Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 292 - 281: The Emperor is Subject to the Same Laws as the Common People!

Chapter 292: Chapter 281: The Emperor is Subject to the Same Laws as the Common People!

Although previously, the Crown Prince had always been somewhat flustered.

But at that moment, the Crown Prince felt his mind suddenly cleared.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the Crown Prince took a deep breath and began to think calmly.

Originally, Yun Shengxu and his men had deployed a large number of top experts to ambush the members of the Town Martial Office on Chuan-Yu Road, and it was not impossible to say that they could annihilate all the Martial Artists of the Town Martial Office on Chuan-Yu Road.

However, the result was a silent failure.

Not even a single survivor had escaped back.

Since the Zheng Family had sided with him, Zheng Zaisuang then led Han Yanxia to provoke the people from the Town Martial Office.

If successful, the Town Martial Office would be imprisoned, and there naturally would be ways to deal with them.

If it failed, Han Yanxia was the Second Young Master of the Han Family, one of the four branches of Legalism, this would inevitably provoke hostility between the Ministry of Punishment and the Town Martial Office.

Even operated properly, the entire Legalism faction could stand on his side.

However, Zhang San shattered all the scheming with one stroke, bringing the matter to the extent that it had to be publicly resolved in the Imperial Court.

Now, only I, the Crown Prince, must personally intervene.

"Father, I believe... ’The Emperor sins against the law, just as the common people do! Killing someone in the street, whatever the reason, is murder! To kill is to pay with life, this is indeed morally righteous!’"

Zhang San glanced at the Crown Prince.

Previously, he had thought that perhaps after reaching the Capital, the Crown Prince might not be willing in his heart, but would still hypocritically recruit them, then try to minimize the incident on Chuan-Yu Road.

Now, it seemed that the Crown Prince was more like a fool.

Emperor Kaihuang, upon hearing the Crown Prince’s words, looked at Zhang San again, and asked, "Zhang San, what do you think of the Crown Prince’s words?"

Zhang San chuckled and looked relaxed.

"Your Majesty, as positions differ, so do answers."

Saying this, Zhang San moved two steps to the right, standing next to Shen Wei.

Shen Wei frowned slightly, clearly reluctant to let Zhang San close to him.

But Zhang San still sidled up next to Shen Wei and said cheerfully, "If I were the Minister of Punishment, and my subordinates did not respect the law, acting arbitrarily, that would be lawlessness. Even more, it is illegal! Can’t be condoned! After all, the Ministry of Punishment controls the laws, and if even the Ministry of Punishment can’t strictly enforce the law and be impartial, then the Xiezhi statue in front of the Ministry of Punishment might as well be smashed!"

"So, what exactly is going on here? Why would personnel from the Ministry of Punishment investigate the Town Martial Office’s matters and even make street arrests without procedures? It must be thoroughly investigated! If someone is forging orders, they must be severely punished without mercy!"

The more Zhang San spoke, the more serious he looked, and Shen Wei, standing next to him, even felt that Zhang San seemed more like the Minister of Punishment than he did.

After Zhang San finished speaking, he returned to his previous spot and continued.

"If I were just an ordinary citizen of Daxing City, I had just left my house this morning and saw such commotion. Thirteen Martial Artists impersonating court officials, then killed on the street by the Town Martial Office, each slain with a single stroke! That really..."

"I think our Emperor Kaihuang is too wise. Otherwise, how could his Town Martial Office Martial Artists be so powerful?"

"After all, I am just an ordinary citizen; I don’t have the ability to discern whether this person is a real official. Now, with someone killing thirteen so-called imposters on the street, then the Magistrate of Metropolitan prefecture’s people came immediately, followed by the Left Valiant Guard’s Thousand Cattle Guards. I naturally feel this must be the Town Martial Office Martial Artists slashing criminals on the street!"

"Thinking about living under such a wise reign of Emperor Kaihuang, walking on the street and encountering such capable Martial Artists, as a citizen of Great Sui, what can I feel other than overwhelming gratitude for the Emperor’s grace?"

At that moment, Zhang San’s choked sobbing tone even moved many of the older officials.

Then, Zhang San took a deep breath and bowed to Emperor Kaihuang, "If I stand from the perspective of an Acting Military Chief of the Town Martial Office, then I would..."

"I request a promotion and a raise. After all, with my current strength, although I am still in the ’True Core Realm’ phase of the ’Five Emperors’ Proper Position,’ I was able to slay two officials of the seventh rank with a single strike. Such prowess is proof enough that the position of Acting Military Chief no longer matches my capabilities."

"A promotion to Military Chief and a little increase in salary wouldn’t be too much, right?"

Emperor Kaihuang found the first two points somewhat novel, but upon hearing the last, he glanced at Zhang San.

How could this lad be revealing his true motives so quickly?

However, Emperor Kaihuang felt that having someone like Zhang San, who spoke without restraint, added some intrigue to the Imperial Court.

At least many ministers who usually spoke about the people’s livelihood and virtuous conduct didn’t dare to speak up today, which indeed gave him some relief.

"Zhang San, I’m curious, how would you think about this matter if you were the Crown Prince?"

At Emperor Kaihuang’s words, the Crown Prince was so scared that he immediately knelt down.

Zhang San was also startled.

You might be the Emperor, but how could you take such advantage of me?

Is playing with ethical dilemmas really that amusing?

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the future Emperor. Asking me to consider it from his perspective... I have the brain, but not the courage."

"I am the Emperor now, so I grant you the courage for the moment, speak!"

Zhang San glanced at the Crown Prince, who was trembling on the ground like a small engine, and sighed.

"Your Majesty, if I were the Crown Prince, the matter would be all too simple. Whatever you, Father Emperor, say, that’s what I’d do."

Emperor Kaihuang narrowed his eyes at Zhang San and said coldly, "Do you know I dislike flattery?"

Zhang San shook his head, "I’ve just become the Crown Prince and truly do not know what you like or dislike. However, in areas I don’t understand, I can learn, right? As for how to handle this matter, if I were the Crown Prince, I honestly wouldn’t be clear, as the issue might be too complex. But I could follow the path of those who are wise and experienced, right?"

"And who might this wise and experienced person be? It’s you, Emperor Kaihuang! With such a great teacher, why should I figure it out on my own? I would simply follow the teacher’s path, surely that wouldn’t be wrong! After you have finished, I will come to you to ask why it was done this way, wouldn’t that be better than foolishly guessing on my own!"

Though Zhang San’s words seemed like flattery, they were actually slapping the Crown Prince’s face.

Especially the last part, practically slapping the Crown Prince’s face openly.

Emperor Kaihuang wanted to face Zhang San very seriously, but he couldn’t help but laugh a little.

Even though Zhang San’s words appeared sycophantic, when a piece of flattery makes sense, whether it’s flattery or not becomes irrelevant.

Emperor Kaihuang glanced at Shen Wei and ordered, "Let the Ministry of Punishment investigate this matter to see if it is a misunderstanding or a mistake."

Upon hearing the order for the Ministry of Punishment to investigate, Shen Wei felt perhaps there was a chance to get himself out of trouble, but upon hearing the latter instructions, he knew that the Ministry would definitely carry some of the blame.

There was no escaping the charge of failing to control his subordinates.

"Zhang San, you were summoned not just for this matter. Earlier, I personally issued an imperial edict to have you, as one of the responsible officers, escort officials from the Chuan-Yu Road who had committed offenses to the Capital for trial. I ask you, where are they now?"

Zhang San pondered for a moment, then said, "We encountered ghosts on the way, too many ghosts, and they ended up consuming those officials."

"After all, those officials had preyed on the people for too long, and those evil ghosts were former citizens. Perhaps hearing that these officials were leaving, they simply couldn’t let them go, so they rushed out and devoured them."

"This is corroborated by Deputy General Guo under Long Xutuo from the Sword South Path and Shang Bufa, an officer from the Ministry of Punishment."

"It’s not that I wasn’t diligent, I simply couldn’t stop them, it was impossible to stop them!"

Emperor Kaihuang, striking his throne in anger, shouted, "Just because you couldn’t stop them, does that mean you could fail to fulfill my command?"