I Am Truly Not a Treacherous Minister Your Majesty

Chapter 84: Controversy

However, in this situation, Qin Ji did not act first.

He couldn’t act first. Although he had great power and most of the ministers would give him some face, the only ones who dared to openly confront him were the emperor and the prime minister. But he still needed the support of these officials.

Even though he had great power and could influence the emperor to dismiss certain officials, this power couldn’t be used at will.

So he usually treated his colleagues with courtesy, as long as there was no major issue. Since he needed to confront someone, it couldn’t be him directly; he had to find someone of a similar rank to do it.

Qin Ji glanced back slightly and gave a signal to a military officer behind him.

The officer understood Qin Ji’s intention and immediately stepped forward, bowed, and saluted:

“Your Majesty, I have something to say.”

“Speak freely,” Xia Yuxiao said.

“Just now, several officials mentioned that if Your Majesty were to execute King Rongsheng, the world would not know how to judge Your Majesty. May I ask this official, how do you think the world would judge Your Majesty?”

The officer’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at the other party.

“This… naturally, they would say that Your Majesty disregards kinship and does not care for meritorious officials… the world would generally judge so,” the official hesitated for a moment, then said.

“Well, if we are talking about judgment, it would be nothing more than that. However, sir, our Great Xia has its laws, and according to the law, he should be executed. This rebellion led by King Rongsheng caused the deaths of more than ten civilians in the city. If he is not executed now, how can we appease the people’s hearts?”

“I once heard a sage say: ‘The way of a ruler is to appease the people’s hearts and establish the ruler’s credibility; if the ruler is credible, the people’s hearts will be at ease; if the ruler is not credible, the people’s hearts will be scattered.’ Now, Your Majesty is acting according to the law, not the royal family law of Great Xia, but the national law of Great Xia. The national law, for the country and the people, what is wrong with that?”

“The law is established by Great Xia. Executing King Rongsheng now is precisely a manifestation of Your Majesty’s impartial enforcement of the law. Where is the talk of judgment from the people? The so-called judgment is nothing more than the means of those pedantic scholars.”

The general spoke these words very simply and logically. For a moment, the official had to reconsider before speaking his mind.

“General, I believe it may not be so,” he said. “Executing King Rongsheng by Your Majesty will not greatly contribute to the internal stability of Great Xia. The current issue is that there are still various disloyal people in different parts of Great Xia. If Your Majesty takes action, they are already sensitive, and such a stimulus might…”

“If we follow your opinion, sir, being so timid, how can we deter others? Although Great Xia advocates benevolent governance, benevolent governance does not mean laissez-faire, nor does it mean blind tolerance. With all due respect, Your Majesty’s willingness to act according to the law is indeed a blessing for Great Xia. What is wrong with that?”

The general spoke these words in an unhurried tone. Nowadays in Great Xia, it is common for generals to be well-read. Although there are still a considerable number of illiterate officers in the military, this proportion is gradually decreasing. With knowledge of literature, arguments in such occasions become more persuasive.

Qin Ji gave the general an approving look. The general had directly said what he wanted to say, which was good. This way, Qin Ji didn’t have to speak himself.

The official originally wanted to argue further, but after thinking carefully, he realized it might not be right.

If he continued to argue in the court, the topic might be directed towards the civil officials and scholars.

This was not a good move. If the topic were really directed towards them, he might not be able to keep his position. The late emperor had always despised those pedantic scholars. Who knows if the current emperor inherited the “fine tradition” of the late emperor?

So, the official wisely retreated.

Seeing this scene, Qin Yilang planned to stand up and refute the general, but was grabbed by the old court officer beside him.

The old court officer gave him a look and then gently shook his head.

“Qin Yilang, that is the Grand Commandant’s man.”

The old man whispered in his ear.

Qin Yilang was stunned for a moment, then had to stand still obediently.

He was indeed still a bit young.

He completely failed to notice the identity of the general, nor did he notice the subtle communication between Qin Ji and the general. He also failed to understand a fact – at this time, when the Grand Commandant and the emperor jointly held power, the words of the Grand Commandant’s men in the court might very well represent the stance of the Grand Commandant himself.

And now, the Grand Commandant’s men had spoken, which meant the Grand Commandant’s suggestion was…

In fact, this point had already been made clear. After all, it was the Grand Commandant who organized the suppression of the rebellion and the capture of King Rongsheng, and it was he who handled the related affairs in the Imperial Clan Court. This execution decision was definitely made jointly by the emperor and the Grand Commandant.

So, in the court, it was better not to oppose them. It would not be beneficial for oneself. If one had to argue for a win or loss, it would be simple. If the Prime Minister also opposed the Grand Commandant and joined in to help refute, it would be fine.

The problem was, the Prime Minister himself looked calm and showed no intention of continuing the conversation. Obviously, in this matter, the Prime Minister did not intend to support sparing the life of King Rongsheng.

In the end, the matter was left unresolved in the court.

The so-called joint petition submitted by the ministers naturally had no follow-up.

With the sound of the court’s dismissal, the ministers exited the hall, but only Qin Ji remained standing there.

“Why do you not retreat? Do you have something to say to me?”

Xia Yuxiao turned back to the hall and asked.

According to the usual practice, during the court’s dismissal, it was always the emperor who left first, followed by the ministers. So she was actually about to leave just now, but seeing that Qin Ji hadn’t moved at all, she came back to ask.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I have a message from King Rongsheng, a request he wishes to make to Your Majesty.”

“You have seen King Rongsheng?” Xia Yuxiao looked at him and asked.

“King Rongsheng rebelled, so I naturally had to investigate thoroughly and clear out his followers.” Qin Ji said calmly.

“Well, thank you for your hard work. What does he want to say to me?”

“He hopes that, at the moment of his death, you can be by his side.”

After Qin Ji finished speaking, he looked at the emperor’s face.

Xia Yuxiao’s eyes twitched imperceptibly, then she nodded: “Understood, I will consider it.”

After saying this, she turned and left.

Suddenly, she turned her head again and looked at Qin Ji:

“You’d better keep your distance from King Rongsheng. I don’t want to really become an emperor who kills meritorious officials.”

“…Rest assured, Your Majesty, I know my limits.”

Qin Ji bowed and slowly retreated.