Ji Zhibai looked at Shopkeeper Gong, then at Fang Yun, closed his mouth and said nothing.
Afterwards, neighbors of the Gong family came forward to testify and recount what they had heard.
Fang Yun was very calm at the beginning, but later on his face was filled with gloomy clouds and looked as majestic as a mountain, as if a volcano could erupt at any time. The courtroom was covered with thick dark clouds, and many people were so frightened that they dared not even breathe.
After the neighbors finished speaking, Fang Yun said, "Please invite Gong Liu's relatives and friends and Gong Wu's son's classmates and friends to come to the court to testify!"
Ji Zhibai hurriedly said, "Confucius taught that relatives should conceal the truth from one another, and relatives should not be asked to testify."
"Protecting one's relatives from one's own faults" is an important Confucian thought. The original meaning is that it is legitimate for relatives to conceal their crimes and not expose them. It is extended to mean that if they report them, they will be guilty. Children are not allowed to report their parents, and slaves are not allowed to sue their masters, otherwise they will be guilty.
Fang Yun said coldly: "The crime of treason cannot be concealed by relatives. It has been concluded. In this case, Shopkeeper Gong regards his wife as an enemy and has already disregarded family affection. Who can hide it?"
Ji Zhibai immediately said, "Protecting one's relatives is a great virtue and righteousness. Confucius' words are a ritual that cannot be abolished!"
Fang Yun sneered, "Ridiculous! What is etiquette? From the national order of the Holy Court, such as the ritual of sacrifice and the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects; to social customs, such as weddings and funerals; to the behavior of scholars, such as words and deeds, they are all within the scope of etiquette! A father killing his wife is not advocated by the national etiquette, nor is it contrary to folk etiquette, and it is forbidden by the etiquette of scholars! It is not this county that violates human ethics and disregards the etiquette of the human race, but the owner of the criminal palace! This county is a pilot for the human race. If you don't accept it, let the Holy Court make the decision!"
Ji Zhibai gritted his teeth. Fang Yun was now a popular figure in the Criminal Court and the Legalist family. Not to mention Ji Zhibai, even if the Left Prime Minister Liu Shan or even the head of the Zong family went to accuse Fang Yun, their case would be rejected.
The Criminal Palace has long been very dissatisfied with "protecting one's relatives". In the eyes of the Fa family, the concepts of clan law and protecting one's relatives are stumbling blocks to the progress of the human race. The Criminal Palace has been making relevant efforts, but the resistance from the Li Palace is huge, and many aspects need to be done step by step. Now Fang Yun is promoting this process, and the Criminal Palace is too late to protect it, so how can it stop it
Ji Zhibai replied, "I have already sent a letter to the Palace of Rites about this matter. The Palace of Rites will definitely conduct a thorough investigation!"
Fang Yun said: "The elders in the Palace of Rites must be sensible and will never distort the words of Confucius for a mere scumbag! Moreover, the Book of Rites says that one should cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country and bring peace to the world. Shopkeeper Gong is incapable of self-cultivation and family management. In the eyes of Zengzi, the second sage, he is naturally unworthy of talking about etiquette! Shopkeeper Gong killed his wife and son. He is ruthless and lawless. He tarnished his father's name, broke the love of his relatives, and destroyed the family of etiquette. He has no human feelings. If anyone protects such a beast, this county will fight to the end even if it means not passing the palace examination!"
Fang Yun's voice was loud and clear, and it echoed violently in the courtroom.
Ji Zhibai tried to speak, but before he could say anything, he had a bad feeling, as if the power of the entire court and the entire county was rejecting him, so he had to shut up.
Ji Zhibai sighed secretly. Fang Yun seemed to be talking to the people around him, but he was actually talking to the Confucian scholars in the Hall of Rites. "Rites" originally meant rules, which were the behavioral norms of scholars in all aspects. The changes in the "Three Rites" also explained this.
The Three Rituals are "The Rites of Zhou", "The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial" and "The Book of Rites".
The most influential one at present is the "Book of Rites", which was the latest to be written, because the current "Book of Rites" records the words of many saints in the pre-Qin period, including the famous works of the second saint Zengzi and Zisi, and their famous works just focus more on personal etiquette.
Fang Yun used Zengzi's "cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the country and pacifying the world" in "The Book of Rites" as his argument, and insisted that the palace shopkeeper had no "rituals" first, so the case could continue to be tried.
The Hall of Rites is not afraid of scholars using "etiquette" to deny something. What it fears most is that people do not observe "etiquette" at all and do not even want this layer of etiquette.
The Lidian resists the evolution of "ritual", but that does not mean it is completely opposed to it.
Ji Zhibai was worried. There was originally a shackle on "protecting one's relatives", that is, relatives of traitors are not allowed to conceal or shelter them. Now Fang Yun has added another shackle, that is, if relatives violate "benevolence, righteousness, courtesy and emotion", they can also give up protecting one's relatives. This may very well trigger a dispute over the holy way. If Fang Yun's side is established, then this matter will actually help Fang Yun a lot.
Ji Zhibai was hesitant, but Fang Yun was calm. Restricting "protecting relatives against each other" was the general trend, and it had become increasingly strict since the Tang Dynasty. Not to mention Ji Zhibai, the Left Prime Minister, even the Emperor Zongsheng could not stop this mighty trend.
The palace examination is the best time to let the trend and fashion explode in advance!
Fang Yun had long realized that if he could be canonized as a saint, the palace examination would become the biggest foundation!
"The witness, please continue to answer questions!" Fang Yun said.
Next, Gong Liu's relatives used Gong Liu's words to accuse Gong the shopkeeper, and the child's classmates and friends also quoted his words before his death, which completely confirmed Gong the shopkeeper's motives and made everyone's words become ironclad evidence.
After everyone finished speaking, Ji Zhibai raised his head and said, "Even if Manager Gong once wanted to kill Gong Liu and her son, it doesn't mean he killed them this time. He once told me that he was just venting his anger, so it was an accidental killing."
Fang Yun suddenly sighed softly and said, "Ji Zhibai, Ji Zhibai, you have studied for many years in vain, but you have lost your humanity. If you were a rebellious person, you would become a great scholar in no time."
"Please don't attack me in court, Magistrate Fang!" Ji Zhibai said, suppressing his anger.
Fang Yun restrained his authority, looked at the people present, and said slowly: "If the children are really naughty and do all kinds of bad things, it may be forgivable for the father to punish them physically, after all, their bodies and hair are given by their parents. But! Think about it carefully, what is the premise for parents to punish their children? It is that the children are wrong first! What is the other premise? It is that the parents are doing it for the good of their children! But what about Manager Gong? Even he himself admitted that he was venting his anger! If he had any love between husband and wife, any fatherly heart, he would not have beaten his wife and children for years! In his eyes, they are not his first wife, not his own flesh and blood, but tools for venting anger, not even human beings!"
The whole room was silent. Gong Liu's family and her children's classmates cried quietly. Even the unrelated neighbors and servants had tears in their eyes. Several female neighbors kept bowing their heads and wiping their tears.
Ji Zhibai looked at Fang Yun, totally not knowing how to refute. He even suspected that he would be scolded by everyone present as soon as he opened his mouth.
Fang Yun pointed at Ji Zhibai, his eyes like knives, and said, "As a scholar, as a top scholar, you actually don't care and say that he was 'just venting his anger'. How horrible is this? The human race has been around for thousands of years, and the etiquette and laws have been around for thousands of years, but you are the ones who have been taught? Just venting your anger? Are you beasts?"
Fang Yun spoke the last few words with almost all his strength, his anger and hatred almost turning into reality.
"Beast! A beast that looks like a monster!" Ao Huang couldn't help but roar.
“Ahhhhhhh…” Nunu’s angry voice came from the corner of the court.
Everyone was stunned at first, and then looked at Ji Zhibai and Manager Gong with strange eyes. Everyone seemed to be saying that the two of them were worse than animals!
Ji Zhibai was so angry that his heart was shaken and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Puff..."
Blood was spilled in the court.
Fang Yun took a deep breath, calmed down a little, and said, "Come here, wipe up the dirty blood. The government office is a place that is filthier than a toilet, a place of sin that even the sun cannot shine on. However, this mouthful of dirty blood is even dirtier."
Ji Zhibai's eyes went dark and he almost fainted.
(To be continued…)