The next day was the Shuowang Dynasty on the fifteenth day of the middle of the month, and Xue Shao, the secretary of the military department, was so busy that he had to go to the court to listen to the government in person.

When Xue Shao and two or three hundred civil and military ministers walked into the Zhenguan Hall together, they were completely attracted by a big bronze guy placed in the center of the court.

It is shaped like a mailbox but larger than a mailbox, weighing more than a thousand pounds in a boxy box, and each side is painted a different color.

The ministers speculated endlessly about this thing, but Xue Shao's heart couldn't be clearer. He thought to himself, if I'm not mistaken, this thing should be called "Copper Box". Although it is inconspicuous now, it has epoch-making significance in Chinese history. The "Petition System" and the "Procuratorate" derived from it are still in use in the 21st century, and of course the names of the systems and institutions have been changed -- "letters and visits."

Wu Zetian came, sitting in the Jewel Curtain Pavilion behind the dragon chair as before. When the civil and military officials visited the shrine, another person walked into the court and stood next to the bronze kuang.

Xue Shao, like everyone else, looked sideways, and was a middle-aged scribe with a relatively naïve eye.

"Zhongqing must be curious, what is this huge bronze object?" Wu Zetian took the initiative to express his doubts and immediately answered, "It's called Tongkuang, and it is a new artifact specially set up by the palace to accept the demands of the people. Standing next to the copper box is its designer, Yu Baojia - Yu Aiqing, who introduced the copper box to the secretaries. ”

"Yes, Queen Mother."

Yu Baojia agreed to the promise, and first pointed to the cyan side and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, please see, this cyan side is called Yan'en, but there are people who recommend themselves or those who offer songs and poems, and the letters are put into this pavilion." ”

"The red side is called Zhaozhi, as the name suggests, but anyone who wants to admonish the court can put a letter into this cabinet."

"The white side, called Shen Wei. This is easier to understand, but if you have a grievance, you can trust it. ”

"What about this black side...... Yu Baojia said this, and then paused, "The name is Tongxuan." ”

Naturally, someone immediately asked, "What is it for?" ”

Yu Baojia said: "Anyone who knows about astronomical changes, or has a minister who is lawless, or who has an outlaw who conspires to rebel, can put the letter of informant into this cabinet!" ”

The whole court is in an uproar!

The four sides of this copper box, the other three sides are too minor compared to the "Tongxuan" pavilion. Thinking of the beheading of Sergeant Yulin Wei yesterday because he chewed his tongue, all the ministers were terrified - who can get a good life if the wind of whistleblowing will rise in the future?

"Why are you alarmed?" As soon as Wu Zetian asked, the whole hall suddenly fell silent.

"Among the twelve suggestions put forward by this palace as early as 30 years, there is a wide range of policies." Wu Zetian said, "Now the copper is only created to broaden the way of speech and hear more voices." If you listen partially, you will listen to it darkly, and if you listen to it, you will be clear, can't you understand it? ”

When Wu Zetian said this, who can argue with it?

"The palace decreed that the copper box should be placed in front of the gate of the imperial city. A special envoy is set up to receive copper letters every day. Wu Zetian said, "In addition, all officials in the imperial court are not allowed to surrender." This is a privilege granted by this palace to ordinary people. From now on, all Aiqing must be clean and self-conscious, and accept the supervision of the people. ”

All the officials were stunned and inexplicable, and some even broke out in a cold sweat -- since ancient times, the people have not fought with the officials, is it possible that from today onwards, the officials will have to be afraid of the common people?

"In addition." Wu Zetian's voice suddenly raised, "It is not easy to cast the copper kuang, and it is only located in front of the Zetian Gate of the Shendu Imperial Palace for the time being. If the people of the local prefecture and county want to come to Beijing to admonish or inform, the state official and county order is not allowed to interrogate, and they must arrange for a stagecoach to send them to the divine capital, and the main palace will personally receive them for questioning. Along the way, the post station must be regarded as a five-grade official hospitality, and there must be no mistakes. If the state officials and county officials or postmen dare to obstruct or despise them, they will be severely punished for the crime of blocking the way and bullying the king! …… Whoever informers will be rewarded once they are verified; If there is nothing to do, send it back the same way and don't ask about it--there are still those who don't understand it, and just read the book. ”

The audience was silent.

Wu Zetian's words today are too hard, and they are not at all the usual tone of discussing politics, but are completely an unquestionable and arbitrary and domineering attitude. This is extremely rare in Wu Zetian's ruling life. For a long time, the court ruled by Wu Zetian has never been a hall of words, and it is the norm for civil and military officials to speak their minds freely.

Xue Shao and the ministers of civil and military affairs have already understood that she wants to use this "abnormality" to show her strong determination to implement the "inspection system". Whoever wants to raise an objection in this matter is useless at all.

……

After the dispersal of the court, all the civil and military officials walked out of the court silently, and their footsteps hurriedly dispersed. A terrifying aura of everyone's own danger quietly permeated.

Xue Shao returned to the military department and sat alone for a long time. Wang Yu originally wanted to report on some official business, but seeing that Xue Shao's expression was very different from usual, he didn't dare to come in and disturb him.

Until Yao Yuanchong broke in.

"Shangshu, I passed through the gate of heaven below, and saw a big bronze vessel placed in the middle of the road, and countless people watched and discussed, what is the purpose?"

Yao Yuanchong was ordered to go to the Luoshui camp to handle military affairs and did not go to the early dynasty, so he asked this question.

Xue Shao briefly introduced Tongkuang to him.

Yao Yuanchong was dumbfounded, "In this way, wouldn't it be rumored that everyone is in danger?" ”

Xue Shao nodded, "Maybe someone has already thrown an anonymous letter into the copper box at this moment, accusing you and me of illegal behavior." ”

Yao Yuanchong smiled bitterly, "Isn't it?" ”

Xue Shao smiled, "Who is an official in the court who doesn't have one or two rivals?" Even if he is a good man, he can't stand the jealousy and calculation of people with ill intentions. Behold, no one shall have peace after this. There is no longer the respect and trust between monarchs and ministers and colleagues. ”

"Alas......" Yao Yuanchong sighed again and again, and whispered, "The Queen Mother thinks that there are too many people who oppose her, right?" ”

Xue Shao acquiesced to Yao Yuanchong's statement, also lowered his voice, and whispered: "The heroine is in power, which is not tolerated by the world. After the death of the first emperor, the power of the queen mother was as powerful as the sky, and there were more and more people who opposed her. The Yangzhou Mutiny and Pei Yan's forced palace have shocked the world. After the Yangzhou Mutiny was pacified, Pei Yan was also discredited, and the Queen Mother was still under pressure from the prime minister and courtiers, and had a temporary abdication to return to the emperor. Although less than two months later, she was back in power, but soon there was another assassination of Tianmen. In addition, courtiers and scholars wrote to discuss the reluctance of her to surrender power and return to the inner court, which was almost every day. In the face of such a powerful and many opposition forces that are all over the government and the opposition, both in the open and in the dark, if the Queen Mother does not make a little counterattack, then she is really not the Empress Dowager Wu who has been ruling the Tang Dynasty for decades. ”

"Hearing Shang Shu say this, if he is a subordinate, if he doesn't want to sit still, he will definitely fight back." Yao Yuanchong's brows furrowed tightly when he said this, "However, such an encouragement of whistleblowing is ...... after all."

"Don't talk about it." Xue Shao waved his hand, "You and I are here to discuss, and we can't solve any problems." This time, the Queen Mother's attitude was unprecedented. ”

"Then what should we do in the future?" Yao Yuanchong was quite worried.

Xue Shao wrinkled his eyebrows and pondered for a moment, and said: "We have said a lot just now, and the core is that the Queen Mother only has to deal with those forces that oppose her. ”

Yao Yuanchong was slightly startled, and there was a look of fear in his eyes when he looked at Xue Shao.

Xue Shao knew what he was thinking.

The one who wants to oppose Wu Zetian's ruling the most is, of course, the current Li Tang royal family - and Xue Shao himself, isn't he also a member of the Li Tang royal family?

"I'm going to be fine." Xue Shao looked at Yao Yuanchong very calmly, his tone was relaxed, but categorical, "You won't either." ”

……

A few days later, the major case exposed by the first brown Tongkuang shocked the government and the opposition.

The reason for the incident was that someone sent a letter to Tongkuang to report a courtier, who had helped him build a lot of weapons during the rebellion of Xu Jingye in Yangzhou. Wu Zetian personally opened the letter, and immediately after receiving the letter, he ordered Suo Yuanli, the first "Li Kuang envoy," to immediately supervise the case.

It's a bit laughable to say, the first official to be investigated for the Tongkuang report was the one who entered the Tongkuang - Yubaojia.

This man is probably an "inventor", especially good at crafting all kinds of intricate traps and crafting knives. Before entering the bronze court, he was greatly appreciated by Wu Zetian, and he rose to prominence overnight. For a while, the scenery was incomparable. But he certainly didn't expect that he would be the first to fall because of the copper kuang, and to be the first pioneer to "enjoy" the preferential treatment of cool officials.

Suo Yuanli was ordered to investigate the case for the first time, and he was enthusiastic and determined to win. He immediately caught the fish keeper.

Of course, the Yu Baojia refused to admit that he had built weapons for Xu Jingye. But Suo Yuanli is obviously not an ordinary judicial official, he has his own set of unique methods of asking cases.

Not many people know about this "unique method" at present, and Xue Shao also listened to a thousand cavalry guards who cooperated with Suo Yuanli to handle the case in private, and only then did he learn the details.

Suo Yuanli may have wanted to make fun of the inventor Yubaojia, and he also invented a new "iron cage" for interrogating criminals. This iron cage is just big enough to fit a human head. As soon as the prisoner's head is put in, a wooden wedge is inserted into the prisoner's eyes, ears, nose and mouth through the hole reserved in the iron cage. If you don't ask a move, you will insert a wooden wedge, and the blood will flow sideways, and life is better than death!

This iron cage can also be pulled and tightened with a rope, which can directly press the human head until the brain bursts and dies on the spot.

Before the fish protection family could plant the wooden wedge, he had already obediently confessed to his crime.

Therefore, Suo Yuanli was very satisfied with his new invention, and he gave himself a well-known name for his new method of "extorting confessions by torture."

In fact, before using the "prison guard", Suo Yuanli also used another magic weapon for adjudicating cases, which also has a well-known name, called "dormitory prisoner".

To put it bluntly, it is mental torture.

When Yubao's family was first imprisoned, Suo Yuanli put him in a small dark cell, without food or water, and sent people to take turns to interrogate him day and night. Yubao's family was sleepy and wanted to sleep, so Suo Yuanli sent someone to beat gongs and drums in his ear, preventing him from falling asleep.

After less than two days of torture like this, the Yubao family completely collapsed, and they all knelt down and cried and begged Suo Yuanli to give him a good time. If it weren't for Suo Yuanli's eagerness to test his "iron cage" magic weapon at the bottom of the box, how could the Yubao family survive the "hangover" level?

Although Xue Shao had long been mentally prepared for the cruelty of the cool officials of the Wu Zhou Dynasty in history, Suo Yuanli's extreme viciousness still made Xue Shao feel creepy.

Think about it, if you were tortured by "old prisoners" and "prison guards", how many days would you be able to survive?