Chapter 81: 81

Xu Guangzhi was best at expressing policy theory on current politics, and because of his strong writing skills, he often had deafening arguments. It was not easy to refute him, but fortunately, Guan Suyi had nothing to do after being thrown away to the village estate in her previous life, so she was studying and learning day and night.

Shang Chongwen’s imitation of the policy was titled “Confucianism Law”. After repeated revisions by Guan Father, many points that conflict with the new law had been deleted. And Xu Guangzhi’s popular policy that swept the entire upper class circles was titled “Confucianism and Law”, which had not been edited out at all, and its main idea was that law was a moral auxiliary. When a country formulated its law, it should be based on Confucian ethics and morality, and then the law was applied to compliment it. The benchmark for officials to try cases and sentencing was morality and etiquette first, and then national law. If the two were in conflict with each other, then morality and etiquette would take precedence over national law, which was the so-called: “If the rites and music cannot flourish, the punishment will not be properly executed*“.

Then in the article he went deeper step by step, and successively put forward the arguments of concealment of relatives*, the eight discussions*, the official allowance*, the upper invite*, the quasi-five-clothes to control the crime*, and the ten evils*. Leaving aside the concealment of relatives, the eight discussions, the official allowance, and the upper invite have indeed provided an excellent tool for the privileged to evade legal sanctions, it could be said to completely overturned the argument “the prince and the common people breaks the law, the punishment are the same”. The theory of quasi-five clothing to control crimes was based on the closeness of blood kinship, the husband was the guide for the wife and the father was the guide for the son, and it greatly consolidated the patriarchal authority, but the women had become the most humble being, they could not disobey her father, husband, or even son, when receive harm, except enduring it, they could not resist.

A wife suing her husband was a capital crime, and a child suing her parents was also the same. All families were oppressed by the patriarchal power. From the previous “severe punishments and strict laws” to “completing the defense of rituals and teachings”, the influence of Confucianism on the people and the township, and even the country were extended to the limit.

It was conceivable how the patriarchs and the privileged classes, who got the most benefit from it, would cheered and supported it wholeheartedly. This article was their mouthpiece and sharp blade, it was the best voice for the clan to resist the country, the etiquette to resist the law, and the privileged class to oppress the people. It’s not an exaggeration to call it “Outstanding Article”.

Guan Suyi read it over and over again, her eyes were already cold, dipped the brush in thick ink, and slowly wrote, “Moral as private moral and law as public law. When governing a country, should private or public be considered first? The common people are the public, and the individual is the private, every person in the world know which one is more important. Moral as the master of the law can also be interpreted as private above the public, which is like putting the cart before the horse, and a perverse act. The sentence bending the law for personal gain must first harbor selfish desires, and then disregard the laws and regulations; if the law is disordered, the people will be ruined; if the people are ruined, the country will perish…

After reading and re-reading the opening, and changing it again and again, she wrote more and more smoothly, then gradually lost in it. Later she became deaf and blind towards her surrounding, completely indulge in her writing.

Jinzi and Minglan guarded her silently, and seeing that it was time for dinner, they stepped forward to remind, “Madam, it’s time to take a break…”

Before they could finish the sentence, she interrupted impatiently, “Stop talking, go out, close the door!”

Jinzi wanted to persuade her again, but was dragged out by Minglan, and pointed out, “Miss is fascinated by writing article, let’s guard outside, and no one should go in to disturb her. If you cut her train of thoughts,” after the words fell she slash her own neck, and sinisterly added, “You can’t make up your sins with your death, she can remember and hate you for years!”

It turned out that Madam also had the bad temper of a literati. Jinzi was greatly surprised, but also a little funny. She quickly covered her mouth and blocked the door, saying that she would never let anyone in, and sent Yinzi to the front hall to deliver a message, asking the old madam and the second madam to stop waiting and eat first.

Zhao Luli brought his two children under the pretext of paying respect to his mother in the morning and evening. When he came to the West Mansion, he couldn’t see Madam at the dining table, and felt a little upset. He asked several servants only to find out that Madam had locked herself in the study for more than half an hour, during which time she hasn’t eat a grain of rice, drink a glass of water, and it’s unknown what she was doing.

“Daddy, take this food box to see mom.” Zhao Chunxi handed over a heavy food box, winked with a strange expression.

Zhao Luli smiled, patted his daughter’s head, and told her to take good care of her brother. He then went to the study, but was stopped by Jinzi and Minglan, and after he tried his best to persuade them, they let him enter very quietly to take a look. Madam had changed into plain-colored casual clothes, and had taken off the beaded hairpins on her head. She only gathered the thick silky blue-black hair into a bundle and tied it with a hair band, looking very simple and elegant. She was writing very quickly, her brows shrouded in indomitable spirit and as he approached he could smell the strong fragrance of ink.

She was so absorbed that she didn’t even notice how Zhao Luli pushed the door, how he approached, and how he bent over to read the manuscript.

Zhao Luli just wanted to take a few glances to make sure that she was okay and go back, but he didn’t expect after reading two paragraphs silently he couldn’t move any more. Of course, he also read Xu Guangzhi’s policy theory, and he thought that the words and writing were extremely powerful, but at this time he suddenly thought – compared to Madam, he is just so-so!

Was the prestige close to that of Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies? With its own style, in the end became a great expert? Nevertheless, the fame would be actually difficult to match! Zhao Luli shook his head again and again, and then went to Look at Madam, who was continuously writing, and thought she was extremely venerable. He didn’t dare to disturb her, let alone asking her to stop to eat, he just picked up the manuscripts scattered on the table one by one and placed them in order.

It took a whole night to write this. After the sky started to brighten and the first rays of morning sun sprinkled in, Guan Suyi finished the last stroke and let out a long sigh.

“The Innkeeper (Nilu Sheren)? Is this your pen name?” A hoarse male voice suddenly sounded, startling her.

You are reading story Who Cares at novel35.com

“Why are you here?” Guan Suyi’s voice was equally hoarse.

When Jinzi and Minglan heard the movement, they hurriedly made hot water, brought in hot porridge, and served the master to wash and dine.

“I watched you all night. I have read your article, if you publish it, it will definitely shake the existing legal system, and it will also affect the future pattern of criminal law. Suyi, I never knew your talent to be so high!” Zhao Luli sighed with regret, as if mourning for the wasted past, but also rejoicing for a better future.

He always thought that when it comes to talent, Ye Zhen was considered a first-class existence among women. However, in retrospect, the poems she wrote and the words she recited, except for the wind, flowers, snow and moon*, hurting for spring and sad for autumn, it had no meaning at all. As for Suyi’s thought, if ones didn’t have profound knowledge and wide-ranging horizons, afraid that they would not be able to read it, let alone understand and comprehend it. If he compared Ye Zhen to a book, he could read it page by page; Then she was a sea, and only by diving into the bottom of the water could he glimpse a glimmer of the wonders.

But Guan Suyi’s heart had been completely closed for him, and she said without emotion, “Then you go back and rest, I still have things to do.”

“Do you want to spread the word about this article, suppress Xu Guangzhi, and rectify father-in-law’s name?” Zhao Luli removed the bitterness in his eyes and said warmly, “If you trust me you can leave this to me, you hurriedly go back to your room to sleep and nourish your spirits.”

Guan Suyi stared at him for a while, finally handed over the thick stack of manuscripts, and said tiredly, “Thank you very much.”

“You and I are husband and wife, why are you so polite? Isn’t it right for the husband to serve his wife?” Zhao Luli was happy and excited, he quickly stroked his wife’s haggard cheek, and then strode away.

At noon, a piece of policy theory with tens of thousands of words was posted on the eight-character (八) wall of each public security office in the capital. At first, only a few passersby read it. Later, some people clapped their hands in admiration, copied it on the spot, and shared it with their colleagues,. Gradually more people saw it, among them legalists were the most popular.

Xu Guangzhi advocated the law as the moral auxiliary, and this policy theory in turn supported the law as the primary and moral as the assistance, refuted the theory of etiquette with the theory of public and private, and crushed personal euphemism with the righteousness of the country. Among them, there were many examples to illustrate the harm of concealment of relatives, eight discussions, and official allowance, all of which were well-known tragedies. For example, the villagers of Taohua Village covered up their sons and nephews, done harm in four directions, and eventually the entire village slaughtered by the imperial court; For example, the case of avenging their father to the point of hacking and killing each other, resulting in the death of both clans; For example, the case of former dynasty’s officials protecting each other, deceiving the monarch, and finally leading to the destruction of the country…

Every word was bloody, and every sentence was full of bitter tears. The powerful officials in the court were still unmoved, but the common people all fell to their knees and cried bitterly after listening to the chanting of the Legalist scholars, cursing the officials for oppressing the people and bending the law for personal gain! What eight discussions, official allowance, and upper invite, the whole damn thing was to make excuses for breaking the law, even the emperor would be punished for breaking the law, but they could use money and titles to offset them, and the killing of ordinary people only need to pay enough silver to get rid of everything, have they ever put the common people in their eyes? Can they treat them as human beings?

Wow, this policy theory was a good statement, the purpose of establishing the law was to love and protect people, to showed fairness and maintain justice. The national law was a public instrument, and human life was far greater than the sky, and it should not be controlled by the selfish desires of some people. Whether it was a prince, a general, a husband or a wife, all must abide by the law and be content with their duties. Only in this way they could create a prosperous world and achieve great achievements together.

“Well said!” The scholars were silent, but the common people applauded enthusiastically. What is outstanding article? Only those who truly conformed to the people’s heart, conformed to the way of heaven, and uphold justice for the suffering people were qualified to be called outstanding article, and the rest were just the propaganda for the powerful official, running dogs for the rich.

After the sharp and to-the-point refutation, this article also discussed “how to establish the law and revising the law”. Various legal forms that existed, namely punishment, law, regulations, order, code, style, rules, imperial order, grant, sections, ratios, cases, etc. Were detailed one by one, indicating that establishing the law should first establish the skeleton, then shaping it, and then add flesh and blood.

The skeleton should be divided into different categories, and it should not be done overnight. The people have civil law, officials have official law, taxation has tax law, land has land law, etc.; Shaping should be based on the current national strength, completely fitted to the current political situation and people’s sentiments; Flesh and blood were the large and small cases from ancient times to the present, and when recorded in the book, they could be use as a guide for sentencing by future generations, without subjective assumptions.

All in all, the terms and conditions were detailed and appropriate, and the wording was precise. The people who didn’t understand this passage, still felt that it was very powerful, and they couldn’t help but applaud. Those Legalist scholars were already enthusiastic and excited, and they bought brush and paper in the bookstores on the street to transcribe them.

An official in charge of revising the law clapped and said, “Good, good, good, this old man finally knew why when the emperor ordered us to revise the law, we feel that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, turns out it’s because the skeleton hasn’t stand up but rushing to add flesh and blood, so how could it not collapse? This Innkeeper is really a nationalist. The emperor should welcome him into the court with the great honor of a respected teacher!”

Not long after this article appeared, no one discussed how Xu Guangzhi was, and the literary name he had accumulated before was trickle down.

 

You can find story with these keywords: Who Cares, Read Who Cares, Who Cares novel, Who Cares book, Who Cares story, Who Cares full, Who Cares Latest Chapter