Chapter 28 The Crown Prince’s Rebellion
The evils of aristocratic families were even worse than traitors. The latter seemed as fierce as fire, but there was always a way to put it out. The former had existed since ancient times. Everyone could see that the aristocratic families were digging up the foundation of the dynasty, but they rarely had the means to control it.
Zhou Yi shook his head slowly. “You’re not the first to say that, nor will you be the last. The evil of the aristocratic families is not a reason to become corrupt officials.”
“Cough, cough, cough. You make it sound so easy!”
After the prisoner mentioned the Lu family, he seemed to have completely let go.
“I… My parents starved to death. It was the officials who embezzled the food for disaster relief. Back then, I swore that I would cleanse the imperial court and cleanse the world!”
Zhou Yi became a little more interested. “Tell me about your experience of thinking that you have a deep grudge but are actually tacky.”
The prisoner was rather helpless, but his death was not far away. These were probably his last words before he was executed.
“Ten years ago, I became a scholar and was appointed as a county official. I wanted to achieve my ambitions. However, the officials of the yamen were all occupied by local nobles. Their orders could not be send out no matter what.” The prisoner glanced at Zhou Yi. “The most difficult to deal with is a lowly official like you.”
Zhou Yi nodded slightly. How could it be said that the imperial power and officials shared the world?
“After passing through several counties, not only did I fail to achieve anything, but I even became a laughing stock among my peers. Every year, I would be criticized!” The prisoner muttered, “How can I have any ambitions when I’ve let time slip by without accomplishing anything? So I might as well let them be. I’ll read and write every day without caring about the affairs of the government office.”
His ideals and future had been obliterated by reality, turning him into a muddle-headed official.
Zhou Yi asked, “What does this have to do with the Lu family?”
“In the sixth or seventh year of Hongchang, I went to Changfeng County and happened to encounter a flood… The rivers overflowed and people were like turtles.” The prisoner recalled, “As usual, I submitted a memorial and asked the Ministry of Revenue to allocate the money for food and disaster relief. According to the procedure, the imperial court must first come to inspect the disaster, then draw up the constitution for disaster relief. It will take a long time.
“Most of the victims of the flood are dead. Just don’t give them too much money. The small disasters that follow will pass by itself. There’s no need to save them. Who would have thought that the Imperial Court would quickly give the order to transport food from the surrounding counties and allocate another 300,000 taels of disaster silver?
“With such disaster relief, Changfeng County will definitely be able to tide over the flood easily. I can’t sleep at night and have wasted ten years. I can finally do something for the people to fulfill my parents’ wishes!” At this point, the prisoner paused. “When there was a famine back then, my parents warned me to be a good official in the future and save the people!”
Zhou Yi straightened his posture. This criminal was indeed a little different from before. There were many corrupt officials in the Sky Prison. Zhou Yi heard them talk about their reasons for earning money. It seemed strange, but in the end, it was just their desire to enjoy themselves.
“Just as I was happily preparing for the relief, the Lu family arrived.” The prisoner said hatefully, “A lowly gatekeeper pointed at the county officials and scolded them. The Lu family asked the imperial court for food and silver. Why should they give them to the people? However, this also allowed me to know that the imperial court allocated money and food had nothing to do with the memorials!”
Zhou Yi said, “In the end, the money and grains were sent to the Lu family?”
“And what choice do I have?” The prisoner said, “Changfeng County belongs to the Luyang Prefecture. The Lu family has been operating there for a thousand years. If I say no, they will make commit suicide on the same day!”
“And after that?” Zhou Yi did not need to ask to guess the subsequent developments.
“Money and grain were sent to the Lu family. The citizens of Changfeng County suffered heavy casualties and could only sell their children for a living…” The prisoner sighed and said, “Back then, I was evaluated as an A-list official. The inspector praised me for my love for the people and my contribution to disaster relief. A year later, I was transferred to Luyang Prefecture as an assistant magistrate!”
The provincial magistrate was also a seventh-grade official, but he was promoted from a county to a province. After a natural disaster, the Lu family earned money and land, and the criminal was promoted. Everyone was happy!
“From then on, I became an official of the Lu family. Every year, I scored first place in the assessment. After more than ten years, I was promoted to the governor of Luzhou and became the leader of a region.” The prisoner sneered. “The students who mocked me back then became good friends again. In order to curry favor with me, they gave me money, gave me courtesans, wrote poems, and flattered me!
“Since then, I’ve embezzled money whenever I see them and I’ll sell the government positions if I have. I’m unrestrained… and also lawless!”
Zhou Yi snorted coldly. This person had experienced the wasted years, despair, and had completely fallen under the fear of death.
The prisoner’s gaze was faint, and his voice was ethereal. “What is the law? That’s the Imperial Court’s method of governing the people! What is the heavens? His Majesty is the heavens, the Imperial Court is the heavens, and the scholars are the heavens!”
Zhou Yi said, “However, you’re going to die
now.”
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“The moment I became a lackey of the Lu family, I was already dead.” The prisoner’s eyes were empty. “So what if you kill me? No one can change the bureaucracy, and no one can save the Imperial Court!”
Zhou Yi said coldly, “Every corrupt official counts. If we catch them, we’ll skin them alive.”
The prisoner said, “Then another batch of corrupt officials will be replaced!”
Zhou Yi asked, “So the Imperial Court is
rotten?”
The prisoner shook his head gently and pointed at his face. “It’s not that the imperial court is rotten, nor is it that the families are rotten, but that the scholars are rotten!”
Zhou Yi was slightly stunned. This fellow was indeed different from the corrupt officials from before. He asked curiously, “You’re a dog of the Lu family and an official in Luyang. How did you end up in the Sky Prison?”
“When the owner fattened the dog, he naturally had to kill and eat it, in case the dog turned over one day and became the owner.” The prisoner said, “In this way, not only did the Lu family rob money, but they also gained the hearts of the people. The corrupt officials who caused trouble were captured by the Lu family’s Lord Qingtian. The people applauded!”
“Looks like you’re not the first dog.”
“Nor the last.”
“You never thought of resisting?”
“Does it work?”
The prisoner’s question stunned Zhou Yi for a long time. A family with a thousand years of heritage was terrifying just thinking about it. If they didn’t have cheat codes or cheats, they really wouldn’t know where to start. He left the cell.
Zhou Yi told Lieutenant Zhu the results of the interrogation in detail.
“The Lu family!” Lieutenant Zhu’s eyes widened. “Does that mean we can’t get them back?”
Zhou Yi wondered, “Old Zhu, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so concerned about this?”
“Nothing, nothing! Old Zhou, go ahead. I have something to do.” Lieutenant Zhu denied it repeatedly and slipped away with cupped hands.
Zhou Yi frowned slightly. “Could it be that Old Zhu is working for some big shot? A few million taels of silver is enough to support an army. There are only a few people in the entire Fengyang Kingdom who can use it!”
It was not that he was worried about Lieutenant Zhu’s safety. Everyone had to bear the consequences of their own choice.
Zhou Yi was worried that he would be implicated. If Lieutenant Zhu was suspected of a big case, his good friend would inevitably be implicated.
It came true.
The first month of the 18th year of Hongchang
Before the festive atmosphere of the new year dissipated, a shocking case happened in the Fengyang Kingdom, causing turmoil in the imperial court. Crown Prince Zhao Chi wanted to kill the emperor!
The Uniformed Guards caught the imperial chef who tried to poison him on the spot. After interrogating him overnight, they found dragon robes and jade seals in the Eastern Palace.
According to the eunuch from the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince had ordered thatshe should be addressed as His Majesty and the Crown Prince Consort as the Empress. The other concubines should correspond to the harem.
Faced with conclusive evidence, Zhao Chi could not refute and admitted that he had colluded with the Duke’s Mansion to plot rebellion.
Hongchang was furious!
The imperial guards surrounded the Duke’s Mansion, and the Uniform Guards searched the entire city for the relevant Crown Prince’s henchmen.
Lieutenant Zhu was a new pawn under the Crown Prince!
