Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

After finishing one book, Xia Shouzhong picked up another and continued reading aloud:

"Hanlin Academician Peng Peng. From the second to the eighth year of the Jingsheng era, Peng Peng purchased more than 8,600 mu of land in his hometown of Putian, Fujian and three surrounding counties, and set up 17 estates."

"He also opened twelve shops in Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Xiamen, dealing in silk, tea, and medicinal herbs, with total assets worth approximately 450,000 taels of silver."

"Peng Peng was originally a Hanlin scholar and an important official. His total annual salary was only a few thousand taels. The source of his family property was recorded in detail in the account books, and every single entry showed traces of embezzlement."

"Furthermore, Peng Peng purchased a three-courtyard residence in Quanzhou, which contained gold, jade, bronze, porcelain, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings, worth over 100,000 taels of silver. His elders in his clan back home once advised him that 'an official should be self-disciplined,' but Peng Peng held a clan meeting and expelled them from the clan genealogy..."

"Censor Li Ruyue. In the fifth year of the Jingsheng era, while serving as the censor of Shandong Circuit, Li Ruyue kept a mistress in Jinan Prefecture, who was sixteen years old at the time."

That winter, his wife discovered the affair, and Li Ruyue locked her in the inner quarters, forbidding her from leaving. When his wife wanted to return to her parents' home to complain, Li Ruyue had her sent back. On the way, she "accidentally" fell off the carriage, severing her left arm and suffering a lifelong disability.

"In the sixth year of Jingsheng, Li Ruyue, under the guise of being a 'student under her tutelage,' took an unmarried niece from the clan as her concubine. When the elders of the clan came to question her, Li Ruyue falsely accused her niece of 'not being virtuous as a woman' and expelled her from the family."

"This matter became a scandal in Shandong's official circles, but no one dared to impeach him because he was then the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, who had the power to report rumors. Offending him was tantamount to offending the Censorate..."

……

As Xia Shouzhong read out the names and stories of corruption, the officials below broke out in a cold sweat, wondering where the emperor had obtained this information!

Although the Imperial City Guard had the authority to monitor all officials, it had been largely abolished and was far less effective than it had been during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu.

How could they know so much about the situation in Shandong and Fujian, thousands of miles away?

After Xia Shouzhong finished reading, closed the booklet, and retreated to the side of the imperial desk, standing respectfully with his hands at his sides, the hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Kong Ying stood in the ranks of civil officials, his face as white as paper. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead and nose, dripping onto the gold bricks and leaving a small, dark stain. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Peng Peng lowered his head, his hands clasped in front of him, his knuckles white, as if he were trying to break his fingers one by one.

Li Ruyue stood in the ranks of the Censorate, his face ashen, his lips pressed into a thin line. His gaze was fixed on the booklet in Xia Shouzhong's hand, as if he wanted to burn it through with his eyes.

Emperor Jingsheng sat on his throne, expressionless. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, like a dull knife slowly scraping across each face.

Then, with a grim face, he spoke in a cold voice:

"Why did you stop talking?"

"Weren't they all speaking with an air of righteous indignation and hypocrisy, spouting the words of sages and the principles of benevolence and righteousness, even vehemently denouncing the current second-in-command as a treacherous minister who brought disaster to the country?"

Emperor Jingsheng abruptly stood up, slammed his hand on the imperial desk in front of him, and said sternly:

"Damn it! You scoundrels dare to call yourselves virtuous and upright, and you're even pleading for Fang Congzhe and the others! Is the sage's principle of forgiveness only meant for corrupt and lawless people like you?"

As Emperor Jingsheng sternly questioned them, the officials whose names were called down knelt on the ground in a state of great anxiety, as if they had lost their parents.

Kong Ying was practically prostrate on the ground, her earlier high spirits completely gone, and she cried out loudly:

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I am innocent! I once impeached Xia Shouzhong for being a powerful eunuch, and I have a long-standing grudge against him."

"He is using this institution to frame me, trying to kill me. The records in this register must be forged by him; they are fake, completely fake!"

Even now, Kong Ying still believes that the register came from the Imperial City Guard's supervision of the officials!

Xia Shouzhong's fair face remained expressionless as he ignored Kong Ying's accusations, for such sophistry was far too weak and feeble at this moment.

Firstly, these matters are all documented in the records of officials' conduct, with witnesses and original texts providing evidence, making it very easy to verify their authenticity!

Secondly, the emperor had already selected several cases involving officials in the capital for verification the moment he received the official conduct reports last night.

The Imperial City Guard was ordered to verify every record in the official conduct reports, checking whether the year, location, amount, and witnesses matched. The results were all true!

Therefore, the records in the "Biographies of Officials" are most likely true and accurate!

Kong Ying's words will only serve to make him suffer more torture in the Imperial City Prison in the future, and will have no other effect!

Sure enough, Emperor Jingsheng coldly shouted:

"Shut up!"

How could this middle-aged emperor, who had been on the throne for ten years, not have the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood? Just by looking at the fact that several other officials had turned ashen-faced and were kneeling down to beg for forgiveness, he knew that he had not wronged them!

Moreover, he had already received a secret report from the Imperial City Guard regarding the Kong family's affairs, and the crimes committed were too numerous to count, making it the least likely case that the report was fabricated!

Emperor Jingsheng's face was ashen, his eyes revealing anger and disappointment as he said in a cold voice:

"You still dare to make false accusations and deny the truth before me! As a descendant of the Duke Yansheng, you have been blessed by the sage for generations. You should set an example for the world by upholding virtue."

"Let me ask you this: when you seized 4,300 mu of farmland, which chapter of the classics were you reading? When you drove people to their deaths, which sage's words did you recite? When you colluded with bandits and forcibly seized farmland, did you ever remember that your surname was Confucius?"

"You have repeatedly colluded with the court. I have already forgiven you for the last time you forced the emperor to abdicate. Yesterday you went to Zhang Tingyu’s residence to block the door and question him. Today you even made outrageous remarks in the main hall."

"I spared you once out of consideration for your ancestors' virtues; I spared you twice to give you a chance to repent. But instead of changing, you've become even more wicked. Do you think my leniency has no end?"

Even if Kong Ying knelt down and begged for mercy, Emperor Jingsheng would not be this angry.

Now that their deeds have been exposed, they are still trying to frame and deny their actions, attempting to smear the Imperial City Guard. This shows that they have no remorse whatsoever and do not respect their sovereign or father!

A strange blush flashed across Zhang Tingyu's usually cold face. His Majesty's furious outburst and reprimand of Kong Ying might not have been entirely unintentional; it was as if he was venting his anger on Kong Ying's behalf!

I'm enjoying the same treatment that only Jia Zijie gets!