Turbulent Times Chapter 209: The emperor’s mind

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"It's us who have implicated Qin Anhou. After all, he has never accepted our property wantonly like what Xu Jingzong said in Wan Yan's book." Fang Qiao took the lead in expressing everyone's thoughts.

"That's right, although judging from the current situation, most of the official positions I have waited for are gone, but this kind of favor is not insignificant." Wei Yunqi, who has always been mean and sharp, said with a serious face.

"We can go to the Ministry of Punishments to testify that Marquis Qin An never accepted our property." One person said.

"Hmph! Do you think anyone will believe us? What I am most worried about now is whether you thirteen people can leave the capital alive." Liu Ziming, who also lives in this inn, walked down from the second floor, looked at everyone and said .

When the thirteen people heard the words, they were stunned for a moment, and then their faces changed drastically. How could they be foolish if they could be favored by Wang Junlin? They didn't think of this just now, but the authorities were bewildered.

…

…

This time Yang Jian acted extremely decisively. First, he decreed to dismiss the old **** Du Luoge, the chief commander of the Houguan Mansion, and then asked Zhao Shuliang, the commander of the inner guards, to forcibly lock him up. After cleaning up and beheading all of Du Luoge's cronies, Yang Jian ordered the dismissal of Gao Ying, Zhou Chengyan and Wang Junlin after rearranging his confidantes to take full control of the Hou government, and thoroughly investigated the scientific examination fraud case.

Because of the conclusive evidence, Zhou Chengyan has already entered the prison of the Hou government, but Gao Ying mysteriously disappeared. Among the 200 scholars on the list, more than a dozen belonged to the crown prince and the eldest prince, and more than ten people each became prisoners of the Hou Guanfu. In addition, Yang Jian personally arranged, and the ranking of the palace examination papers was the worst. The 20 qualified candidates were also arrested, all of them from aristocratic families. According to Yang Jian's will, this matter must be completed as an iron case.

This kind of result seems to be cruel, but it still does not exceed the rule that the law does not rule the crowd. Most of the powerful families will not be implicated by this. I passed the exam.

The reasons and logic, or the behind the scenes and the details, those relatively innocent candidates couldn't think of it for a while, they only knew how to scold Gao Ying, Zhou Chengyan and Wang Junlin in the rain.

In fact, besides these three people, there are at least a dozen other officials from the Ministry of Rites and Yushitai who have been suspended pending investigation at this time. , To a certain extent weaken the control of the powerful family over the court, this is Yang Jian's biggest gain this time.

Wei Yunqi reacted from the news he had just heard, thought about some things clearly, walked back to the wine table from the side of the bar with some shock and joy, raised his glass and poured it down his throat, as if he didn't feel the spicy taste of the wine. He said in a daze: "It seems that the thirteen of us will not be implicated in this matter, and there may still be officials."

Everyone was overjoyed when they heard this, and when they thought about it carefully, Wei Yunqi's judgment was very likely. Excitedly said: "Come, let's have a drink for His Majesty's wisdom!"

"Do it!" Everyone raised their glasses and raised their heads in unison, gulping it down excitedly.

The situation in which the officialdom of the Sui Dynasty was controlled by a powerful family had been a long-standing problem in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Otherwise, Yang Jian would not have stolen the country. , and the various powerful families learned that Yang Jian would definitely find ways to weaken or even kick them out of the court, so they liked to hold together many times, causing even the emperor Yang Jian to compromise at some point.

So, although everyone knows that it is impossible to completely change the situation just by taking down a dozen officials headed by Minister of Rites Zhou Chengyan this time, but as the saying goes, a journey of thousands of miles begins with a single step, as long as your majesty is determined, Dedicated to solving this problem, these young, vigorous, humble scholars who are naturally opposed to the aristocratic families all believe that in the future court of the Great Sui Dynasty, there will definitely be their humble scholars who dominate the world.

…

"Father, His Majesty is determined to break the situation where the powerful clans control the government, so he tried to obtain scholars. Gao Ying, Zhou Chengyan, Wang Junlin and others practiced favoritism and violated His Majesty's original intention. It is normal to be punished. But why were the people from the East Palace and the First Prince taken down no matter whether they were talented or not, but the talented people from various powerful families were retained." In the Changsun's residence, Changsun Wuji humbly asked his father, Changsun Sheng, for advice.

Changsun Sheng stroked his beard and said: "The key to this matter is His Majesty's idea. He kept talented scholars from aristocratic families. First, he didn't want to push the aristocratic families too far. This move tells the world that the powerful nobles, and even all the scholars, as long as they are talented people who pass the normal imperial examination, he will let them be officials, and if he doesn't do this, what is the thirteen talented people from poor families that Wang Junlin painstakingly selected? Even if His Majesty forcibly entrusts them with important tasks regardless of the reaction of the powerful family, they can live for a few more days."

When Changsun Wuji heard the words, he couldn't help but think deeply. Seeing that his son had already understood, Changsun Cheng sighed and continued, "As for the crown prince and the eldest prince, the reason why His Majesty took all of them down is that But it is the heart of the emperor. Recently, the crown prince and the eldest prince have formed a clique for personal gain, and have become more and more unscrupulous in attracting officials and powerful families. I am afraid that His Majesty has to ask in his heart... What do these two sons want to do?"

Changsun Wuji couldn't understand, and said curiously: "On the one hand, it is natural to work hard to be able to finally sit in that position, and on the other hand, it can be regarded as cultivating one's own power in the court in the future."

Chang Sun Sheng continued to ask with a smile: "Then His Majesty is about to ask, what are you doing to cultivate your own power? Could it be that I can't decide which of you will take my place."

Changsun Wuji smiled wryly and said: "What about the prince? He is the crown prince of a country, and it is reasonable to cultivate talents. After all, he will also be the emperor who will rule the country in the future. The ancient sages once said that the East Palace cannot be inactive. Afraid of rumors, take the lead in preparing some courtiers for future use, this is true loyalty, the filial piety of the emperor's family."

Wang Junlin shook his head, showing a slight sarcasm and said: "It is good for the words of the ancient sages to be passed on through the ages or recorded in the annals of history, and there is nothing wrong with the truth, but the problem is that His Majesty today thinks that he is not sick or in pain. , The East Palace is starting to cultivate talents at this time, Your Majesty must ask himself in his heart: Is the prince in a hurry?"