A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 249 Blood Robe

"Not to be executed personally?"

“Recite the ‘Admonitions’ section of the ‘Swallow Spring and Autumn Annals’: Duke Jing pursued and imprisoned the man who had cut the bamboo.”

"When Duke Jing saw bamboo, he ordered his officials to guard it carefully. When the Duke went out and passed by, he saw someone cutting bamboo. The Duke chased after him in his carriage, caught him, and arrested him, intending to punish him."

Yanzi entered the palace and said, "Have you also heard of my late lord, Duke Ding?" The Duke asked, "What about him?" Yanzi replied, "Duke Ding attacked Quwo, defeated it, seized its wealth, and exiled its people. The Duke then personally took charge of the city. There was a cartload of dead bodies being carried out. The Duke found this strange and ordered an official to inspect it. Inside were gold and jade. The official requested that the man be executed and the gold and jade seized. The Duke said, 'To surrender a city with troops and to seek wealth with the masses is unrighteous. Moreover, I have heard that a ruler should be benevolent and compassionate to the people, and should not personally carry out executions…'"

Zhang Tang watched helplessly as the bamboo slips turned into flames in the furnace, the words on them flickering in the fire, until they finally turned to ashes and were never seen again.

"continue."

“The Duke ordered him released. He said, ‘Excellent!’ Yan Zitui then ordered the release of the prisoner who had been cut into bamboo.”

What is it you're talking about?

"Duke Jing of Qi planted bamboo and entrusted it to a minor official for safekeeping. One day, Duke Jing left the palace and passed by the bamboo forest. He saw someone cutting bamboo and arrested him, intending to punish him."

When Yanzi requested an audience, he used the example of Duke Ding's conquest of Qu City. He recounted how, during Duke Ding's relocation of the city's inhabitants, some residents had secretly hidden gold and jade under the guise of corpses. Duke Ding discovered this, and the officials requested that the man be executed. Duke Ding said, "A ruler should be kind and benevolent to his people and cannot personally issue orders to kill." He then ordered the man released as a form of admonition… Duke Jing ordered the release of the prisoner who had cut bamboo.

Zhang Tang frowned the entire time.

Gongsun Hong looked at him and laughed, "The legal officials must be feeling bad after seeing this document."

"Prime Minister, the law punishes the wicked, and the justice of Heaven is clear. Duke Jing of Qi, heeding Yanzi's advice, exempted those who broke the law from punishment, thus undermining the law."

"But it earned Duke Jing of Qi a reputation for benevolence and forgiveness."

Gongsun Hong echoed Zhang Tang's words, "Just as Ding Gong said, a ruler should be kind and compassionate to the people and not personally carry out executions."

Zhang Tang remained silent.

“A ruler should not do evil, and even if he does, he should not dirty his hands. Zhang Tang, you are not a pedantic person, you should know this principle.”

Gongsun Hong turned the charcoal in the stove, ensuring that the bamboo slips and silk that had not burned completely were burned away.

As a ruler, one is under the spotlight. At all times, one must always show the people a magnanimous, benevolent, and loving attitude.

Even when facing perpetrators of evil.

Zhang Tang accepted the Prime Minister's words without any psychological pressure. He nodded and asked, "The destruction of the restoration army was the plan of the Chen family, and was carried out by the Zhou, Xiao, and Zhang families. This memorial is the record of the merits of the four families of Chen, Zhou, Xiao, and Zhang. Why did the Prime Minister burn it?"

The fact that he was not personally executed did not mean that someone else could be chosen to carry it out. This was a plan devised by Chen Mo, and Zhou Gong, Xiao Qing, and Zhang Cheng were to carry it out. However, the plan was reported to the emperor in secret, but the old prime minister simply burned it.

Leaving aside how the merits of Chen, Zhou, Xiao, and Zhang, and their respective families, should be calculated, the fact that the old prime minister blocked the emperor's ears and eyes will be difficult to explain in the future.

"Zhang Tang, why do you always make the Lord make the choices?"

Gongsun Hong looked at his former disciple and said helplessly, "If this plan had not been carried out and the Emperor had learned of it, the Emperor would have had to choose between 'filial piety' and 'hundreds of thousands of Han people.' Whether to stand by and watch his subjects kill hundreds of thousands of people for the sake of filial piety, or to sacrifice his own filial piety for the sake of hundreds of thousands of Han people, it would all be up to the Emperor. If the Emperor had not known about this, there would have been no choice. The restoration army would have been destroyed, and the Emperor's filial piety would have been preserved. It was the four great meritorious families of Chen, Zhou, Xiao, and Zhang who were doing evil, and it was you and I who deceived His Majesty."

Even if someone finds out the deaths of hundreds of thousands of restorationists in the future, causing a sensation and being recorded in the national history, as long as we bear all the blame, no one will know the truth about His Majesty's attempt to restore the monarchy and rebel against the emperor.

The unsuspecting ruler justly dealt with us 'evil people,' isn't this the most moving example of a wise ruler eliminating traitors in the world?

Zhang Tang's throat bobbed, and he said, his voice dry and hoarse, "If you carry the weight of everyone on your shoulders, you'll be torn apart by five horses."

Hundreds of thousands of lives—is that a burden any human being can bear?
The old prime minister was talking about you and me, but he was over eighty years old and could pass away at any time. What his next life would be like had nothing to do with the dead. As for the living, they would most likely be cut in half at the waist and their bodies displayed in the marketplace.

Abandoning the world and abandoning the market are not the same.

"Shouldn't you be torn apart by five horses?"

Gongsun Hong closed his eyes and asked in return, "Count the people who have died at your hands over the years, count the people who have died under your ingenious tortures, suffering to the point of death. Ask yourself, what kind of punishment in this world is unworthy of you?"

Zhang Tang was not only a cruel official, but also the originator of many cruel tortures. His hands were stained with the blood of innocent and not innocent people. How could such a person still think of a good death? It has to be said that the benevolence of the emperor has given many people unwarranted illusions.

The position of prime minister, the title of marquis, a peaceful death in old age... first look at your blood-stained robe and ask yourself if it's possible.
Before Zhang Tang could lose his strength, Gongsun Hong said, "The Lord said that there will be a place for you in the Qilin Pavilion. You are the only cruel official who emerged from His Majesty's reign."

Zhang Tang's waning enthusiasm suddenly surged back. Yes, even without a prime ministership or a marquisate, and even if he were to die a horrible death, he could still leave his mark on history.

The history of China is so long, and so many people have left their mark on history. If one could have a single chapter dedicated to a single person, countless people would be willing to do so, even if it meant cutting off every last detail.

Gongsun Hong kept his eyes closed. "As for the merits of the Zhou family of Pingqu Marquis, the Xiao family of Zan Marquis, and the Zhang family of Liu Marquis, the Lord will not forget them, nor is there any need for a so-called merit book. The rewards they will receive in the future will only be more than they deserve."

"What about the Chen family, the Marquis of Qu Ni?" Zhang Tang asked.

Gongsun Hong opened his eyes briefly, glanced at Zhang Tang, and said calmly, "The Chen family has the reward they want, and they are confident they can obtain it."

Zhang Tang felt a lump in his throat, which he swallowed hard, and asked, "Does the Prime Minister think the Chen family can obtain it?"

"can!"

Gongsun Hong affirmed, "Just because the Chen family schemed against you without you even realizing it, it's destined that the Chen family will get the reward they want."

Zhang Tang suddenly stood up, exclaiming incredulously, "The Chen family plotted against me? When?"

"When the Chen family merged with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, when Chen Mo was able to deliver to you the contents of his conversation with His Majesty's envoy, the blood pact, and the secret plans he made with the Zhou, Xiao, and Zhang families, when Chen Mo told you to come to the audience with me, and you did so."

Gongsun Hong continued, “When the Chen family clearly told you, the Imperial Censor, that they wanted to take away your position as Embroidered-Robe Envoy, and you were helpless, Chen Mo was more suitable for the position than you or anyone else.”

Zhang Tang suddenly stood up, his heart burning like fire, clearly somewhat agitated.

Gongsun Hong stood up as well, "The time has come; it's time for the audience."

(End of this chapter)