Qiankun Storyteller

Chapter 52
Why are Taoist priest Zhang Zhou and monk Yunzhen surprised by the story of Duke Bao disrespecting his orders and not returning?
Because this is not the plot that should appear in the koan.

As I said before, the main framework and central idea of ​​the official document is to endorse the ruling group and divide the ruling group into black and white. That part will definitely eliminate the bad part, and restore the world to a clear and fair place.

This is the main framework and central idea of ​​the koan.

Therefore, there will never be a foolish king in the public case. Even if there is a foolish king, it is the result of being blinded by treacherous officials. , beheading treacherous ministers and villains, corrupt officials, and returning the world to a bright and bright world, a bright sun and a bright moon.

The king is the highest level of the ruling group. In any case, he cannot be a black and evil person.

Is this way of writing good or bad, or just evil?
No discussion for now.

Anyway, the main framework and central idea of ​​the koan is like this.

Except for those notorious kings of Jie and Zhou who cannot and cannot be reversed, there can be no real foolish kings in the public case.

To be precise, the crimes of the ruling group cannot be truly exposed!

As Su Wen said now about the Three Heroes and Five Righteousnesses, in the case of Pang Yu, who is the greatest evil, and who is the real culprit?

Is that Anlehou Pangyu?
Is that Grand Master Pang Ji?
Is it the imperial concubine Pang Yan?
No, no!
The real root of the crime, the real culprit, is Pang Yu's good brother-in-law, Pang Ji's good son-in-law, and Pang Yan's good man—Emperor Renzong!
He is the greatest evil!
Without him, the emperor's brother-in-law, where would An Lehou, who bullied the good and harmed the people, come?
Without him, the son-in-law of the emperor, where would Grand Master Pang, who is so powerful in the court, come from?
Without him, the emperor's husband, how could he deceive the imperial concubine?
He is the highest level of the ruling group, but also the biggest culprit, the biggest cancer.

Everything starts with him, everything comes from him.

But can you tell him?

No, the villain will always be An Lehou, Pang Grand Master, and Pang Guifei.

Emperor Renzong is the supreme king, how can he be an evil and treacherous person?
At most, at most... is to be deceived.

This is the main framework and central idea of ​​the koan.

But now Su Wen seems to be breaking away from this main framework, this central idea.

The emperor issued twelve imperial decrees in succession, ordering Baogong to return to Beijing to face the saint?
Bao Gong disrespected the order and forced him to stay in Chenzhou for half a month, but also to complete the disaster relief work?

What is this for?
Is the emperor going to have a conflict with Baogong next?
You can’t write like that, say like that!
The emperor is a positive role, and Bao Gong is also a positive role. If these two positive roles collide and fight, wouldn't the case be crooked?

Fortunately, the emperor said that he could be fooled by a traitor. This kind of plot can also be seen in other official documents. As long as he finally wakes up in time, realizes his mistakes, and corrects his mistakes, he will still be a good emperor.

But on Baogong's side... he absolutely cannot conflict with the emperor.

Loyalty to the emperor is the mainstream of ancient thinking. The principle of heaven and earth is that the emperor, relatives and teachers are the most common principles.

In any case, the king is the king, and the courtiers are all courtiers. The rules of ethics are absolutely irreversible, otherwise they are challenging the order of etiquette and law of the entire era.

In the public case, there cannot be a king who is really stupid and ignorant, let alone an upright official who deceives the king and violates the rules, unless... you want to die, you want to write a book against it, and you want to challenge the accumulation and establishment of thousands of years The rules of etiquette!

Su Wen has this momentum now.

Taoist Zhang Zhou and Monk Yunzhen stared at Su Wen on the stage, wanting to see how he would continue the story.

Is this official document a counter-report?

Or is it a clever self-justification, Renzong is still a Mingjun, Baogong is still a loyal minister, and the monarch and his ministers have a happy ending?
The two are more inclined to the latter.

It's not that they have any tendency to stand, but that they really don't know how to write this package of koan into a counter book.

With a character like Duke Bao, how could he oppose the emperor?
Therefore, the two are more inclined to justify themselves with Su Wen. Baogong defuses the crisis wittily, Renzong sees through the tricks in time, the monarch and his ministers work together to punish the treacherous evil, and defeat the villain Pang Taishi, a happy ending.

Of course, it is also possible that the tragedy will end, Renzong is stupid, and Baogong died unjustly, but Taoist Zhang Zhou and Monk Yunzhen don't think this kind of development, this kind of plot has any meaning, they are purely dying for death, mourning for sorrow.

Hmm... Unknowingly, these two outsiders and monks have become Su Wen's loyal readers and loyal listeners. They are so concerned about the development of the plot that they almost forget that this is just a case book, a fictional storybook. thing, a fiction.

Taoist priest Zhang Zhou and monk Yunzhen are like this, and so are all the ghosts.

Although they didn't know as much as the two of them, they were also included in the book by the plot woven by Su Wen.

The emperor issued twelve imperial decrees in a row, aggressively asking Bao Gong to return to Beijing, which was clearly a grand banquet.

How does Baogong respond?

All the ghosts stared at Su Wen, waiting for the follow-up.

Su Wen didn't give in at this time either, and continued: "Gong Bao received the twelve imperial edicts and finally returned to Bianjing, Kaifeng. After returning to Beijing, he didn't dare to stay. He ordered everyone to return to Kaifeng Mansion, and he entered the palace alone to face the saint!"

"When Baogong entered the palace, it was already past noon, but he found that the court meeting in the palace had not yet ended, and all the officials had not left. In the Golden Luan Hall, the holy emperor was seated on a dragon chair, and the civil and military officials were arranged on the left and right. The head of the civil officials on the left stood impressively. With grim eyes and gritted teeth, it is the current grand master who is suffering from the pain of bereavement in Xinli—Pang Ji!"

"Pang Ji's eyes were red, with blood and hatred, staring at Bao Gong who walked into the palace, as if he wanted to tear a piece of flesh from him."

Su Wen knocked on the folding fan, and the narrator said: "Needless to say, in half a month, Pang Ji has already made up the charges against Duke Bao in front of the Holy Master. Knowing that Duke Bao is returning to Beijing to face the Holy Spirit today, he will delay the court meeting until now, and must arrest Duke Bao before all the officials." Convict and send off, in order to avenge the murder of the son."

"Duke Bao knew about it, but he ignored it, and went into the palace to pay homage to Renzong: Bao Zheng kowtowed to His Majesty, long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

"Duke Bao came to worship, but the Emperor Renzong on the dragon chair did not ask Bao Gong to get up with a friendly face like in the past, but asked in a cold voice: Bao Zheng, are you guilty?"

"Bao Gong knelt at his highness, his expression unchanged: What is Bao Zheng's crime?"

"What's your guilt?"

Su Wen changed his voice and said, "As soon as Baogong's voice fell, the Grand Master Pang Ji jumped out and counted out Baogong's three major crimes!"

"Bao Zheng!"

"You deceived the emperor with clever words and tricks, and used the imperial letter to pass the false words, and conspired three imperial-given guillotines to rely on power. It is a crime!"

"You disregarded the grace of heaven, violated the law and abused power, killed An Lehou Pang Yu with a dog's head, trampled on the face of the heavenly family, and the court's laws, the second crime!"

"You disrespected the order and disobeyed the emperor's order. The Holy Majesty issued twelve imperial edicts to call you back to Beijing, but you stayed in Chenzhou for more than half a month. You have committed three crimes!"

"You are the governor of Kaifeng, the imperial envoy Zhongcheng, a scholar of Longtuge, a second-rank official in the dynasty, you are blessed by heaven, and you are a member of the sage, but you deceive the emperor and abuse the power. The emperor ordered you to commit these three major crimes, disloyalty and unrighteousness, having no king and no father, so you dare to ask what crimes you have committed?"

"Bastard!"

"Old dog!"

"Traitor!"

"It's so vicious!"

"Hoohoho!"

As soon as Su Wen finished speaking, he saw all the ghosts in the audience roaring and cursing.

Su Wen didn't care, and after the ghosts in the audience calmed down for a while, he continued, "Grand Master Pang has been back to Beijing for half a month, and he has already made iron-clad evidence that these three crimes are justified and well-founded. , even Bao Gong can’t argue with it.”

"Gong Bao knew it, so he didn't bother arguing with Pang Ji. He just looked up at Emperor Renzong: Your Majesty also agrees with the words of the grand master. Bao Zheng's crime?"

Su asked the narrator to set the tone: "At this moment, Renzong's words will determine Baogong's life and death, because the evidence for these three major crimes is above the imperial punishment. If Renzong has the heart to forgive, these three major crimes will be useless. If Renzong listened to Taishi Pang's words, then these three major crimes are Bao Gong's reminder."

"How can the dog emperor let Bao Gong go?"

"Pillow wind is the most poisonous, he must be his father-in-law!"

"Dark Lord!"

"Duke Bao shouldn't have accepted this job!"

All the ghosts in the audience discussed nervously.

Su Wen continued:

"Emperor Renzong sat on the dragon chair, and there was a bit of anger in his eyes: Bao Zheng, I gave you the imperial punishment to let you do things cheaply. Although you have the right to kill first and then play later, you can't abuse it as you like. , relatives of the emperor, how could you use a dog's head to kill him? I ordered you to go back to Beijing to explain this matter, but you forcefully stayed in Chenzhou for half a month, ignoring my twelve imperial decrees. In your eyes... Is there still me, the emperor?"

"Renzong questioned in anger!"

"Pang Ji is cold-eyed!"

"Hundred officials remain silent!"

"Duke Bao's life hangs by a thread!"

"in this way……"

Su Wen knocked on the folding fan, and said in a deep voice: "Grand Bao's face remained unchanged, he just took off the black gauze official hat on top, and said to Renzong: "So, Bao Zheng has nothing else to say, only one sentence, respect to Your Majesty!"

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!"

"Bao Zheng died for rebellion today!"

(End of this chapter)