Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

At this time, Tan Yong, a centurion under Zhuang Qing, was leading two captains into the cell. One of them was carrying a heavy sack on his shoulder, which looked quite heavy.

Li Chao was lying on the torture bed, dying. He had already had several ribs broken by Jia Cong's kicks, and the pain was excruciating. After all the torture, he was almost half dead.

Seeing the visitor, he hurriedly said, "Sir, please take a message to Lin Butang's house for me. I will definitely reward you handsomely."

Tan Yong smiled and said, "What message does Lord Li want to convey?"

Li Chao hurriedly said, "Just say I'm injured and ask Lord Lin to send a doctor."

Tan Yong said, "Well, we have plenty of doctors here, so there's no need to trouble Lord Lin. Come, heal Lord Li."

"Yes." Two medical officers came in, stripped Li Chao of his clothes, fixed his broken ribs one by one, and tied them up tightly with white cloth strips.

Li Chao suddenly felt the pain reduced, and thanked him repeatedly, saying, "Please report to Duke Dingguo on my behalf, saying that I was bewitched by Fu Shi, and was blinded by greed. I was careless and did something wrong. I am willing to go to the Shao Bao Mansion to apologize. Please forgive me for Lin Butang's sake, and I will repay you in the future."

Tan Yong smiled and said, "That's not necessary. I dare not bother you for such a small matter. It's getting late. Please go to bed, sir."

Li Chao was horrified when he saw his unfriendly look, and asked in surprise, "What do you mean, sir?" Before he could finish his words, his hands and feet were tied up by two captains.

"It's nothing special. Please try our little trick, 'Sleep Paralysis', also known as 'Earth Bag'." Tan Yong laughed and waved his hand. The captain picked up the sack full of sand and pressed it on Li Chao's chest and abdomen.

Li Chao cried out in pain and said in horror: "I am a third-rank official of the imperial court. How dare you carry out private punishment without authorization? Aren't you afraid of the wrath of Lord Zhun and Prime Minister Huo?"

Tan Yong sneered, "Your Excellency is surprised by what you have seen. Let alone a third-rank official, we have dealt with first- and second-rank officials before. What's the point? Even if the ministers are furious, what can they do?
The master died of a sudden illness, and we didn't torture him, so we are not afraid of anyone who comes to investigate."

"You are taking human life lightly! I will report this to His Majesty!" Li Chao said angrily.

Tan Yong and others laughed.

"Keep an eye on him and report to me when you're done." Tan Yong instructed.

"My Lord, please go and rest. It will only take one night. I will just watch from here."

Li Chao felt that breathing was becoming increasingly difficult, as if all the air in his lungs was squeezed out by the sack on his chest. His vision went dark and his head was buzzing. Only then did he realize the severity of this painless punishment.

"You... take human lives lightly... The New Party will not... let you go..." Li Chao said with difficulty.

"Master Li is worrying too much. What do we little guys have to be afraid of? Even if the New Party masters want to find trouble, they won't find us."

"That's right. If the sky falls, there will always be someone higher to hold it up. We brothers followed orders and did nothing wrong. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being blinded by lust and daring to kidnap the young guard's men. Even the King of Hell can't save you."

"This is what we call an old man hanging himself. Don't blame us. You have to bear the consequences of your own actions."

"How do you scholars put it? That's right, this is called seeking benevolence and getting benevolence."

The two captains took turns mocking Li Chao, who was filled with remorse and grief. He was unable to catch his breath and fainted.

The next day, the court was filled with heated arguments. The New Party officials made a big fuss about the arrest of Li Chao and Fu Shi. Some accused Jia Cong of not following filial piety and interfering in government affairs during his period of mourning.
Some accused him of clinging to power, treating the emperor's personal troops as his own private soldiers, and arbitrarily arresting and interrogating ministers; others pleaded for Li Chao and Fu Shi, demanding that the case be handed over to the three judicial officials for trial in order to ensure fairness.

Feng Yuan, Niu Jizong and others naturally fought back. After all, the right and wrong of the matter was clear. Jia Cong was the victim, and there were many people in the court who would uphold justice for him. There was no reason for him to be blamed.

Finally, the emperor made a decision and handed Li and Fu over to the three courts for trial.

Feng Yuan and others knew that Emperor Xifeng was biased, so they were angry but dared not speak out.

Not long after, the eunuch reported back that Li Chao had fallen ill suddenly last night and had died.

Emperor Xifeng was furious and urgently summoned Fang Ji and Wen Zhen to the palace to make an inquiry. He sneered, "How could a third-rank official of the imperial court disappear just like that? What a coincidence! Fang Tongzhi and Wen Zhenfu, do you have anything to say?"

Fang Ji secretly complained that he had gained nothing from being a seal-holder official, and had to bear the blame for Jia Cong. He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Lord Li was detained in the Southern Guard Prison last night, and I just learned about this.

Wen Zhenfu, how did Lord Li die? Why don't you report it immediately?"

Wen Zhen was not in a hurry and said, "Your Majesty, I had someone bandage Lord Li's wounds carefully last night. It was just a few broken ribs, which is definitely not fatal.

Moreover, Lord Li confessed his crime ruthlessly after being arrested, so we did not use any torture on him. I don't know why he had already died when we visited him this morning.

I think it was because his secret was exposed that he was paranoid and his old illness recurred and he died. I request the three judicial departments and the East Factory to send a coroner to the prison to perform an autopsy to find out the truth. "

Emperor Xifeng snorted coldly and said, "The Three Departments and the Eastern Depot should thoroughly investigate the cause of Li Chao's death. Where is Fu Shi? Did his old illness also flare up?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Fu is safe and is currently detained in the Wei Prison, but has not been punished." Wen Zhen said.

"Transfer it to the Third Court for trial."

"The minister obeys the order."

The Left Imperial Censor-in-Chief Tan Cheng came out of the class and said, "Your Majesty, Fu Shi's behavior was improper. He instigated and assisted Li Chao in robbing women. Now there is Li Chao's testimony and witnesses. I think he should be dismissed first and then convicted."

Emperor Xifeng asked, "Who is the witness?"

Zhan Zheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, came out of his work and invited the two of them to dinner. He told them how they talked about women, how Li Chao mentioned Miaoyu's name, and how Fu Shi offered advice. Of course, he easily left himself out.

"Fu Shi is a student of Jia Zheng, a scholar from Fujian. He often visits Jia's family and knows everything about them. He is also related to Lin Butang, so he was able to carry out this evil plot. What I said is absolutely true. Your Majesty, please examine it carefully."

The New Party members were shocked and realized that Feng Yuan and others had already made a plan. They dared not to protect Fu Shi anymore for fear of dragging Lin Ruhai into the water. They looked at each other and shook their heads.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Xifeng said calmly: "Let's hand this case over to the Ministry for discussion."

"The ministers obey the order."

Feng Yuan, Yan Ning and the others smiled at each other, finally getting rid of their anger a little, because the best was yet to come.

After the court session, Emperor Xifeng summoned Duan Zhun to the Yangxin Palace and asked calmly, "What do you think of today's incident?" Duan Zhun bowed and said, "Jia Shaobao has become a little arrogant because of his favor. Although Li Chao has committed a crime, he should be punished according to the law. After all, he is a third-rank official. How can you kill him secretly to vent your personal anger?
Moreover, the Jinyiwei, from top to bottom, are unanimously deceiving the emperor and concealing the truth. It can be seen that although Shao Bao has resigned, he still controls the emperor's personal army. It is obvious that Fang Tongzhi has long been sidelined. This is extremely disrespectful. "

Emperor Xifeng's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he said, "What you said is very true. I used Jia Cong in the beginning, hoping that he would rectify the Jinyiwei and serve the court. I didn't expect that I drove away the evil wolf and raised a fierce tiger. What good plan do you have?"

Duan Zhun glanced at the emperor and said, "Although the Grand Protector has made great contributions to the country, his contributions cannot offset his faults. I think we should make a fair judgment and clarify the laws of the court.

But the Duke of Dingguo has already become powerful, with strong support in the court and the army, and many spies, so we cannot move lightly, or we may cause an unexpected disaster and shake the court."

Emperor Xifeng saw that Duan Zhun understood what he meant, so he nodded and said, "Since Duan Zhun has considered this, I have nothing to worry about.

The most pressing concern of the country is not external, but internal. I will entrust this matter to Lord Zhun. If there is anything to be done, let Dai Quan handle it."

"The minister obeys the order."

In the next few days, the Jinyiwei took action repeatedly, arresting middle and lower-level officials of the New Party. After obtaining evidence of their crimes, they sent it to the Three Departments and reported it to the emperor. No one could cover up for them, and officials were dismissed like rain.

The Neutral Party and the Academic Party took advantage of the victory and launched a frenzied impeachment campaign, which for a time even suppressed the momentum of the Beijing Inspection.

Although your Ministry of Personnel has the power of assessment, I also have the power of supervision. If you have the guts, I will fight you to the death. If you deal with one of me, I will deal with two of you. At worst, even if it means the court's government affairs come to a standstill, I will still fight you to the end.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the New Party realized that the Jinyiwei had been eliminated and the imperial inspection had deteriorated. Fearing that the situation would get out of control, several university scholars held closed-door consultations and compromises, and finally agreed on the terms to stabilize the government.

First, the Beijing inspection was relaxed and conducted according to previous rules, with only facts and fairness being pursued, and without forming factions to suppress dissidents.

Second, of the locations of the new prefectures, cities and counties to be established in the nine border areas, the New Party would only take 60% and give up the rest.

Jiang Feng and Guan Pu reluctantly agreed to this plan after discussion, since Jia Cong was somewhat out of favor now.

In the past, we would have to fight the New Party. But now, we have to bow our heads under the eaves, and it is precious to be able to maintain the current situation.

On this day, after leaving office, the four major military officials of the New Party gathered again for a secret meeting.

"Mr. Jun, you're asking us to make such a concession this time. I guess you must have a good plan, right?" Huo Peng said.

Duan Zhun smiled slightly: "Now there is a wolf in front and a tiger behind. If we want to kill the tiger, we must first pacify the hungry wolf to prevent it from becoming an accomplice of the tiger. When the fierce tiger surrenders, it will not be too late to deal with the hungry wolf."

Dong Yi asked, "Your Majesty, have you made up your mind?"

Duan Zhun nodded slowly and said, "This kind of powerful official who refuses to obey the religious system is not a blessing for the country."

Gu Tao pondered and said, "I worked with Shao Bao in Nanjing before. This boy is definitely not someone who will sit back and wait for death. If things get urgent, there might be a Tu Fei incident. I think we should not kill him all, but educate him slowly."

Huo Peng shook his head and said, "If we can't win the battle quickly, once he is prepared, it will be even more difficult to control him with the power he has."

Dong Yi said, "That's right. We must eradicate all evil. We only need to kill the leaders and then treat the rest with kindness, and the world will be at peace. I don't think anyone would risk their life to be loyal to a dead man."

Duan Zhun said: "This is very good."

Gu Tao shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying no more. Although he admired Jia Cong's bravery and decisiveness, he had to give up reluctantly because they were in different camps.

On January 26th, the second, third and fourth princes arrived in the capital. After the current emperor summoned them to the Yangxin Palace, he listened to Sun Can's report on the great victory and was very pleased. He held a banquet at Taiye Lake to welcome the three princes.

All the important officials above the third rank, the nobles above the rank of marquis, the princes, and the royal family princes in the court were ordered to attend the meeting. However, Jia Cong did not attend because he was in deep mourning.

This kind of banquet was just a formality. Emperor Xifeng was not feeling well, so he just said a few words of encouragement to the empress, drank a glass of wine, and then left the table to return to the palace. Only then could the ministers drink and chat freely.

Because of Jia Cong's relationship, the Neutral Party and the Academic Party naturally had a good impression of the Second Prince. In addition, he had made great contributions, so Feng Yuan and others went up to toast and compliment him.

Sun Can was gentle and elegant, and he chatted and laughed with everyone in a graceful manner. Everyone was delighted and thought he had the demeanor of a benevolent monarch.

In contrast, other princes were much more deserted. Firstly, they were born out of wedlock, and secondly, the nobles held military power and needed to avoid suspicion, and therefore did not dare to be overly close to the princes.

The New Party members seem to have not yet chosen a preferred candidate for the crown prince, so they are indifferent to anyone.

Prince Beijing looked around the room with a smile on his face, occasionally saying a word or two to Prince Xining and Prince Dongping beside him, looking calm and composed. Suddenly he stood up, apologized, and left the hall to change his clothes.

A young eunuch led him to an ear room where Dai Quan was already waiting.

"Greetings, old Prime Minister." Prince Beijing bowed hurriedly.

Dai Quan smiled and said, "Your Majesty is always so polite."

"Etiquette cannot be abolished." Prince Beijing said with a smile, "I wonder if the old eunuch has any instructions?"

Dai Quan said, "Jia Shaobao's luck is about to end, and the princes have returned to the capital. I think we should also do our part. Does the prince have any ideas?"

Prince Beijing said: "I have been thinking over and over again for the past few days, and I have a simple method that may be effective. Please give me some advice, old internal minister..."

Dai Quan listened to him and laughed, "Very good, a good plan. He punishes without punishing, and praises without praising. It's like a wild goose passing by without leaving a trace, and it doesn't fall into a rut. The prince is indeed full of wisdom."

Prince Beijing waved his hand and smiled, "If it weren't for the old Prime Minister's earnest advice over the past few days, I wouldn't have come up with this idea. But I'm only good at talking, so how to implement it still depends on the old Prime Minister."

Dai Quan smiled and said, "This is not difficult, it's a small matter. Your Highness, please go back to your seat first. I will have to quietly pass on a message to the main person later to do you a favor."

"I am very honored to have the advice from the old eunuch." Prince Beijing smiled, bowed, turned and left.

"My lord, walk slowly."

Dai Quan's smile faded, and a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes. "Don't blame me for being cruel, Jia Shaobao. Who made you so arrogant? And you attract attention because you are so tall?" (End of this chapter)