Discuss with you

Chapter 617 Death-Free Gold Medal
If that were all, Zhu Yu might feel resentful towards Emperor Jin's "generosity and benevolence," but he wouldn't be surprised or even terrified.

Besides the matter concerning Emperor Jin's handling of Zhao Bi, the secret letter also mentioned another matter.

Emperor Jin could overlook Zhao Bi's embezzlement of tribute due to past favors, but Zhao Boce's private military service, weapon manufacturing, and the seizure of land, grain, and troops were not so easily overlooked.

From the secret letter, Zhu Yu learned that when Emperor Jin sent troops to capture those soldiers, they encountered fierce resistance from Zhao Boce's men. As a result, the capture was eventually turned into a siege, and the seriousness of the whole matter was greatly increased.

After the imperial guards who went to besiege Zhao Boce and his subordinates returned, they reported on the atrocities committed by Zhao's soldiers outside, including the indiscriminate killing of innocent people.

Finally, this already serious matter successfully enraged Emperor Jin, who ordered that it be dealt with severely without any leniency, as a warning to others.

Once all the crimes were clarified, Zhao Boce was, unsurprisingly, sentenced to beheading according to the law, and Emperor Jin ordered him to be thrown into the death row.

At this time, Zhao Bi, who had been stripped of his title and was no longer the Duke of Yan, did not leave the capital and was still waiting for news of his grandson.

When the news of Zhao Boce's imprisonment reached the Zhao family, Zhao Bi's wife and his eldest daughter-in-law were so frightened that they fainted on the spot.

Zhao Bi immediately submitted a memorial requesting to enter the palace for one last audience with the emperor. He then handed over the death-exemption tokens that had been made for them, the meritorious officials, when the emperor had just ascended the throne. He kowtowed until his head bled, begging the emperor to spare his grandson's life according to the original agreement.

Emperor Jin finally granted his request and took the pardon from Zhao Bi.

"What's the deal with this get-out-of-jail-free card?" Zhu Yu asked Lu Qing with some confusion.

"Back then, all those who supported the emperor and made meritorious contributions in battle were later granted a death-exemption token," Lu Qing told Zhu Yu. "The emperor agreed with them that this death-exemption token could be passed down from father to son, but apart from serious crimes such as treason and regicide that would result in the extermination of nine generations of one's family, the recipient of the token would have two chances to be exempt from the death penalty. If it was used on a direct relative of the family, it could only be used once."

Once the opportunity is used up, the get-out-of-jail-free card from last time will be taken back, along with all past glory and inner confidence—it's as if everything has been taken away.

“Zhao Boce privately recruited soldiers, seized people’s land, stockpiled troops and grain, and drilled his troops… Isn’t this treason?” Zhu Yu asked.

Lu Qing smiled and said, "It can be, or it can not be."

If he is found guilty of treason, it would be a matter of a single blow from the executioner. However, the pardon would still be in Zhao Bi's hands. As the saying goes, even a centipede with a hundred legs will not fall down easily. Even if he is stripped of his title, the power he has accumulated over the years will not completely collapse in just a few days.

If this leads to a complete breakdown in relations, it's anyone's guess what Zhao Bi might do next.

Secondly, although those in the court who possessed immunity from death were extremely rare, Zhao Bi was not the only one.

The emperor's bestowal of a pardon was originally a great honor and a sign of mutual trust.

As a result, Zhao Bi's grandson made a mistake, and Zhao Bi wanted to use the imperial pardon to save his grandson's life, but the emperor refused without hesitation... So how do you think others will view this matter? Will everyone really stand firmly in the position of loyalty to the emperor and think about the issue? I'm afraid that in the end, some people will inevitably feel in private that the imperial pardon was just an empty favor given by the emperor, and it is as useless as a piece of scrap metal when it comes to a critical moment.

In this way, if any of those people were involved in some unknown schemes, they might have been somewhat hesitant, fearing that they might inadvertently incur the wrath of the Holy One and waste their precious immunity token.

When they see that the Duke of Yan's gold medal is like scrap iron, they might steel themselves and think that since they can't escape death anyway, they might as well take a gamble.

Therefore, while His Majesty's actions this time may seem like a concession to Zhao Bi, it was actually a wise move that achieved two goals at once.

He initially considered Zhao Bi's past merits and did not punish him without showing any mercy. He merely stripped him of his title and sent him back to his hometown to retire. Anyone would praise him for being loyal and righteous.

This was naturally intended to show the other veteran officials in the court who also held meritorious service, to let them see how much he valued old friendships. In this way, how could those people not be loyal to him to the death?
Secondly, Zhao Bi's pardon was useful, which shows that the emperor was trustworthy and moral. However, if things really came to this point, not only would he lose his protection and confidence, but he would also bring shame to his ancestors and be transformed from a respected meritorious official into an ungrateful wretch.

This is like making an example of someone to warn others, making those who hold a "get-out-of-jail-free card" think twice before behaving themselves, and to correct their own behavior if they have any faults, and to be more mindful of their conduct if they don't.

Zhu Yu lowered his eyelids, his face expressionless, looking thoughtful.

"What are you thinking about?" After waiting for a while, seeing that Zhu Yu did not speak, Lu Qing asked curiously.

Zhu Yu sighed softly and patted Lu Qing's back: "I was just thinking, people say that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, and that one happens to be the most cunning tiger... He is so meticulous and calculating. Over the years, you have neither been able to disobey him nor allowed yourself to become a pawn in his hands or a puppet by his side..."

You've really had a tough time!
But it's alright. Without the title of "Carefree King," you can be even more carefree.

From now on, whatever happens, big or small, good or bad, let's face it together. Regardless of the outcome, at least everything we do now is for ourselves, not just playing on someone else's chessboard.

"Until the very end, it remains to be seen who the pawns are and who the player is," Lu Qing replied, gazing into the distance.

Zhu Yu turned to look at him. The setting sun gilded Lu Qing's resolute face, making his calm expression seem to carry a mysterious and unfathomable quality.

After glancing at it for a few moments, Zhu Yu burst out laughing and nudged Lu Qing's chest with his elbow: "There are no outsiders here, so feel free to laugh if you want."

Back in the palace, Consort Zhao, instigated by Zhao Bi, tried to kill you several times.

For many years afterward, Zhao Bi targeted you in court, using his cronies to isolate you and make things difficult for you.

If it weren't for the fact that he thought you had been spoiled rotten by Emperor Jin, you might have done even more despicable things.

Now that he has completely lost power, you have, in a sense, avenged yourself, which is definitely something to be happy about.