I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 231 Tell the truth! Su Jingming sheds tears and hangs down the palace hall

In the vertical arch hall.

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but think seriously after reading the survey documents of the households in Gezhai Village.

As the saying goes: A thousand-mile embankment collapses in an ant nest.

Today, Dongming County in Kaifeng Prefecture is an ant nest. It is obvious that there are countless such ant nests in various state capitals in the Song Dynasty.

Su Liang's policy was cruel enough, but it was also a radical cure, but the side effects were equally serious.

Public trial in front of Xuande Gate.

The county magistrate and county magistrate of Dongming County were sentenced to death.

Other local officials will be given three months to make corrections. After three months, they will all be severely punished.

Each of these three combined solutions was ruthless and inviting, and could easily arouse collective opposition from the scholar-bureaucrats.

It is also completely different from the previous punishment scale of the imperial court.

After Zhao Zhen thought for a while, he said: "This case can be tried publicly in front of Xuande Gate, so that everyone in the world can know about it. However, the county magistrate cannot be sentenced to death. Instead, he should be expelled from the county and suspended, and his status should be reduced to a civilian! Then the case will be made public. , spread it to every state, county and town to serve as a warning to others. As for the rhetoric of 'rectification within three months, and then severe punishment', let's abandon it!"

With this change, the aggressiveness of this strategy has been reduced by at least [-]%.

Su Liang couldn't help but stood up again.

"Officials, this... such a change, the punishment is like a dragonfly on the water, it seems not enough to make the low-level officials who deceive the superiors and subordinates panic. During the reform period, special things should be dealt with. Officials who undermined the reform of the entire Song Dynasty in this way should be charged with rebellion. Discuss!"

Zhao Zhen ignored Su Liang, looked at Wen Yanbo and others, and said, "What do the two houses think?"

Wen Yanbo was stunned and quickly said: "I think it is feasible, and I recommend Bao Xueshi to be the chief judge!"

Followed by.

Xia Song also said: "Guan family, this is feasible, and I have no objection."

"The minister waits for the second opinion!"

Except for Ouyang Xiu, Wang Yaochen and Su Liang, everyone else expressed their support.

Su Liang still wanted to speak, but was stopped by Fan Zhongyan.

If others blocked it, Su Liang would definitely ignore it.

In his eyes, if such stubborn diseases are not eradicated, the immunity from military service will definitely be greatly compromised or even fail.

But Fan Zhongyan stopped him, and Su Liang knew that it was useless to argue at this time.

Even if you don't speak anymore.

"Let's end the discussion here today. Su Qing will stay." Zhao Zhen said slowly.

Immediately, the ministers left.

Zhao Zhen and Su Liang were the only ones left in Chui Gong Hall.

When Zhao Zhen saw Su Liang lowering his head and looking downcast, he couldn't help but smile and said, "You must have been holding it back just now. Now tell me what you want to say!"

Su Liang raised his head.

"Officials, this punishment is too light. The exemption law is very important to the reform of the entire Song Dynasty. It determines whether the lives of the people at the bottom are stable. If the bottom is unstable, the effect of the reform will be greatly reduced!"

"I know that our dynasty does not easily kill scholar-bureaucrats, and I also know that the two crimes should not be punished with the death penalty according to the "Song Xingtong". However, the reform is to do something unprecedented. If we are not more decisive and remove hidden diseases, it may cause serious trouble in the future! "

……

Wait for Su Liang to finish speaking.

Zhao Zhen said slowly: "There is nothing wrong with your idea. If I insist on killing those two people, it is not impossible to kill them. It is even possible to depose a group of officials and kill another group of officials later."

"In the name of reform, I do not violate the "Song Xingtong", nor do I act cruelly and murderously, because the people of the world will definitely support it. I can still afford this price."

"Then...then...the official, you..."

Su Liang suddenly didn't understand why Zhao Zhen didn't do that even though he knew everything.

"The reason why I don't kill you is because I don't want the Song Dynasty to lose you, Su Jingming! Have you ever thought that once these people die, you will be stained with the blood of scholar-bureaucrats, which will be difficult to wash away for the rest of your life!"

This policy was proposed by Su Liang, so the officials would naturally hate him.

Su Liang didn't expect that Zhao Zhen was thinking about himself, and his chest immediately puffed up.

"Officials, in order to reform the law, I don't hesitate to be famous, I don't hesitate to hold an official position, and I don't hesitate to be hated by the people in the world. I don't care about these fame, wealth and status!"

"You...your biggest problem is that you don't think about yourself!"

"If because of this incident, more than [-]% of the scholar-bureaucrats and officials in the world are jealous of you! They will try every means to find your flaws, can you really guarantee that you will not make any mistakes?"

"Even if you make no mistakes, someone deliberately slanders you, slanders you, or harms you? Can I send someone to protect you day and night?"

"The whole Song Dynasty's reform can be carried out without anyone, but it can't be done without you, Su Jingming!"

Zhao Zhen walked down from the throne.

"Do you still remember that in order to persuade me to initiate another reform, you said that the Song Dynasty must not change the law, but it needs to be implemented slowly. Now, I am not in a hurry, but you are a little impatient!"

"I don't agree with your suggestion because I don't want to put you on the fire because of this matter. Some problems can be solved slowly. I don't think it is right to ruin your career in order to implement the exemption law better. worth!"

Su Liang couldn't help but feel warm in his heart.

The moment Zhao Zhen ignored him, he even thought that the officials were afraid that he would be too powerful and his achievements would overwhelm the master, so they deliberately alienated him.

Unexpectedly, it was for the sake of his official career.

Officials like this are rare to see in a thousand years.

Su Liang couldn't help but get excited again and said: "In the official family, reform is the most important thing. I'm fine, I can hold on!"

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but glare at Su Liang.

"Can you hold on? If because of this incident, you become a public enemy in the court, and you may be released or demoted in the future, after you die, what will those who hate you say about you and what name will they give you? You don’t care about such a posthumous title?”

The scholar-bureaucrats of the Song Dynasty cared most about their reputation.

Sometimes it is more important than life.

"I don't care, I live with a clear conscience!" Su Liang looked serious. Zhao Zhen was so angry that he wanted to beat Su Liang. He didn't believe there were any weak people in the world.

"Even if you don't care, if you don't think about your son, if you are framed by a group of political enemies after your death and your reputation is ruined, who can help you redress? I can understand you, Fan Gong, Ouyang Xiu, and Bao Zheng can understand you, but By then, we will all be gone, and it will be your son who gets hurt!"

These words suddenly reached Su Liang's heart.

It really shouldn’t be given the bad reputation of being “brutal and murderous”. The history books of later generations may not necessarily be written by who wrote them.

Su Liang didn't want the descendants of the Su family to suffer as a result.

Zhao Zhen saw that Su Liang was touched and said: "As long as it is for the Song Dynasty, even if you poke a hole in the sky, I can help you mend it, but the premise is that you must protect yourself. The Song Dynasty needs you, The future Song Dynasty will also need you, do you understand?"

If the princes of the two governments and three departments heard this, they would definitely wring their thighs with envy.

This sentence "The future Song Dynasty will also need you" almost determined Su Liang's future position as prime minister.

Hearing this, Su Liang's eyes became moist.

He didn't expect that Zhao Zhen would care about him so much.

His career, reputation, family, future, and even his posthumous title were all considered.

This made Su Liang shed tears for the first time in Chui Gong Hall.

Su Liang solemnly raised his hands and said, "Guan family, I understand!"

……

After a while.

Su Liang left Chui Gong Hall with red eyes.

In the corridor not far away.

Fan Zhongyan, Wang Yaochen, Liang Shi, Ouyang Xiu, and Sima Guang were waiting for Su Liang.

Seeing that Su Liang's eyes were red, Ouyang Xiu couldn't help but comfort him: "Jing Ming, it's nothing. Officials have their own plans. I'll just get scolded. Don't take it to heart."

Su Liang rubbed his eyes and suddenly showed a bright smile.

"I think our official family is the best emperor since ancient times. We should work harder when we see a benevolent king. Everyone, I suddenly thought of another strategy. Even if we don't kill two people, it will be as effective as killing two people. I’m taking the first step!”

After saying that, Su Liang strode towards the direction of the Reform Department.

Wang Yaochen said in confusion: "Jing Ming, you won't... be scolded by an official, you'll be crazy!"

"It's possible that Jing Ming has never encountered such a setback before, and he is very proud of himself! How about we go ask a doctor to take a look at him." Sima Guang also said.

"Don't let him think too hard!" Liang Shi also said.

The words fell.

Wang Yaochen, Ouyang Xiu, and Sima Guang all looked worried.

"No." Fan Zhongyan looked at Su Liang's back and said with a smile, "Maybe the officials didn't reprimand Jing Ming at all. Jing Ming's tears were tears of emotion."

"Huh?" The other four people knew everything about it and felt that it was possible.

"Come on, let's take a few steps to see what other good ideas Jing Ming has." After saying that, Fan Zhongyan strode forward.

Wang Yaochen, Liang Shi, and Sima Guang followed closely.

Ouyang Xiu thought for a while and chased after him. He already regarded himself as half a member of the Reform Department.

……

After half an hour.

In the Reform Department, Su Liang handed the memorial he had just written to Fan Zhongyan.

Wang Yaochen, Liang Shi, Ouyang Xiu, and Sima Guang all gathered around.

This memorial is titled: "On the Construction of the Shame-Recognizing Hall and the Post Box Mailbox".

What is the shame museum?

That is to say, choose a place to build the pavilion in the bustling city of Bianjing.

The museum contains the charges, quotations, actions that harmed the people, and financial records of embezzlement by unscrupulous officials.

For example, Wu Nan, the magistrate of Dongming County, could put his scheme of "promoting a lower household to a superior household and demoting an upper household to a lower household" and his pamphlet about Zheng Ge Daya into the shame-conscious hall.

Wu Nan's words, "Solving the problems of the people in Gezhai Village will solve the problems of the people in Gezhai Village" will also be engraved on the wall.

This shame museum will be built and protected by the imperial court and can be visited by people all over the world, with the intention of making it last forever.

The post mailbox is a common people's mailbox set up at the official road post station.

Whenever ordinary people want to file a lawsuit against an official, they can go directly to Bianjing City through this mailbox.

This allows more people in remote areas to bring their grievances to Bianjing without coming to the capital to complain.

"Wonderful! It's really wonderful! Everyone likes to keep their achievements in one room, but this Shame-Aware Hall makes the crimes public to the world. Jing Ming, this is a very high trick!" Ouyang Xiu couldn't help but admire.

The establishment of the Museum of Shame was inspired by Su Liang from Zhao Zhen.

When Zhao Zhen mentioned what posthumous title Su Liang would have after his death, Su Liang realized that the officials in the dynasty were all literati, and they cherished their reputation the most.

The Shame-Recognizing Hall is enough to make a bad official infamy for thousands of years, making his fellow clansmen and relatives unable to hold their heads high.

Its shock effect is more harmful than digging up ancestral graves.

"This post station mailbox is good, but the local government can't control the post soldiers. From now on, it will be difficult for anyone to cover the people's mouths!" Wang Yaochen said excitedly.

They were sure that the officials would agree to this policy.

Privy Councilor Liang Shi looked at Su Liang and said, "Jingming, the food you usually eat or the books you read are different from us. Why do you always come up with such magical strategies? Do you have any tips?"

"Without it, I can only have a smart ear!" Su Liang pointed to his head with a smile.

Hearing this, everyone laughed out loud.

(End of this chapter)