Huangming

Chapter 50 A chaotic rush, a passive observation

Inside the East Warm Pavilion, Wang Tiqian knelt down and bowed.

"This servant greets Your Majesty!"

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Wang Tiqian stood up, about to report the news, but the emperor, seeing his half-wet robe, said, "Change out of your wet clothes before you come back to report."

He had already anticipated what Wang Tiqian was going to say, so he wasn't in a hurry at all.

Wang Tiqian opened his mouth as if to speak, "What time is it now? Why are you still changing clothes?"

but.
He knew the current emperor somewhat and dared not disobey his will, so he could only say, "This servant obeys."

Wang Tiqian hurriedly went to the prison, changed into clean clothes, and then came back to pay his respects to the emperor.

"Tell me, what happened?"

Wang Tiqian hurriedly replied, "The two groups from the Court of Judicial Review almost came to blows, and the Judicial Review Commissioner Cao Yubian even fainted."

Zhu Youxiao listened to Wang Tiqian's report and was secretly amazed.

It seems the two sides are about to completely break off relations.

This is just what he wanted!
"Has the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review sent an imperial physician to examine him?"

Wang Tiqian nodded and said, "The imperial physician went to see him. Lord Cao Tongzheng has no brain disease, but one of his testicles was broken. After waking up, he hurriedly wrote a memorial to resign from his illness, which has already been submitted to the cabinet."

Zhu Youxiao was dumbfounded upon hearing this.

Cao Yubian was a non-partisan and did not want to get involved in factional struggles, so he pretended to be unconscious. How could he be so cruel to himself?
This is a cruel person!

He is capable of being put to good use!

of course
If Cao Yubian knew what the emperor was thinking, he would probably have already cursed him.

"He was allowed to plead illness."

Even if Cao Yubian were feigning illness, Zhu Youxiao would have agreed.

Amidst the factional strife, it remains to be seen how many officials will remain in the imperial court.

Zhu Youxiao naturally wanted to keep these pragmatic officials who were independent of any party or faction.

"How's the cabinet's position?"

Wang Tiqian immediately said, "Eunuch Wei is currently in the Cabinet and has heard that there has been constant arguing in the Wenyuan Pavilion."

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly, but suddenly looked up and asked, "Has the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs sent any memorials that have not yet reached the Emperor?"

Wang Tiqian was stunned for a moment, and then he started stammering.

"The memorials from the Office of Transmission are still in the cabinet, but there should be impeachment memorials from the Censorate in the Directorate of Ceremonial. However, those servants in the Directorate of Ceremonial are probably waiting for Eunuch Wei to return before making a decision."

Impeachment memorials submitted through normal channels usually had to go through the Office of Transmission, but there were exceptions.

For major impeachments involving imperial relatives, the Grand Secretary, or cabinet ministers, the censor could send the case directly to the Huiji Gate, where a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs would deliver it directly to the emperor.

Furthermore, the censors of the Censorate could request an audience with the emperor to directly submit their impeachment petitions.

But none of that.

Zhu Youxiao sneered inwardly.

The people of Qi, Chu, and Zhe are not that stupid. The reason they haven't sent it over must be because someone is interfering.

The palace eunuchs had long been infiltrated by the outer court.

Within the Directorate of Ceremonial, there were members of the Donglin Party, as well as members of the Qi-Chu-Zhe Party.

Zhu Youxiao knew perfectly well what was going on.

I just didn't expect them to actually have the guts to withhold memorials from the emperor.

Who is on duty at the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs today?

Wang Tiqian dared not conceal the truth and immediately said, "It is Liu Chao."

Zhu Youxiao wore a cold smile.

This eunuch Liu Chao, who served in the Directorate of Ceremonial, moved between the Donglin Party and the Qi-Chu-Zhe Party. Zhu Youxiao originally thought he was neutral, but after Wang An's downfall, he became an ally of the Donglin Party in the palace.

"Have him bring the memorial over!"

Wang Tiqian seemed to have already sensed the emperor's anger.

In his haste, he half-walked and half-crawled out of Duanbentang.

Not long after.

A middle-aged eunuch, looking anxious, hurried over carrying a stack of memorials.

"Your Majesty, this is the memorial that arrived this morning. I never expected that the servant would dare to hide it and not issue it. I have already severely punished him."

Liu Chao knelt on the ground, trembling. The emperor, however, seemed in no hurry to speak, but simply took the memorials brought by Wang Tiqian and read them one by one.

Time ticked by, and Liu Chao knelt on the ground, feeling his mouth and throat parched.

He regretted it.

He was blinded by greed, his face clouded by grease.

This morning, someone sent a subordinate official in a hurry to deliver a 10,000-tael silver note from a Jiangnan money shop, instructing him to keep the impeachment memorial quiet for half a day while he was on duty.

Liu Chao was aware of the risks involved.

But ten thousand taels
It's too much.

In addition, His Majesty rarely inquires about the affairs of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Because Wei Chao would personally deliver the memorials to the emperor.

Liu Chao then hatched a plan.

Unexpectedly, His Majesty personally inquired about the memorial today.

Liu Chao was terrified.

If he were given another chance to choose, he wouldn't accept even 100,000 taels, let alone 10,000 taels!
The emperor remained silent, causing Liu Chao immense anguish, leaving him no choice but to seek a way to survive.

"The memorial was delayed in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. This servant was on duty and is guilty. I beg Your Majesty to punish me severely!"

After reading through all the impeachment memorials, Zhu Youxiao finally looked up and spoke.

"Who instructed you to withhold memorials from the emperor?"

Liu Chao's lips were dry.

He dared not admit it, nor dared he lie; he simply kowtowed repeatedly.

"This slave is guilty, this slave is guilty!"

"Your Majesty is asking you a question, so answer it. If you dare to deceive the Holy Emperor, you will be thrown into the Imperial Prison. You know very well what that feels like." Wang Tiqian saw that this fellow actually wanted to get away with it. The Emperor was questioning him on behalf of the Emperor, and he dared not answer?
Seeing that he could not escape this calamity, Liu Chao also knew that his fate was sealed.

Speaking the truth at this point might offer a sliver of hope.

He raised his head, his forehead was covered in blood from the blow, and his face was streaked with tears and blood, making him look extremely pitiful.

"Your Majesty, this morning, someone gave me 10,000 taels of silver to withhold the memorials from the Directorate of Ceremonial for half a day."

Ten thousand taels?

Zhu Youxiao frowned deeply, a cold glint flashing in his eyes!

Was our Great Ming Dynasty short of money?

If there was no money, did this ten thousand taels just appear out of thin air?

"Where are the silver notes?" Wang Tiqian asked sternly.

"Here, here."

Liu Chao took out a silver note from his inner pocket.

Wang Tiqian confirmed that no poison powder had been applied to it before presenting it to the emperor with both hands.

Zhu Youxiao did not touch the banknotes, but noticed that they were stamped with the words "Jiangnan".

He immediately understood.

"Accepting bribes and deceiving the emperor, what is the punishment?"

Wang Tiqian immediately said, "Death penalty!"

Zhu Youxiao nodded, looked at Liu Chao, whose face was full of horror and whose eyes were filled with endless pleading, and said, "For offenses committed in the palace, use the palace rules and have him taken away!"

"Your Majesty, spare your life, Your Majesty, spare your life!"

Liu Chao crawled forward to beg for mercy, but was dragged out of Duanben Hall by two 'big men generals', and no matter how much he struggled, it was useless.

Soon, Liu Chao's pleas for mercy grew fainter and fainter until they were completely inaudible.

There must be no leniency or weakness towards such traitors.

Zhu Youxiao wanted to show them what the consequences would be for colluding with the outer court.

If he still can't see the situation clearly, then it's no wonder that when Zhu Youxiao was cleaning up the inner court, he was swept away like dust.

“All the memorials submitted were copied and backed up, and then forwarded to the cabinet.”

Zhu Youxiao reviewed these memorials, leaving only a few words, but did not directly order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate.

Instead, Wang Tiqian was instructed to hand the matter over to the cabinet for deliberation.

The Donglin Party members and the Qi-Chu-Zhe Party members fought like wolves and boars, and it would be better if they killed each other until their brains came out.

As for the emperor, he simply stood by and watched how things developed!
Given the intensity of this partisan strife, the time for a crackdown may not be far off.

(End of this chapter)