On the fourth day of May, Li Zhi's newspaper had been fermenting in the capital for four days.
It was time for the court meeting. In the Huangji Palace, Zhu Youjian looked at the sparse group of officials in surprise, not knowing what was going on.
Today, one-third of the civil servants were late for the court meeting. Zhou Yanru, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Zheng Sanjun, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, were all absent. What kind of thing is this? Especially several officials from the Ministry of Revenue and Taipu Temple were all absent!
Where are the civil servants? Why are they all late together? What do you mean? Collective protest?
Wang Chengen went to see Li Zhi and the nine general soldiers in private, and the civil servants did not know. Zhu Youjian currently only sent Wu, who secretly transferred troops, to jail for careful scrutiny, and did not arrest other civil servants. Civil servants
What do we have to protest against?
Could it be that something happened in the capital?
Zhu Youjian looked at Liu Zongzhou, the censor of Zuodu, and asked: "Liu Zongzhou, why are so many civil servants late today?"
Liu Zongzhou hesitated for a while, then stepped out of the queue and said vaguely: "The ministers may have encountered some problems on the way, and they will be here soon."
Seeing that Liu Zongzhou was not speaking clearly, Zhu Youjian knew there was a problem and asked: "What problems did you encounter on the road? How could it prevent the civil servants from going to court?"
Seeing that he could not hide anything, Liu Zongzhou could only say: "Your Majesty, today the unruly people in the city are causing trouble and blocking the way of the court officials to prevent them from going to court. There are hundreds of these unruly people, roaring and gathering on the road to block the officials. When I went to court, I was stopped in Mung Bean Alley, all because of
The servants fought hard to find a way to enter the imperial city."
Zhu Youjian was stunned, but he didn't know that something like this happened in the capital. The capital is where the Forbidden City is located, and the situation in the capital is very important for the safety of the Forbidden City. With so many courtiers unable to go to court, could it be that they were blocked by unruly people?
, this is a big deal.
The people in the capital are used to seeing high-ranking officials. It is said that the people who look up are not afraid of the people who wear shoes. The people under the emperor's feet are not afraid of the court officials. The chief minister of ten thousand years, Shen Shixing, was once beaten by the old man in the capital when he went to court.
There was a joke about women blocking the road. But that was just an example. It was the first time that civil servants were unable to go to court on a large scale like today.
Zhu Youjian said very worriedly: "Why are these unruly people making trouble?"
Liu Zongzhou cupped his hands and said: "I'm afraid that the Duke of Jin, seeing that the emperor did not agree to his unreasonable demands, incited a civil uprising in the capital, which led to such a situation."
Liu Zongzhou evaded serious matters and did not mention the demands of the people who blocked the road, but instead sued Li Zhi. When Zhu Youjian heard this, he knew that Liu Zongzhou did not want to tell the truth, so he frowned.
Without so many civil servants, the court meeting could not be held. Zhu Youjian did not speak, but looked at the Neijinshui Bridge in the distance and waited silently. The officials stood in the Huangji Hall and looked southward, eagerly waiting for other officials.
After waiting for a quarter of an hour, I saw a frightened figure holding a crooked black gauze hat, turning back every ten steps through Fengtian Gate, as if he was afraid that someone would rush up to catch him from behind. Waiting for this slightly disheveled man to reach the imperial court
On the red osmanthus in the Ji Palace, everyone could see clearly that it was Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
As they got closer, everyone saw a bloodstain on Zheng Sanjun's forehead. They didn't know whether it was from a fall or a beating.
The Minister of Civil Affairs is known as the "Heavenly Official", so why is he in such a mess?
Zheng Sanjun walked to the Huangji Hall, knelt down hastily, held up a placard and sang: "Your Majesty, I, Zheng Sanjun, are late."
Zhu Youjian asked curiously: "Who dares to hurt Shangshu?"
Zheng Sanjun's eyes turned red when he heard this, and he almost cried. He touched the blood on his forehead, kowtowed forward, and said: "Your Majesty, if you don't rectify the Duke of Jin, the country will not be a country!"
Prosecutor Zhu You asked: "How do you say this?"
Zheng Sanjun said loudly: "Your Majesty, Li Zhi is inciting public opinion in the capital and confusing the people. In the past two days, the unscrupulous people in the capital have come out to surround the officials. Some people also threw stones at the minister's home at night, as if they wanted to kill the old minister.
.”
"As soon as I walked out of my house today, I found more than a hundred unruly people blocking my way on the road. These unscrupulous people blocked my sedan chair with loud shouts. I was in a hurry to go to court and ordered the bearers to rush out of the way.
As a result, the sedan chair was knocked over by these unruly people, and I injured my forehead on the spot."
"These unscrupulous people relied on the support of the Duke of Jin and were emboldened. They surrounded the ministers and yelled at them. Their words were so harsh and insulting that I have never heard of them before."
"I had no choice but to go back to the mansion and go out the back door and walk along the path, and then I could reach the imperial city."
Zhu Youjian didn't expect that Zheng Sanjun would have such a difficult time in office. It seemed like there was an explosion in the capital.
However, Zheng Sanjun and Liu Zongzhou evaded their words and did not say what these unscrupulous people were causing. These people were so indignant that they acted collectively. Were they inspired by Li Zhi? How could Li Zhi be so capable?
If the commotion continues like this, Li Zhi won't even have to attack the city, and the capital will be in chaos.
Zhu Youjian looked at Zheng Sanjun and pondered silently.
Suddenly, several Qianhu guards wearing flying fish uniforms ran out of the Huangji Hall. Several Qianhu walked into the Huangji Hall, knelt down and saluted, got up and shouted: "Your Majesty, the house of the former Taipu Temple Minister Chen Jishan last night
It was set on fire, and the fire burned three rooms and almost burned the entire mansion."
Another thousand households raised their hands and said: "Your Majesty, the courtyard of Zhou Yanru, the chief minister of the cabinet, was surrounded by hundreds of unruly people. Zhou Yanru's sedan tried to rush away from the crowd, but the bearer was beaten by the people. The chief minister couldn't get through.
, I can’t go to court today.”
Zhu Youjian took a breath, and he didn't expect that the capital was already in such chaos. What tricks did Li Zhi use to make the people so angry?
The absence of officials from the Ministry of Revenue and Taipu Temple must be due to the same reason. I don’t know how these officials were treated by the people.
You won't be beaten up by the people, right?
Zhu Youjian was worried about the situation in the city when he suddenly heard a chorus of shouts coming from outside the Meridian Gate. The sound seemed to be coming from thousands of people at once, passing through the square outside the Huangji Hall and entering the Huangji Hall. Just hearing
It's not clear what was shouted.
Hearing the bursts of shouting, the civil servants in the court looked at each other and changed their expressions.
Zhu Youjian saw that the officials did not explain the matter clearly. He knew that if he did not send his own people, he would not be able to figure out what was going on. He pointed at Wang Chengen and said loudly: "Wang Chengen, go out and take a look and find out the matter."
Wang Chengen sang a song and ran out with two eunuchs.
After a quarter of an hour, Wang Chengen ran back with sweat on his head, ran under the throne and shouted: "Your Majesty, thousands of people gathered outside Chengtian Gate and shouted. There are men, women, old and young. It's very...
Excited."
"What to shout?"
"The shout is to kill the traitorous ministers! Kill all the traitorous ministers involved in the case of hiding the silver in Taipusi Temple!" (To be continued...)
