Chapter 116: A Near Miss

There are 134 government offices in the capital of Dafeng. Apart from those unincorporated clerks and those in the military system, there are as many as 10,000 officials who eat at the emperor's table.

Among them, only one-tenth can attend the morning court, and the officials, nobles, and royal family members who can enter the Golden Palace to talk directly with the emperor are only more than 100 at most.

The civil and military officials who were waiting outside the Meridian Gate at the time of Yin gathered in twos and threes, talking about some family matters, with hidden needles in cotton.

"Your Majesty has been more diligent in attending court recently."

"The imperial examination is coming soon."

"Your Majesty was not so diligent in the imperial examination last year."

"Of course it's because of the Sangpo case. Alas, it's a troubled time. His Majesty is going to lose his temper today, so don't offend him."

"I am just a civil official. The Sangpo case has nothing to do with me, not us."

"Oh, who does it have to do with?"

Everyone smiled at each other.

Who does it have to do with?

Of course, it is related to the leader of the five guards in the capital, and of course it is related to the night watchmen who are responsible for protecting the capital and the royal family.

Naturally, it is also related to the leader of the night watchmen's office, Wei Yuan, Wei Qingyi.

In front of the Meridian Gate, Wei Yuan was dressed in blue, standing alone, and was out of tune with the surrounding civil and military officials.

Wei Yuan was a very special person. There was no eunuch with more power than him in the dynasty. Even the eunuchs around the emperor did not have much power in their hands.

Only Wei Yuan was different. He was not only the leader of the night watchmen's office, but also the chief censor of the Censorate.

Both offices had the power to supervise all officials.

Emperor Yuan Jing's meaning was very clear. Wei Yuan was my knife. Whoever disobeyed would have his knife fall on his neck.

Wei Yuan was not only the knife that Emperor Yuan Jing pushed out to check and balance all officials, but also played a role in attracting hatred.

Civil and military officials did not dare to hate the emperor, but they could vent their emotions on Wei Yuan.

At present, the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple has been destroyed. Emperor Yuan Jing, who has been lazy for a long time, went to court today, obviously with a lot of anger to vent.

Wei Yuan must be the first to bear the brunt.

All the civil and military officials were happy to eat melons.

At the beginning of the Mao hour, the heavy bell sound echoed in the dark night sky, which seemed vast and lonely.

All the civil and military officials entered from the slowly opened east gate, and the royal family entered from the west gate.

Emperor Yuan Jing sat high on the dragon throne, looking down at hundreds of officials with an expressionless face, who came in from the Meridian Gate in an orderly manner, with civil and military officials in separate rows.

More than a hundred officials, nobles, and royal family members entered the Golden Palace.

After the report was finished, a censor from the Ministry of Justice stepped out and said loudly: "The night before, thieves broke into Sangpo and blew up the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple, which is a shame for our Dafeng. Wei Yuan, as the leader of the night watchmen, failed to protect the imperial city. I ask Your Majesty to behead this official to appease the public anger."

"I second the motion!"

"I second the motion!"

Immediately, many professional trolls from the censors jumped out and asked Emperor Yuan Jing to chop off Wei Yuan's head.

The attack and annihilation in the court is the same as buying vegetables at the vegetable market. Usually, it is exaggerated, and beheading and house seizure are often carried out.

No matter how big the matter is, chopping off the dog's head is right.

If the emperor disagrees, he will bargain, from beheading to exile, from exile to dismissal.

Anyway, you can't say dismissal, you have to give the emperor room to bargain. Otherwise, the emperor will see that you guys don't give me a chance to bargain?

Then not guilty.

As expected by the officials, Emperor Yuan Jing directly rejected the impeachment against Wei Yuan and praised Wei Yuan's work.

This confused the officials and they whispered to each other.

"Silence!"

The eunuch of Emperor Yuan Jing whipped the whip and warned the officials sharply.

The matter came to an end, but the impeachment against Wei Yuan did not stop, but changed to another target.

Another official from the Ministry of Justice stepped out and said, "The night watchman Xu Qian'an openly killed the guards at the gate of the Ministry of Justice and defied the imperial power. I beg your majesty to severely punish this thief and execute his entire family."

Wei Yuan, who was calm and indifferent when he was impeached, narrowed his eyes and followed out: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice instructed the guards to obstruct the night watchman from handling the case with ulterior motives. I suspect that Sun Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice colluded with the thieves and blew up Sangpo. Please dismiss him from his post and put him in the Tianlao for interrogation."

The censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate all seconded the motion.

"What nonsense!"

"Your Majesty, Wei Yuan is slandering and his heart is damnable."

"Your Majesty, there is a big problem in the Ministry of Justice. I and others second the motion to dismiss all the officials of the Ministry of Justice and investigate them."

The two sides immediately started a war of words, and officials from other parties occasionally interrupted and fanned the flames. In the court, the various factions entered into a fierce struggle.

The Prime Minister, the six ministers, Wei Yuan and other bigwigs closed their eyes to rest.

Emperor Yuan Jing was not angry at all. When he saw that the officials had almost quarreled, he signaled the eunuch to scold them and let the Golden Palace return to silence.

"Tongluo Xu Qi'an, you are guilty and it is inevitable that you are extreme in your actions. You should work together to handle the case instead of obstructing each other. If you do it again, I will punish you severely." Emperor Yuan Jing said in a deep voice.

Wei Yuan opened his eyes and flashed a look of surprise.

He expected Xu Qi'an to be fine, but he didn't expect that Emperor Yuan Jing would speak for the little Tongluo himself.

Emperor Yuan Jing looked around at all the officials with sharp eyes and continued: "From today on, the city gates will be unblocked, and officials above the sixth rank in the court are not allowed to leave the capital."

"Dismiss the court!"

...

At the beginning of the Mao hour, Xu Qi'an woke up on time, washed and dressed, and went to his second uncle's house for breakfast.

When he was a little fast hand in Changle County, he had to rush to the yamen at the beginning of the Mao hour and report to the office, which was equivalent to punching in at work.

After becoming a night watchman, considering that Tongluo Xu Qi'an was a poor guy who couldn't afford to buy a house, the report was changed from the beginning of the Mao hour to the last three quarters of the Mao hour.

He was left with an hour and a half to travel.

In this regard, the night watchman's office was quite open-minded.

It was winter, and the temperature was very low in the morning. People would inevitably be sealed in the warm quilt for a few more hours.

The plump and beautiful aunt was sealed in bed and didn't get up. The beautiful sister with a melon-seed face was also sealed.

"Go and wake Lingyin up. If you develop a lazy habit when you are young, it will be difficult to correct it when you grow up." said Uncle Xu.

Xu Qian'an suspected that he thought the dinner table was not lively enough, because Xu Erlang returned to Yunlu Academy before the Mao hour.

He said that the dean would give a lecture this morning, and he had to leave the city at the beginning of the Mao hour to catch up.

In this way, it was Uncle Xu and Xu Dalang who were eating at the table.

Xu Qian'an immediately went to the inner courtyard and knocked on Xu Lingyin's door. The one who opened the door was the maid who served Xu Lingyin.

The little maid said half expectantly, half vigilantly, and half shyly: "Da, what does Dalang want to do?"

It was still dark, and he knocked on the door. Did Dalang want to take the opportunity to do something to her?

Xu Qian'an said I came to wake Lingyin up.

He walked into the room and saw Xu Lingyin curled up in a thick quilt, like a pillow hidden under the quilt, so small.

Xu Qi'an slapped her on the butt to wake her up.

Xu Lingyin opened her eyes in a daze, wiped her saliva, and said vaguely: "It's a big pot..."

"Get up and have breakfast."

"Oh..."

"Then get up!"

"Snoring..."

"Today's breakfast is steamed lamb, steamed bear paws, steamed deer tails, roasted duck, roasted chicken, roasted goose, braised pork, braised duck, and sauced chicken..."

Bang bang...Xu Lingyin on the bed suddenly twitched and kicked her limbs. Her brain was still sleeping, but her body couldn't wait to have breakfast.

The maid helped the little bean wash her face and brush her teeth. Xu Qi'an carried her to the front hall. Xu Lingyin rested her chin on Xu Qi'an's shoulder, her buttocks were sticking out, she wanted to sleep but didn't dare to, for fear of missing the delicious food.

"Don't sleep, I'll sing you a song."

"Oh..."

"Little bunny, open the door, open it quickly, I want to come in. If you don't want to open it, then don't open it. My husband hasn't come back yet, and I won't open it for anyone to come."

.....

Arriving at the front hall, Xu Lingyin stared at the steamed buns, soy milk and fried dough sticks in amazement, and she was about to cry out of grievance.

"This is not the breakfast I want, where are my steamed lamb, steamed bear paws, steamed deer tails, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, braised pork, braised duck, and sauced chicken..."

You wrote it down now? ! Xu Qian'an rolled his eyes: "Brother lied to you."

Xu Lingyin cried "wow", put her hands behind her back, leaned forward, and launched a sonic attack at Xu Qian'an.

....

Finish the meal!

"I shouldn't have called her earlier, she's making me feel stuffy." Second Uncle Xu held his helmet and walked away cursing.

"Yes, I finally understand my aunt's difficulties. My aunt has worked hard." Xu Qian'an left with a curse.

Xu Lingyin was left to eat while crying under the service of the maid.

Although she was very sad that there was no steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, braised pork, braised duck, or sauced chicken, she could eat while being sad.

.....

Wei Yuan left the Jinluan Palace and reviewed the situation in the court today in his mind. Suddenly, someone behind him shouted, "Mr. Wei, wait for us."

Turning his head, it was Eunuch Liu.

Before Wei Yuan became rich, he also worked in the palace. He had a very good relationship with Eunuch Liu and smiled, "Eunuch Liu, what's the matter?"

Eunuch Liu looked around, took out a few pieces of rice paper from his sleeve, and stuffed them into Wei Yuan's pockets: "We copied it, you can take a look."

Wei Yuan understood and smiled, "I'll invite you to have a few drinks in the palace another day."

After leaving the Meridian Gate and getting on the carriage, Yang Yan, who was driving, walked towards the government office without saying a word.

Wei Yuan took out the rice paper, looked at it for a while, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"What is your godfather looking at?" Nangong Qianrou, who was leaning lazily in the carriage and acting as a personal guard, asked curiously.

"I thought I would be criticized by His Majesty today, but I didn't expect it to pass smoothly." Wei Yuan smiled.

"Passed smoothly?" Yang Yan asked in surprise outside the carriage.

On the way to court, Wei Yuan simulated the court situation in his mind. He had this habit, simulating before court and reviewing after court.

In the original simulation, this court session would definitely be impeached, and Emperor Yuan Jing would take the opportunity to blame or give certain punishments.

Wei Yuan guessed correctly, the Sangpo case did become a reason for political enemies to attack and annihilate.

But he didn't expect the matter to be revealed so lightly.

Nangong Qianrou frowned and said, "No one took the opportunity to attack and annihilate my adoptive father?"

Wei Yuan smiled and handed over the crumpled paper.