Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 334 Advice to the Emperor
The Marquis of Huaiyang did not say much, but simply said, "Your Majesty is magnanimous and a rare and wise ruler."

Zhou Zhaotong and He Tingshi both nodded perfunctorily.

They've heard these kinds of things so many times they're sick of them; the Imperial Court is filled with tales of His Majesty's legendary exploits.

He was described as a great hero who unified the martial arts world, and all the civil and military officials would tremble at the sight of him and roar, "We are willing to give our lives for our leader, even unto death."

Marquis Huaiyang was at a loss when he saw his two new subordinates who were clearly unresponsive to reason.

He suddenly remembered that the Court of Justice had six clerks, one more than his five...

He thought about it, shook his head, and shook off that all-too-familiar feeling of escaping control.

He's not some vicious person; it's impossible for him to encounter five outrageous birds and then six outrageous people.

The carriage soon arrived at the palace gate, where palace servants greeted them. The passengers remained silent throughout the journey.

Zhou Zhao followed behind the Marquis of Huaiyang, silently observing the situation in the palace.

The palace guards were the responsibility of the Southern Army. Unlike the Northern Army, which was a mixed bag of all sorts of people, the Southern Army had many noble sons. Their armor looked brand new, and they were much more spirited than the group of night patrolmen with dark circles under Su Changying's eyes.

A small group of people walked by, and you could smell four or five different kinds of incense.

The palace attendants led the three forward. Just as they were about to reach the main hall, Zhou Zhao spotted Han Xincheng standing on the railing of the steps not far away.

With Zhou Xuan absent, he didn't have that sickly, vixen-like demeanor. He exuded an undeniable aura of power, clearly not someone to be trifled with.

He was dressed in white today. Zhou Zhao looked at him, but he acted as if he didn't see her. He was just carefully dusting off the dust on his white robe.

Zhou Zhao withdrew his gaze thoughtfully, lowered his eyes, and followed the Marquis of Huaiyang into the small study next to the main hall.

Upon entering the room, one is greeted by a refreshing fragrance, unlike the heavy and somber scents of ambergris or pine resin favored by older nobles. Instead, it smells like a sweet summer melon, with a touch of casualness and lightness.

"My lord, the court officials He Mingluan and Zhou Zhao have arrived."

Zhou Zhao bowed along with He Tingshi, secretly glancing at the elderly man seated above him.

The man was dressed casually and sat rather casually on the platform, holding a bamboo slip in his hand. The rumors among the people were not entirely unfounded; His Majesty was indeed a chivalrous man with a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world).

Zhou Zhao was only familiar with two princes: one was the Prince of Dai, who was about to become her second brother-in-law, and the other was Ah Huang.

The Queen Mother of Dai bears almost no resemblance to His Majesty. His Majesty possesses a strong sense of aggression, and his power is displayed openly without any concealment.

The Prince of Dai, however, was as gentle as a newly hatched chick.

Ah Huang's face does resemble His Majesty's.

Especially those eyes. The way His Majesty looks at people is like Ah Huang looking at a corpse, revealing everything.

Upon hearing the Marquis of Huaiyang's voice, His Majesty chuckled, "Zhao Xiao, you're going to have a headache dealing with those troublemakers in the Court of Justice. They're all sharp-tongued and can subtly insult you before you even say a word."

The problem is, you sometimes don't understand what they're saying, so you have to secretly go home and look it up in classical texts, only to realize your mistake and get angry afterwards.

The Marquis of Huaiyang has been by Your Majesty's side since his early years, and we can tell a lot from the fact that he calls you "Lord" instead of "Your Majesty".

"My lord, please don't expose me. I received the transfer order, but I've been rummaging through my belongings at home for three days straight without sleeping, just to memorize the classics. If I get scolded, and I'm supposed to smile and say, 'What a talent! What a talent!' then I'd be utterly humiliated!"

His Majesty listened and burst into laughter.

"If you're unsure, just ask Yi Zhou. Who doesn't envy you for having such a wonderful son!"

As he spoke, he noticed He Tingshi agreeing with a smile on his lips, and immediately called out, "You're the one complaining, and you're still smiling, He Tingshi. Your memorials have made me bald from reading them. Tell me, why do you have to start from the beginning of Pangu creating the world when you're talking about abolishing corporal punishment?" He Tingshi's smile froze on his face.

What could he say? Could he say that he had been learning this aristocratic style of writing since he was three years old?

His Majesty pointed to a bundle of plump bamboo slips on the table, "These are what you wrote. They can be spread out and used as a mat in the summer, so the whole family can sleep on them."

As he spoke, he shook the bamboo slip in his hand again, "This was written by Zhou Zhao, just a few words. It's as if he was afraid that if he wrote even one more word, I would be taking advantage of your Court of Justice."

Zhou Zhao's smile froze.

Too many or too few words are not acceptable. Why don't you stipulate how many words a memorial must contain?

His Majesty's smile suddenly faded, and he threw the bamboo slip in his hand onto the table with a loud thud.

“Tell me, why did I abolish corporal punishment? Legalism governs the country with strictness. If we follow your advice, what will deter the wicked? As officials of the Court of Justice, don’t you know why Bai Li was convicted?”
"You've completely ignored the lessons learned from the past."

Bai Li was punished for offending the Emperor; His Majesty is giving them a warning.

Is he angry?

He Tingshi thought for a moment, then took a small step forward, subtly shielding Zhou Zhao behind him. Just as he was about to speak up and take full responsibility, he heard Zhou Zhao speak up from the side.

"When His Majesty entered Chang'an that day, he promised the people that those who committed murder would pay with their lives. Every citizen in the city was moved to tears and hailed him as a wise ruler."

Law is the way to govern the country and the people. In times of chaos, severe punishments should be used. Now that Your Majesty is the ruler, the world is at peace. In such a peaceful and prosperous era, there is no need to follow the example of the previous dynasty and use harsh laws and punishments to force the people to submit.

The previous dynasty was tyrannical and required cruel punishments to subdue it; Your Majesty is a wise ruler who can influence and transform people through kindness.

Our proposal to abolish corporal punishment is in accordance with the will of Heaven.

He Tingshi stared wide-eyed at the little girl beside him in disbelief.

I never expected you to be like this, Zhou Zhao!

That unrestrained headband on your head is still fluttering!
He Tingshi looked on, then suddenly paused, so flattery is a tactic that has no taboos?

His Majesty was also stunned for a moment, then chuckled, "Don't think that just because you praise me a few times as a wise ruler, I will agree! Flattery won't work on me."

Looking at His Majesty's upturned lips, Marquis Huaiyang thought, "What's the use of your lips? They're practically flying to the sky."

Even the Emperor has become me!
Zhou Zhao cupped his hands in greeting, "I am not good at lying; every word I have spoken is the truth."

Firstly, this is a benevolent act. Why did Your Majesty make such a promise when you entered the city? Wasn't it precisely to tell the world that the Great Qi Dynasty is different from the previous dynasty? And the Nine Chapters of Law, which inherits the laws of the previous dynasty, is a useful guideline during the chaotic early days of the new dynasty.

But things are different now.

The Li Huaishan case had far-reaching implications, causing unrest in Chang'an. How many people were secretly comparing the current dynasty to the previous one? Seven years had passed, and it was time for His Majesty to make a promise, to show some people that Daqi was different from the previous dynasty.

"Insolence!" The Emperor remained silent, but the Marquis of Huaiyang spoke first.

He Tingshi, who was standing next to Zhou Zhao, broke out in a cold sweat.

Or should we talk about some taboos? Otherwise, he worried that the Court of Justice's hopes would be dashed here today.

He Tingshi thought for a moment, then immediately cupped his hands and stepped forward.

He was about to speak when His Majesty waved his hand, looking at Zhou Zhao thoughtfully, "You may continue."