Let a kid in his twenties tell them about the ancestral methods they advocate.

It is already a very shameful thing, and if he makes it happen, it would be better for me to commit suicide.

But this guy used Taizong's edict to discuss Taizu's strategy, thereby defining the ancestral law.

This trick is really brilliant!

It's a chain of events.

"Hmm...you do have a point!"

The Imperial Censor, Lü Hui, stroked his beard and smiled, then said, "This decree is indeed the law of our ancestors, but as someone who is responsible for the decree, you should know that there are also memorials under the law. What does it mean?"

This memorial was first created in the Tang Dynasty and has had a great influence on the legal system of the entire Chinese nation.

Simply put, it is a supplement and explanation of the law.

No one can deny that Taizong's edict is the best interpretation of the ancestral laws, but Zhang Fei explained it from the perspective of the legal system, and the legal system must be regulated.

...

...

So Lu Hui used law to make law. This imperial edict was the law, but what about the memorials?

Memorials are the interpretation of the law, which shows that these officials are not stupid. Even now, they know that they are fighting for the right to interpret the ancestral laws.

Zhang Fei looked calm and composed, and asked, "What does Lu Zhongcheng think about this?"

Lu Hui said: "The laws of our ancestors are different from criminal laws. Their main function is to build and stabilize the country. The discussion of the laws of our ancestors should be the policy of our ancestors."

Many officials nodded and smiled when they heard this.

However, Zhao Xu outside the door and Wang Anshi sitting above seemed a little nervous.

Wang Anshi would never agree with this memorial.

If the policies of Taizu and Taizong are regarded as memorials, then there is no room for change.

This innovation requires breaking with the old.

Zhao Xu couldn't accept it even more. Originally, the ancestral law was still vague. At least he could argue about it, but now that the tone was set, he had to accept it.

Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "I think this cannot be used as a memorial, it can only be used as a reference. If it is used as a memorial, it will violate the laws of our ancestors."

When these words were spoken, everyone in the audience was stunned.

Lü Hui was puzzled and asked, "What are you talking about? The policies implemented by Taizu and Taizong violate the laws of our ancestors?"

That look seemed to be saying, I'll give you one more chance, just straighten your tongue out.

Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "I didn't say that. What I meant is that if we use the policies implemented by Taizu and Taizong as a commentary on the laws of our ancestors, it would be a violation of the laws of our ancestors."

Lu Hui asked, "What's the difference between what you said and what I said?"

“What a difference!”

Zhang Fei said to Xu Zhiqian, "Please, Madam Xu, give everyone a copy of the red-marked eucalyptus."

Xu Zhiqian nodded, picked up a stack of eucalyptus and distributed them to the tables one by one.

Zhao Xu outside the door was anxious!

What about mine?

He was very nervous about this matter now, and he was not as leisurely and elegant as before.

He is not an outsider, on the contrary. The essence of the current debate is about imperial power and ministerial power.

Xu Zun was smart. He knew the emperor was nearby and he had seen all the eucalyptus before, so he quietly handed the eucalyptus in his hand over.

Zhao Xu excitedly opened it and his disappointment was beyond words.

What is written here are only the key policies of Taizu and Taizong.

To be honest, it can be roughly divided into three points.

First, the military generals are powerful.

The solution is: respect and suppress military power.

Second, the outside is heavy and the inside is light.

It refers to the Jiedushi of the Tang Dynasty and the separatist regimes of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

The solution is to gradually deprive them of their power, control their money and grain, and collect their elite troops.

To put it cruelly, apart from your girlfriend, you will have almost nothing else, as everything is taken over by the central government.

Third, the king is weak and the ministers are strong.

The solution is to divide the responsibilities.

These policies are the best supplement to that edict!

Isn't this just shooting oneself in the foot?

When they had almost finished reading, Zhang Fei said, "This is a summary of the policies of Taizu and Taizong based on some historical materials. Do you agree with it?"

Lu Hui nodded and said, "Not bad, not bad, you wrote it in great detail. This is a memorial, isn't it?"

Zhang Fei asked in return: "May I ask Minister Lu, are these policies all revisions of historical misconduct?"

Lu Hui nodded and said, "Of course!"

Zhang Fei added: "Can it also be said to be a summary of history, taking its essence and discarding its dross?"

Lu Hui nodded and said, "You can say that."

Zhang Fei looked around and asked, "Do you agree?"

Except for Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, the other officials nodded.

Ouch! Are you two old men asleep? Zhang Fei stared at them and asked, "It seems that the two chief judges do not agree?"

Wang Anshi and Sima Guang knew this guy too well. When they interrogated Lin Fei last time, they connected all the seemingly unrelated questions to him.

The best way to deal with this kid's questions is to avoid answering them if possible.

They are the chief judges, not the suspects.

This way you can leave yourself room to maneuver.

The lawsuit became very sensitive at this point, and Wang Anshi did not dare to fully trust Zhang Fei.

It’s a pity that Zhang Fei was staring at the two of them.

The two of them had no choice but to nod resentfully.

It seems like he has suffered a great injustice.

If they can choose not to click on it, of course they won't click on it. The problem is that they have to click on it. This is truly the policy of Taizu and Taizong, and it is also the law of their ancestors that they mention.

"Okay then!"

Zhang Fei nodded and said, "You all agree that the policies implemented by Taizu and Taizong are in line with the laws of our ancestors, which is to prevent accidents and control twists and turns.

The policies implemented by Taizu and Taizong were to correct the bad policies implemented in history, so should we also follow the laws of our ancestors and make changes to the bad policies that we have implemented in the past? "

“......!”

This time it was Lu Hui, Liu Shu and others' turn to be anxious.

Wang Anshi and Zhao Xu were overjoyed when they heard this.

This is a really perfect explanation.

Good boy!

There really is a routine!

"No! No!"

Lü Hui shook his head and said, "Taizu Taizong only made corrections to the bad policies of the previous dynasty."

"No! No!"

Zhang Fei also shook his head and said, "This statement is inaccurate. It is more accurate to use history."

As he said this, he looked at Xu Zhiqian.

This time, Xu Zhiqian directly handed him a small note.

Zhang Fei took it and looked at it. "The Tang Dynasty fell in the fourth year of Tianyou (907 AD), and our dynasty was established in the first year of Jianlong (960 AD). If Lu Zhongcheng regards the Tang Dynasty as the previous dynasty, then what about the fifty-three years of separatist regimes in the middle? Did Taizu and Taizong correct the bad policies that occurred in the middle fifty-three years?

If the previous dynasty is regarded as the separatist regimes during the 53 years in between, then did Taizu and Taizong correct the bad policies of the Tang Dynasty? If the Tang Dynasty plus the 53 years in between are regarded as the previous dynasty, then isn’t this history? "

The same thing again!

So thin!

Very thin!

Wang Anshi was overjoyed when he heard this. There were so many "corrections" and "amendments" in this passage. Just from this point, he knew that this discussion was most beneficial to him.

Lu Hui nodded helplessly and said, "Using history as a mirror, we can understand the rise and fall of nations. It is more accurate to use history as a guide."

Zhang Fei asked: "So, does the past 100 years count as history?"

Sima Guang sighed inwardly, you people really don't learn your lesson. How can you answer this kid's question so easily? Look, you've fallen into the trap again.

Lu Hui nodded reluctantly.

Zhang Fei asked: "So, to correct or improve the bad policies of the past hundred years, is it following the laws of our ancestors, or is it violating the laws of our ancestors?"

Sima Guang suddenly asked: "You have discussed the uniqueness of this ancestral law, so what are its binding and extensiveness?"

Wang Anshi hurriedly said, "Wait a minute, I think this issue has not been discussed clearly yet!"

If you have the upper hand, you must naturally pursue the victory!

Sima Guang looked at him expressionlessly, "Do you have anything else to mention?"

Wang Anshi looked at Lu Hui and others provocatively.

That’s it?

Keep talking!

You are not well-read.

Don't let this kid suppress you.

This issue is of vital importance to Wang Anshi, and the clearer it is, the better.

Seeing Wang Anshi's provocation, Lu Hui immediately felt that this was too much to bear, and said immediately: "The chief judge is right, this issue has not been discussed clearly yet."

Sima Guang maintained his composure and nodded with a smile.

Lu Hui was not convinced, so he picked up the eucalyptus that Xu Zhiqian had just given them and asked, "The policies written on it are also the policies of the past hundred years. According to you, the policies written on it can all be changed?"

After these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the classroom became a little weird again.

“It’s dangerous!”

Fu Bi whispered to himself.

The above policies are all aimed at preventing the military generals from becoming too powerful, the external forces being heavy and the internal forces being light, and the emperor being weak and the ministers being strong. These are indeed the core policies of the entire Northern Song Dynasty and also run through the entire Great Song Dynasty.

But according to Zhang Fei's theory, these cannot be discussed and cannot be attributed to ancestral laws. So it can be inferred that these can be changed, but the problem is that if these policies are changed, then the entire Song Dynasty will be turned upside down.

The entire structure will collapse.

If you don't answer this question well, it can be very dangerous.

Wang Anshi, who was happy just now, suddenly became nervous again.

Sima Guang whispered: "You are shooting yourself in the foot!"

Wang Anshi said, "Remember last time Zhang San ridiculed you for being extremely unprofessional as the chief judge? This is what I call professionalism."

“......!”

Sima Guang did not get angry with him.

Zhang Fei also replied cautiously: "If there are drawbacks and it endangers the country, of course it can be changed."

Liu Shu's face lit up and he asked, "Are there any drawbacks to these policies?"

Zhang Fei said: "What I am arguing is that these policies cannot be used as memorials, because according to the laws of our ancestors, we must prevent bad policies and promptly correct the existing problems of previous policies.

If there are any drawbacks in the previous policies, they will be changed in a timely manner, including the policies written here. If these policies are used as memorials, it is possible that the memorials and the laws will have a fundamental contradiction. In terms of legal provisions, this is very terrible, and the laws of our ancestors are the foundation of the country, which will cause endless harm. "

"But I say that these cannot be changed. The policies formulated by Taizu and Taizong are also perfect. Future generations only need to follow them, and this is actually the case."

Xu Zhiqian muttered softly: "He is clearly making up stories."

"Fuck! They don't understand the law at all! A bunch of idiots." Zhang Fei whispered back, took a look at the catalog he had drawn up, and then said to Xu Zhiqian: "Bring us Case No. 5."

Xu Zhiqian flipped through it, found case number five, and handed it to Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei looked at it for a while, then raised his head, "Based on the laws of our ancestors, this policy does have some drawbacks."

You're still alive this time? Liu Shu was overjoyed and asked, "Which one?"

Zhang Fei said: "The disaster of redundant officials."

Chapter 113 You are all lawless criminals (Thanks to the leader "0 Not for Sale 0" for the third update)

What?

The disaster of redundant...redundant officials?

There was silence in the hall.

In fact, the problem of redundant officials has been mentioned repeatedly since the reign of Emperor Renzong, and no one dares to say that redundant officials are not a problem.

This is a consensus.

Everyone knows the disadvantages, but these disadvantages are precisely the core interests of officials.

Officials control the decision-making power, so as a matter of human nature, no one wants to be stabbed in the back.

This is why, although everyone knows about the three redundancies, they are still unable to solve them.

However, no one has ever dared to blame the problem of redundant officials on Taizu and Taizong.

To say so is tantamount to seeking one's own death!

At this moment, even Fu Bi, Han Qi and others had to admire Zhang Fei's courage.

Even Wang Anshi, who once said "our ancestors are not worthy of being emulated", felt inferior to him.

Everyone is dumbfounded.

You're overdoing it!

Liu Shu really didn't expect that Zhang Fei would dare to bump into this. He was stunned for a long time before he reacted. He immediately asked excitedly: "According to you, the disaster of redundant officials is all due to the bad policies of Taizu and Taizong?"

This time Zhang Fei didn't need to look, Xu Zhiqian had already placed the eucalyptus in front of Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei opened it and started reading.

The officials present at the table, seeing Zhang Fei investigating the case, felt inexplicably cautious.

They originally thought they were well prepared, but they didn't know that compared with Zhang Fei, they were still dwarfed by him.

There is absolutely no comparison.

No matter what they asked, Zhang Fei could find the answer from the cases he had prepared.

What a thorough preparation.

This even looks like cheating.

Zhang Fei looked at it for a long time before he raised his head. "The source of this bad policy lies with Taizu and Taizong, but the blame cannot be attributed to Taizu and Taizong. Instead, it should be attributed to the unfilial descendants of later generations who violated the laws of their ancestors..."

At this point, he looked at the eucalyptus again and confirmed, "It was caused by it."

Liu Shu was puzzled and snorted, "You are obviously contradicting yourself?"

He can even say such nonsense, it is obvious that he is panicking.

“Not at all.”

Zhang Fei asked: "Regarding the number of officials during the reign of Taizu and Taizong and the number of officials today, do you know clearly? If not, I have the specific number here."

Liu Shu hurriedly said, "Don't make any more trouble. We all know this."

This issue has been debated so many times that they can recite the number of officials in each dynasty by heart.

"That's great."

Zhang Fei read out the statute, "During the reigns of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Zhenzong, the number of officials was about 8,000, while in my reign it reached 24,000, a full three times the number. The gap between the two was only about 50 years, which is a very scary increase."

Liu Shu interrupted him and said, "Don't talk nonsense here. I am asking you now, is it Taizu and Taizong who caused the disaster of redundant officials?"

"Please be patient, Doctor Liu. I will explain this clearly."

Zhang Fei said, "Send the certificate to them."

Xu Zhiqian was stunned. "So this number is used here?"

Zhang Fei nodded.

Still want to send it?

Many jurors are depressed, so it’s not fun to fight like this!

Zhao Xu outside the door was already sweating profusely. He actually needed to take a breath. For him, the emperor, this lawsuit was becoming more and more serious.

If he was like this, what about Sima Guang and Wang Anshi?

No one knows at this point where this lawsuit will lead.

Because this has started a debate against Taizu and Taizong.

In feudal times, this was actually very fatal.

After getting the eucalyptus, they started reading it immediately.

I got lost in the lake as I looked around!

"Jiedushi of the Tang Dynasty?"

Zhao Xu looked at Liu Zhao in confusion.

Liu Zhao also shook his head.

Liu Shu was also confused and asked directly: "Why did you bring up the Tang Dynasty Jiedushi again?"

He thought Zhang Fei was deliberately avoiding the fatal question, but he obviously would not let Zhang Fei succeed. He could not escape that question even if he died.

Zhang Fei explained: "This case is about the origin and decline of the Jiedushi system in the Tang Dynasty. Although we all know that the Jiedushi system is harmful to the country, everyone should not forget that in its initial stage, the Jiedushi system once helped the Tang Dynasty expand its territory and resist foreign enemies.

It was precisely because of the benefits brought by this system that the Tang Dynasty continued to delegate power to the Jiedushi, which led to the Anshi Rebellion.

We cannot ignore the efficacy and talk about toxicity, as this will prevent me from seeing the essence of the matter.

What is the essence? As the old saying goes, when the sun is at its zenith, it wanes; when the moon waxes, it wanes. It is clear that once anything goes to extremes, it will inevitably backfire on itself. Just like rice, rice can fill your stomach and has many benefits for people, but if you eat a hundred bowls a day, you will die, but can you say that this rice is poisonous? This is the essence of bad governance, and the Jiedushi system itself is not a bad governance. "

Zhao Xu nodded when he heard this: "So that's how it is!"

Fu Bi said with admiration: "The disciple is better than the master!"

Don't you like to play with allusions? Today I will play with you to the end. Zhang Fei said again: "Taizu and Taizong divided the power and prevented the separatism of the feudal lords. This fully reflects the core idea of ​​the ancestral law, that is, the policy of preventing corruption. At that time, there was no disaster of redundant officials. The arrangement of Taizu and Taizong was very appropriate.

Why did it evolve into the current disaster of redundant officials? The reason is just as the ancestral law that Lu Zhongcheng and others quoted incorrectly just now.

They mistakenly believed that the laws of their ancestors were not unique. They cited the policies of Taizu and Taizong as the laws of their ancestors, which led to the new emperor ascending the throne and receiving the advice of ministers, further advocating the wrong laws of their ancestors, thus continuing to divide power, causing the number of officials to grow like sows giving birth, and thus leading to the current disaster of redundant officials.

"Wonderful!"

Zhao Xu shouted out loud in excitement, but immediately stopped talking. He glanced inside guiltily, and when he saw that no one cared, he breathed a sigh of relief.

This brings us back to the essence of the problem, the uniqueness of the ancestral laws.

This example is sufficient to set the tone for the ancestral law.

Wang Anshi muttered, "He is calling a horse a pig!"

Sima Guang snorted, "He is clearly trying to turn a stone into a pig."

Liu Shu's face was ashen, and he no longer had the arrogance he had just now.

Zhang Fei continued: "Let's go back to the true laws of our ancestors, to prevent things from happening and to set rules for things to happen. We need to formulate a comprehensive and perfect system to prevent possible hidden dangers.

It can be seen that what Taizu and Taizong were trying to prevent was not the Jiedushi system, but to prevent the Jiedushi system from becoming the cause of bad politics. Policy making must be careful, tortuous, and know when to stop. "

As he spoke, Zhang Fei suddenly held up a graph and said, "Please look, this is the annual change in the number of officials in our dynasty."

It is a diagonal line with a very large angle.

As he spoke, he picked up another piece of paper, on which was written, "Be prepared for dangers and control crookedness."

"Do you think this picture matches these eight words?" Zhang Fei asked a group of officials.

Awkward!

These eight words combined with this picture are so embarrassing!

"Not at all tortuous, not at all meticulous, no constraints at all, it just keeps going up."

As he spoke, Zhang Fei put down the two pieces of paper, looked at the eucalyptus again, paused, and continued to read: "If you think that the disaster of redundant officials is not the bad policy set by Taizu and Taizong, then you must admit the uniqueness of the ancestral law. Otherwise, the disaster of redundant officials is due to the bad policy of Taizu and Taizong. Doctor Liu, what do you think?"

"My officer...!"

The rake hit him back, and beads of sweat the size of beans flowed down Liu Shu's temples.

This problem is very fatal.

Zhang Fei cleverly explained the "laws of our ancestors" as preventing the causes of bad politics, but this is obviously more in line with the core idea of ​​"preventing things from happening and making rules for things to happen", that is, policies to prevent bad politics.

The policy of preventing corruption is all about prevention. It is best not to let corrupt policies happen, so we should correct them in the process of their formation.

Zhang Fei also used the example of the Jiedushi to illustrate that the cause of bad politics is often pushing a policy to the extreme, which will eventually turn into the opposite, rather than the policy itself.

The same is true for the division of responsibilities.

It is a good policy in itself to prevent the country from splitting up again. It is just that you guys do not understand the laws of our ancestors and have turned it into a bad policy.

You have to take the blame.

If no one carries the responsibility, then only Taizu and Taizong can do it.

Your choice?

How to choose this?

No matter what you choose, you’ll die!

Liu Shu originally thought that he had thrown a fatal question to Zhang Fei, but it turned out that the clown was himself!

Wang Anshi was ecstatic when he heard this. This undoubtedly broke the ancestral law that supported the division of power.

If you can speak, just say more. Even if you talk till the end of time, I, Wang Jiefu, will accompany you to the end!

Everyone knows that the disaster of redundant officials is due to the policy of dividing power formulated by Taizu and Taizong. One government office is divided into four, which naturally leads to the disaster of redundant officials!

But the problem is that this is the tone set by Taizu and Taizong, who dares to change it?

Only Wang Anshi dared to clamor that "the ancestors' teachings are not worthy of being followed."

But he had no choice. If he didn't deny this, he couldn't carry out reforms, but this also brought him countless troubles.

Officials who originally supported him chose to stay away from him because of such words.

And now Zhang Fei has provided him with dual certification of justice in terms of law and ideology.

Reform is the way to follow the laws of our ancestors!

These officials didn't even prepare a case, and they couldn't come up with anything even at the last minute!

This explanation made them feel helpless.

For a moment, it was truly impeccable.

However, Zhang Fei cleverly shifted the blame for the problem of redundant officials onto the ministers, while at the same time flattering Taizu and Taizong.

Seeing that Liu Shu was speechless, Sima Guang asked Wang Anshi, "Do you have any other questions?"

Wang Anshi glanced around and asked, "Do you have anything to add?"

“......!”

This time they have learned their lesson. They should not ask random questions. If they keep asking, they might end up committing unforgivable crimes.

Wang Anshi smiled and said, "I have nothing to ask about this question."

Sima Guang looked at Zhang Fei and said with a smile: "You seem to have done a lot of homework."

Zhang Fei nodded and said, "This is related to the laws of our ancestors, so I dare not speak nonsense."

"Very good!" Sima Guang nodded in praise, and then said: "By the way! You also mentioned the constraints and extensiveness."

"yes!"

Zhang Fei also wrote, "The discipline has been established, and things have their regularity. We should follow it carefully and not dare to go beyond it." Based on these four sentences, I believe no one will doubt that this law will surpass all other laws and is the fundamental law of the country.

As for its broadness, it is actually easy to understand. The laws of our ancestors must set the tone for the entire country, so they must be broad and cover all aspects. Any policy must respect this law.

In the past, many officials took a sentence or an imperial edict from Taizu and Taizong and regarded it as the law of their ancestors. That is pure nonsense and they do not understand the law at all. "

Han Qi and Fu Bi blushed.

Who are you scolding?

Sima Guang, Lu Hui, Tang Jie and others were no exception.

They do this all the time.

Zhang Fei looked at Xu Zhiqian again.

Xu Zhiqian immediately stood up and handed them a report.

At this time, the officials didn't dare to look.

Even the look in his eyes when he looked at Xu Zhiqian gradually became filled with malice.

You have to watch it.

When they opened it, Zhang Fei said, "It records some of the policies and words of Taizu and Taizong. If it is used now, do you think it is appropriate?"

No one spoke.

The above also mentions Taizu’s policies towards Hou Shu. Now that Hou Shu is gone, are those policies still appropriate?

You are playing a word game!

It's so shameless.

Zhang Fei said seriously: "Laws are very strict and cannot be quoted casually. If we can arbitrarily quote the policies of Taizu and Taizong as the laws of our ancestors, then according to the legal system, all the policies of Taizu and Taizong will become the laws of our ancestors, which is obviously not allowed."

Sima Guang nodded and asked again: "According to what you said, taking precautions against incidents and making rules for twists and turns are the core ideas of our ancestors' laws."

Zhang Fei corrected: "This is the only ancestral method."

Sima Guang did not argue, but just asked: "Can you explain these two sentences?"

"sure!"

Zhang Fei took the small note handed over and read: "This sentence is quoted from the ancient classic Han Shu, Liyuezhi, and the original words are, things should be regulated, and things should be prevented. The general meaning is that no matter big or small, we must have a system and take precautions.

The Taizong edict states that all things should be prevented in advance and comprehensive and detailed regulations should be formulated to prevent corruption.

The "曲" above refers to "small things".

Sima Guang nodded and asked again: "If a system is enacted that does not prevent hidden dangers, does it violate the laws of our ancestors?"

Zhang Fei nodded and said, "Of course it's a violation."

Sima Guang then asked: "Is it a violation of the laws of our ancestors to promulgate a system that is not fully regulated?"

Zhang Fei nodded and said, "Of course it is a violation."

Sima Guang nodded and asked no more questions.

Zhang Fei glanced at Sima Guang and thought to himself, you really are worthy of being my brother Guang, you are still so clear-headed.

Liu Shu thought, let's stop here and don't go into it any further. This kid is too well prepared. Taking advantage of Sima Guang changing the subject, he immediately said, "I almost forgot that you are here to speak up for Shi Jia Erlang today. You think that the court's punishment of him violates this imperial edict."

edict!

It is not the law of our ancestors.

In other words, they were unwilling to acknowledge the tone set by Zhang Fei.

But the tone softened. Violating Taizong's edict was of course also a violation of ancestral laws.

Zhang Fei had just opened his mouth when he saw the old man Sima Guang holding up the teacup and taking a sip.

Is he drinking tea?

He was actually drinking tea.

I want to drink too!

Zhang Fei coughed a few times, his mouth open, "Oh oh! Eh!"

Liu Shu wondered, "What are you doing?"

Zhang Fei pretended to be hoarse and said, "My throat is uncomfortable."

Sima Guang whispered: "It's your turn again!"

Wang Anshi was a little unhappy, but he still reprimanded his men, "How do you do things? You didn't even prepare a pot of tea for Zhang San. If this gets out, won't people think that the court won unfairly?"

Is it an unfair victory?

I think it was an unfair defeat!