Chapter 1368 A little lack of patience will ruin great plans!
Yijing Criminal Department Office
At 2:45 in the morning, Li Jian, the Minister of Justice, arrived at the yamen in a carriage, escorted by a group of followers, and started working.

At the seat just taken, Li Jian's full-time clerk Lin Hongen served Li Jian a cup of freshly brewed Da Hong Pao. Li Jian took a sip, feeling the aroma of Da Hong Pao on his lips and teeth, and nodded with satisfaction and asked:
"What's going on today?"

Facing Li Jian's question, Lin Hongen immediately introduced:

"Sir Shangshu, there is nothing special happening in the yamen today, but a quarter of an hour ago, the housekeeper from Lord Gongsun's residence came to the yamen to ask for leave for Lord Gongsun!"

"Take a leave?" Li Jian asked in confusion:
Lin Hongen nodded and said:

"It is said that Lord Gongsun's leg disease has recurred and he can't get out of bed or walk, so he asked the government to take sick leave and recuperate for a few days!"

Li Jian couldn't help but frown when he heard this. He knew that Gongsun Hao, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, had suffered from rheumatism when he was the county magistrate in Liaoyang in his early years. He had found many people to treat him but he was never cured. He had been suffering from illness for the past few years.
However, in Li Jian's opinion, Gongsun Hao's rheumatism usually occurs in winter or on rainy days. Now it is midsummer and the weather is always sunny. The last rain was ten days ago. Why did Gongsun Hao suddenly get sick?

And it happened to be the critical moment when I arranged for him to go to Jiangnan to investigate the Hu Ming case?

Thinking of this, Li Jian also instructed Lin Hongen:
"Go and call that butler!"

Lin Hongen heard this and said:
"Lord Gongsun's steward took his leave and went back..."

After hearing this, Li Jian's expression changed slightly, but he didn't say anything. He waved his hand and let Lin Hongen leave.

After Lin Hongen left, Li Jiancai, who was alone in the classroom, cursed in a low voice:
"Old man!"

In recent years, this old villain Gongsun Hao, relying on his seniority and the support of Cui Shao behind him, does not respect the Minister of Justice very much!

Although Gongsun Hao didn't say anything in front of Li Jian, Li Jian knew that this old man privately expressed his dissatisfaction with his position as the Minister of Justice.

They said that Li Jian was able to become the Minister of Justice only by flattering the Majesty. Such a loyal and experienced minister was not appreciated and had great ambitions that could not be fulfilled. He had fought for the great country for half his life, but in the end he had to serve as a minister to a young boy!

Li Jian was a little annoyed after hearing these words, but he didn't do anything to Gongsun Hao!
After all, as the old saying goes, don't look at the monk's face, look at the Buddha's face; when beating a dog, you have to look at the owner. There is nothing wrong with an old man like Gongsun Hao, but there is a real Buddha behind the Gongsun family, and Li Jian dare not provoke them for the time being.

However, Li Jian did not expect that the housekeepers under Gongsun Hao were so arrogant. They said they were asking for leave but in fact they were just notifying the Shangshu. They could not even ask for leave in person. This was really intolerable!
Just as Li Jian's anger rose, a figure with an indifferent expression appeared in his mind. The next second, Li Jian's anger gradually cooled down and finally turned into a sigh.

After sighing, Li Jian drank the Da Hong Pao in the teacup, and then murmured in a low voice:

“Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. A lack of patience can ruin great plans…”

Thinking of this, Li Jian finally regained his composure and made a decision in his mind. Since you, Gongsun Hao, are reporting for illness, right?
Then after I get off work tonight, I will go to your house to see if you really have rheumatism and can't walk, or if you are just pretending here to deliberately avoid something!
With this idea in mind, Li Jian started his day's work. Time passed quickly and it was already afternoon. Because he had decided to visit Gongsun Hao at Gongsun Mansion, he would not finish his work until the evening of Youshi in the past. When Li Jian got off work from the yamen and went home, he finished his work early at three quarters of an hour in the morning.

Then he arranged for his servants to buy some gifts for him, and then Li Jian set out for Gongsun Mansion.

Half an incense stick later, when Li Jian and his servants carrying gifts arrived at the mansion, the people in Gongsun Mansion were obviously very surprised by the arrival of Li Jian and his party.

Even though Gongsun Hao had many complaints about Li Jian, a young man, being his superior, Li Jian was still the Minister of Justice and Cabinet Elder appointed by Ye Mingsheng himself.

Therefore, after learning the news that Li Jian was coming to visit in person, Gongsun Hao's son Gongsun Yulin immediately came out with a group of people to greet him.

"The Minister has come to visit us personally! We are sorry for not welcoming you in person. Please forgive us, Lord!"

Li Jian looked at Gongsun Yulin who had confessed his crime right away and waved his hand and said with a smile:
“Master Gongsun, you are too polite. Your father is the pillar of our Ministry of Justice. So when I heard that your leg disease had relapsed, I wanted to come and see you…”

"I wonder how your father's leg disease is doing?"

After hearing Li Jian mention his father, Gongsun Yulin continued:

"Sir, my father's legs are still in trouble. He suffered from rheumatism in Liaoyang. It has relapsed recently. This morning, he was in so much pain that he couldn't walk, so he asked for leave from the government!"

As he spoke, Gongsun Yulin invited Li Jian into his mansion. Half a cup of tea later, under the guidance of Gongsun Yulin, Li Jian came in front of Gongsun Hao.

At this time, the Daqian Ministry of Justice, who was over fifty years old, was sitting on the bed in white clothes. Seeing Li Jian coming, he had no intention of getting out of bed. He just cupped his hands and said:
"Sir, my leg disease has relapsed and I am unable to get out of bed to greet you. Please forgive me!"

Li Jian looked at Gongsun Hao, who had a ruddy face and a strong voice, and smiled slightly:
"It doesn't matter!"

At this time, Gongsun Yulin also personally brought a chair and said:

"Master Shangshu, please take a seat! I apologize for the poor hospitality of my humble home!"

When Li Jian heard Gongsun Yulin say that the three-courtyard mansion in the prime location of the Gongsun family was his humble home, he had some doubts in his heart, but on the surface he just smiled and waved his hands.

After a brief greeting, Gongsun Hao, who was sitting on the bed, took the initiative to say:
"Sir Shangshu, my leg is an old problem. I'm afraid it won't get better in a short time!"

Li Jian smiled and asked:

"Minister Gongsun, has the doctor from the medical school come to see him?" Gongsun Hao sighed and said helplessly:

"This rheumatism has tormented me for more than ten years. Several doctors from the medical school have come to see me over the years, and only Dr. Pang Renpang's plaster is effective. But I have already developed a root cause of the disease, and Dr. Pang can only relieve the pain..."

"Doctor Pang came this morning and gave me five plasters and five decoctions, asking me to try them for external and internal use for a while. I'm afraid I won't be able to go back to work in the government office anytime soon!"

Hearing this, Li Jian nodded slightly. Seeing this, Gongsun Hao also revealed his true intentions and said directly:

"Sir Shangshu is going to Jiangnan to investigate the Hu family. I may not be able to leave on time!"

Li Jian did not speak immediately after hearing this, but glanced at Gongsun Hao's legs under the quilt. Seeing this, Gongsun Hao's expression did not change, and he still looked regretful, but Gongsun Hao's son Gongsun Yulin avoided his gaze as if he was a little guilty.

"Since you are ill now, Minister Gongsun, I will arrange for someone else to do this. You can just stay at home and recuperate without worrying about me!"

"Thank you, Lord Shangshu, for your compassion! I am deeply grateful!"

Looking at Gongsun Hao, who said he was grateful but didn't show any tears on his face, Li Jian smiled and said:
"I originally thought that you, Minister Gongsun, would be interested in this matter, so I arranged for you to go to Jiangnan, but I never thought it would be such an unfortunate coincidence. Minister Gongsun, do you have any recommendations for someone to go to Jiangnan to investigate the case?"

Seeing Li Jian asking this, Gongsun Hao hesitated for a moment, but finally said:
"The case of Hu Ming is of great importance. I have no idea about who will go to Jiangnan to investigate the case. It is entirely up to you, Lord Shangshu, to decide..."

Seeing that Gongsun Hao refused to express his opinion, Li Jian looked deeply at this assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice under his command, then nodded without saying anything.

After a cup of tea, Li Jian, who had achieved his goal, exchanged a few words with Gongsun Hao, then stood up and said goodbye.

Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the palace, Li Jian's face was a little gloomy. On the surface, the case of Hu Ming was because Hu Ming's dirty deeds were exposed, so His Majesty ordered the investigation of Hu Ming. But in fact, the reason why Hu Ming was investigated was that he was related to Cui Zibo's death, so Cui Shao was dealing with him behind his back!

As the Minister of Justice, Li Jian had heard that Hu Ming took Cui Zibo to take Wu Shi San, and that Cui Zibo was addicted to women. This eventually led to Cui Zibo becoming unable to extricate himself from women, contracting syphilis and infecting his wife Gongsun Qiaoqing, leading to the tragedy.

Gongsun Qiaoqing is Gongsun Hao's niece, so when he handed the case to Gongsun Hao for investigation, Gongsun Hao was very happy. He rubbed his hands and expressed his high morale that he must investigate the case thoroughly and not let any guilty person go!
But just a few days later, Gongsun Hao, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, used illness as an excuse to avoid going to Jiangnan to investigate the case!

Gongsun Hao's attitude can be said to have undergone a fundamental change!

The most crucial point is that Li Jian has concluded that Gongsun Hao is pretending to be sick in front of him!
There are two reasons for this!

The first point is Gongsun Hao's own condition. He doesn't look like he is being tortured to death by a relapse of rheumatism. Last winter, there was another heavy snowfall in Yijing, and Gongsun Hao's rheumatism relapsed for a while. At that time, Gongsun Hao looked sick, not like he does now with a ruddy complexion and a strong voice...
As for the second point, Gongsun Hao said that Dr. Pang Renpang, the imperial physician of the medical school, gave him plaster and prescribed decoction!
Li Jian didn't know whether Pang Ren had prescribed medicine for Gongsun Hao, but what Li Jian wanted to say was that the plaster had a smell. When Gongsun Hao came to work at the yamen with the plaster on his body, Li Jian could smell the smell of the plaster from ten feet away from him.

But Li Jian was sitting next to Gongsun Hao just now, and he didn't smell any ointment at all!
So based on these two points, Li Jian dared to conclude that Gongsun Hao was pretending to be sick!

So why did Gongsun Hao's attitude change so much in just a few days?
Li Jian believes there is only one answer!
That means someone has exerted influence on Gongsun Hao!
And who is this person?
The answer is self-evident!

When he thought about him taking action, Li Jian immediately became serious!
Although he was the Minister of Justice appointed by Ye Mingsheng, Li Jian was very clear that the person who was really in charge of the Ministry of Justice was not himself, but someone else!

Starting from the Vice Minister Gongsun Hao, a small number of the doctors, assistant ministers, and officials in the Ministry of Justice are related to him. This is the case now. If it were in the past when his son was still alive, the two Vice Ministers would just take orders from him!
Fortunately, they basically don’t interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Justice, otherwise Li Jian, the Minister of Justice, would be so frustrated!

However, Li Jian still wanted to change this situation. He didn't want to continue living in this state of being controlled by others and having a greater minister above the minister.

But unfortunately, although he had this idea, he had no suitable opportunity, so he, Li Jian, the Minister of Justice, could only lie dormant, continue to compromise, endure humiliation...
This time, after realizing the change in His Majesty's attitude, Li Jian handed the case over to Gongsun Hao, hoping to take this opportunity to capture Gongsun Hao, or at least force this old man to retire and return to his hometown in Liaoyang to enjoy his retirement.

When Li Jian saw the old man's cheerful look that day, he was also very happy in his heart. As long as the old man left, the remaining doctors and assistant doctors would not be a concern. He, Li Jian, could finally hold the power in the Ministry of Justice without any constraints.

However, I didn’t expect that person to take action in the end!

Thinking that his careful planning was ultimately seen through, Li Jian felt a sense of powerlessness and frustration!

But if you think about it carefully, that person's target is not me, but someone else!

That was why Li Jian wanted Gongsun Hao to recommend a candidate. It was a small trap. After all, the case of Hu Ming was of great importance, and the person sent by the Ministry of Justice to Jiangnan to investigate must be a high-level official.

Li Jian is the Minister of Justice and a senior cabinet member who needs to stay in the Ministry of Justice and cannot move lightly. Vice Minister Gongsun Hao is ill and cannot leave, so the only candidate left is another Vice Minister Zhang Mang!

Zhang Mang has no important tasks recently, and he was also in charge of the previous investigation of Hu Ming's case. Therefore, Zhang Mang is the most suitable person to be responsible for the task of going to Jiangnan to investigate the case.

In addition, although the relationship between Zhang Mang and the nobleman was hidden, Li Jian still had some understanding of it, so Li Jian wanted to induce Gongsun Hao to recommend Zhang Mang.

But in the end, Gongsun Hao was not so stupid that he did not fall into Li Jian's trap. As a result, all of Li Jian's plans came to nothing.

Thinking of this, Li Jian in the carriage couldn't help but sigh and murmured in a low voice:

“Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. A lack of patience can ruin great plans…”