I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 63: Imperial Prison Sniper! Shen Jianchao Identifies the True and False Honest Ministers (Long Chapter)
February 7th, afternoon.

Fu Si of Beizhen was imprisoned.

The guilty official Liu Tai was taken to the interrogation cell by two Jinyiwei.

Liu Tai at this moment.

His hair was dry and messy, his face was as pale as paper, and the redness and swelling on his cheeks had not subsided.

He sat on the cold bench, looking at the three large chairs in front of him and the four criminal clerks standing behind the long tables on both sides.

The dim eyes gradually became brighter.

Retrial means there may be a turning point.

Three big chairs and four criminal clerks mean that it will not be Zhou Hai, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who will be in charge of the trial alone, and his rank will definitely be raised.

If officials from the three judicial departments were involved, he would be able to say more and his confession would be seen by more officials.

He is not afraid of trial, but he is afraid of being slapped in the face.

He believed that as long as he was tough enough.

If one sticks to the original intention of his dying remonstration that "loyal ministers are not selfish, and the righteousness of the monarch and father is far higher than the personal favor of recommendation", he can stand on the highest point of righteousness between the monarch and his subjects and prove his innocence.

He was excited.

After tidying up his clothes and messy hair, he mustered up the strength to sit up straight.

He felt that if he could get through today, he would be the second most loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty.

Censors were an extension of imperial power.

After the young emperor takes power, even if he does not like him, he will reinstate him, because this is what a benevolent monarch does and it also helps to check the power of the cabinet.

In addition, the censors also needed a "model of upright minister" like him to fight for more rights to advise.

He even calculated.

He might be reinstated only after Zhang Juzheng's death.

But Zhang Juzheng was fourteen years older than him, so he had plenty of time to wait.

He felt it was worthwhile to exchange his current miserable situation for a lifetime of fame and even eternal reputation, as well as a worry-free life for the rest of his life.

at this time.

Cao Wei, deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and pacification envoy of the Northern Pacification Office, Zhou Hai, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Shen Nian, a reviewer of the Hanlin Academy, walked in.

Cao Wei sat in the middle, Zhou Hai and Shen Nian sat on his left and right respectively.

According to common practice, the person in the middle is the presiding judge, and those on the left and right are the jurors.

Liu Tai looked puzzled.

He was not surprised that Cao Wei and Zhou Hai were appointed as judges.

But he was quite surprised to see Shen Nian, the Hanlin reviewer, whom he had met several times, sitting in the position of deputy judge.

The other party was only a seventh-rank official, and was the person he wanted to impeach.

What qualifies for jury service?

Although Liu Tai is of the same age as Shen Nian, he dislikes Shen Nian from the bottom of his heart.

That year, he was ranked fourth in the second class of the Xinwei exam in the fifth year of the Longqing reign, which was equivalent to seventh in the country.

Shen Nian was only ranked 103rd in the top three.

However, Shen Nian passed the entrance examination and became a Shujishi, and then entered the Hanlin Academy.

He's not too bad.

He first served as the head of the Ministry of Justice, and later toured Liaodong as an imperial censor.

But now Shen Nian is very famous.

Not only did he keep a record of daily life, he also became a daily lecturer, and was apparently being trained by the court as a future prime minister.

Liu Tai knew that Shen Nian's family was wealthy, and that he relied on money to visit famous teachers and was able to pass the imperial examination.

He deduced that Shen Nian must have bribed Zhang Juzheng to achieve such success, so he said that Shen Nian was Zhang Juzheng's confidant, who also kept a record of daily life and was actually spying on the emperor.

He felt that his inference was reasonable and impeccable.

As an imperial censor, you don't need to find evidence to impeach an official, you just need to make reasonable arguments.

Liu Tai raised his head and looked at Cao Wei.

"Commander Cao, the imperial court is interrogating the case. Shouldn't the person I impeached recuse himself?"

Cao Wei stood up, bowed, and said, "His Majesty has ordered Shen Jiantao to re-examine you as a juror. Do you have any objections?"

The moment he finished speaking.

The Jinyiwei with calluses on his palms and fingers as small as rolling pins, who had slapped Liu Tai no less than ten times in the past two days, stood next to him.

Liu Tai lowered his body and stopped talking.

In the imperial prison, all rules are decided by the emperor, and the system of the three judicial departments is not followed at all.

He has no place to reason.

now.

In the room next to the interrogation cell, little Wanli sat upright on a big chair.

Standing beside him were Feng Bao, Wang Jiaping, the Hanlin editor in charge of today's daily records, and several eunuchs and Jinyiwei.

Little Wanli was very excited.

There was no longer the cough of Empress Dowager Li behind him, and no longer the serious face of Zhang Juzheng in front of him. He felt much more relaxed and happy.

The imperial prison was directly under the imperial power.

Here, he could issue orders freely and enjoy the beauty of being an emperor.

He was looking forward to seeing how Shen Nian would interrogate Liu Tai and expose the true face of this annoying guy.

Feng Bao had a smile on his face and looked very kind.

He admired Shen Nian's drive very much. The latter showed his edge and clearly intended to climb up.

But the matter concerning Liu Tai was indeed done beautifully.

Not only will it allow the young emperor to display his imperial power in regular court sessions, but the power to check and balance the censors will be in the hands of the young emperor in the future, which will be of great benefit to him.

The little emperor had great power, so his power was also great.

……

In the interrogation cell, Shen Nian looked at Liu Tai.

"Brother Ziwei, you're really good at this! You're trying to gain fame by selling your integrity and impeaching the Lord. Do you want to be a loyal minister?"

"Humph!"

Liu Tai snorted coldly and was about to refute Shen Nian.

But when he saw the fan-faced Jinyiwei standing right beside him, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

"Shen Ziheng, you and I are both Jinshi graduates of the same year. If you are really trying me on behalf of His Majesty, then please let me speak properly. If you want to hit me as soon as I open my mouth, then I... I will not say a word!"

Shen Nian smiled faintly and looked at Cao Wei beside him.

Cao Wei waved his hand, and the Jinyiwei with the fan on his face retreated.

At this moment, Liu Tai felt much more relaxed.

An imperial censor was not allowed to speak and he almost suffocated to death.

He first raised his chin, imitating the demeanor of an imperial censor giving advice, and then he spoke.

"The Book of Rites says: 'A minister should sacrifice himself if it would benefit the sovereign.' I present this petition, 'Pleading with the Holy Emperor to Rescind the Power of the Ministers,' to uphold the state and purge the court of treacherous officials."

"Once, Hai Rui prepared his coffin to impeach the emperor, a single memorial awakening the court and the people. Now, I, Liu Tai, stand firm against the emperor and offer my advice to cleanse the court of its incompetence. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, I am willing to sacrifice my life and disregard life and death. How could I be greedy for petty personal gain? You mediocre people truly underestimate me..."

Liu Tai spoke with saliva flying and excitement for more than a quarter of an hour.

He specifically mentioned Hai Rui.

Not only did he claim to be like Hai Rui, but he also implied that since Hai Rui was not severely punished for criticizing Long Lin, he should not be severely punished for impeaching his teacher.

Every sentence is about not fearing death for the country, but in fact the more afraid of death he is, the more he likes to talk about not fearing death.

The Jinyiwei had already heard this talk many times.

The little Wanli next door has long been tired of listening to it.

All the officials in the court were willing to sacrifice themselves for the Ming Dynasty and the emperor.

But there are very few people who practice what they preach.

As soon as the young Wanli became sensible, his father, Emperor Longqing, told him: These are polite words from an official and should not be taken seriously, but you have to cooperate with the acting to show the emperor's benevolence.

After listening to this, Shen Nian's eyes turned red. He suddenly stood up, walked to Liu Tai, and bowed to him deeply.

"Brother Ziwei, regardless of whether your impeachment of Lord Zhang is correct or not, I can see from your expression and words that you are truly sincere."

"You are willing to sacrifice your life for the Ming Dynasty. In this respect, no other official in the court can compare with you. I admire you very much!"

Shen Nian suddenly praised him, which caught Liu Tai off guard.

He thought about it carefully and felt that Shen Nian might be moved by his passionate words.

this moment.

He suddenly felt that Shen Nian was not that annoying.

"This is my duty, my duty! Ziheng, you are still young, you must maintain this integrity like me, and don't be corrupted by some of the old customs and habits of the officialdom!"

As soon as these words came out.

Little Wanli, Feng Bao, Wang Jiaping, Cao Wei, and Zhou Hai all saw that Liu Tai had begun to become arrogant and really regarded himself as the second Hai Rui.

They were all waiting for Shen Nian's next move.

"Ugh!"

At this moment, Shen Nian suddenly let out a long sigh.

"Brother Ziwei, what a shame, what a shame! His Majesty sent me here to give you a lecture and to hear what else you had to say. I never expected you to say such selfless words. If His Majesty knew you had no selfish motives, he would surely have given you a light punishment. But alas, the punishment has already been decided!"

After saying that, Shen Nian returned to the table beside him and took out the initial conviction results from the imperial prison.

"Guarding the border with a cane."

When Liu Tai saw the conviction result, he became anxious instantly.

"This... this... is sheer nonsense. How could my crime be worse than Fu Yingzhen's? It must be Zhang... Zhang Juzheng who ordered someone to deceive Your Majesty!"

"Traitorous ministers are ruining the country! Traitorous ministers are ruining the country!" Liu Tai roared to the sky with an extremely exaggerated expression.

The reason why he made such exaggerated movements.

This is because what happened today will definitely be reported to the little emperor through Shen Nian and the Jinyiwei.

He added some body movements to help his superiors understand his emotions more easily.

Liu Tai has extensive experience in this regard.

"Brother Ziheng, please quickly report what I just said to His Majesty. I am willing to go through fire and water for the Ming Dynasty. This is a punishment. Someone must have deceived His Majesty and spread rumors!"

Shen Nian shook his head helplessly.

"Brother Ziwei, I want to help you, but the crime has already been established. If I have to speak before the emperor, I... I... my words are insignificant. Not only will they be useless, but I might even be punished!"

"This...this...this...what should I do?" Liu Tai suddenly became anxious.

He didn't expect that Fu Yingzhen was not beaten with a stick in the court, but he was going to be beaten with a stick in the court.

According to this crime, the penalty is at least fifty strokes of the cane.

Fifty strokes of the cane. Even if he is not killed, he will most likely have to use crutches or a wheelchair to live in the future.

This was something Liu Tai was unwilling to do.

Shen Nian slowed down, and when Liu Tai became extremely anxious, he said, "Brother Ziwei, I do have a way to make sure that what you just said reaches His Majesty, and His Majesty still believes you."

"How?" Liu Tai asked anxiously.

Shen Nian said seriously, "I want to ask Brother Ziwei one more question. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the stability of the court, are you really not afraid of death at all, as you just said?"

"Of course!" Liu Tai straightened his back.

At present, his death-defying advice is his amulet for survival, so he naturally has to show this kind of righteous spirit.

Shen Nian said sternly, "If you want His Majesty to know that I am truly afraid of my brother, and if you want all the officials in the court to implore His Majesty to thoroughly investigate Elder Zhang, there is only one way. Follow the example of Shi Yu, the great minister of the Wei State during the Spring and Autumn Period, and use his corpse to make a remonstration to gain the emperor's approval!"

"Use...use the corpse to make a request...and get...the heaven to listen?" Liu Tai stuttered.

Shen Nian said in a clear voice: "What is a loyal minister? To advise with one's body while alive, and with one's corpse after death."

"If Brother Ziwei believes that his advice is correct and was entirely for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, why not write a suicide note to once again demonstrate your sincerity in giving advice, and then die by banging your head against a wall to show your sincerity!"

"In this way, no official in the court will dare to accuse you of selling your integrity and seeking fame. Furthermore, this matter will shock the world. His Majesty will certainly conduct a thorough investigation into Lord Zhang based on Brother Ziwei's memorial. If the problem is uncovered, it will be a blessing for the Ming Dynasty, and you will die in peace!"

"Brother Ziwei, don't worry. After you die, I will take care of your parents, wife, and children. I will burn paper for you every Qingming Festival and inform you of the affairs of the court."

Say it.

Shen Nian took a dagger from the torture instruments and pulled out a piece of white paper from the side.

"Taishigong once said: 'Everyone has to die, some are lighter than a feather, some are heavier than Mount Tai. Brother Ziwei, you have died advocating for the stability of the Ming Dynasty and the government. Shen Nian admires you deeply. When you die, I will risk my life to deliver this letter in blood to His Majesty, and convey your sincere willingness to die advocating for the monarch!"

"It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty to have Brother Ziwei!" Shen Nian bowed deeply.

this moment.

Liu Tai wanted to stab Shen Nian with a dagger.

He thought to himself: This... this... brainless young man, I will make a death-defying protest, but I... I... don't want to make a death-defying protest!

To make a remonstration while dying means to make a remonstration with the intention of dying, and there is a high probability that one will not die; to make a remonstration while being dead means that one will die.

Just now, Liu Tai spoke too confidently and thought too highly of himself.

At this moment, the atmosphere has shifted to Shi Jian, and the dagger is already in his hand.

Everyone in the room looked at him, waiting for him to start writing.

At this time.

A Jinyiwei quickly walked to the back wall and took down a bundle of straw ropes hanging there.

I was afraid that he would hit his head against the wall and not die.

Liu Tai looked down at the dagger, then looked up at Shen Nian.

Shen Nian's eyes were clear and sincere. He bowed again and said, "Brother Ziwei's death caused my grief. I will definitely make your name known to the world. Your reputation will surely be passed down through the ages!"

Then, the torture cell fell silent.

Shen Nian was certain that Liu Tai would not dare to make a remonstration after his death.

A loyal minister who can make suggestions after his death would not do such a foolish thing as to take credit for the good news, and he would not falsely accuse Shen Nian of recording the daily records under the instructions of Zhang Juzheng to eavesdrop on the emperor without any evidence.

About ten breaths later.

"boom!"

The dagger fell to the ground.

Liu Tai, with beads of sweat on his forehead, said, "I... I... I don't want to die in remonstration. Just stick me in the court and send me to the border!"

After Liu Tai said this, his back was bent and he would never be able to stand up straight again in his life.

On the side, Cao Wei and Zhou Hai were overwhelmed with emotion when they heard this.

The two of them understood why people always say: The words of a scholar are far more powerful than the sword of a warrior.

Shen Nian sincerely praised a clever and eloquent imperial censor to the top, and then asked him to make his death known to the emperor, in order to test whether he was just seeking fame and integrity.

This is incredible!

of course.

This was also due to Liu Tai's stupidity and fear of death, his tough words but weak bones, and his selfish motives when giving advice to his superiors.

On bickering and arguing.

The highest fighting force of the Ming Dynasty was not the censors, but the lecturers who came from the Hanlin Academy.

The lecturers at the imperial lectures were already superior to the censors of the same period. In addition, they basically had actual censorial duties, often read memorials, were familiar with the stories of their ancestors, and had piles of arguments. They were specifically designed to deal with censors who relied on "rumor-based reports" to gain political achievements.

Next, it was Shen Nian's turn to attack Liu Tai, who was no longer able to hold on.

(End of this chapter)