Pei Gonggui

The sun had just risen in the morning, and the palace road was already covered with heat.Pei Jun took out his seal to verify his identity, passed through Si Chongmen and walked into Qinghe Hall, seeing that Yan Yuliang and Fang Mingjue were already there, he stepped forward and told them about King Cheng's arrest in a low voice,

The courtiers in the palace occupied one side in twos and threes, one of the nine cabinets was empty, and Cai Yan was the only one left. The other seven people, with Zhang Ling as their heart, sat down and discussed in a low voice. From Pei Jun's point of view.

After Pei Jun finished speaking, he was answering Fang Mingjue's question. Before he finished speaking, he suddenly heard a young man behind him shouting in a panic: "Master can't do it!" When he turned around, he saw the shadow of the silver-threaded crane hexagram flashing in front of him, unexpectedly It was Cai Yan who tremblingly approached him, and already raised his hand to pinch his neck!

Pei Jun's eyes were startled, and he hurriedly backed away, but Cai Yan still moved forward in a rage, and his fingernails scratched Pei Jun's face while waving, and there was a trace of pain. A streak of blood.

"Farewell, master!" Cai Yan's disciples rushed to him, and hurriedly pushed away Cai Yan who was about to tear him apart.At this time, in the six formations, apart from Zhang San, Yan, Fang and Jiang Lao and other officials quickly protected Pei Jun behind him, and the officials of the Cai family in the five temples immediately stood beside Cai Yan when they saw this, For a while, the two sides confronted each other, accusing each other without knowing what was going on, and the whole hall suddenly became chaotic and smoky.

Yan Yuliang raised his voice and reprimanded: "Everyone in the hall has seen it! It was Mrs. Cai who made the first move! Don't open your eyes and pretend to be blind! Even if you are in the officialdom, Mrs. Cai must have a reason to do it. Why don't you say anything? Going up to pinch Pei Shaofu's neck? Isn't this beating important ministers? What is it like to talk about harmony among courtiers?"

Several members of the cabinet have hurried down to separate Pei and Cai.Zhang Ling glanced at the two of them on the left and right, and asked Cai Yan in a cold voice: "The grand master has high morals, why did you fight with the junior today?"

"Junior?" Cai Yan scolded coldly, and said with trembling throat, "Isn't this the master apprentice taught by Mr. Zhang? Just ask him what he did!"

Zhang Ling looked at Pei Jun with a solemn face, Pei Jun raised his finger to rub the cut on his face that was scratched by Cai Yan, frowned and looked at Cai Yan with a stern expression: "I don't know what Grand Master Cai means."

Seeing his denial, Cai Yan's face turned livid with anger, and he looked at Zhang Sandao with bloodshot eyes: "Zhang Shangshu, tell me!"

Zhang Ling didn't know that this matter was related to Zhang San, so he couldn't help frowning and looking at Zhang San.Although Zhang San did not stand in the team of the Sixth Department at this time, facing the dispute between the two parties of Cai and Pei, his face was still frosty and silent.Hearing Cai Yan's question at this time, he saw that everyone was looking at him, he couldn't help bowing his head under Zhang Ling's menacing gaze, and replied with a cold face: "Last night, the Ministry of Punishment was plagued by rats, and Master Cai was seriously injured."

The courtiers were surprised: "Rat problem?"

Cai Yan gritted his teeth and looked at him: "Zhang Shangshu, what happened to the Ministry of Punishment is really a rat plague?"

Zhang San lowered his eyes and said: "There is a record in the case book. No one visited the Ministry of Criminal Justice last night. The doctor identified that the wound on Master Cai's body was indeed caused by rat teeth. It is true that a large number of rat nests and blood were found on the inner wall and underground of the cell. Over the past few years, the Ministry of Criminal Justice has requested funding several times in order to remediate the rat infestation and repair the cell. Based on this evidence, Master Cai was indeed injured by rats."

"Absurd! The answer is not what you asked!" Cai Yansa let go of the support of his disciples and refuted Zhang Sandao, "If there are dozens of prison guards and officials in the Ministry of Punishment, can it be that no one heard my son call for help when the rat problem first started? Zhang Shangshuxin The Ministry of Punishment will do this to cover up and protect, how can the court trust the Ministry of Punishment to resolve cases in the judiciary in the future!"

Zhang San clasped his fists and raised his eyes to look at him: "Teacher Cai told me that none of the prison guards and officials in the Ministry of Punishment heard the call for help last night, and the officer asked the doctor to check carefully. Injuries, even the throat was greatly damaged and abscessed, and it may be that the rats got into their mouths at the beginning and lost their voice, so they couldn't scream."

Hearing this, the minister Wu Zhongchen in the hall was full of embarrassment, but Cai Yan still wanted to have a fit, but when he heard the court bell ringing, the supervisor of ceremonies reported: "The emperor is here!"

For a while, all the ministers returned to their positions in a hurry, shouting long live in an untidy manner.After a while, Jiang Zhan wore a bright yellow dragon robe and a beaded gauze crown, and was supported by Hu Li and sat on the golden dragon treasure chair, signaling the supervisor of ceremonies to start the court meeting. I caught a glimpse of Jiang Yue who was late in the prince's column.

Jiang Yue's steps were not fast or slow, his expression was very calm, and he didn't panic at all because of being late. This made Jiang Zhan's eyes dim, and he was about to speak, but his throat itched and coughed helplessly. When it subsided, he saw Jiang Zhan again. Yue Ji took his seat without saluting and pleading guilty, while the officials in the hall had already started to talk about their duties.

Jiang Zhan had no chance to attack, so he couldn't help frowning his eyebrows, holding back his anger for the time being, but he listened to the courtier Xu Xu, and he turned his eyes to Pei Jun who was down in the hall, but saw that there was an extra smile on Pei Jun's face. Slender blood marks, the wound is still bleeding.

Jiang Zhan frowned and looked at Hu Li.Hu Li hastily summoned the little eunuch who had been guarding the palace early in the morning to inquire. After listening to the reason with lowered eyes, he walked to Jiang Zhan's side, bent down and told Jiang Zhan about Cai Yan's attack on Pei Jun in court.

Jiang Zhan was startled when he heard the words, and couldn't help looking at Cai Yan, who was the head of the cabinet. He saw Cai Yan's expression was slumped, his eyes were full of hatred, and his eyes were staring at Pei Jun. His teeth were clenched and his brows were furrowed. Can't hide the rage at all.

——Cai Yan lost control.

Not only him, but all the ministers who saw Pei and Cai fighting in the court today could feel that Cai Yan had fallen to the mud from that calm and lofty altar.His eldest son and second son were killed one after another, and his anger and hatred after repeated heavy injuries finally overwhelmed his sanity, allowing everyone to see his weak defenses—like a poisonous python winding in the jungle finally The soft abdomen was exposed, and now only waiting for someone to lift a knife and stab it into its heart, this giant python will be torn apart, and it will be difficult to continue its life.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhan couldn't help thinking secretly, and came up with a plan to fuel the flames.

All the ministers under the Qia Hall had finished reporting their duties, and the generals of the four gates reported their movements one by one. They all said that manpower was tight, so Jiang Zhan could only suppress his thoughts on Cai, and followed them and said: "Recently, the garrison in the northern part of the Great Wall has been launched. Internal strife, the supervising army asked for an order to change the general. Now it is just summer, and the water and grass in the north of the Great Wall are abundant, while the barbarians outside the Great Wall seem to be suffering from famine. I am afraid that they will not be peaceful, and I still need to send a safe person there. If there is no manpower available, we have to appoint another one."

As he spoke, he seemed to be thinking of someone, his eyes fell on the middle of the prince's seat, and he said, "Why don't Jin Huangshu go there."

Hearing the words, Pei Jun frowned slightly, and looked sideways at Jiang Yue in the seat, and saw Jiang Yue stood up with his robe pulled back, and said unhurriedly: "Your Majesty, I have just returned from the gate of hell to seek my life after going through a lot of hardships. He hasn't fully recovered yet, if he goes far away to lead the army in Saibei, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to take on the heavy responsibility."

Jiang Zhan seemed to expect that he would refuse, so he was not surprised at this time, but raised his eyebrows and said, "Uncle Huang is trying to resist the order?"

"Your majesty," Jiang Yue clasped his fists in a vain manner, "The imperial court appointed generals to go to Saibei for the purpose of protecting the family, defending the country, and calming down the military affairs. If you can't reach it, you have to go out forcibly. This is to disregard the safety of the frontier. The matter of frontier defense can affect the whole body. Death is a small matter, but loss of defense is a major matter. It is absolutely not a joke, and I hope the emperor thinks twice."

Speaking of this, he paused, and then continued: "There are quite a lot of talents in the army, and there are many good generals in the younger generation. According to my opinion, Xiao General Xiao Lin is one of the best. Xiao Lin has profound martial arts knowledge, and leads the army His ability is by no means inferior to the minister, if the emperor thinks the minister can go, then he can be reused."

This remark made all the courtiers think about it.Jiang Zhan never expected that Jiang Yue not only did not lose his position, but also recommended Xiao Linlai in a straightforward manner. He looked at Xiao Lin in the right column of the general with an inexplicable face, and heard that there were many officials among the courtiers who seconded the recommendation of the King of Jin. He couldn't help but clenched his fists, secretly hating him.

A stalemate in military affairs is unacceptable.At this time, Jiang Zhan had no choice but to say: "Then let Xiao Lin go to garrison first." After that, he said meaningfully: "As for Uncle Jin Huang, just stay in Beijing and take good care of him."

Jiang Yue scribbled a thank you, sat back in his chair, picked up the tea and coughed a few times, lowered his head and frowned as he drank the tea, secretly exchanged a glance with Pei Jun, who was in the six parts on the side row, implying that Jiang Zhan's plan was as expected by the two of them.

Pei Jun nodded to him, and was thinking about Jiang Zhan's next move, when he heard Zhang Ling get up from the last seat of the cabinet and say, "Your Majesty, I thought you should let your colleagues know about the case that was accepted by Yushitai last night. How about next?"

Hearing this, Jiang Zhan loosened his fist in his sleeve. Thinking of this, his brows furrowed: "That's right, what Mr. Zhang said is very true. This matter should be heard by all the ministers."

Under the hall, the imperial censor and Zhang Ling looked at each other, bit the bullet, hugged the board and said, "I would like to report to the emperor, and tell all my colleagues: last night, the imperial censor arrested Wang Cheng's family and his family in a courtyard in the suburbs of Beijing. There are dozens of disciples in total. The crimes involved include selling officials to buy nobles, accepting bribes, etc. After reporting to the cabinet, the imperial pen ruled, and hereby order: Prince Cheng and his children will be removed from the title of nobility and rewarded, and they will be demoted to ordinary people. All the utensils produced in the field will be filled into the national treasury. This is it."

Naturally, among the ministers in the hall who heard the news for the first time, they all looked at each other in blank dismay, very shocked.Pei Jun and Jiang Yue looked at each other amidst the uproar, but they didn't expect such a severe punishment.

Jiang Zhan said in a loud voice: "My lords, the prince violated the law and committed the same crime as the people. Now that the new policy has started, the law is strictly enforced. If any courtiers do not respect them, they will be punished. If there are royal relatives who do not cherish their status and behave mischievously, I will also replace my ancestors. Punish them. In this regard, I hope that all the ministers will be strict with themselves and supervise each other."

After finishing speaking, he saw that there was no one in the hall, so he looked at Pei Jun again with a complicated expression, and said to retreat.

All the ministers respectfully sent Jiang Zhan back out of the hall, and before he could get up from the ground, they started discussing.

Yan Yuliang approached Pei Jun, and asked solemnly: "Zi Yu, is it possible that the emperor wants to..."

He didn't dare to finish his words, but Pei Jun guessed what he meant, and couldn't help sighing with lowered eyebrows:

"That's right, he is going to cut down the feudal clan."