[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-335":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558501,2024,"Chapter 335: Interrogation","shao-song-chapter-335",335,"\u003Cp>The Zhao Emperor's fury could not be hidden from anyone, especially since he did not seem to want to hide it from anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, everyone seemed to understand this anger—having finally created such a situation in the northwest, wiping out a century-old enemy, establishing a united anti-Jin front, expanding the nation's strategic advantage, and even returning from the expedition with two more sons, he should have been spending this winter eating sweet-and-sour fish and warming himself by the underground heating, perhaps even having the leisure to polish off a few more chapters of *Miscellaneous Notes on the Journey to the West*, only to have these three major cases suddenly pop up. Anyone would lose their temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But anger aside, the matter could not be avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was that after the first snow, the weather grew even colder, and when the first day of the eleventh month arrived, the court officials gathered in large numbers at the Wende Hall. The Zhao Emperor, too lazy to dissemble, brought the matter up directly in court:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Court of Judicial Review!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lu Yi, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this, raised his wooden tablet, and bowed his head: \"Your servant is here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There has been much talk in the capital lately, all this talk of the three major winter cases. These three cases should all be under the primary jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review. You are the chief official of that court. Now that things have come to this, do you have anything to say?\" Zhao Jiu sat high above, speaking sternly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to Your Majesty,\" Lu Yi said cautiously. \"The three cases have all been handled from beginning to end. Yang Zheng, for killing his concubine and flaying her, is to be executed according to law. Wang Bo (Consort Pan's cousin), for deceiving his superiors and subordinates and swindling money, is to be exiled according to law, and must return the fraudulently obtained goods and pay a fine. Only the case of Zhang Zongyan is not a lawsuit but involves military matters. The Court of Judicial Review has already transferred the documents to the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Imperial Camp Directorate, requesting the Western Office and the Imperial Camp to clarify whether the unauthorized troop deployment had any superior's permission or authorization, so that a sentence can be determined according to the law…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This answer was actually quite proper, but unexpectedly, facing this result that could clearly be explained away, the lofty Zhao Emperor only frowned slightly and did not respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in this gap, Ma Shen, the Minister of Justice who had just arrived from the south and had only been in office for ten days, suddenly stepped forward, raised his wooden tablet, and spoke solemnly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, your servant is of the Ministry of Justice, and regarding these three cases, I also have words to present!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was that as Ma Shen stepped forward, everyone's hearts skipped a beat. From Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun on down, including the two newly appointed Direct Secretaries, every civil and military official in the hall instinctively looked, and even Zhao Jiu appeared serious… For no other reason than that Ma Shen had been a veteran Censor back in the Jingkang era, known for his integrity. But more importantly, at the critical juncture when Lü Haowen was leading many people to turn towards Original Learning, this famous Dao Learning scholar had actually been in Jingxiang all along, and had adhered to the Dao Learning position. He was one of the few top-ranking officials in the court from the Dao Learning tradition, a standard minority figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, when Zhao Jiu had decided to appoint him as Minister of Justice that day, it was because he valued his upright and severe style, and also to display an attitude of employing people without sticking to one pattern. But who would have thought that shortly after the appointment was conveyed, these three major cases with extremely strong political sensitivity would emerge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this man to step forward now, he was likely to be ruthless, and also had ulterior motives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sure enough, as the Zhao Emperor nodded slightly, Ma Shen immediately pointed out the key: \"In reply to Your Majesty, according to what your servant knows, among the three cases, each actually has some crucial points that the Court of Judicial Review has unfortunately overlooked and failed to mention… For example, in the case of the advance sale of national bonds, the criminal Wang Bo confessed that he was originally acting as an assistant for his maternal uncle, that is, Pan Yongsı, Consort Pan's own uncle, and did not act on his own… In other words, the case itself is simple, but the principal criminal is unclear! Whether Pan Yongsı committed the crime or Wang Bo committed the crime cannot be taken lightly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a momentary stir in the hall, and the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lu Yi, bowed his head even deeper… Everyone knew the vast difference between the meaning of Consort Pan's own uncle and a cousin from a different surname on the periphery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Pan Yongsı was not just a relative of the imperial clan by marriage; he was also a court-appointed official, and one with great merit. Back then, he had escorted the Yuan You Empress Dowager to Nanjing (Shangqiu) on behalf of Zhao Gou, who was then the Prince of Kang, which counted as a bit of merit in supporting the emperor's ascension… Later, although he was expelled due to his status as an imperial relative, he was still granted the title of Palace Gate Attendant because of this merit, and he frequently entered and exited the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it was entirely imaginable what kind of disturbance would arise in public opinion once the criminal was identified as Pan Yongsı instead of Wang Bo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it in extreme terms, if the imperial consort's own uncle was so greedy, who knew if the Emperor was just pretending in the harem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, issuing national bonds, restarting the Green Sprouts Loan, and the Jiaozi Bureau—these three things were themselves a trinity, a package of fiscal reforms the court had devised to raise military funds. In the eyes of the common people, they were all the same thing… And if imperial relatives could get rich from such things, then dare one ask if the taxes added in the south had truly all gone to the military camps?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was the key to why this case could be ranked alongside the two major Imperial Camp cases… This case actually pointed back to the Emperor and the Imperial Camp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or, in the eyes of those who truly understood, the essence of the three major cases, or rather the seriousness of these three cases, lay precisely in the Emperor and the Imperial Camp—the Emperor took the Imperial Camp as his foundation, the Imperial Camp took the Emperor as its core, and between them were eight or nine military governors and several dozen commanders, all interconnected and intertwined, ultimately forming a single entity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the existence of the Imperial Camp's two hundred thousand troops and the direct allegiance of the various military governors and commanders, where would the Zhao Emperor's stability, as solid as a mountain, and his disregard for the Two Emperors come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the Imperial Camp's army absorbing the military presence of the Hebei refugees and suppressing the peasant uprisings in the south, where would the foundation for the nation's survival be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one with strong soldiers and stout horses becomes king. Some things just mean that; there's no need to spell them out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the same token, without the Imperial Camp repeatedly holding off the northern barbarians, without the Imperial Camp repeatedly counterattacking and recovering lost territory, where would the Zhao Emperor's audacity to act willfully come from, to push aside one vested interest group after another, to discard one complex system after another inherited from the Five Dynasties, and to forcibly implement military colonies and land grants in the Central Plains and Guanxi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the point of later forcibly expelling officials in Shaoxing and forcibly promoting Original Learning in the court?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the so-called many of the Emperor's confidants and the Emperor's faction present in this hall—if it weren't for the foundation of the Imperial Camp's repeated military victories, how could they have united around the Zhao Emperor and become the Emperor's confidants and faction?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pan Yongsı.\" Zhao Jiu was slightly startled upon hearing this, unsure if he was thinking about those things, but he immediately called out the name Ma Shen had mentioned from his throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant is here.\" One person stepped out from the ranks of close officials on one side, responding respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you hear that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to Your Majesty,\" Pan Yongsı said boldly. \"Your servant heard it, but the Court of Judicial Review had already sent a document days ago asking your servant to defend himself on this matter, and your servant had already submitted a written defense to the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, stating that your servant was lax in instruction, leading to the wanton slander of the innocent by my wicked nephew, Wang Bo…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu remained silent, and Ma Shen was also slightly taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, although your servant is under suspicion, I still must impeach the Minister of Justice, Ma Shen, for abusing public office for private ends.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment of hesitation, Pan Yongsı actually counterattacked. \"Minister Ma is indeed the chief official of the Ministry of Justice, but he has only been in the capital for ten days and hasn't even recognized all the officials of the Ministry of Justice. How did he manage to find the crucial points of the three cases being tried by the Court of Judicial Review? If criminals, to escape punishment, slander one person today and another tomorrow, all of which are considered crucial points, wouldn't everything become a crucial point? Moreover, the Court of Judicial Review did not pervert the law because your servant has rank; they properly transferred the document through the Hanlin Academy via the duty academician, asking your servant to defend myself… Where did Minister Ma need to interrogate me face-to-face in the Wende Hall? Isn't it because Minister Ma is a famous Dao Learning scholar, has always disliked your servant's intensive study of Original Learning, and has repeatedly funded Original Learning students in the Imperial Academy? Hence, he is creating trouble out of factional bias?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Shen listened in a daze, then finally glared angrily: \"If we are to argue on this basis, then people from the Dao Learning tradition cannot be high court officials? Otherwise, any disagreement with anyone is factional bias, is abusing public office for private ends?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does Minister Ma know that he is a high court official and no longer a Censor?\" Pan Yongsı was not afraid in the slightest. \"The responsibility of the Minister of Justice is extremely heavy! A single word can ruin a family and destroy a clan; no office carries more weight than this! And Minister Ma, having been in the capital for ten days, without any evidence, could not wait to destroy a person's reputation in the Wende Hall, insinuating and aiming to take a life. Whether this is private or public, people's hearts will judge!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words actually had some reason to them, but Ma Shen was a man of great stature; how could he be afraid of an imperial relative? \"How absurd are these words! I am not trying to take your life; I am merely reminding the Emperor to be careful of the inner workings of this matter. My intention was directed at the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for his careless handling. As for you, an insignificant imperial relative, do I need to sincerely deal with you? And does His Majesty care about you people at all?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is the reputation of an imperial relative not a reputation? Is the life of an imperial relative not a life?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yongsı was still unafraid, even raising his voice. Interestingly, in the Wende Hall, for some reason—perhaps due to hesitation over the interconnectedness of the three major cases, or perhaps because Pan Yongsı's words had some merit—many of the high ministers actually allowed an imperial relative to clamor like this. \"How can a person who regards others as mere grass and weeds hold the heavy responsibility of the Ministry of Justice?! Moreover, if the Ministry of Justice has doubts about the trial results of the Court of Judicial Review, they should properly transfer a document to the Court of Judicial Review for questioning. How can they defile others in the Wende Hall?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Shen finally sneered: \"I'm afraid that some people have formed a network, colluding together, preventing the Emperor from hearing correct opinions… Do I not know that taking over the Ministry of Justice for ten days is too hasty? But if this grand court session in the Wende Hall passes, these three cases might be muddled through. Then I would have failed my heavy trust!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly strange. The few censors who had been eager to speak earlier now angrily returned to their ranks. As for Pan Yongsı, after a moment's thought, he just smiled, then flicked his sleeve and stood solemnly, as if he had backed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Ma Shen, unconcerned by this, continued boldly. \"Your servant also has the crucial points of the other two cases to tell Your Majesty…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Speak.\" Zhao Jiu showed neither pleasure nor anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In reply to Your Majesty.\" Ma Shen took a deep breath and pulled himself together. \"The crucial points of the other two cases… For example, in the case of Yang Zheng, there is also a legal suspicion. It is said that many civil and military officials in Guanxi knew about his act of killing his concubine and flaying her, especially within the Imperial Camp's Rear Army, where it had long been rumored, yet many knew of it and did not report it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu's expression did not change; he nodded slightly: \"And then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the case of Zhang Zongyan…\" Ma Shen grew even more serious. \"As the Court of Judicial Review said, this matter involves the military, and ordinary criminal law is difficult to apply as evidence. The Imperial Camp's Right Army must first provide an explanation. But forgive your servant for being presumptuous and asking Your Majesty: Can the dispatch of an entire division truly be hidden from the commander-in-chief of an army? If the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Camp's Right Army, Zhang Jun, replies that he did not know, does that count as Zhang Jun's incompetence? If Zhang Jun replies that he mistakenly granted Zhang Zongyan the authority to make decisions on the spot, then are the thousand or so soldiers and laborers who died innocently at Shanghe considered to have died in vain?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Ma Shen clasped his hands and spoke. \"Your servant knows that today I have put Your Majesty in a difficult position, but I am not the kind of person who speaks recklessly as Pan Yongsı claims. Otherwise, if I were to act in the style of a remonstrance official, I would have already impeached Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Wu Jie one by one today… As the Minister of Justice, I only ask today, in my capacity as the Minister of Justice, that Your Majesty give a definite answer on some legal judgments! After all, the Son of Heaven's words become established law. For some things, if Your Majesty does not give clear provisions, the people of the world will remain confused.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What words?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Imperial Camp's merits are great, known to all. Officials like the military governors all boast of having the merit of assisting in the restoration and the achievement of pacifying rebellions and stabilizing the state, to the point where they repeatedly act as if they are above the law and above the system…\" Ma Shen raised his tablet solemnly. \"I dare ask Your Majesty: Should they be granted this authority? Is it that the law does not apply to commanders, and blame is not placed on military governors?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu remained silent, it was unclear what he was thinking, while Ma Shen only clasped his hands and bowed, waiting for a reply. Not only that, but the other chief ministers and high officials in the hall also did not speak a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene suddenly became tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was perhaps terrifying for some people who were standing in the hall for the first time. For example, the newly appointed Direct Secretary Mei Li, who considered himself a capable man, had already turned his mind into a mess of porridge. All his intelligence and logic were useless; he could only stare blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, although no one spoke, not everyone was as confused as Secretary Mei. For example, the several chief ministers, and Lin Jingmo, the Minister of Revenue standing right next to Ma Shen, had a clear understanding of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Academician Lin the Younger had realized what was going on from the start, so this time he did not react. It was not because he was too slow to move, but like the other high ministers, he had fallen into a dilemma of position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As mentioned before, the three major cases were essentially one and the same, and they pointed towards the Emperor and the Imperial Camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yang Zheng case reminded everyone that within the Imperial Camp army, which the Emperor relied upon, there were still a large number of old-style officers. The average moral quality of those military men was still generally lower than that of the scholar-officials, and even lower than that of ordinary people. Changing their uniform to the Imperial Camp's was not enough to make them new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The advance sale of national bonds case also clearly showed that whether it was the new nobility or the old nobility, whether it was anyone, in the face of fame, profit, and position, they would fall as soon as they were given the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Zhang Zongyan case, it was even more serious than the previous two combined. The first two could still be blamed on individual lack of virtue, but this case clearly showed that after the Imperial Camp army had eliminated the old malady of soldiers not knowing their generals and generals not knowing their soldiers, the most feared thing had finally happened… They could now act on their own authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going his own way was one thing, but returning in a crushing defeat made the whole world simultaneously doubt the combat effectiveness of the Imperial Camp, and also greatly diminished the impact of the Western Xia's glorious victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three cases suddenly piled up together, immediately giving the opposition in the south a pretext to attack the ruling officials! The Neo-Confucians had previously called for lifting the press ban, and Ma Shen's almost ultimatum-like behavior now faintly echoed that stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the reason the ministers in the hall chose to remain silent was also extremely simple... Although they were of the same faction as His Majesty, and not on the same side as Ma Shen and his ilk, they were also not military officials within the Imperial Camp system... They were traditional scholar-officials!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Imperial Camp and His Majesty were one body, and they too were one body with His Majesty, but they were not one body with the Imperial Camp!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, when Ma Shen asked this question, even Academician Lin, a trusted confidant of His Majesty, could not help but want to hear His Majesty's answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, these thoughts, seemingly complex, lasted only an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the main hall, this standoff lasted only a moment before His Majesty Zhao decisively spoke: \"I know what Minister Ma wants to hear, and I know why all of you in the court today are so quiet. In fact, I have already given this matter some thought... Moreover, I am not one to hide things, nor do I like to hide them... You want words, I will give you words... That is, in my eyes, military commanders and chief ministers share the same rank, Commanders and Secret Pavilion ministers share the same rank, civil and military are equally valued! If the state has never killed a chief minister for a certain crime, it will not kill a military commander for that same crime; and if a Secret Pavilion minister also kills his concubine and flays her, I will certainly behead him and be done with it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall erupted in murmurs for a moment, only gradually quieting down after a long while... This answer was actually expected by many, but it still made many officials present feel somewhat bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, once the hall quieted down, before Ma Shen could say much, His Majesty Zhao, his face dark, continued speaking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only that, I believe that both as a person and as an official, one must have a bottom line. If a chief minister or military commander also killed his concubine and flayed her, I'm afraid I could not tolerate it either. What to do then? For the sake of the state's face, I would probably lure him into the palace, chop him up with my own hands, and sink him in the fish pond as fertilizer! Then tell outsiders that a certain Lord, a certain Military Governor, slipped and drowned!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall finally erupted in faint, suppressed laughter... To be honest, they all felt that such a thing could probably only happen to a military official. If a scholar-official did such a thing and still held the rank of chief minister, then the state would already be in a terrible state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There's more.\" Zhao Jiu continued solemnly. \"I still don't want to hide things from you... I am not the kind of person who casts aside the bow once the birds are gone. The state is at war now, let's not even mention that. But one day, when peace comes, if one or two military commanders have the ability and seniority to be transferred to serve a term as Privy Council Chief, I think that would be normal. And if a jinshi degree holder knows how to fight, going to serve a term as Commander-in-Chief of some Imperial Camp army, I think that would also be fine... Don't make a big fuss about it when the time comes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hall immediately fell silent again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject understands.\" Seeing the atmosphere in the hall growing increasingly tense, Ma Shen, who seemed faintly regretful, still stubbornly cupped his hands and asked after a moment of silence. \"One more thing... The Imperial Camp, from top to bottom, forms its own system and shields each other. Your subject dares to ask His Majesty, can the state's laws actually constrain military affairs?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course they can.\" Zhao Jiu seemed to have opened some floodgate, continuing with a sigh. \"But military personnel are special; you cannot use the criminal code to constrain military affairs. Otherwise, wouldn't killing on the battlefield also warrant beheading? A complete military code is necessary... The Ministry of Justice can work with the Privy Council to formulate a proper military code for this matter. In the future, the Privy Council and the Imperial Camp General Affairs Office will conduct special trials.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"May His Majesty clearly state, roughly what matters fall under the criminal code, and what matters fall under the military code?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For example, Yang Zheng killing his concubine falls under the criminal code, with the criminal code as the basis, referencing the military code. His superiors and subordinates in the military who knew and did not report also fall under the criminal code. And Zhang Zongyan's unauthorized military mobilization falls under the military code. Whether his superiors and subordinates knew or participated, all are based on the military code, referencing the criminal code.\" Zhao Jiu answered without hesitation, clearly well-prepared. \"Is the Ministry of Justice satisfied?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Majesty jokes. Making laws and upholding discipline is a matter of satisfying the people of the world. What does your subject's satisfaction or dissatisfaction matter?\" Ma Shen remained unafraid. \"However, since His Majesty answers every question, your subject truly has nothing more to say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have nothing to say, but I still have something to say.\" Zhao Jiu let out a long breath. \"Actually, I have never thought about long-term stability, nor have I ever hoped that everyone could be like Yao or Shun... Human nature is like this. I am not at all surprised that these three cases occurred, but for so many cases to come so quickly and so concentratedly, that was also my negligence beforehand...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing to say to that. Zhao Ding and the other chief ministers finally stepped forward, bowed, and apologized. The atmosphere in the hall eased somewhat as a result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, His Majesty Zhao suddenly called out a name: \"Pan Yongsi!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject is here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In your earlier debate with the Ministry of Justice, purely in terms of reasoning, you were actually in the right. Even if it is later found out that you were the one who committed this crime, I would still say the same.\" Zhao Jiu smiled in response. \"You cannot be wantonly humiliated just because you are a relative of the imperial family.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject is overwhelmed with gratitude for His Majesty's fairness.\" Pan Yongsi couldn't help but glance triumphantly at Ma Shen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And although Ma Shen was furious, he was ultimately helpless, to the point that Censor-in-Chief Li Guang became somewhat annoyed and prepared to step forward to remonstrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, His Majesty Zhao's next sentence chilled the hall: \"But Pan Yongsi, is the main culprit of this case you or not? In this public setting, if you confess openly, I can give you a lighter sentence. Even the Ministry of Justice would find it hard to make things difficult for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yongsi was stunned for a moment, then shook his head solemnly: \"His Majesty underestimates your subject! If it wasn't me, it wasn't me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, then looked at another person: \"Court of Judicial Review! Minister Lu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your subject is here!\" Lu Yi, the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was startled into a shiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On the fifteenth of last month, your household ordered three boxes of takeout from Sister Song's Fish Soup. After the takeout was delivered, someone suddenly followed from outside the door and delivered another box of takeout... Is this true?\" Zhao Jiu asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yi was stunned on the spot. A moment later, it was Pan Yongsi in the distance who first knelt directly to the ground, then kowtowed repeatedly without stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Lu Yi came to his senses and, disregarding his status, also knelt directly to the ground, then removed his official cap and replied: \"Your subject is guilty! Your subject originally thought His Majesty would lightly let this matter go for the sake of the Imperial Consort's dignity, so I rashly accepted a box of pearls from Secretary Pan...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why would I lightly let this matter go?\" Zhao Jiu finally became completely enraged on the throne. \"My Imperial Camp, my New Policies, my very foundation rests on these matters... To be fair, the national debt is something I personally signed and sealed; it sells my credibility! And yet, he, with empty words and by promising future shares out of thin air, collected money for nothing... You tell me, why would I lightly let this matter go?! I give the Imperial Consort face, but who gives me face? Minister Ma, who pressured me with words for most of the day? Did he give me face?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Shen, who had just been about to step forward to praise His Majesty's magnanimity, was immediately furious into silence. The Direct Secretariat officials Mei Li and Chao Gongwu were once again stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And His Majesty Zhao on the throne couldn't be bothered to pay them any heed. He simply stood up directly, flicked his sleeves, and left, leaving only one final sentence: \"The case is transferred to the Ministry of Justice. Starting tomorrow, I will go inspect the river defenses and review the Imperial Camp troops, to prevent problems before they occur... You all conduct yourselves accordingly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thanks to Little Fish for the second alliance, and also thanks to the new alliance leader, Classmate Fengyu Nandu. This is the 149th alliance of this book!\u003C\u002Fp>",4782,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","8c339b7bf6a9ce2fa58dd7fd6c6e9c9b0820128fcb8326a35c5a63988a9f4319","shao-song-chapter-336","shao-song-chapter-334",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]