Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 740: Demoted Again and Again

Lin Ruhai felt bitter and sighed secretly, standing there without saying a word.

Although Feng Yuan, Niu Jizong and others wanted to speak for Jia Cong, the matter was too sensitive and there was Li Shouzhong's handwritten confession as evidence. Even if they knew that he had confessed under torture, with the evidence in front of them, who would dare to overturn the verdict?

If it were any other case, it would be easy to handle. But this matter concerns the succession to the throne. Who would dare to stand up and guarantee that Jia Cong was wronged? This would be like throwing one's life and property into the water.

The most crucial thing is the attitude of the emperor. If the emperor wanted to protect me, why would he make this memorial public?
This clearly meant that Jia Cong was to be condemned by the public and criticized by all the officials in the court.

Anyone who spoke a word for him would probably be immediately labeled a traitor or a member of the Jia Party, which would add to Jia Cong's guilt.

Jiang Feng, Feng Yuan, Niu Jizong and others looked at each other and shook their heads slightly.

It is not wise to move against the wind at this time. Naturally, everyone in the hall is smart and would not be the first to stand out.

For a while, the whole hall was filled with the voices of "overthrowing Jia". Zhongli, Xueshe, Niu Jizong and others said nothing. Sometimes, keeping silent is also a statement.

"We second the motion." Dozens of court officials came out and said in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

Emperor Xifeng glanced around and saw that about half of the court officials remained silent. Their silence at this moment actually meant that they were secretly supporting Jia Cong, and he felt even more murderous in his heart.

He didn't expect that in just a few years, the tiger-hunting boy at that time had been able to gather such power in the court, so that he didn't dare to get rid of him suddenly.

Yin said calmly: "Third judge, how should this case be judged?"

The Minister of Justice Yan Ning came out and said, "Your Majesty, I think this case is of great importance and involves the foundation of the country. It is not for me to comment. Moreover, Duke Dingguo is the current emperor's son-in-law. I dare not speak rashly. Please make a decision."

The implication is that this is your family's internal affair and the Ministry of Justice will not interfere.

Emperor Xifeng glared at him helplessly, "What a cunning old man!" Then he looked at the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Tan Cheng was a leader of the Neutral Party. Seeing the emperor looking over, he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the East Factory is the only one that has an opinion on the merits of this case. The Censorate was not involved in the trial and does not know the inside story. Moreover, this case concerns the foundation of the country. I dare not make a rash judgment. Please make a decision."

Emperor Xifeng's face darkened. The meaning was clear. We were not allowed to participate in the investigation and trial of the case, and now we are not allowed to express our opinion. We know nothing about it.

The Dali Temple Minister was a member of the New Party. He quickly stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I think the case is clear and the evidence is irrefutable. He should be severely punished according to the law."

All the members of the New Party nodded in agreement, wishing to kill Jia Cong directly.

All the ministers felt a chill in their hearts. The words of the Dali Temple Minister seemed ordinary, but in fact they were full of murderous intent, because the word "according to the law" was indeed very powerful.

According to the "Great Wu Law", anyone who creates and spreads evil books and evil words will be punished by slow slicing, and those who force others to do so will be executed.

This case is not only about the evil book, but also involves the imperial artifact. It can be charged with "treason". If both crimes are to be punished, even if Jia Cong has the red-lettered iron certificate, he may not be able to withstand it.

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall suddenly became quiet and one could hear a pin drop. All the ministers looked at Emperor Xifeng to see how he would decide.

Feng Yuan and others exchanged glances with each other. If the emperor really wanted to kill Jia Cong, they must do everything they can to protect him. Otherwise, if Jia Cong died, no one would be able to control the power of the New Party.

Emperor Xifeng took in the situation in the palace, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Duke Dingguo Jia Cong is so bold and reckless, and behaves in an undisciplined manner. He has made a demonic book without authorization and has made irresponsible remarks about the foundation of the country. He should be executed for his crimes.

Considering that he has made many great contributions to the country and is still young, I cannot bear to see such a great talent of our country fall, so I demote him to the first-class earl, give him a light punishment and a severe warning, and wait and see how he behaves in the future.

Li Shouzhong has misconduct and is in collusion with others. He will be dismissed from his post and investigated, and will never be employed again. "

"Our emperor is wise." Feng Yuan and others breathed a sigh of relief. When they heard Emperor Xifeng characterize the case as "audacious and unruly behavior," it was a far lighter statement, so they hurried out to express their opinions.

The New Party members just sneered. They never thought that they could really solve the problem once and for all. This time, the Duke's title saved him from disaster, but how could he hide next time?
Emperor Xifeng then said, "The second son of the emperor, Can, was not careful in his words and deeds, his intentions were not pure, he had private connections with nobles, and gave others leverage, which led to this case. He is ordered to study at home for a year and is not allowed to go out without the emperor's order, as a warning."

"Your Majesty is wise." The ministers bowed again, and many of them secretly wondered, could it be that the Emperor really has no interest in the Second Prince?
As soon as Emperor Xifeng opened his mouth, after the court session, the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict rushed to Dingguo Mansion on horseback, holding the imperial edict to announce it.

After Jia Cong accepted the order and stood up to thank the emperor, the eunuch said with a smile, "My Lord, you now have 1,500 personal soldiers, and the imperial court stipulates that the personal soldiers and attendants of an earl are 600.

You still have to hand over the armor and weapons of nine hundred men to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and you can come back to claim them when the title of Grand Protector is restored."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanba in the hall had already squeezed the handle of the hammer in his hand until it made a creaking sound. Du Dapeng also held down his sword, and his sharp eyes wandered back and forth between the necks of the eunuchs who delivered the imperial edict, waiting for Jia Cong's order to separate his head from his body.

Jia Cong narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint cold light shone through his eyes, and after a long while he nodded and said, "Angel, rest assured, I understand the rules." Then he shouted outside, "Yuan Ba, pick out 900 sets of weapons and armor and send them to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"Yes." Zhang Yuanba replied in a muffled voice, his eyes red, and he left dejectedly.

"Thank you for your understanding, Young Master. I'll take my leave now." The eunuch said with a smile.

"Goodbye." Jia Cong smiled faintly.

After he left, Du Dapeng hurriedly came forward and said in a hateful voice: "My Lord, this is clearly the work of the treacherous party in the court, framing loyal officials. I cannot swallow this anger!"

Jia Cong glared at him and shouted, "Nonsense! It's my title that was demoted, why are you so anxious? Back off."

"Duke...I..." Du Dapeng was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and didn't know how to explain.

"Hmm?" Jia Cong glanced at him.

"Please forgive me, sir. I deserved to die." Du Dapeng felt a chill on his back when he saw his gaze, and he quickly bowed and retreated.

Jia Cong looked at Pang Chao and said, "Sir..."

"Go to the study and talk."

Pang Chao brought Jia Cong to the room and said, "The emperor is afraid that a sudden decree of execution will force you to rebel and cause unpredictable disasters, so he is using a blunt knife to cut the flesh and slowly clip your wings. It will be much safer to act on you later.

This will also weaken your fighting spirit, making you mistakenly believe that there is still hope for a comeback, and thus give up resistance. Today's imperial decree is to test your bottom line."

Jia Cong sneered, "Sir, do you mean there will be similar tricks in the future?"

"Of course."

Jia Cong sneered, "Let him be. Since he is afraid that I will rebel, I will just stay at home and act like a good boy so that he can rest assured."

Pang Chao twirled his beard and said, “Not only that, you must also write a letter of apology and thanksgiving, and you must write it with tears and deep regret. You must also thank the emperor for not killing you and hope to die for him again in the future.

In this way, the sword and axe of the emperor will not fall so quickly. "

Jia Cong was stunned and said, "Sir, I can't write such a disgusting memorial."

Pang Chao smiled and said, "I'll write it for you."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Okay, then please write it down and make the emperor happy.

Hey, one day I will have this memorial recorded in history books, so that future generations will know that Cong was a loyal minister who was framed by a villain."

Pang Chao laughed.
-
Changchun Palace
Bang! A green-ground enameled porcelain teacup with the inscription "Plum, Bamboo, and Spring" was smashed to the ground, and the tea splashed everywhere. Empress Chen sat on the Luohan bed, her face was ashen, her hands were clenched until pale, and her full chest rose and fell sharply, showing that she was in extreme anger.

The eunuchs and female officials in the palace had never seen the usually graceful and elegant queen so angry. They knelt on the ground in panic, lowered their heads deeply, and dared not even breathe.

"Everyone go away." Queen Chen spat out a few words coldly.

"Yes." Everyone retreated in a hurry, and the palace was suddenly empty. Only An Wenyao stood there, bowing and obeying orders.

"Please repeat what the emperor said during the morning court session." said Queen Chen.

"Yes. The Emperor said, 'The second prince, Can, was not careful in his words and deeds, had impure intentions, had private connections with nobles, and gave others leverage, which led to this case. He was ordered to study at home for a year and was not allowed to go out without the Emperor's order, as a warning.'"

An Wenyao repeated Emperor Xifeng's words word for word.

Empress Chen smiled coldly. She had expected the emperor to deal with Jia Cong, but it was too much to punish Sun Can as well.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was a frame-up. As the eldest son, why would Sun Can need to create public opinion for himself?
As long as he waits quietly for the emperor to pass away, is there anyone who can compete with him for the throne?

Although there was no actual punishment for Sun Can in such a public reprimand, the emperor's words were golden and were enough to deal a devastating blow to his reputation. It was tantamount to labeling him as a person who was not capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility, and almost cut off his path to inheriting the throne. Which court official would be willing to support him in the future?
Empress Chen was, after all, a thoughtful and thoughtful person. She had calmed down at this moment and asked, "What is Jia Cong's reaction?"

"My lady, the young guard showed no signs of displeasure. He respectfully handed over the weapons and armor of nine hundred men and even presented a special letter of thanks. His words were sincere and heartfelt, and moved people deeply."

Empress Chen nodded and praised: "Good! Jia Cong is easily impulsive when encountering small things, but calm when facing big changes. He is strong and fierce, quick-witted and decisive. He must not be taken lightly.

It seems that the emperor has also seen this, so he is taking his time. Humph, but the emperor seems to have forgotten what Jia Cong once said. "

An Wenyao was busy making fun of him, saying, "Your Majesty is well-informed and has a strong memory, even the Emperor is not as good as you. I have been following Shao Bao for many years, but I didn't know this sentence."

Empress Chen sneered, "Jia Cong once said that the so-called heroes in ancient times must have extraordinary integrity. There are things that people cannot tolerate. When a common man sees insult, he draws his sword and stands up to fight. This is not bravery.

There are great brave men in the world who are not surprised when faced with danger, and do not get angry when attacked without reason. This is because what they hold hostage is very great, and their ambitions are far-reaching!

If we cannot deal with a man like him in one fell swoop and get rid of him decisively, disaster will surely happen. The emperor is too cautious and wants to capture the evil dragon in a peaceful manner. How can this be possible? "

An Wenyao said: "Your Majesty, your opinion is profound, and I will learn from it. But I don't know what the young guard relies on, and what his ambition is."

Empress Chen pondered and said, "I always feel that this person is not as simple as he appears to be. He must have someone to rely on, but I can't guess who he is."

An Wenyao asked, "Could it be the elite six battalions of the Beijing Army under his control?"

Empress Chen shook her head slowly and said, "This is naturally one of them. It is enough for daily court games. If you want to use this to change the situation, it doesn't seem safe."

"Could they be the elite troops from the Nine Frontiers? Today, the border troops from the Western Regions, Liaodong, and Gansu are all former members of the Jia family." An Wenyao said.

"Distant water cannot quench nearby thirst, and it is not enough to rely on it." Queen Chen said: "No matter what he relies on, we can be sure that he has no intention of rebellion, and that is enough."

An Wenyao asked curiously, "What does your Majesty think?"

Empress Chen rolled her eyes at him and said with a smile, "You naturally don't understand. Throughout history, has there ever been a ruler as lustful as him? Those who love beauty definitely don't love the country."

An Wenyao apologized with a smile: "I am not well educated, but I heard that Emperor Wu of Wei, Cao Mengde, was somewhat lustful."

Empress Chen shook her head and laughed, "Emperor Wu of Wei only had a dozen wives in his lifetime. How many did Jia Cong have before he was even twenty? I heard that he even hooked up with girls from the Western Regions and the Jurchens, and even had children with them.

What's more, although Cao Cao was lustful, he did not necessarily care about women. When Dong Zhuo usurped power, deposed the young emperor, and wanted to reuse Cao Cao, he fled with a few confidants without saying a word, leaving his family, wife, children and the elderly in Luoyang. It can be seen that the great cause was the first priority in his heart.

But Jia Cong was different. He had refused to become the emperor's consort for several times for the sake of Xue's daughter. Later, in order to save a beautiful concubine, he disobeyed the emperor's order and went to find a doctor.

The other day, he even didn't let go of a monk. I heard that he was kidnapped by Li Chao, and he didn't even care about observing the mourning period. Not only did he forcibly take the person back, he didn't even give face to his father-in-law and killed Li Chao. Isn't this person any different from Cao Mengde?"

An Wenyao was impressed: "Your Majesty is able to see through people at a glance, and your eyes are as sharp as a torch. I am in awe of you."

Empress Chen smiled slightly, and felt relieved when she thought that she still had Jia Cong's special force at her disposal.

"I wonder where the second prince is..." An Wenyao asked tentatively.

Empress Chen smiled faintly and said, "Since someone has framed my son, I don't have to be polite. I will just muddy the waters a little more and see how Your Majesty will deal with it.

Send out an order to create another magic book and spread it around the four cities to see who Your Majesty wants to make the crown prince. "

An Wenyao's eyes lit up and he said, "Your Majesty is very talented, this is a great plan."

If Jia Cong and the second prince were dealt with, there would still be other evil books circulating in the capital, which would be enough to prove the innocence of the two. It was clear that someone was trying to sow discord between the monarch and his subjects, and between his sons.

Empress Chen waved her hands and said, "It's not a brilliant plan. I'm just using the opponent's trick against me."

"Yes. Please tell me, Madam, who should I recommend?"

"The eldest prince." Queen Chen said.

"Yes. The Emperor..."

Empress Chen smiled coldly and said, "If Jia Cong understands this, don't I understand it?

Send someone to tell the emperor to come to Changchun Palace for dinner tonight, and tell him that I am ashamed of my poor parenting and want to apologize in person."

"Yes." An Wenyao hurried to pass on the message. As soon as he arrived at the Yangxin Palace, he was stopped outside by Dai Quan. It turned out that the emperor was summoning several princes.

An Wenyao had no choice but to wait with his hands clasped.

Inside the palace, Emperor Xifeng looked at the third son Sun Xuan, the fourth son Sun Ju, and the fifth son Sun Wen, and said calmly, "Tell me, what are your opinions on today's demon book case?"

The three men were overjoyed, and they all guessed that after Emperor Xifeng deposed his second brother, his eldest brother had a bad reputation and would definitely intend to establish another one. Therefore, they summoned a few people to test them and racked their brains to think of a solution.

After a long while, Sun Xuan spoke first: "Reporting to the Emperor, I think the root of this case is that the prince should not have private relations with ministers, especially important officials in the court.

Just because of the close personal relationship, selfishness arises; strong selfishness leads to selfish desires; strong selfish desires lead to the abandonment of justice.

Therefore, Jia Cong was blinded by greed and took risks. He could not wait to advocate for his second brother in order to win the credit of following the emperor, but he forgot that such behavior was a crime of treason and put his second brother in an unjust position. "

After saying this, he glanced at Emperor Xifeng, hoping for his approval.

Emperor Xifeng hummed, without commenting, and looked at the other two.

Sun Xuan's heart sank, seeing that the emperor's reaction didn't seem very happy.

(End of this chapter)