Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 61: Questions Without Standard Answers (Bonus Chapter for the First Ten Chapters of the New Book, Four Chapters in Total, Please Vote for Monthly Tickets)

It was as if a giant piece of amber had sealed the entire Imperial Palace, along with everyone inside, into that single moment.

The air became thick, and each breath required effort.

Lu Shouqi's trembling sobs sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

A scholar, a once spirited censor, now resembled a cornered beast, huddled on the cold white marble floor, his official hat askew and his hair disheveled, looking utterly ridiculous.

But nobody was watching him.

All eyes were on one person—Qian Qianyi.

One of the spiritual leaders of the Donglin Party was kneeling in the center of the main hall, motionless like a stone statue.

His back remained straight, his head slightly lowered, and he gripped the scepter tightly in his hand, his knuckles already white.

From the outside, he seemed to be completely devastated by this sudden blow, but a closer look would reveal something rapidly flashing and working in his eyes.

Zhu Youjian returned to the dragon throne and quietly watched everything. His expression was gentle, like a kind elder patiently waiting for something.

Those eyes revealed a deep anticipation, the excitement and pleasure of a hunter seeing his prey about to fall into his trap.

Zhu Youjian was waiting for Qian Qianyi's response.

at last
A soft sigh broke the deathly silence; the sigh was so faint it was almost inaudible.

Qian Qianyi slowly raised his head. His face was still ashen, but his eyes had become sharp again.

He took a deep breath and then slowly stood up from the ground.

Qian Qianyi straightened his clothes, gripped his scepter again, and faced the throne.

"His Majesty."

Qian Qianyi spoke, his voice still low and deep.

"Lu Shouqi's corruption and abuse of power are a disgrace to the literati and a scourge to the nation!"

This statement was made with absolute certainty and without any hesitation.

Every word was like a nail, hammered hard into Lu Shouqi's coffin!

He did not defend his student, nor did he say anything like "there are extenuating circumstances" or "there is no evidence to support his claims." Instead, he thoroughly characterized him as "a disgrace to the literati" and "a scourge to the nation."

This decisiveness and ruthlessness drew the attention of everyone present.

"He deserves to be punished for his crime!"

Really impressive!

Qian Qianyi personally sentenced his student to death.

"I am guilty of failing to recognize talent and have neglected my duties. I am willing to accept the punishment!"

At this point, he bowed again.

A murmur of discussion arose in the main hall.

"However, Your Majesty."

Qian Qianyi's voice suddenly became high-pitched, regaining the impassioned tone he had just used.

"The downfall of Lu Shouqi precisely proves the importance of the Censorate's integrity and discipline!"

This one sentence instantly changed the entire battlefield situation.

Qian Qianyi used an almost bizarre logic to turn his previous defeat into an argument that was in his favor.

"Imagine, if the Censorate didn't have the responsibility of oversight, and if the court didn't have the three judicial departments to check and balance each other, wouldn't these corrupt officials run rampant throughout the land? It is precisely because of this system left by our ancestors that people like Lu Shouqi dare not be too unrestrained, that they are trembling with fear when they are corrupt, and that they leave such obvious evidence!"

He spoke with such confidence that it was not due to the emperor's cleverness, but rather a victory for the ancestral system that Lu Shouqi was exposed.

"On the other hand, His Majesty's newly established Imperial Inquiry Bureau, although it was able to investigate the case of Lu Shouqi, I ask you, if everyone is investigated by His Majesty's 'Imperial Inquiry Bureau,' this is using one person's likes and dislikes to replace the public instrument of the world!"

Qian Qianyi's voice became increasingly passionate and inspiring.

"Your Majesty is wise and insightful, but what about those who come after you? What about those who come after you? If future rulers are incompetent, wouldn't they be able to use this precedent to arbitrarily establish private institutions, bypass the court's normal oversight system, and do whatever they want?"

"If this continues, where will the law stand? Where will the foundation of the nation be?"

This question was asked with force and conviction.

Qian Qianyi successfully shifted the topic from the unfavorable issue of "corrupt officials in the Donglin Party" to the morally superior issue of "the emperor undermining the system".

At this level, he regained the initiative.

Because in this era, the idea that "ancestral laws cannot be changed" is a politically correct notion that is almost unshakeable.

Any challenge to ancestral rules could be considered treason, and Qian Qianyi seized upon this to reorganize his offensive. Zhu Youjian listened quietly, his face still bearing that faint smile.

He admires an opponent who, so far, is a worthy adversary.

Although Qian Qianyi initially made a great show of force, in Zhu Youjian's eyes he was nothing more than a reckless man blinded by emotion.

But the Qian Qianyi he is facing now is the real enemy he wants to confront—selfish, calm, rational, cunning, and extremely dangerous!

"Qian Aiqing is right."

Zhu Youjian spoke slowly, his voice still calm and composed.

"The law is indeed important, and the foundation of the state should not be easily touched. I wholeheartedly agree."

As he spoke, he stood up and slowly stepped down from the dragon throne again.

"But I would like to ask Minister Qian a question."

He walked up to Qian Qianyi and stood face to face with him, no more than a foot apart.

"When the laws left by our ancestors are exploited; when the systems established by the court become tools for some to seek personal gain; when the censors of the Censorate collude with corrupt officials—"

Zhu Youjian's voice, each word deliberate and sharp, was like a piercing arrow, precisely aimed at Qian Qianyi's heart.

"What should the emperor do at this time?"

"Should we continue to adhere to the old ways and allow corrupt officials to gnaw at the foundation of the nation?"

"Should we temporarily establish a new agency to plug the loopholes in the system?"

"Minister Qian, tell me, what is the true foundation of the state?"

This question is extremely sharp and extremely fatal.

Qian Qianyi's face turned pale instantly.

He knew he was in a dilemma.

If he says that established rules should be followed, it would be tantamount to admitting that corrupt officials should be allowed to run rampant, which is morally unacceptable.

If he says that a new institution should be established, it would be tantamount to admitting that Zhu Youjian's approach was correct, which would be political suicide!

But Qian Qianyi was, after all, Qian Qianyi.

He paused for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

"Your Majesty's question is truly an age-old problem."

His voice became steady and deep again.

"However, I believe that it is precisely because it is difficult that we need to be more cautious. The purpose of establishing a system is to ensure its longevity; expedient measures are ultimately not the right path."

"Your Majesty's establishment of the 'Imperial Inquiry Bureau' today is indeed for the sake of the country and the people. However, once this precedent is set, future monarchs can also follow suit and establish all sorts of private institutions. At that time, what meaning will the supervisory functions of the Three Departments and Six Ministries of the court, and the Censorate, still have?"

"I am not against investigating and punishing corrupt officials, but I am worried that this method of investigation will eventually destroy the foundation of the entire country."

Qian Qianyi's words were so earnest and sincere that one could almost believe he was truly thinking of the country's long-term interests.

But Zhu Youjian laughed after hearing this, as if he had heard an extremely funny joke.

"Qian Aiqing, what you said is absolutely right."

He clapped his hands and turned to face the assembled officials in the hall.

"Did you all hear that, my beloved ministers? Minister Qian is worried that I will destroy the foundation of the country."

"Then I would also like to ask you all, when corrupt officials treat the court's system as their own shop, when censors collude with merchants, and when border generals sell military secrets—"

"What foundation does this system have left?"

Zhu Youjian's voice suddenly turned icy cold, like the north wind in the dead of winter, biting and chilling!
"Minister Qian, you keep talking about 'the foundation of the nation' and 'the law,' but I want to know, in your heart, what is the true foundation of the nation?"

"Are they those clauses that have been exploited with countless loopholes?"

"Or is it the people of this country, the future of this country?"

This time, Qian Qianyi was speechless.

Because Zhu Youjian's question directly touched upon the essence of the problem—

What is the purpose of a system?

Is it for the sake of the system itself, or for what the system is meant to protect?

When a system itself is corrupt and has been used to harm what it was originally meant to protect, should we save the system or the values ​​behind it?
This is a philosophical question, and also a political one.

It's also a question without a standard answer!
　I'm scared... Yanzu and his ilk are so awesome!?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)