Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5047: Resignation
Liu Xiangdao raised his head, looked at the students who had been staying in the rain for a long time, and said: "The country has its own laws, and the family has its own rules. No matter who breaks the law or violates the rules, there are laws and regulations to punish them. They can be investigated by the Censorate and tried by the Three Law Departments, but they cannot gather together to denounce and try to forcibly interfere with the national law with public opinion. If everything is like this, where is the national law? Listen to me, this matter must be handed over to your majesty and the prime ministers for discussion, and then it will be made clear to the world. Now, you all quickly disperse and return to your respective residences. Don't talk about it recklessly or make trouble!"

The development of the situation to this point has exceeded expectations and will cause serious consequences. If the students continue to be relentless and make noise, the situation will further deteriorate.

The final result is unpredictable.

Zhu Wenyuan and Liu Xiangdao exchanged a glance without leaving a trace, and then nodded: "Since Yatai has come forward, we will naturally follow his orders. We just hope that the big things will not be reduced to small things, and the small things will not be reduced to nothing in the end."

Liu Xiangdao frowned and said unhappily: "The laws of the court cannot be trifled with. If the facts are clear and the evidence is irrefutable, no matter who it is, they will be severely punished. However, we cannot threaten the court based on rumors and disregard the laws of the country. No need to say more, you all leave immediately!"

Zhu Wenyuan turned around and said loudly, "With Yatai coming forward, he will definitely clear up the chaos and uphold justice. We will go back now."

The students were in an uproar.

Some people were dissatisfied: "We have gathered here at the risk of violating national laws, just for justice and truth. Now there is no answer, how can we just let it go so hastily?"

"Zhang Zizhou's imperial examination ranking is far lower than ours, but our official positions are either county magistrate or county lieutenant, which are lowly ranks like clerks. If it weren't for Fang Jun's operation, how could Zhang Zizhou be directly appointed to the six ministries? The facts are there, and the evidence is clear. If you want to investigate, please investigate now! If you send us away, this matter will definitely be left unresolved."

"Also, Cai Ben's death is probably not as simple as his wife said. Why didn't the Imperial Censor dare to conduct a public trial, but instead detained the murderer? Could it be that he wanted to cover up the truth, shield the murderer, and cause a false case?"

"We have mobilized so many troops not for our own benefit, but to maintain the strictness of the law. There is no reason to give up halfway! Zhu Wenyuan, you are submissive and obedient to the Imperial Censor. Are you willing to be a lackey of the court?"

Even among the students present who had failed the imperial examination, most of them were from aristocratic families, were well-educated, and had already realized that something was not right.

It was you who asked us to come here, and now it is you who is trying to persuade us to leave. What are you thinking?
Zhu Wenyuan was sweating a little. He was naturally terrified when his thoughts were revealed in public. If the whole thing got out to the public, he would be in big trouble. Not only would his reputation be ruined, but how could he have a place in the scholar community?

He quickly defended himself, "Yatai is fair and honest, highly respected, and the leader of the literati. How can you be so rude? We came here to knock on the palace and petition, although we are fair-minded, it is against the rules. Now your Majesty does not take it as an offense, and Yatai is personally examining the case. What else is there to be dissatisfied about? The treacherous and treacherous are not determined by our words. No matter what, they must be examined. My classmates, please do not be impulsive! Otherwise, if you are right, you will become wrong. Wouldn't that be a joke?"

Everyone was still indignant, but in the end, out of consideration for Liu Xiangdao's face, they stopped talking.

Seeing the students leaving en masse, and the people and officials who came to watch also leaving one after another, Liu Xiangdao finally breathed a sigh of relief, pulled Li Anqi aside, and asked sternly: "What's going on? They are just a group of scholars who can't carry anything on their shoulders or hands. Even if they gather together, they can't cause any big trouble. Why did such a terrible thing as death happen?"

His father, Liu Linfu, had served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He was good friends with Li Anqi's father, Li Baiyao. When Liu Xiangdao was young, he followed Li Baiyao to study. Although they were not master and disciple in name, they were master and disciple in reality. Therefore, he always regarded Li Anqi as his own person. He also personally instructed Li Anqi to do this matter.

Unexpectedly, it almost caused a huge mess...

Li Anqi was apprehensive and terrified, and whispered, "I don't know either. I can't be the one to deal with this kind of thing myself, can I? I originally arranged to assign this to a trusted squad leader, and asked him to find a yamen runner to injure one of the students when they are making trouble. This would not only make the matter bigger, but also prevent it from being unresolved... How could I have thought that something like this would happen?"

Liu Xiangdao snorted, half believing and half doubting.

I was too lazy to ask where the team leader was now. If my guess was correct, he must have disappeared by now. No one would see him alive or dead. In a few days, his family members would also disappear. No one knew whether he was alive or dead, and no one cared.

Regardless of whether the team leader was bribed or not, this matter will come to nothing.

Even if Li Anqi really knew nothing or had tripped him up, he didn't care, because he had already seen a eunuch coming out of the side door of Chengtian Gate and walking towards him quickly.

"I have come here in compliance with the imperial decree to summon the Imperial Censor to the palace to see the Emperor."

"it is good."

Liu Xiangdao glanced at Li Anqi and warned him, "Go back immediately and appease the students. Don't cause any more trouble. Otherwise, don't blame me for not respecting our old friendship!"

"Here!"

Li Anqi quickly agreed.

Liu Xiangdao also ordered the surrounding censors: "Go back to the Censorate and collect information from all over the city. If anyone spreads rumors about this incident, arrest and interrogate them immediately. Never let them go!"

This was the most headache-inducing part for him. Originally, it was a public opinion offensive against Fang Jun, but it became a political incident because of the death of someone. Not only did it remove Fang Jun, but it also put the Censorate in an unfavorable position. The duty of the Censorate was to supervise all officials and enforce discipline. It couldn't be that they were completely unaware of so many students gathering together to cause chaos and knocking on the palace to petition, right?

"Here!"

Sun Chuyue led the censors to receive the order and turned back to the Censorate.

They came and went in a hurry, and the rain soaked their clothes, shoes and socks. The imperial censors, who usually looked stern and dressed meticulously, were now in a very miserable state.

Because what awaits them is likely to be a huge wave...

Liu Xiangdao followed the eunuch to Chengtian Gate and casually adjusted his clothes that were soaked by the rain. However, the wet clothes stuck to his body and were wrinkled no matter how he adjusted them. His hair was even more messy, which really unpresentable.

Before I stepped into the palace, I heard the sound of horse hooves behind me. Looking back, I saw a group of cavalrymen galloping towards me. The iron hooves of more than 20 horses stepped on the bluestone road surface, making the sound like drums. There was an atmosphere of thousands of troops rushing into battle!
Even without looking carefully, there are only a handful of people in the court and the country who have the power to ride a horse in front of Chengtian Gate, and there is only one person who can really do this...

More than twenty war horses stopped at a distance, their movements in unison.

The leader jumped off his horse, took off his raincoat and threw it to the soldiers behind him. He was wearing a brocade robe and a fu hat, with thick eyebrows on his dark face. It was Fang Jun...

"So it was Yatai who came to my face. I said that when something this serious happens, Yatai must come forward to resolve it. It's just that I am not questioning the ability of the Censorate to do its job. So many students gathered at Chengtian Gate to knock on the gate, which is enough to shock the world. The Censorate has seriously failed in its duty."

Fang Jun walked forward and said something with a smile, looking like he was enjoying a good show.

Liu Xiangdao's face darkened. He seriously suspected that this fellow had known about the Censorate's plan, so he used the trick to get the Censorate into trouble. He said in a cold voice: "Whether the Censorate failed in its duty or not is up to your majesty and the Council of State Affairs. Although the Duke of Yue is the prime minister, he has no right to deal with it."

"Look at you, you are so boring!"

Fang Jun did not take it as an offense, and said with a smile: "I am concerned about you. You have caused such a big mess, and people have died. I am afraid it will be difficult for His Majesty to pass it. But we are officials in the same court, and we have some friendship. If you need help, you can speak up, and I will do my best to help you."

Liu Xiangdao snorted, and was sure that this guy was just laughing at him, so he naturally ignored him.

Fang Jun said to the eunuch, "I am here to see you in the palace. Please open the door immediately."

"Here."

The eunuch quickly bowed his head and agreed, then led the way.

There were a few ministers in the court who did not need to report to the emperor before meeting him, and Fang Jun was one of them...

……

In the imperial study room.

Li Chengqian saw Fang Jun and Liu Xiangdao coming together and nodded slightly: "Erlang, you came at the right time. Although the matter of the students knocking on the palace gate has nothing to do with you, it is still somewhat related. Let's discuss how to solve it."

Fang Jun greeted Li Chengqian first, then nodded to Li Ji, Liu Li, and Li Junxian, and then said slowly: "First of all, I think we cannot respond to the students' knocking on the palace gate and petitioning. Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, there has never been any obstruction to the way of speech. Any demands of the subjects in the world can be heard directly by the emperor, let alone those Jinshi and students? However, they used such actions that disregarded the national law and blatantly touched the majesty of Your Majesty. This trend must not be allowed to continue! Otherwise, anyone who has a request will run to Chengtian Gate to knock on the palace gate, petition, or even cry and hang himself. How will Your Majesty feel?"

Liu Li nodded. Although he always argued with Fang Jun, he agreed with what he said.

Your Majesty is the ruler of the world and the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Anyone who wants to petition you can do so, and anyone who wants to knock on the door of the palace can do so. How can this be tolerated?

Li Chengqian's face was as gloomy as water and he said nothing.

Liu Xiangdao opened his mouth to speak, but Fang Jun beat him to the punch: "Secondly, all the students gathered together to cry out for the unfairness of the official selection. Why didn't the Censorate, which was responsible for checking, know about it in advance and take effective measures to avoid it? Why didn't they handle it properly afterwards, resulting in the terrible consequence of the students' deaths? Not only has this humble minister been widely questioned, but it has also damaged your majesty's prestige. Someone should be held accountable for this."

Liu Xiangdao pondered for a moment, without making excuses or waiting for others to plead for him. Instead, he knelt on the ground and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, please understand that the Censorate has an unshirkable responsibility for this matter. I, your humble servant, have failed to lead the emperor and caused his prestige to be damaged. I deserve the death penalty! Now I beg to save my life. Please allow me to resign from the position of Censor and retire to live out my days in peace."