Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 348 How to bring down Jia Changchao?

Imperial City Guard, Torture Chamber.

The light from the torches on the wall cast distorted shadows onto the cold stone wall covered with torture instruments.

Sitting in the main seat, Li Xian, the supervisor of the Ice Well Office, had a somber expression. Although he did not speak, his presence only added to the already gloomy atmosphere of the interrogation room.

Normally, the Imperial City Guard has no authority to interrogate serving officials. This task is usually handled by the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Court of Judicial Review, with the Kaifeng Prefecture responsible for the initial trial and the Court of Judicial Review responsible for the secondary trial.

There is only one situation in which the case will be handed over to the Imperial City Guard for interrogation.

That is, the emperor would directly order the Imperial City Guard to conduct the trial if he believed that other government offices were untrustworthy or if the case required a high degree of confidentiality.

The current situation is clearly the latter.

The officials knew perfectly well who had instigated Pei Degu to commit this crime.

However, the emperor still needs Jia Changchao to check Wen Yanbo and others, so Jia Changchao cannot be touched for the time being. Therefore, this case cannot involve Jia Changchao.

Given the current situation in the imperial court, Wen Yanbo, Wang Yaochen, and Han Qi would certainly be happy to see Jia Changchao fall from power so that they could completely control the eastern and western prefectures.

Although Bao Zheng had no official dealings with Wen Yanbo, Wang Yaochen, and Han Qi, they were actually allies, having all passed the imperial examination in the fifth year of the Tiansheng era.

Therefore, if Pei Degu were handed over to the Kaifeng Prefecture, Bao Zheng would not give up until he obtained Pei Degu's confession implicating Jia Changchao.

But that would lead to a complete imbalance of power among the factions in the imperial court, and the loss of imperial power.

This is a scene that the government absolutely does not want to see.

That's why Pei Degu ended up in the hands of the Imperial City Guard.

Pei Degu was no fool. Although he was genuinely panicked at first and even had the idea of ​​implicating Jia Changchao, he was not stupid.

But as he sat in the Imperial City Guard's interrogation room, after being "physically cooled" by a bucket of ice water, he gradually came to his senses.

Do not try to frame Jia Changchao.

Only by holding onto this last line of defense can the powerful figure behind the scenes possibly offer assistance in secret.

Let's not expect him to be reinstated in a few years; at least there'll be room for his career to take a turn for the better.

After all, Jia Changchao is still "clean" right now. Even if he were to implicate Jia Changchao, there is actually no document or other physical evidence to prove that the Jia Yan case occurred because he was instructed by Jia Changchao.

However, if it were only Pei Degu who made the accusation, it would be far from enough to bring down Jia Changchao. If the Emperor wanted to bring down Jia Changchao, the things Jia Changchao had done in the past, not to mention anything else, just the matter of having an affair with a eunuch, would be enough to convict him.

In reality, Jia Changchao is not only still safe and sound, but also serves as the Grand Chancellor, firmly overshadowing Han Qi.

If Pei Degu were to implicate Jia Changchao at this moment, he would be cutting off his own path to survival, and even the last glimmer of hope for survival would be completely extinguished.

“Peidegu”.

Li Xian said, "Cui Ganban and your confidant Pei Fu have now been captured in one fell swoop. The Imperial City Guard's interrogation room also has its own way of getting people to talk. Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, you forged Privy Council documents, framed Imperial Guard officers, and paid middlemen to murder witnesses. Every crime is serious. If you confess to the mastermind now, we may consider reporting it to the emperor and give you a chance to live."

Pei Degu's hands and feet were bound by specially made iron chains, and his official robes had long been stripped off, leaving him only in a tattered white prison uniform stained with dark dirt.

"This matter arose from personal grudges and there was no mastermind behind it."

He barely managed to lift his head, his voice hoarse, like a broken gong.

"I have long hated the Lu family. Seeing that Lu Beigu is about to rise to prominence, I harbored evil intentions and devised this vicious plan to ruin his future. All the schemes were my own doing and have nothing to do with anyone else!"

Li Xian snorted coldly, his voice suddenly turning sharp: "The work of one person? Where did you get the seal needed to forge the Privy Council documents? How could you, as a deputy commissioner, possibly have accomplished this on your own, mobilizing the Privy Council's internal guards, precisely avoiding patrol routes, and luring Jia Yan into the trap?"

Every question was like a chisel, relentlessly striking at Pei Degu's psychological defenses.

His body trembled slightly under the chains, cold sweat poured down his forehead, yet he still clenched his teeth tightly.

"I have been in the Privy Council for a long time and already know the format of the seal. As for the style of the seal, I have been keeping an eye on it in secret. The fake seal that I made myself has been destroyed. The so-called guard route is a gap that I found by observing carefully on a daily basis."

"Stubborn!"

Li Xian slammed his hand on the table in front of him, where a knife lay.

"How dare you weave such a flawed lie in front of the Imperial City Guard?"

Pei Degu closed his eyes and said nothing more.

Li Xian waved his hand, and his men in charge of the execution began to carry it out.

The Imperial City Guard is not like the Kaifeng Prefecture; forget about the saying "the law does not apply to officials and scholars"—they really take action.

The only sounds in the interrogation room were the faint crackling of the burning torches and Pei Degu's pig-like screams.

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the interrogation room.

Then, a palace attendant whispered something in Li Xian's ear.

Li Xian's eyebrows almost subconsciously began to furrow sharply towards the center of his brow.

"understood."

After another round of torture, seeing that Pei Degu still did not confess, Li Xian gave the order.

"Take him away and await further instructions."

Two expressionless Imperial Guards stepped forward, unchained the man, and dragged the nearly limp Pei Degu away like a dead dog.

Just as he was about to be dragged out of the iron gate, Pei Degu suddenly found a surge of strength and struggled to turn his head, his gaze fixed on Li Xian.

"The guilty official has nothing to say, and no one to implicate! He shall bear all the blame! It ends with me! It ends here!"

The roar echoed through the deep dungeon passages, fading into the distance.

"It ends with you?"

Li Xian looked at the execution chair stained with blood and muttered to himself, "How can a game of chess be stopped halfway through?"

That very night, the two hidden criminals were also captured by the Kaifeng Prefecture. After being interrogated overnight, they confessed to being instructed by Pei Degu to murder the accountant to silence him.

Soon, more details of Jia Yan's case were also uncovered.

For example, the location where the accountant, who was disguised as a minor official of the Privy Council, was to be tricked and killed was the abandoned timber yard of "Yongfeng Timber Company" which was previously owned by a relative of the Pei family.

March 7th, early morning.

For the past two days, for absolute safety, Lu Beigu has been staying at Song Xiang's residence.

Lu Beigu slept soundly through the night, only to be gently awakened by a servant from the Song family at the crack of dawn.

"Young Master Lu, my husband invites you to dine with him."

The character 膳 (shàn) is explained in the Shuowen Jiezi (说文解字) as "a set of food".

In the Song Dynasty, "用膳" (yòngshàn) as a verb phrase simply meant "to eat rice." Its meaning was neutral, without any specific class connotation, and it was commonly used by officials in both formal and informal settings.

However, the term "dining" was generally reserved for nobles within the palace.

He straightened his slightly wrinkled blue robe and followed the servant through the courtyard shrouded in the morning mist.

The dew dampened the stone steps, and the air carried a hint of chill.

Song Xiang was getting old and went to bed early and got up early. He was already waiting in the side hall next to the main hall, with simple porridge and side dishes on the table.

"Sit down." Song Xiang pointed to the seat opposite him.

"Have some breakfast first. There's been some progress in your brother-in-law Jia Yan's case."

Lu Beigu's heart tightened, and he sat down as instructed, but he had no appetite.

Song Xiang scooped up a spoonful of porridge and said calmly, "The Imperial City Guard arrested Pei Degu and his confidants last night. During the initial interrogation, he admitted to being the mastermind, but only said it was because of an old grudge and insisted that no one had instructed him."

He put the porridge in his mouth and swallowed it, then looked up at Lu Beigu: "Do you know what this means?"

Lu Beigu pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It means that we'll probably have to stop here."

"good."

Song Xiang put down his spoon: "However, Jia Yan's crime of 'bringing weapons into the Privy Council' can definitely be cleared. I've already asked the Three Departments, and he can be released this afternoon. He has injuries, but they are not very serious. You can hire a carriage to take him home and he will recover after some time of rest."

In the eighth year of the Qingli era and the fourth year of the Huangyou era, Song Xiang served as Privy Councilor twice.

These events occurred nine and six years ago, respectively, which explains why he had connections within the high-ranking Imperial Guards, such as the Commander of the Three Military Offices.

However, he is currently not in office, so these senior generals of the Imperial Guards neither dare to nor are willing to do risky things for him. But it is still fine to look after someone or to inquire about some information.

"So now it's okay for me to contact my older sister, right?"

"It doesn't matter."

Previously, Song Xiang had sternly warned Lu Beigu not to see Lu Nanzhi.

The reason is simple: after Jia Yan's incident, the enemy was eager to prove that Lu Beigu was involved in Jia Yan's case.

So if he went to his sister's house at that time, on the one hand, it would have no practical significance; on the other hand, he could easily have been caught in a trap, framed with "evidence," and the case could have been made airtight.

Therefore, Song Xiang required him to stay at the Song residence except for the palace examination and when he was summoned by the Kaifeng Prefecture.

The former prime minister's residence—no one can do anything to Lu Beigu here.

In this way, after spending three days in this "safe house" and avoiding all possible further traps, Lu Beigu was able to successfully weather the storm.

"What crime will Pei Degu ultimately be convicted of?"

"It hasn't reached the point of plotting treason yet; it's probably just exile to Shamen Island."

Shamen Island was a place that struck fear into the hearts of Song Dynasty officials.

However, contrary to what many people subconsciously think of as a remote island, this place is not far from Fung, nor is it just one island, but a collective name for a series of archipelagos.

This place is located between the Shandong Peninsula and the Liaodong Peninsula. It is called this because the sea voyages often encountered storms, and the fishermen built a Buddhist temple on one of the islands to pray for the protection of the sea god. Later, these islands were all called Shamen Island.

Because of limited resources, difficult supply, and harsh living conditions, and because the island's administrators can disregard the law and arbitrarily dispose of and torture the criminals exiled there, very few people are able to leave alive.

"It's a pity that we couldn't use this opportunity to bring down Jia Changchao."

"You want to bring down Jia Changchao?"

Song Xiang finished his porridge completely. Seeing that he wasn't eating, he didn't urge him, but simply asked.

"Yes."

Lu Beigu nodded. Although Pei Degu had fallen, given his age, he probably wouldn't have a chance to come back alive from Shamen Island, while Jia Changchao was still in a high position.

“The normal path won’t work. Even if you enter officialdom, you can’t immediately become a court official. Whether you become a prefectural judge in a local area, or a prefectural governor, or transfer to a central government position, it will take at least several years to become a court official.”

That's true; that's how things were in the Song Dynasty.

Moreover, to put it more bluntly, once someone becomes a court official, it is generally unlikely that they will pose any threat to the Privy Councilor.

However, Lu Beigu heard the implication in the words and quickly asked for guidance.

"Does the gentleman mean there are other ways?"

"Yes, I have."

Song Xiang handed him a copy of the official gazette.

In addition to recent important events, the above also includes a series of personnel changes, many of which involve the censors.

"Zhang Bian, the Right Grand Counselor and former Acting Censor-in-Chief, was appointed as the envoy to thank the Khitan, and Liu Yongnian, the Defense Commissioner of Danzhou, was appointed as the deputy envoy."

"Fan Shidao, who was appointed Prefect of Changzhou and Supervising Censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs, was transferred to be the Transport Commissioner of Guangnan East Circuit, and Zhao Bian, who was appointed Prefect of Muzhou and Supervising Censor in charge of Palace Affairs, was appointed the Transport Commissioner of Guangnan West Circuit."

"Hanlin Academician Ouyang Xiu was appointed as Acting Censor-in-Chief."

"Wu Zhongfu, the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Guests and the Acting Director of the Palace Attendant Censorate, was appointed as the Palace Attendant Censor and served as the Censor who spoke out on matters."

"."

There was a lot of information, and Lu Beigu read it very carefully.

In the Song Dynasty, the official ranks of the Censorate, from highest to lowest, were: "Censor-in-Chief - Attendant Censor in Charge of Miscellaneous Affairs - Palace Attendant Censor - Supervising Censor - Acting Palace Attendant Censor".

Of course, there is also a "Grand Censor" who theoretically exists but does not actually exist. This official position is nominally the highest-ranking official of the Censorate, but in reality, it is only granted to other officials as an honorary title and does not actually manage the affairs of the Censorate. The real head of the Censorate is the "Vice Censor" or "Acting Vice Censor".

Zhang Bian, the former head of the Censorate, went there to gain experience. Since the Treaty of Chanyuan, anyone who could serve as the chief envoy to the Liao Dynasty and successfully complete their diplomatic mission without disgracing the country, such as Fu Bi and Wang Gongchen, would definitely be promoted upon their return.

Fan Shidao, the second-in-command of the Censorate, and Zhao Bian, the third-in-command, were temporarily demoted and sent to other posts due to the repercussions of Liu Hang's self-incrimination, but they were quickly promoted back.

As for Ouyang Xiu, his official rank remained unchanged, but he gained real power, and his expertise was relevant, having served as the Director of the Censorate many years ago.

Although Wu Zhongfu's promotion of three ranks was an "extraordinary promotion," it was truly a popular choice, because he was a "two-time prime minister," which led to the dismissal of two powerful prime ministers, Liang Shi and Liu Hang, one after another. For a time, his uprightness filled the court, and he became the leader of the upright faction.

His original position was actually quite low. The "Palace Attendant Censor" was an official position established in the first year of the Jingyou era. It was the lowest-ranking position in the entire Censorate. Usually, officials above the rank of Third Assistant Censor who had served as county magistrates were selected to fill the position. He was responsible for disciplining all officials and maintaining discipline.

Institutionally speaking, a Palace Attendant Censor could only be promoted to a formal Censor after serving for two years, and then have the opportunity to be promoted to the Three Departments or the Judge of Kaifeng Prefecture after serving for another two years.

In reality, if one cannot create a major scandal, even if one becomes a formal censor, one can only continue to accumulate seniority and will not have the opportunity to become a judge in the Three Departments or Kaifeng Prefecture.

Wu Zhongfu completed a three-level jump from "Acting Palace Attendant Censor - Supervising Censor - Palace Attendant Censor" and also served as a Censor who spoke out on matters, so it can be said that he actually jumped three and a half levels.

The position of Imperial Censor was established forty years ago in the first year of the Tianxi era, but no one was appointed thereafter. It was only occasionally appointed in the fifth year of the Qingli era. It was a part-time position specifically prepared for people whose qualifications were not high enough to be "Imperial Censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs" but higher than "Imperial Censor in the Palace". It was a position between the two.

"Does the master mean for me to go to the Censorate?"

Lu Beigu hesitated. He had previously promised Zhang Fangping and Fan Xiang that he would go to the Salt and Iron Bureau as soon as he entered officialdom.

However, the Censorate was indeed a good platform for "achieving great results with small investments," and the achievements of the censors were evident to all.

—Thanks to the immense power and influence of the Song Dynasty's censorate system, they have brought down two prime ministers and two privy councilors in the past two years.

It would be impossible to do this in any other position.

The positions of censor and remonstrating official were precisely suitable for him when he first entered officialdom, because they had to be filled by officials of low rank.

If he can rank in the top five in the palace examination, then according to the normal official rank of a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), he will be qualified to serve as "Acting Palace Attendant Censor".

"The Censorate is severely understaffed right now. The newly transferred Ouyang Xiu and the newly promoted Wu Zhongfu are determined to strengthen the censorate team. So if you want to bring down Jia Changchao, joining the Censorate is the only way."

Song Xiang put it bluntly: "Any other post, whether in the central government or in the local government, regardless of the size of the post, is just wishful thinking if they think they can threaten Jia Changchao as soon as they enter office. You don't even have the qualifications to attend court, so how could you possibly harm the Privy Councilor?"

(End of this chapter)