Chapter 338 When in doubt, ask Runwu

Meridian Gate.

It is the most guarded place in and out of the imperial city.

But at the same time, it was also the favorite place for officials of the Ming Dynasty to sit in meditation.

The location of the Meridian Gate is really great. There are towering palace walls on the east and west sides that can block the sun and wind, and the ground is paved with stone slabs, so your butt won't hurt when you sit on them.

It is indeed the best place for meditation.

Once any officials made a noise in front of the Meridian Gate, the cabinet ministers in the Wenyuan Pavilion on the east side behind the Meridian Gate had to come out to check the situation.

Look.

We officials in the court are so careful that the elders can see us doing trouble as long as they come out of Wenyuan Pavilion and pass through the Meridian Gate.

At that time, officials of the current dynasty were sitting in the Meridian Gate to protest against the harm done by government clerks and yamen runners, and demanded that the court bring justice to them.

Xu Jie and others finally heard the news and rushed over.

The first thing that was seen was Yan Shifan standing in front of the crowd, constantly shouting, drawing cheers from the officials present.

Xu Jie listened carefully for a while and felt dizzy.

This Yan Shifan is really...

Really...

Xu Jie gritted his teeth and stamped his feet fiercely, then turned to look at Gao Gong standing beside him: "Su Qing! What do you think we should do about this?"

Next to Xu Jie and Gao Gong were Yuan Wei and Li Chunfang.

Gao Gong looked directly at Yan Shifan who was standing in front of the crowd in front of the Meridian Gate, glanced sideways at Xu Jie, and snorted in his heart.

Are you trying to take the lead yourself?
Gao Gong simply said: "Since all the officials feel insulted and aggrieved, it is not a big deal for them to vent a little."

The fact is actually just as Gao Gong said.

Who among the officials in the Ming Dynasty had not sat in meditation in front of the Meridian Gate once or twice?

As for Xu Jie wanting himself to be the first to take the lead, forget it!

Now it is because Yan Shifan is using the righteousness of the court officials to make his case, and you, Lord Xu, find yourself speechless, so you are unwilling to step forward yourself.

Xu Jie had expected Gao Gong to shirk responsibility, and his eyes turned to Yuan Wei and Li Chunfang.

Yuan Wei raised his head and neck and looked towards the palace wall on one side.

It seems that some flowers can be seen on it.

As for Li Chunfang, he stared at the officials sitting quietly in front of the Meridian Gate with a frown on his face, but he pursed his lips, obviously unwilling to speak.

Xu Jie couldn't help feeling depressed.

Is this cabinet really doing nothing?

Did the Ming Dynasty’s cabinet rely entirely on itself?

As for the Prime Minister?

Old Yan is still taking a nap in the cabinet classroom right now!

Xu Jie was extremely angry for a while.

It’s just that these cabinet ministers don’t speak.

Yan Shifan had already seen them coming out of the palace.

In front of all the officials present, Yan Shifan snorted coldly, put one hand on his waist and swung the other hand around, then pointed sideways towards the Meridian Gate.

Yan Shifan shouted loudly: "Lord Xu! All the Lords! We are not here to cause trouble in front of the Meridian Gate today. It is because the government is in turmoil and we are panicking that we have resorted to this desperate measure. We hope Lord Xu can uphold justice for us!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, he directly pushed the matter onto Xu Jie.

And the officials behind Yan Shifan raised their hands one after another.

"Please, Lord Xu, do us justice!"

"Please, elder, do justice!"

Hearing the shouts of the officials behind him, Yan Shifan smiled.

He looked at Xu Jie, whose face was tense, with a clear gaze, and the smile in his eyes grew more intense.

I'm afraid Xu Jie never thought that one day he would be able to stand here with all the officials in the court and speak to him.

Facing Yan Shifan's shout, Xu Jie's breath stagnated.

Can I say that they are fooling around?
Wouldn't that make him the enemy of all the officials in the court?

Xu Jie could only suppress his anger, put his hands down, and said, "Everyone calm down! The court has always been fair. The cabinet has already known about what you complained about today. The cabinet will definitely discuss it and report it to the emperor. I will definitely give you an explanation."

Yan Shifan immediately said, "Lord Xu, I and my colleagues here today naturally believe in your character!"

Finish this sentence.

Yan Shifan almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

If Xu Jie had good character, he would be the only loyal minister in the Ming Dynasty!

However, considering the situation today, I can only say this with a pinch of my nose.

Then, Yan Shifan said, "We are not gathered here for a short while. Recently, the court has been discussing the harm done by government officials and yamen runners. I think the cabinet must be aware of it, but I and my colleagues have not heard what the cabinet has concluded."

Xu Jie frowned.

Yan Shifan had already said everything, so what else could he say?

He opened his mouth and was about to speak, but was interrupted by Yan Shifan's next words.

"Today, we all heard in vain that in this capital, under the jurisdiction of Shuntian Prefecture, a group of scoundrels in Shunyi County actually reported the county magistrate of our county for illegal activities. However, there were countless errors and omissions in the case. I am now responsible for the Ministry of Justice. I will review the case with the officials of this department and I believe that there must be some cover-up in this case."

"And the clerks of a county dared to collude and kill the officials of the court in this place of the capital, under the feet of the emperor. They are really bold! If the court does not rectify it, how can we officials in the court have no worries? I am afraid that by then, everyone in the court will have to reflect three times a day whether they have offended the clerks of their own government or other government offices."

In front of the Meridian Gate.

Yan Shifan is a man of integrity, eager to help others and speak up for all officials.

As Yan Shifan finished speaking.

All the officials in the court who had gathered behind him stood up with flushed faces.

"Well done, Zuo Shilang!"

"The Left Assistant Minister speaks for all officials. He is truly the most important person in the court!"

"Well done!"

"Well done..."

"..."

Xu Jie's hair was all messy for a while.

Now, the momentum has been in the hands of Yan Shifan. Seeing that the officials are responding continuously, he knows that he cannot suppress it by force.

Yan Shifan turned around and ignored Xu Laogou.

He looked at the officials who stood up one after another, and like Xu Jie just now, he raised his hands high and then pressed them down.

But it was different from what Xu Jie had just said.

After Yan Shifan pressed his hand, the officials who had just stood up immediately quieted down and sat down on the ground again.

Yan Shifan said with a smile: "Everyone, I, Yan Donglou, believe that the cabinet and the elders will definitely give us justice. The court will definitely be fair as Elder Xu said. Today, we will definitely be able to get justice with the help of Elder Xu!"

Say it.

Yan Shifan clasped his hands together, bowed to everyone present, and then sat cross-legged on the ground in full view of everyone.

Xu Jie looked at this with hatred.

With today's scene, Yan Shifan can be said to have earned enough face in front of all the officials.

And I was put into the fire by this guy!

For a while.

Xu Jie in front of the Meridian Gate was caught in a dilemma.

And in the Wanshou Palace in Xiyuan.

Jiajing, who had just heard the scene in front of the Meridian Gate, suddenly laughed out loud.

His face was full of a playful smile.

Jiajing looked at Huang Jin who had delivered the message and asked with a smile, "Has Yan Shifan really been put in a dilemma by Xu Jie?"

Huang Jin smiled and nodded, saying, "Minister Zuo's mouth is really..."

For a moment, Huang Jin didn't know how to describe it.

Jiajing snorted.

"Sharp teeth and sharp mouth!"

Huang Jin smiled innocently.

Lu Fang on the side said, "But now that all the officials have gathered at the door, the court can't just ignore this matter. Shouldn't the master summon Elder Yan and the others to discuss it?" "What to discuss?"

Jiajing glanced at Lu Fang and asked back.

Lu Fang nodded and lowered his head, saying no more.

Jiajing paced around for a while, then walked up to the platform and lay on his side.

He patted the platform lightly with his hands, his eyes narrowed, as if he was thinking about something.

After a while, Jiajing spoke in a low voice.

"Tell me, who is worse, the officials of our Ming Dynasty or the clerks and servants?"

Huang Jin said without hesitation: "Of course, the court officials appointed by the master are even worse."

After saying this, Huang Jin quietly gauged Jiajing's reaction.

Jiajing's expression, however, remained calm and there was no change.

Lu Fang slowly said, "Master, this matter actually needs to be looked at separately."

"Oh?"

There was a hint of curiosity on Jiajing's face.

Lu Fang nodded and said, "If they were officials like Zhang Juzheng, Yan Shaoting or Hai Rui, no matter where they served, they would definitely be able to suppress the officials and clerks under them and make them dare not overstep the line in the slightest.

But if he were like other officials, serving in the various ministries and yamen in the capital, he might be less harmed by the clerks and yamen runners in his own yamen. But once he left the capital to serve in the local areas, unless he was a high-ranking official, he would probably still have to be courteous to the clerks and yamen runners in the yamen. "

After Lu Fang finished answering, he also nodded and lowered his head, waiting for the emperor's final evaluation.

After a while.

Jiajing's voice was heard again.

"The harm of clerks!"

On the platform.

Jiajing sneered.

"Back then, before I ascended the throne and was still in the palace of Chengtian Prefecture, I saw how cunning and treacherous the local officials were, deceiving their superiors and subordinates just to get more money and fill their own pockets."

Although Jiajing was not the emperor of the Ming Dynasty at that time, he was just a member of the royal family.

But the son of a royal family is no ordinary person.

But I have also witnessed how powerful those government clerks are.

It seems like he was thinking about some bad past.

Jiajing paused for a moment before changing the subject and asking, "Have you found out the case in Shunyi County?"

Huang Jin is in charge of this matter.

Lu Fang glanced at Huang Jin and asked, "How is the investigation going on at the factory guards?"

Huang Jin quickly raised his head and replied: "Master, the incident just happened, and the East Factory has not yet fully investigated the case. But..."

"but what!"

Jiajing narrowed his eyes, a fierce look on his face.

Huang Jin lowered his head: "Since taking office as the magistrate of Shunyi County last year, he has also fought for power with the clerks in the government office, but he has never been able to defeat the clerks in the county office. Since then, he has been hanging out with a young lady named Zhao from the East City of Shunyi County..."

snort!
Just as Huang Jin guessed, the emperor snorted coldly.

Jiajing's face was gloomy: "So, Shunyi County is unlikely to oppress the people, so there is no need to investigate this matter further."

Huang Jin wanted to say something, but Lu Fang spoke first.

Lu Fang said with a sullen face, "Master, you are wise. Since the Shunyi County Magistrate has done nothing after the investigation, the Shunyi County case must have been the result of collusion between the clerks and the yamen runners. But now that they see that the court is not in the right direction, they hastily pin the blame on the county magistrate."

In fact, things are very clear at this point.

The clerks and runners in Shunyi County were limited in their vision and thought they could pin the crime on the county magistrate.

But they never thought that the court would make such a big fuss this time.

Or.

They are just struggling to survive.

Jiajing looked gloomy and sighed, "Then this time, it is reasonable for my officials to sit in silence at the Meridian Gate. How can I blame them?"

His eyes turned and a somewhat indecipherable expression appeared on his face.

After a while.

Jiajing whispered: "It's just..."

Lu Fang raised his head and glanced at the emperor secretly.

He knows.

The emperor is now also in a dilemma.

On one side are the court officials, and on the other side are the government clerks.

Officials govern the world on behalf of the emperor. This is a symbol of imperial power and a projection of the emperor's authority.

However, officials cannot directly manage all places in the world. Below the prefectures and counties, further management still depends on clerks and yamen runners who come from local areas.

Once all the officials in the country reach unity, there will be chaos in the local area.

Even though the imperial court had countless officials, the local gentry and powerful people were able to incite the people to rebel.

On the platform.

Jiajing laughed at himself.

He shook his head, and under the gaze of Lu Fang and Huang Jin, he said mockingly: "It's difficult! They all thought that I could make the decision for them, but they never knew that it was difficult for me too..."

Lu Fang frowned.

The emperor was lamenting like this at this moment, and as someone who had served the emperor for many years, he also felt the same way.

even.

In Lu Fang's opinion, the local government officials should be rectified to curb the arrogance of these people.

It would also help to let these people know who is in charge of the Ming Dynasty.

But how can things be that simple?
Recently, there has been a lot of criticism of court officials in Changping newspapers because of affairs involving government clerks and yamen runners.

This is the local voice.

Huang Jin looked at the emperor who was hesitant and in a dilemma.

He hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and whispered tentatively: "Master, how about this matter...how about..."

Jiajing was still deep in thought at this moment.

Lu Fang saw that Huang Jin was hesitant and undecided.

He immediately frowned and said, "If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you so hesitant?"

Huang Jin nodded in response and immediately said, "Why not invite guest Yan to the palace and perform the prelude of the Holy Spirit?"

After saying that, Huang Jin immediately looked up at the emperor on the platform who was looking up at him.

He quickly added: "Guest Yan used to have many brilliant ideas. He was able to find new ways to solve many of the court's difficulties. This time, why not..."

He really wanted to say that since the master was undecided today, he might as well ask guest Yan for his opinion.

But he didn't dare to say these words.

If he really said it, it would harm Yan Binke.

Lu Fang raised his eyebrows and said immediately: "This matter concerns the country and is a major military and national issue. Even if guest Yan has great talent, I'm afraid he can't think of a good solution."

After saying that.

Lu Fang also took a quick look at the emperor.

Then he changed the subject and said, "However, we can ask him what he thinks. Perhaps we can also call the governor of Shuntian Prefecture over as well. After all, the incident originated from Shunyi County, which is governed by Zhang Juzheng..."

After saying this, Lu Fang finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at the emperor.

Huang Jin lowered his head, greatly admiring Lu Fang in his heart.

It had to be Eunuch Lu, who left some room for maneuver when speaking and was able to bring Zhang Juzheng into the matter as well.

Jiajing immediately raised his eyebrows.

"deliver an imperial order."

"Summon Yan Runwu to the palace to make a statement."

"Let Zhang Juzheng come as well!"

…………

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(End of this chapter)