"This case is no longer just a case of King Zhou!"
Zhu Yunxi looked at the ministers and said coldly, "As of now, it is a group case. If I am a family member, I can favor the King of Zhou. But for the sake of the world, can I tolerate these corrupt officials and these profiteers and villains?"
"You think the punishment of Da Gao is too harsh, but isn't it cruel for them to occupy people's fields? Isn't it cruel to resell low-quality official grain? Shouldn't selling private tea be punished?"
"People who have no land have to be sold into slavery. The low-quality official food ends up in the mouths of the border officers. The people who farmed the land for the Ming Dynasty were displaced, and the soldiers who guarded the territory for the Ming Dynasty ate sandy and moldy food. Isn't it evil?
?”
"I would rather you call me vicious in your heart than the people of the world call me a foolish king in their heart!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yunxi looked at everyone again, and his tone suddenly became calm and emotionless, "The Dali Temple Inspectorate of the Ministry of Punishment will follow the clues to investigate, and the Jinyi Guards will be arrested by me." After saying that, he paused, "Cao Guogong Li Jinglong is the co-organizing minister.
, supervise and prevent someone from failing to do things well!"
"What the fuck..."
Li Jinglong wanted to die in his heart, but he had to bite the bullet and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, all the ministers will be burned to death upon hearing of such serious cases. For the sake of the Emperor's holy name, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, and for the sake of the glorious dynasty, I must do it."
Strict supervision and no one will be allowed to confuse favoritism!"
"I, I can trust you!" Zhu Yunxi said calmly.
Suddenly, someone among the ministers said firmly, "Can the emperor not trust his ministers?"
Zhu Yunxi followed the voice and looked at the censor Xin Yande.
~~
Xin Yande didn't even look at the anxious eyes of Xia Shu, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, and raised his neck and said, "In the court meeting a few days ago, the emperor promised that the Dali Temple Metropolitan Procuratorate of the Ministry of Punishment would join the trial, and now he has allowed the Jin Yiwei to be arrested and tried without having to go through an official.
Isn’t it true that orders are changed day by day and go back on one’s word?”
"The emperor also said that the Ming Dynasty has national laws, and good will prevail over evil. Why do you need to instruct prisons and use torture? The emperor is determined to use the golden guards and other eagles and dogs. Where does he see us and his ministers?"
"Your Majesty!" Yang Jing, the censor of Dali Temple Qingdu, said anxiously, "Although Censor Xin speaks arrogant words, he has always been upright and loyal, so please don't blame the emperor..."
"
Zhu Yunxi stretched out his hand to make a gesture, and Yang Jing's words immediately came to an abrupt end.
"You!" Zhu Yunxi looked at Xin Yande, "Keep talking!"
Xin Yande looked directly into Zhu Yunxi's eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I think that the case of King Zhou involves so many people, and the top priority is to identify them one by one. We will not unjustly accuse a good person, but we cannot let go of a bad person."
"Before the truth of the case comes out, the emperor has given the Jin Yiwei great authority. Aren't you afraid that going too far will be too little?"
"Furthermore, I am not afraid of talking nonsense. In the Hongwu Dynasty, several major cases emptied the court, and there were strange incidents of officials wearing shackles to work. Does the emperor want what happened in the Hongwu Dynasty to happen again in Yongchang?"
"The Supreme Emperor Hong Wu also said that when he came to power in the world, it was a time when everything was in ruins. The stubborn problems of the previous tyranny were still there, so severe punishments were used as a last resort. But now in Da'an, although the cases he is involved in are shocking, they are only in a corner after all.
, rather than the national norm.”
"The emperor directly used the punishment of imprisonment...I think it is very inappropriate!"
There was silence in the hall, Zhu Yunxi listened to his words and looked out the window.
After the heavy snowfall, everything was white, with only a few pavilions and pavilions retaining some of their original color.
"I understand what you mean!" Zhu Yunxi looked outside and said, "You mean, the world is not in ruins yet, so we can't take drastic measures, right?" After saying that, he turned around and smiled, "Only when a serious illness is a serious illness do we take drastic measures?
But can people who are seriously ill be saved by medicine and stones? I won’t think of killing people until the world is in ruins, and it will be too late!”
Objectively speaking, what Xin Yande said is not unreasonable.
As the emperor of the empire and in charge of hundreds of millions of living beings, the emperor cannot abuse harsh punishments. But his principles are limited to this era.
The Ming Dynasty in the original time and space is a living example. The old man spent his whole life killing and killing the Qingping officials in the fifty years before the Ming Dynasty. But after Xuanzong, not to mention the Tumubao incident, since then, because of the emperor's benevolence, and
It is obvious why we should not abuse the rhetoric of severe punishment and law, leading to rampant corruption.
From top to bottom, the chief minister of the empire went to inspect the countryside, the eunuchs in the palace to the generals in the army.
Officials and businessmen colluded with the clan and ran rampant. They were ashamed of being strict and profit-seeking in everything, and all internal fights within the party were for profit.
The huge empire was eaten away by moths.
Zhu Yunxi even had to deal with his uncles. He was not afraid of being infamy for this, so how could he allow the corruption that the old man had finally killed to revive?
"Your Majesty, that's not what he meant!" Xia Shu, the Minister of Punishment, said with cold sweat on his face, "I feel... I feel that if I open the prison and use severe punishment again, I'm afraid it will damage the reputation of the Emperor as a benevolent monarch!"
Renjun?
Zhu Yunxi sneered in his heart, "Maybe I acted too well before and gave you the illusion that I was going to be a benevolent king."
After a pause, Zhu Yunxi said slowly, "A benevolent monarch? How do you measure the benevolent monarch in your mouth? Is it the sincere love of the people or the flattery of the officials?"
He said with a sneer, "If the people say that I am a benevolent king, I will not get it. On the other hand, I will...disdain it!"
"There have been so many so-called benevolent kings throughout the ages. When they were alive, officials tried their best to praise them, and after they died, historians praised them with wonderful writings. But what kind of life did the people under his rule live? Were they really benevolent?"
"If you are kind to officials, that is benevolence, but then this benevolence is too cheap? Isn't this kind of benevolence just hypocrisy? Isn't it just that the superiors turn a blind eye and just let go without being held accountable when something goes wrong? Isn't it just peace and light?
Tongchen, as long as no one rebels, do you dare to say that the world is peaceful and prosperous?"
"I have never thought about being a benevolent king who is praised by officials and set an example before future emperors!"
"In that case, I would be sorry for the Supreme Emperor who abdicated the throne, I would be sorry for future generations, and I would be sorry for the common people in this world!"
"If I were not a benevolent king, the world would be peaceful and law-abiding. There would be no corruption and chaos. There would be less corruption and exploitation of the people's wealth, there would be less cases of unjust, false and wrong cases with no way to appeal, there would be less bullying and evil deeds, and there would be less people being displaced and complaining."
"Then I would rather not be a benevolent king, but I can be the tyrant you call me!"
"I would rather be scolded by historians, officials, and ministers than let the common people poke my spine!"
"Since you are ministers of the Ming Dynasty, you should know that from the Supreme Emperor to me, our Zhu family's grandsons have had this temper!"
There was silence in the palace, and the ministers could no longer sit still.
Bang Bang, there is only the sound of Xin Yande’s kowtow.
"I still refuse to accept the emperor's words!" Xin Yande said, "Because the emperor's words are partial and complete, the emperor cannot govern the country based on his will alone."
"I don't need you to obey, I just want you to do it!" Zhu Yunxi sneered.
"Even if I do it, I still feel dissatisfied. Your Majesty can punish me!"
Zhu Yunxi laughed angrily, but his eyes softened when he looked at Xin Yande, "I am not guilty of speech." As he said that, he suddenly smiled and said, "There is a living officer of the Hanlin Academy outside the door. What I said today is true to every word.
It must be recorded in the actual records. Whether I was biased or excessive will be determined in a hundred years!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yunxi took a sip of tea and said, "This case will be handled as I said!"
"I obey the order!" Li Jinglong and He Guangyi spoke first.
"How is King Zhou doing in Fengyang?" Zhu Yunxi suddenly changed the subject again.
Li Jinglong thought about it, "Placing it in the imperial city, the Zhongdu left guard specially selected a courtyard and arranged it carefully..."
Bang, a memorial fell directly on Li Jinglong's face.
"Is he going to be imprisoned or enjoying the blessings?" Zhu Yunxi suddenly changed his face, "Are you just doing errands like this?"
"I am confused, I am guilty!" Li Jinglong quickly kowtowed, "I think that after all, I am the king of the Ming Dynasty, so I must treat him well. I am not doing my job well, please punish me!"
Zhu Yunxi looked at him and said nothing, then turned to look at Dali Temple and others from the Ministry of Punishment, "In the case of King Zhou, everything that has been investigated so far must be disclosed to the world. I have no family scandal that I cannot reveal!"
After saying that, he paused and said, "Pass the decree!"
"The King of Zhou, Zhu Xi, has been committing many crimes since he became a vassal. He has been operating secretly, sacrificing the integrity of the country, and disregarding generosity. He has colluded with officials and businessmen for personal gain, done appalling things, and robbed the people of their wealth. He is really a crazy person!"
"I regard the King of Zhou as my imperial uncle, and out of family ties, I have been tolerant and admonished many times. However, I have no regrets and have changed the situation even more. I am arrogant and disrespectful as an uncle."
"I often hear that princes break the law and commit the same crimes as the common people. The numerous crimes committed by the king of Zhou are shocking. If he is tolerated again, I will be ashamed of my ancestors and the people of the world."
"Here, the salaries of the King of Zhou's fiefdom guards and military officials will be cut, his royal title and royal robes will be suspended, and the high-walled and cold palace in Fengyang will be imprisoned. Only his royal title will be retained for the time being, and his food and daily life will be provided as ordinary people."
"I am also grateful for the family ties. If the king of Zhou Dynasty had worked hard for me, and even in Zhongdu, I would have realized that it was not easy to start a business in the Ming Dynasty. It is not too late to wake up. If you don't reflect on yourself, the way of heaven will have its own justice!"