Huangming

Chapter 52 The Emperor's Heart is Unfathomable, Ming Dynasty Martial Arts Tournament

Accompanying you is like accompanying a tiger.

Only the clever ones are often able to serve the emperor for a long time.

If you are not clever and insightful, even if you suddenly possess immense power, it will be nothing more than a flower in the water or the moon in the mirror.

Zhu Youxiao stretched and sang in a lazy voice: "Grind the iron inkstone until it is worn through to distinguish truth from falsehood, and let the cinnabar fall to determine the fate of the world."

He looked at Wei Chao meaningfully and said, "You are the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the power to approve documents is in your hands. I will not interfere."

Not asking questions?
Wei Chao's face turned pale.

Your Majesty used to be involved in everything concerning the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, so why are you no longer involved now?
This matter is of great importance; if it goes wrong, it could cause turmoil in the court and among the people.

Under the scorn of a thousand men, Wei Chao's small frame could not withstand it.

"Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance, this servant..."

"If you have any worries, I understand."

Wei Chao was overjoyed, but the emperor's next words plunged him into an abyss.

"The position of Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial can be filled by someone else."

Can't do it?
Then let's replace him with a more capable person.

Wei Chao felt bitter inside and could only say tremblingly, "This servant...this servant understands."

He was naturally unwilling to give up the position of Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

but.
What exactly does His Majesty mean?
Wei Chao felt uneasy, but he had no choice but to leave slowly.

Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle.

No wonder the Jiajing Daoist priest liked to play riddles; the feeling of manipulating people's hearts is indeed addictive.

"Let Wang Tiqian come in and give his answer."

Soon, Wang Tiqian was waiting outside the bedroom.

"This servant, Wang Tiqian, greets Your Majesty."

"Go to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs to assist the Wei Dynasty. Remember one thing: do not let a guilty person go unpunished, nor wrong an innocent person!"

Wang Tiqian immediately accepted the order and left.

The emperor must remain high above and cannot step down from the stage.

Even if you cause trouble, the fire won't reach you.

This is the art of imperial power; though ruthless, every accomplished emperor throughout history has been a ruthless person.

The only difference is the degree of ruthlessness.

Upon receiving the emperor's hint, the Wei dynasty immediately went into overdrive, approving and issuing impeachment memorials with solid evidence to the cabinet.

The cabinet, without delay, handed over the thirty-three impeachment memorials and their handling procedures to the Six Ministries.

When the officials of the Six Ministries received the results of the impeachment memorial, they were all extremely shocked.

This was all because nearly half of the thirty-three impeachment memorials impeached officials from the Censorate and the Imperial Censorate.

The Ministry of Revenue was so busy that Zhou Chaorui, the secretary of the Central Secretariat, was hoarse, because there were also impeachments against him on the case.

Copy and distribute?

He copied and sent out memorials impeaching himself.

It's like taking a knife and killing yourself.

Do I kill myself?
At this moment, all the officials from the six departments fell silent.

Qi Shijiao, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Rites, mocked: "Gentlemen, your hands are not clean, yet you call yourselves upright officials? One by one you are corrupt and accepting bribes, forming cliques and disrupting the government. Every single case is clear and obvious. If we do not publish them, we are considered disobedient. You are guilty and have no conscience. How dare you call yourselves loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhou Chaorui's eyes reddened as he angrily rebuked, "Your name, Qi Shijiao, is also in this."

At that moment, Zhou Chaorui was afraid.

I don't know what's gotten into Fang Congzhe, that he's acting like he's going to fight to the death.

Now the results are in. Does this really mean a joint trial by the three judicial departments, resulting in a conviction, dismissal, and confiscation of property?

"I, Qi Shijiao, have upright conduct and a straight posture, and have nothing to fear!"

I have someone backing me up, do you?
Qi Shijiao revealed a smug look.

Even if someone is truly guilty, would His Majesty actually convict them?
"Nearly half of the officials in the Ministry of Justice have been impeached. How can the affairs of the country function? Are you and I to become criminals against the country?" Seeing that Qi Shijiao remained calm and composed, Zhou Chaorui could no longer hold back.

"What is Zhou Dujian's intention?"

Zhou Chaorui surveyed the assembled officials in the Six Ministries Council Hall and said, “The memorials will remain in the palace. We will go to the Left Shun Gate and kneel before His Majesty to request that he withdraw these impeachment memorials that are disrupting the court!”

"Not bad!"

The officials who were impeached were all in a panic.

They originally thought that the law would not punish the masses.

Who knew His Majesty would act unpredictably?

They're actually going to punish them.

"This is harming the country, this is factional strife!"

Some corrupt officials, who have been embezzling and accepting bribes, are already trembling.

"All officials are requested to proceed to the Zuoshun Gate and kneel before His Majesty to retract these impeachment memorials!"

"Hahaha~"

Qi Shijiao laughed heartily at the sight of these people panicking in the face of impending doom, laughing until his stomach hurt.

"You are about to die, and now you are afraid? Aren't you supposed to be loyal to the country? If the impeachment memorials were wrong, you would naturally be fine. Now you are afraid? Or is it that your so-called integrity is just a facade, and that you are actually filthy inside, vermin of the country? Is that not it?"

In the council chamber, other officials from the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction echoed this sentiment.

"If you have the guts, let the Imperial Guards investigate!"

"Yes, be more alert."

"Whoever's afraid is a dog!"

These sarcastic remarks turned Zhou Chaorui into an enraged bull, the hot breath from his nostrils almost blowing his goatee into a V-shaped mustache.

"You are going too far!"

He grabbed the half-dry wolf-hair brush from the desk and threw it at Qi Shijiao. The brush drew a comical parabola in the air and stuck to Qi Shijiao's forehead with a thud, making him look like a scarecrow with a candied hawthorn sticking out of his head.

"What a disgrace!" Qi Shijiao hurriedly grabbed the brush on his head, but accidentally stepped on the scattered memorials, and stumbled, spilling the entire box of cinnabar onto the crotch of the Engineering Censor.

The bright red paint dripped down the hem of the robe, making it look like a scene of "blood-stained splendor" unfolding in the hall.

The Donglin Party members burst into laughter upon seeing this, while the Qi, Chu, and Zhe Party members were not about to suffer a loss.

An officer from the criminal investigation department grabbed an inkstone and swung it around like a meteor hammer, splashing ink all over the wall like a shower of flowers.

Some people had their faces splashed with splatter, looking exactly like Bao Gong who had slipped off the stage; others had their official hats knocked off, revealing their bald hair that gleamed and reflected in the candlelight.

Some people tried to mediate, but to little avail.

"Gentlemen, look! Zhou Dujian's insignia has been torn in two!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, and Qi Shijiao grabbed the golden pheasant embroidery on Zhou Chaorui's chest, a symbol of his rank, and tore the once majestic bird into a "roast chicken".

Qi Shijiao's official hat had long been trampled into a dried-up mess, and his disheveled hair looked like a magpie's nest on his head.

The room was filled with high-ranking officials in scarlet robes, who were rolling around in a heap, while memorials to the throne were flying like snowflakes.

Some even hugged the pillar and performed "King Qin Circling the Pillar," their official boots creaking and making strange noises on the blue brick floor, just like a clumsy musician sawing an erhu.

When the eunuch on duty heard the noise and pushed open the door, he happened to see the Left Censor of the Ministry of Revenue holding a bronze candlestick and striking a pose resembling Guan Yu. Candle wax dripped all over his face, and his ferocious expression made him look like Zhong Kui reincarnated.

Your perception of factional strife: strategizing within the command tent and winning battles a thousand miles away.

The actual factional strife: Damn it, my Great Ming Dynasty has its own fighting system!

(End of this chapter)