The next day, the news that the two Jinshi from the Ma family were arrested caused a sensation throughout Bianliang.
Han Zong received the news on the same day and was completely panicked.
Ma Yuanhe and Ma Zhongfu were no small figures. They were direct descendants of the Ma family, and they were Jinshi graduates in the imperial examinations. One of them was the Censor, and the other was the Judge of the Three Courts.
In the Song Dynasty, the policy of "no punishment for officials" did not actually refer to officials who entered the officialdom through family connections or those who were of the same jinshi degree or were granted the same jinshi degree.
Because many such officials were arrested in the Song Dynasty.
During the 17 years of Song Taizu Zhao Kuang's reign, more than 4,000 officials of all ranks were executed.
During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, although officials were not often executed, there were several ways to punish corrupt officials, such as expulsion, suspension, replacement, assignment, dismissal, demotion, demotion, and dismissal.
But there is one thing in common: even if officials are severely punished, those punished are generally those with lower official status, such as those who have received family benefits or those who have been admitted to the same Jinshi degree.
However, the first, second and third class Jinshi and officials from wealthy families are often not severely punished.
Even if there were criticisms from both the court and the public, the forced punishment would only be symbolic. Basically, he would be demoted for a few months, or at most a year or two, and then he would be promoted again by Zhao Zhen.
This phenomenon was not particularly prominent during the reign of Emperor Zhao Kuang, so the administration was the best during his time.
It was slightly relaxed during the reign of Zhao Guangyi, and then reached its peak during the late reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song and the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen. From then on, officials were no longer subject to criminal punishment in the Song Dynasty.
But now a different situation has emerged.
Two members of the Ma family who came from a wealthy family and were successful Jinshi were arrested just like that?
What about yourself?
Han Zong was panicked for a moment. He asked himself, "What should he do if Zhao Jun finds out about him after working in Kaifeng Prefecture for so many years and doing a lot of dirty and bad things?"
So when the news of Ma Yuan and Ma Zhongfu's downfall came, Han Zong hurried straight to Han Yi's mansion.
Although Han Yi's family wealth was not as great as Lu's, he also owned a mansion. When Han Zong arrived at the gate of the mansion, he ignored the servants at the gate and the maids in the mansion who kept calling him "Erlang" and "Little Yanei" and went straight to the backyard.
Han Yi had just returned home at this moment. Zhao Jun raided the Ma family on the fourth day after raiding Kaifeng Prefecture. The raid was done at noon. Han Zong got the news in the afternoon and came to find Han Yi.
So at this time, Han Yi had just finished his work at the Privy Council. He was in the clothing room in his backyard, changing from his court robes into casual clothes with the help of his maid. As he was tidying up his clothes, he heard a voice outside the door, "Father!"
Han Yi didn't look back. He looked at himself in the bronze mirror and continued to fix his collar slowly. He heard hurried footsteps behind him, and Han Zong shouted again: "Father, something terrible has happened."
"How can you be so loud and shouting in the mansion? How many times have I told you to remain calm even when facing a catastrophe? What are you so flustered about?"
Han Yi was a little dissatisfied and was still fixing his hair.
Han Zong said with a sad face, "Ma Yuan and Ma Zhongfu were just captured by the Imperial City Bureau."
Han Yi froze for a moment, then remained silent for a moment, put his hands down, and said to the maid beside him: "You guys go out."
"yes."
The two maids bowed and retreated.
"Father, what should I do?"
Han Zong stepped forward and said, "I didn't expect Zhao Jun to be so rampant. He even arrested the Ma family. I'm afraid that sooner or later he will catch me."
"well."
Han Yi sighed, turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked into the yard.
The trees in the yard were covered with falling leaves. Compared with Zhao Jun's simple two-entry courtyard, Han Yi's mansion covered an area of seven or eight acres. There were more than ten towering trees in the yard, and the flower beds and grass were colorful with red and green. The gentle breeze brought the faint fragrance of osmanthus.
There was a rockery pond on one side of the backyard. Han Yi walked to the pavilion beside the pond and sat on a chair beside the pavilion. He looked at the goldfish swimming in the pond next to him and fell into deep thought.
"Father."
Han Zong followed and asked with his head down, "What should we do now?"
Han Yi didn't respond, just thinking.
Han Zong asked twice more, but seeing that he still didn't say anything, he had no choice but to wait.
After a while, Han Yi suddenly said, "Zhongwen."
Han Zong hurriedly said, "Father."
"You've taken quite a bit of money from Kaifeng Prefecture over the years. If you hand it over now and apologize to the government, perhaps you'll get a lighter sentence."
Han Yi said.
Han Zong's face turned pale in an instant, and he said with a sad face: "Father is going to abandon his son."
Han Yi shook his head. "I don't want to do this, but these days, I've been watching the emperor's actions. Do you know? In the past, the emperor would never have given the Imperial City Bureau such authority."
Han Zong said silently, "So what? Does the government really want to take action against us? If so, can't they just find an excuse to dismiss us?"
"But the government didn't do that, and I was thinking there might be some other reasons."
Han Yi pondered for a long time, and finally sighed, "Forget it, let's test the emperor again. See if you can get together with Ma Yuan and Ma Zhongfu's colleagues, as well as the Ma family's former students and officials, and write a letter to the emperor to make a fuss. If the emperor is willing to give in, there might be room for maneuver."
Han Zong said, "It might not be enough to just look for these people. Haven't the Censorate and the Court of Remonstration been causing enough trouble these days? Perhaps we should look for Prime Minister Lu and his men. The emperor has given the Imperial City Administration authority, and now they've arrested Ma Yuan and Ma Zhongfu. They're planning to kill the literati."
"what you up to?"
Han Yi asked.
"Three years after Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he erected a stele in the side room of the Taimiao's sleeping hall. The stele contained three lines of oath. The first line read: 'If any of the descendants of the Chai family commits a crime, no punishment shall be imposed. Even if they commit treason, they shall be executed in prison, not executed in the market, nor shall their relatives be implicated.' The second line read: 'No scholar-officials or those who submit memorials expressing their opinions shall be killed.' The third line read: 'If any of my descendants violate this oath, Heaven will punish them.'"
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