Chapter 488: Losing Control
Editor: Atlas Studios
The ministers quarreled again regarding Qi Haoran’s memorial. Although there were still people who unwaveringly impeached him, the situation had improved a little now that someone had raised doubts.
In less than two days, Qi Haoran found some ledgers, booklets, land deeds, and shop contracts from the murder scene. He sent everything to the Emperor and copied two copies for the Ministry of Justice and the imperial censor’s desk. He asked them, “What crime should this be?”
Then, he asked the imperial censor, “How did you supervise them?”
It would have been fine if it was just one person, but Qi Haoran had sent evidence of all seven of them being corrupted. Apart from accepting a large amount of bribes, those seven people had also chased away farmers, seized land, and even robbed civilians of their money and wiped out their entire families. None of the seven families was innocent. Even the least severe of the seven had killed 12 lives. This fully demonstrated to the entire court that making the wrong appointments, regardless of how junior, was all it took to devastate the grassroots.
Qi Haoran wasn’t afraid of blowing up the matter. After obtaining the evidence, he both openly and secretly sent it to the Ministry of Justice and the imperial censor’s office. No matter what he found, he would do this. This way, the officials who had been bribed by the seven families immediately felt uneasy.
Qi Haoran even questioned in the memorial, “Why didn’t the imperial censor and the Ministry of Justice do anything to such corrupt magistrates? These things were all found in the residences and secret spots in the homes of those seven magistrates. Their study has been searched thoroughly. There was even a fire in the Hengzhou magistrate’s study after the incident. Is there any suspicion of silencing the magistrates? Your Majesty, please order a thorough investigation.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the court instantly fell silent. Which official in the Great Zhou Dynasty dared to say that he was innocent?
Even someone as noble as Grand Tutor Yan and as upright as General Yuan did not dare to pat his chest and say that he was completely incorruptible. Furthermore, beyond that level, there were more than a handful of people who had committed crimes worthy of being punished, exiled, or even beheaded. Therefore, as soon as these words were spoken, everyone began to consider the Emperor’s intentions.
Was Qi Haoran’s memorial an unreasonable pestering, or was he acting under the Emperor’s instructions? One had to know that Qi Haoran had gone to Jinghu on the Emperor’s orders.
Coupled with Fan Zijin causing trouble and adding fuel to the fire, everyone was really intimidated for a moment. At least, it was quiet for a few days.
In the past few days, Fan Zijin had gotten someone to spread rumors about the evil deeds done by the seven families, as well as thank the Great Zhou Dynasty for embracing free speech. Now, even if Fan Zijin hired a troupe to put up a performance criticizing the Emperor at the palace entrance, the Emperor could not do anything to him.
The matter spread like wildfire. When Fan Zijin had people spread the news, he even emphasized these few suspicious cases. The public’s imagination was rich. Other than “Qi Haoran instructed this incident and is an accomplice in silencing those seven families; the bandits simply did justice on behalf of the heavens”, there were also a few more guesses such as “The malicious ghosts were seeking revenge; this is a case of robbing the rich to help the poor.” In the end, it was speculation about Qi Haoran instigating the incident that was the first to be eliminated because it was unexciting and lacked supportive evidence.
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Although the commoners’ words could not sway the Imperial Court, it made Qi Haoran’s situation a little better. In addition, as the investigation went deeper, Qi Haoran became increasingly less suspicious.
However, the Emperor gradually became anxious. If he continued to send people to investigate, they would eventually look into Qi Haoran’s three adjutants. By that time, the identity of the instigator would be apparent. Hence, he suppressed the matter and diverted everyone’s attention in another direction. “The situation in Jinghu is critical now. Dealing with those 130,000 rebel troops is the most important thing. As for the extermination of the seven officials, we’ll leave it for the time being. We’ll continue with the investigation after the matter at Jinghu is over.”
No one objected because the urgent matter at hand was indeed the 130,000 bandits. Because of the massacre of the officials this time, everyone felt that they could not go easy on the rebels, so they suggested that the Emperor send an army to suppress them.
However, some believe that the seven officials deserved their fate. Those bandits were once ordinary citizens who were driven to murder in a fit of rage, and mercy could be extended to them. From the perspectives of the national treasury, public sentiment, and resource consumption, it would be better to offer them amnesty and quickly disperse the bandits back to their villages, allowing them to return to civilian life.
The two factions started arguing again. This time, the Emperor did not interfere because he could not make up his mind whether to suppress the bandits or to grant them amnesty. Therefore, he could only hold his chin and wait for everyone to persuade him with convincing reasons.
Meanwhile, the officials in the capital were willing to let go of the case of the seven officials’ annihilation, but the local officials elsewhere did not agree. They all submitted petitions to severely deal with the bandits and immediately investigate the mastermind.
Because it was too terrifying.
Those who lived in Lin’an City might not have any worries, but they lived elsewhere. Which place didn’t have bandits now?
Which official had not oppressed the common people before?
Whose hands were 100% clean?
Even if there was such a person, they would certainly have offended many people in the bureaucracy. That was why everyone was afraid. Who was the one who instigated this? Since someone could guide the bandits to destroy the seven families, could they also be destroyed like this?
Or would this inspire copycat crimes?
In order to prevent such incidents from happening again, they could only investigate to the end and find the mastermind behind the scenes and punish him severely. Only then could they intimidate those restless people. Only then could those officials outside the city calm down and not be so afraid.
Qi Haoran had already fought with the rebels in Jinghu a few times. There were wins and losses, but the difference in numbers was too great. Furthermore, he had yet to completely control the garrison in Hengzhou, so he did not dare to work freely. He could only rush the Emperor and ministers to make up their minds three times a day. They could not be trapped there indefinitely.
130,000 people was not a lot, but it was not a small number either. The two factions argued for a long time, and in the end, the pro-peace faction had the upper hand. They wanted to give amnesty to those bandits, but how to go about doing it and how to deal with them after that was still up for discussion.
Qi Haoran also learned of the Imperial Court’s intentions in Jinghu, so the battle with the rebels slowed down.
The soldiers had already been mobilized, but they would not arrive so quickly.
Therefore, the Emperor ordered Qi Haoran to hurry up and construct the fortifications. He had to hold on until the reinforcements arrived. When the memorials of the local officials flew into the palace like snowflakes, the Emperor was almost angered to death.
To his aghast, the matter that he had suppressed with great difficulty was brought up again. The worst thing was that once these memorials were brought up, the people in the Imperial Court who had no choice but to give up previously became active again. The Emperor suspected that Minister Qin was involved.
These people were clamoring to deal with Qi Haoran and those rebel bandits who were in chaos. The commotion was even greater than the first time.
Just as the Emperor was about to suppress this matter again, the news somehow spread to Jinghu.
The 130,000 rebels all knew that the Emperor wanted to avenge the seven corrupt officials and had mobilized an army to destroy them.
Hence, while Qi Haoran was still laboriously constructing the fortifications and waiting for the Imperial Court to send someone to negotiate peace, a group of bandits attacked them.