Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 271: The Confused Doctor Who Spits Out Food (Additional chapter for the leader of the Three Thousand Academy Talents)
Cao Yong admitted to two crimes:
First, he failed to discipline his subordinates and neglected his duties, which led to his subordinates participating in smuggling.

Second, misappropriation of public funds for other purposes.

The first point is clearly an attempt to absolve him of his guilt.

Under the instructions of Qin Hui, he pushed the blame of giving the green light to the Jin people's smuggling onto his subordinates, and he became an uninformed superior who was deceived by his subordinates.

Although he is guilty, his guilt is not that serious.

The second one was his token of allegiance in order to gain the emperor's approval for the first one.

Brother Cao Yong wants to strive to become a "tainted witness".

The Song Dynasty actually had a policy called "tainted witnesses".

For example, if a smuggler voluntarily reports someone, he will not only be exempted from punishment, but will also be rewarded in proportion to the value of the stolen goods seized as a result of his report.

The second crime Cao Yong admitted to was that he took advantage of his position as an official in the Ministry of Revenue to embezzle public funds and smooth out the accounts by making up excuses.

The crime of "embezzlement of public funds" is certainly not enough to dispel the government's idea of ​​using him as a warning to others.

But what did he do with the embezzled public funds? You have to ask, right?
So, he answered naturally:
It was allocated to Zhang Yunyi, the commander of the Dinggong Army, to pay for the military pay required to mobilise the army to quell the rebellion and for rewards based on merit after the war.

But the Dinggong Army was an imperial army. Why did Cao Yong, the then Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, embezzle public funds and secretly pay wartime pay and bounties?

Because the Dinggong Army went to Quzhou to quell the rebellion without receiving any imperial orders.

So why did the Dinggong Army send troops out without receiving an imperial edict?
Because it was the Prime Minister of Qin who ordered the troops to be mobilized.

Why did the prime minister of Qin secretly mobilize troops to quell the rebellion without reporting to the emperor?
Because Wang He, the governor of Quzhou, was the brother-in-law of Qin Hui, and the rebellion in Quzhou was caused by Wang He's chaotic politics.

If the prime minister of Qin does not cover up, Wang Xun will be punished.

None of these were mentioned in Cao Yong's letter of self-accusation.

He simply admitted that he had indeed committed a crime, that he had embezzled public funds and then made up some excuse to cover up the loss.

But in the court, when the emperor asked about the whereabouts of the money, he pulled out a bunch of melons.

When Zhao Gou heard this, he was shocked and frightened.

His most sensitive nerve was touched, the army!

He was already keeping a close eye on the army, so how could Qin Hui succeed in taking control of an army despite all the defenses?
It's so terrible that they could be mobilized without any imperial edict, just by Qin Hui's words.

Dinggong Army has a total of 5,000 troops, and placed in the key areas of the capital, it is already a very formidable force. If used well, it can do a lot of things.

More than two months ago, a rebellion broke out in Quzhou. Qin Hui arbitrarily mobilized more than a thousand soldiers to suppress the rebellion, but he, the emperor, knew nothing about it.

In this way, Zhao Gou could remove another general and a local governor.

Cao Yong is the third most important person in the Qin faction. He came out to confess. Who in the Qin faction dared to refute him?

Qin Hui had always claimed to be ill and had not attended court, so naturally he was unable to defend himself on the spot.

Qin Hui was the only one who had the right to speak in the court, but when Cao Yong confessed his crimes, he was sweating so much while listening to him. His panicked rebuttal was totally unconvincing.

Zhao Gou had a gloomy face and shouted, "Dinggong Army, which army does it belong to?"

The newly appointed Palace Guard Zhao Mi hurried out and said, "Your Majesty, the Dinggong Army is affiliated with our Palace Guard, but it is only under the control of the Privy Council."

At this time, the drawbacks of the Song Dynasty's overlapping institutions, different powers, and unclear responsibilities became apparent. Even in the army, there was no lack of such chaotic management.

The Song Dynasty's lack of effectiveness in fighting the enemy was largely not because the soldiers were not brave or their weapons were not sharp, but because of the chaotic stacking management, which greatly affected the operational efficiency.

Military affairs change rapidly. If the leadership structure is so bloated and inefficient, the results can be imagined.

For example, during the Jingkang period, the Jin army marched southward and the country was on the verge of destruction and it was a matter of life and death. At that time, there were more than 500 cannons in the suburbs of Bianliang, Beijing, which had to be transported back to the city quickly.

Firstly, it can strengthen the city’s defense, and secondly, it can prevent it from being used by the enemy.

However, the Ministry of War said that the Privy Council should send people to transport the cannons back, while the Privy Council said that the Military Equipment Supervisor should be responsible. The Military Equipment Supervisor said that the Ministry of Warehouse should handle it, while the Ministry of Warehouse said that the Ministry of Treasury should transport the cannons and store them.

Before the five government offices had finished arguing, the Jin army's fast horses had already arrived at the city. More than 500 cannons all fell into the hands of the enemy and were turned around to become siege weapons.

However, if we want to hold people accountable, these departments do have overlapping responsibilities, and anyone can be held responsible or anyone can shirk responsibility.

Let’s talk about the Dinggong Army that was ignored by Zhao Gou. The number it uses now is still the number from the Northern Song Dynasty. It was a loophole in the military system reform.

When the Southern Song Dynasty was established and the army was reorganized, the elite troops were first selected to form the Three Yamen Forbidden Guards directly under the emperor.

The other armies of generals such as Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun and Yue Fei were integrated together and reorganized into ten large armies, all of which were added with the word "Imperial Front" and were called the Imperial Front Armies, also known as the garrisoned troops.

But before that, there was an army that was formed by some of the Northern Song Dynasty's imperial and wing troops that were defeated in the north. They were barely put together under seven commanders and used the name of the Dinggong Army, which had the most complete organization.

During the subsequent reform and reorganization, this ragtag army was ignored, so it became a group of soldiers that neither belonged to the Three Yamen Imperial Guards nor to the garrison troops, but was treated the same as the Imperial Guards.

It was impossible for Zhao Gou to personally verify the specific payment list of each military pay. When the prime minister and the Privy Council deliberately concealed the information, he was completely unaware that there was such an army that was only nominally affiliated with the Three Yamen.

Zhao Gou was so frightened that he did not have the time to investigate why this remnant army was ignored during the reform and reorganization.

He immediately ordered Zhao Mi to personally lead the troops of the Palace Guard to take over the Dinggong Army. At the same time, he arrested Zhang Yunyi, the commander of the Dinggong Army, and Xin Li, the general who led the troops to Quzhou without any orders.

All other generals in the unit were dismissed and detained pending investigation, and the 5,000 soldiers were taken over by the Palace Front Department. How to divide and resettle them or let them return to the countryside was a matter for later.

Then, Zhao Gou ordered the eunuch Zhang Quwei to go to Qin's mansion to question Qin Hui about his private decision to send troops to Quzhou to quell the rebellion.

Cao Yong helped the emperor to dig out an overlooked troop stationed in the capital, toppled a general, and brought down Qin Hui's staunch confidant, Wang Xun, the governor of Quzhou. This was a great achievement for Zhao Gou.

Cao Yong was the third most important figure in the Qin clique. When the third most important figure turned against the emperor and presented him with such a letter of allegiance, the emperor was bound to give him something in return. This would also serve as an example for other officials awaiting trial and encourage them to report and expose crimes.

So, Cao Yong was gloriously imprisoned before the arrest time set by the government.

However, he was no longer involved in the three-court trial.

This means that the characterization of his crime has changed.

However, Cao Yong did not have to die. The emperor, who would not easily raise a butcher's knife, needed to use a human head to "kill the chicken to scare the monkeys", so who would be the chicken?

As for Zhang Yunyi, although everyone knew that he must have become Qin Hui's lackey, this matter could not be made public.

On the surface, he was a general who was ordered to go out to quell the rebellion. Although he did not follow the imperial order, his crime was not punishable by death. If he was beheaded for this, wouldn't it chill the hearts of the generals and soldiers all over the world?

After all, this isolated army that escaped the net was originally under the control of the Privy Council. It was not wrong for them to follow orders.

If one really wanted to sacrifice a head, it should at least be Qin Hui's head. However, Qin Hui and his son were not among the targets of the government's plan.

The emperor wanted to weaken the Qin faction and strengthen his own power, rather than break completely with Qin Hui.

"In this case, the chicken suitable for slaughter... is me!" Ji Ruoxun, the doctor who was waiting at home for comment and the secretary of the Central Secretariat, made the above judgment.

He immediately asked his granddaughter Ji Shuyao to go to Cao's house, nominally because her best friend's father was in prison, so she came to visit and comfort him. Cao Yong had told his family early on that he was ready to flee, but the Ji family still didn't know much about Ji Ruoxun's crisis.

Because according to Ji Ruoxun's original judgeship, the most likely outcome of his handling of the case would be demotion and exile. Telling his family members early on would only cause chaos in the mansion and would be completely useless.

Therefore, if he wanted to instruct his granddaughter Ji Shuyao to get information for him, he would have to spend a lot of time and effort to find a suitable reason.

Fortunately, Ji Shuyao was a young girl who was ignorant of the world, and Ji Ruoxun managed to explain the "mission" clearly to his granddaughter.

Ji Shuyao went to Cao's house and when she came back she told her grandfather the news she had found out.

Cao Yong had already arranged for his wives, concubines and children to evacuate overnight. At this time, a very handsome young man was invited to Cao Yong's study late at night.

The next morning, Cao Yong informed his family that they did not need to flee and surrendered himself to the court.

Ji Shuyao also told her grandfather that Cao Miao had a "small sample" of the handsome young man, which was painted by Cao Miao herself.

What girl doesn’t have spring in her heart? In addition, Cao Miao saw Yang Yuan at a critical moment when the Cao family was experiencing great ups and downs, so she was deeply impressed by this handsome young man and painted a portrait of him.

After hearing this, Ji Sheren immediately picked up his brush and drew a portrait, unfolding it to show his granddaughter: "Shuyao, is this the person Cao Miao drew?"

Ji Shuyao said in amazement: "Yes, yes, it's him. So you know him, Grandfather? Who is he?"

Ji Ruoxun said solemnly: "It is indeed him, it is indeed him... Why didn't I think of asking him for help. To impress him, you need something precious. What is the most precious thing in my house..."

Ji Shuyao made a face at him and said with a grin, "Isn't Yaoyao the most precious thing in Grandfather's heart?"

Ji Ruoxun sighed and said, "You are the treasure of your grandfather, but you may not be the treasure of others.

To entrust him with such an important matter, you must bring him something that can attract his attention. As for you... hehe, you can only give him something as a gift at most."

Ji Shuyao was unhappy: "Grandfather, what are you talking about? She is the eldest daughter of an official family after all. Who would you give her as a gift?"

"Don't quarrel, don't quarrel, Grandfather is very upset at the moment."

Ji Ruoxun waved his hand impatiently, and without paying any attention to his granddaughter's pouting mouth, he went straight into the secret room of his study.

Even his son was not allowed to enter this secret room. It contained his treasured calligraphy and paintings, which were his most beloved things.

After a while, he walked out of the secret room with a painful look on his face, holding a few scrolls in his arms.

Gu Hongzhong's "Night Revels of Han Xizai", Wu Daozi's "Heavenly King Delivering a Child", Yan Lide's "Right Army Calligraphy", and Wang Wei's "Fu Sheng Teaching the Scriptures".

All four paintings have seals of the Northern Song Dynasty imperial court. They are authentic and priceless treasures.

When the Northern Song Dynasty fell, a large number of imperial treasures were lost among the people. These paintings were collected by Ji Sheren at the cost of all his family wealth. He had originally intended to keep them as heirlooms of the Ji family, but now he had to take them out in order to save his life.

Ji Shuyao stared with her big black eyes and asked in surprise: "Grandfather, where are you going?"

"Stop talking too much. Do you want to come along and be a part of the fun?" Ji Ruoxun glared at her and hurried out of the study.

He didn't know where Yang Yuan lived, and he didn't want to go through Cao Yong to ask.

At this time, "Dad is dead, mom is remarried, and everyone takes care of themselves." Who knows whether the Cao family is willing to help.

But he remembered that Yang Yuan was acquainted with the female manager of "Shuiyunjian".

So, Ji Ruoxun carried four priceless paintings and calligraphy, boarded the ox cart, and headed straight for the bank of West Lake.

At this time, Yang Yuan was quietly sneaking out of the residence of Zhang Yunyi, the commander of the Dinggong Army.

Zhang Yunyi is in the military camp at this moment, and his private residence is also in Lin'an City.

There was a torn piece of paper in Zhang Yunyi's study, which contained a corner of the design of the Mahuang Crossbow.

Although Yang Yuan could not get the Mahuang Crossbow, the Mahuang Crossbow was derived from the Kedi Bow, so he could still forge just one corner of it.

Moreover, on this seemingly "torn" corner, there are the words "Imperial Crossbow".

This fragment was now lying quietly under the antique shelf in Zhang Yunyi's study.

How could Emperor Zhao, who had finally mustered up the courage and bravery, be left with no place to release them?

Yang Yuan has already found that chicken, it's Zhang Yunyi.

However, Yang Yuan did not know that Doctor Penfan had already narcissistically judged that he would become a substitute for Cao Yong, so he went to give gifts to Yang Erlang while crying.

Yang Yuan climbed over the wall, patted the dirt on his palms, and looked back at the magnificent mansion.

The "mine" has been buried, and we are just waiting for it to explode. Then we will go to Shanyin and find another person who deserves to die, so that the chain of evidence will be impeccable, and the mission will be accomplished.

He will not give up on finding out the truth about who killed Mu Si at the dock and who stole the "Ma Huang Crossbow".

But compared to the goal of Qin Hui, everything else has to be put aside.

……

In Chunfeng Tower, as "Yinianhong" walked back to her boudoir, the professional charming and sweet smile on her face disappeared in an instant.

She leaned lazily on the couch and made a mocking "tsk".

The guest who had just left was not very capable and had quite a few tricks, but she still had to try her best to cooperate with him, which was really tiring.

Thinking about it carefully, among her patrons, it seems that only Li Defu, the tenth general in the imperial guards, is a man of extraordinary bravery.

General Li Shi had originally planned to take her as his concubine, but who knew that she suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Bah! These stinky men are all the same, once they get what they want, they throw it away like a piece of trash.

She didn't know yet that General Li Shi had been executed for participating in delivering secret letters to the palace.

"Hey……"

"Yinianhong" sighed softly. She really envied Yuyao Nu now.

She was a famous prostitute and Yuyaonu was a clean prostitute. At the beginning, because Yuyaonu earned too little, she urged Yuyaonu to get into the prostitution.

But now, this prostitute doesn't even have to sing a song. As long as she is willing to come out and have a cup of tea and chat with the guests, it is worth a month's hard work. It's really frustrating to compare yourself with others.

"Yinianhong" was feeling sad and complaining to herself when she suddenly heard footsteps.

"Yi Nian Hong" looked behind the screen in surprise. There was not much space there, which was originally just a place for a toilet. But at this moment, a person was walking out from behind the screen.

When Yi Nianhong saw that the man was masked, her cherry-like mouth suddenly opened wide in shock, big enough to swallow a goose egg.

But as soon as the sound reached her throat, she held it back and could not make any more sound.

Because a sword was already pressing against her tongue, and if it was moved forward it would pierce her throat.

(End of this chapter)