What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 287: At the Great Court Meeting, the Empress goes on a killing spree!
Tai Chi Hall, great court meeting!
Today is the 25th of the lunar year, and there are only three days left until the annual holiday on the 27th.

Despite it being a grand court assembly with hundreds of officials attending in the Taiji Hall, almost all of them tacitly refrained from submitting any trivial matters, so as not to create trouble for themselves and affect their annual leave.

Even the Empress's announcement a few days ago that there was no evidence of cheating in the Immortal Martial Arts Tournament did not raise much doubt.

Wearing a dragon robe and a dragon crown, Leng Liuxi looked expressionlessly at the civil and military officials standing respectfully on both sides of the hall.

"My esteemed ministers, is there anything else you wish to report?"

Below the steps, all the civil and military officials remained silent, and the lower-ranking officials at the back even seemed to be dozing off.

As the head official stepped forward and routinely called out, "If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court is dismissed," most of the court officials assumed that the grand court assembly was about to end.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the crowd.

Holding the ivory tablet in both hands, he said in a deep voice, "Your subject has something to report!"

The court officials were immediately taken aback and subconsciously looked at the person who had stepped forward to present the report.

The Great Wu Dynasty stipulated that officials of the fifth rank and above should have their official tablets made of ivory, which was one of the key dividing lines of status for officials in the capital.

In particular, this person was Wang Yi, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, who was a fourth-rank official and wielded considerable power!

Of course, the most crucial point is that Wang Yi comes from the Wang family, one of the five surnames and seven prominent families in the country, and is one of the iconic figures of the Wang family in the court!

Most of the court officials looked at each other, asking with their eyes what had happened.

Some people also showed expressions of "I knew it."

The Grand Secretaries and the Nine Ministers in the hall remained expressionless, revealing nothing.

The Empress looked expressionlessly at Wang Yi, who had stepped forward: "What does Minister Wang have to report?"

Wang Yi solemnly declared, "Your Majesty, I wish to impeach Zhang Yu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Su Mo, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

Upon hearing this, the court officials stared at Wang Yi in shock!

They actually impeached Zhang Yu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?

Furthermore, who is Su Mo, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Does he have the qualifications to be impeached by Wang Yi, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, along with Zhang Yu?
In ancient times, news traveled slowly due to blockages, and the capital city was also extremely large.

Most officials were unaware of the trial held at the Dali Temple yesterday regarding He Heng's lawsuit against Su Mo, and naturally, they were also unaware of why Zhang Yu had a grudge against the Wang family.

Zhang Yu, who was impeached, glanced coldly at Wang Yi, then stepped forward and stood in the hall.

The Empress's beautiful face showed no change as she calmly asked, "What is the matter that Minister Wang has impeached the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Su Mo, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Wang Yi took a deep breath and said in a firm and powerful voice, "I impeach Zhang Yu, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, for bending the law for personal gain!"

"Imperial Guard Commander Su Mo is accused of thirteen crimes: arrogance, abuse of power, oppression of the people, extravagance and debauchery, forcibly taking women and farmland, accepting bribes, and wantonly killing government officials..."

Upon hearing this, the court officials were stunned and secretly swallowed hard!
What happened in the end?
As the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he was impeached for bending the law for personal gain. If the accusation were true, his reputation would be ruined, his official career would be cut off, and even the Zhang family would be unable to hold their heads high in the literary circles.

This is an impeachment that will not end in a fight to the death!

And what about that Jinyiwei commander I've never even heard of? How could he be so arrogant and domineering?

Is this okay?

Although the Embroidered Uniform Guards openly have the power to kill, which is almost equivalent to acting first and reporting later, they will still be investigated and held accountable by the Embroidered Uniform Guards themselves afterward!
Even if it wasn't an indiscriminate killing of innocent people, Lu Su wouldn't dare to protect them under pressure from the court officials!
Especially now that the status of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has been declining, it has been a long time since they have secretly killed court officials. Even the Phoenix Cry Division, which has more power than the Embroidered Uniform Guard, no longer has the right to kill!

The Empress's expression remained unchanged, and she did not erupt in anger as the court officials had imagined. She simply said slowly, "Present the memorial!"

The official in charge then presented Wang Yi's memorial to the Empress.

The Empress had just finished reading the memorials when another court official stepped forward.

"I also impeach Su Mo, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for beating He Heng, a former compiler of the Hanlin Academy, without cause, resulting in He Heng's death from his injuries!"

The assembled officials, upon seeing this, were once again filled with awe.

It was none other than Cui Zhang, the Grand Master of the Imperial Academy and a Hanlin Academician, yet another heavyweight figure among the upright officials!
The Hanlin Academy was the most prestigious and elite institution, the stronghold of the literati, and a training ground for Grand Secretaries. Cui Zhang not only came from the Cui family, one of the seven most prestigious families, but also served as a lecturer at the Imperial Lectures on the classics, lecturing to the sages on many occasions. He could even be called the Imperial Tutor!
Does that Jinyiwei centurion have some kind of audacity?
He actually offended the leading figures of the Wang and Cui families in the Qingliu faction.

Although only two people stepped forward to present their impeachments, the expressions of all the officials became serious.

Something is very wrong.

Normally, even if someone were to be impeached, let alone a heavyweight like Zhang Yu, even if it were just one of the Nine Ministers, it would be a low-ranking official. If that didn't work, they would try to impeach someone of a higher rank.

This process repeated itself, progressing step by step, creating a sense of increasing pressure, while also leaving room for both sides to negotiate a peace agreement in private.

As things stand today, with two heavyweights, Wang Yi and Cui Zhang, appearing right from the start, it's clear they're determined to kill each other without leaving any room for negotiation!

The Empress's expression finally turned cold and stern. She then read Cui Zhang's memorial and ordered the messenger to bring Wang Yi's memorial to Zhang Yu.

"Minister Zhang, Minister Wang has impeached you for bending the law for personal gain. Does Minister Zhang have any rebuttal?"

Zhang Yu glanced at Wang Yi's memorial impeaching him, then said in a deep voice, "I have investigated He Heng's case against Su Mo, the clerk of Tianchang County, for adultery with his wife. The case file has been presented to Your Majesty for review."

"During the trial, the Left and Right Vice Ministers presided over the case together, and the Princess of Baicheng, the Duke of Anguo, the Vice Commander of the Vanguard Army, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Commander of the Fengming Division also attended the trial."

"I believe I have upheld the law impartially and have not shown favoritism. I also believe that Your Majesty will have a fair judgment on the rights and wrongs involved!"

Those court officials who were unaware of the situation were dumbfounded and completely dumbfounded!
Why are so many important figures involved in the trial of a mere clerk in Tianchang County for having an affair with the wife of a Hanlin scholar?
This is comparable in scale to a joint trial by the three judicial departments!
The courtiers, unaware of the true situation, suddenly recalled that a number of scholars had petitioned at the Meridian Gate the day before, only to be persuaded to disperse by Zhu Bi, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion. Their hearts trembled with fear.

Could this case be related to that matter?

However, when the officials saw the six Grand Secretaries and the six Ministers, most of them did not show any surprise, clearly indicating that they already knew about this matter!

Only Zhong Yin, the Minister of War, and Chu Cheng, the Minister of Works, frowned slightly.

Just as many people were filled with doubt, Zhang Yu looked coldly at Wang Yi: "However, I do have a question."

"He Heng, the one who made the false accusation, was sentenced to be stripped of his official rank and position and imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison. He died suddenly in prison last night, and I only recently learned of this."

The coroner further stated that the cause of death was questionable.

"How did Chancellor Wang and Scholar Cui know that He Heng was dead, and how did they conclude that He Heng died from his injuries?"

Wang Yi snorted heavily: "That Imperial Guard commander is lawless; he assaulted someone in court."

"Regardless of whether He Heng is guilty or not, how can he act so recklessly before his guilt is determined! Such behavior shows that he is used to being arrogant and domineering, and has no regard for the laws of the court!" He took a deep breath, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "I heard that this matter involves my clansmen, so I sent someone to find out the situation, but I learned about this from the jailer."

"He Heng was a healthy man with no serious illnesses. If it weren't for Su Mo injuring him, he wouldn't have died suddenly in prison for no reason!"

Cui Zhang also said in a deep voice, "He Heng was a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. When I heard about this, I sent someone to investigate and found out that He Heng was dead."

Zhang Yu snorted coldly and said no more.

The Empress turned to look at Lu Su, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who was standing in the ranks of military officers.

"Lu Su, Minister Wang has impeached Su Mo, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for thirteen crimes!"

"As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, do you have anything to say?"

Lu Su quickly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty."

"I believe that Su Mo is a loyal and honest man who has always been conscientious in his duties and devoted to the imperial affairs. I have never heard of him committing any crimes or offenses."

"In court, He Heng was punished for repeatedly insulting his wife. This was also out of concern for his subordinate. Lord Zhang has already punished him. I hope Your Majesty will make a clear judgment!"

Upon hearing this, many of the courtiers were immediately taken aback.

To my utter surprise, that old fox Lu Su actually defended Su Mo so much, openly endorsing Su Mo!

What shocked the other court officials even more was that Zhong Yin, the Minister of War, suddenly stepped out of the ranks of civil officials.

"Your Majesty, I had the honor of meeting Su Mo once!"

Zhong Yin glanced slowly at Wang Yi and Cui Zhang, then said calmly, "Although this boy is young, he is very knowledgeable and does not seem to be an arrogant person."

"Your Majesty, since the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and Academician Cui have impeached Su Mo, why don't you summon Su Mo to the palace to defend himself?"

Upon hearing Zhong Yin's words, all the court officials turned their attention to him.

Officials who were unaware of the situation suddenly began to waver.

Could it be that Wang Yi and Cui Zhang's impeachment of Su Mo was actually due to personal grudges?
As everyone knows, Zhong Yin and Ye Wenshan, the former director of the Imperial Observatory, are the most upright and incorruptible, to put it bluntly, they are both stubborn and unyielding!

A sage dares to directly rebuke anyone who does something wrong.

In terms of his upright reputation, he even surpasses the six cabinet ministers!
Why would he speak up for Su Mo?

Not to mention ordinary court officials, even Xiao Yuan, the chief minister, frowned slightly and looked at Zhong Yin.

Wang Hao unconsciously raised an eyebrow and looked at Cui Xian.

Upon hearing Zhong Yin's suggestion to summon Su Mo to the palace to defend himself, everyone's attention naturally fell on the Empress.

The Empress's expression remained unchanged; she simply waved her hand dismissively: "Wang Yi and Minister Cui impeached Su Mo for thirteen crimes. I will have someone investigate thoroughly!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts skipped a beat!
The Empress actually addressed Wang Yi by his given name?
Ignoring the strange expressions on everyone's faces, the Empress paused slightly and pulled a memorial from the imperial desk: "I have received a memorial here, which concerns Wang Yi!"

"Someone, take this memorial to Wang Yi for a look!"

Wang Yi was naturally taken aback. He took the memorial from the messenger, opened it, and his face turned deathly pale. His lips trembled slightly, and he couldn't utter a single word!
Xiao Yuan, Zhong Yin, and the others were immediately taken aback.

Wang Hao's face suddenly darkened.

Before anyone could understand what was happening, Wang Yi suddenly knelt down and kowtowed heavily to the Empress, saying miserably, "Your subject is guilty!"

Cui Zhang, who had stepped forward with Wang Yi to impeach Su Mo, looked at Wang Yi kneeling on the ground with a drastic change in expression and felt a sense of foreboding!
The Empress's face suddenly darkened, and she looked coldly at Wang Yi: "Of course you are guilty!"

"If it weren't for the report from Fengming Division, I wouldn't have known that my Imperial Academy Chancellor had forcibly occupied more than a dozen houses and over 8,500 mu of farmland!"

"He also accepted bribes of over three hundred taels of gold, five thousand taels of silver, and a large number of paintings, calligraphy, and antiques!"

The Empress's face grew increasingly grim as she spoke, her gaze sweeping coldly over the assembled officials.

"Wang Yi impeached Su Mo for forcibly seizing farmland, indulging in extravagance and debauchery, and keeping nearly a hundred female slaves and beautiful maids given to him by others in his outer residence!"

The Empress took a deep breath, and a cold and terrifying aura suddenly emanated from her, causing the temperature in the entire Taiji Palace to drop by more than ten degrees!
"My esteemed ministers, tell me, how can I believe that a mere Chancellor of the Imperial Academy could impeach Su Mo, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for thirteen crimes?"

The entire court of officials fell silent instantly, trembling with fear!
When the emperor was angry, he laid down millions of corpses!

Not to mention this empress, who possesses a terrifying cultivation level of the Heavenly Infant Realm!
Even disregarding Wang Yi's expression, the fact that the Empress dared to publicly read out Wang Yi's incriminating evidence clearly indicates that she had solid proof!
That was Fengming Si who made the move!

Given the terrifying power of the Phoenix Cry Bureau, if they were to investigate a court official, how many could withstand the scrutiny?
The Empress glanced at Wang Hao, the current regent, with a dark look in her eyes, and then said coldly, "Take Wang Yi to the Northern Garrison Command and thoroughly investigate his crimes!"

"Furthermore, all officials involved in the Wang Yi case shall be apprehended!"

At the Empress's command, a petite, veiled woman led a squad of female guards from the Phoenix Cry Division, clad in black armor, into the court.

The officials were immediately terrified when they saw the veiled woman!

The already chilly hall became even colder and more eerie!

The woman unceremoniously ordered her men to remove Wang Yi's official hat and robes, and tie him up, showing absolutely no respect to the Wang family or even Wang Hao, the current Grand Secretary!

Then, he took out a yellow silk ribbon and said in a deep voice, "Hanlin Reader! Wang Ying! Take him down!"

"Min Zheng, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue! Take him down!"

"Wang Du, the Chief Clerk! Take him down!"

……

The courtiers stared in disbelief as five courtiers, their faces pale, were successively apprehended by the female guards of the Phoenix Cry Division and taken out of the palace!
These... these are all officials of the Wang family, and officials who are deeply connected with the Wang family.

Is the Empress about to take action against the royal family?

The Wang family is one of the five prominent families and seven prestigious clans!
Could it be that... the Empress feels she has secured her throne and has begun to target various factions in the court, disrupting the balance of power and completely seizing control?
The ministers were instantly shocked and looked at the empress with a gloomy face!
Five officials alone were captured!

What about officials who are not qualified to attend court?
Could the Wang family, and even the powerful clans of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families, just stand by and watch the Empress take action against the Wang family?
The officials with keen senses had already faintly smelled an extremely strong scent of bloodshed!
This is unacceptable!
In a single day, without any warning, so many officials were arrested, including important ministers such as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!

If we don't stop the Empress and let her taste the benefits, what will happen if she continues to do this in the future?
Which court official can withstand scrutiny?

Wouldn't it be better to let everyone have a happy holiday?

All the court officials' eyes naturally fell on Xiao Yuan, the head of all officials, and even He Jiang, the Minister of Personnel!
　My chapter was automatically modified by the system again yesterday. Is this what they call "driving" (a euphemism for sexual innuendo)?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)