L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 80 Clear Rewards and Punishments
Chapter 80 Clear Rewards and Punishments
Liang Jiugong's voice came from behind the screen, sharp and bright.
Everyone knelt down at the same time.
The hem of the court robe brushed against the gold bricks, making a soft rustling sound.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Yin'e knelt in the middle of the crowd, the gold brick floor polished to a high shine.
Yin'e's gaze fell on the gleaming ground, where he saw a blurry reflection.
It is the outline of a dragon throne, with dragon patterns carved on the back, and a figure sitting on it.
"Get up, everyone."
Kangxi's voice came from above.
Yin'e stood up with the others, his hands hanging down, his head bowed, his gaze fixed on the tips of his shoes, not daring to look around.
"It's been quite a while since I've had my first cry," Kangxi said calmly.
His gaze fell from the dragon throne and swept over everyone present.
"If I don't get to meet and chat with you all soon, things might turn upside down in Beijing!"
Upon hearing this, the entire Qianqing Palace instantly fell into an unusual silence.
Yin'e glanced around.
He saw that the expressions on the faces of those scholars were like those of exquisitely carved wooden puppets.
He saw the ministers exchanging glances, one looking at the other, then looking away.
He saw the backs of the eighth and ninth brothers; the eighth brother stood ramrod straight and motionless.
Old Nine tapped his fingers lightly inside his sleeve twice, whether out of nervousness or in the middle of a plan, it was hard to tell.
Emperor Kangxi leaned back on the dragon throne and remained silent for a moment.
"Since ancient times, paying back debts has been a matter of course. Why has it become so difficult for me?"
"It has been more than a month since I ordered the Fourth Prince to take charge of recovering the debts," Kangxi's voice deepened, "but less than 40% of the debts have been recovered."
"We didn't exert enough effort to pursue those who should have been pursued, and we didn't slow down the process when we should have. We didn't arrest those who should have been arrested, and those who shouldn't have died ended up dead."
Kangxi's tone suddenly became more serious.
"It caused widespread panic throughout the court and the country, and disrupted the peace of the entire government."
That's a very strong statement.
"Those who shouldn't have died are the ones who did"—everyone knows this refers to Wei Dongting.
This shows that in Kangxi's mind, Wei Dongting's death was not "deserved," but rather "unjustifiable."
Who caused his undeserved death? The debt collectors.
Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) finally couldn't stand up any longer.
He stepped out of the queue, lifted the hem of his robe, and knelt down.
"Your Majesty, I have failed in my duties and beg for your punishment!"
Kangxi glanced at him but said nothing.
His gaze was neither warm nor cold; it lingered on Yinzhen's (the Fourth Prince's) head for a few moments before shifting away to a more distant place.
"Tian Wenjing".
Tian Wenjing stepped out from the back of the queue.
He knelt down with a thud, curling his body into a ball.
His face had lost its previous composure and arrogance, replaced by a deathly pale expression.
Kangxi's voice came from above: "Tian Wenjing, during the collection of debts, acted rashly and spoke harshly, driving a high-ranking official to his death and disgracing the court."
He was dismissed from his post as a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue and sent to Fujian to serve as the magistrate of Houguan County.
Depart immediately; no delays are permitted.
Tian Wenjing's body jerked violently, and her forehead hit the gold brick.
His voice was hoarse and trembling: "Your Majesty, I...thank you."
Most people are certainly not satisfied with this result.
No one has forgotten how Tian Wenjing used to bully and oppress everyone by relying on the imperial edict and the fourth prince.
Even if he weren't killed, dismissal would still be appropriate. But now it's just a demotion and reassignment, while he retains his official position, which is considered giving the fourth prince some face.
"As for Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince)..." Kangxi's voice trailed off, as if he was considering something.
Lao Ba suddenly stepped out of the queue.
He walked to Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince), knelt down, his back straight, and his voice loud and steady.
"Father, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."
Kangxi glanced at him and said, "Speak."
Before Kangxi could speak, the Eighth Prince continued, "The matter of recovering debts is an extremely difficult task in itself."
Fourth Brother was working for the court, and although he was a bit too eager, it was all for the court and for Father Emperor.
His intentions were good, but his methods were lacking.
If he is severely punished for this, I fear that in the future, no one in the court will dare to handle difficult tasks for the Emperor.
He spoke in a grand and eloquent manner, leaving no room for error.
He spoke up for Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) without offending anyone.
Every sentence was meant to exonerate Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince), but if you listen carefully, every sentence was saying, "Although he made a mistake, his crime doesn't warrant this."
This is a very clever way to plead for leniency.
It's not that "he did nothing wrong," but rather that "he was wrong and shouldn't have been punished so severely."
As soon as the Eighth Prince finished speaking, the Thirteenth Prince, Yinxiang, also stepped out of the queue.
His movements were much faster than Lao Ba's, with long strides and a youthful vigor.
He walked to the other side of Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince), knelt down, and spoke louder and more urgently than the Eighth Prince, with a hint of pleading.
"Father, Fourth Brother has been unable to sleep at night and has lost his appetite these past few days because of the debt collection."
Although he was a bit hasty in his actions, it was because he was so eager to complete the task assigned by his father, the Emperor, and begged for leniency!
The two men knelt on either side of Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince), like two walls protecting him in the middle.
Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) knelt in the middle, head bowed, without saying a word, but Yin'e noticed that his shoulders were trembling slightly.
Kangxi looked at his three sons kneeling below and remained silent for a moment.
His gaze moved from the Eighth Prince's face to the Thirteenth Prince's face, then from the Thirteenth Prince's face to Yinzhen's (the Fourth Prince's) face, and then returned to the sky outside the palace.
"Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince) failed to effectively recover the debts, so he was fined one year's salary as a warning to see how he would behave in the future."
"Your son thanks Your Majesty!" Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince)'s voice trembled and even choked with sobs.
He kowtowed, stood up, and returned to the queue.
The eighth and thirteenth brothers also stood up and retreated.
Yin'e stood in the queue and watched all of this unfold.
He noticed that when Lao Ba retreated, the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
It was a very faint smile, so faint that it was almost invisible, but Yin'e saw it.
He suddenly understood why the Eighth Prince had stepped forward to plead for the Fourth Prince before Kangxi had even punished him.
It wasn't because he had a good relationship with the fourth brother, but because he wanted to steal this "favor".
When the fourth brother was in his most miserable state, the first person to stand up for him was the eighth brother.
The fourth brother will keep this in mind.
Even if the fourth prince doesn't appreciate it, the others in the court will see it. The eighth prince is magnanimous, benevolent, and doesn't hold grudges.
Lao Ba did a great job doing this favor.
As Yin'e watched Yinzhen (the Fourth Prince)'s retreating figure, he thought to himself, "As expected of the Eighth Prince, his wisdom came at just the right time."