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Chapter 59 Fight out

"This Li Wencai is really bold. He dares to defy the law less than a hundred miles outside the capital. He deserves to die!" Emperor Jin said angrily.

"Your Majesty," Lu Qing was not frightened by the sound of things falling. He said to Emperor Jin, "Li Wencai has committed many evil deeds in Qingshui County, using public power for personal gain and oppressing the people. He deserves to die.

But as a mere seventh-rank county magistrate, he definitely did not have the ability to stir up trouble. His success was naturally inseparable from the protection of his superiors.

This time, I also learned that during Li Wencai's tenure as magistrate of Qingshui County, corruption, abuse of power, and distortion of right and wrong were common, and many people's families were broken up and even their lives were destroyed because of him.

However, whenever his evil deeds were reported to the provincial government, they would be handled with great care and then let go lightly, turning big matters into small matters and small matters into nothing.

What I just presented was the record made by Li Wencai himself. It not only included how much grain he had stolen from the government warehouse and how much tax he had embezzled during his tenure, but also how much he had spent on bribing other court officials over the years.

This person even tried to find out the private habits of other officials in order to win them over and bribe them.

I believe that although Li Wencai seems to be the main culprit of the disaster in Qingshui County, he is actually just a small pawn.

According to Li Wencai's account records, he had financial dealings with not only the prefect, but also the Minister of Personnel He Zhigao and the Minister of Personnel Luo Yushu over the years.

"Alright," Emperor Jin suddenly interrupted Lu Qing, "As for what you said, I will issue an order tomorrow to behead Li Wencai in public as a warning to others.

Anyone in Qingshui County who has any connection with this person will be punished with the same crime.

Then the prefect of the state will be dismissed and investigated, and the tax accounts of the state over the years will be checked.

My dear minister, you have been busy for many days. I am very satisfied with your handling of this matter. You can go back and rest now."

"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate." Lu Qing remained in the same posture as before, motionless, as if he hadn't heard the implication of expelling him from the emperor's words. "Without the protection of a powerful patron, a mere seventh-rank official would never have the audacity to levy heavy taxes and levies with impunity outside the imperial city.

The three-foot-thick ice does not form overnight, and I am afraid that the chaos in Qingshui County is just one part of it.

If we only punish Li Wencai and the prefect of Congzhou, we may miss a lot of things, alert the enemy and fail to solve the problem fundamentally!

In that account book, there were quite a few high-ranking officials whose names were mentioned. Li Wencai even paid a large sum of money to buy a foreign female slave, just to present it to the Minister of Personnel, Lord Luo—"

"Alright, stop talking!" Emperor Jin frowned and glanced at Lu Qing standing below with some displeasure. "It's just an account book, and it was all recorded by Li Wencai alone. How can we verify whether it's true or false?

He said it was sent, so it was sent? If I mobilize the army to punish all the important officials of the court based on the words of one person, wouldn't that chill the hearts of those old officials who followed me through thick and thin?
"Forget it. I know you're dedicated to my work and care about the people. If you occasionally say something inappropriate, there are no outsiders here, so I'll just pretend I didn't hear it. Don't mention it again. Let's just leave it at that!"

"No." Unexpectedly, even though Emperor Jin had already spoken in a bad tone, Lu Qing still refused to give in, and even went further, "As far as I know, Li Wencai worshipped Prince Yi as his master, and regarded himself as Prince Yi's disciple to the outside world.

Everyone in and outside the court knows that anyone with a close relationship with Prince Yi is more likely to gain the favor of Duke Yan and rise to prominence in the future. I believe that the factionalism in the court is becoming increasingly rampant, and it is a trend that spreads from the top down. If Your Majesty only deals with minor details, I am afraid that in the future—"

"Enough!" Emperor Jin slammed his hand on the desk and stood up from behind it, looking extremely angry. With a wave of his hand, he swept the thick stack of memorials on the desk to the ground. "Duke Yan accompanied me through life and death and made great contributions. Without his several life-threatening assistance, I would not be where I am today, and there would be no Jin State today!

How can anyone slander such a hardworking and meritorious old minister?

I just spoke to you in a gentle tone, telling you that you cannot doubt my meritorious officials based on the personal opinion of a small official. Why do you insist on going against my wishes?
If you say so, and I randomly pick up a booklet and write on it that you are a traitor, will you really become a traitor?!"

Lu Qing's golden mask was illuminated by the light from the southern study, his eye sockets almost hidden in the shadows. "Your Majesty's words are as good as gold. If Your Majesty says yes, then I am."

"You--!" Emperor Jin seemed to be very angry, and his hand was shaking slightly as he pointed at Lu Qing. He lowered his head and grabbed a jade Ganoderma paperweight on the desk, and was about to throw it at Lu Qing.

The eunuch beside him hurried forward and tried to persuade him gently, and finally took the paperweight away from Emperor Jin's hand.

"If you hadn't helped me get rid of a cancer in Qingshui County, I would never have let you off so easily!" Emperor Jin panted, pointing at Lu Qing and cursing. After cursing, he still felt unsatisfied, "Tell someone to beat him out of the palace! From now on, no one is allowed to enter the palace without my summons!
Don't let me hear anyone making false accusations and slandering meritorious officials again!"

Zhu Yu was a little surprised. She had been observing Lu Qing these days and always felt that he was very skillful, secretive and difficult to guess. But today in the palace, it was the first time she saw him sticking his neck out like a stone in a toilet, which was smelly and hard.

Since Emperor Jin had already spoken, the guards who were originally guarding outside the Southern Study came in one after another, picked up sticks and stabbed Lu Qing and the others, driving them out.

The scene was a bit chaotic for a while. Zhu Yu was wrapped in the middle and pushed forward. He staggered for a long way. When he was about to reach the palace gate, he suddenly realized that Lu Qing and Fu Wen Talisman had somehow pushed him to the front without leaving any trace.

The palace guards strictly followed the order of Emperor Jin and kept waving sticks from behind to drive them away. It was unknown how much force they used, but after all, Zhu Yu was not hit at all.

In this way, the four people were pushed out of the palace gate, and the guards who were chasing them away like ferocious monsters just now immediately put down their sticks.

The leader even clasped his fists towards Lu Qing and said, "Your Excellency, I cannot disobey the Imperial Order just now. I apologize for the offense!"

"It's okay." Lu Qing brushed off his clothes, and his voice still sounded calm.

The white-faced, beardless eunuch who had followed them out earlier had come all the way out. When they reached the outside of the archway, he smiled and squeezed to the front: "Your Excellency, you are a little blind today!
His Majesty has made it clear that he cannot bear to hear anyone speak ill of Duke Yan. How come you can't see that?

You see, His Majesty was so angry just now that he was at his wit's end, but he still couldn't bear to hit you with the jade Ganoderma paperweight. Can you guess why?
Don't blame me for being nosy. That jade Ganoderma lucidum paperweight was a birthday gift given to His Majesty by Duke Yan. His Majesty keeps it on his desk every day. Tell me, what kind of friendship between the monarch and his subject is this!
You obviously did a great job on your job and the emperor was very satisfied with you before, but why did you just be so blind about this matter and make him so angry?

Just now I only asked the guards to beat you out with sticks, which is really a mercy. Please don't bring up this matter again in the future, otherwise I won't have the ability to protect you in front of His Majesty every time, don't you agree?"

　Thanks to Vegetarian Pig for the monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)