Joy of Life: Starting from Teacher Fan Xian

Chapter 68: Dispute in the Court

Whenever progress is slow and things are indecisive, Lin Ruo will appear at the right time.

Seeing Lin Ruo, Master Han and Master Mu coughed slightly and turned their heads away tacitly, wondering why this kid came. Shouldn't he have finished all the editing work in the morning and was done with it?

Could it be that I would come here to sit in the hall and drink tea with these old guys?

"Come on, have a seat." Master Zhang happily pulled Lin Ruo to sit down and used his skills of mocking her in the face, which was full of provocation.

Han Xueshi could no longer sit still, and he stood up and said, "There has been a lot of slacking in the courtyard recently, so I have to go and see if there are any lazy people."

Lin Ruo got straight to the point and said, "Master Han, please do me a small favor and I will write off your cheating."

"Are you serious?" Han Xue Shi turned around with a burning feeling in his heart. As a great scholar, it was not right for him to owe anyone anything.

"There is no need to trouble Mr. Han. When discussing the Aliang case at the court meeting tomorrow, I hope Mr. Han will remain neutral and not say anything." Lin Ruo explained the request.

Is this a trivial matter? … Han Xueshi paused, and shook his hands repeatedly, saying, “No, I am entrusted by someone, I am afraid.”

Lin Ruo added his words, and said in a calm tone: "Master Han, I did not force you to go against your heart and change your opinion. Is this impossible?"

Mr. Han remained silent.

Scholar Zhang immediately added fuel to the fire: "Old Han, you have to be naughty when you are old. I heard a few students gossiping about you when I entered the hospital this morning. They had a very bad opinion of you."

"I'm afraid that in a few days, we will become disunited and alienated."

Mr. Han's face turned dark and he could not stand still. How could his reputation, which he had maintained for half his life, be ruined like this?

"Okay, I promise you." Master Han made the decision painfully.

"Where is Mr. Mu?" Lin Ruo asked, and the latter nodded.

"Then, Master Zhang and Master Ling..."

Boy, you are addicted to asking, right?... Master Ling said indignantly: "We don't owe you anything."

Scholar Zhang understood and said in a deep voice, "You mean to ask us to represent the Hanlin Academy and insist on our own opinions in the court tomorrow."

"I'm afraid it's a bit difficult." Master Ling said immediately.

Lin Ruo smiled and explained, "I know that the two Grand Secretaries also have their own difficulties, so there is no need to bother you. You just need to agree with Han Xueshi in the court tomorrow and remain silent."

The two of them had a close relationship with Lin Ruofu, so it was unrealistic for them to bite back, even if their opinions were the same as theirs. Lin Ruofu was clear in his mind, and taking a half step back was the best option.

"Of course there is no problem. I never do anything that goes against my conscience, but it is not good to turn against my former best friend. This is great." Master Zhang agreed without hesitation. This was his original intention. Now that Master Han agreed to remain silent, he had no more scruples.

Master Ling understood everything and said, "Not helping either side is indeed the only option."

Seeing this, Master Han also breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have to quarrel with Lin Ruofu and everything could be settled.

As friends for many years, Lin Ruofu would surely understand that the five of them were equals and no one could boss anyone around.

……

At the hour of Mao on the second day, all the ministers gathered at the Meridian Gate. When the time came, they entered the Taiji Hall in an orderly manner, and the court meeting officially began.

His Majesty the Emperor deliberately came late today, and the time had not yet come. The ministers looked at each other, remained silent, and secretly pointed their fingers at each other.

"Your Majesty has arrived."

After waiting for about half an incense stick of time, the emperor finally arrived, sat on the dragon throne and looked down at all the ministers. All the ministers knelt together and shouted "Long live the emperor".

His Majesty the Emperor of Qing Kingdom was dressed particularly formally today, with a sharp gaze and a majestic voice, demonstrating unparalleled authority.

There was only one thing to discuss at the court meeting, and the ministers did not beat around the bush. According to the procedure, the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple, which had been the first to argue about the case, submitted their reports one after another.

Huang Qiao, the Minister of Justice, was the first to step out and take the initiative. He said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, in the case of Aliang, according to the law, I think he should be executed to demonstrate the laws of our Qing Kingdom. There can be no mistakes."

"At the same time, the Dali Temple has been lawless and disruptive to the investigation. Please, Your Majesty, punish them without delay."

The curtain of war slowly opened, and undercurrents suddenly surged in the court.

The Ministry of Justice not only took the initiative to attack, but also put the blame on the Dali Temple, which was cooperating in the case.

The Dali Temple official stepped out slowly and raised his voice to refute: "Your Majesty, the case of Aliang is complicated and absurd, and has long been resented by the people in the Shandong area. I think it is hasty to convict him hastily, which is not conducive to the people's governance and the benevolence and justice of the court. It is inappropriate."

When he finished speaking, the Junior Official of the Dali Temple also stepped out and rebuked him, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Justice has handled the case hastily, which is actually a perfunctory and negligent administration. They should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others."

There is strength in numbers. Many people from Dali spoke up and put pressure on the Ministry of Justice, and for a time they controlled the momentum in the court.

The Emperor's expression did not change at all. He sat high on the dragon throne with a majestic demeanor. He looked around at his ministers and said, "My dear ministers, if you have any opinions, please feel free to speak up."

The Minister of Personnel stepped out in response, and the first one joined in, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, since ancient times, a country cannot be governed without laws, and a people cannot be established without laws. Respecting the law is the foundation."

His Majesty the Emperor nodded.

The death penalty faction took advantage of the situation and Lin Ruofu, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, stepped out and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the law should not favor the rich and powerful, and the law should not bend. This is the case for the powerful and the people. Only in this way can we correct the mistakes of the superiors and question the evil of the subordinates. Using people to measure the law is not in line with the words of the saints."

Lin Ruofu's words completely exploded the court struggle. The words of the sage not only supplemented the theory of the death penalty faction, but also increased the authority of their views.

His Majesty the Emperor, sitting high on the dragon throne, showed an expression of approval.

In an instant, all eyes turned to the center of the hall, undisguisedly focused on Lin Ruofu. The death penalty faction pressed forward, and many followers of the neutral faction also stepped forward to intervene, and the situation became one-sided.

The officials standing in line straightened their backs, showing a strong desire to win, and looked coldly at the lenient officials who held opposite views to them.

The officials who advocated leniency were sweating profusely. They were surrounded by wolves, their brows were furrowed, and they dared not move a single step.

At this time, there is no doubt that a representative official is needed to step forward to reverse the downward trend.

All the officials looked at President Chen in the front row, wondering which side he would stand on. Would he add fuel to the fire and support the death penalty faction, or would he put out the fire and give them a heavy blow.

As many officials had expected, President Chen remained calm and had no intention of stepping out.

The death penalty faction was all secretly delighted. They did not need Dean Chen to do anything, they just wanted him to sit back and watch.

The solemn expressions of the Rongqing faction intensified again.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report." A clear voice sounded, and the court suddenly became quiet.

His Majesty the Emperor glanced over sharply, and Shu Wu, the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion, calmly stepped out and bowed.

The ministers were shocked, but quickly calmed down and said nothing. At this moment, only the honest Shu Wu dared to speak out at the risk of being disapproved.

"Shu Aiqing, please feel free to speak."

(End of this chapter)