All the people present turned their eyes to the source of the speaking voice. When they saw that it was Censor Liu Wenshan standing there, everyone couldn't help but worry about Liu Wenshan's future fate.
After all, Liu Wenshan had always been a renowned censor for his integrity, fairness, and justice. If he dared to contradict the enraged Emperor in this situation, his life would be in grave danger, and he might even lose his precious life.
However, Chu Fan didn't think so. He immediately recognized the nature of this sage-like old man. He had used the salt tax as a pretext to gain advantage, which had persuaded the ministers to accept the tax. Now that he had stepped forward, he must have some purpose in mind.
Chu Fan was also very curious about what Liu Wenshan would say, and asked curiously: "If Censor Liu has any different opinions, please tell me. I will consider them."
Liu Wenshan said in a firm tone, "Your Majesty, the three tribes of Yi are too harsh. The royal family has always had ancestral precepts. Even if someone has committed the crime of murder, as long as they can join the army and make great achievements on the battlefield, it is enough to offset their crime.
Therefore, Your Majesty, you can consider allowing members of these three clans to join the army and serve the country. This will not only increase the strength of our Wei State, but also give these people who might have been sentenced to death a chance to reform and contribute to the country.
After hearing Liu Wenshan's words, the Zhang, Ma, and Li families' despair instantly brightened with new hope. If the Emperor truly adopted Liu Wenshan's advice, they might be spared. Even if they were asked to go to the battlefield, they were willing, filled with courage and hope.
When Chu Fan heard the words "ancestral precepts," he pondered for a moment, trying to recall the specifics. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall the specific details of this section of the ancestral precepts. So, Chu Fan called on those who knew about the ancestral precepts, hoping they could explain the specifics of this section in detail so that he could better understand its profound meaning.
Chu Fan was furious when he saw the ministers still kneeling. He said to the group of ministers kneeling, "Stop kneeling! Stand up! Kneel! Kneel! You just keep kneeling! I need you to solve the problem, not just kneel here like weaklings."
After all the ministers stood up, Chu Fan continued, "Has anyone from the Imperial Government Affairs Office arrived? Please come out and help explain in detail the ancestral precepts that Censor Liu just mentioned."
The eleven princes from the Royal Government Affairs Office all stood out and stood in front of Chu Fan.
Chu Anping replied, "Your Majesty, there is indeed such a rule in the royal family's ancestral precepts."
Chu Fan asked, "So, which ancestral precept is it, and what is its content?"
Chu Anping replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the ancestral precepts mention 'expiating sins with military merits.' This means that if someone commits a serious crime, they can be forgiven if they perform significant military feats on the battlefield. And for the serious crime of murder, as long as you kill ten enemy soldiers on the battlefield, you can offset your own sin of murder."
Upon hearing this, the people of the three major families began to rejoice. If this ancestral precept really existed, then their lives would be saved. After all, not even the Emperor would dare to go against this ancestral precept.
The people of the three major families were all thankful that they had the Imperial Censor standing up for them. Otherwise, they might have ended up on the road to hell like Yan Kai's family. After being rescued, they would definitely give a lot of money to Imperial Censor Liu to repay him for saving their lives.
When Chu Fan first heard this proposal, he thought it made sense. After all, the Wei State was currently facing a shortage of troops. If these criminals could be sent to the battlefield, it would undoubtedly help to replenish the shortage. Such an approach seemed to be able to solve the immediate crisis and bring some practical benefits to the country.
However, when Chu Fan thought deeply about the past deeds of these sinners, his thoughts changed fundamentally. He realized that this so-called ancestral precept was actually like a piece of feces that looked like ice cream. It looked very tempting on the surface, but in fact it concealed a huge hidden danger.
The crimes these criminals have committed, whether in terms of the damage they have done to society or the corruption they have caused to people's hearts, cannot be ignored. Sending them to the battlefield might provide some short-term reinforcements, but in the long run, this approach would be tantamount to planting a time bomb at the foundations of the nation.
Once these criminals get the chance, they are likely to commit crimes again, and may even cause greater chaos and destabilize the country. Therefore, Chu Fan believes that this ancestral precept is actually an ancestral precept that will disrupt the foundation of the country.
Chu Fan asked Chu Anping, "If someone like this had already betrayed Wei, would you dare to let them go to the battlefield with the Wei army?"
Chu Fan's words made Chu Anping silent, and the ministers around him also began to think about this issue.
Only Liu Wenshan replied, "Your Majesty's ancestral teachings cannot be violated."
Chu Fan could see that the old man Liu Wenshan wanted to change the ancestral precepts himself. It seemed that the old man Liu Wenshan also saw the drawbacks of the ancestral precepts, so he insisted on mentioning the ancestral precepts.
After knowing this ancestral precept, Chu Fan also wanted to change it, so he let himself and Liu Wenshan put on a good show.
Chu Fan glared at Liu Wenshan and demanded, "Prince Liu, can the authority of ancestral precepts transcend the value of human life? Can military exploits on the battlefield erase the guilt of slaughter and wash away the sin of treason? Do you truly believe that those who have committed crimes will ever feel grateful to the country and the court?"
Chu Fan's questioning made the ministers and common people present understand that the answer was clearly no. Since they dared to betray their country, why would they care about their oath to defend it? When they appeared on the battlefield, they were lucky not to turn against them.
Chu Fan observed the expressions of the ministers and knew that they had already made up their minds.
Chu Fan continued, "As for those murderers, if they killed the families of soldiers fighting bravely on the battlefield, and the court did not punish them but instead allowed them to go back to the battlefield, how would those soldiers who lost their loved ones face it?"
"Furthermore, if those who are strong and skilled in martial arts can easily achieve merit on the battlefield, does that mean they can do whatever they want at home and clear their name by simply returning to the battlefield after killing someone?"
"Moreover, if someone who once betrayed his country and committed murder became a noble or minister in the State of Wei due to his numerous military achievements, would you really trust him to govern a region?"
At this time, only Liu Wenshan responded: "Your Majesty, we all understand what you said, but the royal family's ancestral precepts have instructions, and we, as ministers, must abide by them."
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