Chapter 576: I say: He deserves to be killed!

For the current Gao Gong.

He felt that he needed to learn to be smarter.

Now, since he ascended the throne, the emperor's change in temperament has become very obvious.

As for the officials who were forcibly taken back to the capital by Yan Shaoting this time, although they were important officials of the Nine Frontiers, Gao Gong keenly realized that these people might really have other unknown problems.

at this point.

Yan Shaoting had done this countless times in the court in the past.

Gao Gong didn't want to take any risks now, let alone get involved in a fight with any party because of the affairs of a few border officials.

not to mention……

Gao Gong calmly glanced at Li Chunfang in the classroom, as well as Yuan Wei, Zhao Zhenji, Hu Zongxian and others who were arguing with him.

They are in a serious fight between the old party and the new party, so there is no need for me to get involved.

But if you let them fight each other, you can gain more.

Everyone immediately walked out of Wenyuan Pavilion and looked at the sky. It was almost noon.

Today, the new emperor is diligent, and according to past practice, after the morning court session, the emperor will continue with the noon court session in accordance with the ancestral tradition.

It is a good thing for a king to be diligent.

At least Gao Gong was very satisfied with this.

So, everyone immediately rushed to the Wenhua Hall in front.

When they entered the Wenhua Hall, it was probably because the time had not yet come. Apart from the eunuchs who were in charge of cleaning and guarding the Wenhua Hall, there was no sign of the emperor.

Fortunately, before the Wenhua Hall had the function of hosting the emperor’s court meetings and daily lectures, it also served as a royal library.

Just behind the main hall, there is another palace used to store rare books from various dynasties collected by the royal family.

Although over the past two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, there have been countless incidents of eunuchs and civil servants on duty in the Wenhua Hall secretly smuggling books out of the palace and selling them for money.

However, the number of books behind the Wenhua Hall is still a considerable number and of great value.

Gao Gong and others did not see the emperor coming, so they found some books and sat in the hall to read them.

No one wanted to start a discussion.

Time passed by little by little, and with books in their hands, everyone did not feel bored.

And outside the Wenhua Hall.

Emperor Zhu Zaigui looked relaxed as he let the sedan chair carry him through the palace.

In his hand was a piece of warm jade that he had recently acquired. It had a very simple shape without any trace of carving, and was just the right size to hold in his hand.

Zhu Zaigui leaned on the imperial carriage, held the warm jade towards the sky, and squinted at the sunlight.

He was thinking about what he should have someone carve out of this warm jade.

Recently, everything in the court and the country has been going smoothly. Although there are still many struggles inside and outside the palace, overall it is much better than during the time of the previous emperor.

This made Zhu Zaigui very happy.

It's just that Prince Zhu Yijun has become increasingly restless recently, jumping up and down in the palace and causing a lot of trouble. The entire harem is in chaos because of that kid.

Zhu Zaigui knew clearly that this was because his son Zhu Yijun had been used to living in the wilds of Changping in the past few years, and now he suddenly moved into the palace and was restricted by the rules, which was why he behaved like this.

Feng Bao, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Horse Administration, who was leading the way in front of the imperial carriage, turned back and said with a smile, "Master, we are almost at the Wenhua Palace."

Zhu Zaigui put away the warm jade, hid it in the palm of his hand, and looked down at Feng Bao who was walking in front of him.

This palace is also interesting now.

Lu Fang, Huang Jin and others employed by the previous emperor all called themselves "Your Highness", while Feng Bao called himself "Master".

I understand the difference here, but I don't act rashly.

The late emperor had feelings for Lu Fang, Huang Jin and others, so I should treat these old people well.

hold on.

Wait another two years, until the palace is stable, and then we can let these old people from the previous emperor's time leave the palace to live out their days.

As for Feng Bao, this guy still has the desire to climb up in his bones, so he has to continue to be suppressed.

At least that's what Zhu Zaigui thought.

And he thought of the Wenhua Palace that Feng Bao mentioned, which was about to arrive, and a smile appeared on his face.

The prince was naughty in the palace, but according to his age, it was time for him to go out and study.

Now that Yan Shaoting has been promoted to the position of Minister of Rites, it is time for him to hold imperial lectures and daily lectures in the Wenhua Hall, allowing the princes to study with the lecturers.

Yan Shaoting is an old face in Changping, and the prince has always been close to him. It is possible that he would be willing to study the classics of sages with him.

Even if you don't learn anything, at least you can focus.

While silently thinking about all sorts of things, the imperial carriage arrived in front of the Wenhua Palace.

Get off the imperial carriage.

Feng Bao immediately stepped forward to lead the way for the emperor.

Zhu Zaigui whispered, "When you have time, tell the Yan family that since the Grand Tutor wants Runwu to be the chief examiner for next year's spring exam, although there is some controversy in the court, I agree to this."

Feng Bao raised his eyebrows, feeling quite emotional in his heart.

The emperor's favor towards the Yan family is truly astonishing.

The Yan family wanted to serve as the chief examiner for the Spring Examination, and the emperor nodded in agreement when he found out.

He immediately lowered his head and said, "I obey your command."

Zhu Zaigui smiled slightly and said, "Tell Master Yan again that the prince is old enough and it is time for him to go out to study. Runwu is now old enough and was able to write such a poem yesterday. I think he has learned classics and articles well in the past few years. When the time comes, he must be one of the lecturers in Wenhua Palace and be responsible for teaching the prince knowledge for me."

After saying this, the emperor burst into laughter and walked into the Wenhua Hall.

Feng Bao, who was left behind, was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

It turns out that the emperor is actually trying to make a deal with the Yan family over the chief examiner of next year's spring examination.

In the Ming Dynasty, only the Yan family had such a unique relationship with the emperor.

Zhu Zaigui walked all the way into the Wenhua Hall.

Gao Gong and others who had been waiting in the hall stood up to greet the emperor upon hearing the laughter outside.

Zhu Zaigui was about to step inside, laughing and saying, "What a talent! I never thought that there would be someone in the Ming Dynasty who is so accomplished in poetry that he can rival the sages of the Tang and Song dynasties."

The emperor laughed and commented, then walked into the hall like a gust of wind, walked through the crowd and sat on the throne.

Zhu Zaigui looked at everyone present with a smile on his face, stretched out his hand and casually pressed it to signal everyone to take a seat.

He added, "I received news from outside the palace that Runwu completed the half of the poem he wrote in this palace yesterday in public at the Changping Academy, and then wrote a new poem. I read it and it is indeed well written."

Everyone in the hall had different expressions.

People like Yuan Wei, Zhao Zhenji and Hu Zongxian naturally had smiles on their faces.

The emperor praised the poems written by Yan Shaoting, so he naturally had a good impression of Yan Shaoting today.

Li Chunfang, on the other hand, had a hint of sadness between his brows.

After all, they gathered here today to discuss the three-border governor Wang Zhigao and others who were forcibly taken back to Beijing by Yan Shaoting.

The emperor now speaks so highly of Yan Shaoting's poems and essays that there is no guarantee that he will be biased towards him during the meeting later.

Gao Yi, who was at the end of the cabinet, observed the emperor's expression and said with a smile, "Originally, I had my doubts about your majesty's appointment of Shao Bao Yan as the Minister of Rites. But today, I heard about the poems Shao Bao Yan wrote at Changping Academy yesterday, and I think your majesty is truly a prophet. It seems that Shao Bao's talent is now sufficient to take on the job of the Ministry of Rites." Zhao Zhenji couldn't help but glance at Gao Yi.

This Lord Gao was also a very clever man in his speech. He not only praised Yan Shaoting, but also flattered the emperor.

Zhu Zaigui was naturally all smiles, nodding his head: "I have long known about Runwu's talent, and now that you all think it is appropriate, I am relieved."

This statement inevitably reminded people of the news that came out in Changping Academy a long time ago, that the emperor regarded Yan Shaoting as his younger brother.

Now, when you say this, you are treating me as your younger brother.

Li Chunfang couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart again.

Zhu Zaigui glanced at the crowd again and saw that everyone had books in front of them. He then asked with a hint of doubt, "You all came very early today. Do you have anything important to discuss?"

The emperor finally shifted the topic away from Yan Shaoting.

Li Chunfang immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, today we are going to discuss the matter of the Northern Expedition Army forcing the governors of Shanxi, Xuanfu, and Datong, Wang Zhigao, the governor of Shanxi, Wang Jiluo, the general officer of Datong, Sun Wu, the general officer of Shanxi, Shen Weiyue, and other important civil and military officials from the border areas to come to the capital."

As soon as Li Chunfang opened his mouth, Zhao Zhenji and Hu Zongxian immediately frowned.

Yuan Wei glanced at Li Chunfang with dissatisfaction.

He actually used the word "forced" to describe the Northern Expedition Army's escort of Wang Zhigao and others back to the capital, and he also specifically mentioned the important civil and military officials in the border areas.

This clearly meant that Yan Shaoting's violation of the law and his abduction of Wang Zhigao and others might lead to changes in the border areas. If something really happened in the border areas, it would be because of Yan Shaoting's coercion.

The words and intentions are so vicious!
Li Chunfang, however, ignored it all, as if she was oblivious to the dissatisfied looks around her.

He continued, "I and others in the cabinet have examined and questioned the generals of the Northern Expedition Army. The army has not made a clear statement on the forced return of Wang Zhigao, the governor of the Three Borders, Wang Jiluo, the governor of Shanxi, and the two generals to the capital. They only said that these people violated the law and corrupted military discipline, but there is no evidence. As soon as these people were taken to the capital, they were transferred to the Jinyiwei prison for imprisonment. The three judicial departments have not sent anyone to investigate the matter recently. I think the army may have broken the rules, and some people may have forgotten the court laws and the rules of the country. The three judicial departments have not done anything for a long time, which may also be conducive to the evil wind. I think that in order to rectify the court, the emperor should issue an order to release Wang Zhigao and others first, and then urge the three judicial departments to close the case. If Wang Zhigao and others are not guilty, then the people who forced them back to the capital this time should be convicted and punished."

When he finished speaking, it was obvious that he was putting the blame on Yan Shaoting.

Yuan Wei, who was already arguing with him in the cabinet room, stood up before Zhao Zhenji and Hu Zongxian.

"Your Majesty, I am afraid I cannot agree with what Lord Li said."

Yuan Wei clearly opposed what Li Chunfang said at the beginning.

Above him, Zhu Zaigui narrowed his eyes slightly, and the smile on his face was gone.

Now he could also understand why the cabinet members had arrived at Wenhua Hall so early today.

Li Chunfang was clearly going after Yan Shaoting.

Zhu Zaigui was just about to let Yan Shaoting be the prince's teacher when Li Chunfang did this. Naturally, he was a little dissatisfied.

But he couldn't express his attitude immediately.

Having a minister serve as a prince's teacher is considered a private matter of the royal family.

But what Li Chunfang is talking about now is national affairs.

However, Yuan Wei's clear-cut rebuttal to Li Chunfang made Zhu Zaigui feel a little relieved.

It seems that the cabinet has not yet reached a clear conclusion on this matter, so they gathered in the Wenhua Hall in a hurry today.

He immediately looked at Yuan Wei and motioned for him to continue speaking.

Yuan Wei bowed and nodded, and continued, "The army is outside, thousands of miles away, and the court has never been able to know everything about the army. Although the commander-in-chief makes all the decisions, there are deputy generals, military supervisors and others who check and balance each other. Wang Zhigao, Wang Jiluo and others are all important officials in the border areas. If they really have no proven crimes, even if someone in the army wants to arrest them and escort them back to the capital, others will certainly stop them. This time, when I checked this matter, I didn't see the military supervisor Yang Jinshui come out to object, so I know that there may be other hidden reasons."

After saying that, Yuan Wei turned and looked at Li Chunfang.

He snorted slightly to express his dissatisfaction.

"Lord Li said that the army forced important officials from the border areas to enter the capital, and that the army had not handed over any evidence, and the three judicial departments in the court had not asked about it. I would like to ask Lord Li, since the three armies returned victoriously, the court has been busy with rewards and prisoners, so how could the court have the energy to ask about this matter?"

"Besides, the affairs of the Three Law Departments are not the responsibility of Lord Li, so how can we know that the Three Law Departments have never asked about this matter?"

"I believe that Wang Zhigao and others were escorted back to the capital under the watchful eyes of the three armies. They must have done something wrong. Now we just need to call the relevant people to testify and prove their crimes. The three judicial officials can then determine the punishment and hand it over to the emperor for judgment."

Yuan Wei was really dissatisfied with Li Chunfang's behavior.

Regardless of the fact that he was targeting Yan Shaoting, he could not tolerate the delay and negligence of the three judicial officials.

Everyone knows that he is now in charge of the three judicial departments in the cabinet.

If the three judges make mistakes or are negligent in their work, they will also have to bear some responsibility.

Li Chunfang didn't care about that.

He could bow his head in front of Gao Gong because he was the prime minister of the cabinet.

But who are you, Yuan Wei?
He is just a minister of the Qingci cabinet.

He immediately said in a deep voice: "I am ordered by the present emperor. Although I am not responsible for the work of the three judicial departments in the cabinet, I have the right to inquire. I have not seen the Northern Expedition Army explain the forced return of Wang Zhigao and others to the capital, nor have I seen the three judicial departments intervene in this matter. These are all real things! If you say that the court does not know the details because the three armies are outside, then now that the three armies are in the capital, why has no one reported this matter?"

Li Chunfang immediately shook his sleeves.

"In my opinion, this is clearly someone abusing public power for personal gain. For personal purposes, they forced important officials from the border areas to return to the capital. This is a disregard for the law and the safety of the border areas!"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed.

Full of gunpowder flavor.

But at this moment.

Suddenly, a sound came from outside.

"Your Majesty, the governor-general of the three borders, Wang Zhigao, the governor of Shanxi, Wang Jiluo, the generals of Datong and Shanxi, and others have been guarding the borders for many years. However, the wars in the borders have never subsided, and the enemy's situation is often unclear. Civil and military officials, generals, and generals are in collusion, which often breeds the situation of nurturing the enemy and causing trouble for themselves."

"Officials and generals in the border areas used the Mongolian tribes as thieves to threaten the imperial court. The land tax and commercial tax in the border areas no longer needed to be paid to the imperial court, but the imperial court still had to pay millions of money and grain every year."

"For border officials to do nothing is a grave crime!"

"Knowing the enemy but not advancing is tantamount to treason!"

Under the puzzled gaze of everyone.

At the palace gate, a seemingly majestic figure walked in from outside the palace.

"What are you..."

Li Chunfang's face was gloomy and he was about to ask who the visitor was.

But at this time, he could already see who was coming.

It turned out to be Hai Rui!
He immediately changed the subject: "Hai Rui! Why are you back? Aren't you..."

Li Chunfang's heart trembled when he suddenly saw that the person coming was Hai Rui.

Unexpectedly, Hai Rui, who was originally on a mission to the border as the Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, would come back at this time.

He changed the subject again: "Hai Rui! What do you want to say?"

Hai Rui walked into the hall.

Faced with Li Chunfang's questioning, he completely ignored it and looked directly past Li Chunfang and looked at the emperor above.

A set of etiquette is completed.

Hai Rui just stood up and glanced at Li Chunfang.

"I say..."

"Deserves to be killed!"

"Such as Wang Zhigao, Wang Jiluo, Sun Wu, Shen Weiyue and others."

"The crime deserves death!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)