Ouyang Lun was too lazy to care too much about Zhu Yuanzhang's "dirty means".
After all, this old man has not had a few years of life. It is simply a pity that he is dissatisfied with himself. Being this military cabinet general will definitely not be tired before, but at least he has great power.
All the things he did were to respect the elderly and love the young and promote the virtues of the Chinese nation.
In the Taiji Hall, under the magnificent dome, the ministers stood solemnly and the atmosphere was solemn. Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes as if he was like a torch, and he scanned the civil and military officials in the hall. Zhu Biao stood on one side, with a calm expression, but a hint of worry appeared between her eyebrows. Ouyang Lun had just been appointed as the general of the military cabinet. The generals of the Huaixi Party looked gloomy and their eyes were flashing with dissatisfaction and resentment.
Zhou An stood in the hall, his hands trembling slightly, and complex emotions surged in his heart. He took a deep breath and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang firmly, his voice was loud but with a hint of imperceptible tremor: "I have my own comment!"
There was a sudden silence in the hall, and everyone's eyes were focused on Zhou An. Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly and signaled him to continue.
Zhou An's heartbeat was like a drum, and the tragic scene of the Northern Expedition emerged in his mind - forty thousand troops were destroyed in the wind and snow, General Lan Yu was trapped in a heavy siege, and his life and death were uncertain. And he was able to make a fortune in the chaos and survive by chance because of the alloy armor provided by Ouyang Lun. However, at this moment, he wanted to expose the benefactor who had saved his life with his own hands.
But now he has only one way to go. Now everyone is in danger because of Lan Yu’s incident. If he doesn’t stand up, the Huaixi Party will be over. Even though this makes Zhou An feel a little sorry for Ouyang Lun, Zhou An saw that the car was metal armored on the front line of the battlefield under the banner of Ouyang Lun, which can already explain many problems.
Prince Ouyang, although you saved my life in Zhou An, I, Zhou An, can only be sorry for the Ming Dynasty, the Huaixi Party, and the General Lan Yu!
"I report my son-in-law Ouyang Lun!" Zhou An's voice echoed in the hall, every word was like a knife!
Wow!
As soon as Zhou An said this, everyone in the Tai Chi Hall was shocked, and many eyes turned to Zhou An. Zhou An was just an ordinary general, with a rank of only a fourth rank. He actually dared to impeach Ouyang Lun directly. At this moment, both the officials of the Huaixi Party and other officials felt that Zhou An was very brave!
Zhu Yuanzhang was also quite confused, but nodded, "Tell me, what's the matter with impeaching Ouyang Lun?"
"Report to the Supreme Emperor and Your Majesty, I impeach my son-in-law Ouyang Lun during this conquest of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, colluded with the Northern Yuan people, smuggled alloy armor, and made a fortune in the national crisis! What's more, I suspect that the reason why General Lan Yu was defeated was because Ouyang Lun secretly informed us that our army was ambushed by the Northern Yuan people, and the 40,000 troops were wiped out!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole court was in an uproar. Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. Zhu Biao also looked shocked and asked in a low voice: "Is this true?"
Zhou An lowered his head and did not dare to look directly at Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze. His heart was full of contradictions and pain - Ouyang Lun was his savior, but General Lan Yu's crushing defeat and the injustice of 40,000 soldiers were like a mountain pressing on his heart. He can no longer be silent or turn a blind eye.
"Everything I said is true!" Zhou An raised his head, tears flashing in his eyes, his voice choked but firm, "I have seen it with my own eyes that Ouyang Lun sent someone to secretly trade with the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Those alloy armors are the evidence of his smuggling! General Lan Yu's failure was by no means accidental, but someone interfered with it!"
The ministers in the hall were talking and exploded like boiling water in an instant. The ministers whispered together, and the discussions came one after another. The originally solemn Tai Chi Hall suddenly became noisy.
"This matter is serious? How could Prince Ouyang do such a traitor?" Song Lian stroked his beard, frowned, and whispered to his colleague beside him.
"Hmph, I know people and face but not my heart! Although Ouyang Lun is an important official in the court, he has always been domineering and self-righteous. It is hard to guarantee that he will not collude with foreign enemies for his own benefit!" Another general snorted coldly, his voice loudly, and he expressed his dissatisfaction with Ouyang Lun without hesitation.
"Is General Zhou An's statement evidence? If there is no real evidence, how can you arbitrarily accusing important officials of the court?" Guo Zi stood up, his face serious and questioned in his tone.
"Evidence? General Lan Yu's 40,000 troops were wiped out. Isn't it enough to explain the problem?" A Huaixi Party general retorted angrily, with a depressed anger in his voice. "If someone hadn't secretly interfered, how could General Lan be defeated so tragically?"
"It is General Lan Yu who fought with the Northern Yuan Dynasty many times, mostly for victory and few defeats. He has a very good understanding of the methods of the Northern Yuan people. How could he fall into the trap of the Northern Yuan people!"
"I have long thought this is strange. It turns out that there is an insider among us!"
"This seems to be something Ouyang Lun did!"
"Absurd! Lan Yu's defeat in the battle was because of the cunning people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. How could he blame General Ouyang?" Mao Youde was not willing to be outdone and directly confronted the generals of the Huaixi Party.
"Cunning? If someone hadn't informed me, how could the Northern Yuan people set up an ambush in advance?" The Huaixi Party general opened his eyes wide open, his voice as thunderously, "General Zhou An experienced the battlefield personally, is his words not enough to win the trust?"
"Although General Zhou An has made great contributions, this matter is of great importance. How can he rely on just one-sided words?" A civil official shook his head and sighed, with a cautious tone. "If there is no conclusive evidence, he will be convicted rashly, which may damage the foundation of the court!"
"The foundation of the court? Is the lives of 40,000 soldiers not the foundation?" A young general of the Huaixi Party suddenly slapped the table, his eyes full of grief and anger. "General Lan Yu was originally going to fight for the country and striving to kill the enemy, but 40,000 soldiers buried their bones in a foreign land, but General Lan Yu was still imprisoned. If this matter is not thoroughly investigated, how can he comfort the heroes? How can he be worthy of the soldiers fighting for the Ming Dynasty?"
"A thorough investigation? How to investigate thoroughly? Will it be necessary to shake the important officials of the court because of one person's words?" Wu Jingzhi sneered, with a sarcastic tone, "If everyone can falsely accuse them at will, wouldn't the court be in a mess?"
"False accusation? General Zhou An risked his life to expose this matter, is it for false accusation?" The general of the Huaixi Party was furious, and his voice almost shook the roof of the palace. "Are you people afraid of finding them?"
"Rareless! How can you be so rude in the court?" An old minister scolded sternly, his face turned pale.
"Irregular? Compared to those who collude with foreign enemies and harm their companions, what is this rudeness?" The generals of the Huaixi Party did not give in, their tone was full of sarcasm and anger, and they were also eager to turn defeat into victory.
The debate in the hall became more and more intense, and both sides held their own opinions and spoke fiercely, and some people almost wanted to take action. Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon chaise, his face gloomy, his eyes swept across everyone like a knife, but he did not stop immediately. Zhu Biao stood aside, frowning, obviously feeling tricky about the situation in front of him.
Zhou An stood in the middle of the hall, listening to the arguments around him, and his heart was filled with emotions. He knew that his words had caused a huge uproar, and this storm was probably just beginning, and the situation was no longer something he could control.
Zhou An looked at Ouyang Lun carefully, hoping to see something on Ouyang Lun's face, but he was destined to be disappointed.
Ouyang Lun stood aside, with a calm expression on his face, turned his head and looked at Zhou An calmly, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "General Zhou, do you have any evidence?" Zhou An tightened his heart and clenched his fists. He knew that there was no conclusive evidence in his hands, but he believed in his judgment and believed that the dead soldiers would not sacrifice in vain.
"Although I have no ironclad evidence, this matter is related to the fate of the country and the lives of 40,000 soldiers. I dare not hide it!" Zhou An's voice was sonorous and powerful, and his eyes were full of determination.
"The more than 4,000 sets of alloy armor seized on the battlefield, the seal of the Northern Yuan nobles who were left on the scene, and the flag with the three big characters Ouyang Lun written on it are evidence. There were still several people escorting these armors at that time, but it was a pity that they let them escape!"
After saying that, Zhou An took out the evidence he had prepared.
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, his eyes glanced back and forth between Zhou An and Ouyang Lun, and finally spoke slowly: "This matter is of great importance, I will investigate thoroughly. If it is true as Zhou An said, I will never tolerate it; if someone falsely accused me, I will never let it go!"
The entire Tai Chi Hall also became quiet. Although the evidence provided by Zhou An was not enough to show that Ouyang Lunzhen colluded with the Northern Yuan people and betrayed the Ming Dynasty, it was enough to make people guess here!
In the Tai Chi Hall, the atmosphere was so solemn that it was almost suffocating. As soon as Zhou An finished speaking, Ouyang Lun looked calm and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, as if he had expected all this. He slowly took out a note from his sleeve, held it up with both hands, bowed and took a step forward, his voice calmly and clear: "The Supreme Emperor, Your Majesty, I am also trying to impeach someone today!"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the civil and military officials in the court were stunned. Even Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao could not help but look at each other, and a trace of confusion flashed in their eyes.
Zhou An even tightened his heart and felt a little uneasy.
Ouyang Lun raised his head, his eyes looked like a torch, and pointed directly at Zhou An: "The person I impeached was General Zhou An! During his expedition, he robbed a large army's material convoy, resulting in insufficient supply on the front line and his morale was dispersed. And that convoy was specially arranged by me to transport emergency supplies to the front line!"
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Upon hearing this, Zhou An's face changed suddenly and hurriedly stepped forward, his voice was quick and excited: "Ouyang Lun! You are slandering! There is a seal from the Northern Yuan people on the convoy, how can you explain it? If you hadn't colluded with the Northern Yuan people, how could they have their seal?"
"That's obviously a caravan, so where are the emergency supplies transported to the front line! You are clearly a quibbling, and the evil one complains first!!"
Ouyang Lun sneered, took out another document from his sleeve calmly and handed it to the eunuch beside him and presented it to the eunuch beside him: "Grand Emperor, Your Majesty, please read it. The Northern Yuan seal on this convoy is obtained by instigating the Northern Yuan nobles. They have secretly surrendered to our Ming Dynasty and are willing to provide our army with information and materials. General Zhou An robbed the convoy without asking any questions, almost ruining the big thing! This booklet records all the information of this material, please read it!"
"Fortunately, that caravan of materials is for General Zhou An. Otherwise, how could the soldiers under General Zhou An have a set of alloy armor?!"
"General Zhou An, if you have any questions or doubts, you can prove to me at that time. If you can't believe me, you can also go to your Majesty to respond, but you didn't say anything. It was only at this time that I had to doubt your intention!"
"I, you. This." Zhou An was already a little guilty, and when he heard Ouyang Lun say this, he was immediately panicked.
Zhu Yuanzhang took the document and read it carefully, his brows gradually stretched out, and Zhu Biao also looked closer and saw a hint of praise flashing in his eyes. Seeing this, the ministers in the hall whispered, some were surprised, and some suddenly realized.
"Zhou An, this book is indeed very clear, and it is stamped with the seals of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. What else do you have to say?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked slowly.
Zhou An stood there in a daze, his face turned from red to white, and fine beads of sweat oozing out from his forehead. He knelt suddenly on the ground, his voice trembling: "The Supreme Emperor, Your Majesty, I... I am stupid and failed to find out the truth. I blame Mr. Ouyang for wrongly blamed him for his crime! I deserve to die!" After he said that, he kowtowed heavily, his forehead touched the ground, and he did not rise for a long time.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhou An and snorted coldly: "Zhou An, although you are loyal, you can learn from it, but you act recklessly and almost missed the big thing! You are punished to think about it behind closed doors for three months to serve as a warning!"
Zhou An quickly thanked him, and his voice choked: "I will receive the order, thank the Supreme Emperor and Your Majesty for forgiveness!"
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Ouyang Lun spoke again, his voice low but powerful: "The Supreme Emperor, Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at him and frowned slightly: "Tell me."
Ouyang Lun bowed and said, "Recently, rumors spread among the people, saying that General Lan Yu was ambushed by the ministers secretly colluding with the Northern Yuan people. This rumor is a black and white matter, which not only slanders my innocence, but also damages the prestige of the court, the Supreme Emperor and Your Majesty! Although I am not afraid of rumors, if this matter is not thoroughly investigated, it may shake the foundation of the country!"
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his face suddenly became gloomy. He slapped the armrest of the dragon chaise and said angrily: "What happened?! Ji Gang!"
Ji Gang, the commander of the Jinyiwei, immediately stepped out and knelt on one knee: "I am here!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said sternly: "Where does this rumor come from? Check it out for me!"
Ji Gang lowered his head and replied, "Return to the Supreme Emperor, I have found out that this rumor was originally spread from the Korean Duke's Mansion."
"Li Shanchang?!" A cold light flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, and his voice was as angry as thunder. "He dared to be so arrogant!"
When the Huaixi Party officials in the hall heard this, they were immediately panicked. An elderly official quickly stepped out and said in a trembling voice: "Stop the anger of the Supreme Emperor! The Duke of South Korea has always been loyal, and there must be a misunderstanding in this matter!"
Another Huaixi Party general also knelt down and pleaded: "The Supreme Emperor, the Korean government is old, maybe because it is blinded by villains, please let the Supreme Emperor observe clearly!"
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, his eyes swept across everyone like a knife: "Misunderstanding? Blindness? I see that he is proud of his contribution and forgot his duty! Ji Gang, immediately lead someone to thoroughly investigate the Korean Duke's Mansion. If there is any evil, severe punishment will be made!"
Ji Gangling left, and the Huaixi Party officials in the hall looked at each other with pale faces, but no one dared to say more. (This chapter ends)