unclear

Chapter 433 Wanting to impose a crime 2

Wang Xiangqian guessed it right. Hong Tao didn't even think of finding any excuse to raise his butcher knife and chop all the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty cleanly, because that was ineffective, and it had been confirmed by more than one example.

Lao Zhu did this at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He could kill people by picking out a certain line from a poem. If an official is caught making dissatisfying remarks, all officials who have contact with him will be in the same party. Being an official has become a high-risk profession. Many officials have to leave a will when they go to work in the morning. They don't know whether they can return home alive.

As a result, one group was killed after another, those who should rebel continued to rebel, those who should be greedy continued to be greedy, and did not care. Even the newly appointed officials have greater appetites and lower integrity than their predecessors. It is really like the waves behind the Yangtze River pushing the waves ahead.

In fact, the reason is very simple. You don’t need to bother philosophers to analyze and summarize it. Ready-made examples can be found everywhere in daily life. If you want the animals to work, you can't just beat them. You also need to feed them and give them some sweet treats from time to time.

In some respects, humans have similar habits to animals, so just decapitating them is useless. The ancients have long concluded that if you want someone to be obedient and cooperative, you have to use coercion and inducement. In Europe and the United States, this is called a big stick and a carrot.

The essence of coercion and inducement is not the sweetness of carrots or the lethality of big sticks, but the combination of kindness and power. Giving too many carrots will make people forget the pain of the big stick and breed inertia; giving too many big sticks will make people forget the sweetness of the carrots and lose hope.

It's good to be merciful outside the law. Don't be afraid if you make a mistake. As long as you are caught and don't cause too much damage, and you accept the corresponding punishment, and the most important thing is that you are caught by the emperor, you can still continue to work.

Generally speaking, a large number of people who make mistakes and are punished will learn their lessons and will not easily make the same mistakes again. On the contrary, people who have never made mistakes are more likely to make mistakes because they don’t know the severity.

"This is wrong! If your name is not correct, your words will not go smoothly. If your words are not right, things will not be accomplished. If things are not accomplished, etiquette and music will not flourish. The law does not tolerate mercy. If your majesty shows mercy outside the law because the law does not punish people, then all laws will be lost. And How should we restrain the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty?"

But before Hong Tao could get off the hill, Gao Panlong, the minister of Dali Temple, suddenly spoke. This guy is a bit of a loner and has always ignored others. Since he took office, he has caused trouble to the emperor and offended his colleagues.

But no one can do anything about him. Even if he can endure loneliness and poverty, he can live quite well on his monthly salary. He neither makes friends with powerful people nor pleases his colleagues. If no one takes notice, he goes home to read, and then writes some articles for Ban Yue Talk. It’s better if it’s published, and I’m not angry if it’s not published, I feel very contented.

This time, if there is no accident, it is still an accident. He disagrees with Wang Xiangqian's opinion on how to deal with it. The implication is that no matter who commits a crime, he must be punished according to the law. If he is not punished or the punishment is light, the law will be useless in the future.

"Well, Gao Aiqing, as the Minister of Dali Temple, strictly abides by the law, please remind me!" Facing such a pure person, Hong Tao couldn't show off, so he had to squeeze his fat face and show a happy smile.

If there were more people like this in the Ming Dynasty, we might not have reached the point where we are today. But this kind of person is also a double-edged sword. It does not mean that adhering to principles can be beneficial to the country and the nation. When there is a problem with the so-called principle itself, they become resistance. Precisely because they adhere to the principle, the resistance is greater.

The most troublesome thing is that these people are basically stubborn, and they have identified a path that will lead them to the dark side. It is difficult to persuade them. Anyone who questions the principles they believe in will be regarded as a coward or a sycophant, and there is no reason to say anything.

"Wang An, have you sent someone to carefully check these confession letters?" What should we do? Hong Tao has a way. Accepting death, right? If it works, then we will dig it out one by one according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Youdao is to catch thieves, seize stolen goods, and catch adulterers. If there is insufficient evidence, does it mean that punishment cannot be imposed?

"Long live the Lord, the confessions and letters were just obtained last night and early in the morning. I haven't had time to verify them one by one yet."

When Gao Panlong objected and the emperor smiled, Wang An knew something bad was going to happen. Sure enough, trouble came soon. He had to put the blame on his head for neglecting verification, otherwise the emperor would not be able to continue the show. "Asshole, you are all ministers of my great Ming Dynasty, how can you arbitrarily convict Xiaoxiao for biting him at will! If you don't send someone to verify it quickly, don't blame me for being ungrateful if you have the slightest negligence!"

Look, as long as someone is willing to offend the emperor, he can have both sides. One moment, he will say black as white, and the next, white as black. No matter what he says, he is right, without any responsibility. Even if there is, it is because his subordinates did things poorly and deceived the Holy One, so they should be killed!

"I know I'm guilty... I'll send someone to deal with it immediately!" After being scolded for no reason, Wang An could only kowtow and plead guilty, but could only scold all the eighteen generations of Gao Panlong's ancestors in his heart.

"Your Majesty, I still have something unclear that I want to ask the king about." Seeing Wang An being scolded in disgrace, Gao Panlong seemed to still not understand his hatred, so he left his seat again to ask for help.

"Gao Aiqing, please speak!" Hong Tao smiled more kindly. Not only did he express his expression, he also stretched out his hand to help her. He was very aware that he would not be successful if he did not listen to a few words of advice.

"Last night, the East Police Factory and Jin Yiwei arrested criminals and confiscated their property. Was there any criminal investigation report?"

Sure enough, Gao Panlong thought Wang An was too low-level and directly pointed the finger at the emperor. Who doesn't know that both Dongchang and Jinyiwei obey the emperor's orders? Asking if there is a driving notice is equivalent to asking the emperor whether it is illegal.

"I already know about this. There's no need to ask anyone else. It's definitely not the case!" Before Wang An could think of how to answer, Hong Tao directly took over the conversation and gave a very positive answer without any quibbles or lies.

"To arrest criminals, Dongchang and Jinyiwei need to hold criminal driving certificates. This is an ancestral system. Does Your Majesty know?" The emperor answered happily, and Gao Panlong asked questions neatly. He pressed forward step by step and refused to give up an inch of ground.

"Of course I know!" The smile on Hong Tao's face gradually solidified, and his tone gradually became colder.

"Any matter involving an important official of the imperial court should be brought to the joint trial of the Three Law Departments, and the Holy Master should be asked to issue an order to order the Jin Yiwei to hand over the prisoner to the custody of Dali Temple."

As soon as these words came out, the heads that were still kneeling and waiting for the emperor's punishment immediately made slight movements, quietly lifted up a little, and cast grateful glances at the not-so-tall body.

Now they understood what Gao Panlong was going to do. He wanted to drag Wang An into the water, surround Wei and save Zhao, forcing the emperor to be noble and not pursue the suspicion of treason among his colleagues here.

In fact, none of the people here had even thought about plotting rebellion. At most, they knew about the plot to move the capital, or had a good personal relationship with one of them. The emperor was obviously looking for an excuse to do this. Once bitten, he would take the easy word lightly and the serious word seriously. He was very passive.

(End of this chapter)