Domineering Daming

The servants of the Ministry of Punishment broke through the gate like a hungry tiger and rushed into Liu's residence.

"What are you doing, my master is the censor..."

"The Ministry of Criminal Justice handles the case, and the irrelevant people get out of the way!"

Liao Huayong strode inside, aggressive and decisive.

Now the six departments are getting more and more powerful, and the influence of the Ministry of Punishment is also increasing day by day, and the official prestige of these officials has also been greatly increased.

Surprised, Liu Mao and the others came out from inside one after another.

Liu Mao knew Liao Huayong, and when he saw that he brought so many people, he immediately said with a cold face: "Master Liao, what is the meaning of this? My Liu residence is not something that your punishment department can mess around with!"

Liao Huayong sneered, looked at Liu Mao, saw Mao Yujian in the crowd, and said in a deep voice: "Liu Mao, Mao Yujian, you have violated the court's law by having sex with prostitutes and staying overnight in brothels. Lord Mao went to the Governor's Council to explain."

Prostitution?Overnight in a brothel?

Not to mention the capital city, which official in the Ming Dynasty didn't have one?Who is really being held accountable?What's more, Liu Mao and others are still the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate who are in charge of these things!

Liu Mao's heart pounded, knowing that it must be because of something else, he stared at Liao Huayong and said, "Lord Liao, if you have something to say, you may as well say it clearly, I just saw the prince back in Wenzhao Pavilion!"

Liao Huayong didn't care, waved his hand and said: "Everyone who comes, take them away!"

The yamen servants swarmed forward and put on the chains completely.

Liu Mao yelled: "Liao Huayong, I am not easy to bully! If you frame us with such trumped-up charges, tomorrow there will be countless memorials to impeach you!"

Mao Yujian didn't have any stage fright either, he struggled and shouted: "How can I, a gentleman, be afraid of prison? The Ministry of Criminal Justice will give me a reputation for nothing, and I will accept it with a smile!"

The others also kept shouting, as if they were afraid that others would not hear them.Based on their usual way of thinking, a gentleman entering the prison of the Ministry of Justice is the same as being barred by the court. It is not a crime but a great honor, and it will become a major "merit" for future promotion!

Except for these two people, Cao Jin did not escape. In one day in the capital, more than 20 officials of all sizes were invited to the Governor's Council to "drink tea". Strictly speaking, the entire capital was shocked for a moment.

Early the next morning, Zhu Xu came to the Governor's Court, accompanied by King Xin, King Ping, Yang Lian, the Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and others. The atmosphere was very tense, because the emperor sitting on the main seat was calm. The face is murderous.

Chapter 392

In the Wucheng Pavilion, not only Zhu Xu had a sullen face, but also Zhu Youjian, Yang Lian and others were also not very good-looking.

Such a large-scale operation by the Governor's Council arrested more than 20 officials, large and small, and reiterated the imperial court's regulations on official conduct, which caused shock and anxiety among the officials in the entire capital.

No matter how Qingliu advertises himself as a "gentleman", and no matter how much the Donglin Party hates the "evil party", they wholeheartedly want to exorcise evil and use righteousness.However, the corrupt and unattended court laws and regulations have long been useless, and no one is going to abide by them.What's more, I don't know when, sex with prostitutes has become a trend, and it is a must for literati!

Therefore, in the entire Ming court, there were not a few people who had no experience of prostitutes. If they were to be dealt with, all officials would be implicated.

Yang Lian is the censor of Zuodu, but he is not concerned about these things now, he raised his hand and said with a sullen face: "Your Majesty, what the Governor's Office has done has caused panic in the entire capital, and even the entire Ming Dynasty officials. I ask the emperor to depose the governor. Courtyard, appease the hearts of officials."

Zhu Youjian didn't speak, and he was also very worried. Yesterday, I don't know how many officials asked for an interview, and their words were so fierce that they were about to label King Ping as a "traitor".

Zhu Xu was not in a hurry, and sat still.

King Ping glanced at Zhu Xu, then looked at Yang Lian and said, "Master Yang, what is the meaning of this? Is there something wrong with this king's law enforcement? Why did you depose my Governor's Council?"

Yang Lian looked at King Ping, with the expression of bitterness and hatred on his face that others owed money and did not pay back, and said in a somewhat fierce tone: "Don't you know that the Governor's Council arrested more than 20 officials, big and small, yesterday for crimes?" It's just 'sexing prostitutes, staying prostitutes', which has already aroused the anxiety of all the officials in the six ministries and nine ministers, if this continues, no one will have the heart to do things anymore."

King Ping was stunned, as if he couldn't argue with Yang Lian, he raised his hand to King Xin and said, "My lord, did I do something wrong? Has the Governor's Council wronged anyone? Which law is wrong?"

Zhu Youjian's expression moved, and his heart was extremely tangled.

It stands to reason that King Ping did the right thing. He acted strictly in accordance with the laws of the Ming Dynasty and never exceeded the rules. However, officials who have sex with prostitutes have already become popular all over the world, and officials all over the Ming Dynasty have been involved.

Besides, sex with prostitutes is not a big deal. Didn't Taizu build the "Fourteenth Building of Flowery Moon and Spring Breeze" by the Qinhuai River?

Zhu Youjian glanced at Zhu Xu, but didn't speak.

Seeing that King Xin ignored King Ping, Yang Lian raised his hand again and said to Zhu Xu: "Your Majesty, the hearts of the people in the capital are fluctuating now, the officials are trembling, and no one is paying attention to governing. Please also ask the emperor to invent a decree to calm the hearts of the people in the world!"

Before Zhu Xu moved, King Jing Zhu Luhu, who was behind King Ping, took a step quietly, raised his hand to Yang Lian and said, "Master Yang, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, what are the regulations on the management of prostitution and prostitution?"

Yang Lian glanced at King Jin, then continued to look at Zhu Xu and said, "Your Majesty..."

As soon as Yang Lian opened his mouth, Zhu Luhu said in a loud voice: "Civil and military officials, prostitutes and prostitutes, the crime is inferior to murder, the light ones can be beaten with sticks, and worn as a public display, and the serious ones can be sent to the army. They will be dismissed without notice. Even if they are pardoned, they will be punished for life!"

As soon as this sentence came out, everyone was shocked.

Every punishment in it is very important, especially the last few words "Although pardoned, he will not be punished for life", that is to say, the officials who are punished will never be used!

For officials who have studied hard for ten years and have been officials for many years, this is more terrifying than beheading!

Yang Lian was a little speechless by these few words, still raising his hand to look at Zhu Xu, completely forgetting what he wanted to say just now.

Zhu Youjian was also very frightened in his heart. If this is really carried out, the world will be in chaos!

He raised his hand to look at Zhu Xu, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I believe that civil and military officials need to keep their hearts upright and abide by the court's laws, but it involves too much. Please proceed with caution and slow down."

Only then did Zhu Xu nod his head, and said appreciatively, "Brother Huang's words are reasonable."

However, Yang Lian felt that it was unreasonable at all, no matter whether to proceed cautiously or slowly, it was necessary. If the imperial court spread slowly, the people who suffered the most would be the Donglin people!

Most of them were born in the south of the Yangtze River, the land of fireworks, which has been popular for 200 years. How many of them have not had sex with prostitutes?Is it possible to dismiss from office?

He looked at Zhu Xu and said in a deep voice again: "Your Majesty, whether it's a prostitute or a prostitute, it's a small virtue that suffers, and a great virtue. All officials, civil and military, are dedicated to the country, just because of this." It is too harsh to just dismiss him and never use it, not only will the subjects of the world be dissatisfied, it will also damage the emperor's benevolence and hinder the court's tolerance..."

Not allowing Yang Lian to finish speaking, King Jing Zhu Luhu snorted again, interrupted him, stared at him coldly and said, "Master Yang, what do you mean to ask the court to connive? Then what's the use of asking the court to rule? What do you want the procuratorate to do?"

Yang Lian was already very anxious, and turned to him with an ugly expression when he heard the words: "Prince Jing, the ancestral system, the vassal king's clan and relatives are not allowed to govern. Could it be that the prince doesn't even respect the ancestral system?"

Zhu Luhu glanced at Zhu Xu from the corner of his eye, then sneered, and said, "Your Majesty Yang's words are heartbreaking! This king is the deputy governor of the Governor's Council, and has the right to supervise government affairs, and moreover, he has the right to protect the laws of the Ming court. Master Yang avoided answering, could it be that you want to intercede for those people, or as a guarantee?"

Yang Lian's body was as straight as a mountain, and he said in a deep voice: "I am an official who sits upright and serves the country with passion, how can I be selfish! The Metropolitan Procuratorate has never slackened in eradicating rape and evil!"

"Ridiculous!" Prince Jing confronted each other with a decisive and sharp tone, and said, "It's been more than half a year since the three of you who were sent by the procuratorate to Beijing, what achievements have you made? Whenever your people leave, there will always be serious cases. Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu... You are not as good as Dongchang! Don't say outside Beijing, how many officials have been investigated and prosecuted by the Metropolitan Procuratorate over the years, how many cases of officials who have been with prostitutes have been investigated by the Procuratorate? Guard my Ming law, or guard those corrupt officials! Is this king wrong? What is the use of asking you all to prosecute the court!"

Yang Lian's face was flushed by Zhu Luhu's series of questions, and the veins on his head were throbbing. He said in a cold voice, "Your Majesty, be careful, even if there are officials who have sex with prostitutes, it's just a small virtue. Why are corrupt officials..."

Zhu Luhu's tone was like a knife, and he said in a choked voice: "Isn't it? The Cuifang Tower costs one tael of silver a night, and the monthly salary of a sixth-rank official is only ten stone. You tell this king that they go to the brothel seventeen or eight times a month. Where did it come from? The mansion of a seventh-rank official is bigger than this king's mansion. Where did it come from? Those antique calligraphy and paintings are each worth a few hundred taels, and the group of maids and servants are worthless every month. Money? Concubines have one house after another, so don’t they need to spend money?”

At this time, the price of grain among the people was basically maintained at a price of one stone and one tael of silver.That is to say, for an official of the sixth grade, the monthly salary should not exceed ten taels!

Yang Lian's complexion changed suddenly, the corners of his mouth trembled, and he was speechless.He is not short of money, and he thinks he is upright, but it doesn't mean he doesn't know things that can't be said on the stage.

The court of the Ming Dynasty has long been decayed, and there are silver everywhere to clear the way. Even though he is the censor of Zuodu, he still needs a lot of silver, and he has accepted a lot of things that have long been commonplace.

For example, when Wang Wenyan bribed the inner court to save Xiong Tingbi, he also paid out the money, 4 taels, which is not what the few of them can accumulate for ten or twenty years!

As a censor, he is not afraid of others arguing with him, and when it comes to great principles, he is not afraid of anyone.But entangle these "sections", not to mention him, even the entire Donglin Party can't do anything about it, they are all involved, and it is indeed a violation of the court's law!

Zhu Xu watched from the side, his expression still, and the smile on the corner of his mouth was vague.