gnovel Chapter 11: Ruthless Methods, a Great Purge of the Crown Prince's Palace!
Chapter 11: Ruthless Methods, a Great Purge of the Crown Prince's Palace!
Chang'an, Court of Justice.
The bluestone path in front of the door gleamed from the rain, like a cold mirror.
The scorching sun shone brightly on the government office, but Zhang He, the Crown Prince's guest, felt no warmth whatsoever. The air was thick with the smell of stale ink mixed with mildew, and the atmosphere was unusually damp. As far as the eye could see, everything was a somber, dark blue-black.
"What did you say?"
Deep within the government office, in a quiet study, Du Zhou looked up and asked with some surprise.
Du Zhou came from a minor official background. He initially served under Yi Zong, the governor of Nanyang. Because of his intelligence and competence, he was regarded as a "henchman". Later, he was recommended by Yi Zong to Zhang Tang, the Grand Secretary, and became the Minister of Justice. He was highly valued for his strict enforcement of the law and his ability to understand the intentions of Emperor Wu of Han. He was promoted to Minister of Justice.
Crown Prince Liu Ju had always shown deep hatred for these cruel officials, but now he had taken the initiative to send someone to the Court of Justice.
"Shangguan."
Bing Shen, the deputy to the Court of Justice, said, "The Crown Prince's guest is outside."
"This man is the eldest son of Imperial Censor Zhang, and is highly regarded by the Crown Prince."
"Please let him in!"
Du Zhou's expression shifted, and he gave the order.
Regardless of whether Zhang He was a guest of the Crown Prince, his status as Zhang Tang's eldest son alone made it impossible for him not to meet with him.
It should be noted that Yi Zong can be considered his benefactor, while Zhang Tang was his mentor, enabling him to rise to the position of Court Minister, and now to the position of Court Minister, ranking among the Nine Ministers of the Han Dynasty.
"promise."
Bing Shen left in a hurry.
A moment later, Zhang He entered the main hall of the Court of Justice under his guidance and met the current Court of Justice, Du Zhou.
"Nephew, have you come on the Crown Prince's orders?"
Contrary to rumors, Du Zhou displayed a warm and gentle expression, much like an elder in the neighborhood.
Zhang He dared not let his guard down. After all, the Minister of Justice, Du Zhou, was known for his "deep-seated ruthlessness" and his increasingly severe punishments. During his tenure as Minister of Justice, more than a hundred officials with a salary of two thousand shi or above (equivalent to prefects or ministers) were imprisoned for crimes each year. The number of people arrested in prisons under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Justice and the capital government reached as many as sixty or seventy thousand. In addition, the number of people implicated by law enforcement officials sometimes exceeded one hundred thousand.
"Du Tingwei".
Zhang He replied neither servilely nor arrogantly, "I am acting on the Crown Prince's orders to request the Court of Justice to send officials to the Crown Prince's palace to investigate any illegal activities."
"Oh?"
Du Zhou raised an eyebrow. He never expected that Zhang He's purpose in coming here would be like this. It was truly unbelievable that the Crown Prince, who was known as a gentle and refined gentleman, would send the Court of Justice to arrest lawbreakers.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting at Bowang Garden. I request that Minister Du send someone to accompany me immediately."
Zhang He had no time to guess Du Zhou's thoughts and said urgently.
"Um."
After pondering for a moment, Du Zhou turned his gaze to Bing Shen: "Take some men to the Crown Prince's Palace."
"Your humble servant obeys!"
Without hesitation, the Minister of Justice, Zheng Bing, replied.
"Thank you for your help!"
Zhang He bowed and left the main hall of the Court of Justice.
Watching him leave, the Imperial Censor Du Zhou's eyes kept changing, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
..............
At 4:45 AM, at Bowang Garden.
The group of Guliang School Confucian scholars, standing in the sun, were already getting impatient.
Rong Guang, Hao Xing Gong, and Wei Xian, who were in the lead, couldn't figure out what Crown Prince Liu Ju was thinking, so they could only wait with him.
The Crown Prince's attendants, Shi De and Wu Qie, seemed to have guessed something and were somewhat alarmed.
"Tap tap!"
A sudden, heavy footstep broke the tranquility of the Crown Prince's Palace. Three hundred Chang Le Palace guards appeared before everyone, clad in armor and armed with weapons, their eyes cold and sharp.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
The three hundred guards all knelt on one knee and bowed.
"Rise!"
The moment Crown Prince Liu Ju saw them, a smile appeared on his face.
These people were the army that directly obeyed Empress Wei Zifu, and could also be considered her trusted forces.
In the original history, it was precisely because of their existence that Liu Ju was able to successfully seize the armory in Chang'an and raise an army to oppose Emperor Wu of Han.
The group of Confucian scholars were somewhat at a loss when they saw the appearance of three hundred guards.
"Your Highness, what does this mean?"
Rong Guang couldn't help but ask.
"Tap tap!"
Zhang He, the Crown Prince's guest, led a group of officials to Bowang Garden in a hurry.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
The Chief Justice Bing Shen and the officials of the Court of Justice hurriedly bowed.
"Gentlemen, you may dispense with the formalities."
Liu Ju gestured with his right hand, giving Zhang He a satisfied look.
"This is terrible!"
Seeing this, Shi De and Wu Qie, the Crown Prince's attendants, confirmed their guesses and their faces turned very ugly.
"Your Highness, what exactly do you want to do?"
At this moment, Rong Guang, Hao Xinggong, and Wei Xian all realized that something was wrong and questioned him urgently.
"Today, before all of you, I hereby announce something to the world."
"Propriety must not be disregarded, and the law of the land shows no leniency!"
Looking around at everyone, Liu Ju said coldly, "Where are the officials from the Court of Justice?"
"Your Highness!"
The Chief Justice Bing Shen and the officials of the Court of Justice all looked up and stared at Liu Ju.
"Anyone within the Crown Prince's palace who commits crimes or violates the laws of the Great Han shall be severely punished without exception."
"Let's begin."
Liu Ju waved his hand and gave the order.
"promise."
Without saying a word, the Minister of Justice Bing Shen ordered his officials to investigate all the Guliang School Confucian scholars present.
"Zhang Sheng violated Article 16 of the Household Registration Law..."
"Wang Sheng violated the 'Xing Law'..."
"Mi Sheng violated the 'Law on Parallel Chapters'..."
"............"
One after another, Confucian scholars were investigated by officials of the Court of Justice, and their past violations of the laws of the Han Dynasty were exposed.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
"We know we were wrong!"
The entire audience was filled with wails and pleas for mercy. The Confucian scholars looked terrified and knelt down to kowtow.
Previously, relying on the Crown Prince's banner, they ran rampant in Chang'an, and no one dared to judge them. But now, the Court of Justice has personally come to their door, which shows that Crown Prince Liu Ju's attitude towards them has undergone a major change.
Rong Guang, Hao Xinggong, and Wei Xian's expressions were uncertain; they had never imagined that the Guliang School Confucian scholars behind them would do such a thing.
"Your Highness."
"The crimes committed by these individuals have been verified."
In a short time, the officials brought by the Minister of Justice Bing Shen had already registered all the Guliang School Confucian scholars into the roster.
"These people will be handed over to the Court of Justice."
Liu Ju waved his hand, not even glancing at the Guliang School Confucian scholars.
"Guards, take him away."
Bing Shen ordered the officers from the Court of Judicial Review who had arrived to put shackles on all the Confucian scholars present and escort them to prison.
Although Rong Guang, Hao Xinggong, and Wei Xian felt sorry for Liu Ju, they did not plead for him, because they knew very well that the Confucian scholars had brought this upon themselves.
"His Highness the Crown Prince has changed!"
Witnessing this moment firsthand, Zhang Guang, the Crown Prince's guest, Shi De, the Crown Prince's attendant, and Wu Qie were deeply shocked.
Is this still the same gentle crown prince? His ruthless methods surpass even those of the current emperor. At least when Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was the crown prince, he couldn't be so cold-blooded towards his subordinates.