HCB Chapter 365 Each side gets a fair share of blame
Chapter 365 Each side gets a fair share of blame
Chapter 365 Both sides should be punished equally.
Emperor Cheng had intended to lure out the Shen family's influence, but for a full hour and a half, Shen Zizai was fighting alone. He rubbed his temples, unable to bear it any longer, and finally waved his hand, saying, "Alright, hand this matter over to the Shuntian Prefecture for immediate investigation. Court adjourned."
Thus, the impeachment proceedings came to nothing.
"Father-in-law, please have some tea."
This was the first thing Gu Chang'an said to Shen Zizai after the court session.
Shen Zizai sullenly drank a whole cup of tea. It wasn't convenient to talk in the cabinet, so he didn't say anything and just kept breathing to himself.
Gu Chang'an personally handed over the tea.
Shen Zizai finished his tea once again.
"Father-in-law, please calm down. Ah Li will be fine. I sent someone to see the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture last night." Gu Chang'an said quickly in a low voice as he handed over the three cups of tea.
Shen Zizai was somewhat surprised. Seeing that the people around him were five steps away from him, he instructed, "Saving Li'er is important, but we must also be upright and honest, and not give others any reason to criticize us."
"Yes, I will follow my father-in-law's teachings." Gu Chang'an replied earnestly.
He understood the deeper meaning of those words. It wasn't that the methods couldn't be used, but they had to be used openly and without leaving any evidence against them, otherwise they would only backfire.
His father-in-law may seem corrupt and stubborn, but he actually possesses great wisdom. If anyone else had the influence of the Shen family, they would have been dealt with long ago, and they would not still be able to stand in the court.
This can be seen by looking at Zhou Zhen, the former chief minister. Zhou Zhen was good at manipulating power, and he eventually died because of it.
Only by upholding righteousness can we endure; even if we resort to some underhanded tactics, we must be able to withstand scrutiny.
Gu Chang'an left the cabinet and returned to the Ministry of Revenue. Although he had a lot of plans in mind, he also felt uneasy. If he had to get involved, he hoped that next time he would be the one to play that role.
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When Emperor Cheng met Cheng Sheng in the Imperial Study, he was no longer as indifferent as he seemed in the harem. Instead, he asked, "Is that boy from the Wu family clean?"
He knew that Shen Li could withstand investigation.
“Your Majesty, we have not received any reports about Young Master Wu before,” Cheng Sheng said truthfully.
"Stop giving me that official talk. Do you think you, the Prefect of Shuntian, don't know whether he's clean or not?" Emperor Cheng snorted.
Hearing that Emperor Cheng seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied with Wu Zihao, Cheng Sheng said, "I have heard that this young master Wu is fond of gambling. When he loses, it is inevitable that there will be some quarrels and disputes, but I have never heard of anything more."
He responded cautiously, firstly because he had only heard about it, and secondly because he only said some trivial things to test the emperor's attitude.
Emperor Cheng remained silent for a long time before saying, "This case is in your hands, so you can handle it with confidence and without any favoritism. Otherwise, I will not forgive you."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly handle this impartially." Cheng Sheng kowtowed, already understanding the Emperor's thoughts.
This is an attempt to punish both sides equally: Wu Zihao will be punished, and Shen Li will also be punished for assault.
However, he believed this was a good sign for Shen Li. The fact that the emperor did not favor the Wu family indicated that he still had reservations about the Wu family or the King of Chess.
This put him at ease. His keen political sense told him that Wu Yong's position as Grand Secretary would not last long, so he could not be blamed for being incorruptible.
Emperor Cheng sat in the imperial study, and after Cheng Sheng withdrew, he asked the chief eunuch beside him, "Has the imperial physician examined Rui'er's illness?"
The first thing Li Rui did upon returning from suppressing the rebellion was to hand over his military seal. After that, he claimed to be ill and did not leave the palace. The imperial physicians visited several times but could not find the cause of his illness, so he could only rest and recuperate.
“I go there every day. You went to the Consort’s courtyard yesterday and said that Prince Rui was just overworked and would be fine after a period of rest,” said the chief eunuch Wang Ru.
"Hmph, what's wrong with him? He just doesn't want to work for me. This Ninth Prince has been exceptionally intelligent since childhood, but he just won't follow the right path." Emperor Cheng felt a headache coming on when he talked about Li Rui, and shook his head and sighed.
"Does Your Majesty intend for Prince Rui to handle this case?"
"It's time to teach them a lesson." Emperor Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly. "If they all become new powerful figures, then all my previous efforts will have been in vain?"
Everyone knows that Emperor Cheng has been purging powerful and influential people for the past ten years in order to gain absolute control. The Flying Fish Guard more than ten years ago and the Dali Temple five years ago were both hells for the powerful and influential.
The removal of the crown prince and the downfall and death of Zhou Zhen were also the result of a power struggle between Emperor Cheng and his civil officials. In the end, he won, and he was about to become the emperor with the most control over the court in the history of the Great Zhao Dynasty, apart from the founding emperor.
At this point, he would not allow anyone to threaten his power, including his own son, Prince Yi, Li Chen.
If you want to seize the throne, you have to wait until he dies.
"Go, summon Zhao Jing," Emperor Cheng ordered after a moment's thought.
Regarding this matter, the emperor did not want to be blind and deaf; he needed Zhao Jing to bring him more information.