sovbooks Chapter 33 Let's see who's more ruthless.
Chapter 33 Let's see who's more ruthless.
There's an old saying that officials in the capital are three ranks higher than those in the capital, and this is never an exaggeration.
In local areas, the Embroidered Uniform Guard could move officials below the fourth rank. However, in the capital, officials of the fifth rank and above could not be arrested, detained, or interrogated by the Northern Garrison Command without the emperor's special permission.
In the palace of the Dowager Empress, in a side hall.
Emperor Yankang sat at the head of the table with a smile, looking at Zhen Yingjia.
Zhen Yingjia leaned half his buttocks against the edge of the stool, his gaze not daring to meet the emperor's: "...In recent years, the Jiangnan region has enjoyed abundant harvests and favorable weather, all thanks to Your Majesty's benevolence and the mercy of Heaven, which has allowed the people of Jiangnan to live in peace."
Emperor Yankang smiled and continued, "Talent is the foundation of a good country, and Jiangnan has always been a land of outstanding talents. Keep an eye out for them for me, and if you come across any young talents of exceptional character, recommend one or two to share my burdens."
Zhen Yingjia quickly stood up: "The imperial court has established rules and regulations for selecting and employing officials, and I dare not speak presumptuously."
Emperor Yankang was not annoyed. He waved his hand and said, "Sit down, sit down. These are words between us, the emperor and his ministers, and will never be heard by outsiders. You are well aware of the current situation in the court. The imperial examinations and the selection of officials ultimately benefit them. I have no choice but to accept this."
As the saying goes, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; Zhen Yingjia dared not easily recommend talented individuals to the emperor. If the other party made a mistake in the future, he would inevitably suffer the consequences.
But you can't push back anymore.
Zhen Yingjia thought for a moment and said, "The Great Qian Empire has a vast territory and countless talented people, but the number of official positions is ultimately limited. When some people are promoted, others will naturally be promoted as well..."
Although he only said half of what he meant, Emperor Yankang immediately understood that this was an implication for him to reinstate the old officials.
Not all of these people were convicted of corruption; many were simply suppressed and dismissed due to political disagreements. Once reinstated, they can win over a large group of people and quickly cultivate a loyal following.
Thinking of this, Emperor Yankang was in a good mood. Just as he was about to speak, Dai Quan hurriedly walked in, holding the trial records, confessions, and testimonies.
"Your Majesty, the man has confessed!"
Emperor Yankang snatched the papers and carefully examined them one by one, his eyes growing brighter with each reading, his heart filled with admiration.
After reading it, Emperor Yankang exclaimed, "Well done, Liu Feng! Send him an imperial invitation immediately!"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Give him an extra blank driver's license."
"Yes." Dai Quan suppressed the turmoil in his heart, bowed, and withdrew.
Blank driving permit!
Zhen Yingjia, still standing, felt a sudden unease. In the more than one hundred years since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, blank driver's passes had been issued only a handful of times, and each issuance was in connection with a major, far-reaching case. Was this the beginning of a massive purge?
Also, could this Liu Feng be a disciple of Lin Ruhai, who was recently transferred to Beijing?
Emperor Yankang reviewed the case records again, patted them with satisfaction, and then remembered his earlier words. He looked up at the lost-in-thought Zhen Yingjia and asked, "How old is your second daughter this year?"
Zhen Yingjia's heart tightened. Had they set their sights on his daughter?
Not daring to show the slightest sign of surprise, she bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, my daughter is sixteen years old this year."
"sixteen......"
Emperor Yankang stroked his beard and nodded. "I think your daughter is excellent. Her appearance goes without saying, she is virtuous, open-minded, and acts properly and obediently... It's just a pity that my sons all have princesses, otherwise, I would have insisted on arranging a marriage between your children."
Zhen Yingjia was so frightened that he was about to kneel down when Emperor Yankang waved his hand: "Jinling is a long way away, and it is truly not easy for you to come to the capital... So, I will choose a good marriage for your daughter, firstly to bring good fortune to the Dowager Consort, and secondly so that she can often enter the palace to serve her and comfort the Dowager Consort's homesickness and loneliness. What do you think?"
Zhen Yingjia dared not utter a single objection and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.
Emperor Yankang stepped forward with a smile and patted Zhen Yingjia on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I will definitely choose a noble and outstanding man of similar age and social standing for her."
Zhen Yingjia understood that the emperor was reluctant to part with his own daughter, so he used the Zhen family's daughter to win over the powerful nobles.
Emperor Yankang was in high spirits and said to the chief eunuch on duty outside the palace, "Go tell the imperial kitchen to prepare dinner. I want to drink tonight."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Just put it here."
......................
Perhaps they had been living a comfortable life for too long, or perhaps they simply didn't take Liu Feng, the centurion of the Northern Garrison, seriously, the arrest of the clerk of the Armory Administration Department did not cause the slightest ripple.
After leaving their posts, the officials of the cabinet and the six ministries and nine ministers continued to feast, drink, and sing, completely unconcerned.
As night fell, the Hundred Household Office was brightly lit. The entire courtyard was filled with Imperial Guards squatting on the ground, each with a bowl in hand, arranged in rows according to their small flags, eating silently around a large basin full of vegetables.
When the Imperial Household Department sent the imperial warrant, everyone knew that a major case was going to happen tonight!
Major cases represent both merit and wealth.
All the Imperial Guards, whether they were veterans from the Hundred Household Offices or new recruits just transferred from the border army, couldn't help but glance at the prison.
At this moment, a carriage, completely covered up, stopped at the gate of the courtyard.
Li Shoutian was the one driving the carriage.
The prison was brightly lit, and there was no torture or instruments of torture. The clerk of the Military Arsenal sat on a prayer mat with his eyes closed, without saying a word.
Liu Feng tried everything to persuade him, but he didn't even lift an eyelid.
Wang Daniu couldn't hold back any longer and opened his mouth to curse, but Liu Feng stopped him.
Liu Feng glanced at the Director of the Arsenal Bureau, then turned and sat down in the chair opposite him.
Liu Feng: "You had a child late in life, and your family has had only one son for four generations, right?"
The clerk of the Arsenal only twitched his eyebrows, his eyes remained closed, and of course, he did not respond.
Wang Daniu couldn't hold back any longer: "Are you deaf? If you don't answer, I'll cut your tongue out!"
The clerk of the Arsenal slowly opened his eyes and looked at Wang Daniu: "If you cut out his tongue, he really won't be able to speak!"
Wang Daniu was so angry he wanted to hit someone.
Liu Feng raised his hand: "Go see if Li Shoutian has returned yet."
Wang Daniu snorted and walked out.
Liu Feng looked at the Director of the Arsenal Bureau: "I can't be sure if I can save you if you tell the truth, but your family can be spared the suffering of exile."
The Director of the Arsenal Bureau: "What information do you require?"
Liu Feng: "You're a sensible person. Things have come to this point, and those people behind you can't protect you anymore. If you tell the truth, the Emperor will clean up corruption, reclaim the Ministry of War, and your family will be pardoned—everyone will be happy. Then I'll plead with the Emperor on your behalf..."
The clerk of the Imperial Arsenal suddenly laughed.
Liu Feng was taken aback: "What are you laughing at?"
The Director of the Arsenal Administration said, "I laugh at your naiveté! You really think that by telling me, you can protect your family? You are sorely mistaken; it will only bring about the extermination of your entire family."
Liu Feng's face darkened: "Aren't you afraid the Emperor will exterminate your entire family?"
The Director of the Arsenal Administration said, "The court has laws; whichever law is violated, that law will be dealt with accordingly. Without solid evidence, at most I will be dismissed and exiled to the army."
Liu Feng stared at him: "This is the Northern Garrison Command. Whether you have evidence or not, I'll still kill you!"
The clerk of the Imperial Arsenal smiled and said, "I believe that. Whatever severe punishment you have, just kill me. In my next life, I will surely repay your kindness and serve you like a dog or a horse." After saying that, he closed his eyes.
Liu Feng stared at him intently for a long time, his anger finally reaching its peak. He said coldly, "Fine, you want to play dirty, huh? Then I'll play along and see who's tougher!" He then turned and shouted sharply, "Has Li Shoutian returned yet?"
"Your subordinate is here!" Li Shoutian rushed in.
Liu Feng looked behind him: "Where is everyone?"
Li Shoutian: "Outside the door."
Liu Feng: "Bring him in."
Li Shoutian waved his hand: "Bring him in."
Two figures, one tall and one short, walked in.
"master!"
"Father!"
The clerk of the Arsenal suddenly opened his eyes and was completely stunned!
At the entrance, a woman, holding a young boy's hand, looked anxiously at the Director of the Arsenal Bureau.
"Daddy! I want Daddy!" The boy struggled to go forward, but the woman quickly hugged him tightly.
The clerk of the Arsenal's Purification Department suddenly stood up: "Who told you to bring them here! Don't you even understand the basic principle of not punishing family members?!"
Liu Feng stood up with a laugh: "Now you're talking to me about rules? When you were embezzling military pay, where were you? You used inferior goods, withheld weapons, and caused border soldiers to lose their lives. Where were you then? Someone like you dares to talk to me about rules?"
The clerk of the Arsenal's Purification Department turned pale: "You, you..."
"Stop using 'you'!"
Liu Feng pointed, "Your wife and child are all here. If you don't talk, we'll send you all down to reunite right now!"
The boy cried loudly in fright, while the woman, pale-faced, struggled to hold back her tears. She clung tightly to her son, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness, pleadingly looking at her husband.
The clerk of the Imperial Arsenal was dumbfounded. He had planned everything, but he never expected Liu Feng to be so shameless and unruly.
In truth, Liu Feng didn't want to do this from the bottom of his heart, but the emperor had sent him a blank travel permit, leaving him no way out!
After a long silence from the clerk in charge of the armory, Liu Feng lost his patience and waved his hand: "Take him away and behead him."
"Master! Master..."
The woman's knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground, tightly embracing her son. Tears welled in her eyes as she pleaded, "Sir, please save my child! I beg you!"
The clerk of the Imperial Arsenal Department trembled.
Liu Feng gave Li Shoutian a wink.
Li Shoutian understood and reached out to grab the boy.
"Master! Master..."
"Father!"
Just as Li Shoutian snatched the boy away, the clerk of the Arsenal's Purification Department suddenly shouted, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, as if he had lost his soul, completely devoid of any remaining energy...