Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Fang Congzhe bowed twice with his hands clasped, and Chen reported:

"Your Majesty! Xie Jishi, Lu Shengnan, and Xu Zhuo have either discussed the drawbacks of the new policies or directly addressed the problems in the local areas."

"What I have said is all official business, not about forming cliques for personal gain. If you label it as 'factionalism,' then who among the officials in the country will dare to discuss state affairs in the future?"

This is to deny that this coup attempt was a case of factional chaos and misrule!

"The constant impeachment memorials in Jiangnan, the rise of popular uprisings, and the alienation of the gentry are not unfounded rumors."

"Gong Dingzi's pursuit of the confiscations in Jiangnan was too hasty and his confiscation of property was too cruel, which is indeed questionable."

"The three men's claims of 'cruel methods' and 'inciting popular uprising' are based on real evidence and are not fabricated out of thin air."

"If we punish him severely, the people will likely not be satisfied. I beg Your Majesty to consider this matter carefully!"

"Furthermore, the purpose of establishing the censorate in our dynasty was to broaden the channels for public opinion and to understand the sentiments of the people. Wise rulers throughout history have all taken 'those who speak out are not guilty' as their motto."

"Xu Zhuo, as the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, impeached Gong Dingzi. Even if his actions were excessive, it was within his duty."

"If censors are severely punished for a single disagreement, who in future generations will dare to speak the truth? Your Majesty is wise and should consider this principle."

Fang Congzhe's words undoubtedly indicated that he did not agree with severely punishing Xu Zhuo and the other two, and suggested that they be dealt with leniently.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingsheng's face darkened instantly, and he glared at Fang Congzhe in the hall!

Fang Congzhe, despite having already made his stance so clear, still dared to stand up and sing a different tune.

Does this person genuinely believe they can be deceived, or are they just being fooled?

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Jia Jing's gaze sharpened slightly as he stared at Fang Congzhe, trying to fathom his intentions.

This was the first time he had dealt with this person. Although he had seen him when he returned to Beijing last time, they hadn't spoken much.

However... why does this person seem to have some inexplicable hostility towards me?

Fang Congzhe's expression was resolute. He steeled himself and spoke again:

"Your Majesty's new policies are intended to strengthen the country and benefit the people. If ministers are executed for their remonstrances, then all the gentry in the land will know that 'those who criticize the new policies will die.'"

"The new policies have drawbacks, but no one dares to speak out. These drawbacks accumulate and eventually become a major problem. It is easy to severely punish three people, but difficult to silence public opinion."

"Lu Shengnan was only a minor official of the sixth rank, and Xie Jishi and Xu Zhuo were not powerful figures either."

"Although the three men made some inappropriate remarks, they did not actually form a faction or plot a rebellion."

"If he is immediately subjected to severe punishment, it may damage the court's reputation for leniency. I beg Your Majesty to consider that this is his first offense and to grant him a lighter sentence."

These words startled everyone in the hall!

It's easy to severely punish three people, but difficult to silence public opinion. Isn't this also a sign of resentment?

Zhang Tingyu's expression hardened, and he shouted:

"Grand Secretary Fang, is this how a subject should speak?"

Perhaps provoked by Emperor Jingsheng's enshrinement in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Zhang Tingyu unusually rebuked Fang Congzhe.

Xiong Cilu then spoke up:

"Your Majesty! I believe that Grand Secretary Fang's words are reasonable. When a wise ruler is alive, he nurtures the people with virtue and compassion, and does not recklessly resort to military force or violence."

"Your Majesty, the fact that our officials are willing to risk their lives to offer their honest advice today is a testament to the integrity of our Han Dynasty and the openness of its people."

"Your Majesty understands the will of Heaven and the plight of the people; it is inappropriate to punish your minister for your words!"

What a righteous and prosperous court!

Why didn't any officials have this audacity during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu? Were they all treacherous ministers back then?

Emperor Jingsheng glanced coldly at Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cili, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

He nodded slowly, expressionless, and said:

"Excellent! No wonder you are all renowned for your virtue among the officials and were recommended by the court to be Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet! You have indeed been wise at the right time!"

"I remember when the cabinet ministers were being discussed in court, Xu Zhuo and Xie Jishi both submitted memorials recommending you two. Now you have stood up to protect them. You truly have a heart of public duty and a rare sense of friendship!"

"And what about you guys? What are your opinions?"

Emperor Jingsheng's words were full of sarcasm. After speaking, he pointed at Chen Tingjing, Li Guangdi, and the others, clearly wanting to find out their thoughts first.

Li Guang paused for a moment, remained silent for a second, then stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty! It is an ancestral system for censors to report matters based on hearsay, and I dare not criticize it."

"However, those who use their positions as censors as a cover to form cliques and disrupt the government are a different matter."

"In the past, Hu Weiyi, a Jinshi from Huaixi, formed a faction with Li Shan, a teacher and student. Emperor Taizu dismissed him from his post and investigated him because he "always formed factions to support each other."

"Today, Xu Zhuo, Xie Jishi, and Lu Shengnan have colluded with officials to coerce the emperor. How can this be considered 'reporting based on hearsay'?"

"This is using the guise of censorship to carry out political chaos."

"The ancestral rule allows censors to 'report on matters based on hearsay,' which means they should 'discuss matters based on facts and dare not fail,' not that they should form cliques or control the court."

"The saying 'Those who speak out are not guilty' refers to the act of speaking itself, not to 'forming cliques and disrupting the government'... Those who use the name of cliques to carry out coercion are not among those who are 'not guilty'."

Li Guangdi's words clearly indicated his agreement to severely punish Xu Zhuo and the other two, and he cited cases from the time of Emperor Taizu to refute Fang Congzhe's argument that censors who report matters are not guilty.

After Li Guangdi returned to his place in the ranks, Grand Secretary Chen Tingjing stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler. Whatever decree you give, we will obey without question! We beseech Your Majesty to make the final decision!"

Emperor Jingsheng remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and asked:

"Hengchen, what about you?"

Zhang Tingyu paused for a moment, glanced at Jia Jing beside him, his expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice:

"No one is more discerning in judging people than His Majesty! Xu Zhuo and his ilk, blinded by greed, have forgotten the lesson that a gentleman should not form factions."

"Your Majesty, there may be some hasty actions in the implementation of the new policies, and I do not deny that Gong Dingzi may have acted inappropriately in Jiangnan."

"However... if the new policies have drawbacks, they can be discussed in a memorial, debated in court, or requested to be amended by imperial decree."

"But what did Xu Zhuo and his two companions do? They colluded with officials, using scholars across the land as leverage and threatening popular uprisings to coerce His Majesty into abolishing the new policies and dismissing ministers. They were utterly devoid of any decorum befitting a subject!"

"This is using the nation as a bargaining chip and the emperor as a prey. Today they can force His Majesty to abolish the new policies, tomorrow they can force him to abdicate, and the day after?"

"If Your Majesty concedes, the three people of today will become the officials of tomorrow, and the new policies of today will become the old ones of tomorrow."

"Your Majesty must say that, at this point, there is no turning back for Your Majesty."

Zhang Tingyu's words were like a thunderclap in the Qianqing Palace!

If we force the abolition of the new policies today, can we force His Majesty to abdicate tomorrow?

These are incredibly hurtful words, and they might even imply that these people are in cahoots with the Dragon Head Palace!

This is no longer a case of factional misrule, but a conspiracy to usurp power!

Fang Congzhe and the others all changed their expressions drastically, their hearts filled with fear. Wasn't Zhang Hengchen always a man of few words?

Why are you speaking such nasty words all of a sudden today?

Meanwhile, Jia Jing watched the civil officials clash intently from the sidelines, pondering the stance and motives behind each person's statement, his gaze unreadable!

What puzzled him was: Zhang Tingyu was going to submit a memorial, but why did he always secretly pretend to be looking at him casually?

Emperor Jingsheng's expression softened somewhat when he saw that three out of the five cabinet members supported him.

If everyone were like Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cili, he almost thought he had lost control of the court!

It seems that this coup was not a conspiracy involving all civil officials, but rather a premeditated, organized, and planned factional maneuver by the old party...

Thinking of this, Emperor Jingsheng unusually praised Zhang Tingyu:

"Hengchen's insightful views are truly gratifying to me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingyu's eyes flickered, and he felt a surge of joy. This was one of the few times the emperor had praised him recently.

Speaking of which, ever since Jia Jing rose to power, Emperor Jingsheng has been completely focused on the virtuous minister who appeared in his dream.

His attitude towards Zhang Tingyu was sometimes cold and sometimes warm, sometimes good and sometimes bad, which unintentionally created a kind of... tug-of-war!

So much so that this sudden exclamation caused quite a stir in Zhang Tingyu's heart.

Zhang Tingyu pondered the words "Hengchen's insightful views" repeatedly in his mind.

Although it doesn't quite reach the praise of Jia Jing's "a fine jade of the Han Dynasty," "a minister who restored the dynasty," or "the greatest meritorious official of the Han Dynasty," it is still a high evaluation from the emperor's golden words.

As Zhang Tingyu looked up, he met Emperor Jingsheng's slightly encouraging gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but continue speaking: