In addition to the several prime ministers who joined the cabinet, Cui Shouye, Pei Xingjian and several senior officials at the rank of minister of the Six Ministries gathered together.
Li Zhi and Empress Wu sat in the imperial palace, listening to the reports of their officials.
When today's discussion came to an end, Li Zhi suddenly looked at Cui Shouye: "Cui Shilang, it's the seventh day, how is the trial of the scholar's case going?"
Cui Shouye hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, the traitor Dou has let go, and the case will soon be revealed to the world!"
Li Zhi couldn't deny it. He had already planned to let Dou Decheng take the blame, and asked: "What about the Jiangnan case six years ago?"
Cui Shouye's eyes flashed: "It hasn't been found out yet."
Li Zhi's face darkened slightly, but his tone remained unchanged: "Investigate the case quickly!"
Cui Shouye bowed his head, looked at Li Jingxuan next to him from the corner of his eye, and said confidently, "Yes!"
Li Yuanfang died down.
Haha, this guy was so arrogant at first, but he gave up in the end?
Everything is under their control!
When the officials retreated, the emperor and empress fell silent.
After a moment, Li Zhi said quietly: "Li Yuanfang still gave in."
Not that surprising.
Li Zhi is very aware of Li Jingxuan's influence.
But not without disappointment.
After all, what Li Yuanfang did before, especially his dare to kill Wu Minzhi, impressed Li Zhi.
He likes to use people who are not afraid of power and dare to offend high-ranking officials.
It's a pity that it is only superficial after all.
Wu Minzhi dared to kill Wu Minzhi who was certain to die.
He retreated when he faced the prime minister's son.
Empress Wu was also silent.
She was taught by Li Zhi step by step. Their governing styles are very similar, so naturally they also like to use this kind of ministers.
For example, Bachelor Beimen is a lonely minister who has to completely rely on her.
Li Yuanfang was more courageous and capable, so he should have been more valued, but he was favored by Li Zhi.
Now it seems that this boy will be lost to the public.
However, at this moment, a chamberlain came forward to report: "Your Majesty, Ming Wenxue came to the palace to ask for an audience."
Li Zhi was puzzled: "Ming Chongyan? He just made elixirs for me the day before yesterday. What's going on today?"
Empress Wu was watching with cold eyes during this period. She already knew that Ming Chongyan was the Meihua inner guard. After hearing this, she immediately stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I have resigned!"
Li Zhi looked at her obediently, smiled slightly and said: "No, Mei Niang, just stay with me!"
Li Zhi understood his wife's desire for power, and he definitely wanted to control an organization like Plum Blossom Internal Guard.
There are no doors.
It is impossible to hand over the control of the Meihua Internal Guard, but if Empress Wu does not become the Queen of Heaven, Li Zhi does not need to be too guarded against her.
Appropriately releasing some hope will also allow her to continue working hard to handle government affairs and not slack off.
Soon, Ming Chongyan was led into the palace.
Li Zhi looked at the Taoist priest: "Ming Chongyan, what do you want to report?"
Ming Chongyan glanced at the figure with a high bun in the curtain: "Your Majesty, I... I..."
Li Zhi smiled: "Tell me, the queen and I are one, there is no need to hide it."
In normal times, this could be said to be quite sweet words of love. Empress Wu also smiled in response and held Li Zhi's hand, showing the love between husband and wife.
But at this moment, Ming Chongyan started to tremble as he listened: "Chang'anfang City... there are rumors circulating... concerning Your Majesty..."
Li Zhi's smile faded, and he gently took his hand out of Empress Wu's: "What rumors require you to report to the palace urgently?"
Ming Chongyan said: "It's about the Jiangnan case six years ago... The villagers in that village were poisoned and died. It is said that the murderer killed them... not just to kill, but to test the medicine..."
He spoke like squeezing out toothpaste. He seemed to be dawdling, but in fact, such an important event should be spoken slowly to give the saint time to think.
Li Zhi's eyes flashed. He didn't quite understand the cause-and-effect relationship for a while, but he also paid full attention to the case: "What kind of village is that?"
Ming Chongyan felt cold in his heart.
The Jiangnan case has been mentioned repeatedly during this period, but in the end, the saint has no memory of any village?
Of course, you must answer immediately: "It's Qingyang Village in Dantu County."
Only then did Li Zhi really remember it in his mind: "Well, hundreds of people died in this village. The Ministry of Punishment investigated it. One said poisoning, and the other said bandits were causing trouble. How is it related to the drug test?"
Ming Chongyan whispered: "Reporting to the saint, there are legends... The murderer put the elixir into the water to test the effectiveness of the elixir and gave it to the villagers... Unexpectedly, the wrong dose was added, causing many villagers to be poisoned and died..."
Li Zhi had no expression on his face: "Is there such a thing? You should be punished for harming the people!"
Ming Chongyan lowered his head.
Li Zhi was condescending and saw his expression clearly. A thought flashed through his mind and he said in a deep voice: "Tell me, what does this matter have to do with me?"
Ming Chongyan's voice trembled: "They said... that elixir... was... meant to be dedicated to His Majesty!"
Empress Wu's eyes moved. Li Zhi had just thought of this possibility, but found it very ridiculous: "Dedicate it to me? What kind of elixir? Why should you dedicate it to me?"
Ming Chongyan said: "It's Yundan... Nowadays, there are rumors among the people that when His Majesty was enshrining Zen in Mount Tai, he asked people to offer elixirs for longevity... Some people offered Yundan. In order to familiarize themselves with the properties of the medicine, they chose Qingyang in the south of the Yangtze River.
The village was used as a place to test the medicine, and then the whole village died..."
The palace became quiet.
After a full quarter of an hour, Li Zhi's feeble voice sounded: "According to this theory, the imperial examination scholars were poisoned this time, or was it because I tested the medicine on the common people in order to seek elixirs, and I suffered revenge?"
Ming Chongyan bowed down and gritted his teeth and said, "That's how they spread it!"
The hall fell silent again.
Ming Chongyan couldn't see the saint's expression hidden behind the golden curtain, nor could he hear the change in his tone of voice. He only felt that the saint's voice was still very calm.
But when Empress Wu saw the blue veins popping up on Li Zhi's forehead, her expression changed.
Because this was the first time she had seen Li Zhi so angry since the death of Changsun Wuji.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! But Li Zhi is Li Zhi after all, and there is not much fluctuation in his voice: "I heard you say that your Wuyundan and Nayundan are somewhat related?
"
Ming Chongyan hurriedly said: "Yes, I have to pass on this elixir to my master. My master was also inspired by Yun Dan and worked hard to create this elixir. In his will, I asked me to donate it to your majesty in the hope that your majesty will live long!"
Li Zhi nodded: "Your master is a thoughtful person, and your elixir has been approved by Shang Yao Bureau, so I will take it!"
His tone rose slightly: "I am the emperor, sitting in the world, and the Imperial Hospital gathers famous doctors from all over the world. Do I need to test the medicine on the common people?"
Ming Chongyan hurriedly said: "Your Majesty is kind-hearted and generous, and benefits the common people. Such remarks are extremely ridiculous!"
Li Zhi said calmly: "It's a pity that the people don't understand. They only like to hear some sensational stories, right?"
Ming Chongyan did not dare to answer.
Li Zhi said: "How long have the rumors been circulating?"
Ming Chongyan said: "It has only been a day or two, but it has not spread to the people yet."
Li Zhi's expression relaxed slightly. He still had a chance to recover before he reached the private sector. He asked again: "Where is the source? Has it been controlled?"
Ming Chongyan kowtowed: "I only know that it is spread among scholars, but the source has not been found yet, and people are already under control!"
The Plum Blossom Internal Guard played this role. Li Zhi was a little pleased, but said coldly: "Actually, do we still need to check? They arranged the late emperor's tour of the underworld, which caused many ugly and unsightly things, and now they have come to stain my reputation!"
This is a scolding directed at the Shandong gentry.
No way, it’s a lesson learned from the past.
Arranging stories to disgust the emperor is not a precedent for Shandong scholars, there have been many in the past.
For example, Qin Shihuang burned books and harassed Confucian scholars. The reason was that some alchemists and Confucian scholars criticized, slandered, and spread rumors to cause trouble.
And this matter will not disappear now, and it will never be banned in the future.
There are a lot of endless rumors on the Internet in later generations, what's new...
At this time, Li Zhi felt the horror of the rumors firsthand, and his chest felt tight with anger.
He cherishes his reputation the most, and hopes to be praised by future generations, whether for compassion, purity, filial piety, or martial arts.
And now!
He actually said that during the most glorious period of his life, when he was enshrined in Mount Tai, he tried to live forever and used common people to test medicine and make elixirs?
If this is recorded in history, even if it is compiled into unofficial history...
As he thought about it, Li Zhi's head started to hurt again, and he pinched the flesh of his legs without noticing it at all.
At this moment, a hand reached out and took Li Zhi's hand.
It's Empress Wu.
She was just watching, her eyes full of gloating.
But at this time, there was tenderness and care in her eyes, and she held her husband's hand tightly.
The two intertwined their fingers.
Empress Wu whispered: "Your Majesty, you might as well think about why there is such a rumor!"
After being reminded, Li Zhi immediately reacted: "Yes, there must be a reason for this!"
The Shandong gentry reported that Li Shimin had entered the underworld and were in a state of disarray. This was because after the Xuanwumen Incident, Li Jiancheng was killed. Their chances of becoming an official were immediately greatly reduced, and most of the official positions were controlled by Guan Longxungui.
But now in the Li Zhi Dynasty, the Guanlong clan was suppressed, and more and more Shandong gentry people joined the officialdom. Although the proportion was still unbalanced, we also saw hope. Why do we do such things?
Ming Chong below was about to speak but stopped.
Li Zhi said coldly: "What do you think of? Tell me!"
Ming Chongyan said: "The Jiangnan case is being investigated, and rumors are spreading, will it be..."
One word to wake up those who have been wronged.
Li Jingxuan...the Shandong gentry...the scholar invited his name...the suspicion of his son Li Sichong...
Li Zhi's facial features instantly became ferocious: "No wonder Li Yuanfang didn't continue the investigation. Okay, okay. I can't stand the investigation and am worried that evil things will be exposed, so you actually use me as a shield?"
It is always the ministers who take the blame for the saint!
When have you ever seen a saint take the blame for his ministers?
When he realized this, His Majesty the Emperor, who had a very deep palace, finally broke through the defense.
Li Zhi leaned forward and held his hands, his veins bulging out: "It's the other way around! It's the other way around!! Cough cough! Cough cough cough cough!!"
Hearing a series of violent coughs, Ming Chongyan hurriedly bowed down, not daring to move, but there was joy deep in his eyes.
as expected.
Li Zhi categorically issued an edict: "Draft an edict! Order Li Yan, the internal security officer, to thoroughly investigate the Jiangnan case. Everything should be done quickly and expeditiously. No matter what kind of criminals are involved, they will be severely punished to the end and will never be tolerated!!"