Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 333: Deathly Advice? Then I will grant your wish and let you hit the pillar!
"How can we forgive serious crimes that undermine the law just because things seem peaceful? Now that there are such disobedient and unfilial people, the court will punish them severely and file a report on their crimes!"

Since Zhu Houcong has decided to turn the table on this matter, he will naturally not back down.

Guo Nan was naturally disappointed when he heard the emperor say this.

But he really didn't want to see the emperor resorting to the same unscrupulous means as Tao Xie, Liu Jing, Xiong Yiqing and other traitors.

He felt that this was really contrary to the style of a benevolent monarch!
In his view, as a monarch and father, the emperor should be more magnanimous and exercise restraint in order to practice benevolence and forgiveness. He should not act recklessly just because his ministers do so.

"Your Majesty! In this case, in order to protect your majesty's virtue, I have no choice but to die!"

"The Spring and Autumn Annals says that it is important to be strict in making laws, but lenient in criticizing people. Your Majesty should follow the example of Yao and Shun and practice benevolence, forgiveness, loyalty and honesty!"

"If Your Majesty does not obey, I would rather die by hitting my head against a pillar than fail to fulfill my duty of admonishing you!"

Guo Nan, who was kneeling in the center of the hall, kowtowed and shouted loudly, his whole body shaking.

Zhu Houcong's face became gloomy.

The court officials also looked at Guo Nan in astonishment.

Many of them showed approval and admiration.

Because they all had to admit that it was indeed terrifying when the emperor overturned the table.

They can say something exists when it does not exist and call a horse a zebra when it is not, and they can make the procedures absolutely reasonable and implicate as many people as they want.

This is undoubtedly much more terrifying than the subjects turning over the table!
At least legally, the subjects cannot overturn the table and confuse right and wrong.

For example, this time the emperor was threatened with the royal heir. Even if the ministers could not do this because they could not get solid evidence, at least the subjects could not say that threatening the emperor with the royal heir was right or in accordance with the moral principles and laws.

The emperor, using his information and power advantages, could instruct others to fabricate solid evidence of his ministers' disobedience and unfilial behavior. This undoubtedly showed that if the emperor overturned the table, he could make the act appear to be in accordance with the moral code and law in terms of the procedure, and could thereby implicate many people with justification.

So, how could they not be intimidated by this?
Many court officials therefore thought of the reigns of Taizu and Taizong.

In that era, Taizu and Taizong could implicate thousands or even tens of thousands of people in one case and punish a large number of people.

It can be said that the imperial power is so majestic that it makes people shudder at the thought.

Now, if the emperor could really overturn the table like Taizu and Taizong, he could do whatever he wanted.

That was undoubtedly a very terrible thing.

Therefore, they now admire Guo Nan very much, and admire Guo Nan's act of stopping the emperor from overturning the table at the cost of his own death.

They even hope that Guo Nan can succeed.

Because in this way, everyone doesn't have to worry about really living the days of Taizu and Taizong, and can't do things that break the rules with peace of mind.

From small-scale corruption and bribery to big-scale corruption of innocent people as theft and killing of innocent people to claim credit.

Although many court officials would occasionally sigh and miss the upright social customs of Taizu and Taizong when they saw the decline of social morals, it would be difficult for them to return to that era.

They will be as scared as Ye Gong who loved dragons.

Therefore, now when Zhu Houcong really wanted to exercise power arbitrarily like Ming Taizu and Ming Taizong, they all admired Guo Nan who died for his remonstrance, and even hoped that Guo Nan could succeed in his remonstrance.

"Your Majesty, I really want to die!"

Guo Nan also shouted again, his voice vibrating and echoing.

Zhu Houcong gritted his teeth and stood up, saying in a resounding voice:
"Okay, I'll grant you your wish!"

"Jinyiwei!"

"Drag him out of the Meridian Gate, and punish him for being a traitor who dared to threaten the emperor and break the law, and let him be thrown against the palace wall!"

Zhu Houcong called out at this time and talked about his decision.

Guo Nan was surprised.

The court officials were also surprised and looked up at Zhu Houcong.

Zhu Houcong also walked forward fearlessly with a determined look in his eyes.

Many court officials therefore lowered their heads again.

Most of them still did not dare to offend Junwei like Guo Nan did.

Even though there were court officials with angry eyes, they had to grit their teeth and suppress the rebelliousness in their hearts because of Zhu Houcong's gaze, which was as cold and hard as a knife.

Guo Nan took off his official hat and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your help!"

Although he didn't understand why the emperor refused to give in, he did not regret it.

Because he believed that the relationship between the emperor and his subjects should be that the emperor should be benevolent and forgiving, and the subjects should be loyal and honest. The emperor should not be unkind just because some of his subjects were unrighteous. This was not the way for the emperor and his subjects to rule together! So, after Guo Nan said this, he cooperated and let the Jinyiwei take him out.

Zhu Houcong announced his withdrawal from court.

In fact, he admires Guo Nan very much in his heart.

Because he had to admit that this man was really willing to sacrifice his life to defend the rights of scholars.

This even made him, the emperor, want to learn from him.

They are willing to die to defend their own rights.

You should also dare to defend your own rights to the death!

Otherwise, he is not worthy of possessing this supreme imperial power.

The fact that the scholar-officials were able to elevate their power to the point where it could check and balance imperial power was achieved at the cost of their lives, and was not a gift from the emperor.

Otherwise, he would not be worthy of defying his superiors after Yongle.

There has never been a true savior in this world.

Rights can never be possessed permanently by relying on the charity of others, but must be fought for by oneself.

Zhu Houcong became more convinced of this truth from Guo Nan.

Therefore, he chose to take the initiative to sentence Guo Nan to death rather than compromise.

Again.

He can make concessions, but he cannot give up power!

In this world of strict hierarchy and power having the final say, giving up power is like handing a knife to the other party.

He would rather die protecting his power than live in fear under the threat of others after giving up his power and compromising.

But Zhu Houcong had to admit that there was indeed an irreconcilable contradiction between imperial power and scholar power.

It is no wonder that the political ecological trend of this era is that the monarchy becomes increasingly centralized.

The development of productivity led to the increasingly fragmented scholar group, giving the emperor more and more advantages in countering the scholar power. However, there were also more and more radical and retrogressive scholars among the scholars who wanted to pull the emperor back to the era of co-governance between the monarch and his subjects.

This also means that both sides are destined to die defending their own principles in the confrontation.

Right and wrong are secondary.

Because those who may die defending morality are not necessarily snobs in the traditional moral sense.

But it is this kind of people who are the first to run into the edge of the knife.

After Zhu Houcong left Zuoshunmen, he returned to the imperial study.

The court officials also left Zuo Shunmen with mixed feelings.

Some people wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it. Some were still immersed in the shock of the court meeting and hadn't come back to their senses, so they stayed for a long time. Some people who understood what was going on couldn't help but sigh.

The Left Censor-in-Chief Wang Shizhong and the Right Censor-in-Chief Min Kai took some court officials to Fei Hong and Wang Ao, two ministers of the Imperial Study who were from the Qing Dynasty, and bowed and said, "Prince Minister, Lord Zhenze, now we can only ask you to save Lord Guo!"

Fei Hong was sighing, and so he sighed again, and looked at Wang Ao: "Let's try it?"

Wang Ao nodded.

So, Fei Hong and Wang Ao, two ministers of the Imperial Study, came to the Imperial Study and came to Zhu Houcong.

"Are you here to rescue Guo Nan?"

Zhu Houcong asked.

"Your Majesty, although Guo Nan is arrogant and disrespectful, he is loyal and not a wicked person. Therefore, I ask you to forgive his crime and his nonsense. It is enough to give him a light punishment, but there is no need to be so harsh."

Fei Hong said at this time.

Wang Ao also followed suit and said, "Your Majesty, I second your opinion. Guo Nan's madness is not enough to prevent Your Majesty from exercising your power, so his death will not harm the overall situation. I only ask Your Majesty to pity his uprightness and fearlessness and show mercy."

"Whether I kill him or not has no bearing on whether I will overturn the table to deal with the traitor."

"But what about the rulers of later generations?"

"If I do not fulfill his wish today and let him die in my dynasty, will there be people in the future who dare to continue to imitate him and use him as a model to do the same in front of future rulers?"

"If so, wouldn't I be creating problems for future generations and leaving difficulties for them?"

(End of this chapter)