Volume 5 Chapter 2 Questioning
Emperor Zhao’s rage could not be hidden from anyone, especially since he didn’t seem to want to hide it from anyone.
Of course, everyone seemed to understand this anger - they had finally created such a situation in the northwest, destroyed the century-old enemy, established a united front against the Jin Dynasty, expanded the country's strategic advantages, and even returned with two more sons. They should have spent the winter eating sweet and sour fish and roasted earthworms, and maybe even had time to write a few more chapters of "Miscellaneous Notes on Journey to the West", but suddenly some three major cases popped up, and everyone was angry.
But no matter how angry you are, you can't avoid the problem.
After the first snow, the weather became increasingly cold. On the first day of November, a large number of court officials met with the emperor in the Wende Hall. Emperor Zhao was too lazy to hide the matter and mentioned it directly in court:
"Dali Temple!"
Upon hearing this, Dali Temple Minister Lu Yi immediately stepped out, raised his wooden tablet and bowed his head: "I am here."
"Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the capital about the three major cases of winter. These three cases should be presided over by the Dali Temple. You are the official of the Dali Temple. Do you have any opinion on this matter now ?" Zhao Jiu sat upright and answered seriously.
"Reporting to the emperor." Lu Yi said carefully. "All three cases have been handled. Yang Zheng killed his concubine and skinned her alive. He should be executed according to the law. Wang Bo (Pan Guifei's cousin) deceived his superiors and subordinates and defrauded money. He should be exiled according to the law, and he should return the defrauded money and be fined. Only Zhang Zongyan's case is not a lawsuit, but involves military affairs. The Dali Temple has sent a letter to the Privy Council and the Director of the Imperial Camp, asking the Western Palace and the Imperial Camp to report whether they had permission or authorization from their superiors to send troops without authorization, so that they can be punished according to the law..."
This answer was actually appropriate, but unexpectedly, faced with this result that could obviously be explained, the high and mighty Emperor Zhao only frowned slightly but did not respond.
During this gap, Ma Shen, the Minister of Justice who had just come from the south and had only been in office for ten days, suddenly stepped out and raised his wooden tablet to answer sternly:
"Your Majesty, I am from the Ministry of Justice, and I also have something to say about these three cases!"
Now, as Ma Shen came forward, everyone in the palace, from Zhao Ding to Zhang Jun, including the two newly appointed direct officials, almost everyone in the palace, both civil and military, looked at him instinctively. Even Zhao Jiu looked serious... It was nothing else, Ma Shen was a senior censor as early as the Jing Kang period, and was known for his backbone. But the more important point was that at the critical moment when Lu Haowen led many people to turn to the original school of thought, this man, as a famous Taoist, had actually been in Jingxiang all the time, and he insisted on the Taoist stance. He was one of the few top officials in the court who came from a Taoist background, and he could be said to be a standard minority.
In fact, Zhao Jiu decided to appoint him as the Minister of Justice because he valued his strict style and his attitude of employing people in an unconventional way. But who would have thought that not long after the appointment was announced, three politically sensitive cases would emerge?
This person stepped out at this time, probably with the intention of showing no mercy and also aiming at Pei Gong like Xiang Zhuang dancing with a sword.
As expected, Ma Shen nodded slightly as Emperor Zhao nodded, and immediately pointed out the key point: "Reporting to the emperor, as far as I know, there are actually some key points in each of the three cases, and the Dali Temple was a bit negligent and did not mention them... For example, in the pre-sale of treasury bonds case, the criminal Wang Bo confessed that he was originally a hanger-on for his cousin, Pan Yongsi, the uncle of Concubine Pan, and did not do it privately... In other words, the case itself is simple, but the main culprit is unclear! Whether it is Pan Yongsi or Wang Bo who committed the crime, it cannot be ignored!"
There was some restlessness in the hall for a while, and the Dali Temple Minister Lu Yi bowed his head deeply... Everyone knows how big the difference is between the meaning of Concubine Pan's uncle and a cousin with a different surname.
What's more, Pan Yongsi was not just a relative of the emperor, he was also an official appointed by the court, and he had made great contributions. He welcomed Empress Dowager Yuanyou to Nanjing (Shangqiu) on behalf of Zhao Gou, who was still Prince Kang, so he could be considered to have some merit in supporting the emperor... Although he was later expelled because of his status as a relative of the emperor, he was given the title of Gate Attendant for his merits and often entered and left the palace.
It is easy to imagine what kind of disturbance would be caused in public opinion if the criminal was identified as Pan Yongsi instead of Wang Bo.
To put it in an extreme way, the imperial concubine's uncle is so greedy, who knows if the emperor is pretending in the harem?
What's more, whether it is issuing national bonds or restarting Qingmiao Loan, including Jiaozi affairs, these three are a trinity in themselves. They are a package of financial reforms launched by the court to raise military funds. In the eyes of ordinary people, they are all the same thing... and if the nobles can make a fortune by doing this, then I dare to ask if the taxes added by the South have really all gone to the military camp?
In fact, this is the key to this case being listed alongside the two major cases in the Imperial Camp... This case actually involves people above the government and the Imperial Camp!
In other words, in the eyes of truly knowledgeable people, the essence of the three major cases, or the seriousness of these three cases, lies precisely in the government and the imperial camp - the government is based on the imperial camp, and the imperial camp is centered on the government, with eight or nine generals and dozens of commanding officers in between. Everyone is interconnected and involved, and eventually forms a whole.
Without the existence of the 200,000-strong imperial camp and the direct dependence of the generals and commanders, how could Emperor Zhao be as stable as a mountain and treat the two emperors as grass?
Without the imperial army's military presence to take in refugees from Hebei and suppress the peasant uprisings in the south, how could the country survive?
He who has the strongest army and the most powerful soldiers will be the king. That's just the meaning of some things. There's no need to say it out loud.
By the same token, if the Imperial Army had not repeatedly resisted the Northern Barbarians and counterattacked to recover lost territory, how could Emperor Zhao have acted so recklessly, pushed aside one vested interest group after another, abandoned one complex system inherited from the Five Dynasties, and forcibly granted land to military garrisons in the Central Plains and Guanxi?
To the point where officials were later forcibly expelled from Shaoxing and the original school of thought was forcibly promoted in the court?
Even the so-called confidants and party members of the emperor in the hall today, if it were not for the repeated military victories of the imperial camp as a foundation, how could they unite around Emperor Zhao and become his confidants and party members?
"Pan Yongsi." Zhao Jiu was slightly startled when he heard this. He didn't know if he thought of those things, but he immediately called out the name mentioned by Ma Shen in the throne.
"I'm here." A man stepped out from the line of close ministers on one side and faced the emperor respectfully.
"Did you hear that?"
"Reporting to the emperor." Pan Yongsi said proudly. "I heard it, but the Dali Temple has already sent a letter to me to defend myself. I have also handed over a self-defense letter to the Dali Temple, stating that I did not teach my nephew strictly, so that he could attack innocent people..."
Zhao Jiu remained silent, and Ma Shen was also slightly stunned.
"Your Majesty, although I am under suspicion, I still want to impeach the Minister of Justice Ma Shen for sacrificing public office for personal gain."
During this moment of shock, Pan Yongsi actually turned back and attacked. "Ma Shangshu is the head of the Ministry of Justice, but he has only been in Beijing for ten days. He has not even recognized all the officials in the Ministry of Justice. How can he find the key points of the three cases presided over by the Dali Temple? If the suspect wants to escape the crime, he will accuse one person today and another tomorrow. If they are all key points, then wouldn't they be everywhere? Moreover, the Dali Temple did not pervert the law because of my rank. Instead, they sent a letter to the Hanlin Academy of Scholars through the hands of the duty scholar, asking me to defend myself... Why did they ask Ma Shangshu to question me in person in the Wende Hall? Isn't it because Ma Shangshu is a famous Taoist scholar who has always disliked my deep study of the original school and has repeatedly sponsored the students of the Imperial College of the Central Plains? So he created trouble because of his sectarian prejudice?"
Ma Shen listened in a daze, then glared: "If this is the case, people with a Taoist background cannot be important officials in the court? Otherwise, staring at anyone is just a matter of factionalism, and all of them are putting personal interests above public interest."
"Ma Shangshu also knows that he is an important official of the court, not an imperial censor?" Pan Yongsi was not afraid at all. "How important is the position of the Minister of Justice? There is no greater position than this one, which can ruin a family with just one word! And Ma Shangshu has been in Beijing for ten days, and he can't wait to destroy someone's reputation in the Wende Hall without any evidence. He is full of innuendos and wants to kill someone. Whether it is private or public, people will judge for themselves!"
This actually made some sense, but Ma Shen was such a person, how could he be afraid of a relative by marriage? "How ridiculous is this? I am not trying to kill you, I am just reminding you to be careful about the details of this matter. My original intention was to criticize the Dali Temple Minister for his carelessness. As for a mere relative by marriage like you, do I need to deal with you sincerely? Even His Majesty, when has he ever cared about you?!"
"Is the reputation of a maternal relative no longer a reputation? Is the life of a maternal relative no longer a life?!"
Pan Yongsi was still not afraid, and even raised his voice. What was interesting was that in the Wende Hall, for some reason, perhaps because they were hesitant about the unity of the three major cases, or perhaps because Pan Yongsi actually had some truth in what he said, many important officials actually allowed a relative to shout here. "How can such a person who treats others as grass be in charge of the important task of the Ministry of Justice?! Moreover, if the Ministry of Justice has any doubts about the results of the trial in the Dali Temple, it should have sent a letter to the Dali Temple to question it. Why would it want to slander others in the Wende Hall?!"
Ma Shen finally sneered: "I'm afraid that some people have formed a network and colluded with each other, preventing the government from hearing the truth... I know that taking over the Ministry of Justice for ten days is too hasty, but if I miss this Wende Hall meeting, these three cases may be messed up, and then I will fail to live up to the trust!"
The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly weird. The few imperial censors who were ready to take action now returned in anger. As for Pan Yongsi, after thinking for a moment, he just smiled, then waved his sleeves and stood solemnly, as if he was cowering.
"Your Majesty." Ma Shen didn't care and continued to answer proudly. "I have two more key points of the case to tell you..."
"Tell me." Zhao Jiu was neither happy nor angry.
"Reporting to the emperor." Ma Shen took a deep breath and regained his spirit. "The key points of the other two cases... For example, in the Yang Zheng case, there is also a legal suspicion, which is that many people in Guanxi, both civil and military, knew about his killing of his concubine and skinning her alive, especially in the imperial camp. The rumor has long been spread, but many people did not report it!"
Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly: "Anything else?"
"There is also the Zhang Zongyan case..." Ma Shen became more serious. "As the Dali Temple said, this matter involves the military, and it is difficult to use ordinary criminal law as evidence. We must first ask the Right Army of the Imperial Camp to give an explanation. But forgive me for asking the emperor, can the dispatch of a division really be hidden from the commander of the army? If the commander of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp, Zhang Jun, replied that he did not know, does it mean that Zhang Jun is incompetent? If Zhang Jun replied that he mistakenly gave Zhang Zongyan the power to make decisions on the spot, would the thousands of soldiers and civilians who died innocently in Shanghe this time be considered to have died in vain?"
Zhao Jiu remained silent.
"Your Majesty," Ma Shen said with a bow. "I know I have embarrassed you today, but I am not the person Pan Yongsi said I was. If I were to use the style of censorship to discuss matters, I would have impeached Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Wu Jie one by one... Since I am the Minister of Justice, today I would like to ask you to give me a definite answer on some legal judgments! After all, the emperor makes his own decisions, and if your majesty does not give clear provisions on some matters, the people of the world will always be confused."
"What language?"
"The achievements of the Imperial Camp are well known to everyone. The generals and ministers all boast of their merits in assisting the restoration of the country and quelling rebellions, so much so that they often act above the law and the system..." Ma Shen raised his tablet in a serious tone. "May I ask the emperor whether we should give them this authority, whether we should not impose punishment on the generals and blame on the generals?"
Zhao Jiu remained silent, no one knew what he was thinking, while Ma Shen just bowed his hands and waited for a reply. Not only that, none of the other ministers in the palace spoke.
The scene suddenly became stiff.
This scene was quite terrifying for some people who were new to the palace. For example, Mei Li, the newly appointed direct scholar who claimed to be a capable person, had already become confused like paste. His intelligence and logic were all useless and he was just in a daze.
Of course, although everyone was silent, not everyone was as confused as Mei Sheren. For example, several ministers and the Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo who was standing next to Ma Shen knew the situation well.
Scholar Kobayashi realized what was going on at the beginning, so he did not react this time. It was not because he thought too slowly and did not have time to act, but because he, like other important ministers, was caught in a dilemma of position.
As mentioned before, the three major cases are essentially one and the same, and they point to the government and the imperial camp.
The Yang Zheng case reminded everyone that the imperial camp army that the government relied on still contained a large number of old-style officers. The average moral quality of those soldiers was still generally lower than that of the literati and even lower than that of ordinary people. They could not be renewed by simply changing the skin of the imperial camp.
The pre-sale case of treasury bonds also clearly shows that no matter whether they are new or old dignitaries, no matter who they are, when faced with fame, wealth and status, they will fall.
As for Zhang Zongyan's case, it was more serious than the previous two combined. The previous two could be attributed to personal lack of morality, but this incident clearly showed that after the imperial army had eliminated the malpractice of soldiers not knowing their generals and generals not knowing their soldiers, the thing they were most worried about finally happened... They could actually do as they pleased.
It would have been fine if they had just acted on their own, but they ended up suffering a crushing defeat, which made people all over the world doubt the fighting power of the imperial camp, and the impact of Xixia's grand victory was greatly reduced.
The sudden accumulation of these three cases immediately gave the opposition in the South an excuse to attack the rulers! The Taoists had previously requested the lifting of the ban on newspapers, and Ma Shen's behavior, which was almost like forcing the emperor to abdicate, was vaguely echoing their request.
The ministers in the hall chose to remain silent, and the reason was very simple... Although they were on the side of the government, and not on the same side as Ma Shen and his people, they were not military officials in the imperial camp system... They were traditional scholar-officials!
The Imperial Camp is one with the government, and they are one with the government, but they are not one with the Imperial Camp!
Therefore, when Ma Shen asked this question, even Mr. Kobayashi, who was the emperor's confidant, couldn't help but want to hear the emperor's answer.
Of course, these thoughts seem to be going on for a long time, but they only last for a moment.
In the hall, this confrontation lasted only a moment, and Emperor Zhao spoke decisively: "I know what Minister Ma wants to hear, and I also know why everyone in the palace is so quiet today. In fact, I have already thought about this matter... Besides, I am not willing to hide anything, and I don't like to hide anything... If you want to say something, I will tell you... That is, in my place, generals and prime ministers are on the same level, and controlling officials and important officials of the secret cabinet are on the same level. Civil and military officials are equally important! If the country has never killed prime ministers for a certain crime, it will not kill generals for a certain crime; and if important officials of the secret cabinet also kill my concubine and skin her, I will definitely chop her off and let it go."
There was an uproar in the hall, and it took a long time for the situation to quiet down... This answer was actually expected by many people, but it still made many officials present feel sad.
However, after the audience quieted down and Ma Shen hadn't said anything more, Emperor Zhao continued with a dark face:
"Not only that, I think that people and officials should have a bottom line. If a prime minister or a general also kills and skins my concubine, I am afraid I cannot tolerate it. What should I do then? For the sake of the country's reputation, I will probably lure him to the palace, chop him up with my own hands, and sink him in the fish pond as fertilizer! Then I will tell outsiders that a certain minister or governor slipped and drowned!"
Finally, a slight laugh was heard in the hall... To be honest, they all felt that this kind of thing could only happen to military officials. If a scholar-official really did this and could still become a prime minister, then the country would be in a mess.
"There is more." Zhao Jiu continued solemnly. "I still don't want to hide it from you... I am not the kind of person who hides the good bows when the birds are gone. Let alone the war that the country is going to have now, there will be peace one day. If one or two generals have the ability and qualifications to become a prime minister, it will be normal. And if there is a Jinshi who can fight and becomes the commander of a certain army in the imperial camp, I think it will be fine... Don't make a fuss when the time comes."
The hall suddenly became quiet again.
"I understand." Seeing the atmosphere in the hall becoming increasingly tense, Ma Shen, who seemed to be somewhat regretful, was silent for a moment, but still stubbornly bowed his hands and asked. "One more thing... The imperial camp has its own system and protects each other. I dare to ask the emperor, can the national laws really restrict military affairs?"
"Of course it can be controlled." Zhao Jiu seemed to have opened a floodgate and continued to answer with a sigh. "But soldiers are special, and we can't use the criminal code to control military affairs. Otherwise, wouldn't killing people on the battlefield also be punished by death? There must be a complete military law... The Ministry of Justice can work with the Privy Council to formulate a proper military law for this matter, and the Privy Council and the Imperial Camp General Affairs will be responsible for the review in the future."
"Please tell me clearly what is covered by the criminal law and what is covered by the military law?"
"If Yang Zheng killed his concubine, it will be subject to the criminal code. The criminal code is the basis, and the military law is referenced. If his superiors and subordinates in the army knew about it but did not report it, it will also be subject to the criminal code. If Zhang Zongyan took military action without authorization, it will be subject to military law. Whether his superiors and subordinates knew about it or participated in it will all be based on military law and referenced to the criminal code." Zhao Jiu answered without hesitation, obviously he had been prepared. "Is the Ministry of Justice satisfied?"
"The emperor jokes, makes laws, and maintains discipline, which is what makes the people of the world happy. What does it matter if I am satisfied or not?" Ma Shen was still fearless. "However, the emperor will answer any questions, and I really have nothing to say."
"You have nothing to say, but I have something to say." Zhao Jiu let out a long sigh. "In fact, I have never thought about long-term peace and stability, nor have I expected everyone to be Yao and Shun... Human nature is like this. I am not surprised at all by these three cases, but so many cases came so quickly and so concentratedly, it is also my negligence..."
There was nothing to say about this. Zhao Ding and other ministers finally stepped out, bowed and apologized, and the atmosphere in the hall eased a little.
But at this moment, Emperor Zhao suddenly called out another name: "Pan Yongsi!"
"I am here!"
"You just argued with the Ministry of Justice. In terms of logic, I am on your side. Even if it is found out that you committed the crime, I will still say the same thing." Zhao Jiu smiled. "You cannot humiliate me just because you are a relative."
"I am deeply grateful that the emperor is so fair." Pan Yongsi couldn't help but look at Ma Shen with pride.
Although Ma Shen was furious, he was ultimately helpless, so much so that the Chief Censor Li Guang was a little annoyed and prepared to step out to make a remonstrance.
But soon, the next sentence from Emperor Zhao calmed down the crowd: "But Pan Yongsi, are you the main culprit in this case? If you confess in public, I can give you a lighter sentence, and even the Ministry of Justice will not be able to embarrass you."
Pan Yongsi was stunned for a moment, then shook his head solemnly: "Your Majesty underestimates me! If I didn't do it, then I didn't do it!"
Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, then looked at another person: "Dali Temple! Lu Qing!"
"I'm here!" Dali Temple Minister Lu Yi was frightened.
"On the 15th of last month, your family went to Song Sao's Fish Soup to order three boxes of takeout. After the takeout was delivered, someone suddenly followed you to the door and brought you another box of takeout...Did this happen?" Zhao Jiu asked curiously.
Lu Yi was stunned on the spot. A moment later, Pan Yongsi in the distance fell to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly on the ground.
Then Lu Yi reacted, regardless of his status, and knelt on the ground, then took off his hat and said: "I am guilty! I thought the emperor would let this matter go for the sake of the concubine, so I rashly accepted a box of pearls from Pan Sheren..."
"Why should I let this go?" Zhao Jiu finally got completely furious on the throne. "My imperial camp, my new policy, my foundation is based on these things... Even if we talk about the facts, the national debt is also something I signed and sealed with my own hands, and what I sold is my reputation! But he just made empty promises and collected money for nothing... Why should I let this go?! I gave the imperial concubine respect, but who gave me respect? Minister Ma, who used words to pressure me for most of the day? Did he give me respect?!"
Ma Shen, who was about to step out to praise the emperor's magnanimity, suddenly became angry and remained silent. The direct servants Mei Li and Chao Gongwu were stunned again.
Emperor Zhao on the throne didn't bother to pay attention. He just stood up and walked away, leaving only one last sentence: "The case is transferred to the Ministry of Justice. Starting tomorrow, I will go to inspect the river defense and the imperial camp troops to prevent any disasters... You guys take care of yourselves."
