Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

However, some people are taking a wait-and-see attitude. An old man sat under a big tree at the entrance of the village, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, and said slowly, "We have investigated, but who knows if new corrupt officials will emerge in the future? How can we ordinary people tell the truth about officialdom?"

His words resonated with several villagers. A middle-aged woman sighed and said, "Yes, these officials have been investigated, but their positions have to be replaced. If the new officials are still like this, won't our lives be just as difficult?"

Although the people had different opinions, without exception, they were shocked and indignant at the results of the inspection. Those unqualified officials not only failed the trust of the court, but also failed the expectations of the people. Their behavior not only damaged the prestige of the court, but also deepened the people's dissatisfaction with the officialdom.

As the news spread, the discontent among the people gradually fermented, and in some places, the people began to organize themselves and submit petitions to the government, demanding severe punishment for those unqualified officials and strengthening supervision of officials. The voices of the people, like an undercurrent, quietly surged among the people, waiting for the court's response.

After Zhu Biao and Ouyang Lun learned about the public reaction in the palace, they felt both relieved and pressured. The voices of the people were the driving force for them to rectify the administration of officials, but it also meant that they had to take action as soon as possible to calm the public anger and restore the people's trust in the court.

As the night deepened, the lights in the capital were still bright. On the streets, the people's discussions gradually subsided, but their hearts were still full of expectations and anxiety. Can this rectification completely change the long-standing malpractices in the officialdom? The people are waiting to see.

As the news spread further, the people gradually learned that most of the unqualified officials were from the Huaixi Party. This news was like adding fuel to the fire. The people, who already had complaints about the Huaixi Party, were immediately outraged and pointed their fingers at the Huaixi Party.

Under the big tree at the entrance of the village, the old man was still fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, but his tone was a little more indignant: "Huaixi Party? Humph, I've heard that they form cliques for personal gain, and now it seems that it's true! These people rely on their connections in the court to act tyrannically and bully the people in the village. Now they are finally investigated, which is really gratifying!"

The middle-aged woman at the side couldn't help but interject, "That's right! When our village built a canal a few years ago, the money was supposed to be allocated by the court, but it was embezzled by those dog officials of the Huaixi Party. In the end, it was a half-baked project, causing us to suffer floods every year! These people are simply unscrupulous!"

Several young and energetic villagers were even more indignant. One of them waved his fist and cursed loudly: "The Huaixi Party is a bunch of parasites! They only care about making money for themselves, and don't care about the lives of us ordinary people. The court should have dealt with them long ago! If I see those dog officials of the Huaixi Party, I will beat them up!"

Another person sneered, "Beat them? That's too light! These people are corrupt and have ruined so many families. In my opinion, they should all be arrested and paraded through the streets, so that everyone in the world can see their ugly faces!"

In the streets and alleys, the people's curses were heard one after another. In teahouses, wine shops, and even in the fields, the Huaixi Party became the object of everyone's curse. Someone made a jingle to satirize the Huaixi Party's greed and incompetence: "Huaixi Party, Huaixi Party, they make a lot of money; the people suffer, the people have difficulties, but they only care about their own happiness!" This jingle quickly spread throughout the countryside, and even children sang it in the streets and alleys.

What's more, some people spontaneously gathered in front of the government office, holding up banners with slogans such as "severely punish the Huaixi Party" and "give me justice", and shouted loudly, demanding that the court thoroughly investigate the Huaixi Party and give the people a clear and bright world. Their voices were getting louder and louder, attracting passers-by to stop and join the ranks of condemnation.

The reputation of the Huaixi Party was ruined overnight. Those members of the Huaixi Party who were arrogant on weekdays were now like rats crossing the street, and everyone wanted to beat them. Some of them tried to defend themselves, claiming that they were not involved in corruption, and some even publicly stated that they wanted to distance themselves from the Huaixi Party. However, the people no longer believed their words.

A member of the Huaixi Party was recognized by the people on the street, and immediately attracted a lot of curses. Someone pointed at him and cursed: "You are the dog official of the Huaixi Party, right? You people, you eat the salary of the court, but do things that harm the people, and you still have the nerve to come out and hang around?" The man's face turned pale, and he wanted to refute, but he was drowned by the curses of the people and had to flee in disgrace.

The members of the Huaixi Party were both angry and helpless. Some of them complained privately: "How much merit have we, the Huaixi Party, made for the imperial court over the years? Now, just because there are a few bad apples, the people are scolding us. It's really unfair!" However, they also knew that the Huaixi Party had indeed accumulated a lot of problems over the years, and the people's grievances had been accumulated for a long time, and now they were just taking the opportunity to explode.

Faced with the people's condemnation, the Huaixi Party began to split. Some far-sighted members realized that if they did not rectify their internal affairs, the reputation of the Huaixi Party would be completely ruined, and even their own careers might be endangered. So they began to act secretly, trying to distance themselves from those corrupt elements, and even took the initiative to report them to the court in order to protect themselves.

However, the anger of the people did not subside. They demanded not only the resignation of a few corrupt officials, but also the thorough rectification of the entire officialdom. The reputation of the Huaixi Party has become synonymous with corruption in the hearts of the people. How will this storm end and where will the Huaixi Party go? Everyone is waiting to see.

The bells of the court meeting echoed in the Forbidden City, and all the officials dressed in court robes entered the hall one by one. However, unlike in the past, at today's court meeting, the officials of the Huaixi Party all had sad faces and solemn expressions, completely lacking the high spirits of the past.

The Huaixi Party's important official, Li Shangshu, who was over fifty years old, usually had a ruddy face and a smug look. But today, his face was so gloomy that water could drip out, his brows were furrowed, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to be deeper than before. From time to time, his eyes swept to Ouyang Lun, who was standing in the queue of civil servants, with a hint of resentment in his eyes. Standing behind Li Shangshu, Wang Shilang was a little younger and was known for his eloquence. But today, he lowered his head, clenched his hands into fists, and his knuckles turned white due to the force. His face was pale, and even fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead. It was obvious that he was extremely uneasy. He secretly cursed in his heart: "Ouyang Lun, this villain, is just relying on the favor of the emperor and his majesty, and he dared to target our Huaixi Party like this! If he hadn't interfered, how could the people complain about us? Now, we have become the target of public criticism, but he is watching the joke on the side!"

Another Huaixi Party official, Zhang Yushi, was a little older and was known for his calmness. But today, his face was full of anxiety and helplessness. His beard was trembling slightly, and his eyes were wandering, obviously he was thinking a lot. He sighed in his heart: "The Huaixi Party has indeed been a little too proud of itself in recent years, but Ouyang Lun's move is clearly an opportunity to suppress us! He is just an official from outside, what right does he have to tell us what to do? Now all the people's grievances are directed at us, how can we live like this?"

The officials of the Huaixi Party were full of complaints against Ouyang Lun. They felt that if Ouyang Lun had not fanned the flames in front of His Majesty and proposed a thorough investigation of the officials, the Huaixi Party would never have fallen into such a passive situation. A young Huaixi Party official even gnashed his teeth and cursed in his heart: "Ouyang Lun, this outsider official, is clearly trying to take advantage of the opportunity to get promoted! He thinks that by overthrowing our Huaixi Party, he can gain a firm foothold in the court? Dream on! Our Huaixi Party has been operating in the court for many years. How can an outsider like him shake it?"

However, despite their anger, the officials of the Huaixi Party did not dare to show it at the court meeting. They knew that the people were full of resentment, and if they clashed with Ouyang Lun at the court meeting, it would only make the situation worse. So, they could only suppress their anger, lower their heads, and silently endure this unprecedented humiliation.

After the court meeting began, Crown Prince Zhu Biao sat on the dragon throne, his eyes swept across the officials in the palace, especially the faces of the Huaixi Party officials. His expression was serious, and his tone was full of unquestionable majesty: "Recently, the people have been complaining about the corruption of officials. The court has found that some officials have indeed committed dereliction of duty and perverted the law. This matter concerns the prestige of the court and the welfare of the people. It must not be tolerated!"

Zhu Biao's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of the Huaixi Party officials hard. Their faces became even uglier, and their resentment towards Ouyang Lun deepened. Minister Li even swore in his heart: "Ouyang Lun, you have made our Huaixi Party lose face today, and I will make you pay the price one day!"

However, despite their resentment, the officials of the Huaixi Party had to admit that the current situation was indeed the darkest period for them. The resentment of the people, the pressure from the court, and Ouyang Lun's step-by-step pressure made them feel an unprecedented crisis. Some of them even began to doubt whether the Huaixi Party could still escape from this turmoil.

After the court meeting, officials from the Huaixi Party walked out of the hall in twos and threes, exchanging glances with each other, but no one spoke. Their faces were filled with heaviness and helplessness, as if every step was extremely difficult. At this moment, they deeply felt that the glory of the Huaixi Party might be gone forever.

Emperor Zhu Biao sat on the dragon throne, looking majestically at the ministers in front of him. His expression was solemn, but there was a hint of approval in his eyes. His eyes stayed on Ouyang Lun for a moment, and he nodded slightly, thinking to himself: "Ouyang Lun really did not disappoint me in this rectification of the administration."

After the court meeting began, Zhu Biao spoke first, his tone calm and powerful: "Recently, the court has conducted a thorough investigation into official corruption, and the results are shocking. Some officials have neglected their duties and violated the law, betraying the trust of the court and the expectations of the people. This matter concerns the prestige of the court and the well-being of the people of the world. It must not be tolerated!"

"How can such people be qualified for the assessment! If we promote these people, how can we be fair to the millions of people of Ming Dynasty!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell into silence. The officials of the Huaixi Party lowered their heads, their faces gloomy, and their hearts were uneasy. However, Ouyang Lun stood up straight, with a calm expression, and looked at Zhu Biao firmly, as if waiting for further instructions from the emperor.

Zhu Biao's eyes swept over the officials again, especially lingering on the faces of the Huaixi Party officials for a moment. His tone was full of unquestionable majesty: "Ouyang Lun has made an indelible contribution to this investigation. He enforced the law impartially and without favoritism, and cleared a group of bad apples for the court. I am deeply pleased with this."

Zhu Biao's satisfaction with Ouyang Lun was not only due to the results of this investigation, but also stemmed from his deep understanding of Ouyang Lun's character and ability. When he was the crown prince, Zhu Biao had many contacts with Ouyang Lun and knew that he was not only talented, but also had a sincere heart for the country and the people. In this rectification of the administration of officials, Ouyang Lun not only dared to face the accumulated malpractices in the court, but also investigated the Huaixi Party with thunderous means, breaking the interest structure of the court for many years. This made Zhu Biao feel very gratified.

"The Huaixi Party has been forming cliques and engaging in corruption for many years, and has long become a major cancer in the court." Zhu Biao thought to himself. He recalled that since he ascended the throne, although he had intended to rectify the administration of officials, he had not been able to find a suitable opportunity due to the huge influence of the Huaixi Party. Ouyang Lun's actions this time not only cleared some corrupt officials for the court, but also let the people see the court's determination. This made Zhu Biao feel that he had finally taken an important step in rectifying the government.

Zhu Biao was satisfied with Ouyang Lun because of his way of doing things. Ouyang Lun did not act recklessly, but took every step carefully. He had both thunderous means and the ability to weigh the pros and cons. In this investigation of officials, Ouyang Lun did not catch all the officials of the Huaixi Party in one fell swoop, but focused on those corrupt officials with solid evidence and great public anger. This approach not only avoided turmoil in the court, but also caused divisions within the Huaixi Party. Zhu Biao knew that this was exactly the brilliance of Ouyang Lun.

"Ouyang Lun is not only courageous, but also strategic." Zhu Biao admired in his heart. He recalled the decision to transfer Ouyang Lun to the military cabinet, and he was more convinced that his vision was right. At that time, many people in the court had complaints about this move, thinking that Ouyang Lun was too inexperienced to convince the public. However, Zhu Biao was impressed by Ouyang Lun's talent and courage. He knew that the military cabinet not only needed people who were proficient in military tactics, but also needed capable officials who dared to break the old rules and reform. And Ouyang Lun was just such a talent.

Zhu Biao's eyes fell on Ouyang Lun again, and his tone was full of praise: "I have long seen Ouyang Lun's performance in the military cabinet. He not only rectified military affairs and improved the combat effectiveness of the army, but also established prestige in the court. Now, he has made great contributions to the administration of officials, which shows that my original decision was indeed correct." (End of this chapter)