Do you know that it starts with Meng Tong?

While Wei Chen was thinking this, he walked slowly to the small courtyard where the Common Hall was located.

Before entering the courtyard, you can see the ancient locust trees in the courtyard from a distance. The towering tree crowns block out the sun, and a gentle breeze makes a pleasant rustling sound.

The Sophora japonica tree has been regarded as the tree of officials since ancient times. The so-called "appointment of Sophora japonica" refers to the official becoming the Grand Master, the Grand Tutor or the Grand Protector, and is in the position of the three Dukes.

Therefore, locust trees are planted all over the Hanlin Academy, which is a metaphor for cultivating talents for the country.

In the Shuchang Hall where Shujishi are trained, there are especially many ancient locust trees with a long history. Some ancient locust trees have been planted here in the previous dynasty, and they are older than Zhou Dynasty.

at this time,

None of the 36 common people were left behind. They were sitting around under the shade of an ancient locust tree, seeming to be discussing something, and the atmosphere was quite lively.

Wei Chen did not disturb them, but quietly leaned in and listened. Only then did he realize that they were discussing an official scandal that had attracted much attention from both the government and the public recently.

The story behind this eucalyptus is actually very simple.

Yun, a woman from Dengzhou, was in mourning for her mother, but Yun's uncle was greedy for a betrothal gift and forcibly betrothed Yun to the villager Wei Da.

The Yun family didn't like Wei Da's appearance and age, so he took a knife at night before getting married and stabbed Wei Da dozens of times. However, the woman was weak, so she only wounded Wei Da but did not kill him.

After that, Yun was summoned to the government as a prisoner. Without waiting for interrogation, she revealed the truth on her own and admitted that she was responsible for the incident.

In this way, the crime Yun committed was attempted murder, and he surrendered. According to the edict of amnesty issued when the new emperor ascended the throne, his crime should be reduced to a second degree.

Therefore, it is reasonable and reasonable for Xu Feng, the magistrate of Dengzhou, to sentence the Yun family to exile.

However, when the verdict was sent to the Ministry of Punishment for review, it was overturned by officials from the Ministry of Punishment.

Because the officials of the Ministry of Punishment believed that Wei Da was the husband of the Yun family, and that the woman had violated human relations by murdering her husband, it was an unpardonable crime and should be executed according to the law. Since Wei Da was still alive, the crime could be reduced to one level and he should be hanged.

Xu Feng, the magistrate of Dengzhou, was originally an official sent by Dali Temple to the local area for training. He had been punished and jailed many times, and he was strong, sensitive and clear about forgiveness.

Even in the face of pressure from the Ministry of Punishment, Xu Feng was confident. When the Ministry of Punishment's review opinions reached Dengzhou, he still refused to accept it and insisted that the original verdict was correct.

Xu Feng also argued that Yun was married but not married, and was in mourning, so she was not Wei Da's wife. It had nothing to do with human ethics and should be treated as an ordinary person's crime.

As a result, the Ministry of Punishment also became angry, saying that Yun's marriage during the period of filial piety was against the law, and the crime would be increased.

The two sides started a lawsuit over and over again, and in the end even the emperor and the queen mother were alarmed.

Zhao Zongquan felt that Yun was pitiful and wanted to be given a lighter sentence, but Empress Dowager Cao had a different opinion with him and insisted on hanging Yun.

Not long after Zhao Zongxin came to the throne, he could not ignore the opinions of Empress Dowager Cao, so he summoned two Longtuge bachelors to discuss the matter.

As a result, the first assistant Han Zhang supported Xu Feng, while the second assistant Wen Yanchang supported the Ministry of Punishment, and the two bachelors each held their own opinions.

Helpless, Zhao Zongquan had no choice but to expand the scope of participants in the discussion and summon important ministers above the third rank to discuss the matter again.

As a result, opinions were divided into two groups.

Wang Wenqing, minister of Dali Temple, and Shen Weizhong, left minister of the Ministry of Rites, all agreed with Han Zhang's opinion, while the Ministry of Punishment and the Metropolitan Procuratorate supported Wen Yanchang's opinion.

Behind Han Zhang and Wen Yanchang stood Zhao Zongquan and Queen Mother Cao respectively.

As a result, an originally very simple criminal case became complicated and gradually began to develop in the direction of political struggle.

More than a month has passed, but the debate about Eucalyptus sp. has not subsided. On the contrary, it has caused many debates and has not been resolved for a long time.

Even the Imperial Academy, which has always been noble, was also affected. The common people in the common hall were discussing the matter on weekdays.

Regarding this incident, Wei Chen's views were similar to those of Xu Feng, the magistrate of Dengzhou.

Yun was betrothed to Wei Da by his uncle while he was mourning his mother. The unmarried relationship between Yun and Wei Da was not recognized by law.

Moreover, Yun only chopped Wei Da and did not cause death. Since he had a good attitude in pleading guilty and there were circumstances surrounding his surrender, his sentence should be reduced.

Wei Chen silently listened to the discussion among the concubines for a while, and found that the opinions of these concubines were generally divided into two groups.

However, there are relatively more people who support Xu Feng, the magistrate of Dengzhou, who believe that the Yun family should be given a lighter sentence.

Wei Chen also noticed that the "Seven Pus" he had secretly ranked in his mind before, that is, Wang Shouyu, Yin Qu, Gu Yangqian, Liu Boxheng, Lin Ruchu, Han Lun, Jiang Xuan, as well as Sheng Changfeng and others, were all with him. Likewise, I support Xu Feng’s opinion.

This discovery made Wei Chen quite gratified. It seemed that his tireless teachings to them during those years ago were quite effective, and all the hard work was finally in vain.

Chapter 322 Seed

In the small courtyard of the Shuchang Hall, a group of common people were sitting around under the ancient locust tree, arguing with each other about the Eucalyptus of Yunshi in Dengzhou.

The concubines were chatting back and forth with each other, and the discussion was in full swing, without even noticing Wei Chen who was standing behind him to listen.

It wasn't until Sheng Changfeng got thirsty after arguing with someone and got up to look for water that he discovered Wei Chen's existence.

"Xiao Xian..., teach me!"

"Master Instructor is here!" Sheng Changfeng's shout finally woke up all the concubines who were immersed in the debate. The concubines under the ancient locust tree quickly stood up, lined up in line, and respectfully He bowed to Wei Chen.

"No need to be polite." Wei Chen smiled slightly, raised his hand to signal everyone to be silent, and then said loudly: "The imperial court intends to open more Enke in the coming year. Have you heard about this?" Seeing everyone nodding, Wei Chen continued. "That being the case, you should also be aware that if you add Enke, all the concubines from the previous subject will leave early. I am here today to inform you that you can start preparing for the exam." Wei Chen's voice After landing, the sage warriors below had different expressions, some were surprised, some were confident, some were worried, some were confident and calm, but in general, most of them had expressions of expectation and excitement.

Although Shujishi is known as

The "Choice of the Prime Minister" has a noble status, but in fact it is not even an Imperial Academy, it can only be regarded as a preparatory Imperial Academy.

After entering the Hanlin Academy, the shuji scholars had to study in the common hall for three years. After three years, they took the assessment. Only those who passed the assessment could stay in the Hanlin Academy and officially become the Hanlin.

So-called

"Those who are not Jinshi will not enter the Hanlin, and those who are not Hanlin will not enter the Longtuge." Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, most of the Longtuge scholars were selected from the Hanlin, and they were basically from common people.

Among the previous generations of Shuji scholars, there have been countless Longtuge bachelors, and even the first assistant of the dynasty.Therefore, Shujishi are also known as

"The choice of prime minister", if an official can have three years of experience as a general, he can add a highlight to his official resume.

When the Shujishi were selected, the new scholars almost competed for the dozens of places. Those who were selected as Shujishi were extremely proud of their status as Shujishi.

But no matter what, after all, Shujishi was just preparing for the Hanlin Academy, similar to the role of an intern. He had to endure three years of hard work as a student in the Hanlin Academy, during which he could only receive half the salary of a regular employee. This kind of life was still quite difficult.

Therefore, the concubines also hope that they can leave the palace and be appointed officials as soon as possible.When they heard Wei Chen say that they could start preparing for the closing exam, they all couldn't help but get excited.

Even if you do not do well in the Hanlin Examination and cannot stay in the Hanlin Academy and become a formal Hanlin, so what?At least he already had the background of a Shujishi, and he could be assigned to the Sixth Department or Ke Dao as an official. He would start at the principal level, and his future would not be much different.

No matter what, for these common people, as soon as they pass the examination, they will be on the fast track to promotion. From then on, the sea will be wide and the fish will jump, the sky will be high and the birds will fly, and they will no longer have to hold back in this small life. I spent a lot of time in the small common room.

After Wei Chen announced the departure of the exam, he waved his hand and asked the concubines to continue the discussion.

, and Wei Chen himself also joined in, not only patiently listening to the views of the Shujis, but also expressing his own views on Eucalyptus Yunshi like other Shujis.

Although Wei Chen didn't spend a lot of time in the Common Hall, he always did his duty in teaching these common people without any sloppiness.

Wei Chen always advocated practical application in teaching Shu Jishi. In his usual classroom, he would organize lectures or debates like today, covering all aspects involved in actual government affairs.

In addition, Wei Chen often took his concubines to Kaifeng government offices, Liubu government offices and other institutions to observe and learn from old officials about their experience in handling government affairs.

Wei Chen would even use his own connections to gain opportunities for the sage warriors to gain hands-on experience and gain experience for them.

Under Wei Chen's unsparing training, this group of shujis grew up very quickly. Not only did they have a broader vision, but they also became more pragmatic. They did not have the stinking problems of being ambitious and conceited that some Hanlin officials had.

Let’s just talk about the Dengzhou Yunshi eucalyptus discussed by the shuji scholars just now. In fact, this is not the first time that the shuji scholars have discussed this eucalyptus.

As early as when Xu Feng, the magistrate of Dengzhou, was fighting the first round of pen and ink lawsuits with the Ministry of Punishment, Wang Ruoyu, Yin Qu and others had already noticed this crime and brought it to daily lectures to discuss with other sages. .

This kind of thing would be unimaginable elsewhere in the Hanlin Academy.Hanlin has always prided itself on being noble, so they would not have the time to pay attention to the dirty and tiring work of officials who are close to the people. To them, it would be a devaluation of themselves.

But it's different here in the Shuchang Pavilion.Under the influence of Wei Chen, this group of Shujishi had a great interest in various practical government affairs. Whether it was administration, civil affairs, justice, or military, they accepted everyone who came.

During the discussion of Eucalyptus Yunshi, the scholars had different opinions. Some people thought that Xu Feng's judgment was correct, while others thought that the punishment was correct.

But no one would say that this is the duty of the Secretary and not something that we common people should discuss.

This is enough to prove that Wei Chen's hard work in the Common Hall was not in vain.The lecture lasted until the evening, and Wei Chen could not help but nodded happily when he saw that all the common people had gained something.

Although these sage scholars are not even considered to be Hanlin scholars now and cannot provide much help to Wei Chen, after the exams are over, they will go to their respective jobs. After a few more years of training, they may all be Wei Chen. Chen's staunch supporter in the court.

Wei Chen couldn't help but feel a little emotional. The benefits he would get from being the tutor of such a sage would probably be no less than being the examiner of the general examination.

Both are sowing seeds, but one is about quality and the other is about quantity.Now that Wei Chen has served as a Shujishi instructor for one term, if he can serve as the examiner for another term, he can really say that the foundation has been laid.

"When a few years later, the seeds sown today grow into towering trees, I won't have to rely on anyone else, and I will truly have the confidence and strength to stir up trouble in this court!" Wei Chen whispered in his sleeves. He clenched his fist lightly, his heart was agitated, but his face was extremely calm, and he arranged today's class for the Shujis in a calm tone.

Three days later, under the auspices of Shujishi's tutor Wei Chen, the Shujishi exam ended.Three people, Wang Shouyu, Yin Qu and Gu Yangqian, were awarded Hanlin Editorship; nine people, including Sheng Changfeng, Jiang Xuan and Han Lun, were awarded Hanlin Review; eight people, including Lin Ruchu and Liu Boxheng, were imperial censors; eight people, including Lu Zishou and Xu Yue, were in charge of the Six Departments respectively; Zhang Jing , Bai Yunnan and six others are local prefecture and county governors.

Except for Wang Shouyu and other 12 people who stayed in the Hanlin Academy as Hanlin, the rest of the Shuji scholars basically went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to serve as censors or as directors of the Six Ministries. Only the worst ones were assigned to local prefectures and counties as officials.

At this point, in the ninth year of Tianyou's reign, Keshu Jishi was disbanded, and the seeds sown by Wei Chen began to take root in various departments of the imperial court, and even in all parts of the world, growing vigorously.

Chapter 333 Reasonable, affectionate

After presiding over the disbandment examination of the shuji scholars, Wei Chen felt free and concentrated on writing the memorial about Yun's Eucalyptus in Dengzhou.

Nowadays, the debate in the court about this incident is intensifying. The emperor and the queen mother are secretly competing over this incident, which has affected the entire court.

Even if Wei Chen is in a peaceful place like the Hanlin Academy, it is difficult for him to stay out of the matter, and he will be involved sooner or later.

In particular, Wei Chen's identity is sensitive. He is an old person promoted by the late emperor and has a close relationship with the new emperor. It is very likely that he will be caught in the middle by the imperial party and the rear party, and neither party will be able to please him.

In this case, Wei Chen might as well turn his passivity into initiative and declare his position and attitude as early as possible to avoid suffering the consequences.

Regarding the content of the memorial, Wei Chen already had an idea in his mind.

This time, Wei Chen decided to write two memorials, one to the emperor and one to the queen mother.

As far as Wei Chen knew, the emperor wanted to reduce Yun's crime because he felt pity for Yun, a weak woman, so he felt compassion for her.

It's just that the legal provisions of the Great Zhou Dynasty were a bit vague in this regard, so Wen Yanchang and the officials of the Ministry of Punishment held on to it, and the trouble continues to this day.

In the memorial that Wei Chen submitted to the emperor, he mainly elaborated on one point: no matter what the circumstances, the verdict must be guaranteed to reflect the spirit behind the laws of the Zhou Dynasty.

What is the spirit of the Great Zhou Law?

It is to guide people in the world to adopt good and abandon evil, rather than simply punishing for the sake of punishment.

Therefore, when the basis for a judgment is clear and laws can be cited, it must be resolutely implemented.

And when it is impossible to make a judgment relying on laws and regulations, and it causes great controversy, the best solution in this case is to make a judgment that most people think is fair based on the common good of human nature.

Among the Yun family, Yun family was unwilling to marry Wei Da. She was forced by her uncle, especially during the mourning period of her mother. No matter how you look at it, Yun family was the one who was bullied, but she was more mature than ordinary women. Just be brave and dare to fight.

Moreover, although Yunshi slashed Wei Da dozens of times, it only sounded scary. In fact, Wei Da did not suffer any fatal injuries. The most serious injury caused to Wei Da by Yunshi's dozens of cuts was Just a broken little finger.

Wei Chen believed that if he could find a random commoner in Bianjing City and tell Yunshi's true story and ask them about their attitude towards Yunshi, most people would sympathize with Yunshi.

In fact, after such a long time, similar public opinions have shown signs of being revealed. The discussions among the people in Bianjing after dinner have proved that the sentence of mitigating Yun's crime is what the real people want.

Therefore, Wei Chen implored the emperor to comply with the people's wishes and issue an order to reduce Yun's crime.