I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 781 Hai Rui wants to clip his own wings

Hai Rui pondered for more than ten seconds and then spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty trusts me, and does not regard me as dull and pedantic. He is willing to entrust me with the important task of the Censorate. I am grateful and terrified.

But the emperor knows my character. I will do my best to contribute to the well-being of the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world.

During the first month of the year, I received a letter from the Emperor, and learned that he wanted me to take charge of the Censorate. I then began to think carefully about how to do my job well as Chief Censor.

The Chief Censor was in charge of the Censorate, which was divided into the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Court of Justice, which were responsible for supervision and interrogation. The Censorate was decentralized to the provinces, with the Ancha Si, which was also divided into the Supervisory Office and the Court of Justice. The Ancha Zuoyoushi were in charge of local supervision and interrogation.

During the years I have been in Suzhou, I have felt that the Censorate is a very awkward office. It is clearly two offices with completely unrelated responsibilities, yet they have been forced together.

Since they were together, sometimes when they were short of manpower, the Supervisory Office and the Court of Justice would transfer personnel to each other. When the Court of Justice was short of prosecutors, it would ask the Supervisory Office to transfer people over, and the censors would suddenly become prosecutors.

The prosecutor of the Siliyuan was not satisfied with his job and felt that he had no future, so he tried every means to be transferred to the Supervisory Office to become a powerful censor.

What's more, everyone believed that the prosecutors, prosecutors and censors were three combined into one, and they could interchange positions. The Procuratorate and the Court were nominally under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Department of the Provincial Government, but the Criminal Department rarely managed it. Due to its duties, the Procuratorate and the Court were more closely connected with the Court of Justice, and thus had a good relationship with the Supervisory Office, and were almost combined with the Provincial Procuratorate.

But can these three be interchanged? Absolutely not! There will be big mistakes!
In the Yang Kaitai case, the judicial officers of the Yangzhou County Procuratorate and Court and the Court of Justice were incompetent. One of the important reasons was the failure to distinguish between supervision, justice, prosecution and law.

The prosecutors and prosecutors presiding over this case still follow the style of the former censors.

If I say you are guilty, you are guilty. If you want to escape the guilt, find evidence yourself. If you can't find evidence, it proves that we are right and you are guilty!

This kind of censor's style of making groundless accusations and calling a horse a zebra has left a great legacy!"

Hai Rui's voice is not loud, but it is full of energy!

"Can prosecutors and judges conduct investigations and trials in this way? Definitely not!
Whoever makes the claim must provide evidence.

If the procuratorate and the court want to prosecute a criminal, they must find sufficient and conclusive evidence, including witnesses and physical evidence, which must corroborate each other to form a complete and convincing chain of evidence. These must be listed in court during the prosecution and submitted to the prosecutor for review and verification.

At the same time, the defense is responsible for finding loopholes in the evidence of the prosecutor and judge, proving that the evidence is flawed and invalid, thereby verifying that the defendant is innocent. Instead of asking the defense and the defendant to find evidence to prove his innocence!
Prove your innocence!

I am innocent to begin with, why should I prove myself?

Could it be that if I, Hai Rui, dislike someone, point at him and call him a corrupt official, saying that he is corrupt and that he is corrupt because he embezzles money, perverts the law, and commits corruption for personal gain, then he is a corrupt official? Then he must find evidence to prove that he is not a corrupt official. Otherwise, I will make his words become law, and he will become a corrupt official and be brought to justice?"

When Hai Rui spoke excitedly and angrily, his goatee twitched.

In those days, he was often criticized by some imperial censors.

These censors stood on the moral high ground, claiming to be the embodiment of justice. They criticized Hai Rui for taking a concubine, saying that Hai Rui was a hypocrite and that his fairness, integrity and devotion to the country and the people were all pretended, and that he was actually a lustful and greedy villain.

They even made up the story of Hai Rui killing his daughter with a cake.

The censor's words were groundless, but his few words were enough to kill people without anyone noticing. He wished he could press Hai Rui into a stinking pit of mud and stomp on him so hard that he would never be able to get up again.

In fact, these censors were nothing more than lackeys of certain aristocratic and powerful families. After Hai Rui upheld justice and severely punished these aristocratic and powerful families, they jumped out and tried every means to avenge their benefactors.

Zhu Yijun felt Hai Rui's anger.

These censors who were supposed to uphold justice and suppress the strong and support the weak, now that their butts are so crooked, how can they uphold justice for the common people?

Zhu Yijun knew that Hai Rui did have flaws. He was foolishly filial to his mother, but strict and harsh to his wives, concubines and children.

Hai Rui lost his father when he was young, and was raised by his mother with great difficulty. His upright character today was cultivated by his mother.

Hai Rui was harsh to his wives, concubines and children, which was indeed inhumane and eye-catching. But it was better than indulging his wives, concubines and children and letting them do evil by relying on their power, like Yan Song and Xu Jie!

Hai Rui was ruthless to his wives, concubines and children, and even more harsh to himself, but he was extremely filial to his mother, loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and had great love for the people.

Isn't this enough?
Zhu Yijun said, "I understand that Lord Hai is angry. These bastard censors are judging you by their own standards. They only have selfish love in their hearts and do not understand Lord Hai's great loyalty, filial piety and love at all."

Hai Rui's eyes instantly turned red. He stood up and respectfully bowed with his arms folded. "I have no regrets even if I die to pieces, for hearing your words, Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun waved his hand, and Qi Yan hurried forward to support Hai Rui.

"Mr. Hai has his loving mother, the Ming Dynasty, and the people of the world in his heart, but not himself, his wife, children, and grandchildren. Mr. Hai, you have worked hard for the Ming Dynasty and the people of the world, and you have sacrificed yourself for them, but I cannot be so heartless."

Hai Rui said with tears in his eyes: "Over the years, the emperor has treated my mother, wife and children like family members, and he sends people to inquire about their well-being and their clothing and food every month.

In the first year of the Wanli reign, my mother suddenly fell ill, and the emperor immediately invited the imperial physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau to treat her. Before her death, my mother held my old minister's hand and gave me earnest instructions.

You have received great favors from Emperor Shizong, Emperor Shenzong and the current emperor. You can only repay them by sacrificing your life and serving the country with all your heart."

Zhu Yijun stood up and helped the sobbing Hai Rui back to his seat, then took the towel wrung out in warm water from Qi Yan and presented it to Hai Rui, saying with red eyes.

"Mr. Hai, you are the loyal subject that Grandfather Emperor left for me. When I see you, I will remember Grandfather Emperor's eager expectations of me."

Hai Rui took the towel, held it with both hands, buried his whole face in the towel, and cried painfully.

The voice was like a complaint, echoing sadly in the room.

After more than a minute, Hai Rui raised his head. The wrinkles and age spots on his face were full of determination. He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, let's continue talking about the Censorate."

"Okay!" Zhu Yijun sat back in his chair and answered cheerfully, "Faced with this mess, does Hai Gong think it's time to change?"

Hai Rui said firmly: "Splitting up!"

"spin off?"

"Yes. The Censorate is in name only and can be abolished. The Siliyuan can be separated from the Central Censorate and the local Censorate and become a separate institution, or it can be registered under the name of the Dali Temple.

It may not be in a high position, but it must operate independently, neutrally and impartially, without being influenced or constrained.

Not only is it not influenced or restricted by other government offices, but it also has as little influence and restriction as possible from superiors and subordinates.

For example, according to the rules, general civil cases are heard by the county court, and the higher courts are not allowed to interfere from the beginning to the end of the trial. Only after the lower court has finished the trial, the higher court will review and re-examine it. The Dali Temple is the highest court, but its jurisdiction and influence over the courts at all levels from top to bottom is not exerted through administrative means such as instructions, but through the review of cases, the final ruling of major cases and the approval of the death penalty, to ensure the independence and fairness of the judicial process of trial. "

Zhu Yijun nodded, "I roughly understand what Lord Hai meant.

The Siliyuan will be independent, with the Central Siliyuan concurrently managed by the Dali Temple, and the local Siliyuan separated from the Ancha Si and no longer related to it. The three provincial magistrates and the governors are strictly prohibited from interfering, to ensure that it operates independently and impartially.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun nodded, "Well, when I first established the Siliyuan, I thought of separating it out. But at that time there were not many legal officials, and the manpower was tight. Moreover, this was a brand new official system that needed to be established from scratch.

In order to facilitate the mobilization of manpower and build it as quickly as possible, I thought over and over again and decided to merge the Siliyuan and the Duchayuan together. I want to use the resources of the Duchayuan and the Anchasi to first build the skeleton of the Siliyuan, and then separate it when the time is right.

Now as Lord Hai said, it is indeed time to separate the family."

Since the emperor had already had this idea, Hai Rui felt relieved.

"Your Majesty is wise. The Court of Justice is an important part of the rule of law. As Your Majesty said when it was established, it is the last guarantee of the laws of the Ming Dynasty. It is of the utmost importance and cannot be lost.

If we want it to become a platform that everyone can recognize as a way to solve problems and resolve conflicts, it must be authoritative enough. The authority of the Court of Justice comes from its neutrality and fairness.

Being impartial is the middle way, and adhering to principles is the foundation. Only when a tree follows the rope can it be straight, and the law is the standard. Only when you are selfless and fair can you be just. Fairness and uprightness are the first principles of governing a country.

Only by adhering to neutrality and impartiality, and accumulating strength over time, can the authority of the Court of Justice be established. "

Zhu Yijun nodded happily: "Mr. Hai is the most upright minister in the Ming Dynasty. I believe you can make the Siliyuan a model of neutrality and fairness.

How is the Censorate divided?"

"Your Majesty, the practice of the Censors of the Censorate impeaching people upon hearing rumors can be stopped.

Since it is responsible for impeaching officials and maintaining official discipline, it should establish a supervisory system. For example, it can fully absorb the supervisory system of the Shaofujian, such as pre-employment background checks, pre-leaving reviews, and acceptance of reports and investigations.

In the past, people always said that a gentleman is a virtuous person, and reporting is the act of a villain, so reporting is not encouraged. But after a hundred years, there are a bunch of hypocrites in the government and the country, who are worse than those real villains!

I have held many positions and served in Suzhou for several years. I have come to realize that morality can only be used in daily education to make officials feel ashamed and self-aware.

However, in order to prevent officials from being corrupt, we still need to rely on strict laws and severe punishments.

The emperor is benevolent and considerate of all officials. He provides generous salaries and additional allowances. Officials at the central and local levels have no worries about food and clothing, and all have more than enough. That is all the more reason for the national law to punish them severely. "

Hai Rui had a dignified look on his face, and his beard twitched as he spoke.

"The Metropolitan Censorate has set up a central inspection office to supervise the six ministries and temples of the cabinet, the five military governors' offices and general offices of the military government, and the three provincial governors; the local governments continue to use the Censorate to supervise the local governments and investigate officials. The counties are divided into inspection bureaus.

Before taking office, officials in provincial, county and yamen must undergo background checks by the Censorate and the Supervisory Bureau to ensure that they do not take office while ill.

Before leaving a job, whether for promotion, transfer or retirement, a review must be conducted. The accounts of the department in charge must be clear, the projects must be clear, and the achievements must be solid.

We implement the joint responsibility and retrospective investigation system. We are not afraid of problems or mistakes. What we are afraid of is that we will be indifferent when problems occur, and will not correct our mistakes when we have done them! "

At this point, Hai Rui glanced at Zhu Yijun and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, I think it is a good move to appoint governors in each province to exercise supervisory power.

The power of local administration should be both divided and unified. The power of civil administration, supervision and military preparation should be divided among the three departments of provincial administration, provincial inspection and military preparation.

The combination requires someone to supervise the three departments, coordinate and improve administrative efficiency.

The governor is the person who takes on this responsibility. However, after serving in Suzhou for several years, I feel that the governor's power is still too light. The governor does not need to be involved in the prosecution and law, and cannot interfere.

But the governor must be in charge of the provincial government and the official discipline inspection.

The Chief Secretary mostly stands on the local standpoint, and many of the decisions and measures he makes are for the local area. He does not consider whether there is money in the treasury, nor does he think about whether it will have an impact on neighboring provinces.

The emperor often said that the whole country was like a chessboard, and the governors were busy playing chess, only focusing on the interests under their noses. The governors could not do that, as they were usually court officials or even advisors, and participated in the decision-making and discussion of national policies.

He must stand at a higher level to look at the governance decisions and measures of the provincial governor, urge the governor to resolutely implement the central government's decisions, and balance the interests of the central and local governments.

This is what the governor should do, and what he must do.”

Zhu Yijun laughed loudly: "Mr. Hai has really gained experience as the governor of Jiangsu. You said these very well, and I understand what you mean.

The governor only has an inspection bureau and a few inspectors, who are incompetent and cannot control the provincial government. Well, the provincial inspection offices can be handed over to the governor for management.

The Censorate could be like the police department, not only under the direct supervision of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, but also under the concurrent supervision of the provincial governor. The Censorate would be replaced by the left and right envoys, and the Censorate would be replaced by the deputy envoy.

Their appointments were examined and decided by the Censorate and formally appointed by the Ministry of Personnel.

However, when selecting candidates, the opinions of the provincial governor will be fully listened to.

The rank of the governor was set at the second rank, the provincial governor was set at the third rank, and the provincial procurator was set at the third rank. The governor's rank was raised, and he also took charge of the provincial procuratorate.

He cannot directly lead the Chief Secretary, but he can supervise the Chief Secretary with his supervisory power.

Without power in his hands, the Chief Secretary is just bullshitting as if he were a governor! "

Zhu Yijun's last sentence made Hai Rui throw his head back and burst into laughter.

Wang Yi'e was a little confused after hearing this.

Lord Hai, the emperor wanted you to be the Chief Censor and take charge of the Censorate. Why did you push the Siliyuan out of the Censorate, and only the Duchayuan was left? You also gave the provincial procuratorates to the governors to manage concurrently.

Aren't you clipping your own wings?

Others are desperately trying to seize power, but you are trying to share it.

However, Wang Yi'e quickly understood Hai Rui's thoughts. As long as he could ensure the neutrality and impartiality of the Siliyuan and ensure that the Censorate could effectively perform its duties of supervising official discipline, the amount of power was not something he would consider.

Sea lord, sea lord!
(End of this chapter)