For the boring trivial matter of whether Yuan Chonghuan was on knees or standing to be tried, Ji Qingwen and the others delayed for almost a whole hour, which fully reflected the low efficiency of the operation of the Ming court during the Chongzhen period at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

You must know that although the trial of Yuan Chonghuan's case is important, it is not an urgent matter. But in the face of such important military tasks as the Manchurian invasion and the peasant uprising, if you still rub the buck to each other like this, it is not much different from standing in place and waiting for someone else to take a knife to cut it.

However, Ji Qingwen didn't think so far-reaching now, and after letting Yuan Chonghuan sit on his chair, he slowly paced back to the same place, stood with his waist crossed very comfortably, and said, "Okay, Lord Wen, you are the chief judge, then start the interrogation!" ”

Wen Tiren was embarrassed and said, "Don't worry. Let the official ask someone to move a chair for Lord Ji again. You are the earl of the emperor's title, and it is too unseemly to stand and listen to the trial. ”

Ji Qingwen raised his hand and refused: "No need, it's good to stand." Lord Wen, you see that I am holding my head up and chest now, and my waist is not painful or sore, how good is it? In response to the saying, it is called 'standing and talking without back pain'. ”

Ji Qingwen This was a joke, but unfortunately the people present had no sense of humor and did not answer, making Ji Qingwen embarrassed in place alone.

But Wen Tiren coughed lightly twice, patted the shocking wood lightly, and said, "Yuan Chonghuan, I discussed your three sins last time. They are: Article 1: the crime of 'failing to entrust and deceiving and concealing', Article 2: the crime of 'stealing money from the city and communicating with foreign countries', and Article 3: the crime of 'cutting off the border marshal without authorization and destroying the Great Wall'. Now I ask you the fourth ......"

Wen Tiren was just about to continue, but it was the Gao Qi, who didn't know the current affairs and didn't talk about human feelings, and interjected: "Wait, Lord Wen, the miscellaneous family hasn't heard of the previous two crimes, why don't you retry the trial?" ”

At this time, even the good-tempered Wen Tiren was a little angry, and said coldly: "Father-in-law Gao, although you are the eunuch of the master of ceremonies, there is a saying that you are the so-called 'internal minister', but according to the law, you can't control the Criminal Department, the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Dali Temple. Why do you want to hear about the triage of our three law divisions? Why did you retry it again? ”

"Just ...... Everything"

Before Gao Qiqian's words "old man" could be spoken, he was interrupted by Wen Tiren again: "Father-in-law Gao, I know that you are going to carry out the emperor." But let me tell you, I am the second assistant of the cabinet, and I have the right to play directly with the monarch, and I have already written the transcript of the previous interrogation of Yuan Chonghuan and submitted it to the emperor. If you are interested, you can ask the emperor for it, and want to re-interrogate? Hum! This official will not accompany you! ”

Zhou Yanru, who has always been on good terms with Wen Tiren, also helped: "That's right, what Lord Wen said is good, there is no reason to waste your lips and tongue for such a eunuch as you." The emperor sent you here to observe, not to be the chief judge. If you want to listen to it, listen here, and stop talking nonsense, otherwise I will impeach you for the crime of falsely preaching the holy decree and interfering in the government. Now that the emperor is wise and the courtiers are decent, he will definitely not tolerate you, a traitorous villain! ”

Zhou Yanru said this very well, clearly saying: If Gao Qiqian continues to mess around, then Zhou Yanru will use his identity as the first assistant of the cabinet and the leader of Qingliu to mobilize the civil officials in the court to play together to impeach Gao Qiqian.

Now is not the year of the Apocalypse, Zhu Youzhen is not Zhu Youxiao, and Gao Qiqian is not Wei Zhongxian. If the hundred officials of the imperial court were really bent on impeachment, Gao Qiqian would not be able to withstand such great pressure.

Gao Qiqian finally coaxed, his face turned pale, and he said: "Okay, the two adults will be judged." Every word and every sentence that the two adults said, the miscellaneous family will carefully remember it in their hearts, and when the time comes, they will return it to the emperor word for word. ”

Now above the lobby of the Criminal Department, there is a cabinet chief assistant Zhou Yanru, a cabinet deputy assistant Wen Tiren, and a newly promoted Fu Lu Boji Qingwen, who has a very good relationship with the third minister of the cabinet, Xu Guangqi. Sitting here, these three people are equivalent to a meeting of the entire cabinet, and they can almost represent the entire civilian group of the Chongzhen Dynasty.

These three people are bent on fighting against a high diving potential, and they are naturally full of confidence.

In fact, if it weren't for the Donglin Party and the Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang parties attacking each other, Wei Zhongxian would not have fought against the entire civilian-official group, even if he fought a Donglin Party alone, there would only be a dead end.

Gao Qiqian is not young, why did he dare to confront such a huge force head-on without taking advantage of reason when he first arrived, such behavior is too reckless, reckless and almost mentally retarded.

Behind such an act, there is a huge conspiracy, and there is more than one such conspiracy, and it is extremely huge.

It is so huge that it affects the life and death of the entire Ming court.

It's just that Zhou Yanru, Wen Tiren, and even Ji Qingwen, these three talented people, are immersed in the temporary weakness of Gao Qiqian, entangled in the grievances and gains and losses between each other, and they don't think of the reason for this for the time being.

All in all, Gao Qiqian has nothing to say for the time being, and the case of interrogating Yuan Chonghuan can finally continue.

I only heard Wen Tiren clear his throat and said: "Yuan Chonghuan, you listen well, the fourth crime proposed for you is: negligence and ignorance, arson with the enemy." ”

Yuan Chonghuan sat on the seat, slightly floated his buttocks, and arched his hand: "Lord Wen, it's okay to talk about it." ”

After Fang Caigao's stirring, Wen Tiren's attitude towards Yuan Chonghuan seemed to be much better, and he said slowly: "That's the case. Yuan Chonghuan only three months after you killed Mao Wenlong, the Manchurian Emperor Taiji drove his troops south to attack the Beijing Division. The matter of beheading Mao Wenlong has been interrogated by this official before, but you are the governor of Jiliao, and Liaodong is under your command, so you should be vigilant. Why did he not anticipate the actions of the enemy chieftain, causing Huang Taiji to spare the Guanning defense line and enter the Koujing division from Xifeng Pass? ”

Yuan Chonghuan thought for a while and replied, "That's right." The criminal ministers also planted some eyes and ears among the Manchurians, and they had already detected the intelligence that the enemy chieftain Taiji was intending to enter the army. And the criminal minister also got the news, saying that Huang Taiji planned to use the Mongolian Uliangha Department to invade the Central Plains through the Xifeng Pass. In this regard, the criminal minister has already reported to the Ministry of War, and asked the Ministry of War and the Cabinet to play directly to the Holy Lord. At that time, the first assistant of the cabinet was Lord Han Kuang, and the chapter should also be kept in the file, and several adults could naturally read it if they were interested. ”

"You are the Jiliao Governor, and you have the right to cheap military affairs. In addition to reporting to the court in a timely manner, you should also take action. Why did you watch the enemy chieftain invade and then slowly enter the pass to help the war? Wen Tiren asked.

Yuan Chonghuan replied: "My lord, it is true that the criminal minister commands the military and political power of Liaodong, but it is his duty to defend the territory. The enemy chieftain Taiji has always been treacherous and resourceful, and the criminal was worried that he was dangling a false shot, pretending to go west but then turning around and hitting the east. ”

Yuan Chonghuan paused and said, "And Xifengkou is not under the jurisdiction of the criminal ministers, let alone Mongolia." Therefore, the guilty minister can only write to the court first, and let the court decide before punishing. Later, the emperor decreed that Liaodong soldiers and horses should enter the king of Jingqin, and the criminal ministers immediately led Zu Dashou, He Kegang, Wu Xiang and other troops to immediately rush to the aid of the Beijing division, which is also known to everyone. ”

Wen Tiren listened very carefully, and when Yuan Chonghuan finished speaking, he asked, "Are you finished?" ”

Yuan Chonghuan arched his hand and said, "Lord Hui, it's all done." ”

Wen Tiren nodded, and said to the main book in charge of the record in the Criminal Department: "You have all memorized it, right?" ”

The master bookkeeper nodded hurriedly and said, "I understand everything." ”

When Wen Tiren heard this, he asked Zhou Yanru again: "Zhou Shoufu, do you have anything to ask?" ”

With such a common enemy as the great eunuch Gao Qiqian, Zhou Yanru rarely stood in the same trench with Wen Tiren temporarily, and said with a smile: "Lord Wen said clearly, and Yuan Chonghuan answered clearly. I don't have anything more to ask. ”

Wen Tiren asked Ji Qingwen again: "Lord Ji, do you have anything you need to add?" ”

Ji Qingwen moved a few steps in place, and felt that Yuan Chonghuan's words were reasonable, neither avoiding the important nor trivial, nor checking the flaws, and there was nothing he could help, so he said: "No." Please continue to ask, Lord Wen. ”

As he spoke, Ji Qingwen suddenly remembered something, so he leaned over and asked Gao Qiqian, who was sitting beside him, "Father-in-law Gao, I don't have a problem, I don't know what you have to say?" ”