Perhaps no one would have thought that not only Wang Anshi, but even Sima Guang had been secretly communicating with Zhang Fei.
There is a bad person among these officials!
"Brother Sima, why did you agree to play with that kid?"
After leaving the Hanlin Academy, Liu Shu looked at Sima Guang with a puzzled look on his face. "If he feels unfair, he can go to Kaifeng Prefecture to seek justice, but he cannot sue the court and use the laws of his ancestors to make a fuss. This... How can this be allowed!"
Qi Hui even bowed his head and stamped his feet, saying: "Hey, young man! I say, Grand Secretary Sima, you have been fooled! This is clearly a self-torture trick by Wang Jiefu and Zhang San. Their purpose is to use this case to persuade Your Majesty to reform the law."
Sima Guang stroked his beard and smiled, "How could I not see that?"
Tang Jie next to him said, "Since you have seen it, why did you agree?"
Sima Guang said: "If I don't agree, will the emperor not agree?"
Everyone was silent!
Everyone knows that Shenzong and Wang Anshi are in the same boat.
Sima Guang said: "In court, we are still arguing about reason. If they are right and can convince us, then what reason do we have to object? If we dare not let Zhang San go to court, doesn't it prove that we are guilty? How will the emperor view us?"
Tang Jie nodded and said, "What you said does make sense, but you have to be careful of Zhang San. This matter is of great importance, and you can't let him take advantage of it. If you don't produce solid evidence, then you can't declare him the winner."
When it comes to the laws of their ancestors, they have never submitted to anyone, and who in the world is better at applying the laws of their ancestors than them.
There is no need to worry too much.
Sima Guang was a little embarrassed, and nodded, saying, "I've already suffered a loss last time, isn't that enough of a lesson? This time I will never let that kid get away with it."
But I was thinking, where is the real evidence for this? I can only rely on words. Let's see how that guy will make it up.
... ...
Wang Anshi did not leave immediately, but was summoned into the palace by Zhao Xu.
"Did you know about this in advance, sir?"
Zhao Xu asked Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi nodded truthfully and said, "Your Majesty, I did know about this matter in advance, but it was Zhang San who took the initiative to find me, and I only agreed to help him say a fair word."
Zhao Xu asked curiously, "I wonder how Zhang San convinced you, sir?"
"He is so brave."
"All courage?"
"exactly."
Wang Anshi asked, "Your Majesty, why don't you think about why Zhang San's visit to Kaifeng Prefecture caused such a stir in the whole city, even in the Imperial City, and even alarmed Your Majesty several times."
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "I have noticed this a long time ago. Sir, why do you think this is happening?"
“Say what others dare not say.”
Wang Anshi said: "The issue of the Yamen runners has actually seriously endangered the stability of the country. If the court continues to ignore it, I am afraid there will be a big chaos.
However, the problem is right in front of us, but how many people dare to do anything? Since the Qingli period, many ministers have been afraid to avoid dealing with many problems, but Zhang San has repeatedly forced the court to face these problems and put them in front of the public.
That’s why it caused such a stir in the city. Although he is only a young man, I admire his courage to speak out and act. I hope to use Zhang San to force the court to face these problems and find solutions.”
The solution, of course, refers to his reforms.
In fact, Zhao Xu had already guessed this, and nodded slightly, then asked: "But I am very curious, what is the relationship between this case and the imperial edict of Emperor Taizong?"
Wang Anshi frowned slightly and said, "On this point, I am not very clear either."
Zhao Xu asked, "Didn't he explain this to you, sir?"
Wang Anshi shook his head.
Zhao Xu smiled and said, "That's right. This person always likes to cover up his complaints. He will bring them up in court and catch the chief judge off guard. Sir, you better be careful."
Wang Anshi laughed and said, "I am different from Sima Junshi. I do not think that the chief judge and the scribe are in opposition. The two should complement each other. I am looking forward to Zhang San's debate."
Zhao Xu smiled and said, "I don't expect that either."
... ...
When they left the palace, Lu Huiqing came to greet them, "Master, did you know about the ancestral law in advance?"
Wang Anshi shook his head: "If I knew, I might discuss it with him again."
Lu Huiqing said cautiously: "It can be seen that this kid is not completely on the side of my teacher, and he is still hiding something from my teacher. I heard that the Grand Secretary Sima also supports giving him a chance to debate. I think it is because of this ancestral law."
Wang Anshi frowned and said, "Your Majesty just came to me to discuss this issue. When I came out, I thought about it carefully. If the laws of our ancestors support my reform, then the other party will have nothing to say."
Lu Huiqing said: "But Zhang San did not make this clear."
Wang Anshi waved his hands and said, "Although he didn't make it clear, think about it, he was fighting against the corvée law. If he didn't prove that the corvée law had many drawbacks and violated the laws of our ancestors, how could he win the case? In other words, if the corvée law violated the laws of our ancestors, then wouldn't my reform be in compliance with the laws of our ancestors?"
Lu Huiqing nodded and said, "That's true."
Wang Anshi said, "I am relatively confident in Zhang San. I am just afraid that Sima Junshi will cause trouble in the court. But I will be on guard against him."
Before this, he was absolutely opposed to the laws of his ancestors, so Wang Anshi had a famous saying, "Heaven's will is not to be feared, ancestors are not to be followed, and people's words are not to be pitied."
The reason is very simple, that is, the ancestral laws hinder his reform.
Because most of the laws passed down by our ancestors were intended to maintain imperial power and tell their descendants how to protect the chair under their buttocks and never let anyone copy it. When the old emperor was on his deathbed, it was impossible for him to consider the people.
The fundamental purpose of Wang Anshi's reform was to enrich the country and strengthen the military. There is a relationship between the two, but there are also many contradictions. It depends on how you look at it.
The same thing happened during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Zhang Juzheng's reform actually also faced this problem, but Zhang Juzheng was more tactful and far-sighted, not as aggressive as Wang Anshi. Zhang Juzheng first put up the signboard of ancestral laws, leaving others speechless.
However, after his death, he was still liquidated.
... ...
With the support of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, it was actually accomplished.
Whether we can win or not is another matter.
Before this, almost all ministers believed that the court would never accept this accusation.
Many ministers were ready to add insult to injury. As long as the court did not accept the case, they would definitely convict Zhang Fei this time.
Because as long as the case is not accepted, Zhang Fei will definitely be breaking the law.
Although there is no provision in this regard in the Criminal Code of the Song Dynasty, there are many pocket crimes in the Song Dynasty, such as treason and disrespect.
Moreover, these pocket crimes are enough to kill people.
Now I heard that the emperor not only agreed, but also sent out twin stars, and all major judicial and legislative courts to serve as jurors.
This lineup.
Perhaps the case of the prince's rebellion may reach this scale.
This is also surprising.
But there was no other way. Under the lobbying of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, a number of key ministers also expressed their support.
Although the officials below strongly opposed it, it was of no avail.
As for what the outcome will be, no one really knows.
Because it has never happened before.
Logically speaking, it shouldn't happen.
As the saying goes, heroes are made by the times.
... ...
Kaifeng Prefecture also released Zhang Fei and Shi Tingxiu as soon as possible.
Since the court has accepted the case, it is not illegal and the person must be released!
Everything is left to the court to decide.
Li Kai had some regrets, luckily he didn't fight.
If this fight continues, what if Zhang Fei wins the lawsuit
He might be put in a pocket crime.
When Shi Tingxiu followed Zhang Fei and left Kaifeng Prefecture in a swagger, he really believed that Zhang Fei was not bragging. Kaifeng Prefecture really was a place where one could come and go as one pleased.
... ..
When Gao Wenyin saw Zhang Fei and Shi Tingxiu, tears welled up in her eyes. As a decent woman, she was most afraid of this kind of thing.
In comparison, Xu Zhiqian didn't take it seriously. She had been working with Zhang Fei for so long, and although the lawsuits were small, they were all tough ones. She even teased Zhang Fei a few words.
How come there isn't even a whip mark? It's unbelievable. How did Kaifeng Prefecture do things
Zhang Fei was frightened immediately, luckily he said this after it came out, otherwise...
"Alas... we are halfway to success!"
Xu Zun breathed a sigh of relief!
This is absolutely true. At least his life was saved. Even if he lost the fight, it would be difficult for the other party to convict Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "That means I haven't succeeded yet, but I won't lose."
Xu Zun laughed and said, "Don't get carried away. This time the government has asked Wang Jiefu and Sima Junshi to preside over the trial. These two are not easy to mess with!"
Zhang Fei whispered, "To be honest, if someone else were to interrogate me, I might not dare to say this, but I have full confidence in what these two say!"
Xu Zun asked curiously, "But the two of them look at this issue in completely different and contradictory ways. How do you balance them?"
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "My plate of food is very big, they will just be stuffed, there is no need to balance it!"
Xu Zun didn't quite understand what he heard, but considering that Zhang Fei had used the crime of deceiving the emperor last time, he didn't doubt it. He laughed and said, "I really don't know where you learned these officialdom tricks from."
Zhang Fei smiled helplessly: "If I had the means, I wouldn't have to treat myself as a dish."
"Zhang San! Zhang San!"
“Third brother!”
... ..
After hearing a few roars, before anyone could react, the two idiots, Cao Dongdong and Ma Xiaoyi, rushed in.
"Zhang San, no wonder you didn't go out with us during the New Year. It turns out you were hiding at home, plotting something big!"
Cao Dongdong said excitedly.
"What a big conspiracy!"
Zhang Fei said: "I am filing a complaint openly."
Ma Xiaoyi said depressedly: "Third brother, why didn't you tell me about this first? If you had told me, I wouldn't have accompanied my brothers to play. I can help you!"
Cao Dongdong looked at Ma Xiaoyi in confusion, "Xiao Ma, you have to be conscientious when you speak. I am playing with you, right?"
"It's all the same! It's all the same!"
Ma Xiaoyi perfunctorily replied, and then said to Zhang Fei: "Third brother, do you still need help? I can let you drive me around. You can ask me to lie down, and I will never say no, as long as you take me to the Dali Temple."
He loved watching lawsuits the most, and this time the case was a lawsuit against the imperial court, which made him extremely excited.
Unfortunately, it was not in Kaifeng Prefecture, but in Dali Temple, and they couldn't get in at all.
"Count me in!"
Cao Dongdong whispered, "I didn't get in this time even though I used my connections."
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "Sorry! You are late. My assistant has already been selected."
Cao Dongdong immediately asked with bulging eyes: "Who is it?"
"it's me!"
Xu Zhiqian said.
Cao Dongdong glanced at Xu Zhiqian and blinked, "Ah! Madam Xu is here too. Madam Xu is so polite."
Zhang Fei patted the lonely Ma Xiaoyi on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Ma, don't be depressed. Maybe there will be a chance for you to participate."
Ma Xiaoyi perked up, "Really?"
Zhang Fei smiled but said nothing.