Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5048: Counterattack is too painful
Seeing Liu Xiangdao resign without hesitation, Fang Jun, Li Ji and Liu Li were not surprised. The incident had become so serious and a failed student had died. Public opinion would inevitably ferment and someone would have to stand up and take responsibility.

Liu Xiangdao saw through the situation and knew that it was his duty, so he did not drag his feet at all.

Of course, the reason why I was so decisive and didn't even say a word of excuse was perhaps because I wanted to express my true feelings with this attitude - I was not the planner of this matter, but I take the responsibility for it without complaint and willingly.

Then, the three of them looked at Li Chengqian.

The only person who could make Liu Xiangdao take the initiative to take responsibility at the cost of resigning from office is this Majesty...

Li Chengqian frowned, feeling stuck in a dilemma.

If Liu Xiangdao was held responsible, wouldn't it mean that he, as an emperor, had no responsibility and could only let his ministers take the blame when something went wrong? First, the whole thing was planned by him, and now that something went wrong, Liu Xiangdao was held responsible, which he couldn't bear; second, this practice of shirking responsibility seriously damaged his prestige. Which minister would be willing to be loyal and dedicated to an emperor who would always blame him?
He knew that Liu Xiangdao's move was to prevent him, the emperor, from being caught in a dilemma. However, this made him even more embarrassed...

After a little hesitation, Li Chengqian looked at Fang Jun and said slowly, "The Censorate made a mistake in handling this matter, and the Censor-in-Chief has no choice but to take responsibility. However, the imperial examination has stirred up the world, and many aristocratic families are ready to make a move. There are constant criticisms from both the court and the public, and we need an upright and honest official like the Censor-in-Chief to supervise. After searching the court for several times, no one can replace this position. Perhaps we can give him a warning and allow him to make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence, what do you think?"

Liu Xiangdao knelt on the ground, feeling both moved and indignant.

I was touched that His Majesty had to lower himself for him, put aside his dignity as an emperor, and ask Fang Jun for a favor; I was indignant that Fang Jun, as a minister, actually pressed His Majesty in front of him, and he really had the potential to be a treacherous villain...

Liu Li, who was standing by, also felt that Fang Jun was going too far and said, "Although the students' petition to the palace had a great impact, it was still within control. What really caused the situation to get worse was the death of a student, and this incident might not be such a coincidence. Once we dig deeper, it will definitely involve a lot of people."

Regardless of whether Fang Jun secretly arranged the death of the student, there must be another hidden story. It is definitely not a simple "love killing". As the Grand Marshal and Prime Minister, do you really want to see chaos in the court and the country?
Previously, the "Zhaoling Case" and the "Li Shenfu Rebellion Case" had implicated a large number of royal family members, and the few bloodlines left by Emperor Taizu were almost wiped out. If a group of court officials were to be implicated because of the "Chengtianmen Murder Case", how many people would still be able to stand in the court?
As an important official in charge of the world, the most important thing is not the truth, good or evil, but stabilizing the situation.

Stability is more important than anything else.

Otherwise, you are unqualified as a prime minister, or you have ulterior motives...

Li Chengqian cast an approving look.

He also felt that the student's death was no accident, and it was most likely Fang Jun's counterattack against the incident. Once it was investigated further, even if Fang Jun was not involved, the people around him would inevitably be involved.

If you don't force Liu Xiangdao to resign, I won't pursue the student's death. How about a mutual compromise?

Then he looked at Li Ji again.

Li Ji was helpless, he didn't want to get involved, but seeing the emperor's look of help, how could he ignore it?
He coughed lightly and said, "This matter was ultimately caused by Zhang Zizhou, and it was you who introduced Zhang Zizhou to Yan Liben, so it caused controversy outside. Whether it was you who operated it privately or Yan Liben's love for talent, it must be thoroughly examined and explained to the court and the public, and the person responsible for the examination is naturally the most suitable person to be responsible for the examination."

He felt that it was not enough for His Majesty to not pursue the student's death, and with the matter of Zhang Zizhou added, that was almost enough.

To put it bluntly, the students' petition to the palace was most likely an action against Fang Jun, and the students' death was Fang Jun's counterattack. This wave of counterattacks accurately hit Liu Xiangdao or His Majesty's vital points, and both sides had to take a step back and stop fighting.

Otherwise, if things really get out of hand, both sides will suffer...

After a careful "examination" by the Censorate, Fang Jun was completely cleared of the charges by making "some notices in compliance with regulations".

The storm naturally came to an end.

Do you really think Fang Jun only killed one student?
There must be a backup plan, and the consequences will definitely be more serious than the death of a student...

Liu Xiangdao naturally understood what Li Ji meant and shook his head immediately: "If the result of the investigation is that the Yue State has made private transactions, the Censorate will certainly follow the national law and impeach it. The position of the Censorate cannot be questioned."

Fang Junqi asked, "When the students gathered together and came to Chengtian Gate to knock on the gate and petition, what was the position of the Censorate? Don't say you didn't know anything beforehand. If you dare to say that, believe it or not, I will arrest all the students and torture them one by one to see if anyone colluded with the Censorate and acted according to orders."

Liu Xiangdao's face flushed and he glared angrily.

He has his own principles, but when his principles come into conflict with the emperor's orders, he must put the emperor's orders first. Is there anything wrong with that?

However, if he said such words at this moment, it would mean that his so-called principles were nothing more than that, and his position was not the national law, but the emperor.

Doesn't that make it clear that I am just following orders?

Moreover, he didn't dare to bet whether Fang Jun would dare to do that. If this idiot really went crazy and didn't care about anything, I'm afraid that His Majesty wouldn't be able to stop him...

Li Chengqian was having a headache. It was clearly him who took the initiative and planned carefully, but he ended up making things worse and was trapped in his own web. Who could he blame?

"Okay, let's do this according to Lord Ying's opinion."

At this time, no matter how hesitant he was, he had to take a decisive attitude.

Liu Xiangdao had no choice but to obey the order: "I obey your order."

Li Chengqian first said to Liu Xiangdao and Li Junxian: "This matter has far-reaching consequences. We must pay close attention to the aristocratic families behind those students. Don't take the opportunity to cause trouble."

After the two of them received the order, he looked at Fang Jun again, implying: "Rumors are most likely to arise in the market. The Jinwu Guards must be on high alert. Once rumors emerge, accusing the court of unfair selection of officials and lax laws, they must be suppressed decisively. The imperial examination is the empire's grand ceremony for selecting talents, and it is a rule that will not change for thousands of years. No one is allowed to slander it!"

If what was predicted was correct, countless rumors would arise in the streets and towns, pointing directly at the Censorate. Just as the students had previously accused and abused Yu Fang Jun, there would be rumors later about how they would slander and scold the Censorate.

Fang Jun nodded and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. There will be no rumors like this in Chang'an. If the officials of the six ministries dare to spread rumors, we will arrest them. If the Censorate dares to spread rumors, we will arrest the censors. If all the censors are arrested, we will arrest the censor doctors!"

Liu Xiang said: "..."

Li Chengqian: "..."

This is really a headache.

*****
When I returned to the Censorate, the rain had stopped, but the dark clouds had not yet dispersed. The old locust trees in the yard with twisted and crooked branches were vigorous and green, and the leaves, which had been washed clean, were lush and layered. When the breeze blew, the raindrops on the tips of the leaves would tremble and drip down, making a rustling sound.

Liu Xiangdao felt depressed and resentful. The more he looked at these old locust trees, the more they were an eyesore. Could it be that these trees ruined the feng shui of the Censorate, causing all the bad luck?
Sun Chuyue came out from the hall and saw Liu Xiangdao standing under the old locust tree with his hands behind his back, looking up at the treetops. Confused, he quickly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, the prisoner has been interrogated."

Liu Xiangdao hummed, still looking at the locust trees: "How is the situation?"

"The deceased, Cai Ben, was from Wannian, Yongzhou. He failed the imperial examination. His family was originally well-off, but after his parents died of illness, no one disciplined him. He got addicted to gambling and sold all his family property in just a few years. His house and land were all pawned, and he was in debt of thousands of strings of cash. He is now living with his relatives. He thought he could be appointed an official after passing the exam and try to make a comeback, but it didn't work out. His biggest creditor is Lai Cao, a Wannian County official. Lai Cao coveted the beauty of Cai Ben's wife and wanted to buy her with a gambling debt of thousands of strings of cash..."

At this point, Liu Xiangdao interrupted and said, "So you came to Cao to buy people but failed, so you took the opportunity to kill Cai Ben in anger?"

"Yatai is very observant, that's exactly what he is."

"Ah~"

Liu Xiangdao sighed, turned his gaze away from the big locust tree, and said slowly: "Did you see it? The details were meticulous and they played such a trick right under our noses, but we couldn't find any loopholes. In your opinion, how do you judge this case?"

Sun Chuyue hesitated for a moment and said in embarrassment: "If we judge the case as an ordinary manslaughter case, the entanglement between the murderer and the deceased will be difficult to explain, and the outside world will certainly not accept it, thinking that there is something else going on and that our Censorate is protecting the murderer. But if we judge the case as a murder of passion, it means that the student who participated in the imperial examination has a bad conduct, and the guarantor who guaranteed him will be implicated. Not only will the case not be closed quickly to reduce the impact, but it will cause a sensation... I don't know what to do."

On one side is the reputation of the Censorate, and on the other side is the influence of the imperial court. It is a dilemma to make a choice.

Liu Xiangdao patted Sun Chuyue on the shoulder and praised him, "It's great that you can think clearly about the connection. Work hard. The position of Chief Censor is definitely not the end of your career."

Sun Chuyue hurriedly thanked him humbly, but still said with difficulty: "How should this case be solved? Please give me some advice."

"Just rule it as manslaughter."

"This... the dispute between Cai Ben and Lai Cao is known to many people, especially Cai Ben's wife. I'm afraid that rumors will spread and public opinion will be very disadvantageous to us."

"Don't worry, the case has been concluded and there will be no more trouble."

"Uh……"

Sun Chuyue was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses, looked around, and asked in a low voice: "Is it really done by that side?"

The so-called "that side" is naturally Fang Jun.

Knocking on the palace gate and petitioning were originally aimed at Fang Jun, and Cai Ben’s death should also be Fang Jun’s counterattack. Now that Liu Xiangdao said "there will be no more troubles", it is obvious that both parties have reached an agreement on this matter.