The Sage of Confucianism and Taoism

Chapter 983 Just venting anger

Ji Zhibai looked at the palace manager, then at Fang Yun, and closed his mouth without speaking.

Afterwards, the neighbors of the Gong family testified and told what they had heard.

Fang Yun was very calm at first, but later his face became full of clouds, as majestic as a mountain, as if a volcano might erupt at any time. There seemed to be thick dark clouds pressing down inside and outside the courtroom, and many people were so frightened that they did not dare to speak out.

After the neighbors finished speaking, Fang Yun said again: "Please invite relatives and friends of the Gong Liu family and classmates and friends of Gong Wu's son to come to the court to testify!"

Ji Zhibai hurriedly said: "Confucius taught that relatives should hide from each other, and relatives should not be invited to testify."

Hiding relatives from each other is an important idea in Confucianism. The original meaning is that it is legitimate for relatives to conceal crimes and not expose them, which by extension means that if they report, they will be guilty. Children are not allowed to accuse their parents, and slaves are not allowed to accuse their masters, otherwise it would be a crime.

Fang Yun said coldly: "It has been concluded that the crime of treason and against the species cannot be concealed by relatives. In this case, the palace manager regards his wife as an enemy and has no regard for family ties. Who can hide her?"

Ji Zhibai immediately said: "It is a great benevolence and righteousness for relatives to hide from each other. The words of Confucius become a ritual and cannot be abolished!"

Fang Yun sneered and said: "Absurd! What is etiquette? When it comes to the national order of the Holy Academy, such as the rituals of sacrifices and the etiquette of monarchs and ministers; when it comes to social customs, such as weddings and funerals; when it comes to the behavior of scholars, such as words and deeds, they are all in etiquette. Category: A father killing his wife is not a country What is advocated by family etiquette is also contrary to the folk etiquette, and it is prohibited by the etiquette of scholars! It is not this county that violates human ethics and disregards the etiquette and laws of the human race, but the shopkeeper of the Human Tribe Palace! This county is a human race pilot! If you don’t accept it, let the Holy Court decide!”

Ji Zhibai gritted his teeth. Fang Yun was now a popular figure in the Xingdian and the Legal family. Not to mention Ji Zhibai, even if Liu Shan, the left prime minister or even the head of the Zong family came to accuse Fang Yun, they would be dismissed.

The Xingdian Palace has long been very dissatisfied with the idea of ​​"hiding relatives from each other". In the eyes of the Legalists, concepts such as patriarchal clan and hiding relatives are stumbling blocks to the progress of the human race. Xingdian has been making relevant efforts, but the resistance from Lidian is huge, and many aspects need to be done step by step. Now that Fang Yun is promoting this process, it is too late for Xingdian to protect him, so how can he stop it.

Ji Zhibai responded: "I have already sent a letter to the Li Dian about this matter, and the Li Dian will investigate it strictly!"

Fang Yun said: "The elders of the Hall of Ceremonies must be sensible and will never distort the words of Confucius for some crazy scum! What's more, the "Book of Rites" says that if you cultivate yourself, bring your family together, and govern the country, the world will be peaceful. Family incompetence, in the eyes of Yasheng Zengzi Of course, he is not worthy of talking about etiquette! The palace manager killed his wife and son. He was ruthless and lawless. He ruined the name of his father, broke the love of relatives, ruined the family of etiquette, and cut off human affection. Who can protect such beasts? Even if this county fails to win the imperial examination, we will still fight to the end!”

Fang Yun's voice was loud and resonant in the courtroom.

Ji Zhibai tried to speak, but before he could speak, he had an unpleasant feeling, as if the entire court and the entire county were rejecting him, and he had to shut up.

Ji Zhibai sighed secretly, Fang Yun seemed to be talking to the people around him, but in fact he was talking to the Confucian people in the ceremony hall. "Etiquette" is originally a rule, a code of conduct for scholars in all aspects, and the changes in "Three Rites" also explain it.

The "Three Rites" are "Zhou Rites", "Rituals" and "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 speeches of saints in the pre-Qin period, including the famous works of the Yasheng Zengzi and Zisizi, and the two famous The article just pays more attention to personal courtesy.

Fang Yun used Zeng Zi's argument in "The Great Learning" in the "Book of Rites" to "cultivate oneself, harmonize the family, govern the country and bring peace to the world" as an argument, and insisted that the palace manager had no "propriety", so the case could continue to be tried.

The Hall of Ceremony is not afraid of scholars using "ritual" to deny anything. What they are most afraid of is not using "ritual" at all, not even this layer of skin.

The Ritual Hall resists the evolution of "ritual", but it does not mean that it completely opposes it.

Ji Zhibai was worried. "Kids hide from each other" originally had a shackle, that is, relatives who were treasonous and rebellious were not allowed to hide and protect them. Now Fang Yun added another shackle, that is, if relatives violate "benevolence, justice, etiquette, and love," they can also give up. Hiding relatives from each other is likely to trigger a dispute between the holy ways. If one side of Fang Yun is established, then this matter will actually help Fang Yun a big favor.

Ji Zhibai was hesitant, but Fang Yun was calm and composed. Restricting "hiding relatives from each other" is the general trend. Starting from the Tang Dynasty, it became more and more strict. Not to mention Ji Zhibai, the left prime minister, not even the sage could stop this majestic force. Swinging trend.

The palace examination is the best opportunity to let the general trend and trend break out in advance!

Fang Yun has long realized that if he can be canonized, the palace examination will become the biggest foundation!

"The witness continues to answer!" Fang Yun said.

Next, Gong Liu's relatives used Gong Liu's words to accuse Shopkeeper Gong, and the child's classmates and friends also quoted his words during his lifetime, which completely established Shopkeeper Gong's motives and everyone's words became irrefutable evidence.

After everyone finished speaking, Ji Zhibai raised his head and said, "Even if the shopkeeper Gong once wanted to kill Gong Liu and her son, it does not mean that he killed them this time. He once told me that he was just venting his anger, so it was a manslaughter."

Fang Yun suddenly sighed softly and said, "Ji Zhibai, Ji Zhibai, you have been studying for so many years in vain, but you have lost all knowledge of human nature. If you are the reverse species, you will become a great Confucian in no time."

"Please Magistrate Fang, please don't attack me in court!" Ji Zhibai said with suppressed anger.

Fang Yun restrained his official authority, looked at everyone present, and said slowly: "If the child is really naughty and has done all kinds of bad things, it may be forgiven if the father teaches him a lesson. After all, the body and skin are affected by the parents. But! Think about it carefully. , what is the premise for parents to punish their children? What is the other premise that the children are at fault first? ? Parents are good for their children! But what about the shopkeeper? Even he admits that he is venting his anger! If he has any love for a husband and a father, he will not beat his wife and children all his life! Here, that is not a married woman, not a son of flesh and blood, but a tool to vent your anger, not even a human being!"

The whole hall was silent. Gong Liu's family members and her children's classmates began to cry softly. Even the unrelated neighbor's servants had red eyes. Several female neighbors kept lowering their heads to wipe their tears.

Ji Zhibai looked at Fang Yun, not knowing how to refute, and 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 daggers, and said: "As a scholar, as a top scholar, you actually don't care about saying that he's just venting his anger. What a terrible thing this is. The human race has been around for thousands of years, and etiquette has been around for thousands of years. Is this what you were taught? Are you just venting your anger?"

Fang Yun almost used all his strength to say the last few words, and his anger and hatred could almost turn into substance.

"Beast! A beast that looks like a monster!" Ao Huang couldn't help but roar.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Nunu's angry voice came from the corner of the courtroom.

Everyone was stunned at first, and then looked at Ji Zhibai and Shopkeeper Gong with strange eyes. Everyone seemed to be saying that the two of them were really worse than animals!

Ji Zhibai was so angry that his heart was pounding, his courage was shaking, and he opened his mouth and spurted out a mouthful of blood.

"puff……"

Blood spilled in the courtroom.

Fang Yun took a deep breath, calmed down a little, and said: "Come here, wipe away the dirty blood. The Yamen is a filthier place than the toilet, a sinful place where the sun cannot shine, but this mouthful of dirty blood is even dirtier."

Ji Zhibai's eyes turned black and he almost fainted.

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