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Former 8th-rank stables official Xu Xing?

The rebel Xing Tianwang who caused a stir in the world was actually just an 8th-rank official in the court?

As soon as the green-robed official finished speaking, it was like a stone stirring up a thousand waves.

The court officials present were all uneasy.

The 8th-rank stables official, if it were not for the grand court meeting, would not even be qualified to sit at the end of the Ziwei Palace. A mere insignificant official actually forced the 100,000 imperial troops to be defeated and the Guanxi Road to fall...

"Fortunately, this official and Xu Xing have a good relationship."

"Let Zhao Yunniang go..."

Hearing this, Han Sui, one of the nine ministers, secretly rejoiced.

The court was weak, which was a fact that all the officials could see at a glance.

When Wei Wentong, the Grand Commandant, was in power, the court had not yet shown signs of national destruction. But since the 100,000 imperial guards were lost in Jiangnan West Road, even if the court still had 150,000 imperial guards in the capital, the myth of the elite imperial guards has been broken. Everyone in the country knows that these imperial guards are just model goods and can't stand being hit...

The first to slap the face of the imperial power were the local armies that encircled and suppressed the 18 rebel kings.

Raising the enemy to protect themselves!

Pretending to obey but secretly disobeying!

It would be fine if these military leaders were arrogant.

Military generals have always been like this.

Only the ones who are called out at Donghuamen are good men.

However, some time ago, the various roads offered tribute.

The tributes from some remote counties were all inferior goods, which were passed off as good ones.

However, these local officials also had reasons. First, they cried poor, and then said that thieves were rising in the world, blocking the road and robbing, and asked the court to send officers and soldiers to encircle and suppress them. If that didn't work, they would give them the power to recruit militia...

(Militia is the rural soldiers.)

One thing after another, the prestige of the court was gradually lost.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see it.

The imperial court... is already a grasshopper after autumn, it can't grow up.

Even if Xu Xing was defeated and became the pioneer of the king, the future of the imperial court... most people no longer look forward to it. Emperor Chongming is not a person who can turn the tide. None of his descendants can take up the responsibility in the future.

"Wait..."

"This Chen... is now mentioning Xu Xing, could it be..."

Han Sui's face suddenly became gloomy.

He lowered his head at this moment, so he didn't worry about others seeing his face.

The official who just rushed to report before Prime Minister Ouyang was not an official from the six ministries, but a Kedao official, Chen Hou, a seventh-rank official among the six-ministerial officials who was specifically responsible for "remonstration and supervision".

The six-ministerial officials and the supervisory censors of each road are collectively called Kedao.

The six ministries are responsible for attendants, admonitions, supplements, collections, and inspections of the six ministries and hundreds of departments.

Other court officials who stepped out of the Ziwei Hall and stole the limelight from the prime minister were a serious crime and disrupted the court ceremony. But the censors in the six departments of the imperial court did not have to worry about this and could directly submit their memorials.

If it was in the early and middle stages of the dynasty, the six departments of the imperial court could still be responsible for giving advice, but in the current Chongming Dynasty, the six departments of the imperial court were just dogs raised by various parties, specifically responsible for biting.

At this moment, Chen Hou's words...

Not only the prime minister was biting, but also Han Taifu!

All officials were silent.

Prime Minister Ouyang looked back, glanced at Chen Hou, and shrank back into the court.

"What you said..."

"But do you really mean it?"

Emperor Chongming looked coldly at the green-robed official kneeling in the hall.

"Every word I said is true."

"If it is false, I am willing to guarantee it with my head and the lives of my family."

"Xu Xing, escaped from the prison and entered the green forest..."

Chen Hou kowtowed and held up the memorial with both hands.

What he said was not false. The content of the memorial was the evidence that Xu Xing was the King of Xingtian. If Xu Xing was only in Siming Mountain in Jiangnan West Road, no one would know that Xu Xing was an eighth-rank prisoner in Tianlao. But when Xu Xing returned to his hometown Guanxi Road..., this matter could not be concealed.

"Nonsense!"

Emperor Chongming sneered, "The prisoner Xu Xing was burned to death in the Tianlao flood, how could he escape from prison? You are receiving the emperor's grace, not only do you not seek to repay, but you also want to frame a good minister."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Chen Hou, who was already trembling and sweating on his forehead, "I will ask you one more question, do you still want to continue to report false statements?"

Yesterday, the commander of the Night Patrol had entered the palace overnight and reported to him about Xu Xing's escape from prison.

The supervision of Tianlao is also the responsibility of the Night Patrol.

He and Commander Liu are brothers who have been fed with the same milk and have a deep relationship since childhood. How could he blame this brother for a small mistake?

The Night Patrol monitors the world, and it is common for them to fail to supervise occasionally.

If Chen Hou's memorial was successful, the Night Patrol would suffer a disaster...

In addition, Chen Hou's memorial was a slap in his face!

A mere official of the eighth rank, after escaping from prison, stirred up such a big storm in the world. People in the world will definitely say that he, the emperor, does not know people well.

"I... I dare not deceive my king and father..."

"I... I am making a false report. I received a bribe of three thousand taels from He Yuanwen, the governor of Zizhou in Guanxi Road, so I told this lie. I hope my king and father will spare my life."

Chen Hou finished this conversation with trembling lips.

After speaking, he stood up tremblingly, gritted his teeth, and rushed towards the pillar of the palace.

With a plop.

The color of the pillar painted with cinnabar became brighter red.

The ministers became more silent when they saw this scene.

No one dared to make a sound.

Around, you could hear a pin drop.

"Announce my will..."

"The Secretary Chen Hou accepted bribes privately, and his advice was all selfish... Considering that he woke up in time, I am merciful and will not exterminate his three clans. The males will be exiled 3,000 miles away, and the females will be sent to the Jiaofang Bureau..."

Emperor Chongming broke the silence and announced his decree.

Just now, Chen Hou used his head and the lives of his family as a guarantee to say that the memorial was true. Now that Chen Hou's memorial was false..., he was also a kind man, so he would not kill Chen Hou's family and would just judge the case according to the rules.

If only Chen Hou was convicted, wouldn't it mean that what Chen Hou said was true? !

He would never dare to be so foolish.

"As for privately accepting bribes..."

Emperor Chongming's face flashed with disgust, and he pointed to his dragon robe, "Now the situation is difficult, and my dragon robe was repaired by the queen. You rely on the court for your food and salary, and don't think about serving the country and the people..."

"A mere seventh-rank official can receive so much dirty silver. What kind of family situation must the civil and military officials have?"

"I dare not think about it carefully."

He cursed the civil and military officials.

After cursing, he sighed, "Prime Minister, how much silver is left in the treasury? Now the country is in crisis, the Tartars in the north are knocking on the gates, and in the west there are the Daotian King and Xingtian King making trouble..."

"Your Majesty..."

Prime Minister Ouyang stepped out and reported: "Last time, the treasury spent 130,000 taels on the birthday of King Xing, 750,000 taels on the suppression of the rebels, 150,000 taels on the food and wages of the northern army, and 200,000 taels on the princess's wedding. Now the taxes from all over the country have not been collected, and there are only 290,000 taels of silver left in the treasury..."

"The treasury has been in deficit every year."

He explained again.