Chapter 878: Seeds of Thought, Law Takes Root in the People’s Hearts

Chapter 878: Chapter 78: Seeds of Thought, Law Takes Root in the People’s Hearts

The name “Qin Hui,” for those people deeply afflicted by the burdens of taxes, forced labor, and the chaos of war, has long been synonymous with “treacherous minister” and “misleading the nation.”

Qin Hui stood in front of the crowd, feeling as if the gazes upon him were like red-hot needles of steel, piercing him thoroughly.

He wanted to remain silent, but the cold stares of the soldiers behind him and the faintly unsheathed blades at their waists reminded him of the consequences of defying Gu Hui.

He instinctively wanted to beg for mercy.

But seeing the sallow and emaciated faces of the people before him, their eyes burning with flames, he knew any plea would be in vain.

The instinct to survive overwhelmed the concern for his reputation.

He took a deep breath and began to speak in a trembling voice, initially trying to justify himself and the court, spouting typical phrases about “national difficulties” and “the great threat of invaders.”

Of course, he would never directly implicate Zhao Gou.

Instead, he wanted to shift the target.

Not only his former political allies, but also his political adversaries, hoping to redirect the people’s anger onto them.

But all of this was ultimately futile.

Don’t forget, he was the Chancellor of the Great Song!

Someone of his standing naturally attracted countless amounts of anger, and without a greater target, all he was doing now was in vain.

“National difficulties? Then why does our imperial grain tribute increase year by year? Why are there endless new levies like the ‘Standard Currency’ and ‘General Currency’?”

“The great threat of invaders? Then why can General Yue achieve continued victory in the Northern Border? Why doesn’t the court fully support General Yue, and instead constantly hampers him, even cutting his supplies?!”

“…”

Voices of questioning suddenly rang out.

“You treacherous minister! You must have deceived the Emperor!”

“Yes! It was you who withheld General Yue’s rations!”

“You embezzled our hard-earned money!”

The people’s anger erupted completely in this moment, and under Gu Hui’s guidance during this period, the people clearly did not wish to endure any longer.

Seeing the faces twisted in anger and hearing the shouts that almost wanted to devour him alive, Qin Hui’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Driven by the instinct to survive.

His remaining rationality was gradually washed away, and finally, he revealed the true culprit.

“N-no… it wasn’t me…”

“It was… it was the Imperial Family! It was the Imperial Family!”

As soon as these words left his mouth, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at him in disbelief.

Yet Qin Hui seemed like he had thrown caution to the wind, and regardless of the truth, he let out all the grievances he harbored: “The Imperial Family… The Imperial Family feared! Feared that General Yue’s accomplishments were so great they’d overshadow him! They feared the Military Generals gaining too much power, threatening his throne!”

“Of those additional levies, how much went into the inner treasury, used to build his Deshou Palace for his enjoyment!”

“It was the Imperial Family that only wanted to hold onto the southern half of Jiangnan, he… he doesn’t care about the life and death of the Central Plains’ people at all! He personally said that the northern people… were not worth pitying!”

“M-much of what I did was under the secret edicts of the Imperial Family! Without their tacit consent, how could I… how could I dare to do this?!”

How could he not bear resentment towards Zhao Gou?

In the past, he managed to restrain it.

But now it was entirely different, and as soon as he uttered the words “Imperial Family,” there was no turning back.

Even insects struggle to survive.

How much more would someone like him, who had tasted power, do the same?

The people listened in stunned silence, then came a deathly quiet, followed by a deeper, more hopeless anger spreading through the crowd like wildfire.

Indeed, it was despair.

The people would, of course, curse an inept emperor.

But in the current era, it is only when a dynasty truly reaches its end and the people are driven to despair that they would act in such a way.

Yet the Great Song had not reached this stage!

If it were otherwise, the fires of war in Kyushu wouldn’t be limited to a few resistance forces against the court, but would be ablaze everywhere!

Simply put, it’s because the Great Song was genuinely powerful.

The people still held hope in the court.

But now, what Qin Hui had said was extinguishing all their hope, making everyone clearly aware of where the problem lay, and how the Emperor they revered was destroying the world with his own hands!

All at once, everyone couldn’t help but fall silent.

And at this time, Qin Hui also seemed utterly drained, lying lifelessly.

The surrounding soldiers unconsciously took Qin Hui away.

However, this wave showed no signs of abating due to his retreat; instead, it grew even stronger.

In the following days, whispers echoed through the streets and tea houses everywhere, discussing Qin Hui’s shocking outcry from that day.

Anger, doubt, confusion… Such emotions interwove and fermented among the common folk.

Initially, people only cursed Qin Hui for his treachery and shamelessness.

But gradually, different voices began emerging in certain corners, especially among the young scholars who already bore grievances and were well-read in the classics.

In an unassuming school in the east of the city, several young students in blue robes sat around, their expressions excited. One of them lowered his voice and said, “What Qin Hui said that day, though it does not absolve him, might not be false.”

“Recently, I revisited ‘Mencius’——”

“The people are the most important, the altars of grain and soil are secondary, the sovereign is of lesser importance,” the words of sages are resounding!”

Another chimed in, eyes gleaming: “Moreover, ‘Mencius’ also states——’Those who rob humanity are called ‘thieves,’ those who rob righteousness are called ‘violent,’ and violent and thieving people are called ‘one man.'”

“We have heard of the execution of the one man Zhou, but never the murder of a monarch!”

“If… if the ruler loses the Way and neglects the people’s lives, only caring for his own solace, how is he different from a tyrant?

“The sages also allow all under heaven to abandon him!”

This interpretation already carried a shockingly audacious undertone.

But this was not the end.

Not only here but in every place that Gu Hui had taken over, the seeds of new thought continued to sprout.

“‘Zuo Zhuan’ states that ‘the altars of grain and soil have no constant worship, and the stations of lord and minister are not fixed; this has been so since ancient times.’ Can a country truly belong to just one family forever?”

It wasn’t just scholars, but also the common people.

“Those in office have no conscience, and the one above… he’s probably not really caring for us. If he truly cared for the people, would he watch us starve while the Jin invade? I think, this Emperor, he’s not always right.”

These voices were initially weak, scattered, tentative, and uncertain.

Yet, like seeds in the spring breeze, once they fell, they took root and sprouted, growing ever more vigorous in response to the reality they mirrored and through word of mouth.

The shackles… had already begun to crack.

No one organized it, no one publicly called for it, but these reflections, rooted in ancient classics and resonating with deep-seated pain, were spreading slowly but inexorably across the land.

And amid such circumstances, Qin Hui also met his final fate.

Indeed, it was a public trial!

Though this event may not be unfamiliar to contemporary history, for as early as in the Great Tang, the Gu Clan had already pioneered using such measures to publicly try monks who incurred public wrath.

Yet having the people publicly try the current chancellor was unprecedented!

The purpose of Gu Hui’s action was also very straightforward.

——Legislation!

To make all the people under heaven realize that the law not only applies to them but also to the officials of the court!

This is how the seeds of thought are planted; when Gu Hui pushed all this into people’s minds, it would no longer be such a simple task to snuff it out!

And this method is the best approach right now!

Gu Yi had been silently observing all this, feeling quite surprised.

He initially thought that Gu Hui would only use hardline methods to push things forward, for with his ability, he could indeed forcibly implement these changes.

But clearly, he had oversimplified the matter.

Gu Hui clearly did not want a temporary fix.

He wanted this system to genuinely endure, just like the current imperial system!…