Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 185 He's so naughty, I love him so much! [Requesting monthly votes]

Regardless of how uncontrollable this matter might become, or what kind of unsolvable passive situation Yan Maoqing would face.

The fact that he could make these court officials "willingly" take turns wielding court rods and administering punishments to each other was something the three of them couldn't fathom no matter how hard they tried...

You can see the leopard in the tube!
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter still requires further observation."

Zhai Luan finally pointed to another small group of court officials who remained upright and proud, and answered,
"Just as those old eunuchs said, although most of the court officials have been punished, there are still some who are upright and unyielding."

"I believe we need to observe how Minister Yan treats these court officials before we can draw conclusions about this matter and analyze its rationality; otherwise, all other discussions are just empty talk."

Among the small group of upright and unyielding court officials that Zhai Luan referred to, many were officials of the fourth rank or above, wearing red robes.

Or rather, none of the officials being punished right now are wearing scarlet robes.

They are the real troublemakers!

It should be noted that even during the "Great Rites Controversy," Zhu Houcong had to differentiate between officials of the fourth rank and those of the fifth rank.

Ultimately, officials of the fourth rank and above were only suspended from their posts to await punishment, and then their salaries were suspended or reduced. Only officials of the fifth rank and below were flogged in court, and those who were beaten to death were naturally officials of the fifth rank and below.

There is no other reason.

These officials held important positions in various departments and wielded significant influence in the court.

Firstly, they were political forces that Zhu Houcong, who was in the early stages of his reign, urgently needed to win over. Secondly, they also wanted to minimize the shock that the "Great Rites Controversy" would cause to the country and the political situation.

Such differential treatment is nothing short of a helpless compromise.

Even Zhu Houcong had to compromise with these officials of the fourth rank and above, so how could Yan Maoqing dare to be disrespectful to them?
Clearly, these officials of the fourth rank and above thought the same way, as evidenced by their confident and fearless expressions.

"..."

Xu Zan and Zhang Bi glanced at Zhai Luan, secretly admiring the non-stick pan for being a master of feigning ignorance; it was as if it had said nothing at all.

So the two of them bowed slightly on the ladder and said the same thing to Zhu Houcong;

"Your humble servant believes that Grand Secretary Zhai's words are reasonable."

"hehe."

Zhu Houcong gave a cold laugh and finally didn't ask any more questions.

This is his court, this is his cabinet, where every word spoken between the emperor and his ministers is a backstabbing and power struggle.

Even if he kicked a straight ball, it would always be passed around by his ministers and eventually back into his hands.

Are you tired?

Tired, extremely tired, he was the most tired!
With so many ministers passing the ball, there's always a time when they can rest.

But everyone was only thinking about passing the ball to him and trying to force him to come off the field to play, instead of how to kick the ball into the goal and win a goal. How could he not be tired?

Comparison.

He naturally preferred Yan Maoqing, that scoundrel who was practically oozing smoke.

At least when he forcibly passed the ball to that bastard, no matter how much that bastard tried to refuse, he would eventually do everything he could to bring the ball into the penalty area.

If we weren't to point out any flaws in this bastard...

That's because his passing technique isn't very good. When other players pass the ball to him, it's always at his feet, but this jerk often passes the ball to his face...

Just as I was thinking this.

Suddenly, Yan Maoqing's voice came from the wall of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices:

"You guys in scarlet robes over there, it's your turn now. What do you have to say?"

"It's coming..."

Zhu Houcong, Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi immediately put aside their own thoughts and looked back at the small square without blinking.

They all wanted to know the answer to this question:
Would Yan Maoqing really punish officials of the fourth rank or above, or would he treat them differently?

"Hahaha, what a joke!"

Immediately, an official in a scarlet robe stepped out of the crowd, laughing loudly, and, chin in hand, questioned Yan Maoqing in a loud voice.

"Minister Yan, even if you are new here and do not understand the court system, you should at least have read the Four Books and Five Classics. Do you know how to interpret the saying in the Book of Rites, 'Rites do not apply to commoners, and punishments do not apply to high officials'?"

In fact, by the Ming Dynasty, there was no longer a clear division of scholar-officials.

Or, strictly according to ancient systems, all the officials present could be considered part of the scholar-official class.

The term "Jinshi" means that the moment someone becomes a Jinshi through the palace examination, they are already considered a "scholar".

However, even within the same group, people will eventually divide themselves into different classes over time. The same applies to officialdom, where the so-called "scholar-officials" are also evolving with the times.

It was only after Yan Maoqing became an official that he gradually understood the established rules and conventions of the officialdom during the Jiajing reign.

Nowadays, the term "scholar-official" has become exclusive to officials of the fourth rank or above in the officialdom. Whether it is the specifications of the sedan chair they ride in or all aspects of their official and daily lives, they all demonstrate their unique privileges. Some of these privileges are even artificially created by these officials of the fourth rank or above in order to demonstrate their superiority and nobility.

Yan Maoqing naturally knew how to interpret this sentence.

The interpretation in the *Kongzi Jiayu* is:

"Doctors who commit crimes should also be punished, but their dignity should be taken into account. Moreover, doctors generally have good manners and will humbly reflect on their actions without waiting for punishment."

However, starting from the Song Dynasty, when scholar-officials could share the empire with the emperor, the controversy over the authenticity of the "Confucius Family Sayings" intensified in the court and among the public, eventually leading to its complete rejection.

Therefore, in the officialdom of that era, the interpretation of the phrase "rites do not apply to commoners, and punishments do not apply to high officials" became a literal translation:

"The conduct of commoners cannot be governed by rites; the crimes of high officials cannot be punished."

In fact, this was the prevailing view among officials, and many emperors would tacitly agree, otherwise they might be remembered as tyrants in history...

However, after hearing the official's words, Yan Maoqing burst into laughter and raised his megaphone to ask:
"May I ask this superior's name?"

"I dare not accept such praise. I am Wang Xiude, the current Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

The official raised his chin even higher and gave a very casual bow, clearly not taking Yan Maoqing seriously at all.

This is indeed a high-ranking official position; he is the head of the Court of Judicial Review, one of the Three Judicial Offices, and his rank is the same as that of Yan Maoqing.

Moreover, if Yan Maoqing didn't now wield privileges comparable to those of the Western Depot, even if they were of the same rank, dining at the same table with an official who holds real judicial power would normally depend on whether the official was willing to give him face.

And as he finished speaking...

The remaining officials, dressed in scarlet robes, gathered around him, puffing out their chests and adopting a posture of confronting Yan Maoqing across the wall.

"So it's Minister Wang. I've heard so much about you."

Yan Maoqing returned the greeting with a smile, then cleared his throat and said,
"Since Minister Wang has asked so sincerely, I will mercifully offer my explanation."

The correct interpretation of this sentence is: "Rites do not consider commoners as lowly, and punishments do not consider high-ranking officials as noble."

"To put it more bluntly: 'A doctor who commits a crime must also be punished, but a little decency can be spared. If the doctor is a respectable person, he will humbly reflect on his actions and accept punishment without waiting for the punishment; if the doctor is not a respectable person, then he is being ungrateful and should be given some decency.'"

"puff???"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong almost burst out laughing.

This was the first time he had ever heard anyone interpret the sentence in this way.

This thing emitting blue smoke is so naughty, I love it!

Although it felt closer to the interpretation in the "Confucius Family Sayings" which these officials did not recognize, Yan Maoqing's interpretation was obviously more down-to-earth and more like pointing fingers and scolding people, which made him feel strangely satisfied.

In fact, Zhu Houcong had always felt aggrieved about this matter.

These court officials would frequently try to restrict him by invoking ancestral rules and ancient laws.

But when it came to these court officials themselves, the principle of "no punishment for high-ranking officials" had to be interpreted literally, with all unfavorable interpretations that restricted them being rejected and all related ancient books being banned.

If you restrict me, I can bring up anything. Even a clap of thunder is my fault, and I have to issue an edict of self-reproach!

Is it not enough to restrict you?
"???"

Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi also exchanged glances, their expressions subtly changing.

Based solely on those words, it can be concluded that Yan Maoqing is a troublemaker in officialdom, someone who is here to break the rules.

However, if he only possesses this verbal skill, he will likely achieve nothing and will only make himself a target of public criticism, ultimately leading to his downfall. After all, the interpretation of these words does not rest solely with him.

No matter how fantastical or outlandish his words may seem, there still needs to be someone who listens, someone who believes, someone who spreads them, and someone who teaches him, right?

Who is listening, who is recognizing, who is passing on the message, and who is teaching?

It's so hard to guess...

"You're spouting...uttering utter nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiude, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review outside, also turned pale and began to curse loudly.

"I truly don't know how someone as ignorant and incompetent as you managed to pass the imperial examination!"

The other officials in scarlet robes also loudly echoed:

"Isn't it possible that they bribed the examiners and engaged in favoritism and cheating?"

"This man is utterly incompetent; to serve in the same court as him is a disgrace to us all..."

"Do you all still remember his examination paper? It's no wonder that such a despicable person, who speaks falsehoods and flatters the wrong, could utter such nonsense!"

"I bother……"

Yet at the same time.

No one noticed that this time, those officials in blue and green robes who had previously stood with them, willing to take a single lash of the cane in their place rather than endure two hundred lashes to survive, did not offer their support as fervently as before.

Etiquette does not discriminate based on whether a commoner is lowly, nor does punishment discriminate based on whether a high-ranking official is noble...

They have already disregarded life and death this time, and without exception, they are all people with their own political ideals and ambitions.

The problems of officialdom and powerful officials in the Ming Dynasty were as obvious as lice on a bald man's head. Whenever a new policy reform was launched, these two problems were always the first to be addressed.

The root of these two problems is nothing more than deeply ingrained privilege.

and so……

"Rites do not discriminate based on whether a commoner is lowly, nor do punishments discriminate based on whether a high-ranking official is noble..."

The interpretation given by later scholars was one they had never heard before, and everyone pondered it repeatedly in their hearts.

These words touched upon their ideals and aspirations, creating an indescribable resonance within them, and causing them to look at Yan Maoqing with a newfound respect.

Perhaps Yan Maoqing's answer to the palace examination was indeed a case of using falsehood to justify arguments and conforming to falsehoods to gain favor.

However, this statement is by no means a false argument or a compromise; it is a truth that they have no choice but to support and even pursue!

I never imagined that someone like Yan Maoqing could utter such a sensible sentence...

"Yan Maoqing..."

A strange look appeared in Zhao Zhenji's gaze as he looked at Yan Maoqing.

The despicable methods Yan Maoqing had previously employed surpassed all the wickedness Zhao Zhenji had encountered in the past thirty years. Without a doubt, he was an absolute villain!

But why is it that this wicked and wicked person can utter such admirable words?
“Wang Xiude…”

Zhao Zhenji then looked at Wang Xiude, and the scarlet-robed officials who had broken away from them and stood beside Wang Xiude.

Nobody is a fool; everyone has their own moral compass.

When all the officials below the fifth rank were being flogged, they didn't say a word.

Even when these men, who were prepared to die, endured only the humiliation of being beaten with a stick to rescue their comrades, they remained silent.

Now that it was their turn, even if it was just to save their colleagues' lives, they were unwilling to endure even a single blow. At this moment, they stood up bravely and argued their case...

"Hehehehe..."

Zhao Zhenji suddenly shook his head and chuckled self-deprecatingly, his voice sounding somewhat dry and strained.

A crow perches on a pig; no matter which is blacker, there's never a white one.

This makes them seem exceptionally foolish, exceptionally naive, and exceptionally out of place...

at this time.

"Stop talking!"

Amidst the jeers and curses of the officials in scarlet robes, Yan Maoqing, holding a megaphone, suddenly shouted sharply, instantly drawing everyone's attention back.

“You are the highest-ranking people in this matter, and you must also be the most popular among the officials. These people have all come here at your call.”

"We'll talk about your own caning later. Now I'll just ask you one last question: will you accept the caning you received for those people in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices?"

"If you do not comply, the lashes the others received for rescuing these people will be nullified, and the full lashes will be carried out!"

"Their lives now depend entirely on your word!"

"My patience is limited, so it's still five numbers!"

"five!"

"Four!"

"..."

"???"

"!!!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong, Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi felt their minds suddenly go blank and exchanged bewildered glances.

What does this mean? He actually has several hostages in his Chamberlain's residence?!

They even threatened the lives of the hostages...

Is this the kind of thing a Ming Dynasty official should do? Are you sure this isn't the work of a bandit who commits murder, arson, and all sorts of evil deeds?!
If that were the case, then these officials in scarlet robes would be in a dilemma.

They should insist on not being flogged in court. If Yan Maoqing really killed someone, those people would also be criticized by their colleagues afterward, and their reputations would probably be greatly damaged.

While receiving a caning in court might preserve one's reputation and perhaps even garner more support from colleagues, it would also damage one's dignity and break the privilege of "no punishment for high-ranking officials."

Is this the method Yan Maoqing used to force these court officials to submit?

How could a high-ranking official of the third rank in the imperial court resort to such despicable tactics, comparable to those of a bandit?!

"three!"

Yan Maoqing's countdown continues.

at this time.

"Wait a minute!"

Zhao Zhenji, dressed in a green court robe with the imperial edict insignia on his chest, finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward, shouting loudly with an unyielding expression,
"This humble official is willing to bear all the remaining lashes in court on your behalf. I humbly beg Minister Yan to show leniency!"

Those officials of the fifth rank and below who were standing with him also stepped forward:
"This humble official is also willing..."

"Back off!!!"

Yan Maoqing suddenly let out a deafening roar, his eyes red as he glared at them like a ferocious beast, his voice more stern than ever before.
"Who do you think you are? Who gave you the audacity to represent the third and fourth-rank officials of the imperial court?!"

"!!!"

This shout startled Zhu Houcong, Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi, who were lucky enough to avoid falling off the ladder.

"!!!"

Zhao Zhenji and the others immediately fell silent.

The term "scholar-official" alone was enough to choke them, who already harbored some resentment towards it.

"two!"

Yan Maoqing stared at Wang Xiude and the others with bloodshot eyes, and slowly raised his hand.

As soon as this hand is raised, the court beatings of those officials in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices will continue, and they will surely die!
(End of this chapter)