PFC Chapter 7048 How to deal with it
Chapter 7048 How to deal with it
Chapter 7048 How to deal with it
While Zhang and Zhang Changpu were chatting, Liu Bei and Chen Xi had already arrived outside the Court of Justice. At this time, there were quite a few people at the Court of Justice, most of whom were acquaintances of Liu Bei and Chen Xi. Clearly, at this level, everyone had their own connections.
"Oh, Xiaozhi, I didn't expect you to come to the Court of Justice." Chen Xi asked with a smile as he looked around at Fazheng, who had a dignified air about him.
"I need to find out about Ji Bo's matter," Fa Zheng said calmly. Then, he glanced at the other three people behind Liu Bei out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't very familiar with Shi Xie and Liao Li, but he could at least recognize them. As for Zhong Yao, Fa Zheng twitched the corner of his mouth, looking somewhat indifferent.
I didn't mean anything by it. Everything is written down in a notebook. People might think it's boring for others to keep a notebook, but it would be abnormal for Fazheng to say that he doesn't keep a notebook.
Therefore, before Zhong Yao came to Chang'an, Fa Zheng already knew everything he needed to know. As for how much Zhong Yao's actions actually helped to assimilate the Ganges, Fa Zheng was well aware of it. After all, Fa Zheng understood people's hearts and could comprehend Zhong Yao's efforts.
But as I said before, your efforts are your business, and dealing with you is my business. So when Fa Zheng glanced at Zhong Yao, his eyes turned somewhat cold. After all, it was a major incident involving investigators dispatched by the Nine Ministers of Chang'an who had mysteriously disappeared.
That's not something you can cover up by finding some excuse or doing something big. Those involved in the case must be punished severely; that's the rule.
Therefore, when Fa Zheng saw Shi Xie and Liao Li nod, and then saw Zhong Yao, realizing that the other person was looking at him, he gave him a cold smirk.
Zhong Yao's heart skipped a beat. Clearly, things were worse than he had thought. Even though he had come to Chang'an in person and explained to Chen Xi the moment he met him, Fa Zheng didn't give him a friendly look at all.
Of course, Zhong Yao knew that Fa Zheng did not actually intend to persecute him, but since his political achievements were mixed in with the case, he could not avoid it. So he had no choice but to bow to Fa Zheng and then follow him into the Court of Justice.
"Tsk." Fa Zheng glanced at Zhong Yao's departing figure, then looked at Chen Xi, "Zi Chuan, do you know about the case he's involved in?"
"He told me before, and now that I think about it, he also brought up a bill that's impossible to pass. I just don't know which one is more important," Chen Xi said thoughtfully.
"None of that matters. Even if none of them pass, so what?" Fa Zheng said indifferently. "To put it bluntly, for ordinary matters, it's enough to give a high-ranking official like this face. But if something really happens, and you still want to make an exchange, are you looking down on me or on yourself?"
"What's the situation with the girls' schools and large-scale cotton spinning on the other side of the Ganges?" Chen Xi asked thoughtfully, then looked at Fa Zheng.
"The idea is good, but the execution is lacking. Of course, having been to the Ganges, I agree with Zhong Yao's judgment that this method is necessary to solve the root problem. However, while Zhong Yuanchang has the idea, the execution is somewhat lacking." Fa Zheng was being realistic. At his level, there was no need to play games of saying one thing and leaving another out; this was a fair assessment.
"So, the girls' school and the large-scale cotton spinning industry did indeed cause social problems, right?" Chen Xi's smile faded considerably.
"Yes, there have even been cases of large-scale invasions by lower and middle castes who cooperate with us in the area," Fa Zheng said casually. After all, he was in charge of intelligence, so how could he not know?
"What happened to Yuan Chang?" Chen Xi asked an unnecessary question.
“If you don’t change the mindset, you’ll just have to change the heads. Besides, this kind of thing is a reason in itself, a reasonable and legal reason. Even if the locals don’t agree with the doctrines, this kind of thing can be approved by the authorities. After all, no matter how dogmatic Brahmins are, they are still human beings.” Fa Zheng said with a sneer.
Since they are human beings, they will inevitably have empathy. So no matter how much they are tamed by religious thought, once their numbers reach a certain level, they will still have a certain degree of self-awareness and a sense of right and wrong.
Most of the time, however, this sense of self-awareness and right and wrong is obscured by certain ideologies, and people may perceive it as a righteous act. But if we analyze it deeply, especially if it is a deep analysis supported by powerful figures, it is possible to bring these people's sense of self-awareness and right and wrong back to the surface.
The Han dynasty happened to have sufficient power in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges, so as long as there was no wavering in its will, it would be quite easy to achieve this.
“In that case, I think Zhong Yuanchang’s line of thinking is correct.” Chen Xi nodded. This statement was neutral and objective, but since Chen Xi said it, Fa Zheng needed to think about it.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with how Zhong Yuanchang was handled in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges. I just think that those who have done wrong should admit their guilt and accept punishment.” Fa Zheng said calmly. “This is not a matter of slapping someone with a few drinks, nor is it something that can be settled in private. This is the authority of the central government of the Han Dynasty.”
The death of an imperial envoy is a major event no matter when it happens. Fortunately, we are currently in the middle of the founding year of the dynasty, and Guan Yu and Zhao Yun have vouched for us. So the matter has been suppressed for now, and we will investigate it step by step and deal with it after the eleventh year of Yuanfeng.
It's fair to say that if the imperial envoy, tasked with a mission from Chang'an, had died at any other time, troops would have been dispatched to quell the rebellion.
To put it bluntly, this matter is far more serious than the previous Jizhou case. Even when the Jizhou case escalated to that extent, the imperial envoy did not die. Moreover, the personnel Liu Ye dispatched were merely regular investigators from Chang'an, completely different from investigators like Guo Jia and Fa Zheng who were sent to the Ganges to determine whether anyone had stolen or sold supplies during the national war!
The people Liu Ye sent down were said to be at the same level as those sent down by Guo Jia and Fa Zheng, but the former were actually only investigating tax evasion. Although it was a big problem, it was something that could be covered up. For example, if Zhong Yao were to be punished for this, Fa Zheng would just give him a few curses and then make him drink three cups of wine, and that would be easily resolved.
After all, he is a person who has achieved enlightenment and has sufficient qualifications and abilities. As long as this issue is not scrutinized to the point of being unbearable, there is nothing that cannot be resolved.
But what were the investigators Guo Jia and Fa Zheng sent to the Ganges investigating? They were investigating potential treason and betrayal. And then the investigator died. So what was the point of continuing the investigation? They could have just executed the entire family of the deceased.
The two incidents are not even in the same league. If someone of Zhong Yao's stature were involved in the latter, he would be severely punished. This is why the powerful families in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges River directly brought this matter to the forefront. To put it bluntly, it's all about this. Whether what Zhong Yao did was right or wrong is irrelevant now.
"Take it easy then." Chen Xi nodded to Fa Zheng. He could understand Fa Zheng's mindset. After all, what Fa Zheng was doing now was not just protecting him and Guo Jia, but actually protecting the authority of the central government, the group led by Liu Bei and Chen Xi.
Therefore, Chen Xi couldn't say anything like asking Fa Zheng to give special treatment to anyone. He could only say to take it easy, otherwise the matter would be difficult to investigate and would also be a problem for Chen Xi.
Let's deal with this whole "pulling up a radish and bringing out the mud" thing together. It doesn't matter who's involved; we'll deal with whatever needs to be done.
"Don't worry, I know what's important. I won't let anyone who deserves to die get away with it." Fa Zheng said coldly, leaving Chen Xi somewhat helpless.
"Alright, it's good that you know what's important." Chen Xi didn't say anything and led Fa Zheng into the Court of Justice, while Liu Bei had already entered with Shi Xie and Liao Li ahead of time.
"Quite a few familiar faces have arrived." Chen Xi asked tentatively as he walked in, since Fa Zheng, who was in charge of intelligence, would definitely know more about these things than Chen Xi.
“Everyone wants to see how this matter should be handled so that it can serve as a guideline for their own future actions.” Fa Zheng stopped, turned to look at Chen Xi and said, “Zi Chuan, you should know very well what happened. After all, you should have foreseen these things long ago. Yi Jibo was just a bit too radical. I don’t think his actions were that wrong.”
“Some things can’t be judged solely on the present; we also need to consider the future.” Chen Xi shook his head. “However, since Berning is personally reviewing this, it means he must be aware of the potential problems that may arise in the future. So let’s see how Berning handles this for now.”
“I don’t have a good opinion of Berning’s handling of the situation,” Fa Zheng said, shaking his head. “Berning’s goal is to make things better for the majority, but just because things are better for the majority doesn’t mean they are the right thing to do.”
“Uh.” Chen Xi glanced at Fa Zheng upon hearing this, “It’s already quite good if it’s good for the majority of people, and it’s also a good thing that it’s not specifically targeted at a small group.”
Fa Zheng didn't say much after hearing this, and led Chen Xi into the Court of Justice. At this time, Chen Xi discovered that Zhuge Liang, Li You, and even Jia Xu were already waiting on the side. Of all the civil officials under Liu Bei, only Guo Jia and Liu Yan were not there, and even Liu Ye was resting with his eyes closed on the side.
Clearly, this was not an investigation, but a public statement and debate. According to Chen Xi's estimate, as long as Yi Ji's position was not problematic and he could convince most of the people present, he should be able to leave safely. As for the governors who came, they could all be considered capable ministers.
"Is everyone here?" Man Chong looked at Chen Xi and Fa Zheng as they entered, glanced around, coughed lightly, and asked the crowd. At this moment, Yi Ji, who had been somewhat worried, looked much more relaxed. He was now sitting in a relatively lonely position, with the high-ranking officials around him keeping a distance from him. The person sitting closest to Yi Ji was Liao Li.
"Gongyuan, we've only met a few times, and I never expected you to be sitting next to me this time?" Yi Ji asked Liao Li, who was sitting very close to him, with a hint of surprise.
Logically speaking, he and Liao Li did not have a good relationship. After all, Kuai Yue was responsible for 70% of the damage caused by the Yangtze River flood, while Liao Li was responsible for at least 30%. Of course, Liao Li had done an excellent job in Jingzhou over the years, and Yi Ji would not hold Liao Li accountable for what happened back then. But to say that he was friendly was out of the question.
After all, the Yi people have very high moral standards, and they are very dissatisfied with Liao Li's actions, which knowingly violated the law, causing hundreds of thousands of people to suffer from the disaster and subsequently leading to an epidemic caused by the flood.
Unexpectedly, this guy, whom she hadn't been giving a very friendly look, was standing next to her this time.
"Whether we know each other or not has nothing to do with whether we have a grudge. I'm sitting here simply because I think what you've done aligns with my understanding," Liao Li said coldly, as if he couldn't see the surprise on Yi Ji's face. "Without your actions, I'm afraid I still wouldn't be able to get out of this dead end. There are clearly other ways to benefit the people, and I didn't even discover them."
"It may not be the right approach. I just discovered it and then tentatively pushed it forward. Now that I think about it, it may not really be the right approach." Yi Ji was silent for a while before giving his answer.
"It's not simply a matter of right and wrong in this world. Sometimes, what is wrong for some people is right for others." Zhuge Liang, who already knew the general cause and effect, said to Yi Ji, "Besides, Governor Yi did not embezzle or accept bribes. The matter was still within the scope of his authority. At most, it's just that his authority was not clearly defined."
As they were talking, Zhuge Liang turned his head to look at Chen Xi. As someone who inherited Chen Xi's system and was constantly learning from it, Zhuge Liang was well aware that what Yi Ji was doing now was going beyond Chen Xi's original plan.
However, as time goes by, the original plan cannot be considered the best plan.
Zhuge Liang acknowledged that Chen Xi was a celestial being, a solitary moon, and an invincible existence. However, even the wisest can make a mistake, and even the most foolish can have a stroke of genius. Moreover, people like Yi Ji were by no means foolish; they were among the most intelligent people of their time. Even if they couldn't match Chen Xi in terms of wisdom, they could still delve into their own fields and, if they did, surpass Chen Xi's conventional understanding.
"Let's see what's going on." Chen Xi nodded upon hearing this. Just from what the group of people were saying, Chen Xi could roughly deduce what had happened. After all, this was an unavoidable part of the process of state-owned enterprises growing bigger and stronger.
"This is the case file. Since everyone is here, I know that this matter involves more than just a case. So please clarify it here and draw the lines." Man Chong entered a state of complete selflessness, and began to handle the case involving Yi Ji with unimaginable fairness and open-mindedness. Well, calling it a case isn't quite right, but if it weren't a case, it wouldn't have come to the Court of Justice. This is already a major case.
Soon, the already mimeographed files were distributed to those sitting in the front. Chen Xi also received a copy and quickly began to browse through it.
Just as Chen Xi had predicted, during the process of large local state-owned enterprises expanding into industrial parks, the same situation as in later generations occurred: when funds could circulate internally, they would naturally improve their supporting measures.
In other words, these were kindergartens, primary schools, hospitals, bus fleets, and special management departments equivalent to government offices or, in later times, police stations. If you include the security department that gradually became self-contained, these super-large industrial parks, in the process of gradually closing off, even developed violent organizations.
Clans are nothing compared to this; this is a truly small, independent kingdom-like social system.
As Chen Xi watched, he calmly glanced at Yi Ji. Chen Xi knew very well that the cause of this scene was not Yi Ji, but Chen Xi himself. Moreover, he was well aware that this kind of behavior would inevitably lead to the so-called state-owned enterprise ecosystem and its internal cycle.
This thing was highly regarded in later generations, receiving a ton of negative reviews, including accusations of state-owned enterprise problems, being too big for its own good, being bloated and inefficient, and engaging in nepotism.
It can be said that Chen Xi knew this kind of thing would happen from the moment he started pushing for it, but as the saying goes, no matter how bad a state-owned enterprise is, it is still state capitalism, which is eight streets higher than feudal clans. Even if it is regressing, it is still something that others cannot catch up with.
Furthermore, such large state-owned enterprise ecosystems are highly resilient to risks during chaotic periods of social framework collapse. The collective can mobilize far more power and resources than individuals. As for the drawbacks, in addition to the points mentioned above that have been proven by later generations, the most important point is that legal management is very weak for such groups.
Such a large group is itself the ruler and can directly defy the law.
Chen Xi didn't want to say anything about this, after all, it's an inevitable rule. In fact, it's unbelievable that any thing that has reached this level, possessing money, power, and human resources, as well as its own management system, internal circulation system, and reserve manpower to continue this system, would not test the waters of the law.
Just like how internet companies in later generations can reach market capitalizations of trillions, if they were to actually compete with large state-owned steel and metallurgical enterprises, even if the latter's market capitalization was only a few hundred billion or a hundred billion, the former would still have to kneel down.
It goes without saying who would win in a bayonet fight between civilized people and barbaric systems, barbarians cloaked in civilization?
Chen Xi quickly finished reading the mimeographed contents, then closed the entire file and looked at Man Chong, "Bo Ning, is the existing law unable to handle this?"
“There are no applicable regulations,” Man Chong replied directly.
"How do you plan to sentence him?" Chen Xi asked Man Chong.
“Dereliction of duty,” Man Chong replied expressionlessly.
These words immediately sparked whispers throughout the room.
"In what aspect was it a dereliction of duty?" Chen Xi pressed directly.
"Power has fallen into other people's hands," Man Chong said bluntly.
"I see." Chen Xi thought about it and realized that this approach was indeed a way to handle the situation. The governor is responsible to the country, and Yi Ji, as governor, failed to supervise effectively, resulting in the loss of military power and the decline of government finances. This was irresponsible to the country.
Therefore, this judgment does indeed follow a line of thought, namely, it is reasonable to strengthen state-owned industries, but if military power, financial power, and personnel power are eroded in order to strengthen state-owned industries, then they must be punished!
The author is finished.