I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 402: Sin yourself? I think one official should take the blame for this matter.

A quarter of an hour later.

Bao Zheng, who had a fair complexion, walked into the Chui Gong Hall with a serious look on his face.

Zhao Zhen, who was sitting on the throne, straightened up instantly, and the officials below also suddenly became nervous.

Bao Zheng handed the case in his hand to the chamberlain beside him.

When the chamberlain handed it to Zhao Zhen and Zhao Zhen looked at him again, he slowly spoke.

"Guan family, five days ago, some people reported that someone had occupied the imperial public house. After I sent people to investigate, I found that not only the public house was occupied, but also people gathered to gamble. The gambling funds were very large, involving houses, maids, carriages, horses, pearls and jade, etc. High-priced items.”

"The gambling place, Hui Residential House in the west of the city, has a special person on guard, and the guard is very tight. I took advantage of the heavy snow last night, and the other party was less vigilant, and took down this gambling den in one fell swoop."

"After investigation, the gamblers involved 13 relatives from the clan, 21 officials from the capital and their relatives, and 46 merchants..."

"The nature of this case is egregious. It ignores the laws of the Song Dynasty and has caused a wave of gambling among the people. It should be severely punished!"

"What's the matter?"

This is the consensus of the relatives and descendants outside the Great Song Dynasty.

"According to the "Song Xingtong", those who play with the property have a hundred sticks, and those who have stolen a lot of stolen goods will each share according to their own needs. They are considered robbers. Those who open casinos will be sentenced to three years."

Bao Zheng's words were well-founded, impartial, clear and clear.

"I also think that we should handle this matter specially and attribute this matter to a family scandal instead of publicizing it as a national scandal!"

……

If you are a dandy, you will be rich all your life; if you fight for power and position, you will be demoted repeatedly.

"Now that special envoys from various countries have come to Bianjing City, making this matter public will definitely hurt the court's face. I suggest that while giving a light punishment, this matter should be treated as a family scandal. You can severely reprimand the relatives and children outside the clan, but you must not inform the entire Song Dynasty. ”

"This huge gambling incident did not happen on an ordinary day, but at the end of the year. The circumstances are somewhat special and the sentence should be light."

In fact, what he wanted to express was that since Taizong, the relatives of the clan in the Song Dynasty deliberately indulged in gambling in order to avoid the emperor's suspicion, and used their lack of ambition to ensure safety.

More importantly, Bao Zheng requested that the spine stick be executed outside Kaifeng Mansion and the entire Song Dynasty be notified.

After Zhao Zhen finished speaking, all the princes looked at Bao Zheng. If Bao Zheng just got off the road, the matter would be solved perfectly.

Bao Zheng took two steps forward and handed over again.

Zhao Zhen nodded in approval.

At this time, Wen Yanbo also stood up.

The spinal cane hits the back, which is heavier than the normal cane punishment.

"I second the proposal. This kind of gambling has always happened. Nowadays, our Song Dynasty has prosperous business and everyone has money. It is inevitable that such situations will occur and they should be treated as special circumstances. If the imperial court wants to completely ban gambling, it will enact policies. That’s it.”

Even Zhao Zhen's gambling with his servants during the ban will be talked about by the people.

Su Liang couldn't help but laugh when he heard the amount of "30,000 yuan".

The face of the relatives outside the Great Song Dynasty will definitely be lost.

After the hall was quiet for a moment, Zhang Fangping stood up.

Bao Zheng added: "But before doing something special, the officials must do something else first."

"When it comes to royal matters, a family scandal is a national scandal. If a moment of ugliness is revealed, the unhealthy tendencies of such gambling can be suppressed. I think it will be of great benefit to the country and the people, so it is worth it."

This is enough to wipe out Zhang Yaozuo's capital, and may even require Concubine Zhang to purchase some more.

The spine cane is twenty or thirty.

Just when Zhao Zhen thought Bao Zheng was about to compromise.

Immediately, Song Xiang stood up.

Wen Yanbo said it very implicitly.

"In addition, this matter has led to unhealthy trends, gambling is indulged in government offices, and the entire scholar-bureaucrat class is also addicted to gambling. I suggest that this matter be notified to the entire Song Dynasty to serve as a warning."

"The store and home affairs are under the Third Division. Wang Yaochen, the envoy of the Third Division, has also committed dereliction of duty. It is recommended that he be punished."

After Zhao Zhen and other officials listened, they couldn't help but fell silent.

"But if an official wants to do something special, I have no right to stop it."

"The Bianjingdian housekeeper responsible for leasing public housing illegally rented it to dignitaries as a gambling venue. The four supervisors, two event officials, and the five marriage officials responsible for Huimin Residence should be dismissed immediately!"

"The organizer of this gambling game is Zhang Yaozuo, a relative. According to the penalty, he should be imprisoned for three years. Considering his old age and official status, it is recommended that the official demote his official position and impose a fine of not less than 30,000 guan."

This way.

"Officially, I think Bao Xueshi's sentence is too harsh."

"After investigating and collecting evidence, I suggest that anyone who participates in gambling should receive a cane ranging from twenty to one hundred. The fine can be reduced, but the cane should not be less than twenty, and the official relatives of the clan should not be less than three. 10. The execution must be carried out outside Kaifeng Mansion so that the whole people can watch and curb such unhealthy trends.”

Although it is not fatal, it can make people unable to get out of bed for at least half a month.

"Guan family, this matter is indeed special. In addition, the relatives and descendants of the clan's gambling are also caused by unintentional fame. Not all gamblers."

Hear this.

They thought that Bao Zheng would be selfless and strictly abide by the laws of the Song Dynasty, but they did not expect that the sentence would be so severe.

"Revise the "Song Xingtong" and mark all matters that can be handled specially in advance. Otherwise, I will not know how to handle the case in the future?"

As soon as these words came out, Zhao Zhen was choked.

"Song Xingtong" is a rigid copy of Taizu's order from Dali Temple, which is issued to the world. The preface specifically states: The power of the Song Dynasty will not be changed.

If he changes "Song Xingtong".

In addition to strong opposition from a group of government officials, unreasonable forced changes will also make people all over the world dissatisfied.

Zhao Zhen looked at the expressionless Bao Zheng, not knowing what to say.

Bao Zheng always discusses things based on facts, without any emotion on his face.

Hard, firm, and reasonable.

This is the most difficult.

At this time.

Zhao Zhen, Wen Yanbo, Zhang Fangping and others all looked at Su Liang.

Su Liang didn't want to stand up.

But when he saw that all the ministers kept winking at him, he stood up and cupped his hands and said: "Officials, I think that what Bachelor Bao said is reasonable, reasonable and legal, and should be implemented!"

As soon as Su Liang's words came out, Zhao Zhen's face turned dark.

For a moment, the palace was very quiet.

Except for Bao Zheng who held out his chest and Su Liang who was smiling, the other ministers lowered their heads.

There is one thing that no one mentioned.

That is, Zhao Zhen also engaged in gambling during the ban.

Once these people are severely punished.

The official's gambling incident will naturally be spread out, which will disgrace not only the faces of the royal family members, but also the official's own face.

"Cough cough!"

Zhao Zhen coughed dryly and said: "Bao Qing, Su Qing, I don't want to violate the "Song Xingtong" and seek selfishness. This matter involves too many relatives and children of the clan, and it is the new year. Once it is made public, where will the royal family's face be?"

"In addition, in my spare time, I occasionally gamble with my servants to entertain myself. I am also at a disadvantage in this matter. If I severely punish my relatives outside the clan, when they see me, they will tell me that I have also been involved in gambling. , how should I answer?”

"There are many people involved in gambling in Bianjing City at the moment. If all of them are really arrested, then all the dignitaries in Bianjing City will spend the New Year in Kaifeng Mansion Prison this year."

"Based on this, I suggest that it be punished as an internal matter of the royal family and no longer publicized to the outside world." Zhao Zhen expressed his thoughts without reservation.

After hearing this, Bao Zheng cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "As an official, I am only responsible for hearing cases with solid evidence. If I catch other people involved in gambling, I will punish them according to the law."

"As for the officials, I am not qualified to impose punishments, but I sincerely ask the officials to establish their own edicts and persuade the people of the world to stop gambling. If we, the Song Dynasty, want to establish a prosperous age and survive for thousands of years, we cannot reverse the law, and the gambling trend cannot be allowed to grow wantonly. !”

Sin yourself.

Hearing these three words, Zhao Zhen's face turned pale.

He said that he was also involved in gambling, hoping that Bao Zheng would handle it as appropriate for the sake of the court's face.

But Bao Zheng asked Zhao Zhen to write down this stain and let it be passed down to future generations.

If it were another emperor.

Hearing such words, he had already become angry.

Zhao Zhen took a long breath, glanced at Wen Yanbo, and said, "You guys can discuss it first. I'll go to the side hall for a sip of tea."

After that, he rolled up his sleeves and left.

The ministers in Zhongshu all looked bitter, and they could not persuade Bao Zheng at all.

Zhang Fangping looked at Su Liang and glared: "Jing Ming, what did you do? Isn't it clear to you which one is more serious?"

"Yes! When this matter comes to an end, the official family will lose face, and the relatives of the clan will lose face. What's the benefit? If we completely ban gambling, we have other ideas to come up with!" Wu Yuye looked at Su Liang and scolded .

The two husbands did not dare to get angry at Bao Zheng, so they could only scold Su Liang for not standing on their side.

in fact.

I still want to say this to Bao Zheng.

Su Liang spread his hands and said, "Everyone, it is indeed Bao Xueshi who is responsible!"

Ouyang Xiu came out and said: "Everyone, I think no matter how this matter is handled, the relatives of the clan will definitely lose face, and the official family will be embarrassed. Since it will be embarrassing no matter what, it is better to keep things official!"

"As for asking the officials to write edicts to accuse themselves, it is really an angry statement. The officials' gambling is just for pleasure. Those people are gambling heavily, and their nature is not certain at all. They cannot make a big deal out of it."

"Making a fuss out of a molehill?"

When Su Liang heard this word, he suddenly had an idea to do the opposite.

...Leaning slightly, Zhao Zhen walked out from behind.

"Let's continue the discussion!"

Su Liang strode out and said with a smile: "Guan family, I have changed my mind."

Zhao Zhen's eyes lit up.

Just now, he had already thought about it. If Bao Zheng still insisted on his opinion, he would transfer the matter to Dali Temple.

Cases involving relatives outside the clan are handled by the Dali Temple.

If Su Liangruo opposed Bao Zheng and gave sufficient reasons, he would be able to transfer the matter to Dali Temple more logically.

All the ministers also looked at Su Liang.

They have become accustomed to Su Liang coming up with clever ideas every time there is a dispute in the court affairs.

"The purpose of handling this matter is not to embarrass the relatives of the clan, nor to embarrass the officials, but to suppress the current trend of gambling."

"I think it is of little use to tell the world that a relative of the clan is having a stick outside Kaifeng Mansion, because it is a fact that the official family is involved in gambling. As long as the people have this excuse, they will inevitably take risks and take advantage of the official family. Things serve as a shield!”

"I suggest that the penalties for relatives of the clan be reduced, the spine staff be cancelled, and only fines can be paid. Then... then the officials will bear all the charges of such gambling habits, write a criminal edict, and issue it to the world!"

"what?"

Hearing this, Zhao Zhen was confused, all the ministers were confused, and even Bao Zheng on the side was confused.

If something goes wrong, let the officials alone take the blame.

This is not the idea that a scholar-bureaucrat came up with.

It is the duty of a minister to embarrass everyone and not to embarrass the official family.

Su Liang's strategy will make things more serious and will go down in history in the future.

"Jing Ming, are you crazy?" Wen Yanbo whispered.

Zhao Zhen looked at Su Liang.

He didn't believe that Su Liang could come up with such a bad idea.

Su Liang continued: "I hope that the official will bear the main crime, write a personal edict, and reduce the charges of those involved in gambling. There are three reasons."

"Firstly, the main reason for the prevalence of gambling in the Song Dynasty is that the laws are lax and the enforcement is not strict. The officials sinned to inform the people of the Song Dynasty that after they sinned, all gambling-related matters will be strictly enforced in accordance with the laws of the Song Dynasty. , This move safeguarded the authority of the Song Dynasty's laws and could also curb the bad habit of gambling to a great extent. "

"Secondly, the officials once made small gambling mistakes, which were spread to the people. They chose to cover it up. Even if they would not enter the history books, they would still be passed down in the mouths of the people. The officials could simply admit it decisively and admit their mistakes, and then they would be saints. What he did. The purpose of writing a criminal edict for a small mistake was for the dignity of the law and for the sake of the people of the Song Dynasty. Such actions will definitely be praised by the people and can wipe away this small stain on the official family."

"Thirdly, the officials will be very grateful if they reduce the charges of relatives in the clan by mitigating their own crimes. If there are still those who are stubborn, the officials can use such people to scare the monkeys. Then no one will dare to intercede!"

"This edict of sin against oneself may seem like sin against oneself, but once it is issued, the official will be praised by the people. A king who has gambled thousands of dollars dares to sin against oneself. Which king in history can do it? And the people will definitely It can be guessed that the officials did this for the sake of the majesty of the law and the happiness and well-being of the people of the Song Dynasty. "

Su Liang solemnly held up his hands and said: "Please blame yourself!"

After Zhao Zhen was stunned for a moment, he burst out laughing.

An edict to sin has turned a bad thing into a good thing. This is truly unprecedented.

But what Su Liang said does make sense.

Emperors of all dynasties issued edicts to punish themselves.

Most of them are caused by disasters such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, and locust plagues that are irresistible to humans.

But this kind of thing is done too much.

The people also feel that it is just a face-saving job, and it is God's fault that it has gone full circle.

But this time, Zhao Zhen admitted a big crime because of a small mistake.

The purpose is to prohibit gambling and to maintain the authority of the law, which is completely different.

Bao Zheng, who had always been expressionless, also showed a smile, and he cupped his hands and said: "Officials, I agree with Jing Ming's policy. Officials have sinned against themselves, but it can cure the problem and maintain the authority of the law. It's so worth it!"

The fundamental difference between Bao Zheng and Zhong Xianggong is whether to maintain the absolute authority of the Song Dynasty's decrees.

In Bao Zheng's eyes.

The laws of the Song Dynasty are the foundation of the Song Dynasty, and no trace of them can be desecrated.

Now Su Liang's strategy directly resolved this difference.

of course.

The officials will definitely lose some face if they blame themselves, but the subsequent feedback from the people will definitely be positive.

Wen Yanbo and others looked at Su Liang in surprise, somewhat dumbfounded.

They would never dare to think about imploring officials to blame themselves for small mistakes, but now that they think about it carefully, it does make sense.

If you sin this time, you will gain a reputation as a virtuous person.

Seeing Zhao Zhen's hesitation, Wen Yanbo immediately stood up and said: "If you feel that you have lost face by committing a crime, I am willing to commit a crime on behalf of Zhongshu Sheng to rectify the authority of the law."

aside.

Wang Yaochen, the Third Chief of Staff, stood up.

"This matter is under the direct control of the Third Division. If the crime is taken by the Third Division, it is also the Third Division. On behalf of the Third Division, I am willing to take the blame myself."

Privy Councilor Di Qing, who had been silent, looked at Su Liang with admiration.

At this moment, he finally understood why Fan Zhongyan said that the scholar's pen was far more powerful than the warrior's sword.

Su Liang solved all the overall problems with one strategy.

Zhongshu and Sansi committed suicide.

It made Zhao Zhen feel like the other party was trying to steal credit from him.

He said solemnly: "Zhongshu and Sansi's self-condemnation is far less effective than my own self-condemnation. I am willing to do it!"

When Zhao Zhen said this, he felt sweet in his heart.

……

the next morning.

Bao Zheng posted a notice in Kaifeng Mansion, announcing the entire process of catching gamblers on a snowy night, including all the names involved.

Although these people were exempted from prison terms with the cane, they still had to be fined money and lost face.

Also.

The Kaifeng Prefecture said: The officials believe that the main fault lies with themselves and the lax implementation of the laws, so they will issue an edict to blame themselves. At the same time, they will eat vegetarian food for seven days and copy scriptures for half a month.

Soon, the sinner edict was issued.

As soon as this edict came out, the entire streets of Kaifeng Prefecture exploded, and the effect was even more explosive than Su Liang imagined.

"Everyone knows that gambling among officials is almost the same as playing with money at home. It's just entertainment. The relatives of the clan are the ones who gamble. Unexpectedly, the officials would lower their status for the sake of the majesty of the law and to rectify the gambling trend. It is unprecedented in the history of the dynasty to write an imperial edict to sin against oneself!"

"What a wise official! In his eyes, the majesty of the law is above all else. He did not hesitate to sacrifice his reputation for the long-term stability of the Song Dynasty. He is truly a sage king!"

"The official guilty himself was forced to have no choice! He could not let gambling rage at an important point in the Song Dynasty's reform. For the sake of the Song Dynasty, he could only bear this crime behind himself. The official made this move Finally, let’s see who dares to make a big bet!”

……

On the streets of Bianjing, countless people praised Zhao Zhen.

If Zhao Zhen chooses to minimize the matter, he may hear the rumors about him gambling under the ban.

The mouths of the common people are enough to call a monarch a coward, and no matter how good the history book is, it will be difficult to clean him up.

At the same time, the envoys from various countries were also confused.

If it were their king, it would be impossible for them to have such a pattern.

If you sin yourself because of gambling, then the other kings will probably be busy sinning themselves every day and have no time to do other things.

South of Bianjing City, next to Longjin Bridge.

Yelu Chongyuan, the king of the Liao Kingdom, was holding a piece of Granny Cao's meat pie, which was delicious.

After being released from the ban, he almost always ate.

There are so many delicacies in the Song Dynasty.

A steamed bun, a meat pie, and a bowl of wontons can make him have endless aftertaste.

When he saw Zhao Zhen's edict of guilt, he couldn't help but sigh: "If I became the Emperor of Liao, I would never be so courageous. I deserve the prosperity of the Song Dynasty!"

……

The back office of Kaifeng Mansion.

An old man with gray hair in a purple robe pointed at Bao Zheng's nose and cursed: "Bao Zheng, you are deliberately making trouble for me. The boys from the Puwang family and the Cao family both have ten thousand guan, so why should you punish me with three thousand guan?" Wan Guan!”

This person was Zhang Yaozuo who was released from prison.

"You are the organizer!" Bao Zheng said expressionlessly.

"I...I have...I just make friends with a lot of people, so I just call them. Don't accuse me randomly! If it weren't for you, how could I retire early? Maybe I've already become the prime minister!"

Bao Zheng continued: "If you are dissatisfied, you can go to the official's house to impeach me!"

Zhang Yaozuo flicked his sleeves.

"The officials are naturally on your side. I can only give you 10,000 yuan, not even a penny more!" Zhang Yaozuo knew that he was being unreasonable, so he wanted to play rogue.

"Then I have no choice but to go and get Concubine Zhang!" Bao Zheng said, "I wonder if Concubine Zhang dares to disobey the Holy Order?"

At the moment, Queen Cao is in great power.

Concubine Zhang is no longer as favored as before, and Zhang Yaozuo does not want to cause trouble for Concubine Zhang.

He thought for a while and said, "I'm going to raise money now!"

After that, he rolled up his sleeves and left.

(End of this chapter)