"Your Majesty, something is wrong, Chen Jing, the secretary of the Criminal Department, took a group of ministers outside the palace, claiming to plead guilty for his brother, kneeling outside the palace and refusing to get up. It has alarmed the people outside the palace, and there are more than 100 spectators outside the palace, and there are constantly people who are disturbed to watch, how is it good? ”

Zhao Yizhi was sleeping in a daze, and Wang Zhenliang, the chief of internal affairs, hurriedly ran to the bed shouting all the way.

"Let's just say I'm sleeping, and I'll talk about it tomorrow morning," Zhao Yizhi turned over and muttered.

The chief of internal affairs said hurriedly: "If they are willing to listen, the servants will not come to disturb Your Majesty." If you ignore it, the people will watch a lot, which will damage the royal dignity! ”

Zhao Yizhi turned over and turned back: "Which is his brother?" What did you do? If it's not a big deal, he will sell him a face in the Criminal Department, and fine some money to let him go. ”

"His brother is Chen Yu, the governor of Jiangnan, Lord Chen who was just locked up by Your Majesty a few days ago!"

Zhao Yizhi opened his eyes when he heard this, and sat up: "Heh, it seems that I can't get up anymore, I came in the middle of the night, I really will pick the time!" Who is this Chen Jing? ”

"Your Majesty, this Chen Jing is the secretary of the Criminal Department, a protégé of Master Li. It's just that I heard that he and Chen Yu Chen have always been at odds, and they don't get along with each other on weekdays, but I don't know why today..."Wang Zhenliang replied.

"Mr. Wang, don't pretend to be stupid." Zhao Yizhi said while dressing, "You came up and said that Master Li was a protégé, don't you know what it means?" ”

After wearing it for a long time, he still didn't put it on, so Zhao Yizhi had to call the palace maid next to him: "It's just that you are still an official in the palace after all, and it is not good to ask too much about the affairs of the court, I have my own opinions." ”

Wang Zhenliang hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty is wise!" ”

"Okay, let's go, you lead the way, let's go meet him."

Outside the palace, more than a dozen officials knocked on the ground, headed by an official, a wisp of light beard, quite dignified, but not wearing an official uniform, dressed in white, knocked under the city gate, a crane official uniform neatly stacked in front of him, a black gauze hat on the official uniform, upright.

"Chen Shangshu, what's going on like this in the middle of the night?" Zhao Yizhi sat on a palace carriage, the carriage stopped in front of the officials, Zhao Yizhi jumped down, ignoring the Wang manager who was in a hurry to take the stairs next to him. walked straight in front of Chen Jing.

"Your Majesty, the courtiers offended the saints, and the ministers came to ask for guilt." Chen Jing didn't raise his head, and said to himself, "Brother Chen Yu has always been arrogant, the minister has repeatedly advised, and he didn't listen to the minister's words. ”

Zhao Yizhi stood still in front of him, looked at the people behind him, all of them were officials from various departments and departments in the Criminal Department, and he knew it in his heart. asked, "Then, do you know what crime Chen Yu committed?" ”

Chen Jing still didn't look up, "Weichen doesn't know, please tell the saint." ”

Zhao Yizhi laughed and shouted to the onlookers: "Everyone, do you know what crime Lord Chen Yu Chen has committed? ”

"How do we know?"

"Didn't you steal money from the treasury?"

"How can someone who is an official use stealing from the treasury? That's called greed! ”

The onlookers saw that the emperor was just a little boy, and he laughed quite kindly, which was different from the mediocrity and cruelty that was rumored on weekdays, and they were bold and talked nonsense.

Zhao Yizhi and the others quarreled for a long time, raised their hands, and the city guards immediately struck the gong to signal the people to be quiet.

When everyone quieted down, Zhao Yizhi said: "Chen Yu, as the governor of Jiangnan, knew about the flood in Anhui City but did not report it. I pity his past achievements, pardon his capital crimes, and now he is in prison, and he will be disposed of after the loss and casualties of Anhui City are reported. Do you think it's inappropriate? ”

The people chattered again: "Why doesn't this Lord Chen know why he hasn't reported it?" Won't it be okay if you report it? ”

"I'm afraid that the court will ask for guilt, maybe the flood over there is not so serious, and the matter will pass?"

"Wouldn't it be more troublesome for him if he didn't report it? Fire and water are ruthless, are the people there still alive? ”

Zhao Yizhi walked around the onlookers, listened to the conversation of the people, turned around and walked to Chen Jing, who was bowing to the ground, "Lord Chen, you said that my verdict is fair?" ”

"The Holy Tribunal is naturally the most fair and wise." Chen Jing raised his head and opened his mouth, but still replied flatteringly.

"And why are you here late at night? I want to make me... Let him go? Zhao Yizhi asked rhetorically.

"The minister doesn't dare, the minister thinks..."Chen Jing opened his mouth, and found that he couldn't say a word about Taishi Li's words when he came. Li Taishi once said that whenever the emperor talked about the flood in Jiangnan and sentenced Chen Yu to a crime of dereliction of duty, he immediately asked the emperor where the evidence of the flood in Jiangnan was. In this way, he put pressure on the emperor and forced the emperor to release him.

But now that the emperor has bitten the Jiangnan flood, Chen Yu is not only derelict in his duties, but also bullying the monarch, which... How dare you say it yourself? If you ask for evidence again, won't you send yourself in?

Zhao Yizhi ignored Chen Jing, and crossed him to ask the officials kneeling behind him, "Lord Chen pleaded guilty for his brother, which shows that his brotherhood is deep and very moving." I don't know what happened to you Aiqing, who came here late at night? ”

The officials behind you, you look at me, I look at you, they were just ordered to build momentum for Chen Jing, and now Chen Jing is forced to say a word, what do they say? It stands to reason that I don't blame the public... This does not ask the first person, but asks the conformity, which makes them answer.

Seeing that everyone behind him should not, Zhao Yizhi snorted coldly: "Are you waiting here for Gongye?" For private yes? What a crime to disturb the people in the middle of the night! ”

Chen Jing gritted his teeth and had no choice but to reply: "Back to Your Majesty, my brother once said that there was indeed a flood in Anhui City, but a few families outside the city flooded a few acres of farmland, and the government has compensated for it, and there is no major matter, please ask Your Majesty to investigate." ”

Zhao Yizhi nodded and said: "That's naturally a clear investigation, wait for the report to come back, find out the situation, if you blame Lord Chen Yu and Lord Chen, the court will give him an explanation, didn't I make it clear in front of the people just now?" ”

The onlookers nodded one after another, and Chen Jing couldn't say a word now.

"You disturb the people late at night, form a party to make trouble, as an official of the imperial court, act absurdly, I don't know the severity, how can I be worthy of the country's fortune and the people's expectations!" Zhao Yizhi asked.

The officials who were kneeling on the ground were so trembling that they didn't even dare to raise their heads.

After Zhao Yizhi asked, seeing that the officials no longer spoke, he then asked: "But someone instructed it?" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, no one will instruct you." The officials replied in unison.

"Very good, Manager Wang, tomorrow I will pass on my will, today's officials, led by Chen Jing, are wanton late at night, disturbing the people's rest, they really have no sense of proportion, they no longer have the duty to be officials, they have all been stripped of their official bodies and demoted to civilians." After speaking, Zhao Yizhi stepped on the stairs and got into the carriage, lowered the curtain, and motioned for the coachman to turn around and enter the palace.

Wang Zhenliang shouted to the people: "There is nothing to do here, all the villagers, fathers and elders, and the neighbors should go back and rest early. After saying that, he also trotted all the way after the carriage.

The people dispersed one after another, and the officials who knelt down on the ground began to talk one after another, and they got up and left in twos and threes. Before leaving, many people glanced at Chen Jing, who was still lying on the ground, took a sip, and left angrily.

Chen Jing knelt for a while, got up, and walked towards Li Changwen and Li Taishi's Taishi's mansion.

In front of the Taishi's Mansion, a housekeeper-like person blocked Chen Jing: "Lord Chen, the Taishi is asleep, don't bother." ”

"The lower official is here to report the situation to the Taishi, the Taishi doesn't know the situation, how can he sleep?" Chen Jing asked puzzled.

The housekeeper pulled Chen Jing aside: "Lord Chen has been dismissed, and now he has become a white body?" ”

"How do you know? Who's coming to report the news? Chen Jing continued to ask.

"Do you still need someone to report the news? After you left, the Taishi said that he was going to sleep, and the villain also reminded him, saying that Master Chen didn't know if he would succeed or not... Master Taiyan will not succeed, Lord Chen is here, if the emperor is a faint monarch, he will let Chen Yu and Lord Chen go, if it is a tyrant, he will kill all of you adults, if it is a Ming monarch, he will kill you..."The butler said in a low voice.

"That's... This... Why is Taishi like this? So what do I do now? Chen Jing was speechless for a while, grabbed the housekeeper and asked.

The housekeeper held down Chen Jing's hand, leaned in his ear and whispered: "Master Li has a saying, if you want to be glorious, you should go to the southwest." ”

Chen Jing thought for a while, looked at the housekeeper, and bowed: "In this way, please thank the master on behalf of Chen." Although my brother Chen Yu was at odds with me, he also asked Taishi Li to try to rescue him. ”

"Don't worry, rest assured, Taishi has his own opinions." The butler nodded.

Chen Jing didn't talk nonsense, turned around and left home.

"Gone?" Inside the gate, Taishi Li walked up the stairs, and the housekeeper who entered the mansion asked.

"Let's go, I was quite reluctant to Chen Yu when I left, hehehe." The butler laughed. "Master, you are so clever, how did you know that the emperor would dismiss him? Everything is just as you arranged it. It's just..."

"It's just that now you know why you let them go, right?" Li Changwen turned around and walked towards the mansion.

The housekeeper followed behind, "Don't be a villain, it's just that they are all your proud protégés, so, cut off your arm, why bother?" ”

"Chen Song came out of the palace that day, he was so happy, and everyone said that the emperor came back from the dead, and he was extremely wise. I just want to test how wise Your Majesty has become, and if he is too wise, I have to let that lord do it sooner. Chen Yu and Chen Jing are people like each other, and I want to cultivate as many as I want for a year and a half. ”

"So, sir, what should I do next? Who are you going to turn to tempt the temptation? ”

"There's no need, it's useless to try more, and if you try too much, it will cause the emperor to be alert. Send someone to find Kong Bao again, you must do it cleanly, and you must take advantage of the fact that the one in the capital has not yet made a move, and deal with the emperor again. Li Changwen spoke, and walked by himself. Leaving the housekeeper alone, I thought about it for a while, and I didn't know who I was looking for when I went out.

"Your Majesty, the old slave..." returned to the dormitory, Wang Zhenliang followed behind Zhao Yizhi, and stopped talking.

"Do you want to know why they're asking for their own trouble?" Zhao Yizhi turned to look at Wang Zhenliang and asked.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Zhenliang snorted and was about to kneel down again, but was held by Zhao Yizhi.

"Mr. Wang, you are old, so don't always kneel and kneel, there are no outsiders here." Zhao Yizhi walked to the table, and the palace maid on the side immediately came up and poured a cup of tea.

Zhao Yi took a sip of tea and continued: "I didn't understand it at first, but when I went out and saw that battle, I understood that I wanted to ask for an explanation. If I can't say anything, it will damage the royal majesty, and I will release Chen Yu. There is no choice but to bite to death in Wancheng and beat Chen Jing out first. ”

Wang Zhenliang thought thoughtfully: "Then the flood in Anhui City is really serious, how dare Chen Jing and them come?" This is asking for self-suffering, if it is not serious, it will not be scared like that just now..."

Zhao Yizhi nodded: "Yes, this is the problem, now we don't know the situation, I guess the people they sent have not returned, and they don't know what the situation in Wancheng is now." Probably... This Chen Jing was sent to test me. ”

"Yes, what Your Majesty said is very true! They don't know the situation, if His Majesty misses the cowardice, they will know that the flood in Wancheng is not serious, and they will even worsen it. What a boldness! They! As an official of the imperial court, he didn't understand the suffering of the people, and he dared to come to the emperor to inquire about the news! ”

Zhao Yizhi sighed and said to himself: "Whether the flood is serious or not, they don't care, I feel... It's like they've come to test me..."

Wang Zhenliang opened his mouth and was about to ask again, but Zhao Yizhi waved his hand: "Send more people to rush to Wancheng, the situation in Wancheng must be investigated by me, it is best to bring some homeless people back, I want to inquire in person." ”

"The old slave will do it!"