Although they were unhappy with Hai Rui, no one would make trouble for Hai Rui. Firstly, he was too famous. If they made trouble for Hai Rui, it would be easy to be nailed to the pillar of shame.
Secondly, even a fool could see the Emperor's attitude toward Hai Rui, let alone them.
The current problem was not caused by Hai Rui. It was not worth it to negotiate with Hai Rui.
Everyone looked at Shen Shixing. They did not understand why Shen Shixing took out Hai Rui's memorial at this time.
Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Shen Shixing put Hai Rui's memorial aside and said, "Now the public opinion is turbulent, and the officials are panicking. They are afraid of the disaster of cruel officials. As the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, we have to investigate this matter."
The expressions on everyone's faces suddenly became strange. Everyone knew what was going on. Why did he still act so high and mighty here?
Go and tell the Emperor about the disaster of cruel officials. Let's see how the Emperor will answer you.
Shen Shixing made a pose and then said, "The officials are panicking. They are panicking because the punishment is too heavy. During the Hongwu period, there were many major cases. We can't let the Hongwu case appear in the court."
As soon as he said this, everyone was shocked. When did Shen Shixing dare to say this?
How could he be so bold?
Was he crazy?
It should be known that Shen Shixing gave everyone the impression that he was a peacemaker. He was very respectful to the Emperor. To put it bluntly, he had no bottom line to agree with the Emperor. When did he dare to speak so boldly?
Was the Hongwu Case something that an official could criticize?
Did he want to say that Emperor Taizu had done something wrong?
Yu Youding almost stopped Shen Shixing. If these words reached the Emperor's ears, Shen Shixing would be reprimanded lightly.
Yu Youding even suspected that Shen Shixing had become muddle-headed.
Shen Shixing did not care and continued to say, "The Emperor is a wise man. He strictly ordered all the yamen to abide by the Law of Daming, so that the yamen could have laws to abide by, and not let the government order be unreasonable and human feelings be reversed."
"However, Daming's Law has been practiced for many years. Is it really suitable for the current times? Does everyone think about it?"
Everyone was stunned. They finally understood what Shen Shixing meant. He was going to start with the Law of Daming!
The Law of Daming was very detailed. Naturally, it wasn't a day's work. There had been several revisions, but most of them were additions and additions. It had never been changed.
As long as the eighty strings were still hanging, there was no need to talk about anything else.
Listening to Shen Shixing's words, it seemed that he wanted to change the sentencing of the Daming Law!
At first, it sounded a little shocking, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be another shortcut!
Now the officials were afraid. Were they afraid that the imperial court would investigate corruption?
Of course not. When did the imperial court not investigate corruption? Although the Department of Law and Discipline was investigating corruption this time, it was not as if they had not done so in the past.
However, the difference this time was that the punishment was in accordance with the Law of Daming, which was unbearable.
Who could bear to be hanged for corruption? Therefore, the root of this matter was in accordance with the Law of Daming.
However, the Emperor insisted on using the Law of Daming. What could the officials say?
Were they against using the Law of Daming? Then what was the use of the Law of Daming?
Now, Shen Shixing's approach was simple. He wanted to change the Law of Daming.
It sounded very simple, but in reality, it wasn't so simple. The slogan that the officials often shouted was to follow the ancestral system. There were many cases where this was used to check and balance the Emperor.
The Law of Daming was much more serious than the ancestral system. If the officials proposed to change the Law of Daming, then they wouldn't be able to shout about following the ancestral system in the future.
Although many ancestral systems had been broken in recent years, especially after Long Qing switched them off, having this name was not the same as not having it.
However, there was a difference between having this title and not having this title. With this title, he could use it when he wanted to. Without this title, he would not be able to use it when he wanted to.
Once he proposed to change the laws of the Great Ming Dynasty, he would inevitably use the slogan "Times change". Once this slogan was shouted, it would inevitably give rise to many new problems. This Emperor of his family was not someone who would be content with the status quo.
In reality, what Zhu Yijun wanted was to change the Law of Daming. He wanted to break the shackles.
With this shackle, no matter what Zhu Yijun wanted to do, there would inevitably be a large number of people who would oppose it. For example, changing the business tax, changing the household registration, and so on.
These people would gather under the ancestral flag and block the way.
What Zhu Yijun wanted was to break this barrier and make room for what he wanted to do.
Otherwise, once the ancestral flag was raised, many officials who wanted to support Zhu Yijun wouldn't dare to speak for fear of ruining their own reputation.
After breaking this barrier, it would make many people who saw the wind and set the helm become bolder.
With these people waving the flag and shouting for him, he would definitely be able to gain a large number of people's support.
This matter couldn't be pushed down from the top. Otherwise, there would be too much resistance. It needed to be pushed up from the bottom. Zhu Yijun took the opportunity to reluctantly do it. This was the best plan.
When the Department of Law and Discipline was first established, Zhu Yijun had already planned for today's matter.
The Department of Law and Discipline investigated the officialdom and used the harsh Law of Daming to pressure the civil officials, making them propose to change the Law of Daming.
Even if no one proposed it, Zhu Yijun would arrange for someone to propose it himself. He would use this to push for the revision of the Law of Daming.
Once the Law of Daming was used to start a massacre, Zhu Yijun believed that all the officials would be terrified.
At this time, the corrupt people or the civil officials with dirty backgrounds would definitely feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.
Once the solution of changing the Law of Daming was thrown out, these people would definitely see it as a life-saving straw.
As for other things, they couldn't care so much. Saving their lives was more important.
Under such circumstances, the Law of Daming would definitely be revised.
Zhu Yijun sent people to preach that the world had changed, that there was no universal law in the world, or that practice was the only standard for testing truth. As long as it was beneficial to his reform, he could throw it out.
Using this to push out new ways of thinking and new theories, Li Zhi began to advocate the Confucian school of mind and praise the School of Ram. He played with the Renaissance of Daming, chasing after the Han and Tang.
In this way, he laid the foundation for institutional and ideological reform. This was a long-term plan.
In the five years that Zhu Yijun had been in power, he had been breaking down barriers and doing all kinds of deviant things. This was also the reason why Zhu Yijun had kept Zhang Juzheng as his official.
These people had already been scolded as deviant. It didn't matter if they were scolded again. This was the principle of smashing a jar.
As the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet who had served Zhu Yijun for so many years, although Shen Shixing didn't react at first, it didn't take long for him to react. After thinking for a few days, he suddenly felt that this was a great opportunity.
An incomparably famous official must have an incomparably great deed. How could he do it?
Shen Shixing had never found an opportunity. When Zhang Juzheng was alive, he was so glorious. As the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet after Zhang Juzheng, he was bound to be shrouded in his brilliance. If he didn't have an earth-shattering deed, how could he become famous?
He had already reached the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, so his pursuit was naturally different. What he wanted was to leave his name in history.
It was just that Shen Shixing had never found a suitable breakthrough. This time, he found it.
Since the Emperor wanted to do it, why couldn't he be the Emperor's vanguard? This move could not only make him famous, but it could also solidify his favor in front of His Majesty. Why not?
As for his reputation, Shen Shixing didn't care too much about it. Moreover, if he responded like this, would his reputation be bad?
The officials were shocked three times a day. If he came up with such a method, would they not agree?
Would they not make him famous?
Did they not want to live?
For him, this was just a proposal, but for them, this was a life-saving method.
He didn't need to care about the voices of opposition. It wasn't like he didn't have people to advocate for him.
Shen Shixing believed that once this was done, he would become famous. Since that was the case, why couldn't he take the risk?
Even if it didn't work, it was just a proposal. What harm was there?
But once it was done, he could win His Majesty's favor and become famous in the world. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Since he had already said this much, Shen Shixing naturally wasn't afraid to say it more clearly. He said bluntly, "The Daming has been in power for more than a hundred years. As time passes, many things are no longer suitable for the Daming."
"Let's not talk about other things. Just the official stipends, at the beginning of the Daming, the resources were poor and the people's lives were hard. The official stipends were not only enough to survive, but they were also the capital of the middle class. But what about now?"
"At present, the resources are abundant, the prices of goods are rising, and the population is increasing. The officials are all suffering."
"That's why the imperial court raised the stipends. The stipends are already like this, let alone the law that concerns the survival of the people.
This old man is going to suggest to the Emperor to amend the law of the Daming to close his eyes. "
Shen Shixing's statement stunned everyone.
Whether it was when he was a Grand Secretary or after he became the Grand Secretary, Shen Shixing had never done anything with such a clear stand.
He wasn't a powerful Cabinet Minister to begin with. The sudden change made everyone feel a little uncomfortable.
Everyone even wondered if he was influenced by His Majesty.
Why was it full of His Majesty's style?
But this was a serious matter, and it happened so suddenly that they didn't know how to respond.
Seeing that the two didn't speak, Shen Shixing continued, "Right now, the officials are frightened and the public opinion is turbulent. The Cabinet is under great pressure. If we don't do something, how can we answer to the officials?"
Hearing Shen Shixing's words, the two instantly understood.
Everyone was frightened by Shen Shixing's words and completely forgot their original intention. Why did they gather here today to discuss this? It was to appease the officials. The Cabinet had to speak!
For such a big matter, the Cabinet had to express its stance. Then, could Shen Shixing's words represent the attitude of the Cabinet?
Of course it could!
No one could refute this point. If they acted according to the Law of the Daming, no one could refute it. Then they would amend the Law of the Daming.
For the Cabinet to come up with such a suggestion at this time, it was more than just courageous and responsible.
They weren't afraid of the suggestion being unreasonable. They were afraid of no suggestion at all. Whether it was successful or not, it would be fine as long as the officials didn't attack the Cabinet.
The way the two looked at Shen Shixing changed. The officials seemed to have underestimated this Grand Secretary!
All along, Shen Shixing had given people the impression that he was kind and easy to talk to. But now, it seemed that this wasn't the case at all.
"I thought that the Cabinet Minister's words were the words of an experienced strategist."
As Shen Shixing's loyal follower and the Cabinet Minister, Yu Youding naturally spoke up at this time. His words were simple: he fully supported Shen Shixing.
"Amending the Law of the Daming can be a long-term strategy to Daming the government and to appease the officials.
Under the current circumstances, this is the most suitable method. I support the Cabinet Minister's words. "
Hearing Yu Youding's words, Fang Fengshi knew that he had nothing else to say. "Then let's act according to the Cabinet Minister's words!"
Just when the public opinion in the capital was turbulent and the officials were frightened, the Cabinet Minister suddenly spoke up for the officials.
Initially, no one had placed much hope on the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet. Everyone knew what kind of person Shen Shixing was. He was fine as a mediator, but when it came to the time of need, he couldn't be counted on at all.
Everyone had been calling for the title of the clay Grand Secretary for a long time. Who could count on him? Everyone had already compared him to Liu Mianmian.
However, no one had expected Shen Shixing to make the strongest statement this time.
The Cabinet Minister, Shen Shixing, was the first to propose this, and the other two Grand Secretaries jointly petitioned His Majesty to amend the Law of the Daming.
Once the memorial was published, it instantly caused a huge uproar. No one had expected the Cabinet Minister to make such a statement.
It didn't target the Law and Discipline Department, nor did it target the punishment. Instead, it pointed directly at the Law of the Daming.
It directly stated that the Law of the Daming was no longer suitable for the current situation and needed to be amended.
At first, everyone was still shocked by the Cabinet Minister's actions, but the officials quickly reacted. The Law and Discipline Department was unbridled, and the officials were frightened three times a day. Wasn't it because the punishment of the Law of the Daming was too severe?
If there were no such severe punishments, everyone wouldn't have to be so afraid.
Once the Law of the Daming was revised, wouldn't it be possible to get rid of this?
Moreover, it could be amended in a way that was beneficial to the officials?
This move was simply a stroke of genius. It was like a willow hanging on a horn, nowhere to be found.
It was a brilliant move!
As a result, many people began to submit petitions to amend the Law of the Daming, especially those officials who had a guilty conscience.
If they were really found out, they would be hanged and their properties confiscated. How could they not be afraid?
Now that there was a chance to change this situation, how could they not be interested? It was like grasping at the last life-saving straw.
As for other things, they couldn't care less.
Of course, there were people who objected, shouting something about the ancestral system. However, these people's voices were too weak and were directly drowned out.
Forbidden City, Wenhua Hall.
Zhu Yijun looked at the mountainous pile of memorials, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. This was the Daming officials.
They could do anything shameless for something that was beneficial to them.
They used to hold on to the ancestral system of the Lord God, and now they were the ones who abandoned the ancestral system like a pair of worn-out shoes.
"Director of the Department of Rites, look through it. If there are memorials requesting to amend the Law of the Daming, take them all out," Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Jing and said directly, "They are an eyesore."
In fact, it wasn't really an eyesore. Zhu Yijun wanted to make a gesture.
He wanted to let the officials know that he didn't want to amend the Law of the Daming. Did they think that he couldn't see through their thoughts?
Zhu Yijun then said to Zhang Jing, "Issue a decree to reprimand the Cabinet. How can the ancestral system be changed?
How can the Law of the Daming be changed? "
"Emperor Taizu once said that this was an eternal rule. Don't they understand what this means?"
This was to say that for so many years, which emperor hadn't changed the eternal rule of the Taizu?
However, this was the effect that Zhu Yijun wanted. He wanted to kill them in one blow, so that they wouldn't use the ancestral system as an excuse in the future.