allonlinenovel Chapter 352 Hess's Fury
Chapter 352 Hess's Fury
Sure enough, about half a month after the Dragon Boat Festival, the censors of the Censorate, headed by Lu Zhiguang, placed impeachment memorials on the emperor's desk in the Qinzheng Hall, alleging that someone had bribed the students of the Imperial College and deliberately manipulated the Dragon Boat Festival polo match.
After reading the memorial, the emperor flew into a rage and immediately ordered all the impeached officials to be imprisoned. He then ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple and the Supervisory Yuan to jointly handle the case, with the Hundred Cavalry Division to assist. All persons involved in the case, regardless of their identity and status, would be severely punished.
As students of the inner class of the Imperial College, Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng had much less access to information than students of the outer class.
Early that morning, the two of them were just like they did in the past. The sun was shining obliquely into the windowsill. Ye Changyan gently patted Liang Jingcheng, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms, and then pecked him lightly on the forehead. Then the two of them got up, washed, and dressed, and went to the kitchen to have breakfast together.
Liu Baocai, the cook in the kitchen, was very familiar with Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng. The two were often the last to come for breakfast. Cook Liu Baocai brought a small bowl of rice porridge, two trays of steamed dumplings, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and then smiled and brought two bowls of egg custard from the steamer on the stove.
Liu Baocai was also a man of insight. He knew that the two had received rewards from His Majesty during the Dragon Boat Festival activities a few days ago, and he was very optimistic about their future. Originally, there was no egg custard in the students' meals, so he prepared this specially for the two of them.
"Master Liu, this breakfast is very appetizing."
Hearing Ye Changyan's praise, Liu Baocai said with a smile.
"As long as you like it, gentlemen."
After having breakfast in the dining room, Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng said goodbye politely to Liu Baocai before heading towards the shooting range.
As soon as I arrived at the shooting range, I saw that the shooting range, which was usually crowded with people, was now crowded with students holding bows in their hands, but they were gathered in groups of three or four, whispering something.
Seeing Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng coming to the shooting range together, Ao Chongan pulled them to a corner and asked them about something with a gossipy look on his face.
"Hey, hey, have you two heard about this?"
Seeing Ao Chong'an and Fan Tao looking at him with gossipy expressions, Ye Changyan asked back with some confusion.
"What did you hear? What happened? Why are everyone hanging out together? Why don't we practice archery today?"
Ao Chong'an and Fan Tao saw the reactions of Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng and knew at a glance that they had just woken up and didn't know anything yet, so Ao Chong'an pulled their arms again, and the four of them gathered together, then he spoke in a low voice.
"During the polo match on the Dragon Boat Festival, someone bribed the students of the Imperial Academy and deliberately manipulated the polo match. Yesterday, the censors, led by Lu Xiaotong's father Lu Zhiguang, submitted an impeachment memorial to the Ministry of Public Administration. The Ministry of Public Administration saw that the censors had submitted a collective memorial and the matter was of great importance, so they submitted the memorials directly to the palace's secretarial office. Then the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department presented the memorials to Your Majesty's desk."
Having said this, Ao Chong'an looked around cautiously and found that no one was approaching, so he continued.
"When His Majesty saw the memorials submitted by the imperial censors, he flew into a rage and immediately ordered all the impeached persons to be imprisoned. Last night was a night of panic in Shengjing City."
As soon as Ao Chong'an finished speaking, Fan Tao quickly took over the conversation and continued.
"I heard that many officials and nobles' homes were in chaos last night. It seems that this matter has far-reaching implications. I heard that the prince of Dingyuan Marquis's mansion, Jin Yuanming, was also taken to the Dali Temple's cell last night."
Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng were both shocked when they heard this. The Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was the second prince's in-laws, and the eldest son of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion had been arrested and imprisoned. It seemed that the implications of this matter were quite serious.
"Do you think this matter will implicate the Second Prince?"
Fan Tao asked the three people with a gossipy look on his face, while Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng looked thoughtful and did not make any comments. Then Ao Chongan spoke in a low voice.
"This matter is of great importance. If the Second Prince is really involved, it will most likely cause chaos in the court. I estimate that someone will use this to blame the other princes. If I don't have a good life, then no one else will have a good life."
Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng looked at Ao Chong'an in surprise, and then saw Fan Tao speaking with some gloating attitude.
"I heard that all the members of the Fenghuo Cavalry Team and the Black Armor Cavalry Team of the Imperial College, as well as the War Wolf Cavalry Team of the Four Schools, have not come to school since this morning. Do you think they were all bribed?"
"Not really. Not to mention the members of the Wolf Knights of the Four Schools, the members of the Fenghuo Cavalry and the Black Armor Cavalry of the Imperial College all come from military families. They shouldn't sacrifice the future and destiny of their entire family for a few bucks, right?"
Ao Chong'an felt that Fan Tao's guess was a little too shocking, but Fan Tao's next words really shocked Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng.
"Money may not be able to sway these people, but what about official positions? I heard that Pan Taizhen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Song Zhang, a doctor of the Ministry of Military Selection and Purification, were also involved in this case. Moreover, Qiu Bao, the deputy commander of the Hundred Cavalry Division, personally went to get these two people."
"Who did you listen to?"
Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng were both a little bit incredulous that this matter actually involved high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War. Ao Chongan also asked with some doubt.
Fan Tao looked confident, but he looked around cautiously. He then gestured to the few people to come closer, and then spoke in a low voice.
"I heard that the handicap for the Dragon Boat Festival polo match was set by Pan Haoyang, the son of Pan Taizhen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel."
Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng seemed to suddenly recall what Li Ping said that day, "To dare to use the official status of a fourth-rank imperial censor as a threat, it seems that the other party must be from a very powerful background!"
If it is true as Fan Tao said, that the handicap of this gambling game was set by the son of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, then the other party must be very powerful. The Ministry of Personnel holds the power of life and death over officials throughout the country and is the most powerful department among the six ministries.
Ye Changyan once heard Mr. Cai mention this when he was giving a lecture to himself and Liang Jingcheng in Yuzhou Prefecture: the current Minister of Personnel, Tian Gan, had an old illness and had asked the emperor many times to resign in order to return to his hometown to recuperate.
But for some unknown reason, the emperor did not agree. Tian Gan's position as the Minister of Personnel was still as stable as a rock. However, Minister Tian Gan had an old illness, so many affairs of the Ministry of Personnel were usually presided over by the left and right vice ministers of the Ministry of Personnel. Among them, the left vice minister Pan Taizhen had a higher position. Therefore, in the Ministry of Personnel, many people followed the lead of the left vice minister Pan Taizhen.
Many people even believed that Pan Taizhen would be the best candidate to succeed the Minister of Personnel. If it was true as Fan Tao said, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was also arrested and imprisoned, then the involvement of this matter would really be beyond the expectations of Ye Changyan, Liang Jingcheng and Li Ping in Yunfeng Tower that day.