The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty《成化十四年》Chengnian Shisi Nian
The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty vol 1, Chapter 3: The Enunuch Wang Zhi
After a few more pleasantries, Pan Bin got up and left. Before leaving, Tang Fan said to Zheng Ying, "Lord Marquis, this is an extraordinary matter, we would like to take your son's body away to facilitate the examination."
Zheng Ying frowned tightly, clearly not pleased: "Isn't there any other way?"
Tang Fan: "To find out the cause of his son's death, we still have to start here."
Zheng Ying: "My son is the Marquis of Wu'an eldest son, how can he be compared to an ordinary citizen? His body will be preserved by the family. He will be buried seven days after we park the coffin."
The implication is that if you can't find out the truth within seven days, my son won't be able to wait that long and will definitely be buried.
Before Tang Fan could reply, Pan Bin said, "Naturally, it's better for the deceased to be rest in peace, it's better to be buried in the ground, Lord Marquis our sincere condolence, then we'll bid farewell first."
Tang Fan: "Lord Marquis, the servant girl named A-Lin, according to the rules, the Shuntian Prefecture is also to be taken away."
Zheng Ying didn't say anything this time, and directly waved his hand, asking someone to bring the servant girl over and give her to the bailiff of the Shuntian Prefecture.
As soon as he left the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion, Pan Bin raised his face and told Tang Fan, "Ruiqing, you were too impulsive in today's matter!
Tang Fan had a look of innocence on his face: "Master where did that come from?"
Pan Bin: "You shouldn't have said the following words to the Marquis of Wu'an, is there another reason for Zheng Cheng's death, in the end it's just your speculation, what if something comes up? Why did the Marquis of Wu'an change his attitude when he sent us out? He was afraid that the murderer was involved with someone from his own family, and that a dead son would not be counted among the one he will lose, but perhaps another one would be needed to die for plotting his own brother's death.”
Tang Fan sighed, "Master, if we just sit back and do nothing, it will only be a case of injustice."
Pan Bin was very upset and thought to himself, "How can you not be enlightened about this? Zheng Ying's own son died and even he wanted to make things smaller, so why are we still working so blindly? In addition, the emperor will definitely take care to placate of Zheng Ying's feelings for the sake of the Shuntian Prefecture, and if the Shuntian Prefecture really finds out something, it will offend people.”
Tang Fan is also a bit helpless, the Shuntian Prefecture's Master is no less than an official of the imperial government, but Pan Bin is so scared of things that he even looks forward to investigating a murder case, no wonder the Master has been working for so many years, but has never been able to be promoted up.
When they came out, the morning drum had just been banged outside, and there were more and more early risers, and the air was still cold with frost and dew. Tang Fan saw that someone had set up an early stall by the side of the road, so he smiled at Pan bin and said, "Senior brother, it's time to be hungry after a busy night. How about I invite you to have breakfast?"
When Pan Bin heard that he had changed his name from Master to senior brother, his original color was slightly softer and he felt a bit hungry.
They are both in their regular clothes, which is not too hard to see that they are normal people.
The owner of the stall, seeing that they had found a place to sit down, did not come over either, and stood there and shouted, "What would you like to eat, gentlemen?"
Tang Fan: "Two bowls of minced pork noodles!"
The boss shouted back, "All right!"
In a moment, two steaming bowls of minced pork noodles were placed in front of the two.
The aroma of the hot soup, with green onions sprinkled on top, really whets the appetite.
Pan Bin and Tang Fan were also really hungry, picking up their chopsticks without saying a word and eating them with their heads bowed.
Tang Fan's eating was very gentlemanly, but not at all slower than Pan Bin's, or even a little faster.
By the time Master Pan finished the soup noodles, Tang Fan had already put down his chopsticks.
Before Pan Bin wanted to open his mouth to teach him a lesson, Tang Fan had already said, "Senior brother, actually this matter, even if the Marquis of Wu'an wanted to press it down, it might not be able to press it."
Pan Bin: "Why do you say that?"
Tang Fan: "Do you remember, Senior Brother, what great events happened last year?"
Pan Bin thought about it and his face changed, "You mean...?"
He picked up a chopstick, dipped it in the noodle soup and wrote the word "West" on the table.
Tang Fan nodded.
The word "West" refers neither to the west of the east, west, north and south, nor to the west of the Western Heavenly Ultimate Bliss.
Instead, it's the West of the Western Depot.
The Great Ming Dynasty was already on the eighth emperor when the Chenghua Emperor came to the present day.
The Chenghua Emperor's father, the former YIngzong Emperor, during his reign, made a big enough event to go down in history - the change of Tumu Fort. To put it bluntly, in fact, is a eunuch called Wang Zhen who can’t be called mortal if he is not courting disaster, encouraged the YIngzong Emperor to take a personal expedition to visit the Oirat Mongols, YIngzong Emperor also really listened, took a group of civil and military ministers to an expedition, the result of the eunuchs were killed, the emperor was captured, a number of civil and military ministers all died, at that time, the Oirat Mongols were looking to fight into the Imperial capital, Yu Qian stood out in the face of danger from him death bed, which saved the capital, and also spared the ancestors anger and the fear of ancestor from the coffin to jump out of the curse of unworthy children who led to almost falling of a dynasty.
When the Chenghua Emperor's father was captured, because the Chenghua Emperor was still young and the country could not be left without a leader for a day, to avoid being threatened with blackmail by Oirat Mongols, a group of civil servants of Yu Qian made Yingzong's younger brother, the Chenghua Emperor's uncle as the Emperor.
As a result, the unscrupulous Oirat Mongols released YIngzong Emperor back, the Chenghua Emperor’s uncle could no longer give way to his elder brother who mucked things and almost caused a national disaster, so the YIngzong Emperor was put under house arrest.
One night a few years later, YIngzong Emperor was enthroned in the palace under the support of several ministers. The wheels of fortune turned around in turn. This time it was his Chenghua's uncle turn to be a prisoner.
Within a few years, YIngzong Emperor died and went round and round, and the throne finally fell to his son the Chenghua Emperor.
The Chenghua Emperor, who almost lost the throne by mistake, had just ascended to the throne, and the official rule was still called clear, but the good times were not long, he was not a diligent man, a lazy man once used to be lazy, it is difficult to be diligent again.
Although it is said inside and outside the court that the Imperial Noble Consort Wan is the source of trouble, but Tang Fan does not see it that way, a woman can be a scourge, but also she has a limited ability, if there is no emperor to obey, and then a dozen adulterous consorts are of no use, say the Imperial Noble Consort Wan arrogant and domineering is only visible in the harem, and the harem had not a great influence on the former dynasty. In the end, it was the Chenghua Emperor himself, who did not want to work hard, and he liked to put all the affairs of the court to the courtiers, but also favored eunuchs, only to make the chaos continue day inside and outside the imperial a day after day.
Relative to courtiers, eunuchs are the closest to the emperor's people, courtiers in order to act convenient, plus a variety of self-interests, natural they have to get close to eunuchs, so that the dynasty will circulate "Paper paste three cabinet officers, clay figures six minister" joke, meaning that these cabinet officers hold state power, but all day long but have to bow to the emperor's side eunuchs to act, but now they only promise, and they do not do the right thing.
In this case, of course, it is not possible to expect the state government to be able to clear the way, the insightful people sighed, all say that the emperor is surrounded by small evil people, there are eunuchs inside to cause trouble, and outside there are mediocre courtiers to block the way, the founder of the dynasty and the ancestors when the great power of the state, do not think about it, and it is difficult to say whether it can be restored to the clear and bright at the times of the emperor Renzong and Xuanzong.
In February last year, Wang Zhi, the eunuch, was appointed to establish the Western Depot, and in order to establish his authority, he arrested many people, including not only ordinary people who "deliberated on the government affairs", but also the dignified officials of the Imperial Court, such as Jiang Zongwu, the Overseer of the Imperial Hospital, who was not even spared by the Six Ministries, local political envoys were not spared, Wang Zhi arrested people without asking. Because someone in the palace backed him and he was quite able to flatter the emperor, the Chenghua Emperor did not investigate. How many people impeached him without hope and were retaliated by Wang Zhi.
At that time, the Western Depot was so powerful that it pushed the Eastern Depot and Jinyiwei to the brink, and everyone inside and outside the court was in danger. So much so that Pan Bin didn't even dare to call out that name directly, only daring to endorse it with a word and write the word "West".
Seeing Tang Fan nod, he asked, ''What does that place have to do with the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion case? You mustn't get involved!"
Tang Fan: "Does Senior Brother, remember the 'Demon Fox Night Out' case from two years ago?"
Pan Bin's face turned pale again.
Tang Fan laughed: "Senior brother need not be nervous, we are greatly hidden, speaking here, on the contrary, no one pays attention."
Two years ago, there was a story about a golden-eyed, long-tailed demon beast that had caused trouble everywhere in the capital, and it was said that when someone ran into the beast, the person who ran into it would go into a coma. He was skinned by the monster and the man put on his body, and then he turned into the man's figure. He spread the false and was frightening the masses. Then a Taoist named Li Zilong came out. The fox was enchanting and was handed over to the officials in the palace to kill the emperor. Someone connected the monster with Li Zilong. He said that Taoist Li was actually a demon fox killed by the founding emperor at that time. Now that the founding emperor is gone, he comes to seek revenge from his descendants.
Although the rumors gradually subsided as Li Zilong was later beheaded, the Chenghua Emperor was shocked when he heard about it, and even thought that the Eastern Depot and Jinyiwei were both unreliable and he needed to set up a new secret agency to specifically serve him, and the Western Depot was born.
Tang Fan: "After Demon Fox Case, the Western Depot was established, which had a good excuse to arrest a group of people. Apart from showing his face in front of His Majesty to show that the Western Depot is really more capable than the Eastern Depot and Jinyiwei, he also wanted to show his authority and make all the officials fear him. Now Zheng Cheng’s matter has happened, even though the Marquis of Wu'an likes to make a big deal small, but Wang Zhi will certainly make use of it to ask his majesty for thorough investigation, and maybe he will intervene in it, so as to show the prestige of the Western Depot."
Pan Bin shook his head, "Impossible, the Western Depot is now in a great state, but why would Wang Zhi go to offend the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion for no reason at all?"
Tang Fan: "In order to establish prestige among the royal family and relatives and nobles, and in order to let the world know that he not only dared to arrest a hundred officials, but even those noblemen and family members did not begrudge the offense, so that in the world he would be feared by everyone, and it will be more convenient for him to do whatever he wants in the future."
Pan Bin: "Then let's wait for the Western Depot to intervene, then if the Western Depot is willing, the Shuntian Prefecture will be able to go along with it and put such troublesome things on their shoulders."
Tang Fan shook his head, a little helpless, their teacher once commented with him on this senior brother, said to Pan Bin "That Pan Bin had not enough courage to accomplish things, he will always seek ways to calm things and retreat before fighting", now that I think about it, it is really apt.
Pan Bin, was afraid that Tang Fan would make a mess of himself, and he told him, "The Marquis of Wu'an will definitely play on this matter, wait for His Majesty's decree to come down, don't go to the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion to ask for Zheng Cheng's body!
Tang Fan chuckled, "Senior brother, do you see me as such an impulsive person?"
Pan Bin was not in a good mood: "I think it's just like that. Our teacher even said that you've 'transcended into Confucianism and have the style of an ancient gentleman', so it's more reckless of you to say that in the Marquis of Wu'an Mansion! "
Why would the Shuntian Prefecture's Master from the 3rd rank and the junior officer from the 6th rank call each other Master and Senior Brother?
That's unusual to say, because they both have a common teacher, Qiu Juan.
Qiu Juan is a man of all talents, not only a good official, but also well versed in history, science, economics and even medicine. He has a wide range of knowledge and works. He is recognized as a great man at present and respected by scholars. If anyone can worship him as a teacher, it is a blessing for three lives.
Pan bin is a disciple of Qi Juan who was accepted in his early years. It's funny to say that his disciple has a good fortune. Now he is the third rank official the Shuntian Prefecture's master, but the he still offers a toast to the Imperial College teacher who is a fourth rank. However, the teacher and student's position is higher than the teacher's, and Pan Bin should still respectfully perform the disciple ceremony in front of the teacher...
Three years ago, in the 11th year of Chenghua reign, Qi Juan was appointed to preside over the examination of the imperial college’s Rules and Punishments class exam. Tang Fan also took the examination of that subject. First, he got the fifth place in the examination, and then in the palace examination, he took the second place in the first place in the school.
Although the imperial examination is held once every three years, there are not many talented people in the world who have gone on and on, but they have wasted time on it. At the age of Tang Fan, who is a weak man, the number one in the second rank is enough to be admired by scholars all over the world.
However, it is said that Chenghua Emperor originally wanted to appoint Tang Fan as the first prize, only because the chief consul Wan An said that Tang Fan was too young, so it is better to move the ranking back a bit, lest the young people be praised and loose themselves in the praise, knowing as long as the wood shows in the forest, the wind will destroy it.
The emperor felt justified, which only made him change the ranking, Tang Fan moved to the second first, but also regretfully joked: "Tang Ruiqing literary knowledge and talents are the top choice, rare and young and handsome. If he becomes the number one scholar, he would be ashamed to stand next to him for fear of becoming the number one scholar from now on!""
Three years ago, even though Tang Fan did not win the first prize, he became famous because of the words of the Emperor.
- The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty -
The author has something to say: 1, Demon Fox Case is true in history, and Wang Zhi came to the top with Demon Fox Case, but the specifics are made up by me.
2. Qiu Juan is also a real person.
Seeing that a basin mate wanted me to nag about some little historical tidbit, I just dropped in for a quick chat.
About Wang Zhi, I see that everyone has a very good impression of him because of the Dragon Gate Flying Armor, and they have replaced him in the Depot, and after the Dragon Gate came out, many people have written articles for me to reverse the case and clear his name.
My personal opinion is that Wang Zhi is no different from other eunuchs, same power, same bribery, and same murder.
But his appearance was like a flash of a meteor, and he had a bottom line, so he didn't cause as much trouble as Liu Jin, Wang Zhen, Wei Zhongxian, but to say how amazingly talented he was, I don't think so.
There are three main characteristics that make Lao-Wang remarkable.
First, this person was very young when he came to the title, probably in his late teens and early twenties, the total power in the 6, 7 years, young was relegated to the cold palace [hey], after he lost favor, basically there is no chance of resurrection to his position, the eunuch's political life is really short ah, but some people are willing to pay a heavy price for the splendor of the moment, compared to such as Lao Wang can still go to Nanjing pension, rather than being cut off, it is very good. It is also because he was in charge at a young age that he became the lover archetype of many Wen Wo's drama films.
Second, the general eunuchs are quite calculating, psychopathic, but Wang Zhi is still somewhat mild in his calculating, some things you can also search, not to say much, specific performance in some people who have said bad things about him, if this person self-integrity, is out of public heart and scold Wang Zhi, then generally he will not be his revenge. It's a very hard thing to do, even if you're not a eunuch, there are a lot of people in this world who hold grudges, so it's kind of hard to do that.
Thirdly, just like in the movie, he probably rose to the throne by serving the Imperial Noble Consort Wan. This is clearly stated in Ming Dynasty history, "The Imperial Consort Wan was first appointed to the Zhaode Palace and moved to the position of imperial Noble Consort".
This shows that in the process of his upper position, the imperial eunuch Wang must have said a lot of good flattering words to the emperor about her. Otherwise, even if he can do it, again there are many capable people around the emperor. Wang Zhi may not be able to get ahead. But when he fell out of favor, the imperial noble consort Wan was still alive. Why she did not help him? I personally guess Wang Zhi felt that he could do it when he walked from the back palace to the front. With his wild character, he must feel like he was able to do it and the emotional connection to Consort Wan is less and less, so he doesn't pay much attention to flattering her, and the relationship is gradually alienated. Naturally, the imperial consort Wan won't speak good words for him anymore.
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