Hai Rui was able to appear here because of his rich experience in handling cases. Over the years, he has seen too many strange officials during the trial of cases in the Circuit Court, and many of them were extremely daring.
Hong Yingming investigated the murder of Ma Wenying, and the Nanjing Daily office was burned down; Ma Junxian was almost silenced after leaving the circuit court. Based on these information, Hai Rui concluded that there was a big problem in Zhejiang.
But without any specific clues, Hai Rui didn't have any good ideas. Inspector Zhang Wenxi has been conducting a thorough inspection of Daying Warehouse in Hangzhou these days, but has not found any problems with the accounts of Ma Wenying, the warehouse ambassador. It was not until the case of "Martyr Ma Wenying" that the issue of Zhejiang's military garrison was exposed from another angle.
At this time, the military reform of the imperial court has not yet been completely completed, and the local garrison is still under the command of the governor. Wu Shanyan cannot escape the blame for the "Martyr Ma Wenying" case. Hai Rui hesitated again and again, but still used his authority to send a direct message to Zhu Yijun.
To ensure completeness, he also sent a brief letter to Zhang Juzheng at his own expense. In order to explain the matter clearly, he still spent more than four hundred taels even though he tried his best to compress it. Fortunately, after the reform of Huo Xiao Gui Gong, Hai Rui's salary increased greatly, otherwise he wouldn't be able to get the money even if he were killed.
In fact, the money was spent unjustly. As long as Hai Rui, a poor official, casually sent a few words to Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Juzheng would know the seriousness of the matter based on his judgment of Hai Rui's integrity and assets.
After the memorial and the letter arrived in Beijing at the same time, they indeed attracted the attention of Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng. Zhu Yijun was extremely sensitive to military reform. The issue mentioned in Hai Rui's memorial that some people were pretending to be martyrs and falsely receiving farm wages must be investigated to the end.
After Hai Rui became the Minister of Dali Temple in Nanjing, he seldom used his silver medal to greet him directly like other high-ranking officials. His memorials must have something to say, and he can solve policy problems every time. However, due to the tightness of the optical telegraph line, Hai Rui never used the optical telegraph to play music. Now, uncharacteristically, the use of light newspapers shows that Zhejiang's problems have reached a point where there is no need to delay.
But the imperial court, like Hai Rui, didn't know much about Zhejiang's problems. In the past few years, the Security Bureau had no information about any changes in Zhejiang. Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng discussed it and decided that no matter what happened in Zhejiang, there must be something wrong with Wu Shanyan, the highest official. Therefore, the best solution was to suspend him immediately and let a decisive official take over and cooperate with the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Dig out the root causes of Zhejiang’s problems.
Zhang Jiayin is Zhang Juzheng's loyal supporter, and her official position has steadily risen to the third rank over the years. He was decisive in killing and had a cruel style. He was the one who hunted and killed the great hero Shao Fang who had regained his position in the past. After Zhang Juzheng recommended him to Zhu Yijun, Zhu Yijun also felt that this person was suitable, so he issued the imperial edict of "Guang Bao".
At the end of February, there was a stir in the camps around Hangzhou, and Hai Rui also got the news. He didn't know any officials he particularly trusted in Hangzhou, so he couldn't grasp the inside information and could only be anxious.
Starting from the end of February, he sent several groups of people to the Guangbao Bureau to inquire whether the imperial court had any edicts for him. As a result, the Guangbao did not receive it, and Zhang Jiayin, the minister of the Nanjing Ministry of War, arrived at his residence first.
Hai Rui asked him where he came from, and Zhang Jiayin smiled and said: "The Prime Minister sent me a message two days ago, asking me to come to you to receive the order. He said that since he will succeed Wu Shanyan, the order should be coming soon." Hai Rui was overjoyed and will Tell everything you know about the situation.
On the second day of March, when he heard that the soldiers from the camp had left the camp to lodge a complaint at the Yi Zheng Hotel, Hai Rui knew that Wu Shanyan had already taken action. Like Zhang Jiayin, he couldn't do anything without an edict. In desperation, the two officials went directly to the Guangbo Bureau to wait.
Fortunately, at ten o'clock that day, the imperial edict passed through the heavy fog in Beizhili and arrived at the Hangzhou Guangbao Bureau. Due to the urgent matter, Hai Rui and Zhang Jiayin were afraid that something might happen to Zhang Wenxi, so they immediately rode straight ahead and finally captured Wu Shanyan.
...
Although Zhang Jiayin is anxious, the procedures for taking over the high-ranking official's seal are complicated, the most important of which is to sort out the yamen's accounts, otherwise the successor will have to deal with the old debts of his predecessor.
Although Zhang Jiayin and his staff worked overtime, but without Wu Shanyan's cooperation, it was already the fifth day of March by the time he checked the governor's Yamen accounts and received the seal.
At this time, Hai Rui and the other three people had time to sit and drink tea and figure out the ins and outs together.
After the exchange of information they had learned, Hai Rui said with lingering fear: "I didn't expect Wu Shanyan would dare to be so cruel. Fortunately, Nianhua was smart, otherwise it would have been too late by the time Governor Zhang and I left."
Zhang Wenxi also felt that his performance was extraordinary these days. Hearing this, he laughed and said: "This Wu Shanyan can't think about things. Now that the Holy Emperor is in power, he just used the mutiny to kill me, and how can he still hide it? The patrol officer died in the mutiny. He At least he has to go to jail - even if the leader can be saved, he will be in jail."
Hai Rui and Zhang Jiayin looked at each other, and Zhang Jiayin gritted his teeth and said, "In this case, if Wu Shanyan's crimes are exposed, the consequences will be much more serious than triggering a mutiny! I don't know what he is hiding. It's a pity that I was not authorized to do so in the edict. The right to interrogate Wu Shanyan..."
After hearing this, Hai Rui smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. The imperial court issued a new edict yesterday, and there are new rules for how officials should be treated."
Zhang Jiayin asked confused: "Why didn't I receive it?"
Hai Rui smiled and said, "It was Zhang Jiangling who sent me the message first. He wanted me to interpret the edict for you. There are too many words in the official edict, so there is no way to report it. It will take another five or six days to arrive."
"The Prime Minister's letter was also brief, but I understood it immediately. This edict is referred to as 'Shuanggui', and requires officials to explain the issues involved in the case at a specified time and place - in other words, it is called isolation review!" "
...
The "Edict on the Isolation and Examination of Officials from Kankan" had been brewing in the imperial court for a long time, and was finally triggered by the case of martyr Ma Wenying in Zhejiang Province. After it was released in Beijing, it was sent to Hangzhou by express means.
The system of "punishment cannot be punished" comes from the "Book of Rites". It is a governing idea of ruling the country by virtue in the feudal dynasty. Its core idea is "to set up integrity, shame, etiquette and justice to treat its ministers, but the ministers do not repay them with integrity." , then they are not human.” At the same time, this system also maintains the integrity of the superstructure and helps to fool the people.
As for the etiquette system of "not punishing the official", all dynasties have taken specific measures to protect it. For example, when Emperor Wei Ming formulated the "New Code", for the first time, he formally wrote "relatives, virtuous people, meritorious service, diligent guests" into the code of law, so that the judicial privileges of feudal aristocrats and bureaucrats were openly, clearly and strictly protected. From this time to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the "Eight Discussions" became an important system in the legal codes of later generations and remained unchanged for more than 1,600 years.
After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Taizu also tried to discuss the etiquette of treating ministers with his ministers. Taishi ordered Liu Ji to say to him: "In ancient times, when officials were guilty, they usually committed suicide and never easily imposed humiliating punishments. The purpose was to save the ministers." "In ancient times, the principle of not punishing officials was applied to encourage the formation of integrity. If this can be done, the kindness and courtesy between the monarch and his ministers can be realized." Zhu Yuanzhang deeply believed in this.
Although the later emperors of the Ming Dynasty often used rods on ministers, there was no such thing as "courteous treatment of ministers". However, in judicial practice, officials are indeed given obvious preferential treatment. One of the most hindering judicial investigations is that officials cannot be easily interrogated when the crime is not clear-except when the emperor orders a prison sentence.
However, as a special system outside the country's formal legal system, the prerequisite for its reasonable functioning is not based on a certain system, but the will of the power holders and exercisers, so it has a strong Attributes of human rule.
Because of this, the possible rationality of the "Prison and Prison" system itself will be greatly reduced or even disappear due to the personal selfishness of those in power, and even transform into a tool for self-fulfillment of selfish desires; once the monarch is fatuous and the powerful ministers When in power, those in power often use the name of "prison" to vent their personal anger, show off their power, and attack dissidents, causing endless harm.
The "Edict Prison" of the Ming Dynasty, also known as the "Jinyi Prison", has caused countless unjust cases. Although from the emperor's point of view, Zhu Yijun felt that this system was very convenient to use, but after having children, he often considered the problem of a weak emperor in his descendants. Therefore, after the assassination of Zhang Wenming, he did not continue to use imperial edicts.
Last year, after years of experience in circuit courts, Hai Rui, the first legal expert in the Ming Dynasty, wrote a memorial in which he lamented the disadvantages of imperial prison and hoped that Zhu Yijun would permanently abolish the imperial prison system from the legislative level. His sincere words moved Zhu Yijun:
"The method of building a perfect foundation has three feet. However, people who dance and write skillfully and slander, and officials whose songs are astonishing, still have their hands high and low, with the weight in mind, forging and polishing, without using spiritual control. What's more, there are many The net was opened, and the imperial edict was opened. The officials could not discuss it, and the court officials did not hear their opinions. Things were done in the hands of close ministers, and there are two or three gates in the law! This is the master who shows the world that he is selfish and has a big handle, so he is lost and in chaos. The origin of life." [Note]
In Hai Rui's memorial, Zhu Yijun knew the answer. He did not give an affirmative answer at that time, but the idea of abolition of the imperial edict was firm: only after a system that can partially replace the function of the imperial edict is established can the imperial edict system be abolished. time, otherwise it would be difficult to break through the obstacles to judicial practice brought about by the etiquette system of "not punishing a doctor".
As a middle-level cadre in his previous life, Zhu Yijun was familiar with the isolation and review measures, and he had also watched many documentaries about heroes reforming at Shuanggui locations and turning from ghosts into humans again. At that time, he would have wondered why these people repented from the bottom of their hearts without being punished?
With this question in mind, he communicated with the personnel of the supervisory department at that time, and learned about some methods, which were used in the newly issued edicts of the imperial court. After the edict was finalized, the Metropolitan Procuratorate and other ministries submitted two more rounds of revision opinions.
When Wu Shanyan's case happened, the court promulgated it, and Wu Shanyan was fortunate to be the first high-ranking official in this time and space to be "double-regulated".
On March 10, the edict was issued to Hangzhou. At the same time, the document appointing Zhang Wenxi as the leader of Wu Shanyan's investigation team from the Metropolitan Procuratorate also arrived.
On March 11, in a villa by the West Lake in Hangzhou, Wu Shanyan faced a table and the Four Treasures of the Study, and sneered at Zhang Wenxi: "Stop talking nonsense, what do you want me to write?"
Zhang Wenxi smiled warmly and said: "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Wu. What's the policy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate? It's just four words: cure the disease and save the patient. As the saying goes, if something is wrong, change it, if not, encourage it. Just write down those things during your years as an official. You made a mistake - it's a self-report. Well, let's review and understand, it's almost the same as that. No matter what you write, we will verify it. If it is correct, you will be reinstated, right?"
"Think about it: Governor Zhang Jiayin and Chief Secretary Cai Guoxi were both suspended for investigation, but they were still good officials after investigation! Aren't they still good officials now?"
Wu Shanyan sneered and picked up the brush, and the brush moved like a dragon and a snake: "The breeze is blowing with both sleeves facing the sky, so as not to make Lu Yan short and long."
Zhang Wenxi read it and said: "Well, I am also new to this review process. Let's go over the details together with my brother - Mr. Wu's handwriting is good, keep going, keep going."
On the second day, Wu Shanyan, who had not slept all night, continued to write "Song of Lime" and "Song of Righteousness" countless times.
On the third day, Wu Shanyan, who had not slept for two nights, was inspired by Zhang Wenxi and began to write his autobiography. I started writing when I was a child, fishing and catching shrimps. I wrote about my elderly mother, smart son and daughter, and the happy time with them.
On the fourth day, Wu Shanyan, who had slept for two hours in three days, wrote about the concubine he married last year. He described her as a flower-like woman who was considerate and considerate. She also made up a little order using Hunjiangjiang’s head, Zhang Wenxi added chicken legs.
.........
On the sixth day, Zhang Wenxi brought over a copy of the private complaint filed by Gong, a member of the Nanjing Ministry of War, and showed Wu Shanyan Gong's autograph. Rubbing his hands, he said: "Hey, brother, your situation is not good. This Gong Zhiqiang is pouring beans out of the bamboo tube. Hey! It's all on your head. This is very suspected of false accusation."
On the seventh day, the private complaint of the concubine who was praised endlessly by Wu Shanyan was also brought in. Zhang Wenxi rubbed his hands and said: "Brother, we have verified it. Of course, your wife Ru is specially taken care of by her mother-in-law. I didn't even look at my brother. This is not good. She said there are many people in your house. All your wealth has been swept away by your third wife. This won’t work. I have already sent people to arrest the third wife. She probably hasn’t left Zhejiang yet. Look, look at what happened..."
...
On March 25, Zhang Wenxi: "Wu Shanyan, you haven't fully understood your mistakes! You still have a sense of luck! Weng Dali and Weng Shangshu can't protect you! He was isolated for review yesterday. I advise you to recognize the situation clearly. ——Please note that your private complaint and attitude of admitting your mistake will be used as the basis for your future sentencing! You must think carefully and don’t make a mistake!”
Wu Shanyan: "..."
...
By the end of March, Zhang Wenxi took the final draft of Wu Shanyan's private complaint and said with a sad face: "Brother, looking at what you told me, this is enough to kill seven or eight times. If you don't want to break into the house and ransack the house, you have to commit meritorious deeds! Think about it! Think about it, compare it with the list I gave you, are there any accomplices who have not yet been confessed? I promise, from today on, if you confess one, I will record your meritorious service - if you do it well, you will not have to die. Brother , listen to my brother’s advice, I am doing this for your own good. After all, we are both officials in Zhejiang, so we can be considered fellow villagers.”
Wu Shanyan cried and said: "I have already confessed everything. If I write it again, it will be a false accusation, and the sin will be even greater. I was wrong, I was wrong, I am sorry for the emperor, and I am sorry for the people's wealth and support I have received over the years. Brother, I want to die - yes Brother, please give me a good time."
.......
