mtl008 Chapter 529 Impeachment
Chapter 529 Impeachment
Liu Ye glanced at everyone with grief and indignation, only to find that no one objected to Yan Guang and Sun Yuanhua's absurd suggestion; everyone had an expression that said, "That's only right."
Seeing that no one was "upholding justice," he couldn't help but touch his lower abdomen, feeling somewhat apprehensive. He hadn't been able to get Tang Yu and the others pregnant for years. Was it not their fault, but rather that his own "bull" was no good? If he married Lin Shiyue and still couldn't produce a child, what other bizarre ideas would they come up with next?
Since establishing the Qionghai Army, Liu Ye, who had always been aloof and superior, felt for the first time that he was losing control of the situation. To make matters worse, his subordinates' reasons were so noble and irrefutable. He suddenly realized that even those in power don't always get what they want, and even the emperor sitting in the Forbidden City with all the power in his hands has far too many things to consider.
He didn't want to continue on such an awkward topic, so he hastily ended the discussion: "What you said makes sense, I'll consider it. Now that the candidate has been chosen, you can handle it. Just do whatever you want me to do, and I'll cooperate."
With the choice of groom settled, Liu Ye's wedding became the Qionghai Army's top priority, overriding all else. Sun Yuanhua and Yan Guang collaborated seamlessly for the first time. Under their direction, some officials, accompanied by matchmakers, traveled to Dengzhou to propose marriage to Lin Tianming; others went to Guangzhou to purchase wedding supplies; and still others sent invitations to officials in Guangzhou and various counties in Qiongzhou. Although the wedding process had only just begun, the wedding date had already been set for the ninth day of the eleventh lunar month, a month later, before the twelfth lunar month, to avoid the folk taboo of "not marrying on the first day of the month, not marrying in the twelfth." In any case, both sides agreed to the marriage, and everyone except Liu Ye himself couldn't wait to get married and hold the wedding ceremony the next day; the betrothal was merely a formality.
Amidst the merriment of the accompanying band, the betrothal procession arrived in Dengzhou. Lin Tianming, who had been eagerly awaiting the arrival, accepted the betrothal gifts without hesitation and readily agreed. They exchanged birth dates and times, and Lin Tianming informed him that to prevent a long journey for the wedding, Lin Shiyue had been waiting in Guangzhou for several months, and the wedding ceremony would be held at her uncle's house. The matchmaker was delighted to hear this; this matchmaking had been far too easy. Both the groom and bride were eager to have the betrothal ceremony today and the wedding tomorrow, making the entire traditional process seem like a hindrance.
The betrothal gifts sent to Dengzhou were excessively extravagant. In addition to traditional items such as fukumaru (a type of meatball), capon, and hen duck, there were more than a dozen chests filled with gold and silver. They were carried through the streets and alleys, attracting large crowds and alarming the newly appointed imperial inspector. When he learned that the betrothal gifts came from the powerful Marquis of Pingnan, he immediately sent an impeachment to the capital, accusing the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou of "having close ties with military men" and "using the opportunity to amass wealth," and of the Marquis of Pingnan of "excessive extravagance in his wedding."
After the memorial reached the cabinet, Wen Tiren laughed as he read its contents. These officials were really just bored and had nothing better to do. He made annotations and ordered it to be presented to the emperor for his perusal. Then he started thinking about how to prepare a congratulatory gift. Through the reform of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he had already made contact with Liu Ye, and this wedding was the best opportunity to consolidate their relationship.
Emperor Chongzhen saw this memorial impeaching Lin Tianming and Liu Ye among a pile of memorials, and his brows furrowed. If it were any other official impeached for "extravagance," he would certainly issue an edict to reprimand and hold them accountable. But this time, the target was Liu Ye, so he had to consider it carefully. He summoned Wang Chengen, showed him the memorial, and asked, "Wang Chengen, put yourself in my shoes and think about what would be the proper course of action?"
Wang Chengen glanced at the document quickly and replied cautiously, "This servant dares not presume to guess His Majesty's intentions, but these are turbulent times. His Majesty is leading the way in frugality, yet the governor and the general are so extravagant. This has a negative impact on the atmosphere of the court and the people..."
Emperor Chongzhen grunted in response, neither confirming nor denying.
Wang Chengen thought to himself, "The national treasury is empty, and money is needed everywhere. Normally, the emperor dislikes his ministers' extravagant weddings and lavish lifestyles. Yet, he doesn't seem angered by this impeachment memorial. It seems he has other considerations." He thought of the Earl of Pingnan's numerous military achievements and his recent donation of 200,000 taels of silver to the court, relieving the urgent needs of the Northwest. With such contributions, the charge of "extravagance" is insignificant. The emperor doesn't necessarily want his advice; he just wants him to say what he doesn't want to say, so he can save face.
So Wang Chengen tentatively said, "However, the Earl of Pingnan has made outstanding contributions. His flaws do not outweigh his merits. He can be reprimanded privately with a verbal instruction. There is no need to bring it up in public and make a big fuss, so as not to discourage meritorious officials."
As expected, Chongzhen continued, "Wang Banban is right. Liu Ye is, after all, a military man, and we cannot expect him to be as self-disciplined as a learned scholar. Although he has flaws in his conduct, he has repeatedly rendered great service, and it is not appropriate to punish him for minor transgressions. Order the Directorate of Ceremonial to send someone to Qiongzhou to convey my oral edict, encouraging him to continue serving the court after his wedding, and then give him a private reprimand."
Wang Chengen agreed: "This servant will do it immediately."
He was about to leave when he saw Chongzhen's lips move as if he had something else to say, so he stopped.
Emperor Chongzhen hesitated for a moment, then said casually, "The people you send should be quick-witted and ask Liu Ye if he has considered that the national treasury is currently empty and unable to make ends meet, given that such an extravagant wedding has attracted impeachment. As an earl with considerable wealth, shouldn't he set an example and lead by example?"
Wang Chengen was stunned. Did this mean they wanted to ask the Earl of Pingnan for money? Just a few months ago, he had "donated" 200,000 taels of silver, and now he wanted to use the impeachment as an opportunity to make trouble and extort money? How could a dignified monarch, who was rich and powerful, have fallen to such a state, repeatedly trying to take advantage of his subjects just to fill the empty treasury?
Wang Chengen was overcome with grief. Looking back, in all the dynasties, which emperor had ever disregarded his dignity and face as the supreme ruler and repeatedly asked his ministers for help for the sake of the country?
He choked up and said, "Your Majesty, you have wronged yourself for the sake of the Ming Dynasty..."
Emperor Chongzhen felt somewhat uncomfortable. He coughed a few times and waved his hand, saying, "Stop arguing and leave."
After Wang Chengen left, Chongzhen sat back down at his desk, looked through the memorials from various regions requesting provisions and salaries, and sighed.
Guangzhou, Governor's Office.
Yan Guang respectfully said to Mu Tianyan, "Your Excellency, Governor Lin's hometown is in Huguang, and he has lived in the capital for a long time. Now he is the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, so the betrothal gifts can only be sent to Dengzhou. As for Miss Lin's side, it is entirely up to Your Excellency to arrange it."
"Of course, as the saying goes, no one is closer than one's father or mother. Since Shiyue's father is not here, I, as her uncle, have an inescapable responsibility." Mu Tianyan stroked his beard and smiled. "The wedding ceremony will be held here. I will prepare a generous dowry for her and marry her off in a grand and glorious manner."