Zhu Yijun was sleeping soundly.
The eunuch's voice rang out beside the dragon bed.
"Emperor, it's time for morning court…"
"How many days has it been?" Zhu Yijun opened his eyes in a daze. It was dark outside.
"Your Majesty, it's already the fourth watch. The ministers are already waiting outside the Wu Gate…"
Zhu Yijun sat up from the dragon couch and let the palace maid put on the dragon robe.
……
During the morning court session, the ministers had to get up at midnight and travel across half of the capital to the Meridian Gate. At three o'clock in the morning, the minister arrived at the noon gate and waited.
When the drums on the Meridian Gate Tower sounded, the ministers had to line up. When the bell rang at around five in the morning, the palace gate opened.
The officials entered one by one and lined up in the square across the Golden Water Bridge.
If any of the officials coughed, spat, or walked unsteadily, they would be recorded by the censor in charge of picketing for further punishment.
Usually, when the emperor came to the Gate of Supreme Harmony or the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the officials would kneel and kowtow three times. Only officials of the fourth rank and above had the opportunity to enter the main hall to talk to the Emperor. The ministers reported to the Emperor about government affairs, and the Emperor raised questions or gave answers.
……
"The time of the court session needs to be changed. If you don't sleep well every day, you will definitely die early. Who set the time of the court session at three in the morning?”
"Replying to the emperor, this is the rule set by the great ancestor.”
Zhu Yijun pondered in his heart. Putting aside the punishment of corrupt officials, he had to change the rules of the morning court first. How could there be a reason to go to court at three in the morning?
This wasn't to torture people to death.
If he suffered, the ministers would suffer as well.
If they moved back two hours and started dancing at the sound of the rooster, it would be much more comfortable…
If the time of the court session was changed, the one who benefited the most was not the Emperor, but the ministers. Because the time of the court session was too early, the ministers could not even sleep well.
The Emperor could sleep until five o'clock and then go to court to discuss politics…
No wonder most emperors were unwilling to go to court. To be honest, it was really tiring…
……
After Zhu Yijun put on his dragon robe, Empress Dowager Li and Empress Dowager Chen arrived together.
This was Zhu Yijun's first time attending court. The two Empress Dowager were still a little worried about Zhu Yijun. However, when they saw that Zhu Yijun had changed into the dragon robe, they felt a little relieved.
Compared to the peace in the Forbidden City, the officials outside the Noon Gate were in fear.
Especially the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works, he was almost scared out of his wits.
Because after he went to court, he found that the huge Ministry of Works had lost one-third of its officials. After he sent people to investigate, he was surprised to find that these officials had been secretly taken away by the Brocade Guard. Moreover, the homes of these officials had been sealed by the Brocade Guard, and entry and exit were prohibited...
The new emperor had yet to ascend the throne, but a large-scale arrest had already begun. This indicated that a storm was coming.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Works had a vague idea of why these officials had been arrested…
Cold sweat kept dripping from his forehead. He secretly looked at Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng. At this moment, the two of them were whispering to each other and seemed very close.
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Works was even more terrified. He was originally a member of Gao Gong's faction, but Gao Gong actually didn't reveal any information to him. Moreover, he was currently chatting happily with Zhang Juzheng. What this meant was self-evident!
The other officials could also feel the murderous aura permeating the air because they realized that the number of guards outside the Meridian Gate had doubled, and all the guards were armed with weapons...
Creak--
The Meridian Gate was wide open!
Led by Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, the officials of the fourth rank and above entered the throne room.
The little emperor sat on the dragon throne and looked down at the entire hall.
The first court meeting of the new Wanli Dynasty began.
……
After the civil and military officials entered the hall, they kowtowed to the Emperor. The civil and military officials stood on both sides, and officials above the fifth rank held ivory palms.
Zhu Yijun sat on the dragon throne and looked at the civil and military officials in the hall.
Many forms appeared in front of him.
Some officials were terrified, some were still sleepy, some were in high spirits, and some looked left and right thoughtfully.
These officials did not seem to be interested in the little Emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
In their eyes, the cabinet was the one who dominated the Ming Empire.
The little one sitting on the dragon throne was just a marionette.
Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng looked up at Zhu Yijun, their faces revealing a look of success. Zhu Yijun thought,"Looks like these two guys have found themselves a group of corrupt officials. Looks like the national treasury is going to be filled…"
……
"I have a memorial."
Gao Gong was the first to step forward.
"Yes."
Zhu Yijun said softly. The eunuch beside him shouted,"Allow!"
"Ever since Emperor Hongwu, we have been strictly investigating corrupt officials, but!" Gao Gong said in a loud voice. Your Majesty, I have evidence of the corruption of 13 corrupt officials and the corruption of silver. Please punish them!”
Gao Gong's voice echoed in the hall, and all the officials held their breaths.
Now, the Emperor, the Cabinet, and the East Chamber had gathered all their forces to punish the corrupt officials. No one in the court dared to say a word.
A eunuch carried a stack of memorials and documents onto the dragon table.
After Zhu Yijun opened the memorial, a shocking number appeared in front of him.
Nine people from the Ministry of Works embezzled 9.8 million taels of silver…
Two people from the Ministry of Justice, one from the Ministry of Revenue, and one from the Ministry of Rites had embezzled a total of 11.2 million taels of silver!
He was furious!
Pa!
Zhu Yijun suddenly stood up. In the eyes of many officials, this little Emperor was still a young man. But now, this young man suddenly stood up, causing all the civil and military officials to look at him.
"What a bunch of vermin! Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng!”
"I'm here!" Zhang Juzheng stepped forward.
"I order the two of you to be imperial envoys and strictly investigate corruption! I'll give you an imperial edict to kill the imperial relatives and officials of the imperial court. I want to investigate corruption!”
"I accept your decree!"
"Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice!"
"Your subject is here!"
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice stepped forward.
"I have just ascended the throne, so I should have granted amnesty to the world. However, if the crime is not punished, the law will be broken. From today onwards, the death penalty will not be pardoned.”
"Yes!"
Generally speaking, when a new emperor ascended the throne and granted amnesty to the world, prisoners on death row would be spared a knife, and those with light crimes would be released directly...
However, Zhu Yijun's words canceled the amnesty. They had to kill him.
All the officials were shocked.
It was originally a young emperor standing there, but the pressure he brought with him was not inferior to any monarch of a generation.
……
The officials were as cold as cicadas in winter.
They vaguely realized that the cabinet, which dominated the government affairs of the imperial court, was actually very respectful to the little emperor. Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng actually did not break out in a dispute…
After the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice returned to the team.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial."
The Minister of Justice stepped forward.
"Allow!"
"I impeach the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, Qian Zhonghui, for covering up for his subordinates and embezzling the disaster relief funds!”
The assistant minister of the Ministry of Works saw that he was being impeached and immediately stepped out. He knelt on the ground and cried bitterly,"This subject is wronged!"
" Your Majesty, I have evidence in my hands. Last year, the Caohe River allocated 300,000 taels of silver. The Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works pocketed it and privately withheld 150,000 taels of silver…The Water Transport Governor also deducted 100,000 taels of silver. The 300,000 taels of silver was deducted layer by layer, and in the end, there was only 20,000 taels of silver left…"
The Water Transport Governor suddenly stood out from the ranks."You're slandering me!"
The Water Transport Governor was in charge of water transport affairs. He was a second-grade official and could be said to be a high official.
In the main hall, the Water Transport Governor and the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works cried out that they were wronged. These two were both important officials of the imperial court and were second-grade officials.
Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng looked on coldly as they watched this good show.
The memorial in the hands of the Minister of Justice had been personally handed to him by Zhang Juzheng. The evidence of corruption had been collected by the Brocade Guard of the East Chamber and handed over to Zhang Juzheng.
The root cause was that Zhu Yijun did not have money and wanted to punish a few corrupt officials to enrich the national treasury.
However, Zhu Yijun didn't make a move directly. Instead, he let Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong be the villains. Zhang Juzheng was very smart. He didn't do anything to offend anyone, so he gave the credit to the Minister of Justice…
It was definitely a huge storm to bring down two second-grade officials in one fell swoop.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。