Chapter 114 Those who make false accounts will be the first to plead their innocence (Subscription Request)
Under the Meridian Gate.

Gao Hanwen followed Yan Shaoting out of the palace gate and shook his head involuntarily as he heard the roar outside.

Are you dreaming?

There are actually officials who collectively demand that others investigate them strictly?

I'm afraid these people must have had their heads crushed by the Meridian Gate.

Gao Hanwen looked outside the Meridian Gate, recounting scenes that had never happened in the Ming Dynasty, and could not help but look at Yan Shaoting's back.

Last time, when the Xin'an River dike in Zhejiang Province was destroyed, he spoke in Wenyuan Pavilion about resolving the dilemma by combining reform and relief.

But it was later proved that the officials in Zhejiang Province had no bottom line.

If it weren't for Yan Shidu's keen observation, his residence in the capital, and his travels throughout the southeast, the disaster in Zhejiang would probably be impossible to resolve now.

Such an incident happened at Wumen today.

Gao Hanwen couldn't help but look forward to how Yan Shaoting would respond.

In front of the Meridian Gate.

The ambassadors of the Ministry of Works' Military Equipment Bureau, the Saddle and Bridle Bureau, the Imperial Household Equipment Bureau, and the ambassadors of various treasuries stood at the front, and behind them were the officials and clerks of these government offices.

As for officials from other government offices of the imperial court, few of them came.

After all, even though Yan Shaoting had not issued an order to investigate the case for several days, causing panic among the court, this case was directly related to the Xiyuan Incident and the gunshot outside the Xiyuan Palace wall.

The accounts that we deal with directly are those of places like the Ordnance Bureau.

At this time, no matter how uneasy the people from other government offices felt, few of them came to the Meridian Gate.

After all, once they come here, doesn't it mean that there is something wrong with them too?

Gao Hanwen had been following behind Yan Shaoting. Looking at the dozens of people in front of him, he whispered, "Is the tutor waiting for something like today to happen so that he can convict and jail them all?"

Yan Shaoting turned around and glanced at Xiao Gao: "Gao Hanlin wants me to arrest them all and put them in the Jinyiwei prison?"

Gao Hanwen was about to nod, but he immediately reacted.

He stared at Yan Shaoting with wide eyes.

What.

If you arrest someone later, it was my idea?

How did this matter suddenly have something to do with me?
Yan Shaoting smiled faintly and ignored this rookie in officialdom. He walked out of the Meridian Gate and came to the front of officials from the Military Equipment Bureau and other government offices who were stopped by a group of East Factory guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

"Yan Shidu!"

"Please do not forget the emperor's order and investigate us strictly."

"As a subject of your majesty, how can Yan Shidu be lazy for several days and not ask about the case?"

The officials in front of the Meridian Gate were talking at once.

I feel like I never want to live this kind of life of waiting and living in fear every day again.

When he arrived in front of the officials, Yan Shaoting's face darkened and he snorted coldly, instantly stopping the noise at the scene.

"Are you guys going to cause trouble in front of the palace?"

"According to Gao Hanlin's opinion, all of you will be taken to the Imperial Prison to be punished!"

Before the officials from the Military Equipment Bureau and other government offices could react.

Gao Hanlin, who squeezed out from behind, felt a darkness before his eyes.

Yan Shaoting continued to snort and questioned: "But I think that you must have come here for a reason. What crime have you committed? If you want me to examine you, you can tell me one by one. I will definitely uphold justice."

At this moment, even the officials of the Military Equipment Bureau and other government offices in front of the Meridian Gate felt dizzy before their eyes.

Things seemed to be going a little wrong.

Yan Shaoting, however, remained calm and asked a guard from the Eastern Depot to go to the Imperial Censorate's pavilion under the Dengwen Drum near the Meridian Gate and get a chair.

Then, in full view of everyone, he sat down on the chair leisurely.

Yan Shaoting glanced at the officials present.

In fact, ever since the gunshot in Xiyuan and then Lu Yi discovered that there were problems with the firearms accounts of the Ordnance Bureau and other government offices, he knew that the root of the problem was not in the Ordnance Bureau and other government offices.

Can't help it.

Yan Shaoting thought of Xu Wei's visit to Beijing this time, and the letters from Hu Zongxian and Zhang Juzheng that were also delivered.

At this time, Hai Rui was already in the two prefectures of Suzhou and Songjiang, continuing to investigate the concealment of the land in the two prefectures.

I just don't know when Hai Rui's memorial will be sent to the capital.

The gunshot in Xiyuan was not the cause, it was the result.

So to figure it out, we need to find out the reason.

The Military Equipment Bureau and other firearms manufacturing and storage offices, as well as the court’s accounts and local taxes.

This is the result of countless intricate threads intertwined together.

And in front of the Meridian Gate.

Officials from the Military Equipment Bureau and other government offices were completely stupefied by Yan Shaoting's question.

Yup!

Only a fool would admit that he is guilty and then be thrown into the Jinyiwei prison.

"We are not guilty!"

"We didn't do anything."

"The Xiyuan Incident, the gunshot outside the palace wall, has nothing to do with us."

"There are thieves who want to harm us."

"Please ask Mr. Yan to do justice for us."

Under the leadership of the Ambassador of the Military Equipment Bureau, the Ambassador of the Saddle and Bridle Bureau and others, officials from various government offices quickly changed their tone.

Gao Hanwen was completely dumbfounded.

He simply couldn't understand how the wind direction in front of the Meridian Gate changed completely in the blink of an eye.

The officials who had originally been calling for Yan Shaoting to conduct a thorough investigation now wanted Yan Shaoting to do them justice.

Gao Hanwen, who was originally seeking to leave the Hanlin Academy and serve as an official in a remote area, suddenly felt that he probably didn't know how to be an official.

As for the external speaker, it’s better to wait and see.

Yan Shaoting looked at the change of attitude of the officials in front of him and smiled slightly: "Then why after the Xiyuan Incident, Jinyiwei Commander Lu Yi found out that there were errors and omissions in your firearms accounts? Who can explain this to me?"

The officials suddenly became quiet. No matter what they did, there was indeed something wrong with the firearms accounts in the government office.

For a moment, the officials were in a dilemma.

If you say it, you will die; if you don’t say it, you will die.

……

“They’ll tell.”

In Yuxi Palace, Jiajing sat cross-legged on the platform with a cold and gloomy look in his eyes.

Lu Fang, who was serving at the side, looked up at the emperor.

Lu Fang whispered, "There has been a commotion at the Meridian Gate for quite some time. Master, do you really think that officials at the Military Equipment Bureau and other government offices will tell the truth about the accounts?"

snort!
Jiajing snorted coldly: "Do you think that the officials in my Ming Dynasty are really united and of one mind?"

Lv Fang smiled and shook his head, saying, "My master is the one who sees things clearly and knows people's hearts. These people will naturally be of one mind if there is benefit. If there is no benefit, they will be beheaded. The only thing they can do is to save themselves first."

Jiajing glanced outside with grim eyes.

Wave and point.

"It's getting hotter. Take some people to Wenyuan Pavilion and send some mung bean soup to help the elders cool down."

Lu Fang smiled happily, nodded and bowed.

"This slave takes the order."

……

At this moment, what happened in front of the Meridian Gate had already spread throughout the capital.

In Wenyuan Pavilion, there were always people going back and forth between the Meridian Gate to report news.

When Lu Fang brought people and mung bean soup into the Wenyuan Pavilion classroom.

He glanced at the four ministers and a smile appeared on his face.

"My Lords, His Majesty is worried about the hot weather, so he asked me to bring some mung bean soup to cool you down."

Yan Song, who was originally waiting to help his eldest grandson at any time, looked up immediately upon hearing the voice.

Yan Song smiled and said, "It turns out that it is Eunuch Lu who is here. Your Majesty, please have mercy on us. It is a pity for Eunuch Lu to make this trip."

Xu Jie, Gao Gong and Yuan Wei also spoke up and echoed.

Lu Fang waved his hand, and the eunuchs beside him immediately brought the mung bean soup brought from Yuxi Palace to the table in front of the four elders.

Lu Fang looked around and asked, "Why don't I see Yan Shidu?"

Yan Song was about to explain, but Gao Gong beat him to it.

Gao Gong smiled as he said, "The officials from the Military Equipment Bureau are crazy and went to the Meridian Gate to cause trouble. Attendant Yan has gone out to deal with them."

Lu Fang pretended to be confused and said, "Why? What are these people from the Military Equipment Bureau going to do?"

Seeing Lu Fang asked this.

Gao Gong felt more comfortable.

He immediately said, "What else could it be? It's because of the fake accounts made by those bastards in the Armament Bureau. Last time, His Majesty asked Yan Shidu to check it out, and there has been no movement in the past few days. I don't know what these bastards were thinking, but they actually came to the Meridian Gate to cause trouble."

Yuan Wei silently glanced at Gao Gong.

Lao Gao's method is crude, but very effective.

Yan Song also glanced at Gao Suqing indifferently and smiled faintly in his heart.

Xu Jie shook his head and said, "Runwu shoulders a heavy responsibility, so we must investigate him thoroughly. However, since it concerns the Western Garden, we cannot act rashly. I think if those people don't leave from the Meridian Gate, the cabinet should intervene."

Lu Fang smiled and said, "It's so hot outside, His Majesty couldn't bear it and sent us mung bean soup. You should just stay in this room. I think Yan Shidu can still take care of things outside."

Gao Gong wanted to speak up and ridicule Yan Shaoting again. If he could have handled it well, there would not have been the incident outside the Meridian Gate today.

But Xu Jie said first: "Eunuch Lu is right. Young people are in good health. Let them handle these matters."

Lu Fang nodded and said, "Since the mung bean soup has been delivered, I will return to the West Garden to serve His Majesty."

Xu Jie returned the greeting by bowing: "Goodbye, Eunuch Lu."

After Lu Fang left, Xu Jie turned around and looked at Yan Song, who was firmly sitting in the top position of the cabinet.

"Lord Yan, should we wait and see if the Cabinet can send the people from the Armament Bureau and other government offices back?"

Yuan Wei had been watching these people's words and actions silently.

All the good and bad things have been said by Lord Xu.

You probably can’t learn it by yourself.

Silently shrinking his head, Yuan Wei sat in his chair, lowering his head and thinking whether he should write a few more poems recently.

Yan Song smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please be kind to me and have pity on my old bones. Let's drink this mung bean soup first."

Done.

Old Yan had already picked up the mung bean soup and started slurping it.

Xu Jie took a silent look before sitting down.

……

Outside the Meridian Gate.

Faced with the choice of confessing one's guilt or protecting oneself.

The officials from the Military Equipment Bureau and other government offices who were present made their choice very knowingly.

The first to speak was the ambassador from the Imperial Household Armory Bureau.

"Master Yan, we are innocent! We can explain the accounts clearly. This matter has nothing to do with us!"

The ambassador of the Saddle and Bridle Bureau followed closely behind, shouting loudly: "I am only a lowly official of the ninth rank, how dare I tamper with such a military weapon? Please, Mr. Yan, understand."

"All the ministries and offices of the imperial court are under the orders of the superiors. People like us have little influence and have always done whatever the superiors tell us to do. It is not our intention to falsify the accounts."

The ambassador from the Ministry of Industry's Arms Depot cried out in indignation.

Gao Hanwen, who was standing next to Yan Shaoting, finally figured something out.

Could it be that Yan Shidu has been waiting all this time?

Are we waiting for these people who cooked the accounts to confess and plead guilty?
…………

Monthly ticket recommendation ticket

(End of this chapter)