Chapter 318: Making a Big Trouble in Fengtian Palace (3)
"Liu Jin, Zhang Yong..." Zhu Houzhao's eyes fell on Liu Jin and others who had been kneeling on one side, and he shouted in a deep voice.
Liu Jin and others had already knelt so hard that their knees were in great pain and their whole bodies were sore and numb. But at this moment, they were happy and even a little excited. Zhang Yanling really had a way. I am afraid that today's court and the outer court would not be able to take advantage. It will happen soon. Counterattack according to the previously discussed countermeasures.
"My slave is here!" Liu Jin said loudly, her voice was loud, and she didn't look like she was going to be held accountable.
"My slave is here!" Several other people also kowtowed.
"Li Mengyang's memorial accuses you of accepting bribes, demanding bribes, and making things difficult for officials to meet with them. Do you have anything to defend?" Zhu Houzhao said solemnly.
"Your Majesty, I have nothing to refute. I am obsessed with this and have indeed asked for bribes several times. I have betrayed the Emperor's trust and I am extremely ashamed. Please punish me." Liu Jin kowtowed loudly.
Zhu Houzhao frowned and was speechless. After learning about this in the past few days, Zhu Houzhao was a little angry with Liu Jin and the others. It was really irritating that these guys did such ridiculous things under his own eyes. But Zhu Houzhao believed that they It's just greed for money, and it's not really a big deal. Besides, blocking foreign ministers from having an audience is actually quite in line with my own wishes, and I have complained about it.
The officials in the outer court came to see them when they had nothing to do. Zhu Houzhao was very annoyed and complained many times. Liu Jin once said that he would stop these people for the emperor. But he did not expect that he would stop them in this way. He could enter by paying money, but he didn't. If you give me money, you won't be able to come to see me. These bastards are using themselves as a cash cow.
However, Zhu Houzhao did not want to severely punish Liu Jin and others for this. Zhu Houzhao knew very well that the people around him who could be trusted were Liu Jin and others. This group of people had followed him since the East Palace, for more than ten years, but for a short time It's been seven or eight years, how could I blame them so heavily for this little thing?
Zhu Houzhao thought that maybe Liu Jin and others would make some excuses in court, so he would go along with the flow and help them defend a few words. Maybe he would ask them to make some guarantees in court and give them some symbolic punishment. This matter would be But if big things are reduced to small things, it will be over.
Who would have thought that these guys would confess their guilt directly without any excuse. This made Zhu Houzhao speechless.
The officials in the outer court also felt that they had missed something with one punch. They had also prepared the next move that Liu Jin and others would quibble with. The more Liu Jin and others quibbled, the more severely they would be punished. But who would have thought that this gang would Like the Zhang brothers, he readily admitted without a word of excuse.
For some reason, a thoughtful official like Li Dongyang sensed something was wrong. It was clear that the beasts being rounded up today were ferocious beasts, and he was already prepared for them to resist fiercely and fight with them. However, the beasts turned out to be as docile as a kitten. .Something is not right.
"Are you willing to plead guilty? Don't you have any excuses?" Zhu Houzhao even wanted to directly remind these idiots that they need to make a few excuses, otherwise he would not be able to help them.
"Your Majesty, how can the slaves have the nerve to defend themselves? The slaves are ashamed and blame themselves. The slaves are willing to withdraw from all the bribes they asked for, and sincerely apologize to the several adults who were asked for bribes and made it difficult for them to meet." Liu Jinchen. vocal tract.
Zhu Houzhao rolled his eyes and was speechless. These idiots didn't understand what he meant at all. He couldn't take the initiative to excuse them. These slaves had no brains. Liu Jin was always very smart and didn't say what he was thinking. When he exited, he did it properly. Why was he so stupid today?
"Your Majesty, the impact of this incident is extremely bad and has aroused great anger among the ministers. Your Majesty also heard it, and Liu Jin and others confessed. There is nothing to say. I will just punish you according to the law." Liu Jian said solemnly.
Zhu Houzhao frowned and said: "Min Gui, according to the Ming Dynasty code, what kind of punishment should you receive for asking for a bribe of more than a thousand taels of silver?"
Min Gui, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, if you ask for a bribe, you will be punished according to the amount and the severity of the impact. The amount of bribes Liu Jin and others asked for is not large, but the impact caused by these people is extremely bad and cannot be used as a punishment. As far as asking for bribes."
Zhu Houzhao frowned and said: "If you don't ask for bribes, then what is the crime?"
Min Gui said in a deep voice: "As a servant of the Qianqing Palace and a eunuch beside the emperor, I blocked the official's audience without authorization and asked for bribes from others. These behaviors should be punished with the crime of dereliction of duty, the crime of deceiving the emperor, and the crime of accepting bribes. My suggestion Yes, with twenty imperial staffs, he confiscated his family property, expelled him from the palace, and sent him to a border town as a slave."
Zhu Houzhao stared in shock, and Liu Jin and others were also trembling with fright. The ministers in the palace were also talking in low voices, and many people thought to themselves: Lord Min's crime is too serious, and his heart is too cruel, and there is no way to survive at all. .
"Is the punishment so severe?" Zhu Houzhao said softly.
"Your Majesty, I don't think it is important. You must know that these people are the chamberlains around the Emperor. These people are in contact with the Emperor day and night. If they have bad conduct and bad intentions, what kind of hidden dangers will they have? If you ask for five hundred silver today, you will ask for it tomorrow. One thousand silver. If one day someone lures you with ten thousand gold, who knows if they will do something crazy or crazy. I believe that not only should we guard against the slightest mistake, but we should also punish them severely and set an example with respect." Liu Jian said loudly. .
"What Liu Shoufu said is pertinent. This matter is serious and must not be tolerated. It must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others." Everyone agreed.
Zhu Houzhao frowned and looked at Liu Jin and others, not knowing how to make a decision in his heart. Although he wanted to protect Liu Jin and others, the ministers were righteous and their reasons seemed to be very sufficient. What should I do?
For a teenage emperor, he did not have the courage to confront the outer court. He still had a hint of timidity and hesitation, some hesitation and worry in his heart.
"Have you heard what the adults said? Liu Jin, Zhang Yong, and you guys. Hey, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you. If you want to blame, you can only blame yourselves." Zhu Houzhao said softly. .
Liu Jin was also a little panicked, but he heard Zhang Yanling coughing on one side, which was Zhang Yanling sending him a signal. Although Liu Jin didn't know whether the next actions would be effective and could reverse today's crisis, but at this moment, But there was no other choice. He could only believe what Zhang Yanling told him before.
"Eunuch Liu, the more serious the charges the outer court imposes on you, the more beneficial it will be to you. The more the emperor will understand the sinister intentions of the outer court. So don't worry, just raise questions according to the plan."
Zhang Yanling's words were still in her ears. Liu Jin took a deep breath and slowly said: "Your Majesty, since the crimes committed by the slaves are so serious and they have been punished so severely, the slaves have nothing to say. The slaves are ignorant and cannot Knowing that the matter is so serious, I can only blame myself. The emperor, slaves and others are willing to accept any punishment and have no complaints. However, I have a question in my heart. I hope to ask Master Li Mengyang. Please allow the emperor."