In Yingtianfu, almost all the yamen of the Ming Dynasty were concentrated in the area between the south of the palace and Chang'an Fang.

However, there are two yamen no longer among them, one is the criminal department, and the other is Dali Temple.

Because these two yamen were responsible for punishment and trial, Dali Temple was located on the west side of the imperial city, close to the area in the center of Yingtianfu City. The Criminal Department is located between Chaoyang Gate and Chaoyang Gate in the inner city, and the location is even more remote.

This is mainly due to the fact that there is also an important annex building of the Criminal Department, which is the Heavenly Prison.

In the past month or so, the imperial court has been boiling because of His Majesty's personal conquest and the eunuch's imprisonment of the country, and the criminal department has also attracted everyone's attention because of the detention of a large number of Shandong officials and the families of the six major grain merchants.

Except for the era of Zhu Yuanzhang, there was no longer a period in which dozens of officials above the seventh rank would be imprisoned in the prison at one time. Because there were so many people imprisoned that the prison was not even enough, the six major grain merchants and their families could only be imprisoned in the prison of Dali Temple.

Although the prison of the Criminal Department has a good reputation, the conditions are relatively good, and many officials can enjoy the treatment of one person per room, and they can also enjoy the time to release the wind.

In addition to these, as long as there is money in the house, they can also read, write, and even play chess and drink tea with other officials.

Many ministers even made the prison their home and wrote many masterpieces.

Of course, this is only the treatment that officials can enjoy, like those river and ocean thieves, bandits, horse thieves, they can only live in the dark basement, or even in the water prison, waiting for the end of their lives.

Since the outbreak of the Shandong case in the first month of the first month, these officials have been imprisoned in February, and the three divisions organized by the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Criminal Department, and the Dali Temple have been interrogated more than ten times.

Most officials confessed to their mistakes, but many still insisted that they were not at fault.

In the evaluation of officials in the Ming Dynasty, there was a very important criterion for population and taxation.

Immigration policies will make people leave their homes, and low food prices will also hurt people's enthusiasm to grow food.

The imperial court demanded that officials improve their performance, while encouraging people to move and suppress food prices, so this created a contradictory relationship.

Against the backdrop of this contradiction, it is understandable that some officials are not convinced.

Therefore, even if the three divisions are tried, most of the officials in charge of the interrogation will sympathize with them, because this is indeed a paradox, and these officials cannot be blamed for everything.

But in the era of imperial power, it doesn't matter if you have such and such problems, and if you are disobedient, that is the biggest mistake.

Therefore, the contradiction now is not whether these officials are right or wrong, but how they should be punished.

Wrong is definitely wrong, but whether it is a heavy sentence or a light sentence, and what kind of standard is used to judge it, is the most difficult.

Daming is not a place that does not speak of the law, everything must be done according to the law. As long as it is not a rebellion, even the emperor cannot do whatever he wants.

Because orders that do not comply with the law will be refused by the minister, the emperor can't personally carry a knife and cut off the head of the prisoner!

The relationship between the emperor and the minister is that of managing and being managed, but sometimes they complement each other.

Of course, if the ministers want to implement the emperor's will, under normal circumstances, they dare not challenge the bottom line of the law and the emperor's patience.

The trial of the major Shandong case should be reasonable and, even more legal, and any act that seeks to exonerate the offender will be regarded as an accomplice.

Ministers inevitably feel cold and tend to give light sentences, but light sentences must also find a reason for light sentences, and it is not that anyone who says light can be light.

It dragged on for more than a month, and all the links of the case were also investigated clearly in the process of being tried by the three divisions.

Not a single official was sentenced to death, and more than 20 officials were demoted and transferred. More than 10 were dismissed from their posts and distributed 3,000 li.

There are more than a dozen who are not light or heavy, but they just lost their official positions, and they didn't even need to be distributed, and they even still retained the Wenxun rank.

In such a situation, it is possible to resume the post in the future as soon as the limelight has passed.

However, the officials were not so polite to the six major grain merchants.

Regarding their disposal, Zhu Zhanji has set the tone from the beginning, that is, confiscating family property and distributing it abroad.

Because Zhu Zhanji had already shown his attitude from the beginning, all the trials of these officials were based on this tone.

They did not want to find out how big the fault of these businessmen was, but to make the trial process conform to Zhu Zhanji's original words.

This is also the face that all the officials give to this grandson of the prison country.

Zhu Zhanji was furious at the beginning, and said that he would send these grain merchants who were against the imperial court to Saiwai and Nanyang, and they naturally would not let Zhu Zhanji's words fall to the ground.

Most people are satisfied with such an outcome. However, for the Kong family, they were absolutely not satisfied.

Of the six major grain merchants, their family accounted for two, and the Kong family has been a big landlord in Shandong for hundreds of years. Over the years, the land controlled by the family has expanded to 10,000 hectares.

There are also two branches of the family that are responsible for the sale of grain, one in charge of the north and one in charge of the south.

But now, more than 100 people from the two branches have not only had their property confiscated, but the Kong family's shops have also been seized, and now all of them have to be distributed to Beihai.

In the eyes of the civilian officials, this disposition is already merciful, but in their eyes, it is a complete extermination.

On March 28, the day before the verdict was handed down, the officials were stuck in the time when Zhu Di went to sea, and the results were only available after he left.

But Zhu Di left on March 26, and you showed the trial results on March 27, which was too conspicuous, so they pushed it to March 29, as long as the trial results were presented before the court meeting on April 1.

Kong Lenan has a relationship between the Criminal Department and Dali Temple, and he knew the result a day in advance, which made him feel like a mourner.

The Kong family is now a house leak and even rainy, the raid of the two grain shops, and the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of stone grains have already made them very angry, and now they can't even save the clansmen, how can this work.

In the afternoon of the same day, he got into the carriage again and hurried out of the city to the hot spring annex.

The hot spring annex is only 60 miles away from the capital, and now that the cement road has been built, the carriage can reach it directly in an hour, and it is not much slower than riding a horse.

Before Shen arrived at the annex, he was about to park the carriage in a clearing outside the courtyard as usual, but was expelled by the guards. "Whoever comes, the car is strictly forbidden to enter."

The groom shouted out outside, and Kong Lenan opened the curtains and saw that there were many more guards outside than before.

He opened the door of the carriage, and when he got down, he said, "Dr. Kong Shi Lenan, the doctor of the Five Classics of the Guozijian, wants to visit His Royal Highness the Crown Prince......

The general at the head glanced at him and said, "On the orders of Your Majesty, the avant-garde of the government army protects the safety of His Royal Highness, and it is strictly forbidden for outsiders to harass him. ”

Kong Lenan was surprised: "Some time ago, I came to visit His Highness, why can't I do it now?" ”

The other party said solemnly: "It was before, and now it is now." Sixteen guards have already been battered because of lax supervision, and I don't want to be the seventeenth. Please go back, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has no visitors. ”

Kong Lenan's hope now is on Zhu Gaochi's body, how can he be willing to go. But in a hurry to go out, he didn't carry a silver tael, so he could only take off the jade que that pressed the hem of the Confucian robe and offer it with both hands. "Please make it convenient for this general manager, I am a member of the Yan Shenggong clan, not a treacherous person."

The other party refused to accept it, and said: "Don't harm me, the general has an order, and I have to obey." ”

Seeing the other party's resolute attitude, Kong Lenan didn't know how to deal with it for a while. He could only bow again: "Please pass it on, Your Highness knows that it is me and should meet me." ”

The other party sneered: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is recuperating in another hospital, it is His Majesty's order. His Royal Highness must not be disturbed by outsiders, and it is also His Majesty's order. No one is allowed to enter or leave unless His Majesty writes by hand, let alone pass on the news. ”

With a small boss, Kong Lenan thinks very highly of himself and doesn't want to worry about him. "May I ask where is the avant-garde yamen of the government army? Can Commander Li be in the yamen? ”

"Turn back a junction along this road, and then go south, and our yamen is on the east side of the annex. However, you should not work in vain, and no one will dare to accommodate His Majesty's orders. ”

Kong Lenan went down with grace, but he didn't bother to deal with a small soldier anymore. He didn't know the background of the Confucian Mansion, and he didn't have anything to say to him, but the commander Li Bin wouldn't know it.

Sitting in the carriage, Kong Lenan's heart became much more gloomy. He originally thought that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was really recuperating from his injuries, but now it seems that he is under house arrest!

He also wanted to count on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to be a member of the Kong family, but now it seems that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is too busy to take care of himself.

The carriage came to the yamen of the avant-garde of the government army, which was originally the yamen of the Jinyi guard, close to the royal palace.

His carriage was stopped again, and he got out of the car with a long preparation, and handed over the post: "Trouble to pass the word to the Marquis of Fengcheng, and see you in Qufu Kong Lenan." ”

This time, he was not hindered and soon met the sixty-year-old Li Bin.

Of course, Li Bin knew why Kong Lenan came, but he beat the sticks of sixteen soldiers in the past few days and re-purged the officials, the purpose of which was to prevent people from seeing Zhu Gaochi.

Now that the Kong family's case is boiling, he doesn't know Kong Lenan's intentions.

The reason why he met Kong Lenan was to give face to the Kong family, but if he wanted to see Zhu Gaochi, it was impossible.

No matter how good the Kong family is, it has nothing to do with him as a general. His Li family was born in mud, and there was no literati in the upper and lower generations, and they didn't want to delve into knowledge, so they couldn't fight the Confucian family.

"The doctor doesn't know, I received an order from His Majesty, that is, not to let people disturb His Royal Highness Tai Low to recuperate, except for the close ministers, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince does not see any outsiders."

"But last time......"

"Because the first few times you waited to see His Highness, His Majesty came to reprimand, and Benhou was also reprimanded by His Highness. So, Doctor, don't embarrass me anymore. ”

Kong Lenan pondered and said: "Then can you ask the Marquis of Fengcheng to pass it on, if you can't see Your Highness, it's good to meet Zuo Chunfang University." ”

Li Bin looked at him with a smile and said, "Does the doctor really not understand or fake not understand?" Your Majesty is afraid that you will disturb Your Highness, so you have changed the vanguard of our army to garrison, since you can't wait to see Your Highness, this communication message is naturally impossible. ”

Originally, there was still a glimmer of hope, but now that hope is shattered, Kong Lenan is also very ashamed.

"Fengcheng Hou really doesn't think about it anymore, my Kong family ......"

"Is your family's face important, or is my head important?"

Kong Lenan, who had nothing to say, stood up and said, "Excuse me, Kong said goodbye." ”

Li Bin picked up the tea bowl and ordered: "Wu Yunsheng, send off guests." ”

Seeing the figure disappear, he showed a sneer. Now I am still holding the signboard of the Kong family to swagger through the market, and I don't know if your Kong family can't get through this difficult hurdle in front of me!

was given a cold reception in the vanguard of the government army, and Kong Lenan completely lost hope, but he did not give up. Obviously he can't see it, he doesn't believe it, and he can't see it behind his back.

Even if it is a prisoner, there is still a time to visit the prison, let alone a prince.

Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is under house arrest, doesn't he want to change all this?

It was also his luck that when he returned from the hot spring courtyard, he happened to encounter a batch of live pigs and live sheep transported to the palace in the palace.

The leading eunuch was a long-term attendant Li Chun whom he had met, and had discussed the scriptures with him.

When he met Li Chun, Kong Lenan saw the opportunity, and he hurriedly stopped the carriage and shouted, "Li Chang follows...... Borrow a step to speak. ”

Although Li Chun is not young, because he is obsessed with scriptures and books, he is not good at socializing, and he was nearly half a hundred years old before he was promoted to a long-term follower by virtue of his qualifications.

Seeing Kong Lenan, he was also extremely excited, and took the lead in saluting: "I've seen the doctor...... This is just returning from the annex? ”

Kong Lenan returned the salute and sighed: "It's a pity that His Highness is under house arrest and has no chance to see him." ”

Li Chun was shocked: "When did it happen, why don't I know?" ”

Kong Lenan saw that he didn't look like a fake, so he was also strange, and told him how he went to the other courtyard and was given a cold reception.

As soon as he heard that the doctor of the Sage family was not even allowed to enter the door, he was even more angry than Kong Lenan. "This is the avant-garde of the government army misinterpreting the holy decree, why don't I know about this matter, go, I have to ask the Marquis of Fengcheng, who gave him such courage to dare to stop His Highness from seeing guests......"

Kong Lenan was shocked and covered his mouth. "Whisper ......."

No wonder I've been mixed up for most of my life, and I'm still a foreign minister, so stupid, I'm really old enough to live like a dog. He asked softly, "Has Your Highness ever come out since you came to the other courtyard?" ”

At this moment, Li Chun's face changed, but he said suspiciously: "Your Highness has a foot disease, but he has never come out." Even those of us who went in had to get a badge now. ”

Kong Lenan sighed: "What is the difference between this and house arrest? Li Changsui, it is difficult for me to get close to Your Highness, but I want to ask you for a favor today. ”

Although Li Chun was a little simple, he was not stupid, and he quickly realized that something was wrong.

In the past half a month, the control of the other courtyard has become more and more strict, and he didn't think that His Royal Highness was under house arrest at first, thinking that the avant-garde of the government army was too harsh, but now it seems that he has some hindsight.

But he is familiar with Kong Lenan, and he is embarrassed to change his style of speech now. can only say: "It's not okay to bring a letter, I can help you bring it to Your Highness if you have something." ”

In his opinion, now that His Majesty is going to sea, the crown prince and the grandson are father and son again, and it is not a big deal to just bring a message.

Kong Lenan waited for his words, and immediately took off the jade que and stuffed it into his hand. "Now my Kong family's two rooms are going to be assigned to Beihai. It's freezing there, and even crops don't grow, how can you live? I also hope that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can turn around with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and pardon them. ”

As soon as he heard that it was such a simple thing, he touched the warm jade que in his hand, and said with a smile: "It's a trivial matter, it's wrapped up in me." ”

He didn't notice that an inconspicuous-looking chamberlain found a brocade guard who accompanied the team and whispered a few words, and the brocade guard said a few words to the hundred households who led the team, turned around and hurried to the capital.

Let's say that Li Chun returned to the other courtyard, went to the imperial kitchen to hand in an errand, and found an opportunity to enter the inner courtyard.

The hot spring courtyard is tight on the outside and loose on the inside, because there is a concubine, the guards have not guarded the courtyard.

Because there are many springs, many attendants and palace maids will also take advantage of the lack of errands on their bodies to soak in the hot springs for a while. So Li Chun's actions did not attract the attention of others.

However, this afternoon, Zhu Gaochi was painting on the mountain behind the hot springs, so he didn't let people disturb him, so he, the foreign minister, had no chance to get close to Zhu Gaochi.

He soaked in the hot spring for a while, wanting to wait for Zhu Gaochi to finish painting and go down the mountain, but as soon as he came out of the water and put on his clothes, he saw He Chun with two strong chamberlains into this hot spring pool specially prepared for eunuchs.

When He Chun saw him, he breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Take him down for me!" ”

The two strong eunuchs immediately pounced on him, and pushed him to the ground, tied his arms behind his back, and tied him with hemp rope.

"Young Eunuch He, what happened? Why did you catch the slaves? ”

He Chun sneered: "What happened? We ask you, what did you do with Kong Lenan on the way back by escorting the poultry? ”

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. That Kong Lenan is a minister valued by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and he just wants the slave maid to bring him a message......"

He Chun sneered: "This inner servant must not collude with the foreign ministers inside and outside, is this system an ornament?" You take bribes and speak on behalf of others, and you deserve death! Escort him out of the courtyard, don't disturb Your Highness! ”

Li Chun still didn't realize the problem, they, the foreign affairs eunuchs, originally relied on helping people talk to earn some extra money. Those palace maids want to contact relatives outside the palace, how can they get in touch without them to bring words?

Although the Ming Dynasty had this system, this system was like a fictitious one.

But now He Chun is a big level higher than him, and if he wants to clean him up, he can only admit that he is unlucky. He also thought that he had accidentally offended He Chun before, and now he was retaliated against.

But when he heard the latter sentence, he felt that something was wrong. Why are you afraid of disturbing Your Highness? Why don't you dare to let Your Highness know?

Thinking of what Kong Lenan said, he seemed to feel a huge conspiracy.

However, he was afraid of hardship, so he didn't resist, but just said: "Young Eunuch He, slaves and maids know the rules and can't run." These shoes and socks haven't been put on yet, so let the slaves and maids go out in order......"

He Chun was not afraid that he would get out of his control, so he let go of his arm and let him put on his shoes and socks by himself.

Li Chun saw that several people were staring closely, and he had no chance to run, so he could only put on his shoes and socks.

When he put on his shoes and socks, his arms were tied up again, at first, he was not afraid, but now, he couldn't help but tremble.

If there is really a conspiracy, I am afraid that my life will not be guaranteed.

As soon as he came out of this spring, a group of people came down from the north, Li Chun was overjoyed, and shouted with all his strength: "Your Highness, there is a conspiracy!" ”

He Chun was shocked, he didn't expect to meet the prince coming down the mountain at this time, and he didn't expect that Li Chun would risk his life to alarm His Highness.

He now regrets that he didn't stop Li Chun's mouth in the first place.

Zhu Gaochi was in high spirits today, and took a few concubines and a group of chamberlains to bask in the sun to paint, and painted a painting that he was particularly satisfied with.

He sat on the shoulders raised by the four of them, and was still talking to Concubine Guo about taking this painting as a gift for her birthday, but he heard a voice: "Your Highness, there is a conspiracy!" ”

Startled, he shouted in some embarrassment, "Stop! ”

He Chun sighed, regretting his hesitation at the beginning. If Li Chun was caught at the beginning and escorted out, how could there be a current change.

The two powerful eunuchs also looked at He Chun, a little at a loss.

He sighed, greeted him and bowed, "I've seen Your Highness." ”

Zhu Gaochi glanced at Li Chun, who was tied up by the gang, and asked, "What happened?" ”

Before He Chun could speak, Li Chun had already shouted. "Your Highness, there is a conspiracy! The avant-garde of the government army blocked the courtyard and prevented outsiders from entering and leaving, and His Highness was placed under house arrest! ”

Zhu Gaochi was furious when he heard this, he was not angry that he was under house arrest, but that this short-eyed Li Chun actually shouted out about this matter.

From the time Zhu Di asked him to go to Jiayuguan, because he vomited blood and was seriously ill, he was left in the capital and sent to another hospital.

He knew very well that his father would definitely put him under house arrest in order not to let him influence Junji's work.

So these days, he pretended not to know, but he would not leave the other courtyard one step.

Now Li Chun has shouted out about this matter, so that he has no face!

He was furious and said: "Nonsense, give me a slap!" ”

He Chun was already annoyed with Li Chun, so he didn't let others do it at this time, and personally hit Li Chun's mouth, but after less than ten hits, Li Chun's mouth was swollen, and blood flowed down the corners of his lips.

Li Chun didn't understand it yet, and cried: "Your Highness, the slave maid is true!" ”

Zhu Gaochi was even more angry, sat up straight on his shoulders, he weighed quite a lot, and it was very difficult for the four people to carry it, and when he moved like this, one of the sedan chair drivers was just about to change his shoulders, and he didn't grasp the center at once, and he fell down.

At this moment, Zhu Gaochi, who was more than 200 pounds, fell directly from the height of most of a person.

He screamed and almost fainted, only to feel a terrible pain in his left arm, afraid that it would not be broken. "Shoot him to death for me......"

Several chamberlains and concubines shouted for His Royal Highness, so they surrounded him and helped Zhu Gaochi up.

The four palanquin men fell to their knees in fright, not even daring to beg for mercy.

And the other chamberlains didn't know whether Zhu Gaochi was the sedan chair man or Li Chun who shouted to kill him, and they were stunned for a while.

When Zhu Gaochi saw this scene, he felt more and more depressed and aggrieved, and said angrily: "No one listened to Lone's words!" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn't help but have a sweet throat, coughed a few times, and then a trace of blood foamed out, splashing the concubine in front of him.

Before everyone could scream, Zhu Gaochi fell down heavily.

(I'm sorry, I forgot to update it automatically when I went to bed yesterday, and I woke up today to find out.) I'm going to go out today, I don't have time to write, and tomorrow the update is a little later. ）