PFC Chapter 241 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (141)
Chapter 241 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (141)
The Dali Temple and the supervisory officials, no one knows exactly when they started their investigation, appear and disappear mysteriously, leaving everyone helpless.
Who among those who have established themselves in the capital, especially families that have been there for generations, can be so clean? Even if they haven't committed any wrongdoing, they wouldn't be able to get a proper investigation if it were to be conducted.
Forget about helping each other out; it's not even certain if you can get out unscathed. At first, everyone was arguing their case in the court, but later, it became completely silent. Apart from matters that needed to be reported in court, no one dared to say a word.
This is no longer the "boiling frog" method; the latter involves gradually getting people used to it.
The Third Prince's move could be described as deep-frying toads in hot oil. He threw all the toads in, and without waiting for them to get used to it, they were all scalded to death, leaving no trace...
The Third Prince was well aware of this principle: once he could intimidate people and gain the upper hand, it would be difficult to reverse the situation later! His advantage wasn't solely due to his sharp tongue, but also because he genuinely had the ability to silence people. Now, those with guilty consciences, even a glance from him, would make them worry that their own families might be the ones to suffer tomorrow…
Since people dared not discuss the Third Prince casually anymore, some began to secretly curse the Dali Temple.
They talk about being upright and not yielding to any power, so how come they've become the Third Prince's lackeys? They don't say that the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate are the First Prince's lackeys, but rather that they are Ji Shumin's lackeys.
It's unclear whether the Dali Temple and the Surveillance Bureau, with their intelligence-gathering abilities, knew he had been scolded. In any case, He Diaoyu remained indifferent, unchanged, continuing to do what he was supposed to do, and having no effect whatsoever on what others said.
Someone probably said that to his face, and he reacted the same way...
Not everyone speaks ill of others behind their backs. Some people still harbor resentment and can't swallow their anger. They say those things specifically to He Diaoyu, in order to ruin his reputation.
Once labeled a sycophant involved in factional strife, He Diaoyu won't be able to escape unscathed! Let's see who can still call him a loyal minister in the future!
The He family cares so much about their reputation. For generations, they've wanted to have the words "honest and upright" engraved on their foreheads so that everyone could see it wherever they go. So let's just let that reputation be ruined here in He Diaoyu!
In the end, it was like punching cotton.
I heard Lord He say frankly in court: "If you do nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear. If you do something wrong, you will show all your ugly side and jump around happily. You are just grasshoppers that have passed autumn. It hasn't snowed in the capital yet. When it snows, they will all freeze to death and then stop."
He was able to thoroughly investigate the corrupt officials within their families, restore fairness and justice to the people, and bring peace and stability to the court. His life was worthwhile! As for his reputation, that was left for the people and future generations to judge!
The more righteous and awe-inspiring he spoke, the more he revealed the petty, scheming, and utterly uncouth people behind him. In contrast, in the hearts of the people, Lord He was highly regarded, and anyone who dared to speak ill of him was wrong. Anyone who spoke ill of Lord He was certainly no good!
After all this, He Diaoyu's reputation was not damaged at all. On the contrary, it made his reputation as a loyal minister stand even higher. Everyone looked at He Diaoyu as always and thought to themselves, "I have never seen such a stubborn and unyielding person!" How did such a person catch the eye of the First Prince and the Third Prince?
Neither force nor persuasion worked. In a short period of time, everyone seemed to have lost their spirit, behaving obediently in court and not daring to act recklessly after court.
What else can we do? If things stay quiet, we might be able to hold out for a while longer. But if we don't do what that person wants, we might be in big trouble tomorrow.
There's always something hanging over my head, but I can't expect a definitive conclusion at the appointed time. I can only worry day and night.
Many people are so worried that they can fasten their belts tighter; their once-bulging bellies have shrunk, and they live in constant fear, never finding a moment of peace...
I originally thought that this could be maintained for a while longer. But this can't go on forever, can it? Once the eldest prince continues to act recklessly like the third prince, he will gradually lose favor with the court officials, and then things will have to stop. You can't just give him a slap and then offer him a sweet treat.
When that time comes, their lives will be better.
Little did they know, this was just the beginning; the real show was yet to come!
The Third Prince actually submitted a memorial proposing to strip the noble titles and stipends of the aristocratic families in the capital!
During the reign of Emperor Taizu, due to the constant wars at the beginning of the dynasty and the oppressive tax laws, he began to bestow favors, nurture the people, and confer high positions upon those who had made meritorious contributions after the situation stabilized.
Later emperors mostly followed this pattern, and gradually, the number of aristocratic families increased, and the titles became more and more diverse. Some families, even after several generations, were no longer the original lineage to which they had been granted the titles, yet they continued to hold the titles and receive salaries, doing nothing but scheming and plotting for their own family's benefit, without contributing anything to the court.
"Not only have they done nothing to benefit the court, but they've also brought trouble upon it. We feed and clothe them, yet they're completely unable to share the emperor's burdens. In fact, many of the emperor's worries... are caused by them. It's truly absurd and laughable..."
Ji Shumin looked at the list and chuckled softly.
He's had this idea for a while now.
"The 'big rats' mentioned in the poems and writings must refer to these people, right?" Lu Liruan looked at the papers that described what they had done, and held them in her hand. She felt a heavy weight, not from the paper itself, but from the weight of the people's hard-earned money that emanated from them.
Lu Liruan always felt that the world was still peaceful and prosperous. Although the emperor had been less concerned with politics in recent years as he got older, there hadn't been any major problems. But looking at the beautiful and luxurious carpet, it was riddled with holes from lice and insects. If it wasn't repaired quickly, it would be too late to save it once the carpet was completely eaten away.
Many glorious dynasties eventually fell into decline and perished, only to be replaced by new dynasties, in a new cycle.
Using history as a mirror, we can understand the rise and fall of nations.
But how many emperors and ministers could truly foresee the rise and fall of dynasties?
The historical, political, and power-related tapestry slowly unfolded before her eyes, a complexity and grandeur unlike anything Lu Liruan had ever witnessed, dazzling and mesmerizing. What she had read in books was far less shocking than what was happening before her own eyes.
Ji Shumin stood there, perfectly composed.
Whether it was what Lu Liruan saw in the original story or what she heard from others, she could not truly understand what Ji Shumin was like as she stood beside him now.
He was born of imperial lineage and should have been so majestic and noble, instead of living a life of madness and suffering, ending his life hastily, leaving behind countless vague mysteries in history, his merits and demerits difficult to discern...
"Aren't they just rats? If we don't deal with them, they'll eat the city walls down sooner or later!"
Lu Liruan could tell that he was actually very angry. After reading all the reports that came back, Lu Liruan wished she could tear the culprit to pieces!
"Do whatever you want. If you bow down to those people, you'll never be able to swallow your pride for the rest of your life!" Lu Liruan's words came from the bottom of her heart.
Ji Shuqin and Ji Shumin set out to deal with them, but those aristocratic families had been entrenched in the capital for so many years, and it was impossible for them to surrender so easily.
There's no point in arguing; things have come to this point. If they don't make a scene now, they might lose their family's title, and what will happen to their descendants? Are they just to become ordinary citizens? How could that be? Many are prepared to grit their teeth and risk everything.
They're all making a fuss together, but the eldest prince is still just the eldest prince; he hasn't ascended the throne yet.
If there's really no other way... they have to teach these two arrogant princes a lesson they learned: their influence in the capital isn't something that can be built up overnight...
He's not the only prince who can inherit the throne. If they want to support another prince to compete with him and make the court chaotic and unsettled, that's not out of the question!
With this in mind, they went all in and made a foolish move.
On this day at court, several patriarchs from prominent families, some of whom hadn't attended court in a long time, were dressed in court robes and wearing crowns.
They actually carried a coffin to court!
The court was initially in an uproar, but then everyone fell silent upon seeing the Crown Prince's grim expression. They watched helplessly as the several dark, ominous coffins were placed so brightly and properly in the main hall.
Such an absurd scene has never been seen in this grand hall before...
The court officials lined up on both sides, making way for the old men so they could walk straight to Ji Shuqin.
"What are you gentlemen up to?" Ji Shuqin asked in a deep voice.
"Greetings, Your Highness the First Prince!"
Led by the old patriarch, they bowed tremblingly. The oldest of them could barely bend over. His trembling appearance made everyone around him worry that something might happen to him in court, which would be adding insult to injury!
"We... have come to beg Your Highness to rescind your decree! Otherwise, having lost the honor of our noble family in this way, we will have no face to face our ancestors or our descendants!"
"We cannot explain to our clansmen why the honor bestowed by the founding emperor has been lost so inexplicably! The founding emperor's calligraphy is still here, the golden characters on it have not yet faded, how could such a meritorious official..." The old patriarch at the head of the clan cried out in a voice that sounded like he was weeping blood!
He kept referring to the founding emperor, as if he didn't respect the eldest prince at all. He acted like an elder in the family, even his tone was condescending and lecturing!
It was obvious that they were using the founding emperor to intimidate people. The implication was clear: Our family was personally appointed by the founding emperor. How dare you, a prince who has not yet ascended the throne, deal with us so casually?
Everyone had their own agenda, but seeing these few, they were also secretly uneasy, yet they wanted to see how the First Prince and the Third Prince would handle the situation, in case they were truly subdued...
"So what do you old gentlemen mean?" Ji Shumin asked calmly.
Upon hearing him speak, several old men turned their faces towards him. They knew that most of it was the work of the former crown prince, and they had long been dissatisfied!
"If His Highness the Crown Prince cannot give us an answer today, we are old and no longer afraid of death. We will defend our family's dignity in this court!"
"After we old folks die, just put us in those few thin coffins, tidy us up, and throw us into the mass grave. We old folks won't have the face to go back and see our clansmen again!" The eldest one trembled as he walked toward the coffin, looking as if he was about to smash his head against it and die.
But his words had been on the ground for a long time, and the Third Prince still hadn't picked them up.
His wheelchair was placed at the head of the left side of the court, so that everyone could see his every move. He sat there comfortably, without the slightest discomfort caused by his disability. At this moment, his slender fingertips rhythmically looked at the armrests of the wheelchair, tilting his head with a half-smile as if he were looking at them.
Just looking at him, you can't help but feel like he's watching a circus act with ease.
"The Lu family of Duke Ande".
After waiting for a while, Ji Shumin slowly spoke: "Our ancestors were granted titles for their military achievements. Back then, the Duke of Ande saved the Emperor from a hail of arrows and was praised by the Emperor himself for his extraordinary bravery."
"Exactly!"
Upon hearing Ji Shumin recount the glorious deeds of his ancestors, the old man straightened his hunched back and became extremely self-respecting.
But Ji Shumin did not speak to him. Instead, he asked the Ministry of War, "Are there still any brave young men from the Lu family in the army?"
The Minister of War stepped forward, cupped his hands, and truthfully replied, "Your Highness, there are no soldiers from the Lu family."
"Oh." Ji Shumin nodded.
"Nowadays...nowadays, the sons of the Duke of Ande's mansion are so...so good at literature." The old man explained dryly, not understanding why Ji Shumin asked such a question. What if there weren't any?
"Of course," Ji Shumin said indifferently. "What is your relationship with the old Duke Ande from the time of Emperor Taizu?"
"He is my ancestor!" This question displeased the old man. How could the third prince speak like that? He had been the Duke of Ande for most of his life, so naturally he was a descendant of the old Duke of Ande!
"About ten years after the death of the founding emperor, the last son of the old Duke Ande died on the battlefield without leaving any offspring. Only a few widows and daughters remained in the Duke Ande's mansion. The emperor took pity on them and did not strip them of their titles and ranks. Instead, he allowed the eldest daughter to find a husband in the mansion and have children who could still inherit the title of Duke Ande."
"At that time, the world was in chaos. The old An De Gong clan came from their ancestral home to seek refuge. Since they were indeed members of the Lu family, the An De Gong family allowed your elders to stay. In the end, the eldest daughter's youngest son unfortunately died young and was adopted by a son of the Lu family. When he grew up, he inherited the title of An De Gong... Am I wrong?" Ji Shumin spoke calmly and slowly.
But most people in the court were unaware of what he had said!
They found it novel and fascinating.
"Yes...yes," the old man replied, even more confused, but he had a vague...bad feeling. This third prince was famous even when he was still the crown prince. His knowledge of his ancestors must not be unfounded.