Chapter 328 The Law of True Fragrance
"Is this matter giving Your Majesty a headache?" Zhang Guifen looked at Zhao Xing with a frown and said with some heartache.
"It really gives me a headache."
Zhao Xing sighed, had the low table removed from the couch, and lay down, resting his head on Zhang Guifen's legs. He said, "Queen, please give me a massage."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Guifen placed her hands on Zhao Xing's head and slowly began to massage it.
"Comfortable."
Zhao Xing's brows relaxed and he said, "You said that the emperor has given a lot of rewards to the Zhu family over the years, and the Zhu family is not short of money. Are people really so greedy?"
"I don't know either." Zhang Guifen shook her head and said, "But Minglan mentioned a method that may be of some use to Your Majesty."
"Oh?"
Zhao Xing opened his narrowed eyes and said, "Tell me about it."
Zhang Guifen told Zhao Xing about Minglan's idea.
Zhao Xing's eyes lit up when he heard this and he said, "It's true that those who are involved are confused, but those who are not involved can see things more clearly."
"Your Majesty, do you mean that Minglan's idea will work?"
"No, it's useless. Those people are not stupid. My uncle's affairs can only involve some minor officials. But her method does give me an idea." Zhao Xing said with a smile.
He kept thinking about how to save Zhu Shiquan, and how to explain to his mother if he couldn't.
But he forgot that he had evidence of many officials' crimes in his hands.
Originally, he just wanted to make an example of someone to scare the monkeys. After all, it was impossible for him to kill all the problematic officials in the court.
Even if he is killed, will there be no problem with promoting him?
Killing was not the purpose, the purpose was to scare those people so that they would not object to what he did next.
But now it seems that the deterrent effect this time is not enough.
Since killing Peng Qingzhong and others is not enough, we need to mobilize more people.
Zhang Guifen didn't ask any more questions after hearing this, and smiled and said, "Minglan has done a great job this time, Your Majesty, don't forget to give her some rewards."
"Haha, I remember it and can't forget it." Zhao Xing said with a smile.
…………
The next day, Zhao Xing came to Longtu Pavilion and asked Sanshui to send someone to find Yin Hanzhang.
Yin Hanzhang hasn't arrived yet, but Yan Kuan has.
"Your Majesty!" Yan Kuan saluted and said, "Peng Qingzhong died in prison last night."
"What did you say?" Zhao Xing was stunned when he heard that.
When he saw Yan Kuan coming in, his face looked a little strange, and he had a bad feeling.
Unexpectedly, Peng Qingzhong died in prison.
Yan Kuan repeated it again, knelt down, and said, "It was my negligence, Your Majesty, please punish me!"
"Useless!" Zhao Xingqi stepped forward and kicked Yan Kuan to the ground, shouting angrily, "When something goes wrong, you say you were negligent and apologize. What were you doing before?"
Although Peng Qingzhong was sentenced to death, execution and unexplained death in prison are two different things.
Yan Kuan was kicked to the ground and quickly got up and knelt.
Zhao Xing took a deep breath, calmed down a little, and asked, "Did you find out anything?"
"Your Majesty, after I learned the news, I had all the jailers who had entered and left the prison detained, and found that one jailer had disappeared. Now the news has been blocked," said Yan Kuan.
"Idiot, you blocked the news. Aren't you trying to cover up your guilt?" Zhao Xing got so angry that he kicked him again.
Since one jailer disappeared, it means the news has leaked.
Yan Kuan was so smart as to block the news. If he couldn't find out who sent the people before noon today, how could he communicate with the outside world?
Zhao Xing could have predicted that by then the news would spread throughout Bianjing, and that the Ministry of Justice had tortured Peng Qingzhong into confessing, and that he had died in prison from his injuries.
Although there is already solid evidence, how many people can see the evidence? Can the people tell whether the evidence is true or false?
As long as someone is secretly fanning the flames, this matter will be difficult to resolve.
"Go back immediately and send people to search for the whereabouts of the jailer. I will order the Five Cities Military Department to cooperate with you. Make the matter as big as possible!" Zhao Xing said.
"Yes!" Yan Kuan quickly stood up and responded, asking, "Your Majesty, the execution will be continued at noon today?"
"Go on!" Zhao Xing said calmly. "Yes!" Yan Kuan bowed and hurried away.
"No one else died except Peng Qingzhong. Isn't the purpose too clear?" Zhao Xing sneered.
Zhao Xing knew that Peng Qingzhong and Hu Zhongyan were in collusion.
However, he had no intention of touching Hu Zhongyan for the time being. After all, Hu Zhongyan was one of his husbands.
He has only been on the throne for a few months, and this move against Peng Qingzhong and others was also a test.
Now it seems that Hu Zhongyan is closely related to Peng Qingzhong's death.
Of course, it is also possible that someone saw that they could not stop him and deliberately muddied the waters.
"Your Majesty, Commander Yin has arrived!" an eunuch came in to report.
"Let him in!" said Zhao Xing.
"Yes!"
The eunuch who reported the news went out, and soon Yin Hanzhang walked in.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" Yin Hanzhang bowed.
Zhao Xing waved his hand and said, "Last night, the Minister of Personnel Peng Qingzhong died in the prison of the Ministry of Justice, and a jailer disappeared. You should find out the truth as soon as possible, and focus on the Minister of Personnel Hu Zhongyan."
"Yes!" Yin Hanzhang replied.
"Go!" Zhao Xing waved his hand.
…………
Hu's home, study
Hu Zhongyan sat behind the desk with a frown on his face.
Hu Zhongyan's attendant hurriedly walked outside the study and bowed, "Master!"
"Come in!"
The attendant pushed open the door and walked into the study, bowing and saying, "The soldiers and horses of the five cities in the city have been dispatched in full force to strictly check the people entering and leaving the city. Restaurants, inns, teahouses and other places with dense crowds are all being searched."
"I understand. You can leave now." Hu Zhongyan waved his hand.
Upon hearing this, the attendant bowed and left.
"Want to make things worse?"
Hu Zhongyan murmured, "Don't forget, there are many scholars taking the imperial examinations in Bianjing City right now."
There was still more than a month before the imperial examination, and by this time, most of the scholars taking the exam had already arrived in Bianliang.
The Five Cities Military Department searched everywhere, causing a lot of discussion among the scholars who were taking the imperial examinations in Bianjing City.
Soon, a piece of news spread throughout Bian Jing that Peng Qingzhong, the Minister of Personnel, died in prison.
There was also news that Peng Qingzhong was tortured into confessing and died in prison from his injuries.
The scholars were instantly shocked when they heard the news.
Learn literary and martial arts, and sell them to the imperial family.
For scholars, passing the imperial examination was not only a leap in class, but also a disguised way of obtaining a golden medal of immunity from death.
It can even be said that in the Song Dynasty, the so-called golden medal of immunity from death was not as useful as the status of a civil servant.
Previously, it was reported that the government was going to execute several civil servants, and the scholars were already filled with dissatisfaction.
After all, if they can pass the exam this time, they can become officials in the court.
As a result, before they could enjoy the special treatment of civil servants, the government started killing civil servants, so they naturally felt dissatisfied.
This kind of psychology is easy to understand. In the words of later generations, it is the law of true fragrance.
I hate privileges because I can't enjoy them.
When you have the opportunity to enjoy it, but the privilege is gone, you will naturally feel unwilling to accept it.
(End of this chapter)