The two words "more" fell lightly on everyone's head, but forced Bai Yuyang to stop talking.
Emperor Zhenning looked at Deng Ying who was being escorted off the Golden Platform and leaned over to ask, "How many cases are still pending in the prison?"
Deng Ying knelt and replied: "Your Majesty, there are still thirteen cases that have not been concluded, four of which were transferred by the Northern Pacification Office. They can be transferred back to the Northern Pacification Office when I am tried."
Emperor Zhenning asked, "What about the remaining nine cases?"
The captain released Deng Ying's arm and let him kneel down to apologize, "I feel ashamed of my crime, Your Majesty."
Emperor Zhenning looked at Bai Yuyang and said, "Even the transport envoys from Hangzhou have to be escorted to Beijing. Then the household officials in Hangzhou will be empty-handed. How can they administer the new tax system?"
As he spoke, he glanced at the officials from the Ministry of Revenue who were standing by and Bai Yuyang who was off duty.
Bai Yuyang responded hurriedly: "I have thought carefully, but the crime of privately encroaching on school land cannot be pardoned. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to conduct a thorough investigation."
Emperor Zhenning stood up and raised his voice to suppress Bai Yuyang's voice. "When did I tell you to investigate?"
"Yes, Your Majesty is wise."
Emperor Zhenning laughed and said, "I will give you a solution."
As he spoke, he walked to the edge of the Golden Platform and looked down at his ministers.
"After the Hu-Lan (1) case, all government posts were left vacant, and the Taizu Emperor ordered the guilty officials to 'be sentenced to death or exile.'"
After these words were spoken, all the ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, but due to the etiquette norms of the Japanese court, no one dared to speak.
The Hu case and the Lan case refer to the Hu Weiyong case and the Lan Yu case during the reign of Emperor Taizu. These two cases killed tens of thousands of people, and almost half of the officials in various departments were killed. The government affairs were detained, and the departments could not function normally for a while. Therefore, Emperor □□ ordered the guilty officials to "wear death penalty and exile to work". Many officials who had been sentenced to death and imprisoned in prison were brought out again and worked in the government office in shackles and chains. After the matter at hand was settled, those who should be sent back to prison were still sent back to prison, and those who should be killed were dragged to Caishikou without exception.
When Emperor Zhenning cited this precedent at this time, Bai Yuyang and others were caught off guard.
"My meaning is that when the Ministry of Justice comes to investigate the Xuetian case, you can bring Deng Ying to trial, but before the charges are resolved, Deng Ying will still be in charge of the affairs of the Dongjishichang. The same applies to the household officials in Hangzhou. Before the charges are resolved, they will all be on standby. Do you have any objections?"
No one dared to respond from under the golden stage.
Emperor Zhenning continued, "Since there is no objection, let's listen to the Ministry of Revenue's discussion. Send the memorial just submitted by the Ministry of War back and have the Ministry of Public Administration read it out."
***
The regular court session of that day lasted a long time and was not ended until noon.
The captain handed Deng Ying over to the officers from the Ministry of Justice and went out through the right gate of the Wufeng Tower. Yang Lun followed him from behind and called out to Deng Ying.
Deng Ying turned around, and the two of them fell silent when they met.
The officer from the Ministry of Justice said, "Sir Yang, we still have work to do. You..."
"I'll have a few words with him."
The officers retreated ten steps in response.
Deng Ying turned around and said to Yang Lun, "Do you understand what your majesty means?"
Yang Lun nodded, "I understand. Your Majesty is still willing to move the Imperial Household Department."
Deng Ying said, "If you don't involve the officials in Hangzhou, I can admit Xue Tian's guilt and put the matter on me. But now it seems that it is possible to involve Hangzhou. Those people all have connections with the Silijian. You should remind the Ministry of Justice that those who investigate these people can't investigate too thoroughly."
Yang Lun clenched his fist and sighed, "They will not listen to me. Moreover, once they listen to me, the credibility of the cabinet and the six ministries will be destroyed in an instant. Deng Ying, I hope you understand that the teacher may not be willing to write a letter to impeach you personally, but as the chief minister of the cabinet, he can watch the cabinet being hung on the city gate and scolded by the Donglin people."
Deng Ying lowered her eyes and nodded after a while.
"I understand in my heart, but you have to be on guard against the rebellion of the Imperial Household Department."
Yang Lun shouted, "What can they do? My teacher and I are both upright officials in the court."
"You are, what about the people under you? What about the people in your clan?"
His voice sank. "Did I ever work as an upright official in the Ministry of Industry? What happened in the end? I ended up being treated like a ghost."
Yang Lun looked at Deng Ying's face and was speechless for a moment.
Deng Ying sighed, "Yang Zixi, please ask Bai Yuyang for mercy on me. If I am locked up in the Ministry of Justice for a long time, I can still check and balance the Imperial Prison. If the Imperial Household Department impeaches the official who impeached me, your cabinet will be completely passive."
Yang Lun asked, "Does the Imperial Household Department dare to impeach the teacher?"
"Although Lord Bai is ill, he was the one who wrote this memorial. This..."
“I should write it!”
Yang Lun said to Deng Ying, "I should have realized earlier that I was forcing the teacher to write."
Deng Ying said lightly: "It's all the same."
"How can it be the same? I am still young, and the teacher is already in his seventies and is seriously ill now. How can he withstand any hardship?"
"Yang Zixi, calm down. I have been in charge of the East Factory for so long, and I have contained the three divisions. You can find a way on your own, but if it comes to the case in the Imperial Prison, I have no way to deal with it at all."
Yang Lun looked up and stared into Deng Ying's eyes. "The East Factory was used by His Majesty to intimidate us. If you use it to save us, what will you do with yourself?"
Deng Ying smiled and said, "This is my business."
Yang Lun shouted, "Do you think that by doing this, you can force the teacher to recognize you?"
"So what do you want me to do?"
Deng Ying raised her head and said, "Teacher, please recognize me. I have long lost my obsession, but I still have no consciousness at all. You clearly know what I am thinking, so why do you still say such things to me?"
"I… "
Yang Lun felt a little regretful. He looked down at Deng Ying's wrist and changed the topic of the general.
"They are taking you to the Ministry of Justice now. What are they going to do..."
"What else can you do if you are sentenced to death or exile?"
Deng Ying raised her hand and said, "It doesn't matter. If you want to lock me up, just lock me up."
"Oh shit."
Yang cursed under his breath.
Deng Ying glanced behind him and said, "Don't show your emotions."
Yang Lun lowered his voice and said, "How can you live in the palace like this? Are you going to tire my sister again?"
When Deng Ying heard him mention Yang Wan, she lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Yang Lun coughed and changed the subject, "She recently bought Qingbo Pavilion, which was previously sealed by Zhang Luo. The income from the pavilion can be brought into the palace. My wife is in charge of it temporarily. Please ask her if she needs it. If she needs it, you can bring it in for her."
Deng Ying smiled and said, "You are asking unnecessary questions. She is the Chengqian Palace, and she has the best food and clothing."
Yang Lun shouted, "What about you? Are you dead? She has to take care of His Highness, how can she take care of a man in shackles every day? You give money to those eunuchs and ask them to take care of your daily life. You will definitely burden my sister. Otherwise, I will beat you up the next time I see you."
A gust of wind blew past the two men, blowing up their heavy official uniforms.
The two of them suddenly thought of Yang Wan's face and fell silent.
After a long while, Deng Ying said softly, "Zi Xi, the house in Guangji Temple is for Yang Wan. I know that in my current situation, my house will be confiscated by the Ministry of Justice. It will be difficult to keep it, but I still hope you can help me think of a way."
After hearing this, Yang Lun's heart suddenly twitched.
He was not usually a sensitive person when it came to love, but when he heard that Deng Ying was going to give Yang Wan a house, he felt as if cold water had been poured over his head. He suddenly felt a chill in his heart. He pinched his sleeves subconsciously, gnashing his teeth, "What's wrong with you? Why are you giving her a house?"
Deng Ying coughed twice and said, "I left everything I didn't have for her."
"I asked you why you left something for her for no reason?"
Deng Ying looked at the ground in silence.
The meridians on Yang Lun's neck gradually became tense. He clenched his fist and took a few steps towards Deng Ying. "Deng Fuling! I want to ask you why you gave her the house for no reason!"
Deng Ying still didn't speak.
This silence made Yang Lun tremble all over. He tilted his head to look at Deng Ying, and the voice that came out of his throat was very sharp, "What on earth did you do? Have you forgotten the oath you made to me two years ago!"
"Zi Xi, I..."
Before Deng Ying could even finish saying the word "I", Yang Lun punched her hard in the face.
Yang Lun used 80% of his strength in this punch, and Deng Ying almost couldn't stand.
The officers who were ten steps away saw this scene and hurried forward to lift Deng Ying up. The eunuch on duty at the door opposite came forward and helped to pull Yang Lun away.
"Lord Yang, Governor Deng, this is below the Drum Tower. Please follow the etiquette."
Although Yang Lun was being dragged, his eyes seemed to be burning. He shook off the eunuch and walked in front of Deng Ying, gnashing his teeth and saying, "I can forgive you for everything, but Deng Fuling, she is my own sister, how dare you..."
Deng Ying raised her hand and pressed the wound on her face. "I will never be able to repay you in my lifetime."
After hearing what Deng Ying said, Yang Lun closed his eyes and pinched his knuckles until they turned white.
His throat felt like it was swallowing charcoal and he blurted out everything.
He wiped his eyes fiercely, turned around and walked towards the side door. As he walked out of the side door, he slapped himself hard in the cold wind.
The officer waited until Yang Lun walked away before asking, "Master Deng, are you okay?"
Deng Ying shook her head. "It's okay. Let's go."
**
When Yang Wan woke up in the duty room by the moat, the sun was setting.
She quickly turned around, sat up and rubbed her hair. Li Yu came in with a glass of water, put it on the door, and poked his head out to look at her.
"You finally woke up."
Yang Wan put on her shoes and got out of bed, "Come in."
Li Yu then pushed the door open and said, "You are sick."
"ah?"
Yang Wan held her hair together and stood up, "Why do you ask?"
Li Yu said: "When I saw Deng Ying was ill, she slept like this and ate nothing."
Yang Wan looked outside, "Is the Imperial Court over?"
Li Yu nodded, "It's been over for a while."
"Where's Deng Ying? Why hasn't she come back yet?"
Li Yu sighed, "He was taken away by the Ministry of Justice."
"What?"
Li Yu saw her getting up and hurriedly stopped her, saying, "You...you panicked first. I asked my godfather and he didn't say to lock him up. He will be back soon."
Yang Wan frowned, turned around and asked, "What do you mean?"
Li Yu scratched his head, "I don't understand, Yang Wan, do you know what 'death penalty, exile' means?"
Yang Wan's shoulders relaxed when she heard that.
Li Yu said in surprise: "Speak."
"Oh... that means that before an official is convicted of a crime, he or she handles official duties while awaiting punishment."
Li Yu nodded, "Oh... No wonder you can come back. Hey, Yang Wan, where are you going?"
"Go and get him back."