Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1266 Refusal to meet
"Grand Secretary, this won't do! If we keep arresting people, all the government offices will be empty, and we won't be able to do this job at all. Moreover, those who were arrested before are trying to get away with it by making false accusations everywhere, and anyone even slightly involved is being dragged into it. If we continue like this, there will definitely be a huge mess!" Yang Sichang and others couldn't help but come to Hong Chengchou. They sat down and, without even taking a sip of water, said worriedly.

Hong Chengchou frowned, quite worried about the matter. Although he knew the emperor wanted to use this case to his advantage, and he had previously agreed when the emperor sought his opinion, as the chief minister, he hadn't expected the case to escalate to such a degree.

Because of the Yellow River breach, it now involves not only three prefectures and seven counties, but also the six ministries in Nanjing and even the capital. In addition, many officials who were transferred to other places and had served in the Southern Zhili region have also been implicated. The three departments are now acting like they've gone mad. No one expected the police department to be even more ruthless than the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They arrest and interrogate a batch, then arrest another batch and continue interrogating them... As a result, more and more people are getting involved, and there are signs that it is getting out of control.

“The Embroidered Uniform Guard has not yet intervened. Since the Three Departments are acting, I’m afraid they have evidence against those they’ve arrested. It’s not convenient for the Cabinet to interfere here,” Hong Chengchou said after a moment’s hesitation.

"Why can't we intervene?" Kong Zhenyun couldn't help but ask, "The Three Departments have taken some kind of medicine this time, acting as ruthlessly as the Imperial Guards. Besides, others may not know what's going on with the Police Department, but surely you, the Grand Secretary, understand? This department was originally separated from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Some of their so-called evidence is just hearsay, and some is just trivial matters!"

"Little things?"

“How can it not be a small matter?” Kong Zhenyun immediately gave an example: “Take Zhou, the principal of the Ministry of Rites, Zhao, the assistant prefect of Daming Prefecture, and Zhang, the provincial inspector of Zhejiang, for example. They only accepted some gifts during festivals because they were from the same hometown and year of birth, and then gave some appropriate care on ordinary days.”

"How can these things be considered trivial? Who hasn't engaged in such back-and-forth dealings in officialdom? Whether they are from the same year, the same hometown, or the same colleagues, the ministers in the court always have some connections. If we were to convict them based solely on this, then all the officials in the Ming Dynasty would probably be implicated in this case. How would we handle that? Are we supposed to dismiss them all, then behead them and send them to the army?"

"Yes, Grand Secretary!" Qian Qianyi couldn't sit still any longer and immediately complained, "I served as an official in Southern Zhili for several years back then, and I have countless relatives, friends, and children in Jiangnan. If the investigation continues like this, will it eventually lead to you and me?"

"While I can assure you that I have never interfered in the Yellow River dike project, I cannot guarantee that any of the people I know will be involved in this case. Besides, it's normal for subordinates, relatives, and officials to give gifts during holidays. Even if we officials are honest and don't embezzle, we can't ignore human relationships, can we? If we accidentally accept a gift, and that makes us accomplices, then... is there any justice in this world?"

Qian Qianyi was the most anxious among the cabinet members. As he himself said, he was originally from Jiangnan and had once been the leader of the Donglin Party.

The Donglin Party's stronghold was in Jiangnan. Furthermore, Qian Qianyi had been demoted for his previous conflict with Yang Sichang over the position of Grand Secretary, and Emperor Chongzhen sent him to Nanjing to serve as an official, where he remained for several years. During these years, Qian Qianyi not only served as an official but also enjoyed teaching, lecturing and recruiting students in Nanjing. Many scholars, including officials, became his disciples, a fact that Qian Qianyi was quite proud of.

Originally, the Yellow River breach had nothing to do with Qian Qianyi. Qian Qianyi was a known upright official, indulging in pleasures and neglecting local affairs. However, the case was becoming increasingly complex, and as a series of people were implicated, Qian Qianyi, who had previously remained calm and collected, began to panic. After all, he had deep roots in Jiangnan, with many friends, colleagues, and students. With some already arrested for their involvement, what if these people couldn't withstand the pressure and implicated him, pointing the finger at him as the mastermind? Then, even if Qian Qianyi had a thousand mouths, he wouldn't be able to clear his name.

It wasn't just Qian Qianyi; others shared this concern. Where in officialdom can one find truly independent individuals? Relationships are incredibly complex. Even when different parties and factions were fiercely fighting, some people maintained good relations with both sides, their influence intertwined.

Just as Kong Zhenyun said, the relationships of being from the same hometown, the same year, the same classmate, and the same colleague are unbreakable. Even if someone is accidentally involved in this case, as long as they are not the mastermind and they provided some convenience without knowing the specific circumstances, what does it matter? If this is also a crime, then after the whole court is investigated, probably very few people will be innocent. It would be strange if things didn't get chaotic.

Hong Chengchou was also considering this issue. In his view, the case had indeed gone too far. More than two thousand people had already been arrested and the investigation was still ongoing. If they continued, even more people might be implicated, and he himself might eventually be implicated.

Thinking of this, Hong Chengchou couldn't help but look at the second-in-command, Wang Jinwu. Wang Jinwu was probably the most stable member of the cabinet at the moment. After all, he was not a civil official but a military nobleman, and had no connection with the local area. Moreover, he was the emperor's cousin, so his status was extraordinary.

Wang Jinwu frowned, thought for a moment, and nodded, saying, "This is indeed going too far."

"Good!" Seeing Wang Jinwu's statement, Hong Chengchou felt reassured. He stood up and said, "This matter cannot be allowed to continue. If you all trust me, why don't you come with me to see His Majesty and offer your advice?" "Good!" Everyone nodded in unison. This was the purpose of their visit to Hong Chengchou. After all, Hong Chengchou was the Grand Secretary, and this matter had to be stopped from the Emperor as soon as possible.

Since everyone agreed, Hong Chengchou did not hesitate and immediately prepared to go to the Qianqing Palace to see the emperor.

However, when they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, they informed the head eunuch, Lu Jiude, that they requested an audience with the Emperor. Lu Jiude told them to wait outside while he went in to report. After a short while, Lu Jiude came out, and just when Hong Chengchou and the others thought they would soon see the Emperor, Lu Jiude told them that His Majesty was unwell that day and would not be seeing anyone. He said that they should discuss their matters in a few days, and if the cabinet had important matters, they could submit memorials directly, and the Emperor could approve them once he felt better.

After saying that, Lu Jiude turned and left, leaving the cabinet elders standing there, staring at each other in disbelief. No one had expected this, and they were all at a loss for what to do.

Hong Chengchou and the others were all intelligent men, and they naturally understood that Lu Jiude's words were just an excuse. The emperor's supposed illness was simply a pretext for him knowing their purpose and deliberately avoiding them. Although Lu Jiude said they could meet again in a few days when the emperor was better, or that they could submit a memorial, this was too late to solve the immediate problem. Every day of delay only exacerbated the situation, and if things dragged on like this, who could guarantee what might happen in a few days?
For a moment, everyone was at a loss. Yang Sichang couldn't help but suggest that if all else failed, they should force their way to see His Majesty. How could such an important matter be left unattended? This action was directly stopped by Hong Chengchou. As a subject, forcibly seeking an audience with the emperor in this situation was no small matter. If the emperor were to be furious, it would be a serious offense of disrespect. Although Yang Sichang was a Grand Secretary, he was still a subject. If the conflict escalated, not only would it not solve the problem, but he might also get himself involved.

After much thought, Hong Chengchou couldn't come up with a good solution, so he could only turn his gaze to Wang Jinwu, hoping that Wang Jinwu could find a way to see the emperor. But Wang Jinwu wore a helpless expression, spreading his hands and saying that they had all been stopped when they came to request an audience, so how could he possibly see the emperor alone? It was simply impossible!
"What should we do?" Hong Chengchou was in a state of panic, his brows furrowed, and the others were also worried.

"How about we go to the Eastern Palace to request an audience with His Highness the Crown Prince?" Wang Jinwu suddenly suggested.

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up. That's right! The emperor could deliberately refuse to see them, but he couldn't possibly refuse to see the crown prince! The crown prince is the heir apparent, and in recent years he has gradually taken on political duties, clearly showing the emperor's intention to train the crown prince.

If they could see the Crown Prince and have him persuade the Emperor, the chances of success would be much greater. Everyone immediately agreed to this suggestion. Due to the urgency of the situation, they set off immediately, rushing from the Qianqing Palace to the nearby East Palace to request an audience with Crown Prince Zhu Minlan.

When Hong Chengchou and his entourage arrived, Crown Prince Zhu Minlan was reading memorials. Upon learning that the cabinet members had come together, he was initially taken aback, but then quickly invited them in.

Upon arriving at the East Palace's office, Hong Chengchou and his entourage first paid their respects to the Crown Prince. Then, before the Crown Prince could inquire about the matter, they proactively reported to the Crown Prince that their request to see the Emperor had been refused, and that the Yellow River breach case was now too far-reaching and had seriously affected the court and local affairs. They hoped that the Crown Prince could persuade His Majesty to reconsider, considering the stability of the Ming Dynasty and the actual situation of the case.

After carefully listening to the reports from Hong Chengchou and others, Crown Prince Zhu Minlan's expression became solemn.

"Has the situation really come to this?"

"Your Highness, this case has not only created widespread fear, but it has also impacted the court, especially at the local level. Leaving aside the three prefectures and seven counties involved, the local government offices are now without anyone in charge, making it impossible to conduct official business. Remember, disaster relief is still underway in Huaibei; if all the officials are arrested, who will handle the work? The same situation exists in Nanjing. One wrong move affects everything. I am not trying to excuse these officials; if they are indeed responsible for the Yellow River's breach, then any punishment is justified. But to implicate so many people over such a trivial matter is going too far. I implore Your Highness to advise His Majesty to severely punish the ringleaders while also considering the practicalities of the situation and minimizing the involvement of so many others. If this case causes chaos, it will be difficult to quell!"

Hong Chengchou said this, and everyone chimed in with their opinions. They all agreed that this case absolutely could not be handled this way, and investigations should not be conducted this way. A problem should be identified and dealt with accordingly. But now, it's clearly being used as a pretext for further investigation. Moreover, the situation with the Yellow River embankment spans decades and involves far too many issues. Even if the current officials of the three prefectures and seven counties bear responsibility, the real responsibility doesn't lie with them! They may be guilty, but continuing like this is absolutely unacceptable and could lead to serious consequences.

(End of this chapter)