Zhu Youxiao finally returned to the capital. The ministers were overjoyed, and everyone was afraid that the emperor would have more than a month of private visits to Weifu, which was supposed to be a good month. I didn't want Zhu Youxiao to come back after only going out for twenty-two days.

And after Zhu Youxiao appeased Zhang Yan and Wang Wan's grievances at night, he had a sore back the next day, and he was called up by the Hakka because of the court meeting held today.

The ministers asked for peace and sat down. The first to come out was Luo Sigong, originally according to the original rules, Jinyiwei did not return things in the court, but Zhu Youxiao thought that the things that Jinyiwei did could be made public, and he could return in the court.

Luo Sigong said: "Your Majesty, Yanqingwei's illegal affairs have been investigated, and there are Li Chengsi, Yuan Chonghuan, and Liu Sicun in total...... and others are guilty of taking a lawsuit, forcing military households to cultivate on their behalf, overcollecting the income of military households, withholding military salaries, forcing people to die, and forcibly marrying people's daughters. ”

Zhu Youxiao said unhappily: "Have so many people committed these crimes? A person's crime is clear, and it will be handed over to Dali Temple. ”

Poor Luo Sigong had never done such a thing in the court before, and he was reprimanded for a while. At this time, Dali Siqing came up to relieve his embarrassment. Dali Siqing asked: "Your Majesty, do you really hand over this case to Dali Temple to deal with?" His voice trembled, and he was clearly agitated.

Zhu Youxiao knew that Jinyiwei could handle the case by himself on weekdays, so he didn't take Dali Temple in his eyes at all, and only served the Dongchang family. Therefore, Dali Siqing was naturally extremely happy when he heard that the case handled by Jinyi Wei was handed over to Dali Temple.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "After Jinyiwei transferred the case to Dali Temple, you will be convicted according to the law according to the crimes committed by each person. However, the nature of this matter is extremely bad, can a heavy sentence be used to punish future generations? ”

Dali Siqing was a little hesitant, listening to the emperor's meaning, obviously wanting to aggravate their crimes, if he said no, then obviously the emperor would be unhappy. He thought for a while, gritted his teeth and replied: "The minister thinks that the punishment can only be determined by crime, and cannot be increased or reduced. ”

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but glance at this seventy-year-old man, Dali Siqing is called Wu Rendu, Zhu Youxiao asked: "Wu Qing, why not?" ”

Wu Rendu replied: "Your Majesty, if he is guilty because of his bad nature, and if his sentence is reduced because he is not evil in nature, then the Ming law is no longer serious, and the minister thinks that unless the law stipulates that certain crimes should be severely punished, his guilt cannot be aggravated because of His Majesty's words." ”

Zhu Youxiao couldn't help but think of a sentence from later generations: The law should be rigid. It seemed that he was too casual, he nodded and said, "Wu Qing's words are reasonable, then judge according to the law." In addition, Wu Qing was given five color coins to reward him for his courage and kindness. ”

Wu Rendu was actually ready to be reprimanded or even kicked out of the court, and he didn't want the emperor to continue to blame him, but to reward him. He was inexplicably moved, knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, the old minister has spoken nothing, contradicted the monarch's father, please punish Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Youxiao said with a smile: "Wu Qing, please get up, if it makes sense, don't call it a confrontation." This matter is a mistake in my thinking, what Wu Qing said is the true meaning of the law. The seriousness of the law lies in its intolerability, and it is indeed inappropriate to arbitrarily increase or reduce the punishment. ”

Wu Rendu kowtowed and said, "Long live my emperor, long live!" The other ministers also had to kowtow together: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live!" ”

Zhu Youxiao said: "Zhongqing is flat. But there are still ministers who are doing things? ”

The clerk stepped forward and said, "If there is something to start, there is nothing to retreat." ”

The ministers wanted to retreat, but Zhu Youxiao hurriedly said: "I still have something to say, and the secretaries will take their seats first." Then the ministers sat back in their chairs or on their futons.

The clerk was sweating profusely, knelt on the ground and said, "The minister falsely passed the holy decree, please punish Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and said: "In the past, after I said this, you took this sentence, you can't blame you, I asked the wrong question just now, you get up." ”

The clerk kowtowed a few more times, and then got up, took a handkerchief from his sleeve, and quietly wiped the sweat from his head.

Zhu Youxiao stood up, walked down, and when he walked to the chair of the six Shangshu, the ministers sitting in the chair all stood up. Zhu Youxiao asked them to sit down, and Fang Congzhe said: "How can there be a reason for Your Majesty to stand and wait for your ministers to sit down." ”

There was no way, Zhu Youxiao had to go back to the dragon chair and sit down. The passionate words that I had thought about just now could no longer be said, and looking at the eyes of the ministers looking at him, he had no choice but to speak:

"I went to the palace a few days ago, and what I saw was shocking. The family is so poor that they only have a quilt, and the children do not wear shoes on weekdays, and they can only wear straw sandals. A family of three is strong, and can barely mix two meals to feed and wear, it's two meals, and now which of you only eats two meals a day? ”

"My army has shed blood for the justice of the country in the southwest, and the 1,000 yuan pension he should have received has turned into ten, and the fifty acres of land that his family should have received are gone."

"All the military households in the guard house have become the private property of the generals, and the tuntian fields that should have been allocated to them have been turned into the private fields of the generals and local officials, and they have cultivated the fields that should have been their own for others, but they often can't even satisfy their stomachs, and I don't know if you hear their cries."

"Such officials, such generals, I don't know what the country is raising them for. I once heard a saying: If you are an official and don't be the master of the people, you might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes. And what are our officials busy with all day? Attacking others is treacherous, but is it right to attack others? Holding on to the old case from decades ago, he demanded that the evil in their minds be expelled from the court. I think that the knowledge in my Kyoshi University is heresy and should be banned. ”

"Because I am the emperor, he can't ban it, so he forbids the children of the family to come to the university hall, and forbids the children of the family to enter the primary school. thinks that the learning of the sage can make the world peaceful, and the river is clear and the sea is clear. Thinking that machine things are miraculous and ingenious, and that they are confusing people's minds. ”

"What is an official? The first emperor once said to me that officials are an extension of the emperor's rule over the world. It is impossible for me to govern the world alone, so the officials are my helpers, what can I help? Help me govern the world. ”

"Since you are helping me govern the world, of course you will do what I want, not what you think. If I ask you to do it, you will do it, and if I don't let you do it, you can't do it! ”

"If you compare the court to a person, then I am the heart, and you are the siblings. It is up to me to tell you how to do it, not for you to tell me how to do it. Of course, there are things I did not do properly. You can put forward opinions and suggestions, such as what Wu Qing just did. I am not omniscient, so you can help me with advice, but the general direction can only be grasped by me. ”