sbdcsierra Chapter 833 I'd Rather Be an Orphan
Chapter 833 I'd Rather Be an Orphan
"absurd!"
“That’s absolutely ridiculous!”
While the court officials might have found it somewhat understandable that the Emperor had pardoned Lu Yangyang, the claim that the Crown Prince had taken banned drugs was truly far-fetched.
In fact, everyone knows that the real reason for deposing the crown prince was simply because Zong Que was disabled in both legs. Not to mention the Great Zhao Dynasty, even looking at all the emperors throughout history, no one with a physical disability has ever succeeded to the throne. This is an ancestral precept, and ancestral precepts cannot be violated.
Furthermore, the emperor is responsible for the fate of the nation; how could a person with a disability be allowed to hold this position?
Even in the selection of officials throughout history, there were regulations that excluded those with facial deformities or unusual appearances. In other words, if you were ugly, you wouldn't even be considered for an official position. If the selection of officials was this strict, what would be more stringent than the selection of the emperor?
Therefore, when the Emperor said he would pardon Lu Yangyang, the deposed Crown Princess who was implicated in the deposition of Crown Prince Zong Que, some people objected, but not many.
However, Lu Yangyang's proposal to abolish the system of collective punishment is simply absurd.
The punishment of collective punishment is indeed cruel. The laws of this dynasty are not considered harsh. In previous dynasties, it was common to see the execution of nine generations or three generations of a family. Married women were not spared, and there were even cases where relatives, friends, and teachers were implicated.
Compared to the severe punishments of the previous dynasty, the Great Zhao Dynasty's decree stipulating that married women would not be punished was already an exceptionally lenient act.
Furthermore, the Great Zhao Dynasty was based on a unified clan system. If the principle of collective punishment were abolished, wouldn't it mean that even in the event of a serious crime, the clan would not be implicated? While this would indeed be lenient and fair, it would also breed trouble and cause more unrest, which would not be conducive to the stability of the rule. In other words, how strong and stable must a country be to be confident enough not to harm its own relatives?
Although the court is rife with factions and their infighting, abolishing the system of collective punishment is truly a pipe dream.
As soon as Lu Yangyang brought it up, the court officials started arguing righteously.
However, some people believe that as long as the law is strict, why is it necessary to use severe punishment?
The once quiet courtiers immediately erupted into a chaotic scene, with some officials even nearly coming to blows due to their intense anger.
As the emperor listened to the commotion below, his expression grew increasingly grim.
Lu Wei had been secretly observing the Emperor's expression. Just as the Emperor was about to lose his patience, he suddenly took two steps forward, knelt down with a thud, and shouted, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"
The crowd was drawn to his commotion and fell silent briefly. The Emperor asked in a calm voice, "What is it?"
Lu Wei took a deep breath and prostrated himself in worship: "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for the Emperor's favor in appointing me as the top scholar. I think about this day and night and dare not fail to live up to Your Majesty's grace. However, there is a matter that is troubling me, and I hope Your Majesty can uphold justice for me."
"I was born in Qinghe Village at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain in Qingzhou Prefecture. A few days ago, I received a letter from my mother saying that the more than one hundred people in Qinghe Village were almost wiped out. Fortunately, Commander Huo of Qingzhou was capturing bandits nearby and heard the noise and arrived in time, thus saving Qinghe Village from disaster. However, upon interrogation, the reason turned out to be related to my background."
"My household registration clearly states that my father, Lu Liulang, is missing. My mother, the village head who applied for my father's household registration, and the clerk who handled the matter all confirmed that my father's name was Lu Liulang. My father fled famine and ended up in Qinghe Village where he married my mother and settled down. After that, he left home when I was not yet three years old, leaving behind a letter of divorce under the pretext of passing the imperial examinations. He abandoned his wife and children and disappeared without a trace. I was raised by my widowed mother and relied on the villagers and clans to support my studies and pass the imperial examinations. I have never had any contact with my father or any of my relatives."
"The suspects we have now caught say that my father, Lu Liulang, was Lu Jibai, the former Junior Chamberlain of the Crown Prince, and that the massacre of the village was to silence him."
"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."
Lu Wei presented all the evidence he had prepared beforehand: "This is my household registration certificate, my mother's letter, and my father's letter of divorce, all of which prove that I have never known any Lu family, a prominent family in the capital. Yet, I have been unjustly implicated by them, almost bringing to the brink of harm the clan and villagers who wholeheartedly supported my studies. I am filled with remorse and humbly beg Your Majesty to clear my name."
"I do not wish to be implicated by Lu Jibai, nor do I wish for the people of Qinghe Village to suffer because of me. I would rather risk my future and my life to implore Your Majesty to grant me an imperial decree that I, Lu Wei, have nothing to do with Lu Jibai, and the Lu in my name is not the Lu in Lu Jibai's name. I would rather be an orphan than let the innocent people of Qinghe Village suffer because of me."