"The Ming Dynasty is short of people, and we are worried about this matter." Lao Zhu frowned slightly. "It's just one code, one code. This is one thing. Those corrupt and stupid officials are another thing."
"Could it be that you want to use the fact that my Ming Dynasty is short of people to persuade us to kill less people?"
"Humph, in our opinion, those corrupt officials cannot be considered human beings at all. Killing one corrupt official will save hundreds of thousands of people! For the sake of the people of Ming Dynasty, we must kill all these corrupt officials!"
"So that the people can reproduce with peace of mind and no longer have to suffer from these people!"
Lao Zhu's words were sinister. His views on corrupt officials had never changed. He was still the same Zhu Chongba who had his parents killed by Yuanting decades ago and was at odds with those corrupt officials. Now that they heard Zhu Su and Zhu Biao begging for mercy for the prisoners, they instinctively felt a little reluctant.
"Corrupt officials are unforgivable! People like Zhao Quande, Li Yu and others, not to mention just beheading their heads and abandoning the market, even if you want to skin them all, my eldest brother and I will raise our hands to support you." Zhu Su said.
"But corrupt officials are corrupt officials, and mediocre officials are mediocre officials. They cannot be confused with each other. Although mediocre officials may also sit idly by and ignore the matter of Kongyin, which makes the matter a big deal, it does not count as using power for personal gain. Punishment is necessary, but if Just like those corrupt officials and the main criminals, all of them were killed. It is inevitable that future generations will say that my punishment in the Ming Dynasty is unclear and the cruelty is too harsh."
"Besides...it's been a year since I told you about the Kongyin case. Haven't you delayed this case for so many days? If those mediocre officials are guilty, you have been sitting on the Kongyin case for a year, isn't it? Are you guilty too?"
"What are we..." Lao Zhu hesitated when he heard this. He was blamed by his own son, which made him quite embarrassed. "Didn't we ask Mao Xiang to collect evidence during this year so that we can definitely catch them all..."
"Is it possible that, like in history, the eradication of corruption is not clean enough and we are going through the same process again and again?"
"Moreover, Hu Weiyong had just been taken care of at that time, and there was indeed a shortage of officials in the court. This allowed these mediocre people to live for one more year..."
"There is a shortage of officials in the court, and it is the same now." Zhu Su said. "Now, our Ming Dynasty has newly restored Yunnan and Liaodong. In the future, we will expand our territory and spread our power outside the territory."
"Which of these places has not been owned by China for a hundred years? They not only need military conquest, but also need continuous education and irrigation with our Chinese culture."
"In fact, education is more important than conquest. Only in this way can we truly transform the desert into summer and become our territory of China. Reading and literacy are not something that can be accomplished in a day. Anyone can achieve something without studying hard for several years. OK. We in the Ming Dynasty are currently short of people and officials. Who are you going to send to teach outside the territory?"
"It's better to just let these mediocre officials go. No matter how mediocre they are, they are still well-educated people and citizens of China. As long as one or two barbarians outside the territory can be educated to recognize our Ming Dynasty, then it will be considered a gain for our Ming Dynasty."
"Isn't it more appropriate to let them suffer outside the territory and continue to contribute to our Ming Dynasty than to kill them with a single sword?"
Lao Zhu frowned and thought deeply. Seeing Lao Zhu's hesitation, Zhu Biao also struck while the iron was hot: "Dad, what the fifth brother said is right."
"'Everything is for the interests of Ming Dynasty'!"
Zhu Biao's words made the balance in Lao Zhu's heart tilt instantly. In the end, his position as the emperor prevailed. Lao Zhu finally nodded and said: "...Okay, in that case, let's pinch our noses and let him go. Let go of those mediocre officials."
He thought for a while, and then added: "If the corrupt officials involved are not spared, then all the nine tribes that were originally punished will be distributed. After all, they are also our Chinese people, even if they are criminals, they are better than those from outside the territory. Those barbarians are so much better."
"Father, Holy Ming!" Zhu Biao and Zhu Su looked at each other and said to Lao Zhu at the same time.
When Old Zhu let go, Zhu Su felt that everyone was very happy. The population of the Ming Dynasty is now extremely short. If Lao Zhu is allowed to start a major case and execute tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, it will be an unbearable pain for the Chinese nation. It is better to let these people exert their last remaining energy for future generations. Even if they go to labor reform and work as coolies, it is much better than killing them directly with a knife.
Zhu Su left the palace gate and parked beside the carriage at the door. Fang Xiaoru was like an ant on a hot pot, circling around anxiously. Seeing Zhu Su come out with a happy face, he felt relieved and asked expectantly: "Master, I wonder if my father..."
"Don't worry. My father has issued an imperial edict. As long as there is no corruption, you can be exempted from the death penalty to show the difference from the main criminal."
"However, you will still be punished for turning a blind eye to the matter of Kong Yin. Resignation and punishment with a cane are unavoidable. In the future, you will also be sent to other areas to serve as a solid border for the Ming Dynasty. This is already the most lenient treatment."
Zhu Su looked at Fang Xiaoru apologetically.
Fang Xiaoru listened carefully, tears welling up in her eyes. "Being able to save my father's life is already a great favor from the Emperor! Disciple... no, ordinary people, ordinary people have thanked His Majesty for His grace!" He knelt down and kowtowed several times in the direction of the palace.
Zhu Su was filled with emotion when he saw it. Fang Xiaoru's father was Fang Keqin, the prefect of Jining. He was one of the most controversial officials among the officials involved in the empty seal case.
Fang Keqin was a diligent and frugal person. When he was the prefect of Jining, he would not even accept a glass of water from the people every time he visited the counties. Although he is pedantic, he adheres to Confucian ethics and his virtue is highly respected by the people.
But after all, he had no extraordinary talent, did not see the disadvantages of the empty seal, and did not discover that his subordinate officials were using the empty seal for personal gain. Therefore, he was implicated and was arrested and imprisoned.
Like Zheng Shili's brother Zheng Shiyuan, they are both honest officials who are virtuous but have little ability. They failed to find out what their subordinates were doing with Kongyin, so they were implicated.
Lao Zhu was not wrong when he said they were "mediocre officials".
"If you think about it tomorrow, the imperial edict will be sent to Jinyiwei's prison." Zhu Su got on the carriage and asked Fang Xiaoru to sit down together. "When the time comes, you can take your father to the master's residence and rest in peace for a few days. Next, he may be sent to Yunnan or Liaodong."
"Although he can no longer serve as an official, if the imperial court wants to expand its territory, it still needs to use literati like him to educate the barbarian people."
"This is also the cornerstone of my Ming Dynasty. In my opinion, it is even more meaningful than being a court official."
Fang Xiaoru naturally knew Zhu Su's proposition and nodded after hearing the words. "Thank you for your kindness, Master. I will definitely convince my father to study and learn new things, so that I can spread teachings for our great Ming Dynasty."
"Actually, my disciple has noticed over the years that my father and son are not suitable to be officials at all." Fang Xiaoru said this with a wry smile. "A disciple with a personality like his father's is only suitable for studying knowledge and being a gentleman. If he is an official, he may fall into the nerd's disease at some point and bring disaster to the country and the people."
"Resigning from office is also a good thing for my father. At least he will no longer have to suffer for the people under his command because he doesn't know what's going on."
This incident actually made Fang Xiaoru realize himself, and Zhu Su had a strange look in his eyes. His evaluation of his father and son was indeed accurate, but Fang Keqin was not bad. Fang Xiaoru became one of the "Three Idiots" most trusted by Emperor Jianwen in history. He encouraged Emperor Jianwen to "restore the ancient system", not to mention wasting people and money. , in the end, even the emperor lost his throne due to the repeated suggestions made by these three cobblers.
He is indeed not a high-ranking official.
Let’s just keep studying.
"Xizhi, I have something to entrust to you." Zhu Su remembered something, so he sat up straight and said to Fang Xiaoru. Fang Xiaoru immediately listened respectfully, and only heard Zhu Su say:
"I want you to prepare the newspaper office of our Imperial College, and use the newspaper to be the mouthpiece of scholars and spread new learning ideas."
"In the future, this newspaper will definitely be the first place where new learning and old learning will fight. You are academically solid and good at debate, so you can be the first editor-in-chief of this newspaper. What do you think?"
(End of chapter)
