flstandardbreds Chapter 162 Rectifying the Former Dynasty
Chapter 162 Rectifying the Former Dynasty
The teacup slammed down on the table with a "bang," and a flash of displeasure crossed Yuan Huaijun's eyes. He said coldly, "It is precisely because Song Zhengzhong holds the position of Imperial Censor that he turns a blind eye to these rumors. His intentions are obvious."
Lou Shenghan remained unfazed by the emperor's wrath, and said with a light smile, "Your Majesty, if the Crown Prince's mother is from the Song family in the future, I'm afraid Song Zhengzhong will be secretly laughing behind closed doors. Not to mention that letting the rumors go unchecked right now is just adding fuel to the fire!"
Yuan Huailie pondered for a moment, his expression becoming slightly serious. “Your Majesty, I have been inspecting the capital recently and have passed by the Song family’s residence several times. It is always bustling with activity. The guests coming and going are either the heads of the Six Ministries or people with some achievements in the Censorate. It seems that even before the prince has been born, he has already begun to win people’s hearts.”
“Your Majesty, Song Zhengzhong is always smooth and worldly-wise. He is also very tactful in front of his colleagues in court. I’m afraid that he spread these rumors from the inner palace to the front court. In addition, he is currently bribing civil officials and remonstrating officials. If this child is really a prince, he will definitely join forces with the ministers to support the crown prince.”
“Your Majesty, Fifth Prince is right. Even if you intend to make Consort Ning’s unborn child the Crown Prince, it is not up to the previous dynasty to make such a fuss.”
Xin Moling remained silent. He never paid attention to court affairs, as they were none of his business. Although the Yuanqi court was stable, there were still people forming cliques and pursuing personal gain. In particular, the position of empress was vacant, and there were few imperial heirs. The maternal families of those concubines were even more ambitious.
"Oh dear!" Lou Shenghan suddenly slapped his forehead, his face full of regret and disappointment.
"Shenghan, what is it?"
Lou Shenghan opened his mouth, glanced at Yuan Huailie, and seemed to have something to say but hesitated.
"Your Majesty, after much consideration, I think it's best for Shenghan not to say anything."
Xin Moling scoffed disdainfully, "Prime Minister Lou, how can matters of state be treated like child's play? They are not something you can just say whenever you want and not say whenever you don't want to. You are unworthy to be a subject."
Lou Shenghan continued, “Hey, Brother Ling, you’re wrong. Military officers don’t understand civil administration, so they naturally don’t know about the ups and downs of the previous dynasty. But since you’ve said so, I’ll reluctantly add a few more words.”
"..."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone except Lou Xiaobao looked up and glared at Lou Shenghan with disdain. He was already too talkative, why did he have to go through all that trouble and then say he was doing it reluctantly!
"Ahem! Your Majesty, everyone can see the intentions of the Song family. However, there is another unknown force stirring up trouble in the court. I am afraid that if I speak out, it will offend Your Majesty and Prince Lie."
Listening to his sarcastic and roundabout way of speaking, not only the three Yuan brothers, but even Xin Moyan sitting to the side was getting impatient. "Prime Minister Lou, can't you just get to the point? What kind of prime minister is so long-winded?"
"Yan Yan, how could you say I'm long-winded?"
He clutched his chest, his face heartbroken, but quickly composed himself and said earnestly, “Your Majesty, the autumn examinations are in two months. In recent years, many talented people have been selected through the civil and military examinations, and there are no shortage of scholars and writers in the capital. But what I see is that those who pass the examinations and enter officialdom are all mediocre people.”
"What do you mean by that, Shenghan?"
"Your Majesty, in the past few days, while dealing with the affairs of the court, I have discovered something interesting. Many of the old ministers appointed by the late emperor have now joined forces with the Song family, while since Your Majesty ascended the throne, all the talented young people who have passed the imperial examinations and the young men from aristocratic families have sided with the Qin Grand Tutor's faction."
"Prime Minister Lou, please do not speak nonsense."
“Your Highness, I told you we couldn’t say it! After all, Grand Tutor Qin is your and His Majesty’s father-in-law. I’m an outsider, so naturally I can’t compare to your relationship.”
Yuan Huaijun raised his hand, signaling everyone to calm down.
"continue."
"The Qin family ancestors were meritorious in supporting the emperor, so the position of Grand Tutor was hereditary. The princes were also personally taught by each Grand Tutor. Recently, I discovered that Grand Tutor Qin not only recruited all the young talents as his advisors, but also secretly bought and sold official titles. He found opportunities to let the sons of aristocratic families replace the truly talented and capable people who were supposed to pass the imperial examinations. He intends to turn the generals that our dynasty will value in the future into tools for aristocratic families to pursue their own interests."
"How come I've never heard of this before?"
“Prince Lie commands the army within Yuanqi and the Imperial Guards within the palace. Naturally, like Brother Ling, he is unaware of the inner workings of the previous dynasty. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Prince Ze.”
Yuan Huaize was suddenly called out, and somewhat embarrassed, he closed his fan. "Your Majesty, I have indeed heard about it, but it is not as reliable as Prime Minister Lou's information."
"So, it seems the court is now divided into two factions?"
"Indeed! Your Majesty, the Song family is relatively easy to deal with. With a little suppression, several old ministers should indeed retire and return to their hometowns. I think that Doctor Song will not dare to be so arrogant anymore."
He waved in Xin Moyan's direction, and Lou Xiaobao immediately got off his mother and obediently climbed into Yuan Huaijun's arms.
"Shenghan, then this matter will be handled by you. Take advantage of this court assembly to find some pretexts to submit a memorial to me, impeaching a few people first, and I will grant your request."
"Your Majesty, who is the most suitable person to impeach?"
"I will give you the list later."
"..."
Lou Shenghan's lips twitched violently, as if he had fallen into the trap set by the cunning emperor in front of him...
After hearing this, everyone immediately understood—what a clever scheme to use someone else to do the dirty work!
Yuan Huaize raised an eyebrow, looked at his two elder brothers, and asked curiously, "Then... what about Grand Tutor Qin?"
"Selling official positions is a major taboo in officialdom. We are currently living in peace and prosperity. If there is any turmoil, the mediocre officials selected will become a black sheep. Although the two daughters of the Qin family have married into the royal family, if the evidence is found, I will also uphold justice and eliminate them."
"Tsk~ Your Majesty, Consort Yun only recently regained Your Majesty's favor, and now she's secretly dealing with her maternal family. Won't that hurt her feelings for you?"
Yuan Huaijun did not answer, but instead looked at Yuan Huailie, who had a solemn expression, and asked, "What does Alie think?"
His eyes flickered slightly, and he reacted quickly, "Your Majesty, a prince is subject to the same laws as a commoner. If this matter is investigated, I will not bend the law for personal gain."
"Yes, the women are innocent. I will make an exception for them."
“Your Majesty, Third Brother, Grand Tutor Qin has always acted with caution, as has the newly appointed Junior Minister Shao Chang, Zhao Shengguan, the Prefect of Guang'an who is related to Grand Tutor Qin by marriage, and the eldest son of Marquis Yingcheng, who is Consort Yun’s maternal cousin. This man was last year’s top scholar in the imperial examination. These people are all meticulous and cautious in their dealings with others. Your Majesty and Prime Minister Lou have been observing them in the court for a long time, and we have indeed found no faults or mistakes in their administration.”
"Yes! Your Majesty, those old ministers who were impeached earlier have served for many years and there must have been some oversights and mistakes. As for the ones mentioned by Prince Ze, there must be evidence to convict them. They even bought and sold official titles so flawlessly. This is difficult to handle!"
"..."
Seeing everyone fall silent, Xin Moyan raised an eyebrow and casually uttered, "Flies don't land on eggs without cracks; even the most meticulous plans can have flaws."