Chapter 1204 A sudden appointment!
Shouchun, Provincial Government Office,

Murong Yuliang, Sun Xiuquan, Ma Jingui and more than ten other high-ranking officials from Huainan stood respectfully in the hall, and as they waited, a sound of footsteps came slowly. Everyone who heard the sound immediately became serious. When the newcomer walked in, they knelt down and greeted him under the leadership of Murong Yuliang and Sun Xiuquan, saying:

"We are here to see the Marshal..."

Ye Mingsheng first sat on the chair that belonged to the Huainan Governor, and then said to everyone indifferently:

"Get up!"

"Thank you, Marshal!"

Following Ye Mingsheng's order, everyone stood up. Although they all looked obedient with their heads down and did not dare to make any eye contact with Ye Mingsheng, Ye Mingsheng could feel that more or less, these people were looking at him cautiously out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for his decision.

Ye Mingsheng's eyes swept over everyone in the hall and finally locked onto Sun Xiuquan, the Huainan Censor.

"Censor Sun, how is your investigation going on with those remnants of the Zhennan Army?"

Murong Yuliang frowned slightly when he heard this, and Sun Xiuquan immediately stood up and reported to Ye Mingsheng:

"General, our Censorate has investigated the whole matter in the past few days. There are a total of six remnants of the Zhennan Army hiding in the home of Governor Xie. Among these six, the most respected is Xu Kang, the youngest son of Xu Zhaojie, the already executed Zhennan Army bandit leader. However, because Xu Kang is young, the six are led by Xu Zhaojie's guard Xu Hong!"

"After the defeat of the Zhennan Army, Xu Hong and others first took Xu Kang to hide in a rural village in Huainan. They originally wanted to take Xu Kang to flee to Southeast Asia with the intention of making a comeback!"

“But because we in Huainan were continuously clearing out the remnants of the Zhennan Army, they could no longer stay in the countryside. They originally wanted to leave Huainan overnight, but they were interrogated on the way and their identities were nearly exposed. So after there was no hope of leaving Huainan, Xu Hong, holding the idea of ​​keeping the dark under the lamp, took Xu Kang and others back to Shouchun…”

"After returning to Shouchun, because Xie Wenjun was the prefect of Shouchun at that time, they thought that Xie Wenjun was in a high position in Huainan and that our Censorate did not dare to search for him at Xie Wenjun's home. It was very safe to hide at his home, so Xu Hong came up with the idea of ​​hiding at Xie Wenjun's home!"

"Based on this idea, Xu Hong kidnapped Xie Wenjun's two children, and used the letters Xie Wenjun wrote to Xu Zhaojie and the treasure left by Xu Zhaojie to coerce and lure Xie Wenjun, eventually prompting Xie Wenjun to hide them in his home!"

"After hiding in Xie Wenjun's house, Xu Hong and others saw that the situation outside had eased and also thought about leaving Shouchun, but were rejected by Xie Wenjun!"

"Two months ago, Xu Hong and his team learned that you, the Marshal, were going to tour the south and come to Huainan for inspection. So in order to avenge their master Xu Zhaojie, Xu Hong and his team came up with the idea of ​​assassinating you, the Marshal. To this end, they also collected some gunpowder and poison that were scattered among the people!"

"Xu Hong and his group planned to send Xu Kang away first, and then stay and wait until the day you enter Shouchun. They will mingle in the welcoming crowd, use explosives to create chaos, and then take advantage of the chaos to assassinate you!"

"Xie Wenjun also tried to stop Xu Hong's plan by not arranging Xu Kang to leave Shouchun, trying to make Xu Hong afraid to act rashly. However, as the prefect of Shouchun, he broke the law knowingly. Not only did he not hand Xu Hong over, but he continued to hide Xu Hong and others in his home. According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, this is undoubtedly a crime of harboring a criminal!"

“Therefore, I believe that Xie Wenjun should be charged with treason…”

Sun Xiuquan said the last sentence in a decisive manner, and then bowed deeply to Ye Mingsheng again. Seeing this, Murong Yuliang took a deep breath, then immediately stood up, knelt down in front of Ye Mingsheng, and said in a deep voice:

"General, Xie Wenjun's crime is so heinous that he cannot be appeased unless he is killed. However, he is the official I recommended to you, so I must bear the responsibility for his negligence. I ask you to remove me from my post as governor to appease the people of Huainan!"

Facing Murong Yuliang's active plea, Ye Mingsheng did not give an answer whether he would agree or not. Instead, he looked at Sun Xiuquan again and said calmly:

"Sun Xiuquan, you are the Censor and you were the one who uncovered this matter, so I want to ask you whether Governor Murong knew about Xie Wenjun hiding the remnants of the Zhennan Army?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's expression became serious, and then their eyes were more or less focused on Sun Xiuquan. At this time, under the gaze of everyone, Sun Xiuquan's mood was also very complicated, but he still said in a deep voice:

"Your Excellency, according to the clues we have obtained, Lord Murong is not aware of this matter!"

As Sun Xiuquan finished speaking, the officials from Huainan in the hall all had different expressions. There were also some subtle changes on Murong Yuliang's face, as if he was somewhat surprised and surprised by Sun Xiuquan's answer!

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingsheng immediately ordered in a deep voice:
"Effective immediately, Murong Yuliang will be dismissed from his post as the governor of Huainan!"

Although many people had expected Ye Mingsheng's order, when Ye Mingsheng really gave the order, some people's expressions changed significantly...

Sun Xiuquan lowered his head and his expression did not seem to change. However, Ma Jingui, the deputy governor of Huainan, seemed a little excited. Just as everyone was making their own calculations in their hearts, Murong Yuliang, who was kneeling on the ground, said in a deep voice:

"I, the guilty minister Murong Yuliang, would like to thank the Marshal for his punishment!"

After hearing what Murong Yuliang said, Ye Mingsheng was about to wave his hand and let Murong Yuliang go back to reflect on his mistakes, but Murong Yuliang suddenly said:
"Marshal, although Xie Wenjun deserves death, he is also aware of his humble position. Xie Wenjun is not a greedy person. He and Xu Zhaojie have a deep hatred, so he will never be tempted by the treasure left by Xu Zhaojie. The reason why he hid Xu Hong, Xu Kang and others is entirely because he was threatened by Xu Hong!"

"The letters he wrote to Xu Zhaojie were not from his heart. They were all written under the tyranny of Xu Zhaojie. Xie Wenjun had no choice but to do so in order to protect his family!"

“Xie Wenjun has great respect and loyalty to you, Marshal. So he deeply regrets writing those rebellious letters just to save his life. Please investigate in detail!” After saying that, Murong Yuliang knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily to Ye Mingsheng. Murong Yuliang’s move shocked everyone present, including Ye Mingsheng. No one expected that Murong Yuliang, who had just been dismissed from the post of governor, would actually plead for a dying man like Xie Wenjun…

Ye Mingsheng didn't understand what Murong Yuliang was thinking, so he asked Murong Yuliang with great interest:
"So, you want Xie Wenjun to survive?"

Facing Ye Mingsheng's question, Murong Yuliang shook his head and said:
"Xie Wenjun has committed a serious crime this time. His crime is unforgivable. If we don't kill him, it will not be enough to appease the people's anger!"

"But please spare Xie Wenjun's family because he has done some good things for the people of Huainan. They will definitely be grateful to you for your kindness!"

After saying this, Murong Yuliang felt very nervous. He knew very well that Xie Wenjun was promoted and recommended by him, so it was good enough that he was not involved in this matter.

So Murong Yuliang wanted to keep himself out of trouble at first, but when he thought of Xie Wenjun's final instructions to him in prison that day, Murong Yuliang couldn't bear it. The memory of Xie Wenjun assisting him with all his strength after he came to Huainan emerged in his mind!

Murong Yuliang knew very well that with the crime committed by Xie Wenjun, he would definitely be put to death. Not only that, according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, his three clans would be exterminated. Even though Ye Mingsheng had always been very cautious about the law of extermination of three clans, Xie Wenjun would definitely not be able to escape the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his clan.

If I don't speak up for Xie Wenjun at this juncture, no one else will speak up for Xie Wenjun. By then, Xie Wenjun and his whole family will probably have to go on the road together...

Although Murong Yuliang understood that Xie Wenjun deserved this result, he still felt sad. Although they had only been together for less than half a year, he really admired Xie Wenjun's talent!
Therefore, Murong Yuliang was also very conflicted about whether or not to plead for Xie Wenjun and ask Ye Mingsheng to spare Xie Wenjun's family. In fact, Murong Yuliang had not made up his mind until just now!

However, after hearing that Ye Mingsheng had directly dismissed him from his post as the governor of Huainan, Murong Yuliang was filled with grief. He also realized that after suffering such a big setback in Huainan, it would be difficult for him to make a comeback in the future. In this case, he might as well try to save Xie Wenjun's family.

Of course, it would be best if Xie Wenjun's family could be saved. If he cannot be saved, Murong Yuliang has done his best and it is worth his acquaintance with Xie Wenjun!
After understanding Murong Yuliang's idea, Ye Mingsheng did not make a decision immediately, but at this time Sun Xiuquan immediately stood up and said:
"General, I disagree with Lord Murong's statement. Xie Wenjun harbored a thief and is suspected of treason. The evidence is irrefutable and there are both witnesses and evidence. Such a traitor should be severely punished to set things right. If he is let off lightly, then where is the law of the court?"

As soon as Sun Xiuquan finished speaking, Ma Jingui and others all joined in. Their intention was the same as Sun Xiuquan's, all of them wanted to severely punish Xie Wenjun. Hearing what these people said, Murong Yuliang sighed secretly in his heart, and his expression seemed a little lonely························

Listening to everyone's words, Ye Mingsheng smiled and said to Sun Xiuquan

"Sun Anchashi, you have solved a major case this time and have done a great job. Tell me what you want me to reward you with."

Hearing Ye Mingsheng's words, Sun Xiuquan was immediately delighted. Although he really wanted to replace Murong Yuliang as the governor of Huainan, in order to avoid suspicion and leave a good impression of humility on Ye Mingsheng, he could not say this directly to Ye Mingsheng!

So under Ye Mingsheng's gaze, Sun Xiuquan organized his words and said:

"Your Excellency, these are all my duties. I dare not take credit for them. I just hope to follow you for the rest of my life, and I will be satisfied!"

When Sun Xiuquan said these words, his attitude was very sincere and his emotions were very genuine, as if these words really came from his heart.

Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng smiled and said:

"Sun Anchashi, you are truly a loyal minister!"

"I don't deserve this position, I just want to serve you as a dog and a horse!"

"The court has always rewarded meritorious service and punished faults. This time, Sun Anchashi, you have made great contributions, so the court will naturally reward you heavily. Let's put it this way! Jingchu lacks a governor, and it needs an experienced and capable official like you, Sun Anchashi, to coordinate the overall situation!"

"Yes! So, Censor Sun, you will go to Jingchu to serve as the governor. I believe that with your ability and experience, you will definitely be able to make a difference in Jingchu..."

As soon as Ye Mingsheng said this, Sun Xiuquan's head was buzzing. Not only Sun Xiuquan, but everyone else present felt the same way. Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. No one had expected that Ye Mingsheng's words would actually mean sending Sun Xiuquan to Jingchu!
Sun Xiuquan's brain reacted quickly, and he immediately said:
"General, I have never served in Jingchu before, and I don't know much about the situation in Jingchu, so I'm afraid it's difficult for me to take on such a big responsibility!"

Ye Mingsheng smiled and said:

"You are worrying too much, Sun Anchashi! No one knows the situation in Jingchu from the beginning. There will always be a process. I believe that your ability will be no problem. As long as there is a period of time, you will be able to know the situation in Jingchu like the back of your hand!"

"Jingchu is lacking a person like you, Sun Anchashi, who can take the lead. I have also studied many people for the position of Jingchu Governor, but I am not satisfied with any of them. However, when I saw you, Sun Anchashi, I knew that you are the most suitable candidate for this position!"

"Sun Anchashi! I, Ye, will be relieved to have you as the governor of Jingchu!"

Listening to Ye Mingsheng's series of words, Sun Xiuquan's head was also a little dizzy from this sudden news. He instinctively wanted to refuse, but unexpectedly, Ye Mingsheng directly made the decision:
"This matter has been settled. Sun Anchashi, you will take up your post within half a month! The work in Jingchu is very important and it is precisely where people like you, Sun Anchashi, need to show their talents!"

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng had settled the matter so quickly, Sun Xiuquan seemed to understand something, but unfortunately, thunder and rain were all grace from the emperor, so he had no choice but to take a deep breath and bow to Ye Mingsheng to receive his orders:

"Thank you, Marshal, for entrusting me with this important task. Sun Xiuquan will definitely live up to your trust..."

(End of this chapter)