景翰 14th Year, Third Month, 18th Day. After Qin Siyuan was imprisoned, everything took an unexpected turn for the worse!

The shift in the wind was astonishingly rapid, and despite having prepared for a beating beforehand, Ning Yi and the others truly sensed ominous signs when several crucial points suddenly emerged. Search:\(¨Complete¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

On this day, March 18th, as Qin Siyuan was imprisoned under the guise of proving his innocence, a case was being quietly stirred up in an obscure corner, unbeknownst to most.

This traced back more than two years, to the winter of the 11th year of Jinghan, the case of Tang Peiya, the magistrate of Hengshan County in Jinghu South Road, who was accused of perverting the law and accepting bribes. At this time, Tang Peiya was at the Ministry of Personnel, handing over his duties. He was arrested and interrogated immediately. Without going into the details, on March 19th, this case extended to Yao Jiyuan, the eldest son of Yao Zunian.

Yao Zunian was a renowned figure in the capital, and his family was large and powerful in the Bianliang area. He had been immersed in officialdom for many years. From the 18th to the 19th, he had been responsible for clarifying Qin Siyuan's case. On the morning of the 19th, when the yamen sent people to the Yao family to invite Yao Jiyuan, they were quite polite, saying that they would only ask a few questions and then let him return. The Yao family was unable to notify Yao Zunian immediately. By the time Yao Zunian found out about this, it was already the evening of the 19th.

The old man immediately sensed that something was wrong. He hurriedly summoned his eldest son, who had already been released, and inquired about what had happened. At the same time, he chose to notify Jueming, Ji Kun, and Ning Yi. At this time, Yao Zunian and Jueming had the most connections in the high-level officialdom, Ji Kun had the most control over the Prime Minister's office, and Ning Yi had the most tentacles and eyes in the common people and among the clerks.

Before this, everyone had been estimating the scope of the Emperor's move this time. Theoretically, now was the peak of rewarding meritorious officials, and all officials had to be given a way out and an example. No matter how big Qin Siyuan's problem was, tracing it to the end was the worst possible outcome. Of course, there was a name for how to trace it. But with this matter coming out, the nature of the matter was different.

The group immediately sought connections to reach out to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Personnel. At the same time, Tang Peiya committed suicide in the prison of the Ministry of Justice, leaving behind a blood letter. And on the official front, the article had already connected to the Qin family through Yao Jiyuan.

Once a simple line was connected, the matter traced back to the disaster relief two years ago. Qin Siyuan used the power of the government to maintain the commercial routes, removing the obstacles of local forces and allowing grain to enter various disaster areas. It was impossible to say that there were no traces of forming a faction in this process. Tang Peiya left a letter and committed suicide that night. It was said that the evidence was still insufficient, but at the early morning court session on March 20th, there were already seven memorials impeaching the matter, two of which presented some evidence. Vaguely, a huge criminal network began to emerge.

At this time, the three people responsible for jointly trying Qin Siyuan's case in the capital were Zheng Sinan, the Chief of the Ministry of Justice, Tang Kui, the Judge of the Dali Temple, and Tian Yuqing, the Censor of the Censorate. Zheng Sinan was originally an old subordinate of Qin Siyuan, Tang Kui also had old ties with the Qin family, and Tian Yuqing worked under Qin Hui, so he was also a member of the family. Because of this reason, everyone originally thought that imprisoning Qin Siyuan was just a formality. Even if he was found guilty after the trial, he could be dealt with lightly. At most, the Emperor did not want Qin Siyuan to continue to serve as the Right Prime Minister with real power, and he would step down. However, this time, the seven memorials not only involved Qin Siyuan, but also cleverly included Zheng Sinan and Tang Kui.

Some were based on hearsay, while others brought half a set of evidence. Although the seven memorials were presented by different people, they were combined quite cleverly. The atmosphere in the Golden Luan Hall on March 20th was grim. Many ministers finally realized that something was wrong. There were also some ministers who truly stood up and tried to rationally analyze these memorials. Tang Ke was one of them: the blood letter was doubtful, and several impeachment memorials seemed to be colluding. Qin Siyuan had made great contributions to the court, and the meritorious officials should not be disappointed. Zhou Zhe sat on the dragon chair, looking at Tang Ke calmly, quite satisfied with him.

"Minister Tang is indeed a pillar of the country, selfless and impartial. In the past, your family and Prime Minister Qin had disagreements, but now Minister Tang stands up to speak for Prime Minister Qin. Prime Minister Qin is loyal and upright, and I know that. There is no need to be so cautious. As for the disaster of the Jurchens, I have already issued an edict of self-reproach. If there is a problem with this matter, it must be investigated to give the people of the world justice. If there is no problem, Prime Minister Qin must be given justice... In this way, Minister Zheng and Minister Tang might as well avoid suspicion first. I will send two other people to handle Prime Minister Qin's matter. This matter is of great importance, and I must send someone with a reputation for integrity to deal with it. In this way... Yan Zheng, Minister Yan, you will temporarily act as Minister Tang to handle this matter. There is another person, Minister Tang, since you trust Prime Minister Qin the most, I also trust you, so I will let you replace Minister Zheng and handle this matter well for me..."

That afternoon, Zhou Zhe summoned Qin Hui.

"The Right Prime Minister's matter will be jointly tried by the Three Divisions. Originally, the Censorate under your family was the most suitable. You have served as the Censor-in-Chief for these years, loyal and unswerving. Do you know why I didn't assign this task to you?"

"This subject must avoid suspicion," Qin Hui replied frankly.

"Yes, you must avoid suspicion." Zhou Zhe behind the long table in the Imperial Study raised his head. "But it is not the kind of suspicion that your family thinks."

"This subject does not understand."

"The Censorate impeaches officials all over the world and purges the bureaucracy. What is needed of you as the Censor-in-Chief is impartiality. Not to mention that the Right Prime Minister is not really your family, even if he is your family, I trust you, so I must let you try him. Otherwise, you would have lost your head long ago. Is the Censor-in-Chief a position that everyone can hold?"

Qin Hui bowed and saluted, neither humble nor arrogant: "This subject thanks Your Majesty for your trust."

"I trust you because the things you do make me trust you. The reason I tell you to avoid suspicion is because if the Right Prime Minister steps down, I will replace you. You need to avoid suspicion here. It's not good for you to take the position just after you've finished trying the Right Prime Minister, right?"

Qin Hui hesitated for a moment: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Qin has always been upright in his official duties. This subject believes in his innocence..."

Zhou Zhe waved his hand: "Don't give me a slipshod answer on matters of officialdom. Who is the Right Prime Minister? I know. He is knowledgeable, upholds himself uprightly, and I believe he has not formed a faction. Alas... I don't have that much confidence anymore. Of course, in this trial, I will only be impartial. If the Right Prime Minister is fine, it will be a great blessing for the country. If something happens, I intend to choose one between you and Tan Zhen to take over."

"The Jurchens have just invaded the south, and our dynasty should make revitalizing the military the top priority. Lord Tan has been in charge of military affairs and can serve as the Right Prime Minister."

"Who can serve as the Right Prime Minister is something I have in mind." Zhou Zhe glanced at him. "You are very good, go down."

After the news of the change of the presiding official was transmitted to the Prime Minister's Office, Ji Kun, Wenren Bu'er and others in the Right Prime Minister's mansion were still a little optimistic: Qin Hui of the Censorate was loyal and upright, and if Tang Ke was added, it would be two to one, perhaps there was still some turning point. Yao Zunian was not optimistic. He had a better understanding of Qin Hui, but his confidence was insufficient. Of the three, Tang Ke was certainly incorruptible and upright, but frankly speaking, the pro-peace faction had been suppressed in recent years. Tang Ke's line was basically a heap of loose sand. In the court, besides a reputation for integrity, there was basically no substantial influence. Jueming was running around in the royal family, trying to reverse the imperial will, and did not come over.

"This is to kill them all." Only Ning Yi was stunned for a long time, and said this sentence in a low voice. The others who still had a bit of luck looked at him and fell silent.

Like the Emperor's New Clothes, the clues of this matter had already been revealed so much. Everyone had already made extremely bad guesses about many things, and holding the last bit of luck was just human nature. Ning Yi's sentence broke this point. At this time, someone ran to report that the constables of the Six Doors had entered the Yao family and officially arrested Yao Jiyuan. Yao Zunian frowned: "Let him endure it." Then he said to everyone, "I'm going to the prison to see Old Qin. Let's go according to the worst possibility." Everyone then dispersed.

The Right Prime Minister's Office's resistance and activities only rose to the level of seeking to preserve their lives at this time, but it was already too late. Under the promotion of Zhou Zhe, Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Wang Fu's lines, taking advantage of the positive atmosphere of rewarding merits and punishing demerits and revitalizing the capital, a huge change sweeping the capital had fully unfolded.

***************

The people who frequented Fan Lou suddenly changed a lot.

This was often the case when the capital was in an uproar. The changes in the crowds coming to the pleasure quarter often meant the shift in the core of power in the capital. This change happened in a flood of praise and positive accolades. Some were applauding and singing, while others were filled with righteous indignation.

"... I really didn't expect that the Right Prime Minister of the court was such a villain!"

"... The court has not yet concluded this matter, so don't talk nonsense!"

"How can it be nonsense? What kind of people are being imprisoned every day? Do I need to say it..."

"The Qin family's eldest son was a martyr who died in Taiyuan--"

"Taiyuan was surrounded like an iron bucket, so it's true that he couldn't escape. Besides, even if they are a family, it's hard to guarantee that loyalty and treachery are the same. Look at the Grand Tutor and his son, aren't they on different paths--"

"The storyteller downstairs used to talk about the Qin family's eldest son every day, but he hasn't said it these days--"

"The Right Prime Minister formed a faction, no less than Grand Tutor Cai. Moreover, during this defense of the city, he drove people to the city walls and commanded without direction, causing those martyrs to be buried on it. Later, he didn't say a word and burned all the corpses. Tell me, where has he ever used people as people--"

"Speaking of these Seven Tigers, I think he is the biggest tiger who harms people--"

Recently, Shishi had been hearing such words in Fan Lou every day.

She had now figured out the overall development of the situation in the capital. The Right Prime Minister's line had been pried up from its foundation and had begun to collapse. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, and when the wall falls, everyone pushes it. Officials of the Right Prime Minister's line were frequently imprisoned, and the implications of the case were growing larger every day in the joint trial of the Three Divisions. Although a conviction had not yet been formed, in the current situation, there was no way the matter could escape, only the size of the final conviction.

Public opinion began to turn in relation to the rumors from the court, and the storytellers of the Bamboo Lodge seemed to be under pressure and no longer talked about the Prime Minister's Office. A few days ago, it seemed that there were rumors of storytellers being beaten and arrested. The business of the Bamboo Lodge began to have problems. This was not uncommon news in the business circle.

But the grassroots line seemed to be resisting the higher-ups. It was said that several shopkeepers of the Bamboo Lodge were involved in the aftermath of these events and entered the Kaifeng Prefecture Prison, but were later dug out again. Shishi knew that Ning Yi was running around behind the scenes. She went to look for him once, but couldn't find him. Ning Yi was too busy.

Whenever Mother Li talked about this, she sighed: "Why are there always such things..." Shishi felt complicated. She knew that Ning Yi's business was disintegrating, and once it was disintegrated, he would leave. She wondered when he would come to say goodbye, but Ning Yi never came.

Time came to March 27th. On this day, everyone in Fan Lou was discussing Li Gang's conferment. Shishi found a person in the building who was discussing the case of Qin Siyuan. The man was dressed in a blue shirt, looked thin, seemed to be injured, and coughed from time to time. Shishi had some impression of him. She vaguely remembered that this person was originally a staff member of the Prime Minister's Office, named Cheng Zhouhai. He was probably meeting someone in Fan Lou to discuss matters, and may also be running around for the Prime Minister's Office. Not long after Shishi noticed him, someone rushed over, said a few words to Cheng Zhouhai, and Cheng Zhouhai left in a hurry.

Afterward, someone also told Shishi what had happened: "Something big has happened, something big has happened..."

"What's the matter?"

"Something happened in the Right Prime Minister's Office. The Ministry of Justice wants to take the Qin family's second son to prison for questioning. The Qin family's old madam blocked it and wouldn't allow them to take him. The two sides are making a fuss. Something big is going to happen..."

Shishi's face turned pale: "Leave no one behind? This is doing it... this is doing it... After all, the Qin family has made contributions to the country..."

"Hey, the merits and demerits are not yet known..."

After the man reported the news, he went to watch the excitement. Shishi thought for a while, and hurriedly asked someone to drive her carriage to the Right Prime Minister's Office. When she arrived there, many people had already gathered around. This time, what involved Qin Shaoqian was another case, handled by the Ministry of Justice. The two chief constables of the Ministry of Justice came with documents and a team of constables, but they were blocked outside the door by the Qin family's old madam. At this time, many Qin family children and friends were holding hands and blocking the door. Cheng Zhouhai had also rushed over, and the two sides were talking and negotiating. Occasionally, young people and constables would also scold each other.

In the past, the Qin family had so much power and influence. If something happened, it would be solved with a word. But now that it had become like this, the feeling it gave people was only the desolation of power being scattered. Even though Qin Siyuan had not yet been convicted, a sense of decadence had already emerged. In the Qin mansion, Qin Shaoqian seemed to be making a fuss to come out. The old madam blocking the door was hitting him with a crutch: "You go back to me--you go back to me--I'll die immediately if you come out--"

Chief Constable Tie Tianying shouted outside: "Old Madam, this is the law of the country, and you can't resist it like this--"

Some constables on the periphery said in a low voice: "Hmph, they're used to having great power and influence, so they don't reason..."

Some people in the crowd also spoke righteously and whispered. At the mansion gate, the crowd began to push and shove. Cheng Zhouhai blocked the front and said: "Qin Shao and Young Master Qin were dismembered by the Jin dogs in Taiyuan and died for the country. Now their bones are not yet cold. The second young master once led an army outside the city and defeated the rebel army. He is both a hero and the only bloodline of the Prime Minister. Cheng was in Taiyuan with nine deaths and one life, and has just returned. If you want to destroy the meritorious minister's entire family, you might as well step over Cheng's body."

Tie Tianying said: "Merit is merit, and demerit is demerit, how can they be confused. I am only here to ask Young Master Qin to clarify clearly, and I have not said that I will convict him. Are you obstructing us so much because you are guilty? Moreover, Qin Shao and Lord Qin died for the country in Taiyuan. Taiyuan was massacred by the Jurchens, and almost no one survived. How did you come back? You are greedy for life and afraid of death..."

"Greedy for life and afraid of death--" Cheng Zhouhai shouted loudly, tore open his shirt, and his thin body was covered with bandages. He tore the bandages off, "Do you know what the situation in Taiyuan was like, without any support from all sides! Insufficient food and grass! When the Jurchens attacked fiercely, in order to kill the enemy, we only gave food to the soldiers. I am an official, and the bran powder I eat every day is halved. My injuries have not healed. Constable, look at whether these injuries came from being greedy for life and afraid of death--"

Cheng Zhouhai's actions outside the gate of the Right Prime Minister's Mansion made Tie Tianying somewhat speechless, but Li Shishi understood that if Qin Shaoqian was being charged with another case, perhaps it would not be a big deal. There would always be some officials in the capital who could intervene. The people of the Right Prime Minister's Office must still be acting and running around to suppress this case. She just didn't know when they would arrive, and whether they would have any effect...

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