The Moon is Full in the Traveling House

"Grandfather, don't worry. I think it would be better to designate Minister Tong as the principal offender in this case, and the rest of the participants should just act according to the law." Young Master Chenxuan said calmly.

Yang Lin frowned upon hearing this: "Do you mean that you won't pursue the person behind this?"

Young Master Chen Xuan shook his head gently. "It's not that we won't pursue it, but the current evidence is not enough to incriminate that person. Besides, after this incident, that person won't be able to cause any more trouble in the future. Concubine Tong was arrogant and domineering in the past, and she offended many people. I guess her future won't be easy. The court has dug out so many termites at once, and there is a lot of work to be done. The border is also unstable. The most important thing now is to maintain the stability of the court and protect the tranquility of the border, rather than blindly pursuing them."

Yang Lin was silent for a long time, and finally sighed and said: "I am old, and I am not as clear-sighted as you, but... I have wronged His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Young Master Chen Xuan smiled slightly: "Grandfather, when the time comes, the mastermind will naturally pay the price. We need to wait for a suitable opportunity and not act too hastily."

Yang Lin waved his hand tiredly: "You go and explain to His Highness!" He felt guilty about his grandson Xie Tianlin. After all, Xie Tianlin was the child he had brought up and personally educated. He felt deeply uneasy that he could not bring the mastermind behind the false accusation against his grandson to justice.

However, in the face of personal honor and national justice, Yang Lin had no choice. After an in-depth investigation, it was found that the case involved a wide range of people, and almost 10% of the officials were implicated to some extent. A little carelessness could lead to a huge disaster. Of course, corrupt officials must be punished, but dealing with so many officials at one time without affecting people's livelihood is really overwhelming and difficult to take into account other aspects...

"Before my grandson came back, he had already gone to the palace to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I believe His Royal Highness has made a decision." Yang Lin sighed helplessly.

"I'm old, and the future belongs to you young people. In that case, just go for it!" Yang Lin's tone revealed a hint of helplessness and expectations for the younger generation. He knew that his time had passed, and now was the time for the younger generation to show their talents. Although he still had concerns in his heart, he was willing to believe in the ability and wisdom of young people, hoping that they could make the right decisions and bring prosperity and stability to the court.

"Grandfather, please go to bed early. I will take my leave." After bowing deeply, Master Chenxuan turned around and walked straight towards the ancestral hall. He walked into the ancestral hall silently, lit a few incense sticks, bowed three times to the tablet, and then inserted the incense into the incense burner.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back. I'll stay in Beijing for a while longer. Don't worry, I'm fine now..." Young Master Chen Xuan said softly. He stared at his parents' tablets quietly, as if he could see their kind faces.

Recalling the past, Master Chen Xuan was filled with pain and sorrow. As a general, Yang Zhenting was trapped in the enemy's encirclement due to the inaccuracy of the map and unfamiliarity with the terrain, which led to the annihilation of the entire army, and he himself was not spared. His mother was not a lady from an official family, but the daughter of the chief doctor of the Imperial Hospital, and also a famous female doctor. When his father went to war, his mother accompanied him as a military doctor. However, when she learned the bad news that her father was killed, she was heartbroken and decided to go to the battlefield to find her father's body, but unfortunately, she was discovered by the enemy waiting there. In this way, in that cruel war, Master Chen Xuan lost both his parents at the same time.

Five years ago, Master Chen Xuan vowed to travel thousands of miles to draw the most accurate topographic map. After years of hard work and persistence, he finally succeeded in drawing a brand new map this spring. This map not only embodies his hard work, but also reflects his deep longing for his parents and his responsibility to the country.

The next morning, the sun was shining brightly, but the atmosphere in the capital was unusually solemn. The illegal salt case involved a wide range of people and had a bad impact, so the morning court was forced to be cancelled. At this time, only the crown prince, several princes, and some other first-rank ministers gathered in the imperial study to discuss countermeasures.

When the left prime minister said that the culprit of the salt smuggling case had been executed and the others would be dealt with, everyone was a little surprised. Obviously, this matter was far from as simple as it seemed, and there seemed to be more unknown secrets hidden behind it. However, the emperor was not surprised at all, because Xie Tianlin had reported the result to him last night. When the country was facing internal and external troubles, the prince was able to put aside party disputes and put the overall situation first, and this behavior made the emperor deeply relieved.

As the ruler of a country, the emperor was not completely unaware of the developments below. He knew very well that the Prince of Jin must be implicated in this case, but in order to maintain political stability, it was not appropriate to depose the Prince of Jin at this time.

After scanning the entire audience, the emperor's eyes finally fell on Xie Tianlin and he asked, "Prince, what do you think about this?" Although he already knew the whole story, the emperor still wanted to hear the prince's opinion.

Xie Tianlin bowed slightly and replied in a firm tone: "Your son will follow all arrangements made by your father. As for those who have broken the law, they can be dealt with according to the law by the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple. The most urgent task is to reappoint some officials in key positions to stabilize the government and people's livelihood." The prince spoke succinctly and frankly.

"My dear ministers, do you have any opinions?" Xie Wushang glanced at the people below him, with a hint of majesty and expectation in his eyes.

The imperial study was in complete silence. The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to speak. At this time, the right prime minister stood up, bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, what the Crown Prince said is very true. I second the motion."

As soon as the right prime minister finished speaking, other ministers echoed, "We second the motion." Their voices rose one after another, echoing in the imperial study.

The ministers knew that this matter involved the interests of too many people. If they continued to pursue it, it would probably cause more trouble. Moreover, everyone had some shameful things to do, and being able to calm it down was undoubtedly the best outcome for them. Therefore, no one raised any objections, and everyone hoped that this matter could be resolved as soon as possible.

"Crown Prince, Left Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, please stay. The rest of you may leave." The emperor said to the ministers below with a cold look as he sat on the dragon throne.

"Yes." Everyone left the imperial study as if they had been pardoned. They knew what was going to happen next, but no one dared to say a word.

That afternoon, the imperial edict was issued: Tong Yi, the Minister of Revenue, colluded with many officials to sell illegal salt, took human lives lightly, formed a clique for personal gain, and assassinated the crown prince several times after the incident was exposed. His crimes are too numerous to list, and his crimes are extremely heinous. He should be sentenced to death and his entire family should be executed. The court will issue a wanted order for those who have not been arrested in the Tong family, and will offer a reward indefinitely. As the daughter of a criminal, Concubine Tong was demoted to a slave and sent to the cold palace, losing her freedom from then on. Because of his involvement in this case, the King of Jin was demoted to a prince of a county, and was placed under house arrest in the prince's mansion, not allowed to take a single step out.

Zhang Feng, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Yu Bingkun, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Ning Yunkai, the Governor of Yunzhou, and Li Ran, the Governor of Xuzhou, colluded with Tong Yi to sell private salt, form a clique for personal gain, and work together. Their behavior seriously violated the law of the country and had a bad influence. The four were hereby sentenced to be beheaded in public and their residences were confiscated. All the male members of their families were sent to the army, and the female members were demoted to the music school.

Although Nie Qing, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, Xu Yan, the General of Zhenxi, and Wen Limin, the Governor of Rucheng, were only accomplices in the smuggling of salt, they could not escape the blame. They were sentenced to be beheaded in public and their property was confiscated. Male members of their families were not allowed to serve as officials within three generations, and female members of their families were not allowed to marry into the official residence.

……

This imperial edict was like a thunderclap, shocking the entire court and the public. People were discussing this shocking case and expressing their admiration for the emperor's decisive killing. Officials who had been implicated by Tong Yi and others were trembling with fear, fearing that they would also be implicated.

At the same time, an imperial edict was quietly delivered to the General's Mansion.