The prince is more stable

Chapter 928 Condemned by All

The death of a third-rank official, a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had very serious consequences.

Zhao Xiaoqian was truly furious this time.

To prevent the implementation of the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, these people behind the scenes are truly unscrupulous.

No matter how strong the opposition was in the past, it was ultimately a power struggle between the emperor and his ministers. The process and outcome of this struggle were still within the bounds of reason and law.

Zhao Xiaoqian could understand the fierce opposition from the old bureaucrats and landlords after their interests were threatened, but he did not expect that these bureaucrats and landlords would resort to such a vicious underhanded trick for their own benefit.

Every event that happens in the imperial court is never as simple as it seems on the surface.

The death of Shi Zhongxian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, appears to be due to his own act of crashing into the palace gates, and no one seems to be responsible. However, in reality, the person primarily responsible for Shi Zhongxian's death is Emperor Zhao Xiaoqian.

A third-rank official, at the height of his life, chose to die in a heroic manner. To outsiders, it could only be said that the current emperor was incompetent, and the loyal minister's earnest remonstrances were in vain, so he committed suicide in anger to demonstrate his loyalty.

With Shi Zhongxian's death, Zhao Xiaoqian was inevitably nailed to the pillar of shame as a "tyrant." It goes without saying that at this time, the historians of the Song Dynasty were writing furiously, recording Shi Zhongxian's death as a major historical event in the history books.

However, historians inevitably include their own biases in their writings, so it goes without saying what kind of image Zhao Xiaoqian is portrayed in historical records.

These old bureaucrats and powerful figures who opposed the equal taxation of the land plots used some unknown means to push Shi Zhongxian out as a sacrifice, then ruined Zhao Xiaoqian's reputation, while simultaneously forcing Zhao Xiaoqian to compromise.

If you still don't give up on the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, even dirtier methods await you.

"Haha, impressive! I've truly learned my lesson today. You are indeed formidable!"

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, Zhao Xiaoqian laughed instead of getting angry, his laughter echoing in the silent hall.

The prime ministers in the hall remained silent, their faces as gloomy as the sky before a storm.

Zhang Dun's face was even paler, and his hands, tucked into his sleeves, trembled slightly.

As the prime minister of the court, he was naturally not so naive as to think that Shi Zhongxian's death was simply a suicide, but that there were countless dirty people and things involved behind the scenes.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian's loud laughter made him realize that the Emperor was truly enraged.

Zhang Dun was even more worried that if the Emperor used this as an excuse to pin the blame on the Council of State Affairs, or even directly on him, then the entire Council of State Affairs would undergo a brutal purge.

Zhang Dun gritted his teeth inwardly. Who exactly forced Shi Zhongxian to commit suicide? You all hid behind the scenes, making the Political Affairs Hall take the blame.

After this incident, the emperor would certainly suspect the prime ministers of the State Council first, since they held high positions and power, and they all opposed the equal taxation of the land.

"Very well! Shi Zhongxian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, tsk tsk, what a loyal minister! The current emperor is incompetent and stubborn, and the loyal minister's earnest remonstrances were in vain, so he angrily smashed the palace gate and committed suicide..."

"This Shi Zhongxian truly lived up to the saying 'die for remonstrance in literature, die in battle in martial arts.' He is undoubtedly the most loyal minister of all time. I wish I could erect a monument for him outside the Yanfu Palace to praise his unwavering loyalty."

Zhao Xiaoqian uttered these words with a cold smile, and the prime ministers present were startled. They all stood up, bowed, and said in unison, "Your Majesty, please calm down."

These words, though seemingly self-deprecating, are in fact sharp and incisive.

"Master Zihou, do I look so unreasonable? This Shi Zhongxian, he didn't even tell me his ideas to my face, and then, inexplicably, he killed himself by banging his head against a wall... Haha, in the end, he became a loyal minister who remonstrated in vain!"

Zhang Dun tried to calm his panic and said with his head down, "Your Majesty, I believe there may be something fishy about this matter. It is not as simple as it seems on the surface. I suggest that the Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial City Guard conduct a thorough investigation and make sure the truth comes to light."

Zhao Xiaoqian gave him a deep look.

He understood what Zhang Dun meant.

Zhang Dun was trying to defend himself and dispel Zhao Xiaoqian's suspicions. He took the initiative to request the Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial City Guard to conduct a thorough investigation in order to clear his name and show that he was innocent and had not participated in the matter from beginning to end.

"Investigate, of course we must investigate. To be a loyal minister and leave behind a good name for all time is not so simple. It's not enough to just kill yourself to be a loyal minister. For the court to make a final judgment, we must investigate the cause and effect, his life's gains and losses, his family property, and his official reputation..."

Zhao Xiaoqian sneered a few times, looked around at everyone in the hall, and slowly said, "Anyone who still wants to be a loyal minister had better clean up their mess while they're still alive. Otherwise, if the court finds out some dirty deeds, not only will they die in vain, but they will also be infamous for eternity. That's not a worthwhile deal."

With that, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up, flicked his sleeves, and left the Hall of State Affairs.

After Zhang Dun and the prime ministers bowed and watched Zhao Xiaoqian leave, they straightened up and looked at each other, their expressions revealing a mixture of anxiety and indignation.

"Truly... disaster struck from the sky! This Shi Zhongxian, his death is not the problem, but he has brought disaster to the entire court. Judging from His Majesty's intentions, he probably suspects that it was our Council of State that orchestrated this?" Cai Bian, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said with a wry smile.

Su Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, stroked his beard and calmly said, "Although I also oppose the equal taxation of the land area, I would not resort to such a despicable trick. The innocent are innocent, and I know nothing about it. I have a clear conscience."

Inside the Hall of State Affairs, the prime ministers were discussing amongst themselves. Some of them looked dissatisfied, while others looked anxious, but none of them felt guilty. Clearly, Shi Zhongxian's suicide today had nothing to do with them.

Only Zhang Dun appeared distracted and his expression was complex. Of course, he was also innocent in this matter.

But Zhang Dun was thinking about something else. The Emperor's expression was off today, especially the look of disappointment in his eyes.

Since the emperor ascended the throne, Zhang Dun and Zhao Xiaoqian had not been on good terms, and the two had had many disputes and power struggles.

The same applies to today's discussion of the equal taxation law for the land. Zhang Dun could tell from Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes today that the Emperor seemed to have considered dismissing him as prime minister.

His patience was almost gone.

Other court officials are one thing, but if the prime minister and the emperor are constantly at odds and in conflict, and there are even signs of discord between the emperor and his ministers, then what use is there for the emperor to keep this prime minister?
The vast Song Dynasty, can it really not function without you as its prime minister?

The Song Dynasty may lack other things, but it has an abundance of talented people. It's really not that we can't do without you.

Zhang Dun felt bewildered at this moment, and he was also reflecting on whether he had gone too far recently.
The will of an emperor has always been tyrannical and domineering. Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, the important point is that the emperor's will must be implemented.

Even if the emperor's decision is wrong, the entire nation's power must be used to force it to be right. This is called "imperial authority and dignity." Yes, that's how unreasonable it is; all that matters is saving face.

Zhang Dun was a man who liked to be meticulous; he would only support what was right and resolutely oppose what was wrong. As an ordinary person, this quality was upright and precious, but as a prime minister, if he did this often, he would inevitably be disliked by the emperor.

Now that the Emperor is considering dismissing him as Prime Minister, what should Zhang Dun do?
At this moment, Zhang Dun was filled with anxiety and at a loss. From his perspective, being the prime minister was also a difficult task. In many cases, his position was not only that of the prime minister of the country, but also that of the majority of court officials.

After all, the prime minister's greatest responsibility is to maintain the normal operation of a country and to act as a link between the emperor and officials. This link cannot always stand on the emperor's side.

Trying to calm himself and suppress his anxiety, Zhang Dun stopped the prime ministers from discussing the matter in the Hall of State Affairs.

"We should just focus on our work. As for other matters, the Emperor will make the decisions. Shi Zhongxian is dead. The Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial City Guard will investigate the cause and effect. What we need to do now is to control public opinion in the court and protect the Emperor's reputation."

"From this day forward, any memorial submitted by court officials remonstrating against the death of Shi Zhongxian shall be suppressed."

…………

The news of Shi Zhongxian's death spread throughout Bianjing in less than an hour.

As usual, the common people simply watched the spectacle. They didn't understand the cause and effect; they just thought the court's antics were entertaining. Thus, in the streets and alleys, in brothels and entertainment venues, countless people and merchants had more to talk about, and that was all.

But for the court officials, Shi Zhongxian's death was tantamount to a nuclear bomb going off.

The court officials, unaware of the truth, became indignant.

Shi Zhongxian committed suicide by smashing his head against the palace gate in a fit of rage, but why did he die?

We need to reflect on this!

Of course, it was because the emperor insisted on implementing the Fangtian Equal Tax Law, which disrupted the balance between the Song Dynasty and the people. The use of the court's power to investigate the land throughout the country caused unrest among local powerful landowners. The original balance of the Song Dynasty was broken, and the people's hearts turned away, with very serious consequences.

Shi Zhongxian committed suicide in front of the palace gate in grief and indignation because he saw the terrible consequences but could not persuade the emperor to do anything about it.

Ultimately, this was the Emperor's responsibility. His incompetence led to Shi Zhongxian's death. The Emperor killed a loyal minister!
Just as Zhao Xiaoqian had predicted.

Shi Zhongxian's death has cemented his place on the pillar of shame as a "tyrant".

On that day, countless court officials wrote furiously, and thousands of memorials of remonstrance flew into the Hall of State Affairs. The officials accused the emperor of being muddleheaded and refusing to listen to good advice, which led to loyal and virtuous officials sacrificing their lives for the country. They said this was the emperor's mistake and a huge error committed against the Song Dynasty.

The court officials not only submitted memorials criticizing him, but also demanded that the emperor issue an edict of self-reproach, clear Shi Zhongxian's name, and give an explanation to the loyal minister who died...

For a time, Zhao Xiaoqian was condemned by everyone, with all sorts of accusations, insults, and rumors flying everywhere.

Fortunately, Zhang Dun made a decision in advance, suppressing all the memorials submitted by the court officials, and the discussions among the officials ceased as soon as they reached the Hall of State Affairs.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhao Xiaoqian's face was ashen, his expression utterly calm.

He wasn't unaware of the commotion outside; as the head of the Imperial City Guard, a secret service agency, how could he not know how intense the public opinion was?

But Zhao Xiaoqian still turned a blind eye.

From the emperor's perspective, one doesn't need to be too worldly-wise; right is right, and wrong is wrong.

If you believe something is right, you must stick to it to the end, and no matter what outsiders say, they cannot influence your decision.

If you don't even have this much self-control, what kind of emperor are you? You might as well be a beast of burden, doing whatever the leader says.

(End of this chapter)