Chapter 754: An iron rice bowl is prone to rust; it's not as good as a golden rice bowl

In Chen Guanlou's eyes, this matter of sacrificial offerings was just bullshit.

Such a trivial matter, yet it was brought up for discussion at the morning court, triggering a martial arts brawl. The court had lost all its face.

Was such a small matter worth a large-scale discussion? Shouldn't it be decided by the Emperor's word? Since it was brought up for discussion, there must be some bad intentions; someone behind the scenes wanted to use this to stir up trouble.

What exactly did they want to stir up?

Either the Emperor wanted to target a certain official or a certain faction, or a certain force wanted to target the Emperor!

Anyway, matters in the court are nothing more than targeting this and targeting that.

The key is, who is targeting whom?

Who is the ultimate beneficiary behind the scenes?

Standing in Chen Guanlou's position, this was the problem that troubled him, and also the problem he had never been able to see through.

He instructed Mu Qingshan, "Compile the death row prisoners in the Heavenly Prison, keep them in centralized custody, and have people guard them strictly. Before the sacrifice to Heaven, not one of these people can die."

If the higher-ups wanted sacrificial offerings and the offerings died ahead of time, everyone in the Heavenly Prison would have to suffer the consequences.

"Sacrificing to Heaven again?" Mu Qingshan was very astonished.

The sacrificial altar explosion case had only passed a few years ago, and they were sacrificing to Heaven again.

The Emperor really didn't learn his lesson!

"Why do you care so much? The Emperor is the true Son of Heaven; it is only natural for the Son of Heaven to sacrifice to Heaven. Besides, spring has arrived; it's not too much to pray to Heaven for favorable weather this year, is it? It's not too much to pray for the prosperity of the country and for the rebels to die out, is it? There are too many things to pray for, so it's only right to give Heaven a few more sacrificial offerings."

Chen Guanlou spouted nonsense with a straight face.

Mu Qingshan's cheek muscles twitched twice, "When I compiled the personnel involved in the cult bandit case last time, I happened to compile the death row prisoners as well. There are currently twenty-eight death row prisoners."

"So many?"

"This isn't many. Many haven't been sentenced yet. The Ministry of Justice is dragging its feet. If all of them are sentenced, the death row prisoners will exceed fifty at least." Mu Qingshan remembered all the numbers in his head and could recite them on the spot.

"Have Chen Quan manage the death row prisoners centrally."

"Master, the student believes that the Son of Heaven needs sacrificial offerings for the sacrifice to Heaven. If one must use prisoners as sacrificial offerings, actually, those criminal officials are the most suitable. They have status and standing, and are more presentable than ordinary death row prisoners."

"You are talking nonsense. What is a criminal official? A criminal official is not the same as a prisoner; criminal officials are in the same boat as those court officials. What does 'in the same boat' mean? It means they are 'our own people.' If it were you, would you use your own people as sacrificial offerings? If you dare to do so, believe it or not, you won't see tomorrow's sun."

People cannot betray their own class.

Even if criminal officials have the word 'criminal' in front, they still belong to the bureaucratic class. Their status and treatment are far higher than other prisoners.

These criminal officials could be released at any time, could be reinstated at any time, and could stand in the court again to wield power.

Mu Qingshan, oh Mu Qingshan, you are a complete idiot. Daring to spout nonsense clearly shows that your ideological education is not up to par.

Chen Guanlou kicked him directly, "Get out, get out, get out! Your brain is a single track; you deserve not to pass the imperial examination. When considering problems, you must know how to be flexible. What is flexibility? It means knowing how to draw inferences about other cases from one instance. Let me ask you, why am I polite to proper scholars? Why do I take care of them within my ability? Because I consider myself half a scholar. Of course, one should help one's own people! Do you understand?"

"Master, you are clearly a martial artist, why do you consider yourself half a scholar? Why are you not polite to martial artists at all?"

Chen Guanlou was so angry he kicked the person out, "Find your uncle, have your uncle brainwash you."

How infuriating!

He is a martial artist.

But he doesn't mix in the martial arts world, doesn't mix in the martial artist circle.

Since he hasn't joined the circle, naturally there's no need to take care of them.

After lunch, Medical Official Mu came to the office to drink tea and rest, and incidentally put in a good word for Mu Qingshan.

"Qingshan's brain is a single track, My Lord doesn't need to lower himself to his level. I have already disciplined him, telling him to watch his mouth in the future and not to speak recklessly. Daring to let criminal officials be sacrificial offerings is simply absurd!"

Chen Guanlou rolled his eyes, "Your nephew is beyond saving; don't ever let him mix in officialdom, he will be killed by someone sooner or later. Daring to think of letting criminal officials be sacrificial offerings is simply defying Heaven."

Even the Emperor wouldn't dare say such things.

If the Emperor dared to say such things, it would mean making an enemy of the entire bureaucratic class. Unless he removed the sacrificial offerings from the bureaucratic class. Even then, it would be infinitely harmful, causing people's hearts to scatter.

The Son of Heaven and the scholar-officials governing the world together is not just something said casually.

"My Lord, rest assured, this old man has long since given up the idea of letting him enter officialdom. In this life, if he can guard My Lord in the Heavenly Prison, and My Lord doesn't dislike him and is willing to use him as a private secretary, that is his best way out."

Medical Official Mu speaks so nicely; compared to Mu Qingshan, the difference is clear at a glance.

Chen Guanlou sighed, "Old Mu, you don't need to worry. As long as I am in the Heavenly Prison for one day, Mu Qingshan can have a meal in the Heavenly Prison. With me protecting him, no one dares to bully him. The premise is that he doesn't seek his own death."

"My Lord, rest assured, I have already warned him. In the future, when he goes out, he must watch his mouth and not discuss major court affairs at will. Just chat about flowers, snow, and moonlight. That mouth of his is only suitable for eating. Why doesn't My Lord assign him more errands so he has no time to think about this and that, and no time to go out and mess around?"

Medical Official Mu was also worried himself.

Emperor Taixing doesn't look like a wise monarch; his methods are far worse than the late Emperor's. If one day he starts punishing people for their words, he is really afraid that Mu Qingshan will bring disaster to the Mu family.

"This method is not bad. In the future, I will add burdens to him so he has no time to go out and mess around."

Medical Official Mu felt relieved.

"I don't know what the Emperor is thinking, suddenly saying he wants to sacrifice to Heaven. Compared to the late Emperor, sigh..."

Even if the late Emperor was mediocre, at least the first thirty years were considered a wise monarch. It was only in his later years that he became mediocre.

Emperor Taixing, good fellow, he hasn't reached his later years yet, and he already gives people the feeling that this Emperor is not very good. Especially in the hearts of the capital's commoners, Emperor Taixing is far inferior to the late Emperor.

The late Emperor basically never harmed the capital's commoners, deeply understanding the principle that a rabbit doesn't eat the grass around its nest.

Emperor Taixing is different; whether it's local commoners or capital commoners, he treats them all the same. The exorbitant taxes and heavy corvée labor that local commoners 'enjoy,' the capital commoners must also enjoy.

The capital is almost turning upside down, and privately, there is cursing everywhere.

"Don't care about sacrificing to Heaven or Earth; we just do our duty and eat public grain. You old man, don't worry blindly. Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. It has nothing to do with us. Even if one day the world changes and someone with a different surname sits on the dragon throne, the people in the Heavenly Prison will still be us, and we will still have food to eat."

A genuine iron rice bowl!

An iron rice bowl that you don't have to worry about losing even if the dynasty changes; it's perfectly stable.

It's just that there's one bad thing: an iron rice bowl is prone to rust and hurts the throat. It's not as good as a golden rice bowl!

But a golden rice bowl is easily coveted and snatched by others; killing for treasure is not just talk.

Each has its own advantages.

Chen Guanlou comforted the anxious Medical Official Mu, invited him to drink tea, and had another leisurely day. ===== CHAPTER 755 =====