Chapter 462 I accuse Xu Jie of three major crimes!
Longevity Palace.

Whether inside or outside the hall, there was silence.

Everyone looked at the figure standing between light and darkness at the gate of the palace.

The location of Hai Rui Station is very interesting.

It's hard to guess whether he did it intentionally or unintentionally.

Just right.

At this moment, Hai Rui was standing under the door of the palace, where the light from outside shone into the palace but was blocked by the darkness inside.

In this way, his back was in the light, while his front was dark.

A scene full of meaning.

People's sight also began to become vague.

Let's think about this now.

When was the last time a court official directly attacked and impeached a cabinet minister?
It was Shen Lian who impeached Yan Song and listed ten charges against him.

It was Yang Jisheng who submitted a memorial discussing Yan Song's ten crimes and five treachery.

Although Shen Lian and Yang Jisheng were killed one after another.

But you have to know that at that time, everyone in the court was aiming to impeach Yan Song.

now?

Yan Song and the Yan family still controlled the Ming Dynasty court as firmly as a rock, and there were not many officials in the court who would impeach them.

And today.

When there was no obvious struggle in the court, Hai Rui brazenly impeached the second-in-command Xu Jie in public.

Can he accomplish anything?

Although Hai Rui had not said anything yet, people were already wondering whether the former could be impeached successfully.

On the throne behind the pearl curtain.

Jiajing's expression was very interesting.

He did not look at Hai Rui who was loudly impeaching Xu Jie, but instead glanced at Yan Song who was sitting on a soft stool with his head lowered.

He seemed to be wondering whether his prime minister and officials from the Yan family were involved.

But this glance was short-lived.

Then there was a hint of displeasure in his eyes.

Correct.

Just unhappy.

He looked unhappily at the deputy assistant Xu Jie who nodded his head.

If Yan Shaoting was present today and happened to see the old Taoist priest's reaction, he would definitely understand what the old Taoist priest was thinking.

Without him.

At this time, the old Taoist priest had already begun to pursue stability.

Today, Xu Jie can be impeached by Hai Rui, especially since the latter is known as a loyal minister, so it doesn’t matter whether Xu Jie has done anything bad or not.

Because he must have made mistakes as an official.

Otherwise, why would Hai Rui target him?
Even if he is innocent, as long as he is targeted by someone like Hai Rui, does that mean that Xu Jie has done nothing wrong?

and so.

This trouble was caused by Xu Jie.

Instead of Hai Rui.

After a while, Jiajing looked up at Hai Rui who was standing between light and darkness.

"Hai Rui."

Hai Rui raised his head and said, "I am here."

Jiajing smiled and said, "When you first came to Beijing, I appointed you as governor of Yingtian and other 12 prefectures because of your loyalty. I summoned you back to Beijing this time so that I can entrust you with important tasks."

"Your Majesty's grace in selecting me will never be forgotten. I will serve the country loyally for as long as I am an official in this life, so as not to disappoint the emperor and the people's expectations!"

Hai Rui answered with full energy.

Jiajing smiled again and waved his hand to point at Xu Jie who was standing at the front of the hall.

He asked Hai Rui, "However, the newly appointed Third-Rank Right Vice-Chief Censor and Northern Zhili Provincial Surveillance Commissioner dared to impeach the Second Assistant Minister in the court. Aren't you afraid of being criticized by the officials in the court, or that the Second Assistant Minister will suppress you?"

As soon as these words came out.

Hai Rui didn't move yet.

Xu Jie's face changed drastically. He hurriedly stepped forward holding his tablet and bowed.

"I am terrified."

But Hai Rui still held his proud head high.

"Your Majesty, I was raised by my mother, supported by the people around me, and promoted by your majesty. I don't know what's so terrible about impeaching a cabinet minister for the sake of the Ming Dynasty!"

After hearing Hai Rui's answer, Jiajing did not rush to speak, but looked at the ministers in front of him.

He smiled and said, "Did you hear everything?"

As the Prime Minister, Yan Song slowly raised his head and said, "Hai Rui's loyalty is known to everyone in the government and the public. If it weren't for this, Your Majesty would not have been kind to him."

Jiajing restrained his expression and said in a deep voice: "You all think that Hai Rui is an unsympathetic person and someone you cannot get along with. But I think he is the most sympathetic person. If it were someone else, they would only talk about my appreciation for his selection and forget the kindness of their parents and the people who raised them! But he..."

Jiajing waved his hand and pointed at Hai Rui, who was standing at the gate of the palace and was being gradually enveloped by the sunlight from the rising sun outside.

"But Hai Rui knows and remembers, and he never forgets the billions of people in this world of mine!"

This is very interesting.

Even Xu Jie, who had already stood up to express his fear, frowned.

At this time, Jiajing looked at Hai Rui and said slowly, "Hai Rui, you said you want to impeach the deputy prime minister for three major crimes. Then please speak in front of everyone. I think... the deputy prime minister would also like to listen."

When Xu Jie was called, he could only raise his head and smile awkwardly: "I bow my head and listen to you respectfully."

But Hai Rui, who had originally wanted to impeach Xu Jie with sharp words, felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Because from the emperor's words, he seemed to understand that the emperor was unlikely to deal with Xu Jie.

But things have come to this point.

Hai Rui couldn't care less.

He immediately coughed lightly and took out a memorial from his arms that he had prepared in Huitong Hall yesterday.

Lu Fang was already prepared. As soon as he saw Hai Rui take out the impeachment memorial, he immediately walked to the palace gate, took the memorial away and presented it to the emperor.

Hai Rui finally spoke in a deep voice at this time: "Your Majesty, I impeach the Second Assistant Xu Jie for three major crimes. First, Xu Jie has been an official for many years. Since he entered the government in the second year of Jiajing, the Xu family of Huating in Songjiang Prefecture has begun to exploit the county residents. At that time, Xu Jie was a low-ranking official with little power, so he was not a threat. Then in March of the 31st year of Jiajing, the emperor's favor was revealed. Xu Jie entered the cabinet and became an assistant minister. The Xu family of Huating in Songjiang Prefecture was like a family that had risen to prominence overnight. In just over ten years, it has been found that the Xu family of Huating has hundreds of thousands of acres of land and tens of thousands of tenants. "The family is in Songjiang, and they are also known as the "Half-Fu Xu Family". They also stole the Songjiang cotton cloth that the people of the prefecture were engaged in, and took it as their family property. In the 40th year of Jiajing, the imperial court reformed and promoted the transformation of rice to mulberry and cotton to mulberry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Suddenly, cotton farmers in Songjiang and Suzhou prefectures attacked the government. Because the Xu family's private interests were damaged, they encouraged the tenants in their families to resist the government and national policies. Xu Jie was under the emperor's grace, but he never thought about the country or pleaded for the people. He only knew how to exploit the people, turning good families into tenants and turning thousands of families' fields into the land of one family. He was really a pest of the country, and this was his biggest crime!"

Inside the Wanshou Palace, Hai Rui's resounding voice struck people's ears wave after wave.

As the person involved, Xu Jie's face turned red. As soon as Hai Rui came up, the first major crime he impeached was that Xu Jie and his family had occupied the land of the people in Songjiang Prefecture.

Everyone's heart moved.

As expected, Hai Rui was recalled to the capital to serve as the governor of Yingtian this time. His purpose was to clear out the land that had been occupied by wealthy families in various parts of Jiangnan over the years.

originally.

According to common sense, when Hai Rui impeached Xu Jie, someone inside or outside the Wanshou Palace would have come forward to debate with him.

After all, Lord Xu does have his own subordinates.

But the problem with nostalgia is what the emperor just said.

What does it mean that Hai Rui knows and remembers the common people?
At this time, Hai Rui's impeachment was still related to the issue of the people's land being occupied. If they come out to debate again, does it mean that they did the same thing?

Just as Hai Rui took a breath, everyone fell silent.

Yan Shifan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, who was in charge of the Ministry of Justice, stood up.

Just when everyone was still wondering what Yan Shifan was going to do by running out at this time.

Yan Shifan looked at Hai Rui with a sullen face, "Hai Rui! Do you know how serious this impeachment is? Lord Xu has been in the court for decades, and has worked in the cabinet for more than ten years. If he and the Xu family really did this, is it possible that no one in Songjiang Prefecture and Nanzhili knew about it all these years? Are you going to convict the current minister just for such a casual remark?"

When Yan Shifan finished speaking, Xu Jie's face turned dark.

I know that Yan Shifan is up to no good!
Hai Rui sneered and said, "Your Majesty, after I took office as the governor of Yingtian, I have found out that the Xu family of Huating in Songjiang Prefecture has occupied a total of 240,000 mu of farmland from the people of this prefecture over the years. A total of more than 30,000 people have become tenants of the Xu family and have no choice but to rely on the Xu family for their livelihood. The governor-general and minister of maritime affairs, Zhang Juzheng, can be the real one here!"

After reporting a specific number that had been verified by Zhang Juzheng.

Hai Rui looked around at the officials in the hall who were hesitant to speak and sneered in his heart.

The reason why I asked Zhang Juzheng to investigate Songjiang Prefecture was for this moment today!
These people would not doubt the figures found by Xu Jie, a former student of the cabinet minister.

Subsequently.

Hai Rui looked at Yan Shifan again, and said with a serious face, "Since the Ministry of Justice has already stepped forward to inquire about this matter, I also have something to say. I am making this impeachment. As the Left Vice Minister said, the Xu family's deeds over the years in Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, and even Nanzhili must have known about it, but why has no one in the court said anything so far? It is because the local officials have protected each other! Therefore, I dare to suggest that the Ministry of Justice should investigate all the officials in Huating County, Songjiang Prefecture, and Nanjing. Anyone who has been involved in protecting the Xu family in Huating County, whether retired or not, should be investigated thoroughly and held accountable! If they are dead, their family members should be deprived of their preferential treatment and posthumous titles!"

There was another pause in the hall.

Good guy!
This time, Hai Rui not only wanted to impeach and overthrow Xu Jie, but also wanted to hold accountable those who had served as officials in Huating County and Songjiang Prefecture in the past.

This is going to catch everyone in one fell swoop!
Don’t even think about dying!
Yan Shifan suppressed his laughter, his face gloomy, and snorted coldly: "You have no right to say how this department does things! When you enter the Ministry of Justice, come back to lecture this department. But if anyone in the court is breaking the law, this department will definitely investigate it thoroughly, regardless of whether he has retired or not, he will be held accountable!"

After saying this, Yan Shifan retreated.

His trip was purely to cause trouble for Xu Jie, and at the same time to help Hai Rui find out what Xu Jie had done and how much land he had occupied.

Hai Rui did not react to Yan Shifan's words.

He continued to bow and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say. Xu Jie is a hypocritical, two-faced, and fickle villain. I still remember that in the past, Xu Jie and his followers submitted a memorial to the court to discuss that the court should not build large-scale buildings and palaces. However, the Xu family of Huating in Songjiang Prefecture built large houses in the local area, and the children of the family were squandering. In terms of government affairs, since the 40th year of Jiajing, there have been many new policies in the court. Before Zhang Juzheng took office as the prefect of Shuntian, he submitted a memorial to the court to reform and innovate. His original intention was to seek national prosperity, but he was suppressed and criticized by Xu Jie and others. By comparing his first crime with this, we can know that this person has no regard for the country in his heart, only for personal gain. Stealing the benefits of the country, not his family, deserves his second crime!"

This one doesn't sound as serious as the first one.

It's more like a supplement to the first charge.

But once you look into it carefully.

That is, the first charge is that Xu Jie was illegal, while the second charge is that Xu Jie was disloyal!

Compared with illegality, infidelity is naturally more serious.

Immediately, people in the hall, such as the Minister of Rites Yan Ne and Cabinet Minister Li Chunfang, all looked sideways and lowered their heads.

After all, they were also involved in opposing Zhang Juzheng's implementation of the New Deal and Reform.

Even Jiajing, who was also opposed to the reform in his heart, felt depressed.

Yes.

If the imperial court had really been united in supporting the new policy reforms, I would definitely have chosen to support it.

But I just know that the court cannot be united, and for the sake of political stability, I disagree.

Correct!
That's it!

Can't help it.

Jiajing looked at Xu Jie again, and his eyes became sharper.

If there were not conservatives like Xu Jie in the court, he would definitely agree to the reform!

Xu Jie has misled me!

In silence, the emperor's mind changed a little, or rather, his thoughts were moved by Hai Rui.

But Hai Rui obviously hadn't finished speaking yet.

Just as everyone in the hall was having different thoughts, some were thinking about whether to add insult to injury, while others were thinking about how to refute Hai Rui.

Hai Rui spoke again.

"In the 40th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing, I was ordered to assist Zhang Juzheng in investigating the issue of Songjiang Prefecture and Suzhou Prefecture changing from cotton to mulberry. At that time, I went north from Zhejiang to the two prefectures of Suzhou and Songjiang. I did not enter the government office, but drove alone to explore the local conditions of the two prefectures..."

The incident from four years ago was brought up again.

Many people in the hall were confused and ignorant, but Xu Jie, who lowered his head, had a tense expression.

Similarly, Jiajing's eyes darkened.

Hai Rui took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I will not talk about the hardships I experienced while traveling in the countryside. I only want to say that I wrote 32 memorials and sent them to the capital by express mail. According to the regulations, I should have presented them to Your Majesty within a month. But I have not received a reply so far. Later, I checked the archives of the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing and found no trace of the 32 memorials. Then, I checked the express mail along the way and found out..."

Hai Rui paused at this point.

He looked at Xu Jie's back with cold eyes.

Hai Rui denounced: "After I checked, I found out that a fire broke out suddenly at Gujie Posthouse, which is the entrance to the capital from the south of the capital. No one inside or outside the posthouse survived, and the entire posthouse was reduced to ruins. I checked the archives of Zhuolu Posthouse to the south of Gujie Posthouse, and there are clear records of 32 memorials submitted by me to the north. There are also records at all the posthouses along the way to the south! I now know that the fire at Gujie Posthouse that day was not an accident, but was actually set by someone who wanted to destroy my 32 memorials!"

After telling what happened that year with a heavy heart.

Hai Rui began to take steps, walking towards the hall step by step.

Finally it stopped ten steps away from Xu Jie.

Hai Rui raised his head and looked at the emperor behind the pearl curtain again.

"Your Majesty, all the ministers are here today, and I will tell you the truth. The thirty-two memorials at that time were all written about the survey of the terrain of Suzhou and Songjiang! The current Minister of Maritime Affairs, Zhang Juzheng, can prove it! The official post stations along the way can prove it! The express couriers can prove it!"

"Thirty-two memorials, all of which are about the wealthy gentry in the two prefectures of Suzhou and Songjiang, especially the Xu family in Huating County of Songjiang Prefecture, occupying farmland and inciting the people to resist the national policy of the court!"

"Xu Jie is a cabinet minister, and he is under the emperor's grace. He must have evil intentions after finding out about my whereabouts and the details of my 32 memorials."

bass.

Hai Rui raised his arms and waved his hands in anger, glaring and pointing at Xu Jie.

The thought that because of his thirty-two memorials, everyone in the post station was burned to death, and the culprit was now right in front of him.

Hai Rui became more and more angry, and he almost wanted to shout out the anger in his chest.

"This is the third major crime I am impeaching Xu Jie for."

"Murderer!"

"Xu Jie!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)