Han Dao world

"Jiamou, you won't be in a hurry. After all, the Son of Heaven is a young man, and it's not that he has any opinion on you."

"Wen Xian, I'm not worried about myself." Zhou Zhong struggled to sit up. "I'm worried that the longer the delay, the greater the loss. If other people are as disheartened as Guo Tu and kill themselves, even if we try to save them, we won't be able to save them."

Yang Biao nodded. "do you have any plans?"

"The power of the two benefits is the most important, and the power of the two evils is the lesser. Between the honor and disgrace of the Confucian clan and individual families, we can only choose the former. Close the case as soon as possible, so that people in the world can feel at ease. As for the responsibility, it is up to me. Take it on. As soon as the spring begins next year, I will request to retire and return to my hometown to live in seclusion and be an idler."

Yang Biao stroked his beard, was silent for a moment, and sighed softly, "I just wronged you."

"I have nothing wronged." Zhou Zhong smiled wryly, raised his voice, and called, "Wen Hui, come in."

Gao Rou, who was standing outside the door, stepped in and knelt in front of Zhou Zhong's bed.

Zhou Zhong pointed at Gao Rou. "Wen Xian, although my Lujiang Zhou family is not a high-ranking family, the children are still doing well, so I don't need to worry about it. But this kid is a bit pity. Help me support him and don't let him be buried."

Yang Biao sized Gao Rou up for a moment, then waved his hand. "Wen Hui, you go out first."

Gao Rou bowed and bowed again, retreated, and closed the door behind her.

Yang Biao watched Gao Rou leave, then turned to look at Zhou Zhong. "Jiamou, you have made up your mind to go."

"I'm tired and don't want to work hard anymore." Zhou Zhong shook his head helplessly. "I'm not as good as you. I make mistakes again and again. I'm in such a mess this time because I don't know how to advance or retreat. It's a good thing to take the initiative to become an official while there are still a few years to live, and to devote myself to the mountains and rivers from now on. Nothing else, but Wen Hui is limited. Family background, no one to support, I am afraid it will be difficult to get ahead. I have thought about it, and I can only entrust it to you."

Yang Biao shook his head. "Jiamou, do you think the emperor knows whose family Wen Hui is from?"

Zhou Zhong's eyes flickered slightly, and he hesitated for a moment. "Should... know. Even if he doesn't know him, Cai Yan does. She and Wen Hui are from the same village."

"Yeah, so you think, if the Son of Heaven thinks he is part of Yuan Shao's party, can you still keep him by your side? Even if he doesn't say it out because of your face, with my support, Wen Hui will be able to stand out? "

Zhou Zhong was stunned and didn't speak for a long time.

"You, you still have too much prejudice." Yang Biao patted Zhou Zhong on the shoulder and stood up. "If you want to rest, you can take a few months off after finishing this matter. Don't mention the matter of becoming an official for the time being. As a veteran, don't be so arrogant, otherwise, even if the emperor doesn't care, I won't let you go."

After speaking, Yang Biao raised his hand and pushed the door open.

When he passed the courtyard, he saw Gao Rou standing on the porch.After thinking for a while, he stopped again and called Gao Rou to him.

"Did you just hear it?"

Gao Rou nodded.It wasn't that he listened intentionally, but that Yang Biao didn't want to hide it from him at all, and his voice was very loud.

"Am I right?"

"What Yang Gong said is naturally reasonable."

"Don't talk about these scenes." Yang Biao pointed at Gao Rou's heart. "Tell me what you really think, and don't pay attention to that old fool. Otherwise, how will you face the emperor in the future?"

Gao Rou looked embarrassed.

He knew that Zhou Zhong intended to cultivate him as if he were his own son, and was therefore very grateful to Zhou Zhong. Naturally, it was impossible to say anything wrong about Zhou Zhong, especially in front of Zhou Zhong.

Yang Biao smiled. "Closer to vermilion is red, and close to ink is black." Then he raised his voice again. "Jiamou, you really misunderstood my son." After speaking, he raised his sleeves, turned and left.

Gao Rou watched Yang Biao go out, turned around and went back to the bedroom, kneeling in front of the bed.

Zhou Zhong squinted his eyes, thought for a long time, and let out a breath slowly. "Wen Hui, do you also think he is right?"

"How dare Rou."

Zhou Zhong shook his head helplessly. "He's right. I thought too much, which delayed you instead."

"Duke Zhou..."

Zhou Zhong waved his hands, sat up, and looked at Gao Rou with piercing eyes. "Tell me, what do you think about this?"

Gao Rou didn't dare to be careless, after deliberating for a while, she said in a deep voice: "Rou thinks that the reason why the Son of Heaven was furious was not because he wanted to kill people, or even because of protecting each other for the Kanto gentry, but because the interpretation of scriptures differs from person to person. It is difficult to unify. Today the emperor is still in the Central Plains, and the Shandong gentry dare to treat the edict as nothing, so that the fugitives can return home thousands of miles away, but no one opposes it. In the future, the emperor will go to the west and appoint three princes, how can he believe that today's government is not Will it be reduced to fiction?"

Zhou Zhong narrowed his eyes. "That's why he emphasized that there must be laws to obey?"

"Yes, only by governing the country according to the law can people avoid dethronement."

"However, the law is dead, but man is alive. Everything in the world is so complicated, how can it be contained by the law? How is it different from the Qin government if you stick to the law? Qin II died, and Yin Jian is in front, so how can we see it and ignore it?" ?”

Gao Rou shook her head. "Duke Zhou, the Son of Heaven emphasized that laws must be followed, but he did not say to follow Qin's government. According to my foolish opinion, even if there are similarities, it is only enforcing the law, not making the law."

"How to say?"

"The evil of the Qin government is not strict law enforcement, but evil legislation. Shang Yang's legislation is to drive the people to farm and fight, so that there is no way to escape except farming and fighting. If it puts the people first and thinks about the people in its legislation , even if the law is strictly enforced, how can it harm the people?"

Zhou Zhong nodded thoughtfully.

After a while, he sighed faintly. "Situ is right. I'm so stupid. I haven't thought about it for so long. On the contrary, you..." He smacked his lips and said repeatedly: "Young people are awesome, young people are awesome. Wen Hui, tell me again, this How should the case be judged?"

Gao Rou hesitated for a moment. "The matter has come to this point, and I'm afraid there is no better way. We can only follow the emperor's will and deal with the people involved in the case according to the law, and the scope allowed by the law is slightly looser. However, this may not be a bad thing."

"How to say?"

"The son of heaven is aiming to expand the territory and urgently needs talents. Although exile overseas is bitter, it is not an opportunity. Duke Zhou feels that after a hundred years, the territory of the Han Dynasty will increase by several percent. How much of the current overseas land will become the new land of China ?”

Chapter 1131 The Dust Settles

Zhou Zhong took out the proposed judgment plan and presented it with both hands.

Liu Xie took it, spread out the case, and read it carefully.Zhou Zhong stood still and didn't dare to sit down, so he could only grit his teeth and stand stiffly.

In the past, the emperor would politely invite him to sit first and discuss slowly.The situation is different now. The emperor didn't let him sit, so he can't make his own decisions.

After Liu Xie finished watching, Zhou Zhong was sweating all over, his waist was sore and his neck was hurting, his head was getting heavier and heavier, and he was gradually unable to support himself.

"Isn't anyone missing?" Liu Xie closed the plan and said lightly.

"All the people involved in the case will not be missed." Zhou Zhong said, his voice dry.

He was telling the truth. In order to close the case as soon as possible, he didn't dare to play tricks. As long as one of the cases was found out, he would deal with them all.The emperor was furious, and if he tried to appease, he would only lose more. In the case of saving the lives of most people, he chose to deal with them severely, and all those who were worthy of exile were exiled, just to satisfy the emperor, and no longer forced to kill people.

"Some people... have they dealt with it a little too hard?"

Zhou Zhong's cheeks twitched twice. "Severe handling is also to warn others not to try their best again."

Liu Xie thought about it. "Sikong is a veteran minister with rich experience. Since Sikong said so, follow what Sikong said." Then, he picked up the cinnabar pen on the case, and wrote a big character with flying dragons and phoenix dancing, with iron markings and silver hooks.

"Can!"

Looking at the bright red "ke", Zhou Zhong's heart was bleeding.

As soon as this verdict comes out, hundreds of households will leave their homes and embark on the road of exile where life and death are uncertain. Some of them will inevitably die halfway and bury their bones in a foreign land.

Liu Xie looked at Zhou Zhong who was trembling. "Sikong's complexion is not good, is it because you are too tired recently?"

Zhou Zhong took advantage of the situation and said: "I am old and frail, and I am indeed a little weak. It's just that the case is urgent and I have to deal with it quickly. I'm going to ask for leave to rest for a while."

Liu Xie nodded noncommittally, motioned for Zhou Zhong to take a seat, and then ordered someone to bring a cup of ginseng tea.

"Since this is the case, then hurry up and deal with it and let them set off immediately."

"Immediately?" Zhou Zhong shook his hand and threw the cup on the ground.

Seeing that the New Year is approaching, set off immediately, those people will celebrate the New Year on the road of exile.

"End it sooner so that Sikong can rest earlier." Liu Xie sighed. "Sikong has worked so hard for the country, I really can't bear it. As for those people, I see them upset. Let them leave early, so that I can understand this idea."

Zhou Zhong didn't dare to say any more, and bowed to accept the order.

The two chatted about related matters for a while, and Zhou Zhong specifically explained Gao Rou's role in this matter.

As Yang Biao said, Liu Xie is no stranger to Gao Rou, even more familiar than Zhou Zhong imagined.After listening to Zhou Zhong's introduction, Liu Xie nodded, agreed to Zhou Zhong's suggestion to promote Gao Rou, and asked Zhou Zhong to tell Gao Rou not to mind his relationship with Yuan Shao, and perform his duties with peace of mind.

Zhou Zhong finally breathed a sigh of relief, and bowed to leave.

-

The verdict was printed in the residence newspaper and promulgated throughout the world.

This verdict was issued in the name of the Sikong Mansion, and the emperor only approved one word on it, so this is not only the result of the Sikong Mansion's handling of the overseas escape case, but also the proof that the emperor fulfilled his promise and returned the power to the three princes.

Before the verdict, a note was added.

One is that everyone in the world can evaluate whether Sikong Mansion's execution is fair and just, and those who have different opinions can write a letter to express their opinions.The second is to let more people supervise the execution of the case to see if there are any fish that slip through the net.

Finally, such major cases will be announced to the world in this way in the future. I hope that people who care about state affairs will actively contribute their opinions, discuss and amend unreasonable provisions, so that the law can punish evil and promote good, rather than some people. private device.

As soon as the verdict came out, this note caused an uproar, even more sensational than the verdict itself.

Ordinary people can still make irresponsible remarks on the laws of the court, and even amend the laws?

This is something new that has never existed before.

But when you think about it, the emperor must follow his word, and if he said that he would return to the government, he would really return to the government. It is obviously not so absurd that the Sikong Mansion has the full power to handle such a big case.

Immediately afterwards, the Mansion newspaper published articles for several days, discussing the relationship between legislation and law enforcement, evaluating the gains and losses of Qin law, distinguishing the similarities and differences between Han law and Qin and Han, suggesting large-scale discussion and amendment of existing laws, and implementing the principle that the emperor puts the people first. Ben's kingly way.

All of a sudden, the scholars who practice laws and decrees all over the world are enthusiastic about it, gearing up and preparing to show their skills.

-

The 27th of the twelfth lunar month.

To the west of Wancheng, there is a long pavilion ten miles away.

Therefore, Zong Cheng, the prefect of Nanyang, dressed in ocher clothes and bare hat, turned around and looked back at Wancheng, with a long sigh.

His wife and children stood aside, their faces were sad, their eyes were red and swollen, but there were no tears.

From the moment Zong Cheng was sent to Wancheng by the car, they washed their faces with tears, and they had already dried up their tears.What is before them now is not only a long road, but also endless despair.

No one is sure whether he can go to the Western Regions thousands of miles away.

Even if you can go there, you will never be able to return to your hometown in this life, and you can only be with the barbarians.Thinking of this, they feel that the future is bleak.

"Shilin, be careful all the way." Song Zhong, who came to see him off, comforted him, "When you leave Nanyang, someone will come to pick you up and escort you all the way to the Western Regions."

Zong Cheng bowed his hands in thanks. "Thank you for the sacrificial wine, but I have already implicated many people, so I can't add more sins. Since the emperor wants me to walk to the Western Regions, then I will walk there step by step. I will be buried where I died. I am worthy of my father. .”

Song Zhong smiled wryly.

Now there is a rumor in the market that Zong received such severe punishment not only because he was negligent as the prefect of Runan and ignored the fugitives, but because the emperor had a long history of dissatisfaction with the party members. Zongzi and Zongcheng father and son are typical representatives.

The emperor wants to make an example to the monkeys, so that the party members of the world will not dare to do it again.

Whether it is true or not, no one dares to say, but everyone thinks it is very likely to be true.

After all, it is obvious to all that the emperor has a bad impression of party members.

Before Zong Cheng and others set off, more than 40 people, including Yuan Shao's widow Liu Shi, had been beheaded, and their heads were still displayed in Wanshi.

After saying a few farewell words that were not nutritious, Zong Cheng and Song Zhong bid farewell, turned around and walked west.

The others also shed tears and said goodbye to their relatives and friends. There was a lot of crying for a while, and even Gao Rou and the others who were in charge of the escort couldn't bear it, and turned their heads one after another.

Song Zhong sighed and returned to the car.Looking at Zong Cheng and others walking away step by step through the car window, he shook his head helplessly.

"Boy, tell me... Is the Son of Heaven a wise lord or a tyrant?"

Song Liang, who was waiting on the side, was silent for a moment, and said in a low voice: "It varies from person to person. To the common people who are allocated land, he is a enlightened ruler. To the partisans, he may be a tyrant."

"Then tell me, in the future, will the history be recorded as a wise lord in the eyes of the common people, or a tyrant in the eyes of the party?"

Song Liang turned his head to look at Song Zhong, frowning slightly. "Aon, are you a party member?"

Song Zhong shook his head. "I wish I was a partisan, but unfortunately I'm not."

Song Liang snorted lightly. "Since you are not a party member, why bother to cry for the party members. Do you think the party members will cry for you if you are in a different place?"

Song Zhong was taken aback for a moment, then furious, raised his hand and slapped him.

"Zhuzi, what a good tongue!" Before Song Liang could react, he closed the car window with a bang. "Back to the city!"

Chapter 1132 Three Immortals

Song Liang was slapped in the face for nothing, and felt bad luck in his heart, but he had no choice but to drive the carriage back to the city.

The see-off line was very long, the carriage couldn't get up quickly, Song Liang had no choice but to wait patiently.

With a glance, he saw a few familiar figures, and turned his head quickly to avoid being discovered.He looked away, but the carriage of the county school was too conspicuous, so he was recognized by others.

"Zi Tong, Zi Tong."

Song Liang turned his head helplessly, showing a bright smile, and raised his hand to say hello. "Zhongxuan, you are here too."

Wang Can said hello to his friends, walked over quickly, winked his eyes, and asked Song Liang with his lips.

"Is the sacrificial wine here?"

Song Liang nodded knowingly, and gestured to the carriage behind him with the corner of his mouth.