Since ancient times, politics has been a pure exercise in power. Therefore, in politics, everything can be negotiated, except power, which cannot be negotiated.
This is true for any politician.
At first, the Censorate really just wanted to deal with Zhang Fei and the law of law, because these two "things" made them very disgusted.
Therefore, at the beginning, the scholars and officials were united.
This time Zhang Fei must be killed.
There was nothing Zhao Xu could do about it.
Because the reason they gave was the legitimate ruling power granted to the monarch by Confucianism.
This is very important to the emperor and must not be violated.
However, after the emperor ordered an investigation into the case, they began to think about bringing Xu Zun into the trap.
This old man is not likable either.
...
...
As for Sima Guang, it was not a surprise. Although they had not thought of dealing with Sima Guang before, Zhang Fei's confession made the Censorate change its mind.
If the legal system is heresy and Zhang Fei is guilty of creating a book with unwritten rules, then Sima Guang could not have avoided being investigated.
In the end, it was Sima Guang who forced Zhang Fei to go to class, and Sima Guang himself admitted this.
If we let Sima Guang go, would we have the nerve to sentence Zhang Fei?
It doesn't make sense from a legal perspective.
Moreover, they should stop being censors in the future, because they should know that their job is to keep an eye on the prime minister.
Many vice-chancellors were brought down by these censors.
During the Qingli Party Struggle, it was those censors who charged into battle every day, impeaching Fan Zhongyan and others, and eventually forced Fan Zhongyan to leave the court one by one.
The subsequent involvement of Fu Bi and Wang Anshi was beyond their expectations, but it only further angered these censors.
Because they also feel very aggrieved, they do not think they are being partial and perverting the law. There is concrete evidence, and Fu Bi has admitted it himself. You prime ministers are acting on impulse and are trying to threaten us, so come on.
The two departments of Taijian are very united, except for their bosses.
The boss of the Censorate was Zhao Yan, and the boss of the Censorate was Wen Yanbo, and they were all assistant ministers.
It just so happens that these two departments can act without considering the boss's mood.
The prime ministers were also very annoyed. Just saying a word was against the law. Do you want to burn books and bury scholars?
But there is a subtle difference here.
In the beginning, everyone was targeting Zhang Fei. Although some of them did not quite agree, they were not angry or embarrassed. They just thought, let's use the evidence and go through legal procedures.
But now they are not talking about whether there is evidence or not, but they think that you are not allowing us to speak and want to punish us for our speech, which is not acceptable.
Shortly after Wang Anshi entered, Lu Gongzhe immediately stood up and expressed his support for the rule of law.
Zhao Yan also stood up and expressed his support for the law of rule of law.
The Censor was also angry. Anyway, this case was decided by the emperor and had the support of public opinion. If you guys bring it to me, then I will accept it.
The Imperial City Division changed from three-player mahjong to four-player mahjong, and finally to spinning mahjong.
At this point, the situation returns to the traditional plot, that is, the Political Affairs Hall vs. the Censors.
Among all the vice-chancellors, only Zeng Gongliang and Wen Yanbo had not yet gone in. Zeng Gongliang had been recuperating at home and was too lazy to get involved in this matter.
Wen Yanbo is reporting every day. Don’t you want to arrest people? Okay, I will provide them with evidence and see how many people you can arrest.
And he is the boss of the Censorate, so he also has power.
All the candidates in the Imperial College were reported by him.
Even included a few scholars and officials.
The matter became more and more serious and seemed to be out of control, even alarming the two Empress Dowagers.
"Emperor, what is going on?"
Even Empress Dowager Cao felt uneasy.
Such a thing has never happened in the hundred years since the founding of the Song Dynasty. The key point is that there was no sign of this incident before it happened. It was originally just because of an assistant teacher who was below the ninth rank.
But often these major political events are caused by small people.
Zhao Xu said with a look of grievance: "Madam, my grandson is innocent!"
All the prime ministers have gone in, how can you be innocent?
Empress Dowager Gao, who was sitting next to the emperor, wanted to teach him a lesson, but she held back in the end because she knew very well that Empress Dowager Cao did not like her interfering in the emperor's political affairs.
Queen Mother Cao could ask about it herself, but she didn't believe it either. "Then what on earth is going on?"
Zhao Xu said: "Before, they all said that Zhang San's law-making disturbed the moral order and undermined the law and discipline. Although my grandson did not think so, I still asked them to investigate the matter. But who knew that this would implicate Xu Zhongtu and Sima Junshi, and finally even Fu Gong was implicated."
Empress Dowager Cao asked, "Could it be that the imperial censors are partial to each other and are trying to frame someone for a wrongful conviction?"
Of course, she was inclined towards Sima Guang and his people.
Zhao Xu said: "My grandson has been sending people to keep an eye on them. If the law of the rule of law is heresy, then the Censorate keeping them to assist in the investigation is not considered as partiality and corruption. There is indeed evidence to incriminate them."
"So is the law of legal system heresy?" Queen Mother Cao was also a little confused.
Zhao Xu said, "My grandson doesn't think so, but many people thought so at first, and that Zhang San should be punished for this. But now they have changed their minds and say that we cannot punish people for their speech. My grandson doesn't know what to do."
"These literati really have nothing better to do than to eat."
Empress Dowager Cao murmured quietly. She had also experienced the hypocrisy of these civil officials. "You are the emperor. You don't have to accommodate them in everything. You have to have your own opinions."
After a pause, she added: "We should always put the overall situation first. The prime minister has been arrested. Who will assist the emperor in governing the country? We must deal with this matter as soon as possible."
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Grandson understands."
But in fact, he is not in a hurry at all now.
Who is the most anxious now?
Those are the literati!
Some of them wanted to defend Confucianism, while others wanted to deal with Zhang Fei.
But they never expected that the knife would come directly towards them.
Everyone feels dizzy.
The literati of the Song Dynasty were very concerned about their freedom of speech. Before this, whenever the emperor wanted to punish ministers for their speech, the ministers would stand up and oppose it.
But when it comes to convicting Zhang Fei, no one has any objection.
Be it double standards or self-contradiction.
The problem is that now all the prime ministers are implicated, and the key is that the Censorate has actually produced evidence.
The literati were all thinking, if something happened to the prime minister, would we still be able to talk in the future?
This precedent must not be set.
Choose the lesser of these two evils!
Is it worth it for a pen?
Who does he think he is?
As a result, public opinion began to change again.
Many people wrote to the emperor, saying that people should not be punished for their speech, and that this ancient sage king would never do such a thing.
Of course, he did not plead for Zhang Fei, nor did he say that the legal system was correct. They just talked about the situations of Fu Bi, Sima Guang, Xu Zun and others.
At the same time, they did not blame the Censorate.
The Censorate could not find any fault in this case, and it was also supported by them.
Anyway, each letter is written more tactfully than the last. You have to know that this kind of double-standard writing is a test of one's writing skills.
Some of them were very well written, but some of them were so funny that Zhao Xu found them funny.
What you mean by maintaining the imperial power is clearly maintaining your own power.
If this thing doesn't hit you, you'll all be shouting and yelling for war. But if this thing hits you, you'll all cry out in pain.
This is outrageous.
Of course, Zhao Xu would not act on impulse. Seeing that public opinion was beginning to change, he convened another meeting.
However, censors such as Jiang Zhiqi and Peng Siyan still insisted on punishing Zhang Fei.
They cannot be timid, because to be timid is to admit their mistakes.
Wen Yanbo was too lazy to pay attention to them, nor was he willing to pay attention to the emperor. Anyway, if you want to arrest people, I will report them and see how many you can arrest.
Chen Xiu, a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, stepped forward and said, "In my opinion, Mr. Fu and Scholar Sima were just deceived by Zhang San."
Many ministers immediately stood up.
"Yes, yes, this is all Zhang San's evil scheme. He deliberately planned it in advance and involved Mr. Fu, Sima Xueshi and others to cover for himself."
When Lu Huiqing saw that only conservatives were talking, he couldn't help but tease, "You can all see it clearly, how could Fu Gong and his people be deceived?"
This sentence made Chen Xiu and others so embarrassed that they could not say a word. They just glared at Lu Huiqing angrily.
It’s already this late, and you still want to cause internal strife, right?
Zeng Gongliang, who was specially invited by Zhao Xu, was very clear about his mission. He stood up and said, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the court seems to be making a fuss about this matter. If this thousand-year-old Confucianism can be easily destroyed by a young boy, then... then there is nothing worthy of our admiration."
Jiang Zhiqi immediately retorted: "Prime Minister Zeng is wrong. Zhang San's legal system is very tempting with benefits. The court should not be careless."
Zeng Gongliang asked: "Then tell me, what is the law of the legal system?"
Jiang Zhiqi immediately said, "What do you mean by defending one's legitimate rights and interests?"
Zeng Gongliang said: "Zhang San's original words are a consensus among people to defend their legitimate rights and interests."
Jiang Zhiqi asked: "So what?"
Zeng Gongliang said: "What is consensus? It is an idea that already exists and is generally accepted. Do filial piety and loyalty belong to consensus?"
Jiang Zhiqi said, "I said at the beginning that his words only seem to make sense, but they are extremely easy to cause misunderstandings. This has been the case with heretical teachings since ancient times. Who can know what Zhang Sanan is thinking?"
Zeng Gongliang glanced at them and said, "Can you guys guarantee that you have never said anything that could cause misunderstanding? I, Zeng, don't dare to say that."
The ministers remained silent.
Zeng Gongliang added: "To convict someone just because of a statement that could easily lead to ambiguity, the Qin law is not so strict!"
Jiang Zhiqi immediately said, "If we follow Prime Minister Zeng's advice, why not abolish the crime of making a book or saying something similar? In the future, if anyone commits this crime, they can all be acquitted by doing so?"
Zeng Gongliang frowned slightly, "Whether he is guilty or not is not up to you, Censor Jiang, to decide."
Jiang Zhiqi said: "Everyone thinks so."
"who?"
Zeng Gongliang glanced around.
There was silence in the hall.
never mind!
It's not worth it for a pen.
Jiang Zhiqi said nothing and just retreated.
Zhao Xu asked, "Mr. Zeng, how do you think this matter should be handled?"
Zeng Gongliang said, "Your Majesty, I think this is just a small matter. Disputes over knowledge are common. If someone agrees, it proves that it has merits. It is also natural for others to have doubts. It is not a crime, and we should not start a big prison for it. Knowledge should be discussed as knowledge. If you have doubts, you can go to the Imperial College and argue with Zhang San instead of arguing in the court."
Zhao Xu nodded and asked, "Do you have any objections?"
"I agree with what Mr. Zeng said."
"I second the motion."
The ministers stood up one after another.
Zhao Xu said: "Then let's end this matter here."
"Oh, I've been drinking a lot these past few days!"
Zhang Fei shuddered, pulled up his pants and fastened his pockets, but just as he walked out of the toilet, a guard came over and said, "Sanlang, the emperor has ordered you to be released, and someone will be here soon."
Zhang Fei asked: "How many hours are left?"
"One hour at most."
"OK."
Zhang Fei nodded, "You have to keep an eye on me. Once you see my signal, come in and stop me."
"Don't worry, Sanlang."
After giving the instructions, Zhang Fei returned to the room, and the maid who was taking his place quickly stood up and gave him her seat.
"I'm telling you, I've put my clothes on inside out just now. This time I'm going to kill everyone."
“It’s not covered in feces.”
Cao Dongdong tilted his head to look.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Zhang Fei said: "Let's get started."
Fu Shichun chuckled, "It's ridiculous that some people believe such nonsense."
Zhang Fei said: "What do you care about me? Yitong!"
"I can't control you--losing money."
Fu Shichun put down his cards, "Seven pairs."
Zhang Fei was furious and said, "Xiao Chunchun, you must be doing this on purpose. I have been losing money since you came here."
Fu Shichun snorted, "It's thanks to you that I'm here."
Zhang Fei said: "It was Xiao Ma and Yanei who reported you. It has nothing to do with me."
Ma Xiaoyi immediately said: "Third brother, you have a share too."
"Shut up."
Zhang Fei glared at Ma Xiaoyi and pointed at Fu Shichun and said, "You have been acting weird to me these past few days. Are you bullying an honest man?"
Fu Shichun slammed the table and said, "Who is bullying whom? I will never let you go after I return."
"Why wait to go back?"
Zhang Fei kicked him directly.
Fu Shichun had no idea that he would take action and was kicked to the ground. Cao Dongdong and Ma Xiaoyi were also stunned.
After a while, Fu Shichun pointed at Zhang Fei and said, "How dare you, a little idiot, hit me?"
"I don't need to pick a day to beat you."
Zhang Fei lifted the table with both hands and pushed it towards Fu Shichun.
Fu Shichun rolled to the side to avoid the attack, then immediately got up and kicked directly.
"Brother Chun, please be gentle with your feet."
Ma Xiaoyi blocked it with one hand. This kid has pretty good kung fu.
Zhang Fei took the opportunity to kick Fu Shichun again, hitting him in the abdomen.
Fu Shichun covered his abdomen, pointed at Ma Xiaoyi, and said in disbelief: "Xiao Ma, you actually helped him."
Ma Xiaoyi said innocently: "I just..."
"Don't be afraid, Xiaochun. I'm here with you."
Cao Dongdong suddenly kicked Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei sat down on the ground, "Yanei, you hit me?"
Cao Dongdong chuckled and said, "Two against two, this is fair."
“That’s excellent!”
Ma Xiaoyi flew over excitedly and gave three consecutive kicks.
Can they fly? Zhang Fei was panicked when he saw this. Damn it, I forgot that they all knew martial arts. This time it's really miserable. Forget it, I owe them anyway.
"Bird's Ear Pen, watch out."
Fu Shichun has already pounced over.
"Fuck you! Don't hit someone in the face. I'm going to fight you. Ah——!"
In an instant, the room was in the midst of a fierce fight.
A circle of guards outside were leaning on the windows, yawning and looking at them.
"Sanlang's kung fu isn't that good!"
"He is totally no match."
"It's true that Cao Yanei's skills are really good."
"But it seems that he has less energy than the pony."
"It's a pity that Xiao Ma and San Lang are in the same team. What a sin!"
"Boss, when are we going in?"
"Wait for Saburo's signal."
"But I see that Sanlang has already huddled in a corner, holding his head and taking the beating. I'm afraid he can't give the signal."
"Then let's go in then."
With a clang, the door opened.
"What are you doing? What are you doing? Fighting here, don't you want to live?"
After a soft reprimand, several people stepped forward and separated the four of them.
"call!"
Zhang Fei, who was hiding in the corner, finally breathed a sigh of relief and was helped up. In the blink of an eye, his face was bruised and swollen. He licked the corner of his mouth and said, "Fuck, Xiaochun, you look so gentle and kind, I thought you were easy to bully, but I never thought you were so cruel."
Fu Shichun said excitedly: "You were the first to do it."
Ma Xiaoyi was also beaten like a pig's head, and he cried without tears: "Third brother, if you don't know how to fight, don't do it. I have taken several punches for you."
Zhang Fei was beaten so hard that tears came out. "You think I want to fight? If I don't get beaten by you now, I will have to be beaten by my father-in-law and Zhiqian in a mixed doubles match. It's better to be beaten by you. Ouch. It hurts so much."
Cao Dongdong asked: "Why?"
Zhang Fei said, "Just think about it. Your father at home would be so worried. If he knew that we play mahjong, drink, and pick up girls every day here, he would be dead if he went back."
Cao Dongdong blinked. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I was trying my best to protect my face. Xiao Ma, hit me a few more times. Remember, hit me in the face."
Ma Xiaoyi was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Brother, stand firm."
"Stand firm."
Bang bang bang bang!
"Ouch! Ouch!"
The guards remained motionless, their lips barely agape, looking at him in disbelief.
"Stop, stop, stop! That's enough. I can't close my mouth."
Cao Dongdong shouted incoherently with his tongue twisted.
Ma Xiaoyi stopped and suddenly looked at Fu Shichun and said, "Xiaochun, there is no injury on your face."
Fu Shichun quickly shook his head and said, "I don't need it, my father..."
Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "That won't do. We were all beaten to a bloody pulp, and you're still so handsome. It's obviously fake!"
Cao Dongdong suddenly turned to look at Fu Shichun, "Xiaochun, just think of it as helping me. If anyone finds out, my father will beat me to death."
Fu Shichun pointed at Zhang Fei and said, "It's all his fault!"
"Brothers, go ahead."
Zhang Fei would not give him this opportunity.
"You...what do you want to do? Ouch! You bastards are actually using your numbers to bully the minority."
Half an hour later.
The four men put on tattered prison uniforms and supported each other as they walked out of the hut.
I saw six guards lined up at the door, paying them the highest respect.
"Dear guests, please take care."
"Excuse me."
"No, no, remember to pay the money as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, someone will send the money tomorrow."
"You are welcome to come again next time."
A young guard blurted out as he was about to leave the hospital.
Um?
The four of them turned around and looked at the guard at the same time.
Cao Dongdong snorted, "If you don't want to sleep with me, I won't come."
(End of this chapter)
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