The Huazhou River Engineering Incident that occurred in the winter of 1999 broke out suddenly and its influence spread rapidly. The corruption incident triggered by this incident gradually evolved into a wave of purges by the court to crack down on corruption and illegal laws. The government and the public were shocked and became clamorous.
Similar situations have not happened in the past, and we can even count some examples. Whether it was the Huainan movement or the Zhao Li movement, they were the rectification movements of the Central Government, and each of them was not involved in many things.
However, none of them were so fast, so profound, and so shocking. Within half a month, dozens of new cases were filed, involving hundreds of officials, including fourth- and fifth-rank senior officials and occupying positions.
Ministers in important positions are like a series of landmines that explode one after another as the judicial investigation deepens.
The people involved, in addition to the relevant officials, are those noble sons and daughters who usually wander between the government and the public, begging for food in the gray area like gluttons.
This is probably also different from any other massacre in the past. Within half a month, more than 20 people were summoned for questioning, and several people were even directly imprisoned.
The person responsible for leading the investigation and interrogation of these cases is Cui Zhoudu, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice. This is an old criminal name in the imperial court. He has been immersed in the judicial system of the imperial court for more than 20 years from censor and inspector all the way to the Minister of Punishment.
It is naturally rich, and it has handled countless large and important eucalyptus, and there are many powerful people who have dealt with it.
Moreover, this person has a strong character, which can even be described as he would rather break than bend. In his early years, Qianyou even dared to directly criticize those feudal towns that were running rampant and lawless and acting recklessly.
Labeled with violence and cruelty.
Whether it is the employment of personnel, the attitude of the investigation, or the methods of disposal, it is obvious that there is something unusual. It seems too cold and hard. There are so many noble sons and daughters, they are called to court when they should be questioned, interrogated when they should be interrogated, and they are not even sent to jail.
You're so polite, you really don't have any dignity left.
What is most shocking and even horrifying is that the investigation of the case seems to have no end in sight. As soon as something is revealed, a case is filed, and when someone emerges, someone is arrested.
This kind of accident is obviously more frightening and can easily cause panic. You know, from Zhang Jin, hundreds of people are involved. So how many people are connected behind these hundreds of people, and how many things can be involved?
No one can explain this clearly, but no one is optimistic. Therefore, due to the panic among people and the turmoil of the political situation, many ministers and officials have recently reported to Emperor Liu, hoping that Emperor Liu can come forward to discuss this matter.
The matter must be concluded, and the turmoil should be calmed down as soon as possible to avoid unrest in people's minds. After all, for the court, stability is the most important thing, and with the political tide coming, only Emperor Liu has the ability and prestige to draw a conclusion.
Among those who submitted the memorial, the purpose was obviously complicated. Of course, there were mature and prudent people who were worried about the expanded officialdom and rectification, fearing that it would cause political instability and shake the foundation of the imperial court.
But more than anything, I am afraid that if the investigation continues to deepen, I will be implicated. After all, with the current trend, no one can guarantee what the result will be, and who is completely innocent, without any evidence, without any evidence.
What about an unworthy young man?
And things are often like this. When everyone feels threatened or afraid, they can't help but want to find a way to escape. The best way is to put out the burning flames before they burn themselves.
Even if Emperor Liu is watching from above, they still dare to fight.
The first climax, or turning point, of this turmoil must be Zhao Kuangmei's active surrender. In this increasingly chaotic shock, and among the endless incidents, this matter cannot help but attract attention.
After all, the development and spread of the matter seems to have no limit, and it has begun to involve the top dignitaries of the Han Dynasty.
The reputation and status of the Zhao family in the Han Dynasty is significant. Among the brothers of the Zhao family, Zhao Kuangyin is a famous marshal, Rong Guogong, and a cabinet bachelor. Zhao Kuangyi is the Bo of Guangyang and the governor of Xijing. They also hold high positions of authority.
Zhao Kuangmei's surrender itself was a bit strange. She surrendered to Luoyang Mansion, and was then personally escorted to the Ministry of Punishment by Zhao Kuangyi. However, she surrendered without any personal involvement.
Behind this kind of initiative, it seems to be selfless and upholding national laws, but the meaning of the Zhao brothers standing behind is a bit strong. In response to this, even Cui Zhoudu showed a certain degree of prudence and did not make a rash decision. Instead, he invited Liu
After the emperor's decree, he was imprisoned, a case was made, and an investigation was launched.
The actions of the Zhao family are both eye-catching and thought-provoking. With almost everyone in danger, many people can't help but wonder what is the intention behind Zhao Kuangmei's investment. As the most powerful family in the Han Dynasty,
Every move has an implicit political consideration, and for many people, it has the meaning of a weather vane.
Naturally, there will be no shortage of smart people within the imperial court, including among the honorable groups. Just half a day later, some people began to follow suit, taking the initiative to lead their children who had committed crimes at home or related personnel to the Ministry of Punishment to surrender and generously surrender.
When dealing with the imperial court, he still showed an awe-inspiring appearance.
In fact, during these days, it was not only Zhao Kuangmei who was fearful and uneasy, many of the nobles' descendants were also afraid and asked their elders for help. This also caused the nobles and bureaucrats to express their suspicions about a quarrel within their own clan.
Self-examination and self-correction.
Soon, the trend of following the trend began to spread. It may be difficult for some people to see through the surface to see the true nature, but it does not prevent them from following suit. Privately opening silver mines and illegally cutting down forbidden trees are not culpable at all.
It's light, but the Zhao family took the initiative to launch Zhao Kuangmei. Many people had a simple idea. Brother Zhao Kuangyin would never really push his own brother into the abyss and into hell.
Many people who felt that their crimes were less serious than others appeared to be more calm and less burdened. Therefore, within three days, hundreds of people surrendered to the Ministry of Punishment, ranging from relatives of nobles to bureaucrats and ministers.
It's as if a person has found a way out of a dilemma, or as if he's found an outlet for his emotions, and he dives in and pushes upwards.
The nobles raised their voices and the courtiers corrected themselves, which soon brought this political turmoil to a climax, making it more intense, more turbulent, and more unpredictable. The entire court seemed to have become crazy, and there was an aura of anxiety.
It was as if a storm was brewing. The middle and upper levels were active and enthusiastic, while the lower levels also became confused and stunned under this situation.
Such a trend obviously put huge pressure on the government, and the ones who were most under pressure were obviously the investigating officials headed by Cui Zhoudu.
Originally, with the active development of the investigation, we also encountered some bottlenecks, faced some difficulties, and those vague but always-present pressures.
Now, there is no need for you to bother investigating. People have come to surrender on their own initiative, and they are following one after another, one after another. Not to mention other things, even if all these people are imprisoned, the matters involved will be screened one by one.
For investigation, we don’t have that many manpower.
Even among the officials of the Third Judiciary Division who are responsible for the investigation, it is not possible that all of them are innocent. It is impossible to say that there is an unwiped area under their butts. If we say that we know the law and break the law, who else can do it better than these law enforcement officers under the Judicial System?
What about proficiency?
In fact, at this level, it is somewhat difficult to continue the investigation. The resistance comes not only from those involved in the case, officials and the family forces behind them, but also from within the investigating officials.
As a result, a collective behavior in which noble officials and noble officials unanimously agreed with each other and had a very tacit understanding took place in such a majestic manner without any conspiracies.
In this strange and turbulent situation, the noble bureaucrats within the imperial court, in silence, made the same voice and expressed the same will to Emperor Liu.
And some people who are belatedly aware of the situation can't help but be optimistic about the development of the situation. There is a saying that the law does not blame everyone. If all the nobles and officials in the imperial court are involved, then they can all be dealt with.
Yet?
The government is no longer functioning? The country is no longer governed?
If the situation were like that, Emperor Liu would have no choice but to compromise given his strength.
