The prince is hard to serve

Ever since he couldn't help talking about his mother to Yan Wenhao that night, and was comforted in his arms, Mu Ziling used excuses to hide in the study for half a month and avoided seeing Yan Wenhao.

Although Yan Wenhao was aware of it, he just shook his head and smiled dotingly. He didn't try to point him out, but let him avoid him like this.

He also has work to do.

Not long ago, Yan Wenhao did something. He asked Anyi to send a letter to Yan Wenyuan using his identity as a Jianghu person.

What was written in this letter was all the things he asked Xie Jingyu to go to Huai'an to investigate and do.

Because of this, he now needs to see Xie Jingyu and Anyi in Lingxiao Pavilion every day, and it is also a good thing for him that Mu Ziling avoids him like this.

After the letter was sent out, five or six days passed without any disturbance. An Yi and Xie Jingyu were a little anxious to wait, but Yan Wenhao was always doing his own thing, not at all. Look anxious.

Today, in Lingxiao Pavilion.

Xie Jingyu looked at Yan Wenhao's calm and calm appearance, shook his fan a few times, and finally couldn't help asking: "Are you really sure that Yan Wenyuan will have people impeach Xu Chang and Li Zezhang as you arranged? "

Yan Wenhao raised his head, glanced at Xie Jingyu, and replied with a smile: "Of course it will, but with the temperament of the third emperor, I must go to check it out in person. Counting the days, it will be about a day or two."

As Yan Wenhao said and expected, Yan Wenyuan did make a move.

During the early court today, a major event happened, and the cause of the event was the two impeachment memorials issued by Prime Minister You Lu Yanming.

At this moment in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a needle could be heard, Prime Minister You Lu Yanming stood straight and straight in the center of the hall, with an unconquerable anger on his face, while Li Zezhang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, pursed his lips and knelt beside him On the side, neither of them said a word, they lowered their heads, accepting Emperor Yan's scrutiny.

During the court meeting just now, Prime Minister You Lu Yanming suddenly came out, with a solemn expression, and presented two memorials to Emperor Yan.

Of these two memorials, one is to impeach Xu Chang, the magistrate of Huai'an, for taking bribes, raising rice prices for his own self-interest, and privately occupying hundreds of acres of fertile land, which makes the people of Huai'an complain and live in desperation.

During this period, some people wanted to go to Beijing to appeal, but he sent killers along the way to stop them. So far, more than ten innocent villagers have been killed.

The crimes of this person can be described as too numerous to write down. According to the law, his crimes should be punished!

Another memorial impeached Concubine Liang's father, Li Zezhang, Minister of Rites.

After Lu Yanming presented the memorial to Emperor Yan, he did not return to his original position, but stood on top of the main hall, and reprimanded Li Zezhang, who was the minister of the Ministry of Rites, but he was not vigilant, he did not intend to recruit talents for the country, formed a party for personal gain, and was corrupt. Accepting bribes, abusing private power, repeatedly leaking test questions, and even secretly changing examinee test papers.

Lu Yanming spoke convincingly, pointing out that in the autumn test three years ago, Li Zezhang accepted bribes and secretly exchanged the test papers that originally belonged to Zheng Yuan to Xu Chang. Chaoyu jumped over the dragon's gate and became the magistrate of one party.

Lu Yanming even stated directly: Li Zezhang has to bear the responsibility for the reason why Xu Chang is now able to run amok in Huai'an, Yurou Township.

After listening to Lu Yanming's words, Li Zezhang almost softened his limbs and knelt on the ground. However, he has been an official for more than [-] years, and he naturally understands in his heart that the more he is at this time, the more calm he must be.

He only did the test paper changing secretly once, and it was indeed just three years ago.

At that time, the person he helped was none other than Lu Yanming said, the current prefect of Huai'an, Xuchang.

Back then, Xu Chang was just a country gentleman with no talent or virtue. Before the autumn exam, Xu Chang visited Li Zezhang. He offered 3 taels of silver and only asked for a low ranking.

Li Zezhang was naturally willing to exchange 3 taels of silver for a lower ranking. At that time, he had originally chosen a ranking at the bottom. Taste sesame official.

But later, at a banquet, Zheng Yuan was so ignorant of flattery that he dared to contradict him openly. He was furious, so when grading the test papers, he directly exchanged Zheng Yuan's test papers to Xu Chang.

The identities of the two were reversed, and Zheng Yuan took Xu Chang's paper, so naturally he lost his name to Sun Shan.

This matter was done in secret, at that time no one else knew about it except him and Xu Chang, and after the autumn test, he ordered Zheng Yuan to be killed, unless Xu Chang asked for his own death and spoke out by himself.

After clarifying his thoughts in this way, Li Zezhang became more and more sure that Lu Yanming had absolutely no conclusive evidence in his hands.

So he calmed down, even though he was still a little uneasy, but he did not change his face on the surface, he suppressed the fear in his heart, knelt down on the ground, shouted his grievances, and even swore to the sky, the implication was that Lu Yanming framed him to him.

Emperor Yan always attached great importance to cheating in exams. At this time, he lowered his head and read the memorial in his hand again. Then he looked at Lu Yanming and asked in a deep voice: "Lu Aiqing, do you have any evidence? evidence to prove what you just said is true?"

"Report to Your Majesty," Lu Yanming took a step forward, bent over and made a bow, then pulled out a stack of letters from his bosom, and said respectfully: "I have the letters between the two of them as evidence."

Emperor Yan frowned, took the presented letter, opened one and glanced at it, then turned his eyes to Li Zezhang who was kneeling on the ground, and asked coldly: "Li Zezhang, what else do you have to say?"

Hearing that there was a letter as proof, Li Zezhang's eyes were a little flustered, but he still didn't lose his temper. After kowtowing his head, his voice became louder and louder: "Your Majesty is holy, I really have never done this. As for the correspondence with Xu Chang , but because he regards the humble minister as a mentor, he often writes to greet him."

After finishing speaking, he turned his head to look at Lu Yanming, and asked sharply: "If you want to commit a crime, there is nothing wrong with it. Master Lu, you have worked so hard, what exactly is your intention?!"

Listening to his upside-down question, Lu Yanming didn't say a word, but just stood there expressionless.

There was a chill in Emperor Yan's eyes. He stared at Li Zezhang for a long time, and suddenly threw all the letters in his hand in front of him. A stack of letters scattered all over the ground, and he angrily said: "Li Zezhang, you are corrupt and abusing your private power. You connived in cheating in exams, and you accepted bribes from Xu Chang all the year round, the two of you worked hand in hand, and now there are letters to prove it, let me ask you, are you guilty?"

"Your Majesty, I have been wronged, I really have never done these things."

Li Zezhang kowtowed heavily, with an anxious expression on his face, and argued loudly: "Xu Chang does often send gold and silver gifts to my ministers, but my ministers have never received them. If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can call anyone in my mansion, They can all testify for this humble official." He was already in a hurry to go to the doctor.

Hearing this, Lu Yanming sneered, he looked at Li Zezhang, and the sarcasm in his eyes was very obvious: "Master Li, don't forget that everyone in your house belongs to you, what do you tell them to say?" , they can only say what, who dares to speak the truth? How can they be witnesses?"

After speaking, Lu Yanming looked at Emperor Yan again. He bowed and saluted, and said solemnly: "I implore Your Majesty, allow me to summon Zheng Yuan to the palace."

"Zheng Yuan?" Emperor Yan raised his eyebrows and asked, "But just now you said that the person whose test papers were exchanged by Xu Chang?"

Lu Yanming nodded and said, "It's him."

"Since it's him, let's announce him to the palace." Emperor Yan waved his hand, signaling for the successor of Fuxi to go to the palace.

Hearing Zheng Yuan's name, Li Zezhang's eyes widened immediately, and grayness flashed in his eyes. His face was pale, sweat was breaking out on his forehead, and the uneasiness in his heart became more and more intense——

Impossible, Zheng Yuan is obviously dead!

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was once again silent.

After a while, there was a slow sound of footsteps outside the hall, and some of the courtiers at the back couldn't help but tilt their heads slightly to look at the people coming.

Walking outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Zheng Yuan stopped, put his hands and fingers together in front of his chest, and bowed respectfully to Emperor Yan who was above the hall.

After saluting, he just raised his foot and stepped over the threshold, with his head held high and his chest held high, he walked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Zheng Yuan is only 25 or [-] years old, and he is not handsome, but there is a heroic spirit naturally formed between his brows, his appearance is imposing, and his eyes are clear and bright, which makes people look very comfortable.

Emperor Yan looked down at Zheng Yuan, his eyes were very sharp: "You are Zheng Yuan?"

"Caomin is right." Zheng Yuan bowed and saluted, and then responded respectfully, without any timidity in his eyes.

Emperor Yan looked at him and saw that he was respectful but not humble to him, so he couldn't help showing appreciation, pointed at Li Zezhang who was kneeling on the hall, and asked him, "Do you know who this person is?"

Zheng Yuan heard the words, turned his head, looked carefully at Li Zezhang for a while, and after recognizing who it was, he replied: "Caomin knows that he is Master Li, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites."

"Okay, Zheng Yuan, I'm asking you something, you have to answer honestly, and you can't lie." Emperor Yan looked majestic, and his sharp eyes fell directly on Zheng Yuan: "Three years ago, did you attend the imperial court?" Did you get a ranking in the autumn test selection?"

Zheng Yuan was shocked by Emperor Yan's aura, so he calmed down, and he smiled wryly, with a deep disappointment in his tone: "The Caomin did participate, but they just failed the list."

At this time, Fuxi stepped forward carefully, and said softly to Emperor Yan: "Your Majesty, this is the test paper that Xu Chang made back then."

Responding lightly, Emperor Yan took the well-preserved test paper from Fuxi. He glanced down and saw that the paper was neat and neat, and although the article had minor flaws, it was still a good article.

After reading all of it, Emperor Yan nodded in satisfaction. He looked at Zheng Yuan again, and his tone was much gentler: "Do you still remember the articles you wrote back then?"

Zheng Yuan showed a hint of doubt at the right time, but he didn't dare not answer the question asked by Emperor Yan, so he thought about it for a while, and replied: "Caomin remembers."

After a pause, he continued: "The topic at that time was 'National Policy'. When the grassroots read the topic, they happened to post it. I still have a deep impression on that article..." As he spoke, he recited a few more sentences , every sentence is consistent with the test paper taken by Emperor Yan.

So far, the truth has become clear.

This article was indeed written by Zheng Yuan, not by the name it belongs to—Xu Chang.

Li Zezhang's crime is true. He abused his personal power and exchanged the test papers of Xu Chang and Zheng Yuan privately, so that Zheng Yuan, who should have been talented, lost his name to Sun Shan, while Xu Chang, who had no talent and no morals, ran rampant in the village. It is an unforgivable crime.

Without giving Li Zezhang any more excuses, Emperor Yan ordered someone to take him down with a sullen face, and temporarily imprisoned him in Dali Temple, and no one was allowed to visit him. He would not be convicted until Li Zezhang explained everything clearly.

As for Xu Chang, all the crimes he committed were capital crimes to punish the nine clans. Emperor Yan immediately sent someone to arrest Xu Chang and gave him a sword.

The author has something to say: Li Zezhang, the number one member of the small boss group, is about to receive a bento ╰(*°▽°*)╯