I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 543: I respectfully await the impeachment of Lord Hai
Fang Fengshi's face also changed. The thing he was most worried about happened.

"Yuan Fu, I will go there myself."

Zhang Juzheng thought about it and thought that although it might be a bit of an overreaction to ask the Minister of Personnel to go to Tongzhou personally, this was the first step in the performance evaluation system, and Tongzhou was too close to the capital. If it was not handled properly, the impact would be huge.

"Jin Hu, thank you for your hard work."

"This is my duty. I just need you to tell the Governor's Office of the Beijing Camp to ask for the military order so that we can leave the city."

"Okay, I'll send someone to do it right away."

Fang Fengshi bowed and left first.

After waiting for more than an hour, he got the military order and a dozen military officers from the Yiwei Division as his guards. He got on the carriage, and his followers rode on horses, out of Chaoyang Gate, and headed straight for Tongzhou.

It was already dawn when we arrived at Tongzhou Post Station.

This place was surrounded by the guard corps, and Fang Fengshi immediately found Song Gongliang.

Song Gongliang was very surprised to see him: "Minister Fang, why are you here?"

"Songdu Envoy, this matter is of great importance and has shocked the Prime Minister. I happen to be in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, and this is related to my department, so I must come and see it in person.

How is it going? "

"Three people died and 51 were injured, 11 of them were seriously injured. They were all trampled in panic as people fled in all directions. The dead were collected and the injured were sent to the Tongzhou Medical Center."

Just as Song Gongliang finished speaking, a Jinyiwei officer came running to report: "Du Envoy, the Tongzhou Medical Clinic reported that six people were seriously injured and died."

Song Gongliang and Fang Fengshi's faces became even more solemn. Nine people had died, and they were dismissed officials from the capital. This matter was becoming more and more troublesome.

"Where are the other injured?" Song Gongliang asked.

"Reply to the envoy, the clinic replied that there is no danger for the time being."

The two men breathed a sigh of relief, and Song Gongliang waved his hand and asked the military school to leave.

Fang Fengshi said, "Envoy Song, can you take me to the scene to have a look?"

"Fang Butang, please!"

The two men came to the yard where the fire broke out. There were four yards in total and more than forty rooms.

Tongzhou Post Station was a large post station in the Ming Dynasty, like a small town, and the four courtyards only occupied a small part of it.

"The fire started there, and it burned very quickly." Song Gongliang led Fang Fengshi into a yard and pointed at a row of houses that were burned black. "Fortunately, the guards arrived at that time and rushed in to put out the fire, maintain order and save people. Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous."

"Someone set the fire on purpose?"

"Yes."

Fang Fengshi's face was covered with frost. "Has the arsonist been caught?"

"We caught two, but it was a chaotic situation and two more people got away."

Fang Fengshi could not help but take a step forward and asked in a low voice, "Has Envoy Song conducted the interrogation?"

"Tried!" Song Gongliang replied.

“Who is the main messenger?”

"They insisted that they had a grudge against the dismissed official Chen. When Chen was a doctor in the Ministry of Justice, he was corrupt and perverted the law, fabricated a wrongful case, and destroyed their family, so they were looking for an opportunity to take revenge."

Fang Fengshi raised his eyebrows.

Seeking revenge?

This reason is quite justified.

Nearly 500 officials who were dismissed were from the six ministries and various temples. They were dismissed because of failing the year-end examination. They must have made mistakes. It is possible that they took bribes, perverted the law, and framed people.

But Fang Fengshi felt it was too coincidental. Why did they have to start at Tongzhou Post Station? It wouldn’t have worked if they did it earlier or later. Was last night an auspicious day?
"Are the four of them a group?"

"They confessed that they were in the same group. They were all victimized by corrupt officials in the Ministry of Justice, so they formed a group."

Fang Fengshi pondered for a while, then asked, "Songdu Envoy, do you believe it?"

Song Gongliang blinked his eyes and said, "Song is only responsible for trying the case. As long as the evidence is solid and reasonable, it doesn't matter whether Song believes it or not."

Fang Fengshi was speechless for a moment.

Such a result is too unsatisfactory. It would be perfect if there was a mastermind behind the scenes.

But the Jinyiwei themselves could not give orders, and neither could the Prime Minister Zhang Juzheng.

They are the emperor's personal army.

Seeing Fang Fengshi's conflicted expression, Song Gongliang added, "But one of my subordinates is an expert in criminal trials. He found a flaw in the confessions of the two arrested people."

"There's a flaw?" Fang Fengshi's eyes lit up. "What flaw?"

"The confessions given by the two were flawless and complete."

Fang Fengshi's eyes lit up, "Yes, such a perfect confession must have been planned in advance."

He looked at Song Gongliang expectantly: "Did you find out anything else?"

"Under torture, one of them confessed that the four of them were bribed and were waiting for an opportunity to set fire to the Tongzhou Post Station."

Fang Fengshi couldn't wait to ask, "Who is the mastermind behind this?"

Song Gongliang shook his head. "He said he was just a small fry, following orders. The mastermind who negotiated with the mastermind behind the scenes has already fled.

The four of them only knew each other when they were hanging out together, and they didn’t know each other’s background, not even whether their names or places of origin were real or fake.”

"Then there is no way to investigate." Fang Fengshi said regretfully, "This matter was arranged so rigorously, and the confessions were coordinated beforehand. The person behind the scenes is no ordinary person."

Song Gongliang smiled and said, "Mr. Fang, the man who dared to attack five hundred dismissed officials at Tongzhou Post Station is certainly not an ordinary person."

Fang Fengshi looked at Song Gongliang's young and handsome face and felt that he should know something but was just unwilling to tell him.

With the emperor's increasing attention to the Imperial Guards, they almost regained their omnipresent power.

He is well-informed and should be the best in Ming Dynasty.

Maybe the Imperial Guards had already received some news, and coupled with the major case last night, this relative of the emperor guessed something but was unwilling to say it out loud.

In Fang Fengshi's mind, the mastermind behind the scenes should be the old-school bureaucrats who hated the Kaocheng faction to the core. They took the opportunity to set fire to the Tongzhou Post Station and make a big deal out of it, making it difficult for Zhang Juzheng and himself to save face.

If it could be confirmed that the mastermind behind the incident was the old-school bureaucrat as he had guessed, Zhang Shuda and himself would be able to leverage the situation and turn this Tongzhou Post Station case into a powerful weapon to further investigate the old-school bureaucrats who opposed reform.

But what does Song Gongliang’s current attitude mean?
Fang Fengshi knew clearly that Song Gongliang had no personal attitude, and his attitude represented the emperor's attitude.

What is the emperor’s attitude towards the Tongzhou Post Station case?

Just as Fang Fengshi was racking his brains and thinking hard, a man came over there. Song Gongliang saw him first and hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

"I greet Lord Hai!"

Hai Gong, Hai Rui?
Fang Fengshi was startled and turned around to see that it was indeed the dark-skinned Hai Rui.

Why is he also at Tongzhou Post Station?

It seems that he personally experienced last night's big case.

Is this a good idea? If he really wanted to find out the reason why the five hundred dismissed officials suddenly suffered a disaster, the rough measures taken by the cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel were also one of the reasons. If he was indignant and wrote an impeachment memorial, he and Zhang Juzheng would be in trouble.

Fang Fengshi bowed nervously and said, "I greet Mr. Hai."

Hai Rui bowed and returned the greeting: "Tang Fang, the envoy of Song."

Fang Fengshi asked carefully, "Was Mr. Hai here last night too?"

Hai Rui nodded: "Yes, I originally wanted to get to Tongzhou Post Station as early as possible so that I could catch the earliest boat today, but I was delayed."

Fang Fengshi continued, "The criminals actually dared to set fire to the Tongzhou Post Station, endangering hundreds or even thousands of people. They are really crazy. I think that without anyone's instructions, ordinary people would not be so bold."

Hai Rui looked at Fang Fengshi with a sharp and piercing gaze, which made Fang Fengshi feel even more uneasy.

Mr. Hai, I'm not the mastermind behind this. I feel intimidated if you stare at me like this!

"I know what Fang Bu Tang is thinking. The mastermind behind this is preferably someone who opposes the system of performing performance evaluation. If the evidence is solid, you and Zhang Taiyue will be able to get away from this, and you can even fight back and continue to promote the system of performing performance evaluation."

Hai Rui's words made Fang Fengshi hesitate, not knowing how to respond.

Hai Gong, you are too straightforward. How should I respond?

Hai Rui turned to look at Song Gongliang, "Envoy Song, have the Jinyiwei found any relevant evidence?"

Song Gongliang shook his head and said, "To reply to Lord Hai, no. Jinyiwei has only found out that the four of them were instructed by someone. We need to catch the leader to find out who instructed them.

However, based on my many years of experience in handling cases, the mastermind behind the scenes is so cautious that he will definitely not leave any clues with the leader."

Hai Rui nodded and said, "That makes sense. Minister Fang, when investigating a case in the Ming Dynasty, we still need to rely on evidence. We cannot just make empty statements."

His status and position were there, so even if Fang Fengshi was the Minister of Personnel, he didn't dare to act like a superior and could only listen to his teachings obediently.

"Mr. Hai's teachings are very true. As the Minister of Personnel and an important official of the court, I will never do such things as framing others or taking revenge."

Fang Fengshi could only pray now that Hai Rui would not impeach himself and Zhang Juzheng because of this matter.

If his impeachment memorial is submitted, the emperor will be embarrassed, and the old-school bureaucrats who oppose the performance evaluation system will be encouraged. The subsequent promotion of the performance evaluation system will encounter great resistance.

The Performance Evaluation System is the first sword of the New Deal reform and also the first sword to blaze new trails. If it encounters obstacles, subsequent New Deal reforms will be in big trouble.

Hai Rui spoke again, "Mr. Fang, you guessed that the masterminds behind this are those who oppose the performance evaluation system, but I also guessed that the masterminds behind this are those people from the factories and companies.

It is said that Luanzhou and Taiyuan did not want these dismissed officials at all, but Zhang Yuanfu forced them to go there. In order to prevent these people from going to Luanzhou and Taiyuan, it is most appropriate to start in Tongzhou. "

Fang Fengshi's heart was pounding. Hai Rui was really as good as his reputation said. He had seen through him again.

Zhang Juzheng insisted on stuffing these nearly 500 dismissed officials into factories and companies in Luanzhou and Taiyuan, nominally for "waste utilization" and supporting industrial and commercial enterprises, but Fang Fengshi knew the real intention.

The Shaofujian controls the economic lifeline of the Ming Dynasty. Is Zhang Juzheng, as the Prime Minister, willing to accept this?
I'm definitely not willing to accept that.

He knew that the Supervisor of the Imperial Household took orders directly from the Emperor, so he certainly wouldn't dare to take over, but he could squeeze in people and stir up trouble.

Nearly five hundred dismissed officials went to Luanzhou and Taiyuan to "work as assistants." Dozens of them performed outstandingly, so Zhang Juzheng reinstated them and found excuses to keep them in these factories and companies.

The official hats are in the hands of the Cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel. Who do you think these officials who remain in Luanhe and Taiyuan will listen to?

There are nearly five hundred people in this batch, and there will be a second batch, a third batch, one thousand, and two thousand later. It is an endless stream. If it continues, Zhang Juzheng will be able to add enough sand to these industrial and commercial enterprises controlled by the Shaofujian.

But couldn't the Shaofujian, Luanzhou and Taiyuan see Zhang Juzheng's plan? These industrial and commercial giants were all the best of the best.

What's more, the eunuch Yang Jinshui of the Shaofu Supervisor is an unfathomable person.

Could they sit idly by and watch Zhang Juzheng throw sand in their own territory?

The fire at Tongzhou Post Station burned Zhang Juzheng's cabinet and his own Ministry of Personnel. The most suspected people were the group that opposed the performance evaluation system. Who would have thought it was them?

When Fang Fengshi was in doubt, Hai Rui spoke again: "This is just my wild guess. I don't dare to speak without any evidence. But in this matter, Minister Fang, I will still submit a petition to impeach your Ministry of Personnel and the Cabinet."

Fang Fengshi felt a chill in his heart, it’s all over!

Hai Rui's impeachment memorial was extremely destructive. He and Zhang Yuanfu would be overwhelmed and at a loss as to what to do because of it.

"I want to impeach you. You have not eradicated all the evil and are still hoping for the best. Those who fail the year-end exam should be dismissed and sent back to their hometowns according to the rules.

They had to show some inappropriate pity and give these incompetent bastards a chance to reform by sending them to work in border areas, where they became the victims of corrupt officials and took the opportunity to take revenge on them.

These bastards deserved their punishment, but they also brought disaster to innocent people!

In the final analysis, it is because your cabinet and the Ministry of Personnel were not resolute in implementing the performance evaluation system, and looked around! They even failed to clean out the termites and pests that were mixed in, and simply dismissed them from their posts.

The emperor trusts you so much and entrusts you with high hopes of improving the administration of officials. This is how you repay his grace!
I think you should learn from the Shaofujian and conduct a resignation review. Regardless of whether the employee is dismissed or transferred, when he leaves the job, the financial affairs handled by him should be audited, and the matters he has handled and the cases he has examined should be checked.”

Fang Fengshi looked at Hai Rui and could hardly believe his ears.

Such impeachment was actually to protect himself and Zhang Juzheng.

First, he defined the Tongzhou Post Station case as revenge by the victims against corrupt officials, and then he used the opportunity of impeachment and reprimand to urge Zhang Juzheng and himself to implement the performance evaluation system as soon as possible.

Those who make mistakes will be directly dismissed, and those who should be held accountable will be held accountable.

Hai Rui's move was even more cruel and more hateful!

Once Zhang Juzheng and I carried out the plan, the officials who were harmed would blame Hai Rui for half of the crime, which was equivalent to sharing half of the firepower with them.

Hai Rui shouted, "Fang Fengshi, go back and wait with Zhang Juzheng for my impeachment!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and walked away.

Fang Fengshi's eyes were red. He bowed to Hai Rui's back and said in a hoarse voice, "I am Fang Fengshi, and I respectfully await the impeachment of Lord Hai!"

Song Gongliang looked at Hai Rui's back and sighed softly.

Hai Rui returned to his residence and said loudly: "We will take the noon boat and hurry on our way."

Shu Youliang asked: "Don't you want to play the art of war anymore?"

Hai Rui waved his hand and said, "No more playing."

"Master, do you not want to play, or can't afford to play?"

"Can't afford it?"

"Master, you can't beat others."

"Asshole, is the master that kind of person?"

Hai Rui thought of the many inside stories of the post station case and the things he was going to do in the south of the Yangtze River, and he couldn't help feeling a little melancholy.

When Shu Youliang saw his expression, his heart skipped a beat. Did I say something too harsh?
"Master, are you okay?"

"Nothing, just suddenly remembered something?"

Shu Youliang became interested, "Master, what's the matter?"

"In this world, things can be divided into good and bad, but people are hard to distinguish between good and evil."

Shu Youliang shook his head: "It's too profound, I don't understand.

All I know is, Master, we must hurry to Jiangnan and sell those boxes of old clothes while the prices are high.

According to Shixin’s words, it is called activating funds.”

(End of this chapter)