Xiao Jue looked at Tang Ning with wide eyes and asked, "Have you known about Han Ming for a long time?"
The Minister of Hubu is not a kitten or puppy. Among the six ministries, only the Officials Bureau can rival Hubu in terms of real power. The arrest of the Minister of Hube is a huge matter for the entire court.
"I don't know." Tangning shook her head. He didn't want to blame this matter on himself, so naturally he wouldn't admit it.
Xiao Jue didn't believe it: "Then why don't you send the gift?"
Tangning said helplessly: "I asked for leave. I originally planned to go to the Ministry of Finance to ask questions in a few days, but now it seems there is no need."
At this time, I still need to give gifts to Han Ming, unless King Kang is stupid.
I don’t know what King Kang was thinking after hearing the news. Han Ming embezzled millions of taels of money from the national treasury. Others avoided him, but he insisted on getting involved...
Qing'er jumped in from outside the door and said, "Uncle, there is a man named Kang outside looking for you."
Tangning asked in confusion: "The one with the surname Kang?"
Qing'er thought for a moment and said, "He said his name was King Kang..."
She didn't expect that King Kang would be so out of control and come in person, which made Tangning a little surprised. After thinking about it carefully, she felt it was normal.
No matter how proud Prince Kang is recently, once he is involved in this case, even if he is a prince, he will still have to shed his skin.
If Emperor Chen was determined to punish him severely, strip him of his title of prince, and drive him out of the capital, the courtiers would not have any objections.
As for the powerful officials behind King Kang, their fate will definitely be even worse.
When he was greeted out, Prince Kang was pacing the front hall with a worried look on his face. When he saw Tang Ning coming in, he hurriedly asked, "Have you given the heavy gift that I ordered you to give to Han Ming?"
"Not yet." Tang Ning shook her head and said, "I've been feeling a little unwell lately. I'm taking a leave of absence at home. I haven't come yet and I need to send him there urgently."
"It would be good if it wasn't, it would be good if it wasn't..."
King Kang breathed a long sigh of relief, and the big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground, and he slumped on the chair.
"I'm really sorry for delaying His Highness's affairs." Tangning looked at him apologetically and said, "If Your Highness is in a hurry, I will have someone send him there right away..."
"No!" King Kang jumped up from his chair and said, "No need to send it away, no need to send it away..."
He managed to escape the disaster with great difficulty. If this gift were given out, even he could not imagine what consequences he would have to bear.
After heaving a sigh of relief, when he looked at Tang Ning, he couldn't help but smile, and said, "Master Tang, you are really my lucky star..."
"Your Highness is so complimentary." Tangning said politely, thought for a while, and continued: "Since there is no need to give this gift, Your Highness should take it back."
King Kang waved his hand and said: "No need, Mr. Tang is not feeling well. These gifts are my condolences. Mr. Tang must take good care of his health as soon as possible..."
Tangning wondered: "It's such an expensive gift, isn't it good..."
King Kang waved his hand and said: "Hey, there is no way to take back the things I sent out, so Master Tang, please don't refuse."
Although he felt sorry for the money, he also knew that if it weren't for Tang Ning's illness, he might have been taken away by Zongzheng Temple. Entering Zongzheng Temple, even if he was a prince, he would have to suffer a lot.
It was hard to refuse Prince Kang's hospitality, so Tang Ning couldn't refuse, so she could only nod her head and said, "Then I'll thank you, Your Highness."
"You're welcome." King Kang stood up, waved his hand, and said, "Master Tang, take good care of your injuries. I'm leaving..."
"Your Highness, walk slowly..."
King Kang was a very particular person, and he was very considerate in etiquette. Tang Ning received this gift with peace of mind. After all, even King Kang himself didn't know how much of a blow it would be to King Duan when Minister Han fell.
The Minister of Household Affairs, he will definitely not lose this time.
Many of the things given by King Kang were things that Tang Ning would not need. He walked into the inner house, waved and said: "Qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, small poems, wine, and Qing'er, don't just stand there stupidly, come here and give them to me."
You choose gifts..."
…
Royal Palace.
The interrogation of Han Ming, the Minister of Household Affairs, was jointly responsible by the Minister of Criminal Affairs, the Minister of Dali Temple, and the Yushi doctor. No punishment was used during the interrogation. Han Ming confessed to embezzling taxes and money. The case progressed very smoothly. Less than
After half an hour, the interrogation was over.
A eunuch stepped forward and whispered to the imperial censor. The imperial censor nodded and said: "Your Majesty has a decree to escort the guilty minister Han Ming to Chongming Hall."
He glanced at Han Ming, who was wearing a white prison uniform and disheveled hair, with complicated eyes and a long sigh.
The Minister of Punishment looked at him, shook his head, and said: "How could Han Yushi, who was not afraid of power and would rather die than surrender, fall into such a situation..."
The Minister of Punishment also sighed and said regretfully: "I still don't believe that Han Ming will commit corruption. It's a pity for a good minister. It's a pity..."
In the Imperial Study Room, Emperor Chen stood in the middle of the hall, looking a little depressed.
Ling Yun stood a few steps away, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, I have already led people to send all the six masters and servants of the Han family, except Han Ming, the right servant of the Ministry of Household Affairs, into the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. And according to your Majesty's instructions,
I took Hanming to Chongming Hall."
Emperor Chen looked at him and asked: "Han Mingguan is the Minister of Household Affairs, but there are only six masters and servants in the house?"
Ling Yun nodded and said: "Han Ming has a wife and a daughter, an old servant, a cook, and two servants, there are only six people."
Emperor Chen looked at him and asked, "Did you find any stolen money in the Han family?"
Ling Yun said: "When I returned to Your Majesty, I found a total of sixty-three taels of silver in the Han family. Except for a jade belt that Your Majesty gave me in the early years, there was nothing else."
Emperor Chen frowned and asked: "During the Han Ming Dynasty, more than 2.3 million taels of tax and silver were embezzled. The annual salary, converted into silver taels, amounted to hundreds of taels. Why did the family only have so little money? How many taels of silver did it have?"
Where have all the millions of taels gone?"
Ling Yun bowed and said: "Wei Chen has searched through the entire Han family, but has not found the place where the silver is hidden. Han Ming lives with the poor people in the North District. According to his neighbors, the Han family lives a simple life on weekdays.
He also often gives out some silver porridge and rice to beggars..."
Emperor Chen was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Go to Chongming Hall."
In the Chongming Hall, Han Ming was kneeling on the ground. When he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, he raised his head, knocked his head heavily on the ground, and said, "The guilty minister Han Ming, please bow to your majesty."
Chen Huang stood in front of him, looked at him, and asked slowly: "Do you still remember how you became the Minister of Household Affairs?"
Han Ming lowered his head, blood dripping from his forehead, but remained silent.
"You don't remember, I remember."
Emperor Chen looked at him and said calmly: "Eleven years ago, you were just a supervisory censor. At that time, the treacherous prime minister Cai Chengquan swayed the government and the public, deceived the heavens, and committed many evil deeds that were outrageous and resentful. Hundreds of officials in the court took photos
Because of the majesty of his power, you dare not speak out, but you, Han Ming, are not afraid of power, regardless of life and death, speak out and remonstrate, list 28 crimes against Cai Cheng, hit your head against the wall in the golden palace, and remonstrate with death...
"
"Six assassinations in the street, and you don't frown."
"The only legitimate son of the Han family died under the revenge of Cai Thief, and you didn't back down."
"They tied up your old mother and forced you to submit. Your mother decided to die and not to be a burden to you..."
…
"You single-handedly brought down the traitorous clan. I will promote you to the position of Minister of Household Affairs. I hope you can serve the country..." Emperor Chen looked at him with a sad expression on his face and said in a deep voice: "Han Aiqing, my
Han Aiqing, tell me what you have done these years!"
"I'm sorry for your majesty, I'm sorry for the court!"
Han Ming's voice was hoarse, and he leaned over again and knocked his head hard on the ground.
one time.
Two times.
Three times.
…
His forehead was already bloody and bloody, but he still kept knocking.
"Eleven years ago, I owed you two lives to the Han family." Emperor Chen breathed a sigh of relief, looked at him and said, "Today, I owe you six lives."
Emperor Chen looked at him and said slowly: "But I must also give an explanation to the people and the court."
Han Ming fell to the ground and said loudly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
A eunuch stepped forward, took out a wine glass from the jade plate, and handed it to Han Ming.
Han Ming took it with both hands, glanced at Emperor Chen one last time, and said with a smile: "If there is an afterlife, Han Ming is still willing to be your Majesty's minister."
He put down his wine glass, knelt straight and bowed respectfully to Emperor Chen. However, this time, after his head lowered, he never got up again.
After a while, the Minister of Punishment looked at a piece of white cloth in Chongming Hall, raised his head, and said: "Your Majesty, Minister Han died like this, and the people behind him..."
Chen Huang waved his hand and said: "Since Han Ming has pleaded guilty, the case is over. All officials involved will be severely punished."
The Minister of Punishment bowed and said: "I obey the decree."
After the Minister of Punishment exited the main hall, Emperor Chen took a deep breath and said, "King Xuan Duan enters the palace."
