Chapter 54: If the emperor breaks the law, is he guilty of the same crime as the common people?
Ye Zheng guessed his father's doubts and did not respond immediately. Instead, he asked, "Father, I have heard you say that that person was very careful in planning things. I also remember that one day you told me that I might be a hostage of the Ye family in the future, and you would return to Kyoto to pick me up after something was accomplished. If I am right, the thing you are talking about must be the work of that person."
"I've said before, there are some things that are of no benefit to you knowing." Ye Zhong's face was solemn, as if he thought his youngest son wanted to ask about those secrets again.
Ye Zheng shook his head. Why should he ask about the so-called secrets of this world? Why should he ask? All he had to do was verify.
"Father, I don't want to ask what that person is plotting. I'm just curious. You often go to the palace. What does that person use to communicate with you? If you don't tell him in advance, how can you guarantee that you can give him the right cooperation at a certain point in time?"
Ye Zhong's expression eased slightly, and he glanced at his youngest son, "Do you think that person is suspicious and prudent?"
natural!
Ye Zheng didn't need to say anything, his expression already gave the answer.
Ye Zhong shook his head. "The power and schemes of that person are beyond the reach of you today. For some things, it is okay to fight for people's hearts and minds. For some things, once the direction is set, you must move forward unswervingly and cannot waver. This not only refers to the plan, but also the person who carries it out."
Then you are shaken.
Ye Zheng couldn't be rude at this moment.
"It's all because of you, this evil beast."
Ye Zhong gave him the answer.
Ye Zheng, "..."
Glancing at his youngest son unhappily, Ye Zhong continued, "Today I will teach you how to plan ahead, avoid detailed planning, and be more secretive. When the time comes, the momentum will be fierce, as fast as lightning, and unstoppable."
Ye Zheng nodded.
"Besides, if a minister cannot understand the emperor's intention, what is the point of keeping him?"
Ye Zheng really didn't expect what his father said.
My dad has thick eyebrows and big eyes, but he can actually read people's words...
"Ahem." He brought the topic back to his father's previous doubts and said, "Father, what do you think of Sister Wan'er's biological mother?"
He started to criticize the eldest princess again. Every day, she tied her head to her belt and spoke as if she was risking her life.
Fortunately, he is a master above the ninth rank.
I carefully sensed my surroundings and confirmed that there was nothing unusual.
He looked at his youngest son. Although he didn't understand why he asked that, he still replied, "An ambitious person."
"No, she is a member of the royal family, the adopted sister of that person." Ye Zheng's expression suddenly changed, his eyes were sharp.
Ye Zhong's expression also turned serious, and he whispered, "What do you want?"
"Today I saw that guy testing me several times. I think he was a little wary of the martial arts level I showed. When my eldest brother was young, he showed extraordinary martial arts talent. He was taught Liuyun Sanshou by his uncle and was immediately sent to the Nanzhao front. He has been sent there for these years. Based on this, I can infer that the day when I go to the northern border or the left and right tents may not be far away."
"It's okay. This is good. Showing my strength means fewer people can kill me. If I dare to do it, I have to consider whether it is secretive enough for my uncle to not see. This is a double-edged sword. I don't regret showing my strength."
"But I also don't want someone to put a rope around my neck, throw me somewhere randomly, and tie me up from a distance."
This is the pain of the Ye family!
Ye Chong frowned.
Ye Zheng raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth, "You taught me well, I will put it into practice today. If I violate the taboo between the monarch and his subjects in the future, my father will immediately 'sell' his son, resign, transfer to Dingzhou, and leave the capital with my family. I must not wait for that person to seize the opportunity. He asked me about marriage today, and I thought of my second sister at that time. The so-called order of seniority also applies to marriage. My second sister is one year older than me, and she should have met someone earlier. I am afraid that he will start with this matter."
Ye Chong was secretly annoyed when he heard this.
"You have violated the great taboo between the monarch and his subjects. Not being executed is the lightest punishment, and you still want to be a hostage." He said in a cold voice.
"I hold the post of Commander of the Military Affairs Department. With the additional title, I barely reach the fifth rank, which can be called a 'high official'. He can fine me, suspend me from my post, or even demote me. If he executes me, I'm afraid his plan will fail."
"How could your uncle turn against that person just for a nephew who violated the taboo between the monarch and his subjects?" Ye Chong asked again in a cold voice.
"You don't know whether my uncle will do it or not; I don't dare to bet whether my uncle has a thorn in his heart!" Ye Zheng refused to give in.
Ye Chong suddenly smiled.
No wonder there are always people in the court saying that his youngest son is a dangerous person.
Today, I took another risk in the Imperial Study.
Now I want to find a bigger one.
"Are you not afraid of getting yourself involved?" Ye Chong was a little angry.
How can you be worthy of your parents if you don't know how to cherish yourself? "If this game goes well, it will let that person know that even the ruler and his subjects can be defeated; if it doesn't go well, I will be involved without fear. Whether it succeeds or not, father must seize the opportunity."
Ye Zhong was still a little confused about what his youngest son said, "The situation may not be so dire. Your second sister..."
"There's no need to gamble with my second sister's lifelong happiness." Ye Zheng interrupted his father.
Ye Chong suddenly raised his head and looked at him, "Do you have something to hold against the princess?"
Ye Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and said slowly, "My eldest uncle told me that he was assassinated in Danzhou, and someone may have forged a secret order from the Inspection Institute, saying that the princes were not allowed to enter the Inspection Institute. I think no one dared to touch this line, whether it was the crown prince or the second son."
"I also heard that the eldest princess has been dissatisfied since the imperial decree regarding the marriage between my elder brother-in-law and Sister Wan'er was issued. I think it was her who faked the secret order."
Ye Zheng's words were somewhat like taking advantage of the information gap and bullying his father.
Of course, the fake secret order was the work of Li Yunrui. Lao Deng and Chen Pingping also knew about it. The person who faked the secret order committed suicide immediately.
Both Chen Pingping and Emperor Qing knew that there must be some people belonging to Li Yunrui in the Inspection Institute, and they were all waiting for an opportunity to eliminate them all.
This is the opportunity he wants to seize!
"Such an inference is too arbitrary. If you think this way, it can only be the eldest princess. Since she assassinated Fan Xian the first time, then this time..."
Ye Zhong stopped.
The statement is groundless and may even be seen as an attempt to disparage the royal family.
Ye Zheng glanced at his father.
Very good.
Dad, you guessed it right.
"Sometimes, thinking too complicated can lead to disadvantage. If she is sure that no one dares to make such an inference, wouldn't that clear her of suspicion?" Ye Zheng said with a faint smile.
Ye Zhong's face was heavy. He thought for a while before speaking, "How can you ensure that the princess can't hide this matter in advance? Even if you can't hide it, how can you get involved?"
Ye Zheng looked relaxed and smiled.
He leaned his back against the chair and looked up at the beam. "Who owns the Inspection Office? So what if she's my stepsister? How can she get involved?"
"How do you get involved? Father, do you think that if the emperor breaks the law, he will be punished the same as the common people?"
……
The next day, 4:00 am
Fan Xian Courtyard
"What the hell? The emperor is guilty of... of course it's not a crime of his own!"
"What do you think? I thought you wrote so many lyrics? And you also wrote "Life is Long and Hateful, and the River Flows East", so your literary attainments should be quite high."
"Have you never heard of 'If the law cannot be enforced, the superiors will be responsible'?"
Fan Xian seemed to have found his home advantage and told Ye Zheng this story with great interest.
During the Shang Yang Reform period, the crown prince Ying Si violated the law. Shang Yang told Qin Xiaogong, "If the law is not enforced, it is the upper level that is responsible." He demanded that the crown prince be punished. Qin Xiaogong agreed, but the crown prince was of noble status, so how could he be punished? So he punished the crown prince's two teachers.
"So, if the emperor breaks the law, he will be punished the same as the common people. This is just a beautiful idea. But to be convicted and punished... is impossible." Fan Xian concluded, shaking his head.
Waiting to look at Ye Zheng...
His expression was indifferent but somewhat interested, as if he was watching... a monkey?
"You know?" Fan Xian asked subconsciously.
"Convicted but not punished, that's a great solution." Ye Zheng clapped his hands lightly and shook his head slightly.
He didn't answer directly, but these words and actions...
Fan Xian was extremely angry, "You know this, and you still ask me? You, you you you..."
"No, why do you suddenly bring this up?"
Ye Zheng sighed, looking dejected and unwilling, and said in a low voice, "They sent four female swordsmen from Dongyi City and Cheng Jushu from Northern Qi all the way to Kyoto, and teamed up with Northern Qi spy Si Lili. According to you, Si Lili was the highest-ranking Northern Qi spy in Kyoto, but he was sold out by his own people far away in Shangjing."
"All this... I feel that the second son of Prime Minister Lin's family cannot do it. There may be some big shot hiding behind him. I have been thinking about whether I should investigate further these days. Yesterday, I handed him over to the Inspection Institute. I felt empty inside and felt... a little sorry for you."
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(End of this chapter)