Chapter 340 Wang Yue Strikes, Officials Are as Slippery as Oil
Of course, he actually had another subtext that he didn't say, which was that He Qiaoxin didn't give them any evidence against the Censorate.
"In that case, I'll go over there! Brother Zhongshen, how about not clearing the table and continuing to drink when we come back?" He Qiaoxin agreed fearlessly, and then proposed to Qiu Jun.
If the Censorate fabricated other charges for him, he might still be worried, but he thought he was flawless in accepting bribes.
At the beginning of his official career, he accepted his father's advice and never embezzled a penny from the court, embarking on the most pure and clean route.
To this day, even if local officials continue to send a large amount of ice, charcoal and other warnings, he asks the butler not to accept money.
As for those expensive tea, famous wine and ginseng, these are consumables that can be used at any time, and it is difficult for the Censorate to verify this aspect.
The most important thing is that in the unspoken rules of the Ming Dynasty officialdom, these things are not considered bribes at all, and they have long been beyond the law.
That's right, even if the Censorate investigated him because it was the emperor's intention, but this time he was hastily called to the Censorate for investigation, which was just to make himself famous as the most honest official of this dynasty.
Although the sky was gloomy at the moment, there was no sign of snow.
Qiu Jun knew that He Qiaoxin's family was wealthy and he really didn't take any money from gold and silver, so he immediately bowed his hands: "Haha... This peach wine is really not drunk enough, so I will wait for you to come back and continue drinking!"
Wang Yu glanced at Qiu Jun, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, but he knew that this kind-faced old man was not a good thing, so he made a gesture of invitation to He Qiaoxin: "He Shangshu, please!"
He Qiaoxin said goodbye to Qiu Jun, raised his chin slightly, and walked in front with his hands behind his back.
"It's all right!"
"Everyone disperse!"
"Just do what you need to do!"
...
The people in the He Mansion were originally very worried about He Qiaoxin, but when they saw that He Qiaoxin looked like he was coming to accept the commendation, they all put their minds at ease.
The housekeeper of the He Mansion knew the officialdom very well. Now his master seemed to be targeted by the court, but it would not be a bad thing if he could gain a good reputation.
In the Ming Dynasty, there were treacherous officials like Wan'an who flattered the emperor to gain power, but there were also clean officials like Liu Daxia who dared to hide treasure maps and became famous all over the world.
Now, his master did not choose to take the flattering route, but became one of the leaders of the clean officialdom. In the future, he might not be able to break the shackles and enter the cabinet to be a prime minister.
That's why, although his master was taken to the Censorate for questioning, he was not worried at all.
"Isn't the Censorate looking for trouble?"
"We dare not pay a cent in the He family, and everyone in the capital has known it for a long time!"
"Haha... This is not a bad thing. Let the world know who is the most honest official in the Ming Dynasty!"
...
All the family members of the He family were alarmed, but after learning the whole story, they started to clamor, especially knowing the potential political capital gains here.
Since it was still early for the New Year's Eve dinner, they didn't need to worry about delaying their family's New Year's Eve dinner.
After all, it was New Year's Eve. Even if there was excitement here, everyone would rather prepare for the New Year at home, so the movement here did not cause much noise.
Xiaoshi Yongfang was very close to Jiangxi Mixiang, and He Qiaoxin's sedan chair soon arrived at the Censorate.
Although the Censorate has always been a second-rank government office, it has always focused on local areas and neglected the capital, resulting in it not having a strong presence in the capital.
It was only in the current Hongzhi Dynasty, after Emperor Hongzhi established the Censorate Search Office, that it became a nightmare for Beijing officials.
The most terrifying thing is that the interrogation of the Metropolitan Procuratorate is different from that of the notorious Northern Pacification Office. The Metropolitan Procuratorate headed by Wang Yue now has a high credibility.
Even if the Northern Pacification Office has verified the crime, the officials who come out can use reasons such as torture to shirk responsibility, but the officials judged by the Metropolitan Procuratorate can not be cleaned up no matter how much the literati group helps to whitewash.
The Ministry of Justice headed by He Shixin is also located in Mixiang, Jiangxi, but he has always looked down on Wang Yue, a "lone minister", so he has not come to the Metropolitan Procuratorate since he took office as the Minister of Justice.
As soon as he walked out of the sedan chair, a gust of gloom blew in his face, which made him shudder.
When He Xin looked at the Metropolitan Procuratorate in front of him, which was familiar and unfamiliar, he suddenly found that there was an ugly statue of Thunder God in the courtyard. Looking at the eyes condescending to him, he almost couldn't stand steadily.
But he didn't expect that this place was even more gloomy than the Northern Pacification Office.
"Minister He, please come in!" Wang Yu saw He Qiaoxin's reaction and pointed to the interrogation room.
After these years of experience, he is no longer the boy who likes to ride a horse in the fields to chase the wind, but a mature inspector of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
The Minister of Justice in front of him seems to be righteous, but from his guilty performance, he is actually just a hypocrite who relies on his rich family to maintain the image of an honest official.
In the past few years of investigation, there are indeed too many such people, all of whom talk about benevolence and morality, but do the work of thieves and prostitutes behind their backs.
After all, He Qiaoxin is a high-ranking second-rank Minister of Justice. He quickly calmed his mind and said with a gloomy face: "Where is Wang Yue? Why hasn't he come out yet?"
"Minister He, what do you mean by this?" Wang Yu didn't expect He Qiaoxin to be so arrogant here, and immediately frowned.
He Qiaoxin glanced at Wang Yu and said matter-of-factly: "I am a dignified second-grade imperial official. I came to the Metropolitan Procuratorate this time just to cooperate with your investigation. Now I am here to follow the holy will. But Wang Yue does not If you come out to greet me, don’t blame me for going back, that’s it for today!”
Wang Yu's face suddenly turned cold. He had never seen an official putting on such airs before.
"He Shangshu, I'm here, please come inside!" Wang Yue appeared in person and said calmly to He Qiaoxin who was putting on airs.
Although the words seemed very polite, they revealed that they could not be rejected, especially those eyes that only those who have truly experienced the military have.
Wang Yue seemed very low-key after returning to Beijing. Even every time he attended the highest meeting, he would sit aside without saying a word, as if he, the Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, was not there from the beginning to the end.
It's just that since he became the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he has done nothing less, making the entire Metropolitan Procuratorate impressive, and it has become the most desired office for new scholars nowadays.
Gu...
He Xin couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Although he did have something to rely on, he couldn't resist Wang Yue's pressure at all.
It was only then that he realized that he seemed to have been too contemptuous of the Zuo Du Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
He was about to say something to regain the scene, but when he saw that Wang Yue had turned around and walked inside, he had no choice but to follow him in dismay, thinking in his mind that he wanted to see what tricks this old guy was playing.
The Metropolitan Procuratorate has execution halls, but they are mainly private ones. After all, unlike the Shuntian Prefecture, all cases heard by the Metropolitan Procuratorate will not be subject to public trials. Instead, the Metropolitan Procuratorate will directly interrogate the suspects.
Today, New Year's Eve, was originally a holiday, but it involved a case designated by the emperor himself, and officials such as the left deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Shi Bianyong, came back to sit in on the case.
When they saw He Qiaoxin, the Minister of Punishment, appearing here, his eyes looked quite complicated.
Since the reorganization of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, although countless civil and military officials have been arrested and interrogated, He Qiaoxin is undoubtedly the highest-ranking second-grade civil servant.
Just thinking about what He Qiaoxin did, it was simply his own fault.
The current Emperor Hongzhi is not a good man or woman. He Qiaoxin blocked the imperial court's plan to issue national bonds, and actually made the dignified chief minister angry to death.
The emperor summoned Wang Yue into the palace. Although Wang Yue didn't say much after he came back, their mission of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was undoubtedly to bite He Qiaoxin to death. This would also be the biggest test question for their entire Metropolitan Procuratorate.
"Wang Zongxian, I don't know why you called me to the Metropolitan Procuratorate?" He Qiaoxin put on his official uniform before arriving and stood in the hall with an air of arrogance.
Wang Yue was already sitting in the hall, and without raising his head, he uttered two words: "Take bribes!"
The left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Shi Bianyong, and other officials exchanged silent glances, but they knew that He Qiaoxin was very clean in this regard, and they might not be able to kill the Minister of Punishment in front of him.
"I know that the emperor has misunderstood me and believes that all officials in the world must be corrupt, but I advise you all to stop wasting your efforts on the procuratorate!" He Qiaoxin was not afraid of this crime the most, and he advised with confidence.
Wang Yu frowned slightly, not liking the arrogance of the Minister of Punishment.
Wang Yue put down the materials in his hands and then looked up at He Qiaoxin: "You recently presented two ginseng roots to Fei Hong, the Hanlin editor. Is this relevant?"
"You all are well-informed about the procuratorate. This is indeed true! Seeing that my junior is weak, I gave him two ginseng sticks to replenish his health. Isn't this considered bribery?" He Qiaoxin was slightly surprised and immediately asked in reply. road.
Officials such as the left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Shi Bianyong, turned to look at Wang Yue worriedly. This behavior sounded very normal.
Wang Yue met He Qiaoxin's gaze and said seriously: "There is nothing wrong with giving away ginseng, but the market value of these two wild ginseng is estimated to be more than a thousand taels of gold. This is a big deal!"
"A thousand taels of gold? Merchants like to make profits. They dare to bid for a thousand taels of gold for two things that were clearly dug out by people in the mountains. This kind of valuation is not trustworthy!" He Qiaoxin had already said something in his heart, but even though the clouds were calm and the wind was gentle, typical.
Wang Yue knew in his heart that He Qiaoxin in front of him was a real veteran, so he gave Hu Jun a look next to him: "Two things? Mr. He, then you have to take a good look at these two things. How do they look like?" I went out and asked for a thousand taels of gold, and all the major medicine shops were rushing to get it!"
Hu Jun lifted up the tray, revealing two golden ginseng roots inside.
When officials such as the left deputy censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Shi Bianyong, saw the ginseng in such a good condition, their eyes immediately went straight. These two ginsengs were indeed worth a thousand taels of gold.
"How come you have this ginseng in your hand?" He Qiaoxin blurted out in shock when he saw these two familiar ginseng.
Although the value of this kind of thing is hard to estimate, the best result is that Fei Hong can eat it instead of appearing in Wang Yue's hands as evidence.
"You gave these two ginseng roots to Hanlin editor Fei Hong, so naturally you got them from Fei Hong, but I don't know where you got these two wild ginseng roots?" Wang Yue answered matter-of-factly, Then he asked rhetorically.
He Qiaoxin felt vaguely that he was sold out to that boy Fei Hong, but his many years of official career made him very calm and said: "Forget it!"
"How could such a thing be forgotten? What do you mean by prevaricating our Metropolitan Procuratorate in this way?" Shi Bianyong, the left deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, immediately stood up to defend the dignity of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
He Qiaoxin knew that the Censorate had no power to use private punishment against the Minister of Justice, so he said with a dead pig fearless: "If you forget, then forget. Do you still remember how the host treated your woman last time?"
Huh? This... seems to make sense!
The officials such as Bian Yong, the Left Deputy Censor of the Censorate, thought for a while and found that it seemed to be the case.
"It seems that you have received too many things and you have forgotten them! In this case, I will recall for you that these two wild ginsengs were given by Huang Yu, the president of the Guangdong Chamber of Commerce!" Wang Yue showed a survey result and said seriously.
"Those two ginsengs were given by Huang Yu, the president of the Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, so what?" He Qiaoxin didn't expect Wang Yue to have investigated this, so he just confessed directly.
Wang Yue took out another investigation report and revealed the truth in a serious manner: "Huang Yu gave you this ginseng so that he could successfully obtain the financial business license in Guangdong, and he did obtain the financial business license in Guangdong!"
"The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for reviewing the financial business license, and our Ministry of Justice is just a temporary approval office. If you really want to investigate this matter, you should first investigate the Ministry of Revenue, and then investigate our Ministry of Justice!" He Qiaoxin was secretly shocked, but still said very calmly.
Although he did have some intention of helping Huang Yu by accepting Huang Yu's ginseng, their Ministry of Justice was not the main review department, but just opened a small convenient door.
Moreover, with Huang Yu's strength, it was a small matter for him to get a small Guangdong financial business license, even if it could be passed through the normal process.
That's why he was not worried that Wang Yue would hold on to this matter, and there was no political risk at all.
Seeing He Qiaoxin so confident, Wang Yue looked into his eyes and said, "You may not know that Huang Yu returned to Guangdong to continue lending at high interest rates, and his financial license has been revoked by the new Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Chen Zheng! You accepted Huang Yu's generous gift, which led to such a profiteer getting a business license, which has constituted the crime of bribery!"
Beautiful!
Officials such as Bian Yong, the Left Vice-Chief Censor of the Censorate, did not expect that Guangdong had a divine assist. Thinking that this matter might be a breakthrough, they could not help but secretly punched in excitement.
"The Ministry of Revenue reviews and the Ministry of Justice approves, and it is impossible to guarantee that everyone is free of problems! As for this official's bribery, I cannot bear this charge! Huang Yu's financial license was approved by Du Jian, a member of the Ministry of Justice. At most, I have a responsibility for not governing strictly, but if you pursue joint liability like this, who will dare to approve financial licenses in the future?" Although He Qiaoxin was secretly shocked, he defended himself very confidently.