Chapter 267 All sentenced to execution Zhao Yingluo pointed at them and asked the officials sternly: "Have you ever cared about local corruption? Have you ever thought about the suffering of the people? These people are the so-called 'capable officials' you elected! They are corrupt, pervert the law, and oppress the people. , don’t you have any responsibility at all?” The officials were stunned speechless by Zhao Yingluo's questioning and lowered their heads one by one. They knew that although Her Royal Highness the Princess was still young, her methods were extremely sophisticated. Zhao Yingluo saw that all the officials were speechless and sneered: "Weng Yanguo and others will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for trial and severe punishment! At the same time, I want to warn the officials that when selecting people, they must select talents and appoint them. Never allow this kind of behavior to happen again." Scum infiltrates the officialdom!” When the officials heard this, their hearts trembled, and they all expressed their compliance with the order. At this moment, Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao came out and said: "What Her Royal Highness the Princess said is absolutely true. I suggest that the imperial court send officials to inspect various states and counties to severely punish corrupt elements as a warning to others." Zhao Yingluo nodded and said: "What Xianggong Lu said is true. I'm sure. I'll leave this matter to you. I hope all officials can take a warning and clean themselves up. If corruption happens again." , We will definitely punish you severely!” Due to the solid evidence in the early stages, the Criminal Department's trial was quick. Three days later, Huang Zushun, the left minister of the Ministry of Punishment, read out the results of the trial. His voice echoed in the hall, and every word and every sentence was like a sharp blade, piercing deeply into the hearts of Weng Yanguo and others.
He listed Weng Yanguo's crimes in detail, including embezzlement of relief funds and swindling, with a total amount of more than 100,000 taels. The amount of corruption committed by other county magistrates also ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands of taels. These conclusive evidences all point to the same outcome - according to the laws of the Song Dynasty, they should all be executed. As soon as these words came out, there was a sudden silence in the court hall, leaving only the violent tremors of Weng Yanguo and others. Their faces were ashen, and their eyes were full of despair and fear, as if they had seen the miserable scene of their own heads being dislocated. At this moment, a sixty-year-old censor said with a slightly trembling voice: "Your Highness, the Song Dynasty ruled the world with benevolence, and always respected the rule of virtue and education. If Weng Yanguo and dozens of other people were executed today, I'm afraid there would be It goes against the principles of benevolent government in the Song Dynasty. Wei Chen suggested that the main culprit, Weng Yanguo, should be sentenced to death as a warning to others for his heinous crimes. Although the remaining county magistrates were guilty of corruption, their crimes were not serious enough to lead to death, and they could be sentenced to imprisonment to see the consequences. ” As soon as these words came out, the court fell into silence again. The courtier's suggestion undoubtedly left a glimmer of hope for Weng Yanguo and others, but it also caused quite a bit of controversy. After all, everyone should be executed according to the law. If kindness is given outside the law because of benevolent government, will it really have a civilizing effect? Zhao Yingluo was sitting beside the dragon chair. There was no expression on her face, making it difficult to guess what she was thinking at the moment. She slowly raised her head and glanced around the court, finally landing on the courtier who made the suggestion. "You said that the Song Dynasty governed the world with benevolence, which is correct." Zhao Yingluo's voice was calm and powerful. "But benevolent government does not condone crime and tolerate adultery. If the corrupt are not severely punished, how can they be worthy of the people who suffered from them? Why? To maintain the strict laws and disciplines of our Song Dynasty?” Zhao Yingluo's voice echoed in the court hall, and every word struck the hearts of the courtiers like a heavy hammer. Her eyes were firm and her tone was decisive: "Corruption is like beetles eating wood. If it is not eradicated, it will not calm the people. If it is not killed, it will not deter those who come after them. These officials, all of whom have conclusive evidence of their crimes, should be executed according to the law! My decision has been made and there is no need to discuss this matter further.” After hearing these sentences, Weng Yanguo and others felt as if they were struck by lightning. They were lucky and thought they could escape, but they did not expect that Her Royal Highness the Princess was so selfless and strict with the law. Weng Yanguo was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, and his whole body was shaking like chaff; and some timid county magistrates were so frightened that they urinated and feces, and made all kinds of ugly appearances. There was silence in the court hall, and the courtiers lowered their heads, not daring to look at Zhao Yingluo. They knew that although Her Royal Highness the Princess was still young, her methods were extremely sophisticated. This time she punished corrupt officials vigorously and resolutely, not only to maintain the laws and regulations of the Song Dynasty, but also to give an explanation to the people and a warning to the world. At noon on the second day, the execution ground was surrounded by people who came to watch the execution. After they learned that Weng Yanguo and others had been executed, they rushed to tell each other and came together. At this moment, their hearts were full of excitement and expectation, because the vengeance of these corrupt officials meant that no one in the relief bank would dare to be corrupt again, and those children from poor families could have the opportunity to study through the relief bank.
Following the order from the executioner, the executioner raised his knife and lowered it, and the heads of Weng Yanguo and others fell to the ground. The audience suddenly burst into thunderous cheers and applause, and the people were all happy and smiling. They knew that starting from today, the officialdom of the Song Dynasty would usher in a new era, an era of purity and integrity. The case of Pingjiang Mansion was like a huge stone thrown into a pond, causing ripples that spread throughout the officialdom of the Song Dynasty. Left Prime Minister Lu Yihao acted resolutely and quickly arranged for officials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs to conduct inspections in various states and counties. This anti-corruption storm was unprecedentedly violent. In just half a year, more than 100 officials were executed because of corruption and for providing financial aid! Such a large-scale anti-corruption campaign shocked the entire officialdom of the Song Dynasty, and a trend of corruption gradually became prevalent. However, while this clean and honest wind was blowing, there was a burst of worrying news from the inner courtyard of the palace. In spring and March, it was the time when wheat was growing crazily, but Zhao Yingluo frowned and seemed a little unhappy. It turned out that her nephew Zhao Min was seriously ill again. Zhao Min has a weak constitution, which has always been a worry for Zhao Yingluo. She knew that as a child of the royal family, Zhao Min shouldered the important task of governing the country of the Song Dynasty. But now that he has been sick repeatedly, how can he take on this important task in the future? Concubine Pan accompanied her brother Zhao Gou to Shu and left Zhao Bing in the palace. Zhao Yingluo knew in her heart that if Zhao Min did something bad, she would not be able to explain it to Pan Xianfei. She anxiously summoned the medical officer Pan Yongshou to inquire about her condition, and was relieved when she learned that she would recover after just a period of time. However, this illness gave Zhao Yingluo a wake-up call. She looked at the pale Zhao Min lying on the bed, and her heart couldn't help but ripples. The prince is so weak, let alone the common people? Nowadays, although the Song Dynasty is prosperous and the people have no worries about food and clothing, there are also many people who are obese and weak due to lack of exercise. If these people are drafted into the army in the future, how will they be able to take on the important task of protecting their homes and the country? Zhao Yingluo thought of the various sports games held in later generations. Perhaps it was time to promote sports to various states and counties to improve the physical quality of the people of the Song Dynasty. Thinking of this, she recruited Wen Boyuan into the palace.