Chapter 448: Merits and faults cannot be offset, Hou Junji’s death date is set
Clang!
Li Shimin tapped his fingers on the table, causing the ministers present to quickly stop the dispute.
Its silence efficiency is 98.37% higher than that of the messenger eunuch.
"Wei Zheng."
He turned his gaze to the left and named him,
"I remember that you strongly recommended Hou Junji for an important position earlier, and you even said that he has the talent of being a prime minister and assistant."
"You said this, right?"
Everyone's eyes quickly focused on Wei Zheng.
"Return to your majesty, I said so."
Wei Zheng's expression remained unchanged, he stood up and cupped his hands in response.
Li Shimin snorted softly.
"Ha! Is this your vision? Is this the talent you call Zaifu?" he asked coldly.
Wei Zheng's face remained calm and he just heard him say:
"Your Majesty, I think there is nothing wrong with my vision."
"It is undeniable that Hou Junji is indeed talented, but he has no conscience and no virtue. It can be said that he is talented but not moral."
Li Shimin narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What use do I have for people who have talent but no virtue?!"
he rebuked,
"Such a person is often more terrifying than a mediocre person! Because he will use all his talents to satisfy his own selfish desires!"
Wei Zheng bowed and saluted.
"A gentleman's performance does not matter his heart. Before this, I could only see his outstanding talents and could not see his shortcomings in personal ethics, so I recommended him. Now... I know that I was wrong."
He said seriously,
"Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Li Shimin snorted coldly and was noncommittal.
"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, knowing people but not knowing the heart, Duke Wei's original intention of promoting talents for the country was good, but he just didn't see the Hou Junji clearly."
Fang Xuanling continued,
"Please don't blame me, Your Majesty, otherwise... no one will dare to recommend talents to the country in the future."
These words made all the officials nod in agreement.
"When a man makes a mistake, a horse makes a mistake!"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Wei simply did not see clearly what Hou Junji is as a person. This is not his fault."
"It makes sense, it makes sense..."
Seeing that all the ministers were excusing Wei Zheng, Li Shimin's expression improved slightly.
"There's no need for punishment. I'm not that narrow-minded."
He looked at Wei Zheng and ordered,
"Now that you have seen it clearly, tell me, how should Hou Junji be tried?"
Wei Zheng was stunned.
There is something mysterious in the emperor's question...
"Well... my opinion is basically the same as that of Dai Zhou. Hou Jun should be killed! But he has a slightly different opinion."
Wei Zheng pondered for a moment and then said,
"Just now a colleague said that merit is merit and mistakes are mistakes. I deeply agree."
"Hou Junji made a mistake, and the only thing waiting for him is the butcher's knife! But his merits cannot be erased, otherwise how can we say 'the merits are clearly divided'?"
Li Shimin nodded.
All the ministers also listened quietly.
"Since he is a capital offender, how should his merit be honored?"
Wei Zheng continued,
"Is it possible that after beheading his entire family, he is given supreme mourning and honor? Isn't this too ironic?"
Everyone: "..."
If that scene really happened, it would definitely make people laugh.
"Military merits bring honor, and His Majesty's greatest gift to them is the hereditary title, which will benefit future generations."
Wei Zheng observed Li Shimin's expression and saw that he was not displeased. He straightened his back and suggested,
"So, Hou Junji's contribution should be honored by his family members!"
"He deserves to die, but his family members should not die or be exiled! Instead, they should continue to live in Chang'an, enjoy the benefits of military merit, and enjoy the favor of the emperor."
"If you can do this, Your Majesty is the most benevolent and kind! Even if it is passed down to future generations, even the sharpest historical critics will never find a problem with Your Majesty, let alone say that you are mean to the heroes! Because everyone with a discerning eye knows it. , you have really done your best to be kind and righteous!"
Snapped! Snapped! Snapped!
"Okay, okay, what Wei Aiqing said is in my heart!"
Li Shimin clapped his hands repeatedly and praised,
"This is a good suggestion that truly considers me and is flawless!"
"It seems clean and tidy when you wipe it with one knife and wipe it with hundreds of knifes, but you haven't put yourself in my shoes! This is where you are inferior to Wei Zheng!"
What does the emperor care about?
It is my holy name for eternity! Preferably the one without flaws!
Li Shimin's reputation has already been "stained", so he is even more demanding - on top of the slight flaws on the white jade, there will never be a second flaw!
"Dai Zhou."
He cast his gaze over.
"I'm here." Dai Zhou responded hurriedly.
"Have the family members of Hou Junji been arrested?" Li Shimin asked.
"Your Majesty, how dare I send people to arrest them before they are convicted? I just surrounded the Duke of Lu's mansion and restricted them from going out."
Dai Zhou responded.
"Well, listen to my instructions."
Li Shimin ordered,
"Lift all bans immediately! Let everyone in Duke Lu's mansion resume normal routines. All customary rights must be maintained without any discrimination."
"Did you hear that?"
"...According to the order." Dai Zhou frowned slightly.
He was a little dissatisfied with the emperor's decision, but in the end he nodded in agreement.
Although he is an upright person, he can actually compromise as long as he does not touch the bottom line.
Where is the bottom line?
The bottom line is - Hou Junji must die!
As long as the emperor does not change this one, he can barely agree with the others.
"Okay, everyone, sit down, everyone, sit down."
Li Shimin smiled and said,
"This is how Hou Junji's matter has been settled. Let's continue the discussion."
"Tang Jian, the booklet you wrote yesterday said..."
He was about to overturn the matter when he saw Dai Zhou suddenly stood up again and asked:
"Your Majesty, since I have been convicted, when will Hou Junji be executed?"
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the emperor actually ignored this key issue, so he must be reminded.
Otherwise, if he keeps putting it off, his death sentence will be delayed forever!
"Are you in a hurry? Dai Qing."
Li Shimin raised his eyebrows and said with a half-smile,
"Hou Junji can't run away. What's the difference if it's earlier or later?"
"Also, has anyone ever told you that I hate being interrupted mid-sentence?"
Although the tone was relaxed, a wave of pressure had already fallen on Dai Zhou's head!
"It is my crime to interrupt His Majesty, please punish me."
Dai Zhou resisted the pressure, looked at Li Shimin with piercing eyes, and said decisively,
"But there must be an exact time for execution. This is the basis for the implementation of the law!"
"For the crime of Hou Junji, he should be executed immediately. There is no need to wait until the autumn! I think that he should be executed at the execution ground together with Zhao Yi, Zhang Cong and others! In this way, it can also serve as the best warning. effect!"
No matter who puts pressure on something he believes in, it won't work!
Beheading is beheading and cannot be delayed!
"Spring is when all things grow and become full of vitality."
Li Shimin said lightly,
"Killing people at this time is not in line with the natural laws of heaven and earth, and I think it is inappropriate."
"Let's wait until autumn! Autumn is a good time to carry out executions. What do you think?"
Dai Zhou's expression changed.
"It's the same death penalty, why does Your Majesty insist on treating it differently?"
he protested.
"We are all going to die, so you have to wait a few months?"
Li Shimin asked back,
"Just think that I remember Hou Junji's hard work for so many years and let him live a little longer, can't you?"
"Besides, the lack of daylight in the prison and the harsh environment make it even more torture for the criminals. This is also a kind of execution, isn't it?"
Seeing the two people confronting each other, Li Daozong hurriedly came out to smooth things over.
"Yes, yes, your Majesty is right."
He continued,
"The so-called death is not terrible, waiting to die is terrible."
"Duke Dai, please stop arguing with His Majesty. Just wait a few more months, until the autumn."
The ministers also tried to persuade him before pressing Dai Zhou down.
"Your Majesty, there is indeed news about the Japanese envoy coming to Tang Dynasty."
Tang Jian stood up and continued,
"The Kingdom of Japan is located to the east of the Tang Dynasty. It is very close to Silla and Baekje. It is an island country with a lack of materials, strong folk customs, and uncivilized..."
…
Xu Guogong Mansion.
On the edge of the backyard pond, Xu Fenglei slowly fell down.
Snap.
After a long time, he just landed the second chess piece.
Snap.
I do not know how long it has been.
"General!"
He laughed and shouted,
"Old Suntou, your chess is too bad, you are no match for me!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Sun Simiao was speechless.
"To call you a scoundrel, you are truly a scoundrel!"
He said dissatisfiedly,
"It's so slow. How can you sincerely try to beat me? I was just inadvertent and you took advantage of it!"
Xu Fenglei grinned happily.
"If you lose, you lose. Don't make so many excuses. The century-old wild ginseng you just dug belongs to me. Don't lie!"
He said shamelessly,
"One more game? I think you still have a lot of good things in your bag!"
With this tactic of defeating the old man, wouldn't Sun Simiao just grab that little treasure back casually?
"Go, go, don't play chess with your kid again!"
Sun Simiao hugged the green bag next to him tightly and said with a vigilant look,
"You defrauded me of all my treasures! They were all picked after hard work over mountains and rivers, and they are priceless!"
Having said that, I hope the bet is still to admit defeat.
I saw Sun Simiao carefully opening the green sac, digging inside, and finally holding a ginseng with full beards and hair, and handed it to Xu Fenglei.
"Here."
He shook the ginseng in his hand and said,
"This is Baishan wild ginseng. It is extremely rare. I originally planned to exchange it for some silver to build a new medical center."
"It's an advantage for you... take it."
"Hehe! Thank you Master Sun." Xu Fenglei reached out to take it, but his claws were knocked off by Sun Simiao's slap.
"Do you understand the rules? How could you handle it like this? This will destroy its roots!"
Sun Simiao scolded,
"Do you know that each hair and beard is a hundred times more valuable than gold?"
"Catch it with both hands!"
Xu Fenglei nodded obediently, cupped his hands together, carefully took the century-old wild ginseng, and observed it carefully.
"So skinny."
He clicked his tongue and said,
"What would happen if I swallowed it in one gulp?"
Ginseng of this level has been harvested for thousands of years and will no longer be available in future generations!
That is to say, it can still be found in the Tang Dynasty.
"Wild ginseng, each has its own characteristics, and this one has very good energy and spirit."
Sun Simiao hummed softly,
"If you swallow it in one gulp, it won't matter. At most, you will die."
Xu Fenglei was shocked.
"Is it that scary?"
He was surprised and said,
"I thought it was just a nosebleed at most..."
Snapped!
Sun Simiao stood up and slapped Xu Fenglei on the head.
"Of course he was beaten to death by me!"
He glared and said,
"If you dare to waste such a good thing, even if I can't kill you, I will poison you to death!"
Xu Fenglei: "..."
So this is the way to die, cough.
"Xiao Qing, come here and store this wild ginseng. No one is allowed to touch it."
He stopped joking and gave instructions instead, saying seriously,
"This is the treasure of my Duke Xu's mansion!"
"In addition, arrange some manpower and money to help Master Sun select a location in two days to see where in Chang'an is suitable for opening a medical clinic."
"Yes." The maid Xiaoqing respectfully held the wild ginseng in her hands and left with cautious steps.
Sun Simiao smiled when he heard this.
"You have a conscience, kid."
He stroked his beard and said,
"To be honest, after traveling all over the world this year, I really have a lot of feelings."
"There are so many sick people in this world, but so few good doctors?"
"With my own strength, even if I can save ten people a day, I can only treat more than 3,000 people a year. But the number of patients is more than 30,000 or 300,000?"
"Alas! There is more than enough heart, but not enough strength!"
Xu Fenglei nodded.
“That’s why I strongly recommend starting a medical school.”
He said,
"How is this child, Lin Xing, doing with her studies?"
Hearing this question, Sun Simiao smiled proudly.
"You are so right in your words. His family's feng shui, the red bird fights with the golden carp, and his descendants will be famous doctors! This little forest guy is so savvy, and he gets started so quickly!"
He praised,
"If this continues, in another twenty years, he will definitely inherit my mantle!"
Xu Fenglei couldn't help but clicked his tongue when he heard this.
"Good guy, if you have a high level of understanding and learn quickly, do you still need to study for another twenty years?"
He held his forehead and said,
"Old Suntou, it's really difficult to pass on your earth-shattering medical skills!"
"Fortunately, I didn't become your apprentice..."
Sun Simiao curled his lips.
"You've been fishing for three days and drying the nets for two days, acting like a fool... Become my apprentice, and I don't want it!"
He hummed softly,
"I now have a disciple named Lin Xing. When the medical school opens in the future, perhaps more good students will emerge."
"When that time comes, just go and cool down!"
"Hahaha!" Xu Fenglei couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, and continued, "That would be the best. I really hope that my three-legged cat's medical skills can be eliminated by the latecomers and be despised. If such a day comes, then the whole world will All patients will no longer have to worry about the disease, let alone die from it."
"We have tens of thousands of doctors who can protect the sick in the world and make them happy!"
Sun Simiao nodded slowly.
"I am also looking forward to such a day."
He said,
"When will the medical school open? Please give me an accurate letter so that I can arrange the time. You know, I can't stay here in Chang'an."
Rather than being complimented by dignitaries, he preferred chatting with mud-legged people in the countryside.
"You want me to give you a confirmation? Then set it on today next year! Then -"
Xu Fenglei stood up and said with bright eyes,
"Medical science will flourish! Medical science will flourish!"
(End of chapter)
