"And Wang Yun, as the Minister of Justice, you failed to notice this matter, which is a dereliction of duty!"
"This guilty subject acknowledges his crime and begs Your Majesty for punishment!"
"Remove him from his position as Minister of Justice and demote him to a commoner!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing my life!"
Zhao Huan said: "Xu Churen, what?!"
"Your subject is here!"
"This matter is entrusted to you two. Bring back all the scapegoats. I will not allow a single Confucian scholar to escape justice! If you insist on questioning whether my sword is sharp, I will not hesitate to unleash a massacre!"
"I obey the decree!"
Zhao Huan then said, "Liu Yanzong!"
"Your subject is here!"
"Examine this list carefully for me, and do not let a single one escape!"
"I obey the decree!"
Zhao Huan's tone softened as he said, "Shi Yuhong has rendered meritorious service; I hereby appoint you as the Left Justice of the Court of Judicial Review!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty! I am willing to serve you with my life, even unto death!"
Now, the incident involving the Confucius Mansion, which stemmed from a land issue, led to the Confucian scholar case, which in turn brought up the judicial issues of the Song Dynasty. For a time, the court was in turmoil, and the people were filled with anxiety. The Junior Chancellor Wang Boyan and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Li Shaochen were both imprisoned and to be executed in the autumn. These events have recently become the talk of the town in the capital.
I heard that in this case involving Confucian scholars, not only the Junior Minister and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but also many officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review have been implicated and have been arrested by the Imperial Guards and thrown into the Censorate for interrogation.
Meanwhile, due to the reversal of the Confucian scholar case and the emperor's wrath, uncontrollable resistance emerged in various places. In western Beijing, eastern Beijing, Hebei and Hedong, and even Shaanxi, large families resisted the court's handling of the Confucian scholar case, and an unprecedented wave of popular resistance surged up.
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