I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 97: A Gamble! Shen Nian: I want to make a move on Elder Zhang Siwei

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

When the young Wanli, Zhang Juzheng and five other officials saw Shen Nian suddenly take out a piece of paper from his arms, they couldn't help but feel a little confused.

Shen Nian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, yesterday the candidate Tang Xianzu came to me and provided me with some information that seems to be about Lu Xingzhou, the eldest son of Lu Gelao. Please review it."

Immediately, Feng Bao presented the note to the young Wanli.

After reading it, the young Wanli passed the note to five people respectively: Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Siwei, Ma Ziqiang, Wang Zongmu, and Cao Wei.

"Could it be... could it be that there is really a hidden story behind this matter? Someone wants to frame Lu Xingzhou and force Lord Lu to retire, or use Lu Xingzhou's name to exchange fame and fortune?" said the young Wanli.

now.

Shen Nian kept staring at Zhang Siwei, observing the expression on his face.

After Zhang Siwei saw the contents of the note, his facial expression did not change much, but he tugged at his official sleeves to smooth out the wrinkles.

This is a subconscious action when you are nervous or panic.

With this note, Ma Ziqiang became more confident and bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that Lu Xingzhou has been wrongly accused. I implore you to investigate this case thoroughly!"

At this time.

Wang Zongmu, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have a question for Editor Shen."

"Ask!" Little Wanli said directly.

"Editor Shen, I know something about the scholar Tang Xianzu. He's never been one to associate with the powerful, and it seems you're not an acquaintance. With this evidence and his status as a scholar, he could easily come to the Ministry of Justice to file a complaint. Why is he looking for you?"

Shen Nian said calmly, "I also asked Tang Xianzu, and he said there were two reasons: first, he overheard this evidence by accident, and since he couldn't verify its authenticity, he didn't dare to hand it over to the authorities rashly; second, this matter might involve certain officials in the capital, and he was worried about the news leaking out."

Shen Nian had said it very tactfully.

The so-called "information leak" actually means that people do not trust the Ministry of Justice and believe that officials in the Ministry of Justice may protect each other and destroy evidence in advance.

"Not trusting the Ministry of Justice but trusting the Hanlin editor whom he is not really acquainted with, this explanation is really strange!" Wang Zongmu frowned, unable to understand.

He was questioning the authenticity of the contents of the note.

Hear this.

Ma Ziqiang, standing aside, said directly, "Minister Wang, there's nothing strange about this. If you can propose a policy that reflects the opinions of hundreds of schools of thought, scholars like Tang Xianzu in the capital will respect you. I'm willing to tell you what's in my heart!"

Ma Ziqiang speaks very directly, but his words are irrefutable.

This is the truth.

Wang Zongmu obviously did not realize the value of Shen Nian's proposal of "a hundred schools of thought discussing politics", and he also overestimated the status of the Ministry of Justice in the hearts of the vast number of scholars.

"I have no objection!" Wang Zongmu bowed slightly to the young Wanli and stepped aside.

this moment.

Shen Nian suddenly felt that there might be something wrong with Wang Zongmu.

Although he did not have much contact with Zhang Siwei.

But he had inspected Shanxi last year and was a direct superior to the Minister of Justice Wang Chonggu, and their relationship was extraordinary.

Young Wanli looked at Zhang Juzheng and said, "Prime Minister, this matter is questionable. I am also worried that Elder Lu will be upset by the unclear outcome of this matter. Why not investigate it carefully?"

"I have no objection. I implore that the next investigation be led by the Embroidered Uniform Guard," said Zhang Juzheng.

If this matter involves framing the current cabinet ministers, it would be most appropriate to order the Jinyiwei to investigate.

Moreover, the six censors had the power to monitor the six ministries, but they did not have the power to monitor the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Investigated by the Royal Guards.

Even if Lu Xingzhou was the mastermind behind the Zhang Garden Banquet, the young Wanli could still minimize the involvement of Lu Diaoyang.

When Zhang Juzheng thought about problems, he always put the overall situation first.

Little Wanli nodded and looked at Cao Wei, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the pacification commissioner of the Northern Pacification Office, who was standing beside him.

"Commander Cao, the Jinyiwei will be in charge of investigating this matter. They must investigate as quickly as possible and report the results to me immediately."

"I obey your command!" Cao Wei bowed.

At this moment, Shen Nian's attention was still on Zhang Siwei.

He observed Zhang Siwei's expression and subconscious movements, and became more and more certain that Zhang Siwei was the mastermind behind the scenes.

But all this is Shen Nian's inference.

It is very difficult to implicate Zhang Siwei in this case, and it is probably difficult to find any evidence.

Shen Nian can't talk nonsense for now.

He had to admire Zhang Siwei's skillful move.

He was very active today and tried hard to intercede for Lu Diaoyang. On the one hand, it was to facilitate the "overall situation first" and on the other hand, it was to eliminate his own suspicion.

Everyone knows that with Lu Diaoyang retiring, the next in command will naturally be Zhang Siwei.

It is the biggest beneficiary.

But Zhang Siwei saw that the young Wanli and Zhang Juzheng would definitely protect Lu Diaoyang, so he came up with such an unexpected move.

He is paving the way for himself.

When you make a mistake for your family and relatives, you can also get the privilege of "putting the overall situation first".

Shen Nian predicted.

This would definitely not be Zhang Siwei's first move to defend against Hai Rui's attack on Shanxi merchants and officials, nor would it be his last move.

But his move was really despicable.

……

In the afternoon, Northern Pacification Office.

Shen Nian and Tang Xianzu came to the government office and gave their confessions to the Jinyiwei.

At this moment, Shen Nian can also be considered an indirect witness.

After Tang Xianzu signed and sealed his confession.

Cao Wei said, "Editor Shen, Juren Tang, if this confession is true, then one of the two people who spoke at Qingchafang on the evening of August 12th should be Lü Xingzhou's friend, Chen Zhi, a student participating in the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination."

"According to Lü Xingzhou's confession, it was this person who persuaded him to go to Zhang Garden to enjoy the elegant music that day. However, Chen Zhi only claimed that he went to Zhang Garden with Lü Xingzhou and was unaware of the presence of musicians from the Jiaofang Bureau, let alone whether Lü Xingzhou had hosted the banquet."

"If he can confess and identify the person he spoke to, there will be a breakthrough in this case."

Cao Wei looked at Tang Xianzu again and asked, "Mr. Tang, can you tell it just by the sound?"

"Yes, students like drama and are very sensitive to sounds. As long as he opens his mouth, they can recognize it." Tang Xianzu said very confidently.

……

After a while.

The three of them arrived at the imperial prison and walked to a dark and damp cell.

The person imprisoned inside was Lu Xingzhou's music friend, Chen Zhi.

Captain Zhou Hai looked at Chen Zhi and glared at him, "Chen Zhi, tell me again about your banquet at Zhang Garden that day."

"I... I've said it three times and I really don't want to repeat myself... I... I... I'll say it!" Seeing Zhou Hai glaring at him, Chen Zhi quickly changed his words.

The Imperial Prison is different from the Ministry of Justice.

If the Ministry of Justice beats someone, they will give a reason, but if the Imperial Prison beats someone, they don’t even need to make up a reason.

"On the Mid-Autumn Festival, near dusk, I took a carriage with Lu Xingzhou, the eldest son of the Lu family, to Zhang Garden. About half an hour later, as we arrived at the gate, silk merchant Li Wenlai and student Feng Yong greeted us warmly. They seemed to be very familiar with the eldest son of the Lu family..."

Not far away, Tang Xianzu was listening attentively.

Less than half an hour.

He then said with great certainty, "Yes, this is the same person who said, 'Wei Shi (Lü Xingzhou's courtesy name is Wei Shi) doesn't like occasions like this, so I'm afraid he won't come.' There's absolutely no mistake."

Cao Wei looked excited.

"Alright, before midnight tonight, I will definitely make him confess the other person!"

immediately.

Cao Wei ordered Captain Zhou Hai to send Shen Nian and Tang Xianzu to the outside of the Northern Pacification Office.

Tang Xianzu bowed to Shen Nian and said, "Editor Shen, I have completed my mission and will take my leave now!"

After saying this, Tang Xianzu left.

If it were any other student or candidate, they would be eager to talk to Shen Nian more and get closer to him.

Because everyone knows that Shen Nian is the young official with the best career prospects in the capital. If one can make friends with him, even if it is not helpful for next year's spring examination, it will be of great benefit to his future career.

But Tang Xianzu was an exception. He was unwilling to interact with officials.

Shen Nian looked at Tang Xianzu and murmured, "Don't worry, with me here, your official career won't be so bumpy."

……

Not long after.

Shen Nian returned to the editing office of the Hanlin Academy.

He believed that Cao Wei would be able to find the other person, but he also believed that with Zhang Siwei's ability, he would definitely not let this matter implicate him.

At this moment, Shen Nian was putting himself in Zhang Siwei's perspective, thinking about how he would deal with this evidence from Tang Xianzu.

"Killing someone to silence them? No, that would only make things worse. The only way is to find a scapegoat and put an end to this as quickly as possible. Yes, a suitable scapegoat!" Shen Nian murmured. Shen Nian knew that this incident might not be enough to defeat Zhang Siwei, but he didn't want this despicable conspiracy to happen again.

……

At night, in Zhang Siwei's mansion.

Zhang Siwei leaned back in the recliner with a gloomy expression.

He didn't expect that his carefully planned plan would be ruined because of Ma Ziqiang's stubbornness and Shen Nian's sudden evidence.

"This Shen Nian is really getting more and more presumptuous. Can't he just concentrate on being a daily lecturer? He came up with two good strategies and really thinks he is a junior minister. If he makes a mistake one day, I will definitely advocate for his expulsion from the capital!"

Just then, Qian Zhong, the steward of the Zhang Mansion, walked in quickly.

At this moment, he already knew that someone had discovered something wrong with the banquet at Zhang Garden.

Zhang Siwei looked at him and said, "Let's deal with the Zhang Garden banquet quickly using the second method. Remember, handle it cleanly!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Why did you fail this time? Have you learned any lessons?"

Qian Zhong quickly said, "That's it! This failure is entirely due to the fact that private matters like these shouldn't be discussed in the teahouse lobby just to save money. Someone with ulterior motives might overhear them."

Hearing this, Zhang Siwei lowered his head, grabbed the teacup beside him, and threw it at Qian Zhong.

"boom!"

The teacup shattered into pieces at Qian Zhong's feet.

Zhang Siwei glared at him and said, "You mean we can just find a private room and talk? If you weren't from Puzhou, I... I... would have kicked you out long ago!"

"Be careful! You must be careful in the future. Don't say anything casually, especially when it comes to my name. Do you understand? You can't do anything in my name without my permission!"

"I understand! I understand!" Qian Zhong said while kneeling on the ground.

……

It was almost midnight when we arrived at Shen's house.

Shen Nian, who had been awake all this time, suddenly sat up from the bed, and Gu Yue'er beside him was also awakened.

"Husband, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Gu Yue'er asked with concern.

Shen Nian shook his head and said as he got out of bed, "Yue'er, you continue to rest. Aji and I will go to the Northern Pacification Office together, and then I will go directly to the government office!"

"Be careful!" Gu Yue'er never asked too many questions about Shen Nian's official business.

After saying that, Gu Yue'er also quickly stood up and helped Shen Nian dress.

After a while.

Aji drove the carriage and took Shen Nian out.

There is a curfew in the capital city now.

From the time the evening drum rings at 3:00 a.m. to the time the morning bell rings at 3:00 a.m., people are not allowed to walk on the streets. Anyone who violates this rule will be punished with flogging at the very least and with caning at the worst.

But Shen Nian is an official.

As long as you hold a badge and say you have urgent official business, the patrolling officers will let you pass.

Moreover, the officers and soldiers of the Wucheng Bingmasi would never dare to intercept an official going to the Beizhenfusi.

soon.

Shen Nian came to the brightly lit Northern Pacification Office and told the Jinyiwei in front of the door that he had an urgent matter to discuss with Cao Wei.

And this moment.

Cao Wei had just identified the person who had been talking to Chen Zhi and had ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest him.

He was just about to take a short nap when he heard from his subordinates that the Hanlin editor Shen Nian wanted to see him. He washed his face and hurried out.

It's the middle of the night, so there must be something important.

Lean slightly.

Shen Nian came to the side hall where Cao Wei received officials.

Shen Nian asked anxiously, "Commander Cao, can Chen Zhigong identify the person he was talking to?"

"He confessed. He's the owner of the Chen Family Bookstore in the north of the city. His name is Chen Zhengyuan. His son is named Chen Xin. He's a member of this year's class, but he didn't attend the Zhang Garden banquet."

"I've already ordered people to arrest this father and son. They're expected to be back in half an hour. After that, I'll conduct a thorough interrogation and should be back by tomorrow morning."

"Do you have something important to tell you that brings you to the Northern Pacification Office in the middle of the night?" Cao Wei couldn't help but yawn.

Shen Nian said seriously, "I...I suspect that the mastermind behind this is Zhang Siwei, the elder Zhang."

"What? Who is it?"

Hearing this, Cao Wei lost all sleepiness and stood up instantly.

"Shen Nian, don't talk nonsense!"

"I will report anything an official says to the Imperial Guard. I haven't even questioned the Chen family father and son yet, and you suspect that Lord Zhang is the mastermind. Do you have any evidence?"

Shen Nian said, "I suspect that after the Chen family's father and son are put on trial, they will definitely take the blame for this. Father Chen will definitely claim that they used the names of Elder Lu and his son to hold a banquet to befriend merchants, students, and candidates for the imperial examination. He will never admit that this was done to force Elder Lu to retire. And after the father and son confess, silk merchant Li Wenlai, student Feng Yong, and Xu Sanniang, the left music director of the Imperial Music Bureau, will also confess that they framed Lü Xingzhou and that it was all directed by Father Chen, placing all the blame on Chen Zhengyuan..."

After hearing this, Cao Wei was stunned.

"Isn't this the most likely scenario right now? Wouldn't this clear Lü Xingzhou's name? And what does this have to do with Lord Zhang Siwei?"

"If Lord Zhang framed Lü Xingzhou and tarnished Lü's reputation in order to become Vice Minister, why should he continue to plead for Lü before His Majesty, hoping to mitigate the situation?"

Cao Wei's thoughts are exactly the normal reaction of most people.

Shen Nian shook his head.

He immediately told all his guesses, namely that Zhang Siwei had devised this strategy of "putting the overall situation first" based on his understanding of the young Wanli and Zhang Juzheng in order to reduce the impact of Hai Rui on Shanxi merchants and officials in the future.

Cao Wei was stunned when he heard this.

"Shen Nian, you...you are too crazy. You think things are too complicated. This is all your guess. Do you have any evidence?"

"Tonight, I'm here to find evidence!" Shen Nian said.

"Judging from the content of the tabloids and the commotion caused by the Zhang Garden banquet, this was definitely not a simple accidental leak. Money wasn't enough to make bookshop owner Chen Zhengyuan, silk merchant Li Wenlai, students Feng Yong and Chen Zhi, or Xu Sanniang, the left music director of the Imperial Music Bureau, commit such a crime, but power was."

"If nothing unexpected happens, Lord Zhang Siwei will be the chief examiner for next year's Spring Examination. He was able to get Chen Zhengyuan's son, student Chen Zhi, and student Feng Yong on the list. He was able to easily manipulate Xu Sanniang, the left music director of the Jiaofang Bureau. Lord Zhang Siwei is more suspicious than anyone else!"

……

Cao Wei shook his head slightly.

"Shen Nian, go back! This case has nothing to do with you, and I don't want to mess around with you in the middle of the night!"

"Without any evidence, you slander the current ministers. How do you expect me to report this to His Majesty tomorrow? Even if it were possible, do you think these people would dare to say that Minister Zhang Siwei was the mastermind? If they don't say it, it's a minor offense. If they say it without any evidence, it's a capital offense!"

"Don't think that just because His Majesty favors you and the Prime Minister values ​​you, you can act recklessly. Your crime of slandering the elders is enough to offset all your previous merits. I will pretend that I didn't hear anything. Go back!"

Shen Nian looked serious.

"Commander Cao, if this was just someone using the names of Lü Gelao and his son to attract merchants, students, and candidates for a gathering, I wouldn't have come to the Northern Pacification Office in the middle of the night."

"If it's true, as I said, that Lord Zhang is trying to thwart Censor Hai's investigation, he'll undoubtedly have more tricks up his sleeve, and we'll be hard-pressed to prevent him. Jin officials and merchants are closely tied to our border military and our northern trade. We must thoroughly investigate and get to the bottom of this conspiracy. We can't let this kind of conspiracy permeate the court!"

"Commander Cao, now is the time to prioritize the overall situation! If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility!" Shen Nian said excitedly.

Cao Wei scratched the back of his head, an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Even if you say so, how should we investigate next? Even if these people are being manipulated by Elder Zhang, they won't be able to betray him."

"I've already thought of it. I'll use deception to get a confession!"

"Trial by deception? No, no! The Great Ming Code stipulates that cases must be judged based on evidence, and deception is not allowed to obtain confessions!"

False confession, also known as deceptive trial, is an unconventional means of investigating cases. If it results in a false or wrongful conviction, the judge will be severely punished.

Shen Nian looked at Cao Wei.

"No deception in the trial is a restriction placed on the three judicial departments by the Ming Dynasty Code. The Jinyiwei, when trying cases in the imperial prison, are specially authorized by the emperor to falsify confessions. We falsify for the truth, for the stability of northern Ming and the prosperity of trade. Your Majesty will never punish us!"

"Commander Cao, if you refuse this today, you may just be an ordinary Jinyiwei commander in this life. However, if you do this, perhaps there will be a separate page for you in the history books in the future, and it will be full of praise for you, for the Ming Dynasty..."

"How to cheat?" Cao Wei asked after hesitating for a moment.

When Shen Nian heard this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh and talked to Cao Wei in detail.

On the way, Shen Nian had already thought of a plan to falsify a confession. Falsifying a confession was the only way to deal with this kind of thing.

After listening to this, Cao Wei still frowned.

"Even if it's a fraud, it's not conclusive evidence! Lord Zhang Siwei is still a major suspect. We still don't have any concrete evidence!"

"We only need to report the results of our deception. Your Majesty and Prime Minister Zhang will surely make a wise decision!"

Cao Wei looked hesitant and paced back and forth.

at this time.

A Jinyiwei quickly ran over and said, "Commander-in-Chief, we have captured the Chen family father and son. Do you want to try them immediately?"

Cao Wei thought about it.

"I'll go and try it myself later!"

Shen Nian looked at Cao Wei and said, "Commander Cao, how about we interrogate him first? You can first listen to whether my guess is correct, and then decide whether to falsify a confession or not?"

Cao Wei nodded and strode out.

(End of this chapter)