Chapter 322: Using Both Force and Kindness

The chaos in Shandong was beyond the imagination of the court.

The important officials of the imperial court would never have thought that bandits would be able to break into counties and state capitals and plunder places.

But when local officials reported the situation in various places in Shandong.

Li Zhao was furious.

In the main hall, all the ministers looked solemn. Seeing the emperor's appearance, they thought that someone was going to be in trouble.

as expected.

Li Zhao issued an order to apprehend the local officials who had abandoned their land and fled.

After being caught, they were all escorted back to Beijing and handed over to Dali Temple to be punished according to national law.

According to the laws of Li and Tang, such crimes ranged from seizing an official position and demoting a commoner to being exiled to the frontier.

"I heard that Shandong has had good weather and no natural disasters in recent years. Why are there bandits and bandits causing trouble?"

Li Zhao asked coldly.

The ministers in the palace remained silent and did not dare to take any chances on this matter.

However, one person stood up and said: "Report to Your Majesty, if it is not a natural disaster, it is a man-made disaster!"

The person who spoke was none other than Lin Ruhai.

When Li Zhao heard this, he pretended to be surprised and said: "Man-made disaster?!"

"Exactly!"

Lin Ruhai, as a prodigy who came from the imperial examination, has all kinds of ancient and modern allusions at his fingertips.

He cited several examples in the past where officials were unkind and provoked popular uprisings.

The implication.

It was nothing more than talking about the corruption of local officials, which led to this situation.

"Is this happening?"

Li Zhao asked Lin Ruhai as if he didn't believe it.

Then I saw a censor angrily come out to ask for a memorial.

But the censor's words made He Shen and the Lord, who were still in the presence of the old god, suddenly change their expressions.

What the censor mentioned was that the magistrate of a certain place in Shandong went to the capital to present a birthday plan.

As for the person who received the birth certificate, it was none other than He Shen!

When He Shen heard this, his expression was startled.

He vaguely noticed that there was something wrong with the direction of the meeting today.

Looking at Li Zhao's indifferent expression that showed no hint of happiness or anger, He Shen felt panicked after a long absence.

Is this... finally going to have surgery on yourself?

"His Majesty!"

He Shen suddenly felt bad and jumped out without waiting for his subordinates to come forward first.

But before He Shen could say anything, Li Zhao waved his hand to stop and turned to look at Shangguan Wan'er who was standing in front of the hall.

As a female historian who is close to the emperor, she will naturally not miss the court meeting.

Shangguan Wan'er nodded slightly, bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, since the first year of Tianshou, you and your Excellency have recommended a total of thirty-seven people to prefectures from various places."

The so-called first year of Tianshou was the year chosen by Li Zhao when he ascended the throne.

He Shen heard Shangguan Wan'er's cold voice, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He didn't expect that this emperor's confidant, who had never been involved in party and government affairs in the past, would investigate his recommendation of officials in such detail over the years!

"Among the twenty-one prefectures in Shandong, eight of them are former disciples of the monks. Qingzhou, where the banditry is the most serious, and Jeju, where the birthday card is involved, are all recommended by the monks."

Shangguan Wan'er's words were no less than secretly placing the blame for Shandong's banditry on He Shen.

Whether this matter is big or small depends on how Li Zhao plans to deal with it.

If we dig deeper, Mr. He Shen will be implicated and may be disgraced!

Many people in the palace looked at Heshen and the Emperor in a vague way, wanting to know what the outcome would be today.

However.

Some of Heshen's political opponents did not expect the emperor to be furious.

"He Qing, you don't know people well."

Li Zhao said softly as if knocking.

Hearing this, He Shen knelt down very much.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

…

The most important thing in today's court meeting.

It is to discuss the banditry in Shandong.

However, all the important officials in the court knew that Li Zhao had sent Lin Chenjia and 40,000 Lin Guards to suppress him early.

In their opinion, 40,000 elite members of the capital, plus the famous Lin Chenjia, would definitely be able to quell the bandit rebellion.

So they are all waiting to see He Shen's good show.

Unexpectedly, Li Zhao held this matter up high, but then put it down gently.

Retreat from the court.

In the imperial study room, Li Zhao and Shangguan Wan'er were whispering and chatting about something.

A trace of confusion flashed through Shangguan Wan'er's eyes and she said: "Your Majesty, why didn't He Shen take advantage of this opportunity to take down the crime in one fell swoop?"

Li Zhao raised his head and looked at Shangguan Wan'er with a half-smile.

"Wan'er, do you think this is so simple?"

"Um?"

Shangguan Wan'er didn't know why.

Li Zhao put down a secret letter in his hand. The letter was about Lin Chen's suppression of bandits in Shandong.

"Do you know who wrote the memorial to impeach Heshen today?"

"Who played it?"

Shangguan Wan'er frowned slightly when she heard this.

She didn't know this.

Didn't Lin Ruhai's impeachment of He Shen today come from His Majesty's instruction?

According to Shangguan Wan'er.

This minister left behind by the late emperor has performed quite well and is on track to become an imperial party member.

"Ah."

Li Zhao smiled incomprehensibly, "Scholars in this world are so intertwined."

Lin Ruhai had previously written to Li Zhao about impeaching He Shen.

But Li Zhao discovered through investigation.

Recently, many scribes who were old to Lin Ruhai came to visit.

Most of these people come from Jiangnan and other places, and they all come from the same sect, calling themselves the Donglin Party.

In the past, when Zhao Kuangyin was fighting with He Shen, the scholars of the Donglin Party did not have much influence and were only famous in Jiangnan and other places.

However, with the fall of Zhao Kuangyin, the vacant power naturally became a hot topic, and everyone rushed to fight for it.

Although Lin Ruhai was loyal to Emperor Li Zhao, she was also constrained by her friendship with her classmates and was connected to the Donglin Party, which she had come up with to make friends with.

This memorial impeaching Heshen was not without the help of the Donglin Party.

As for why she wanted to punish Heshen instead of punishing him severely.

The reason was very simple.

Li Zhao was not an emperor who was fooled by scholars and believed in the stories of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

She knew very well that the civil officials who looked righteous were actually more shameful than the treacherous officials.

Civil officials can be used, but they cannot be left alone.

On the other hand, Heshen, after this incident, only by leaning towards the emperor Li Zhao, could he have a chance to save the He family.

When Li Zhao thought of this, her eyes flickered and the corners of her mouth curled slightly.

It can be seen that she was in a good mood.

It was worth it for her to fight with the ministers in the court for so many years, and then she took back the power of the emperor bit by bit.

When Li Zhao ascended the throne, he was bullied by many old officials because of his young age.

With Heshen as a good dog, those guys who relied on their age and seniority no longer dared to act big in front of Li Zhao.

This is why emperors have been willing to use flatterers since ancient times.

Because they are really useful.

"As for those corrupt and law-breaking He party governors, let Lin Chen punish them severely according to the national law."

Training a dog is naturally necessary to use carrots and sticks, and use both power and kindness.

Shangguan Wan'er looked at Li Zhao, who had a young face but was full of imperial majesty, and was a little absent-minded.

Shangguan Nvshi, who had a lot of thoughts in her mind, bowed respectfully and said, "Yes!"

After Shangguan Wan'er left the imperial study, Li Zhao slightly narrowed his eyes and waved to the dark.

An old eunuch in the innate realm walked out quietly.

"Send someone to inform my mother that I will go to pay my respects today."

...