Gu Dan brought the exhausted Zheng Fei slowly to the Gu family courtyard.
Pushing open the gate, a figure in a dragon robe was seen sitting beside a stone table in the courtyard.
Seeing Gu Dan coming back, Emperor Qizhi quickly stood up and greeted him.
"No need to be so polite."
Gu Dan looked at Zheng Fei.
Zheng Fei's eyesight is not good, but he cannot be considered truly blind. He just cannot see very clearly. Everything beyond a few feet will gradually become blurred and cannot be seen clearly.
But at this time Emperor Qizhi had already walked over, and no matter how poorly he looked, he could still recognize the dragon robe.
Zheng Fei was shocked and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings to Emperor Xia."
Except for particularly important occasions, such as offering food to ancestors, there was no requirement in the Xia Dynasty to kneel when meeting the emperor, and this was even more true in informal occasions.
As for the title of Emperor Xia, it is the true identity of Emperor Qizhi. The two words "Qizhi" are said to be the reign title, but it is not necessary. It is just to distinguish him from Emperor Chengping and Wang Mang, and to tell the world that the emperor of Xia Dynasty has changed.
From the beginning to the end, his only identity was Emperor Xia, the Emperor of the Xia Dynasty.
Emperor Qizhi looked at Zheng Fei.
After being detained in the prison for three months, it seemed a bit of an exaggeration to describe Zheng Fei as unkempt. At this moment, Zheng Fei exuded a slightly foul smell - fortunately, the Gu family courtyard had always been fragrant, which could easily suppress the smell on his body.
But even if we only look at the appearance, Zheng Fei at this time cannot be said to be handsome, he can only be said to be haggard.
His pale face was covered in untidy beard, and his eyes had no pupils at all, only gray. He was the type that would make one feel uncomfortable just by staring at him.
Such a person would be extremely despised if thrown into a crowd. Being able to be a minor official in the Xia Dynasty was considered a great achievement.
"A few months ago, didn't you dare to throw a sword at me? Why are you so polite when we meet again today? You don't have the dignity of a street patrol officer anymore?"
Emperor Qizhi raised his head and acted proudly.
Unfortunately, for Zheng Fei, this was like winking at a blind man. Zheng Fei couldn't even see the person clearly, let alone the subtle expressions on his face.
However, although the expression cannot be seen clearly, the meaning in the voice can be conveyed.
Zheng Fei said seriously, "A few months ago, I saw someone riding a beast in the street, so I went to scold him. He remained indifferent after being scolded, so I threw my sword at the beast, not at the person. How can it be considered as throwing the sword at you? The laws of the Xia Dynasty stipulate that those who do not listen to advice can be subdued and captured first and then punished. If a beast walks on the street, it should be subdued first to prevent it from hurting people."
"Isn't this brain useful?"
The emperor was pleased.
Throwing a sword at the Green Ox and throwing a sword at him are fundamentally of different nature.
If the sword flew towards Emperor Qizhi, no matter whether it hit him or not, he would definitely be labeled as the assassin of Wang Jia.
But Zheng Fei himself couldn't see clearly, and the long sword he threw hit the green ox directly without deflection. In addition, his eyesight was not very good, so he did not notice that the person on the back of the green ox was Emperor Xia. There are other explanations for this matter - of course, the most important reason is that Mr. Gu was willing, and by the way, he was not a tyrant.
"I have been detained for three months. Do you want to treat my crime again?"
Emperor Qi Zhi stroked his chin, clearly intending to give Zheng Fei a hard time. "After all, you were just doing your job, but I disturbed public order and threw you into jail without trial."
"You deserve to offend the emperor's majesty."
This time Zheng Fei was no longer stubborn.
There are many crimes related to the emperor, including but not limited to assassinating the emperor, offending the emperor's majesty, obstructing the emperor's orders, and so on. There are always one that suits him.
The Legalists believed that everything they did must be done in accordance with the law, but they never said that the emperor must also follow legal procedures.
In other words, the emperor of the Xia Dynasty had the right to go beyond legal procedures.
As for the matter of Emperor Xia being caught for violating the law, it is really unclear what to do.
At least when the Shang Dynasty was still in existence, the two emperors of the Xia Dynasty, whether Emperor Chengping or Emperor Qizhi, had never violated the laws of the Xia Dynasty. Even if they had done so behind the scenes, no one had ever exposed it.
What Zheng Fei did was unprecedented.
He actually caught the Emperor of Xia violating the laws of the Xia Dynasty on the street! It was precisely because this was the first time in history that the Emperor of the Xia Dynasty had conflicted with the laws that Zheng Fei refused to plead guilty.
Death is death, but the law is a big deal.
A thousand-mile long dike cannot be destroyed by him.
He would rather die than break the laws of the Xia Dynasty, even if the other party was the emperor.
Even if Shang is not in the government, Zheng Fei wants to let the world know that this is how the disciples of Legalism are. Even the emperor is not immune, so who would dare to try to challenge the law?
The Mohists used their lives to defend universal love and non-aggression, and forged the glory of Mohism.
Confucian scholars use money and hard work to prove their benevolence and let the world know the Confucian philosophy.
Why can't the Legalists' lackeys use their own lives to tell the world about the severity of the Legalists?
In one's life, there must be something more important than life, right?
If there really is someone who has to die for enforcing the law impartially, Zheng Fei can let himself die.
"It's clear that I don't want you to die. If I want you to die, you won't even see the sun the next day."
Emperor Qizhi walked up to Zheng Feide and patted his shoulder, not disdaining his dirtiness. "Come, sit down."
"There is one more matter. Please make a decision, Emperor Xia."
Zheng Fei did not move, but lowered his head and said.
"What's up?"
"Please ask Emperor Xia to pay a fine of one rank."
Zheng Fei said.
Anyone who lets a vicious animal loose in the street without injuring anyone is considered disturbing public order and will be fined one rank of armor.
Of course, Yijia is not a real armor. If you really take it out and hand it in, it would be a big deal. The crime of hoarding armor is a real serious crime. If you are not careful, all nine clans will be in trouble.
The so-called fine of one armor is actually the money for forging a suit of armor, which is already a lot, but ordinary people don’t have the ability to indulge ferocious beasts, right?
To be worthy of the title of a ferocious beast, it must at least be at the level of a wild wolf, a poisonous snake, or even a tiger. Ordinary people are unlikely to do that, and the same cannot be said for playboys.
This law is meant to warn those dandy young men who have nothing to do all day, have money and free time, and only think about how to show off. They are really capable of doing such a thing, but it just happened to be Emperor Qizhi.
"you--"
Emperor Qizhi took a deep breath.
This guy is not done yet, is he? "It's two armors, and my share. I brought the blue ox back, strictly speaking, he just rode it for a while."
Gu Dan added.
"All right."
Gu Dan had spoken, what else could Emperor Qi Zhi want to say? He could only nod in agreement.
Whatever Mr. Gu says is right. If it is wrong, then he is wrong.
Paying two jia of money represented respect for the laws of the Xia Dynasty and respect for Shang.
"Sit down first."
Several people came and sat on the stools next to the stone table. The shade of the willow tree, which had grown quite a bit, added some shade to the place.
"Zheng Fei, what do you think the law is?"
Sitting on the stone bench, Gu Dan asked first.
"Laws are a means to ensure fairness and maintain order in the world."
Zheng Fei said without hesitation.
"Yes and no."
Gu Dan nodded first, then shook his head gently, "Laws protect the order of the world, you are right. But laws never guarantee fairness. No matter when, where, or where, laws never guarantee fairness. You must remember this."
The Xia Dynasty did not yet have the rule of "rituals not extended to common people, and punishments not imposed on officials". This was not something Shang had not thought of, but he just deliberately did not set it down.
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If the punishment is unknown, the power will be unpredictable.
Zheng Fei insisted because: when even the emperor had to follow the laws of the Xia Dynasty, otherwise he would be punished, the severity of the laws of the Xia Dynasty would inevitably increase greatly, and it would also make the world better understand that the majesty of the laws of the Xia Dynasty could not be offended. The imprint of the Legalists would be extremely clear and there would be examples to follow.
But this is by no means a matter of course, and I have never heard of having to whip yourself twice after whipping a horse.
Just because Gu Dan was willing to nod, and just because Emperor Qizhi gave him face.
Anyone who thinks this is normal and reasonable must be very naive.
"Let me tell you what the law is. The law varies from person to person. It is a tool for ruling a country and a manifestation of the will of the upper class on the lower class.
From the day the law was born, it was not for justice, let alone fairness. The greatest function of the law is actually to warn future generations, and all the punishments in it come from this reason. "
Gu Dan tried his best to choose words that Zheng Fei could understand and make these things clear.
If there had not been a drastic change in the world, if there had not been a revival of spiritual energy, he could have let Zheng Fei figure it out on his own, which would have been more rewarding than him saying it directly.
But time no longer allows.
It’s only been a few years since the great changes in the world?
The changes now are almost obvious, far more drastic than the minor fights in the Buzhou Mountains, like a world of difference.
He and Shang went out for a trip and encountered a green bull that could be called a spiritual beast.
How many living beings are there in this world that he has not yet seen but have already received blessings?
The old era is about to face its biggest shock. If the Xia Dynasty still clings to the past ideas at this time, it will definitely not be a blessing for it.
Shang retired from office and left. Did he really not have the energy to deal with government affairs anymore?
That's only part of the reason.
Another reason is that Shang also saw the new changes between heaven and earth, but his lifespan was no longer enough to support him to complete the second transformation of the Xia Dynasty, which was more suitable for the transformation of a completely new environment.
In this case, there is no point in sticking to the old ways. It is better to go out and see the new world and leave the government to the new comers.
After his test, Gu Dan has recognized Zheng Fei's determination and perseverance.
After all, he couldn't do everything by himself, but he could still give advice to the younger generations, and he had been doing so.
How can the saints born from his hands not be considered as saving the world? "Laws, in essence, represent the people who can exercise their rights. In the Xia Dynasty, that person is the Xia emperor, the royal family, the hundreds of officials, and even a minor official like you. Of course, their weight is different, but this is power."
Gu Dan's voice was calm and emotionless. "The Xia Dynasty could not have been what it is today without the efforts of many people, including you. But you have to understand the relationship between this matter. The law itself is not for fairness. Whoever controls the law controls the fate of others. Do you want the person who made it to give up this power? Is it possible?
Apart from anything else, if he chopped you off in this courtyard today, do you think he would bring this up to sue Emperor Xia tomorrow?"
Gu Dan pointed his finger at Emperor Qizhi.
Without a doubt, no.
Not only that, he might even denounce Zheng Fei for being short-sighted and blind - and not just in the literal sense.
This is the real reality.
It was merciless and bloody, and buried beneath the flowers were mottled bloodstains and bones. No matter how nice it sounded, the facts were there and could not be denied.
Only by truly facing the problem can we find a solution.
After this outburst, Zheng Fei's face looked extremely ugly.
His thoughts in the cage were far from being as thorough as this, or rather, he didn't dare to be so thorough.
Because the Xia Dynasty was a place full of hope, with many saints and sages here, whose names alone could make people's blood boil and willing to sacrifice their lives for them.
So he could naively think that the Xia Dynasty was different from other places.
But there are always some things that are the same.
Cannot be changed.
No matter how gorgeous the words, how brilliant the rhetoric, or how gentle the tone, they cannot erase the essential differences. The more you pursue fairness, the more you will find loopholes.
Of course you can talk about hopes and dreams, and even dying for them is nothing, but if you really want to do something practical, you must think it through.
"Is the law such a dirty thing?"
Zheng Fei found it hard to accept.
“No, the law is not dirty.
On the contrary, it is precisely because of the power of the law that the Xia Dynasty was able to enter its current prosperous state.
Does a kitchen knife that has been used to chop pork also mean it cannot be used to chop vegetables? As long as the knife is good, it is just a matter of choosing the right knife for the vegetable.
But if you try to chop vegetables or even fine iron with the same strength you would use to chop pork, the blade will be the first to wear out. "
Gu Dan said solemnly: "For ordinary people, it is their greatest luck to have the opportunity to use this knife and cut where it should be cut.
But what you want to do now is to let the person holding this knife cut himself. Even if there are one or two people who are willing to use this knife to shave their hair, so what? That is not something the law can do. "
"So how can we do that?"
Zheng Fei did not dare to delay for a moment and asked hurriedly, like someone hoping to see the sun at night.
“Be the biggest rule.”
Gu Dan said.
“The biggest rule?”
Zheng Fei was stunned, and seemed to understand something. (End of this chapter)