Chapter 125 Public Opinion
Although there have been frequent actions in the past few months, people in the court and the public can already guess what the current emperor is thinking. But such a major event is like enjoying a grand feast. Before the meal begins, there must be thousands of ways to set the mood and emphasize the key points. This time was no exception. After the prince of Duke Mu traveled thousands of miles back to the capital, Emperor Wanshou Feixuan Zhenjun did not rush to investigate the major case of collusion with the Japanese pirates. Instead, he directly ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare a carriage and ceremonial documents to send the leader of the Japanese pirates to the capital in a cage to present the captives to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He personally poured wine and performed the ceremony before Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong, reporting on the country's unprecedented military exploits for a hundred years. His sacrificial speech was not without boasting, and he did have the capital to boast - from this time on for hundreds of years, from Baozong to four or five emperors, the current Emperor Feixuan's achievements in pacifying the Japanese pirates and destroying the country were indeed first-class and glorious, enough to overshadow his ancestors.
...Alas, it took more than a hundred years to achieve the feat of pacifying the Japanese invaders. It is actually quite sad to say so.
But Master Feixuan certainly does not feel sad. After offering sacrifices at the Taimiao, the emperor was still not satisfied, and felt that this ceremony was not enough to show his grand joy; so two days later, the emperor sent the prince of Duke Mu and other nobles to offer sacrifices at the Changling Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong and the tombs of other emperors in the suburbs of Beijing. He ordered the Ministry of Rites and others to send a letter to Hubei, asking the local royal family members to kowtow in front of the tombs of Emperor Xingxian and the Empress, to share this immortal achievement with their own parents, and then to go to Fengyang to report to the Zhu Family Ancestral Hall and engrave a stone to record the merits.
Within a month, hundreds of sacrifices were held, which shocked all directions. One really wished that the achievement of defeating the Japanese pirates could not be spread from top to bottom until even the illiterate ancestors of the Zhu family were informed. And even so, Master Feixuan was still not satisfied; only at this moment did he finally understand the mood of Emperor Xiaowu when he held grand sacrifices and visited famous mountains - the achievement of pacifying the Japanese was already so satisfying; if Master could pacify Mongolia in the north, conquer the barbarians in the south, and pacify Western Asia, and create the same achievements as Emperor Wu, then he would be eager to announce them to all the famous mountains and rivers, so that all the gods in the world could share the earnest pleasure of this great achievement, and let his immortal name, Master Feixuan Wanshou Emperor, be recorded in history forever, so that he could live as long as heaven and earth from now on.
To put it bluntly, Zhenjun was busy making elixirs and taking drugs, and was hit on the head by the rebels, so he really doesn't have the energy to jump around right now; otherwise, he might not mind the stigma of Song Zhenzong and might even plan to visit the top of Mount Tai.
Of course, such a grand ceremony was not just for the emperor's own pleasure (although pleasure was the main reason). After a round of sacrifices to fully satisfy his vanity, the supreme ruler also had to use this solemn ceremony to characterize certain key political issues. He specially issued an edict, elaborating on the history of the dynasty from the beginning, and began to list all kinds of rebellious and illegal behaviors of the Japanese - during the reign of Emperor Gao, the Japanese shogunate killed Chinese envoys without authorization; during the reign of Emperor Taizong, the Japanese letters were arrogant and dared to call themselves "Son of the Rising Sun" and refused the title of King of Japan; as for the period after Emperor Xiaozong, the Japanese pirates caused chaos along the coast, and the harm they caused was incalculable. Such a hatred that lasted for nine generations, it is so painful to think about it!
Don't be happy today, be careful that he will be on the list next year. Small countries that have been around the Central Plains civilization for a long time basically know the Han people’s incredible obsession with history - the lifespan of an individual is but like a morning mushroom or a summer insect, like a fleeting moment; but the lifespan of a civilization is long-standing, and they have enough patience to wait for the changes in the world. "Duke Xiang of Qi avenged nine generations of hatred, and the Spring and Autumn Annals magnified it." But on the other hand, only a nation that has been writing tirelessly and recording for a long enough time is qualified to check the history books one by one and compile this small list of nine generations. When one is weak, one plans slowly for the future; when one is strong, one has been strong since ancient times. This is not surprising.
——And now, it is the turn of Master Feixuan to carry on the legacy of the wise rulers of previous generations and make this little list for the foreigners!
Some things are not as heavy as two taels if they are not weighed, and they are more than a thousand pounds if they are weighed; now that the emperor has issued an edict listing the crimes committed by the Japanese pirates over the years, it is natural that all officials must follow closely. So within a few days, memorials came in one after another, and various government offices submitted memorials, reflecting bitterly from a hundred angles on the various abuses suffered by the Japanese pirates over the years, digging out all kinds of disrespectful behaviors of the Japanese from every detail, and crying out about the humiliation the country had suffered over the past two hundred years. Using the Spring and Autumn style of writing that civil servants have always used to record history, this section was of course written about in great detail and emphasized, using all kinds of rhetoric to highlight the main point, focusing on depicting the image of Da'an as a pitiful little white flower who was bullied. Whether this image is true or not is not the question, but the effect is certainly quite obvious. As usual, memorials from all civil servants were leaked to the imperial court. With the foundation laid by "A Mortal's Journey to Immortality" earlier, everyone in the market was "indignant", and they seemed to be united in their hatred of the enemy, rather than feeling grief and indignation.
Seeing that the foundation of public opinion had been laid, the emperor summoned court officials again on October 25 and adopted the cabinet's suggestion to compile the imperial edicts and memorials of various ministers into a book and distribute it to local areas so that the local areas could also understand the will of heaven, appreciate the changes in the atmosphere of public opinion in the capital, and join in the ensemble of criticizing the Japanese pirates.
The emperor and his ministers expressed their views together, and the central and local governments responded to each other. Rather than being a collective emotional outburst to the outside world, this was more of a summary of several historical issues regarding the anti-Japanese war over the past two hundred years, and a very serious political statement. As the saying goes, if the enemy can go, we can go too. From now on, the situation of offense and defense has changed!
...Of course, political statements vary from person to person. If this statement was made by Emperor Wu, it would be so passionate and ambitious, enough to glorify his wisdom for the whole world; but now that it is made by True Lord Feixuan... then while everyone is moved, they must also have some doubts in their hearts, suspecting that Old Deng is being sarcastic again and taking the opportunity to plot something.
Facts have also proved that everyone's expectations were not wrong. During the imperial meeting to discuss the historical issues of the anti-Japanese war, the emperor who was presiding over the meeting suddenly interrupted the discussion and asked Zhao Juqing, the Minister of Justice who had remained silent throughout the meeting:
"Earlier, Ouyang Jin and others wrote to the emperor to accuse the prince of Duke Mu, saying that he organized a fleet to attack Japan, which was "provoking border conflicts without authorization" and "violating the ancestral teachings". What do you think, Lord Zhao?"
Zhao Juqing shuddered all over and felt cold sweat pouring down, soaking his clothes in an instant. Although he was also a veteran of the anti-Mu faction, Lord Zhao was aware of the danger and retreated in time; he neither signed several fatal impeachment documents nor participated in the shocking act of lying on the ground in front of the Xiyuan Gate to force the emperor to abdicate. Because the firewall was set up cleverly and reliably enough, it managed to avoid the subsequent Jinyiwei's unscrupulous large-scale hunt, and is still able to stand in the court and ensure safety - judging from past daily records, this is already the ultimate in non-stick pans, and the top Tai Chi master among the bureaucrats.
But now, even this top-notch Tai Chi skill can't withstand the huge waves coming towards him!
His heart was beating like a drum, and he could only try his best to answer:
"I naturally despise such rebellious words."
Ouyang Jin and Zong Zhengling have already been imprisoned in the imperial prison for a month, and they really don't need another cellmate.
"You are so disdainful." The emperor said, "But I heard that before Ouyang Jin committed the crime, Zhao Qing seemed to have frequent contact with him."
Zhao Juqing immediately knelt down and said: "I did have a relationship with Ouyang, but I was ignorant and shallow at that time, and could not recognize this crazy and treacherous person. I am extremely terrified, and I only ask Your Majesty to punish me with death!"
"How can it be a capital crime?" The emperor laughed out loud, his voice was bright and clear, and he was very pleased. However, when the people around him listened carefully, they suddenly felt a chill in their hearts: "Good! You dare to do and take responsibility. You are indeed a hero, a good man! I like heroes!"
"I dare not bear the responsibility even if I die..."
"I said you are a hero, and you are a hero." The emperor interrupted him directly: "You are a hero, and the people in the imperial prison are also heroes. In this case, let the heroes judge the heroes, and the heroes judge the heroes! - The cabinet will immediately draft an order to let the Minister of Justice Zhao Juqing take charge of the imperial prison and be responsible for the trial of the imperial prisoners. Don't delay!"
The deafening thunder roared in just a moment, and Zhao Juqing's face turned as pale as death, and he almost fainted on the ground. But the emperor did not give him time to react and directly asked Yan Gelao who was sitting below the throne:
"What does the Prime Minister think?"
What can you think? Elder Yan could only bow:
"The Minister of Justice is the right person to handle the imperial prison. Your Majesty is wise and wise."
After the king and his ministers asked and answered each other, the matter was finalized. The ministers below lowered their eyes. Although they all had their own thoughts, they no longer looked at Minister Zhao who was trembling like a sieve in the courtyard - what's the point of looking at the dry bones in the tomb? On the contrary, at this time, there is a consensus among hundreds of people:
"The emperor is finally going to kill someone!"
·
On October 27, Zhao Juqing, the Minister of Punishments, was ordered to take over the imperial prison; on October 28, former Chief Censor Ouyang Jin committed suicide in prison; on the 29th, former Chief of the Imperial Clan committed suicide; on the 30th, the Vice Minister of Rites died of illness; on the 31st, another Vice Minister of Punishments committed suicide and a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court died of illness. After November, people died of illness every day, so much so that there was an endless stream of carriages and horses coming out of the small gate behind the imperial prison, and every day was filled with carts heading to the crematorium.
Even the Prince of Mu could not help but sigh at the frequency of such killings. I can only say that our Master Feixuan is just like this, and he kills people in his own unique way. When Emperor Gao killed people in the past, they were always taken to the execution ground according to legal laws; and now that Zhenjun is taking action... Alas, there is always a vague and rather damp feeling of stealing.
Of course, the emperor couldn't just comment casually. So Mu Qi just quietly called Zhang Taiyue to remind him that the foreshadowing he had laid before could finally be retracted - for example, formally rehabilitating Yu Shaobao and so on.
"The focus now is to fight against the Japanese pirates, so there's no need to make a big fuss." The prince told him, "Just quietly find a censor to write a letter to request that Yu Gongping be vindicated and given a posthumous title."
Zhang Taiyue was of course very happy, but also a little worried: "Is this feasible? After all, it happened a hundred years ago."
"Of course it is feasible." The prince said, "Public opinion for resisting the Japanese pirates has already arisen, but is the focus only on resisting the Japanese pirates? Since everyone is carefully looking back at history, the various cruel behaviors of foreign enemies since the Japanese pirates have certainly not escaped the current scrutiny. Rehabilitating the injustice at this time is exactly in line with the will of the people and the people's hearts, and there will definitely be no resistance..."
He looked around and lowered his voice: "A few days ago, Hai Gangfeng from Jiangnan sent a message. He posted the pamphlet issued by the court and the newly published "Cultivating Immortality by Mortals" in public places, and ordered officials to list the crimes of the Japanese pirates and the various crimes of colluding with the Japanese. As a result, the crowd was outraged and difficult to control. Dozens of people even fainted on the spot. This emotion..."
The historical overview of the Japanese pirate problem over the past two hundred years compiled by the imperial court was just an introduction. What it really aroused was the indignation and grief that the coastal areas had been suffering from for so long. This kind of emotion is like a landslide or a tsunami. Once it breaks through the dam and pours out, it will be like an ocean that is boundless and cannot be controlled at all. Such a torrent can only be channeled but not blocked, and can only be responded to but not resisted. The emperor's rehabilitating Yu Gong and bestowing him with a posthumous title was precisely a good move that benefited him without any cost and responded to the emotion. At least by doing so, Zhenjun could demonstrate his political attitude that was very different from that of previous emperors and gain huge reputation from it.
Zhang Taiyue was persuaded. He pondered silently, apparently pondering the wording of the memorial.
But the prince certainly didn't need to care about these technical tasks, so he paused and gave instructions:
"...Of course, when it comes to Yu Gong, we must mention someone called - I mean Emperor Yingzong. It is not easy for descendants to evaluate their ancestors, but we can always be more tactful. Isn't Your Majesty obsessed with seeking a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for Emperor Xingxian? If he takes up someone else's place, it may be too difficult; but there is still a lot of space in the Temple of Emperor Yingzong..."
Zhang Taiyue's face slightly changed: "Your Highness is saying——"
After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Then let me do it..."
"No, you don't have to." The prince stopped him: "You don't have to write. This is the Zhu family's business, let Gao Suqing come, let Prince Yu come!"
·
On November 2, the Prince of Duke Mu, who had returned to the court for many days, and Qi Yuanjing and others jointly wrote a letter, which roughly recounted the various experiences of the fleet's eastward expedition to the sea to attack Japan. It specifically mentioned that when the "Emperor Xingxian" and the "Empress Xingxian" bombarded Edo, "the waves were as high as the sky" and "the sound shook the earth". There was even a faint rainbow glow on the ship, bright and beautiful, and auspicious birds were flying and singing. All kinds of strange phenomena were seen by everyone, and the auspicious signs were beyond words.
- Of course, the so-called rainbow is nothing more than the sunlight refracted by the excited water mist; the startled seagulls can only scream. But the atmosphere had already been set at this point, and the emperor did not express his opinion, but simply forwarded the memorial to the six ministries for their appreciation.
But Xiangrui finally played the role it was supposed to play. On November 3, a censor wrote a letter to the emperor, discussing the injustice done to Yu Shaobao and requesting an imperial decree to redress his wrongdoing. The emperor agreed. The matter is settled.
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