Chapter 383: My Opinion May Be a Bit More Severe

"Your Majesty, what is a 'faction'? The Da Han Law states: 'If court officials form factions and disrupt court affairs, they shall be beheaded, their wives and children enslaved, and their property confiscated to the state.'"

"Xu Zhuo and two others jointly submitted a memorial, rallied officials, and gathered outside the palace gate to pressure the throne! This is not 'remonstrating on state affairs', it is clearly 'forming a faction';"

"It is not the 'expressing one's views and opening the way of speech' that Minister Fang mentioned, but 'disrupting the court and forming a faction to corrupt governance'."

"The Da Han Law's article on 'traitorous faction' clearly stipulates: 'Anyone who spreads slanderous rumors to cause murder shall be beheaded. If the crime is punishable by death, and a minister or minor official skillfully remonstrates to avoid it or covertly sways public opinion, they shall also be beheaded.'"

"What the three did today—inciting public opinion, coercing the Son of Heaven, and brazenly rebelling—each falls under the capital crimes explicitly defined by law."

"If Xu Zhuo and his companions are lightly spared today, tomorrow others will emulate them, using the name of 'saving the people' to actually pressure the throne."

"Not executing them today would only breed endless future trouble."

"When Zhang Tingyu finished speaking, the hall fell silent!"

"This is still the first minister to explicitly state that Xu Zhuo and the two others deserve the death penalty, and the man is Zhang Tingyu, who usually upholds 'a thousand words may be wrong, better to remain silent'; that does seem rather odd!"

"Actually, the reason Zhang Tingyu dares to speak this way is, firstly, that he has already anticipated that Xu Zhuo and the two others will not escape the death penalty today, and thus have already incurred offense."

"Secondarily, it is also for the New Policies; the New Policies aim to prevail across the realm, and their new party seeks to realize its own political ambitions,"

"so they must suppress the old party's backlash and strike back fiercely; the trend of pressuring the throne must never be allowed to persist!"

"Thirdly, of course, it is for the sake of the saintly heart; if one does not actively strive for progress, how can one later be worthy of partaking in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

"\"Minister Heng speaks well! \""

"Jing Sheng Di's stern face finally showed a few lines of smile; his gaze swept over the ministers below, lingered, and then turned to Jia Jing, speaking softly:"

"\"Zi Jie! How do you think this matter should be handled? \""

"According to the remonstrances of several ministers, the outcome of this case is essentially settled, yet Jing Sheng Di still wishes to hear Jia Jing's opinion."

"Although, according to past court protocols, military merits generally do not partake in political discussions, to show the separation of civil and military affairs, and also to let civil authority restrain the military."

"But since Jing Sheng Di asked now, it indicates that in his mind, Jia Jing is different from other military honorees!"

"Jia Jing cleared his throat lightly, stepped out of the line, lifted his eyes, and his youthful gaze shone like stars; his vigorous and clear voice rang through the hall:"

"\"Your Majesty! My opinion may be a bit more severe than that of Minister Zhang and the others! \""

"With those words, the ministers in the hall were startled!"

"Xu Zhuo and the others even trembled."

"Zhang Tingyu has already suggested that the death penalty should be applied; you want it even harsher?"

"Do you mean to annihilate the entire clan or execute by slow slicing?"

"Fang Congzhe furrowed his brows and couldn't help but retort:"

"\"Duke Jingguo! Xu Zhuo, Xie Jishi and the others indeed committed disrespect and overstepped today. \""

"\"But they also have a loyal heart for preserving the ancestral system; why must we eradicate them completely? \""

"Fang Congzhe took a step back, acknowledged the guilt of Xu Zhuo and his companions, and did not argue for leniency."

"He merely, in the name of preserving the ancestral system, suggested that the punishment should not be overly severe!"

"In fact,"

"Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cifu both know that Xu Zhuo and the two others cannot escape today's culpability; they oppose not Jing Sheng Di's sentencing, but the notion of executing them on the grounds of forming a faction."

"After all, if we admit that they formed a faction and disrupted governance, they would not only be beheaded according to law, but their reputation would be utterly ruined!"

"When Fang Congzhe finished speaking, Jia Jing's expression remained indifferent as he said slowly:"

"\"Any reason is not a justification for their coercion of the saintly throne or their treason against the emperor! Anyone who dares to disrespect the sovereign, I shall certainly execute! \""

"\"As for their so-called loyalty to preserving the ancestral system, it's a joke! I see they use the ancestral system as a pretext while actually protecting private interests! \""

"\"Put aside other matters, consider that the Founding Ancestor once established that official exemptions were limited; are the exemptions they now enjoy still the ancestral system? \""

"\"The Founding Ancestor once set that civil and military should be separate; now civil officials supervise the army and surpass military honorees—still the ancestral system? \""

"\"The Founding Ancestor once decreed that titles would not be granted without military merit; now civil officials are granted titles everywhere—still the ancestral system? \""

"\"The Founding Ancestor once stipulated that anyone who embezzles more than sixty taels of ink shall be skinned and hung beside the throne. Does this ancestral rule still exist today? \""

"\"The Founding Ancestor instituted a commercial tax of one out of thirty to facilitate trade and enrich the state treasury. Where does this ancestral rule stand today? \""

"\"When the ancestral system benefits their private interests, they treat it as a sacred standard; when it does not, they disregard it as if it were nothing. \""

"\"This is not preserving the ancestral system; it is using the ancestral system as a pretext to indulge their selfishness. \""

"\"The true ancestral system is the rules set by the Founding Ancestor, a benevolence for the state and the people, not a slogan you wield to oppose the court or the sovereign! \""

"Jia Jing's words were quite sharp! He directly tore apart the hidden ulterior motives of those who claim to preserve the ancestral system."

"Moreover, his entire speech was purely objective reality, with no nonsense at all!"

"Many ancestral rules established by the early Han Founding Ancestor have long since been broken, sidelined, or even abolished by the civil official faction in various ways."

"From imperial authority to military administration, personnel, judiciary, supervision, imperial examinations, and so on, they have been altered to the point of being nominally existent but practically dead."

"Just as when the Han Founding Ancestor first established the Han Dynasty, exemptions from service and taxes for officials were actually limited."

"During the reigns of the Founding Ancestor and Emperor Chengzong, the scope of official privileges was narrow, largely personal imperial favor rather than systemic rights."

"But by the time of the Taishang Emperor, the situation had completely changed."