Chapter 32: The Unfamiliar Zou Yuanbiao

Yang Lian's words made Zou Yuanbiao's face turn ugly once again—this matter was going to be troublesome.

"In this matter, His Majesty first asked Gao Panlong. Clearly, Gao Panlong's answer failed to satisfy His Majesty, so His Majesty turned to ask you; your answer satisfied His Majesty, and thus His Majesty heeded your advice, willing to entrust this case to you for chief adjudication."

Having said this, Zou Yuanbiao let out a helpless sigh: "But this matter will not be easy to handle!"

Looking at Zou Yuanbiao, Yang Lian's heart instantly sank to the bottom: "Then what does Your Excellency think should be done about this matter?"

Zou Yuanbiao raised his head and looked at Yang Lian. This was the second time today Yang Lian had asked him this—he was pressing for a stance. If he did not take a stance, would that not mean he had no position? Because not taking a stance was sometimes itself an attitude.

From an official standpoint, he was Yang Lian's superior, the Left Chief Censor of the Censorate, and Yang Lian was his subordinate, the Left Assistant Censor of the Censorate. By entrusting this case to Yang Lian, His Majesty was entrusting it to the Censorate for trial. He should give his subordinate sufficient support, and at the same time make a statement to His Majesty—that was the Censorate's attitude.

From a personal standpoint, Yang Lian was a rising star of the Donglin Faction, while he himself was a veteran elder of the Donglin Faction, and should all the more look after and support him.

Whether from the public or the private angle, he truly ought to give him support.

But if only this matter were that simple.

Others might not know about Xiong Tingbi's affair, but how could Zou Yuanbiao not? On the one hand, it was indeed the Donglin Faction colluding with Li Ruzhen of Liaodong; on the other hand, the Donglin Faction was sweeping away the remnants of Fang Congzhe's faction—that is, the residual forces of the Qi, Zhe, and Chu cliques.

The Donglin Faction was far too deeply involved in this. Once the matter was exposed, countless people would be in serious trouble.

Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao, seeing him lost in silent deliberation, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Back then, when the court demoted Xiong Tingbi, Xiong Tingbi submitted a memorial requesting an investigation. Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, Zhang Xiude, and others then submitted successive memorials harshly condemning Xiong Tingbi's faults, so Xiong Tingbi requested that those three be sent to verify the matter—and Yang Lian had firmly opposed this.

At the time, Yang Lian had felt something was amiss, but he only knew someone was pushing Xiong Tingbi out. He never imagined there was collusion with Li Ruzhen beneath it all.

Thinking carefully, when the Censorate had unleashed its full firepower back then, could Zou Yuanbiao's shadow really have been absent from that?

Yang Lian indeed held Xiong Tingbi in low regard, but that did not mean he could tolerate malicious frame-ups.

At this moment, Yang Lian felt that this venerable elder before him had become somewhat unfamiliar. When they had lectured at the Donglin Academy back then, this was not what they had said.

Yang Lian did not think it wrong for the Donglin Faction to appoint its own people—after all, the Donglin Faction were all gentlemen, all worthy and capable men.

But as it appeared now, there were many things in this that he did not know about.

Yang Lian stared intently at Zou Yuanbiao, wanting to see what he would ultimately say.

After a long silence, Zou Yuanbiao slowly spoke: "Wenru, this matter must be deliberated over the long term!"

With that, Zou Yuanbiao looked at Yang Lian and said: "Although Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, Zhang Xiude, and others accepted bribes and lacked moral integrity, impeaching Xiong Tingbi was still the proper course. Xiong Tingbi is violent and perverse by nature—truly a great scourge to the state."

"Now His Majesty has reinstated Xiong Tingbi, and with Wei Zhongxian presenting a demonic Daoist into the palace, these people have already shown signs of forming cliques for private gain."

"If this case is used to drag in even more people at this time, how are the loyal and upright men of the realm to conduct themselves? Are we to be accomplices of the eunuch faction?"

Yang Lian immediately realized that Zou Yuanbiao's words were progressively escalating—just now it had been signs of Xiong Tingbi and Wei Zhongxian forming cliques for private gain, and now it had directly become the eunuch faction.

The former was speculation, the latter was a definitive characterization. From speculation to definitive characterization, Zou Yuanbiao had needed only a single sentence.

Yang Lian also detested Wei Zhongxian and Xiong Tingbi, but a gentleman acts with openness and integrity. How could one abandon one's own moral conduct merely because the other party lacked virtue? Was that what a gentleman did? That was the way of a petty man!

"This case is actually simple to settle. Since Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude have already confessed, let them admit their guilt and affix their signatures." Zou Yuanbiao continued: "Li Ruzhen sat by and watched Tieling fall in Liaodong—that is crime number one; colluding with Censors to frame frontier generals—that is crime number two, for which he may be imprisoned and sentenced to death. As for Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude..."

"Having accepted bribes and lacking moral integrity, dismissal from office and stripping of rank will suffice." With that, Zou Yuanbiao once again looked at Yang Lian: "What does Wenru think?"

Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao. He never imagined that the Zou Yuanbiao he revered would utter such words. Were these the words of a human being?

Li Ruzhen sentenced to death—once Li Ruzhen died, everything would be settled. And you, Elder, go even further—you are not even as good as Gao Panlong. Gao Panlong still thought of preserving Li Ruzhen's life, but when it comes to you, you directly send Li Ruzhen to his death?

Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude lack moral integrity, so directly dismiss them from office? And then that's it? Not even mentioning that Wei and Zhang should never be employed again? This counts as done?

For some unknown reason, Yang Lian thought of that young emperor sitting on the dragon throne, and of the late emperor's entrustment to him. Yang Lian spoke: "Your Excellency, this subordinate believes this matter must be thoroughly investigated and severely punished. Court officials colluding with frontier generals is a grave taboo. Moreover, these men are Censors—Censors are by nature the ears and eyes of the Son of Heaven, officials of conduct and law. That they accepted bribes and maliciously framed others means that without severe punishment, public outrage cannot be appeased."

"Moreover, His Majesty has ordered this subordinate to conduct a thorough investigation. This subordinate feels that if he does not investigate thoroughly, he would fail His Majesty's heavy trust, and would also fail the late emperor's entrustment."

Upon hearing Yang Lian's words, Zou Yuanbiao's face turned very ugly in an instant, but he still spoke earnestly: "Wenru, you must not think this way. A gentleman must uphold great righteousness; when great righteousness is at stake, all else is trivial. Now Wei Zhongxian wishes to use this matter to frame court officials and implicate the innocent. We cannot aid the tyrant in his evil or serve as the tiger's accomplice. The urgent task is to topple Wei Zhongxian, that powerful eunuch."

"To remonstrate with His Majesty to return to the teachings of the sages, so that the sage's wisdom is not obscured—compared to that, Feng Sanyuan, Wei Yingjia, and Zhang Xiude are mere trifles."

Yang Lian looked at Zou Yuanbiao and fell into deep thought. Aiding the tyrant in his evil? Serving as the tiger's accomplice?

He knew he could not persuade the man before him. At this moment, Yang Lian suddenly felt that this elder had become somewhat unfamiliar—so unfamiliar that he no longer recognized him.

Such methods reminded him of Xu Jie. Back then, Xu Jie had done exactly this to topple Yan Song.

He flattered Yan Song, sent his own granddaughter to Yan Shifan as a concubine, became a marriage relative of the Yan family, and directly lowered himself one generation below Yan Song. And in his hometown, he acquired two hundred and forty thousand mu of farmland.

How had the gentleman of Donglin before him become a man of Xu Jie's ilk?

Yang Lian did not understand. He felt somewhat confused and hastily rose to his feet, saying: "Your Excellency, this subordinate needs time to think."

Watching Yang Lian's departing figure, Zou Yuanbiao's gaze flickered uncertainly. After a long while, he sighed: "Still young!"