mao said with a fake smile:
"I'm not dead yet. At least some rumors won't disturb my spirit. If Mr. Yuan has any opinions about me, you can tell me directly."
Yuan Li looked surprised: "Why did Duke Cao say that?"
Cao Mao's eyelids drooped, and he wanted to speak, when suddenly a whirlwind came over, and Yuan Li moved aside to make room for him.
Cao Mao glanced at him, turned around and stood shoulder to shoulder with the leader of the Qingliu Party, and then said:
"In the past few days, the censors under the Censorate have been impeaching me repeatedly. You must be aware of this."
Yuan Li sighed softly, showing helplessness:
"Duke Cao has misunderstood. The Censorate is not a military camp, and the capital is not Jubei City. How can I, a censor, have the final say in the north? Haha, it would be better if the censors under my command were as obedient as the Duke's soldiers."
"..." Cao Mao's nose was not a nose, and his eyes were not eyes. He always felt that Yuan Qingyi's words were secretly mocking him.
But there is no evidence!
Especially the sentence "The capital city is not the northern city", which brought back some bad memories for him.
"Hmph, censors shouldn't speak nonsense." After a moment's silence, Cao Mao still said something in a sarcastic tone.
Yuan Li said seriously: "Duke Cao will say the same thing in the palace later."
As they had nothing to say, both of them lost interest in the conversation.
In the silence, amidst the falling snow, the sound of dull bells could be heard.
The ministers entered the palace.
……
Cao Mao followed the crowd, walking up the white marble steps from the square to the Golden Palace.
The hall was still not very warm, but it was much better than the cold wind outside.
The umbrellas in the hands of the ministers were also placed neatly at the door.
While waiting for the empress to arrive, Cao Mao was surprised to find that there were many more unfamiliar faces in the court, while many of the officials he was familiar with had quietly disappeared.
It was only a year, and although Cao Mao had heard of turmoil in the court many times, he was still moved when he saw with his own eyes that things and people had changed.
"His Majesty is here!"
A figure wearing a dragon robe walked up to the dragon throne from behind.
"I will see you, Your Majesty!"
"Everyone, please stand up." Xu Zhenguan was wearing a dragon robe and a crown on his head. The pearl curtain hanging from his forehead covered most of his face.
The fairy-like beauty now had a mysterious majesty.
She looked down at the ministers in the palace and said calmly:
"It snowed heavily today. I didn't want to make you all so tired, but... I heard recently that there are many complaints in the capital. The people have spread the word that the court is unfair in handling cases, and many censors have repeatedly impeached... Therefore, today's court meeting will clarify the whole story. Duke Cao, what do you think?"
Cao Mao was called, but he was not panicked at all. He stepped out of the team and bowed, saying:
"I have a clear conscience and I am just trying to clarify this matter."
"Okay," the empress nodded, turned her bright eyes to the censor, and said:
"Censor Chen Hong, since you are the first to impeach the Duke, you should make your statement in public so that the officials in the palace can understand clearly."
"Yes!"
Censor Chen stepped out of the line and, as if he had been prepared, took out a thick letter from his sleeve, held it in both hands, and without opening it, he recited the contents of the impeachment.
The words were harsh and directed directly at Cao Mao.
The content starts with rumors among the people, then goes to the Dali Temple to accept cases, visits to many censors in the Censorate, and retrieval of official documents that were rejected from the North City and submitted to the capital in the past. It is analyzed in detail and every word is precious.
Impeachment of Duke Anguo Cao Mao for indulging his descendants, causing chaos and oppressing military families. After the incident, Duke Anguo covered up and whitewashed the incident, fabricated content, and misled the court.
The ministers in the hall had different expressions on their faces, especially Chen Hong, who mentioned many charges in his memorial that were not in the rumors outside, which was even more surprising.
"What nonsense!"
Cao Maoqiang suppressed his anger and listened to the end, then he immediately spoke loudly:
"Your Majesty, what Censor Chen said is mostly false and exaggerated. I have also investigated the public discussions in recent days. Not to mention that there are many falsehoods and the intention to slander an old minister is not concealed. Just to say that the rumor spread quickly and appeared suddenly, it is weird everywhere.
I believe that this rumor was spread maliciously by someone. I am afraid it was done by the rebels in the capital. Their purpose is nothing more than to ruin the reputation of the court and me, and to alienate the kindness between the emperor and his subjects. I hope Your Majesty can distinguish right from wrong and restore my good name!"
Rebel party?
When the ministers heard this, they grinned slightly and thought to themselves, Duke Cao, you have really been away for too long and are out of touch with the current situation in the capital.
The rebels in the capital were all beaten up by the man named Zhao. Now even three-year-old kids are looking for someone to take the blame, and they all know that they can’t put the blame on the rebels.
Censor Chen was even more excited than him and shouted:
"Your Majesty! There is no rumor without foundation! Now, everyone in the capital, from the market to the court, is talking about Cao Mao's scandal. The public opinion is overwhelming and cannot be ignored!"
Cao Mao was so angry that his nose almost crooked, and he thought to himself why the public opinion outside was so overwhelming. You guys understand the psychology better than anyone else.
Sitting on the dragon throne, the empress said calmly:
"Whether the rumor is true or not, it is not possible to prove it with words. Dali Temple Junior Official Lu Zhi, please tell us about the case."
Inside the hall, Lu Zhi, who had been hiding in the crowd, walked out. Given his rank, he could not attend court unless there was a grand meeting.
Although he was not used to it, he still said loudly:
"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have personally examined the Northern Blood Knife case these past two days and verified from many sources. I have confirmed that there is indeed something fishy in the previous verdict. The person who defiled the eighteenth wife of the criminal General Lang is suspected to be the son of Duke Cao..."
"You are slandering me!" Cao Mao was furious. He didn't know Lu Zhi, so he pointed at him and cursed, "How dare you slander me?"
"Duke Cao! Please listen to Shaoqing Lu's explanation of the case." The empress's high and cold voice came from behind the pearl curtain.
Yuan Li also made up for it at the right time, saying quietly:
"Duke Cao, this is the Golden Palace, not the military camp of Jubei City. Even if Your Majesty is kind and doesn't mind, it is still inappropriate to yell like this."
Cao Mao was choked and had to shut up.
Lu Zhi was a stubborn man and did not give him the slightest face. He immediately stated on the spot what he had found out from his investigation, one item at a time.
Just as Lang Shiba said in prison, many people knew about this matter, and Cao Mao did not handle it properly back then.
It was simply because no one in the entire court was willing to offend Duke Cao for an inexplicable lieutenant general.
That's why he turned a blind eye and acquiesced to the official document sent from Ju Beicheng.
Now, under Yuan Li's control, the relevant chain of evidence can be easily found. As Lu Zhi made his statement, the atmosphere in the hall became depressing and dull.
Even though all the court officials were experienced politicians, when they heard about what Cao Mao and his son had done, they felt ashamed in their hearts even though they didn't say it on their faces.
Cao Mao's face became increasingly ugly, with beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead. He finally realized that something was wrong.
As he had expected, the empress wanted to use this matter to criticize him and would definitely give him a way out. Cao Mao was even prepared that he would admit to some of the lesser charges in the impeachment.
In this way, it is equivalent to expressing submission, and the empress can accept it if she finds a crime and punishes him once.
But from the beginning of the court session, the empress did not give him any way out, and instead acted as if she was going to convict him.
"His Majesty!"
Finally, after Lu Zhi finished his statement, Cao Mao took a deep breath and suppressed his excitement.
He forced himself to calm down, bowed his hands and looked towards the dragon throne, and said loudly:
“Your Majesty, I don’t know how this so-called investigation by Mr. Lu was conducted, and where did the so-called evidence come from.
I only know that Lang Shiba rioted in the military camp a few years ago, assassinated his superiors, injured and killed several of his comrades, and was later arrested by military law. He violently resisted the law and killed many people...
There is ironclad evidence for all of this! How can such criminals have any comradeship in their eyes? How can they have any respect for the law and military regulations?
Even if we take a step back, there may be some justifiable reasons for him to kill someone, but military law is ruthless! This person violated military law and should be beheaded according to the law, and be punished according to the law! How can the so-called injustice of such a disloyal and unjust person, a great traitor and a great evil person, be believed?
Or, are Lu Shaoqing and Chen Yushi trying to plead for the lives of these criminal generals in the army? To overturn the verdict?
Haha, if this news spreads to the army, how will the soldiers view it? If they find out that you sympathize with a madman who kills his fellow soldiers, won’t it further undermine the prestige of the court? "
Cao Mao was alert!
After realizing that the atmosphere was not right, he immediately overturned his original plan to compromise and did not refute the evidence presented by Lu Zhi - those things were difficult to refute without verification.
Therefore, he wisely chose to turn the tide and stated Lang Shiba's crimes.
And tied the case to the military's morale.
However, before Cao Mao could continue speaking, Xue Shence, who had been silent in the crowd, suddenly stepped out.
The Great Yu "Military God" said calmly: "Your Majesty, I have a report on military affairs. I implore Your Majesty to summon Tang Ping, the military officer of the Shenji Camp, and Tang Zhao, the lieutenant general of the Northwest Frontier Army, to enter the palace."
Cao Mao was stunned.
The empress nodded slightly: "Announce."
Immediately a eunuch went out to pass on the message, and soon a hole was torn in the palace door, allowing the pale skylight and sporadic snow to come in.
Tang Zhao and Tang Ping, brother and sister, entered the Golden Palace respectfully. They appeared extremely reserved and bowed to the empress.
The young master took out a thick "book" from his arms and said:
“Your Majesty, in the past few days, rumors about Lang Eighteen have been spreading wildly among the Beijing army. The soldiers in the army expressed deep sympathy for the fate of the Northern Blood Blade, and were very indignant when they learned that he was imprisoned.
Therefore, the generals in the army jointly wrote a letter, begging me to present the "Ten Thousand Army Letter" to Your Majesty, begging Your Majesty to show your grace and re-examine this case to comfort the tens of thousands of soldiers in the Beijing camp!" As they spoke, the brother and sister each grabbed a thick, folded silk cloth and spread it out to both sides.
"Crash-"
Then, a "petition" several meters long, with a white silk background, covered with ink names and interspersed with red handprints, was presented to the public.
There was a brief silence, and then the entire Golden Throne Hall was in an uproar.
Li Yanfu, who did not interfere at all, raised his eyelids, looked at the empress sitting on the dragon throne with a complicated expression, sighed softly, closed his eyes again, and sighed in his heart: What a good trick.
On the surface, this drama seems to provide an excuse for retrial of the case, but its real intention is to shut up some people who question the court's leniency towards criminal generals.
After all, the law is beyond human nature.
Only with a joint petition from the military could the empress's reputation be preserved, or even enhanced, and this fatal move against Duke Cao be launched.
In other words, this drama is not for the officials in the court, but for the military and civilians all over the world.
This move was not only a natural move to attack Cao Mao, but also an opportunity to capture the soldiers' loyalty to the empress.
"You...you..." Cao Maoru was struck by lightning. Although he held all the power in the north, was used to being domineering and doing many extraordinary things, it did not mean that he was stupid.
At this time, how could he not realize that this was simply a trap?
Does the empress want to exchange herself for a reputation as a good emperor in the hearts of the soldiers?
"Duke Cao," the empress stood up from the dragon throne and cast a cold gaze at him, instantly cooling his anger:
"Now, not only the people but also the army have petitioned. Although I trust you, in order to set the record straight, I will immediately hand this case over to the three courts for trial. Are you willing?"
Cao Mao was silent for a moment, then he grinned, revealing a hint of self-deprecation:
"My lord, I am willing!"
Xu Zhenguan nodded with satisfaction and looked down at his ministers:
"In that case, let's end today's meeting here."
The eunuch next to him raised his neck and shouted:
"Retreat!"
……
……
The court meeting ended in a strange atmosphere. All officials left one after another. Cao Mao walked at the front without looking back.
He did not waste time arguing with Yuan Li and others, but ran hurriedly out of the imperial city.
As soon as he was out of the Imperial City Gate, he immediately opened the curtain, got into the carriage, and growled in the surprised eyes of the coachman:
"Return home immediately! Right now! Right now!"
The carriage sped along in the heavy snow, leaving two clear tracks outside the majestic imperial city.
Not long after, the master and servant returned to the Duke's Mansion. Cao Mao got off the car impatiently, then hurried into the house with a sullen face.
"Duke? What are you doing..." The steward in the mansion was shocked when he saw his expression.
"Ask Ke Di to come see me!"
Duke Cao, with graying temples and deep nasolabial folds, said expressionlessly.
After saying this, he rolled up his sleeves, went straight to the back hall, and drove away the concubine who came to greet him.
Cao Mao entered the house, took off his hat angrily and threw it on the table, not caring at all that his snow-covered boots left stains on the expensive knitted carpet.
"Godfather, are you looking for me?" Cao Kedi pushed open the door and asked carefully.
Cao Mao's face was as gloomy as water. He stared at his adopted son with eyes as deep as a wolf's:
"Your Majesty is going to do something serious. You should go out immediately, take my badge, and invite the nobles and royal family members in the city to come to your house."
He wants to fight back!
Although he was in the capital and had no soldiers, he could still ask the nobles and royal family members who had formed an alliance with him to take action.
Mediate in the temple.
"What?" Cao Kedi's face changed drastically, and he looked terrified. "What should I do?"
Cao Mao glanced at him with dissatisfaction:
"Why are you panicking? Humph, if Your Majesty had really made up his mind, he would have sent officials to arrest my father by now. But she didn't do that. Instead, she just seized the opportunity to overturn the verdict. This shows that things haven't reached the worst situation yet.
Your Majesty is not crazy. She doesn't dare to risk losing Jubei City by killing me, but I can't let them lead me by the nose. Go immediately and don't talk nonsense. "
The voice just fell.
Suddenly, the father and son in the room heard a commotion outside, accompanied by a roar of shock and anger:
"What are you going to do?"
"This is the Duke's Mansion!"
The father and son looked at each other and had a bad feeling.
……
at the same time.
Outside the main gate of the Duke's Mansion, a large number of officials dressed in brocade robes and with swords hanging from their waists swarmed in on horseback. They did not try to blockade the entire house, but just rushed to the gate of the Duke's Mansion in a large crowd.
The leader was none other than the "little expert in breaking into doors" Hou Renmeng. This large group of officials almost mobilized the entire Lihua Hall.
Behind the team, in a carriage in the wide street.
Zhao Duan did not rush to get out of the car, but watched quietly as his men started to break down the door, and then as expected, they clashed with the guards of the Duke's Mansion.
"How many soldiers can a mere Duke's Mansion have? As long as Duke Cao and Cao Kedi don't take action, there is no need for so many people."
The young secretary Qian Kerou was standing by, her round buttocks only half touching the seat, and she couldn't help but speak as she watched the scene outside.
"What do you know? This is called psychological warfare."
Zhao Duan looked lazy. He had been here for a long time and had been waiting nearby until Duke Cao came back from court before summoning people to break the door:
"If we want to capture him at the lowest cost, this may be the best way. Hmm, where's the wine? Give me a sip."
The secretary said "oh", then obediently took out the wine naan, pulled out the cork with a "pop", and handed it to the lazy guy Zhao.
The wine was warm, slid down the throat, and had an average taste.
"Yellow wine is better when it is heated. It is much worse when it is warm, and it is worse than horse urine when it is cold." Zhao Duan commented with emotion.
After stuffing the wine naan back into the secretary's hands, he stretched his arms, stretched his waist, and stepped off the carriage:
"Let's go, it's time to meet this Duke."
The young secretary followed behind him swiftly, opened a fur coat with both hands, and put it on Zhao Duan.
The long cloak dragged on the ground, leaving clear traces on the white snow.
Zhao Duan stepped over the threshold and walked straight inside. All obstacles along the way were cleared. When he stepped into the courtyard, he finally saw the two parties confronting each other.
Hou Renmeng and other soldiers in brocade clothes held steel knives in their hands and lined up in a large circle, like a pack of wolves surrounding them.
Those who were surrounded included a few elite guards and the butler, who was lying on the ground wailing with his swollen face, and had several of his teeth knocked out by a scabbard of some unknown brocade man.
And, Duke Anguo Cao Mao, whose face looked like a volcano about to erupt.
Cao Ke Di stood one step behind him, showing no fear.
"Tsk tsk, how did you get into this state? Old Hou, what did I tell you? You should handle cases in a refined manner. You guys, when I wasn't paying attention, just messed around. What a disgrace!"
Zhao Duan walked over with an unhappy tone.
"Crash-"
The Jinyi officers who had blocked Duke Cao and others like an iron barrel tacitly parted ways like the tide and made way for them.
Zhao Duan, wearing a fox fur cloak, an official hat and an official robe, walked leisurely in the courtyard, followed by a round-faced little secretary.
He glanced at the whole audience, frowned, and waved his hand:
"Put away your knives! This is disgraceful! I'll show you how I'll deal with you when we get back!"
"Swipe brush-"
The soldiers in brocade robes sheathed their swords at the same time in a coordinated manner, and an indescribable aura filled the air.
"Godfather, this person is Zhao Duan." Cao Kedi reminded softly.
Cao Mao was still wearing the robe of a noble duke that he had worn when attending court, and the golden belt around his waist shone brightly.
However, at this moment, the general who held military power was standing in the snow, his body trembling slightly.
Cao Mao stared at Zhao Duan and squeezed out the words: "You, want to rebel?"
Zhao Duan smiled and looked at the northern tiger calmly:
"Duke Cao, you are joking. This is the Emperor's territory. We are his guards. How can we be associated with rebellion?"
Cao Mao's chest rose and fell violently, and he stared at him with deep eyes:
"You openly break into the residence of the Duke of this dynasty with force, Mr. Zhao, do you think that I dare not kill you?"
The moment these words were spoken, without any warning, Cao Mao suddenly reached out and pulled out the sword he had been holding when he ran out of the house.
"Qiang!"
The sword was unsheathed, and in full view of everyone, the old duke raised his hand and threw it out.
At this distance, the sword was almost like a powerful crossbow, whistling through the wind towards Zhao Duan's heart.
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes, stretched out his right hand like lightning, and suddenly pinched the tip of the sword with his thumb and index finger.
His right hand was covered with a faint glow, and his fingers rubbed against the tip of the sword, making a sharp "squeak" sound.
The kinetic energy of the sword was transmitted along his arms, shoulders, spine, lower body... all the way to his feet, creating a circle of snow around his black boots.
Zhao Duan held the tip of the sword with one hand, still with a smile on his face.
He slowly lifted the sword suspended in mid-air horizontally with both hands, lowered his head, and rubbed his fingers admiringly over the shiny sword that almost reflected his face, and exclaimed:
"What a sword!"
Zhao Duan raised his head and casually inserted the long sword into the bluestone floor tiles under his feet. With a "puff", the brick and stone floor was cut open like tofu, and the sword body sank an inch into the snow.
The hilt of the sword was still shaking slightly.
He stared at Cao Mao, the smile on his face slowly faded: "What a cheap duke."
……
Thanks to: There is a place called Penglai for the 5,000 points reward support
(End of this chapter)