Yun Xi took out a copy of the case of bribery in the Ministry of Rites from his bosom and said to everyone: "This is the case of bribery in the Ministry of Rites entered by the Imperial Shi Jianyi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. ”

"Jian Qing, Aiqing is also here today. Tell the crowd how the case is going? ”

"Your Majesty, after the investigation of this case by the ministers and Zheng Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, Ru Shangshu of the Criminal Department, Yin of Huangfu of Yingtianfu, and Jinyi Wei Qin, it has been found that 29 officials and 67 miscellaneous servants of the Ministry of Rites have accepted bribes from envoys of Fanguo." Jian Yi stepped forward and said.

Everyone present was very puzzled by what Yun Xi was doing when he brought up this case at this time, including Zheng Yi, Ru Python, Huang Huai and others who investigated the case with Jian Yi. But when he heard Jian Yi mention that there were so many people from the Ministry of Rites accepting bribes, Zheng Yi immediately knelt down and said, "The minister is guilty, please punish Your Majesty." ”

"Accepting bribes from envoys of Fanguo is different from other forms of bribery, and it is extremely difficult to verify. If it weren't for the case of the deputy envoy of the DPRK by accident this time, I am afraid it would not have been verified; Aiqing did not accept bribes, so I would not punish Aiqing seriously. But there are so many officials involved in this case, and you are also guilty of negligence, and I can't help but punish you. ”

"It is because I removed you from the post of secretary of the Ministry of Rites and reappointed you as the right minister of the Qin Domain. I will allow you to complete the handover of all affairs in the capital and return to your hometown to visit relatives before going to the northwest. ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty, Long." Zheng Yi kowtowed and said. This case involved so many officials, and he was only demoted to the right minister of the vassal state, which is already very lenient. In the Hongwu Dynasty, even if he is not cut off his head, he will definitely be cut off from his post to the people.

However, Yun Xi would not be so lenient with those officials and miscellaneous servants of the Ministry of Rites involved in the case, and he had already made up his mind to exile all of them and their families to the Han Continent. Yun Xi was about to speak, when Jian Yi suddenly said: "Your Majesty, in addition to the officials and miscellaneous servants of the Ministry of Rites, the minister also found out that there are also seven officials in Honglu Temple who are involved in accepting bribes. ”

"There are also officials from Honglu Temple involved in this case?" Yun Xi made an annoyed look and said, "There are also seven people in Honglu Temple, and there are a total of thirty-six officials in the Ministry of Rites, so many officials are involved in this case!" ”

"I originally wanted to save some face for these officials, but since they were so unscrupulous in accepting bribes and acting in righteousness, I said the names of all the officials involved in the case above the court, and I wanted to deal with them on the spot!"

Jian Yi agreed, turned around and ordered a person behind him wearing a seven-rank imperial history costume. The man took a step forward, took out a document, and read it aloud: "Tang Xuanfa, the director of the Fine Catering Department of the Ministry of Rites!" ”

Hearing this, one of the officials of the Ministry of Rites suddenly fell to his knees trembling and kept kowtowing and begging for mercy: "The minister is just confused for a while, please atone for your sins!" The minister is just confused for a while, please atone for your sins! ……”

But Yunxi ignored him. Seeing this, the Han general stepped forward and removed his crown and placed him in the center.

The imperial history kept saying the names of the people, and the Han general was busy stepping forward to arrest the official whose name was called. When these people heard their names, their faces were all like ashes, although not everyone shouted for mercy like Tang Xuanfa, but they all collapsed to the ground, with a look of regret on their faces.

The matter is very clear, His Majesty asked people to read out the list in public, and it was clear that it was to be dealt with heavily, and maybe he would be beheaded. At the beginning, it was just a small bargain for a while, and in the end, it ended up being beheaded, who doesn't regret it?

Fear also rose in the hearts of the other officials of the yamen. On the one hand, because Yun Xi raised the salaries of officials, on the other hand, there was the inertia that continued during the Hongwu period, and the discipline was still relatively strict, there were not many officials who were corrupt and took bribes, but there were many people who took advantage of them. If such a thing is investigated, there will be a lot more people who will be arrested. In addition, many officials have also been asked to do things by people with good connections, and some people may not be involved in this matter in retrospect.

However, after listening to the list and the conviction for a while, the crowd was relieved. The charges they were convicted of did not involve the matter of the request, and they will be fine. Many people couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"......, Honglu Temple Zuo Sicheng, Ye Qiu, accepted bribes from envoys from seven countries including North Korea and Siam for a total of 650 times." That Yushi said suddenly.

Everyone paused, and they all turned their heads to look at the Wupin civil official who stood up and was the first to oppose Yun Xi's reform, because he was Ye Qiu.

Ye Qiu was stunned for a moment, raised his head and looked at Yun Xi, seeing that Yun Xi's expression had not changed, and the Han general also came over to capture him, he immediately knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, the minister knows that the crime of accepting bribes cannot be pardoned, but what the minister said is not selfish, and I also ask Your Majesty to consider the minister's words." ”

"Joke!" Another person walked out of the phalanx of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, wearing a four-grade imperial historian uniform, and sneered after saluting Yun Xi: "How can the advice of a corrupt person be taken seriously? Do you know that what you say is not being bribed by others and being said by others? Since you can accept bribes from envoys of Fanguo, you may not accept other bribes. He turned to Yun Xi again, saluted, and said, "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that all those who are found to have accepted bribes from the envoys of Fanguo should be strictly investigated again to see if they have ever accepted other bribes. ”

"What Chen Qing said is good, it is to strictly investigate whether they have accepted other bribes." Yun Xi nodded and said.

Hearing this, a trace of despair flashed on Ye Qiu's face, and he was about to speak again, when General Dahan had already pushed him to the ground, took off his crown, and covered his mouth. Ye Qiu's words about to be said were suddenly held in his throat, and he made a whining sound.

After a short time, all 36 of these people were captured by the Han generals. Yun Xi glanced around the hall and said, "Jian Qing, according to the "Da Ming Law", what should they do? ”

"Your Majesty, according to the "Da Ming Law", if you embezzle or accept bribes of more than 120 yuan, you should be beheaded and your house will be confiscated; Under one hundred and twenty dollars, exiled to the frontier. Jian Yi said.

"Then follow the provisions of the "Da Ming Law". Yun Xi said expressionlessly.

Immediately, someone wanted to come forward and beg for mercy for them, but they stepped on it and took it back. At this time, His Majesty was angry, and his rash advice not only did not save these lives, but he might put himself in it. 'Let's wait a few days, and your majesty will be relieved." Fortunately, according to the "Da Ming Law", no matter how much money is involved in corruption and bribery, there is no reason to make a decision. They thought.

"I will depose them from their official positions and demote them to commoners; Ru Yu, I will hand over these commoners to you, and I will interrogate them strictly, and I must ask them if they have ever accepted other bribes. Yun Xi said again.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ru Yu was very reluctant in her heart, but she could only step forward to accept the order. Although these people have been deposed from their official positions, after all, they were once officials, and if they are dealt with in accordance with the method of ordinary people, they will definitely arouse the disgust of hundreds of officials, but if they are not dealt with in accordance with the method of ordinary people, they may not be able to ask anything, and they are in a dilemma.

According to the statute, officials are mostly interrogated by the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and civilians are interrogated by the Criminal Department. The dismissal of their officials before the interrogation made it clear that he did not want the Metropolitan Procuratorate to be in charge of the case, and His Majesty was really partial to Jian Yi. Hey, who made me not a close confidant of the emperor? He glanced sideways at Jianyi. Jian Yi served as a member of the Zhongshu House from the twenty-first year of Hongwu, and once served as an official of the Zhan Mansion, and was a close confidant of Yun Xi.

After Ru Yu received the order, Yun Xi instructed the Han general to send them to the prison of the Criminal Department. These people agreed, and escorted the thirty-six former officials to retreat.

When these thirty-six people were escorted down, Yun Xi glanced at the martial arts array, and sure enough, he saw a few eyes staring at them all the time, and sneered.

After they were all escorted down, Yun Xi cleared his throat and was about to say something, when suddenly Chen Ying, the left imperial history of the Imperial Court who had just come out to refute Ye Qiu, came out again and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the minister has a play." ”

"What?"

"Your Majesty, the minister impeached the former Governor of the Later Army, Zhang Yi, the Marquis of Heqing, the Shang Shu Mei Yin of the Du Branch, and the former Zhao Xuan Lang. The minister impeached the Marquis of Heqing for bending the law for personal gain, and the credit for greedy others fell on his son Zhang Yumu; The impeachment of Shangshu Mei Yin of the Du Branch and Zhao Xianzhong, the former Wuxuan Shilang, disregarded the imperial court decrees, knowing that the first contribution to the battle of the Selenge River in the three years of Hongwu should be Peng Qingzong, who was then the Huining Wei Qianhu, but when appointing and removing the official position, he attributed it to Zhang Yumu, the son of the Marquis of Heqing. Chen Ying said.

As soon as Chen Ying said this, the hall that had been calm down burst again. The corruption case involving 36 officials is enough to attract people's attention, and now there is another big case.

Since Yun Xi succeeded to the throne, he has always paid attention to fairness, especially the merits made by military generals, and it is strictly forbidden to covet the credit of others for himself, and he will never be forgiven once he is discovered. This case involved another marquis, and the impact on the court was far greater than the demotion of the middle and low-level officials of the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple. So everyone looked at Chen Ying or Zhang Yi one after another.

However, there were also a few people who secretly glanced at Yun Xi, as if they had understood something.

Yun Xi didn't notice that someone was looking at him, but said to Chen Ying: "Chen Qing, as you said, this case involves Zhang Yi, the Marquis of Heqing, and Mei Yin, the concubine? ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Ying agreed.

"Such a big case can never be decided based on your words." Yun Xi asked again: "Is there any evidence?" ”

"Your Majesty, the existing human witness is Peng Qingzong, the original Huining Wei Qianhu who was coveted for merit."

"Pass him to the palace, and I will interrogate him personally!"