Chapter 25: Clear Mirror
The next day was a lesser court session. By law, only officials of the fifth rank and above were qualified to attend. Those waiting outside the hall wore either purple or scarlet robes; Fang Jian, in her green robe, was exceptionally conspicuous among them. She clutched her tablet, her palms slick with sweat.
Gao Yunqu watched her from a distance, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity. At this moment, the one standing with her in the grand hall was not her student, and even less so her forbidden prize, but her colleague.
When Gao Yunqu had heard yesterday that Fang Jian was the Censorate's on-duty censor, she had been somewhat worried. But Fang Jian had not come to her for advice; instead, she had come to stand here on her own. Gao Yunqu thought about it and felt this was also for the best. An official, a censor, should not seek help from others for every matter. And she, as a teacher, should also learn to let go.
Fang Jian was very nervous and didn't dare to look at Gao Yunqu. She had done so much regarding this matter, yet she hadn't dared to tell Gao Yunqu most of it. She forced her focus onto the memorial in her hands, repeatedly going over the etiquette for an imperial audience and the words she would soon have to speak.
At the hour of mao zheng, the officials lined up and entered the hall. Fang Jian waited outside, but she could still hear the great affairs of state being discussed within. More than half an hour passed before she heard herself being summoned. She composed herself, entered the hall with reverent, quick steps, stood firm in the center, and bowed to offer her greetings.
After hearing her announce her name and office, Wei Qi spoke with great interest, "We remember you. The Triple First of this year's examinations, correct?"
"Your Majesty is sagacious."
"Excellent. A young talent. Come, tell everyone who it was that struck the Petition Drum, and for what reason."
Fang Jian then recounted the entire course of events and Zhuo Guanyi's plea in full detail.
Wei Qi glanced impassively at Gao Yunqu. Seeing her clutching her tablet and listening intently, her expression unchanging, the Emperor felt a pang of boredom and turned her gaze back to Fang Jian. The young woman was dressed in a green robe, which stood out strikingly amidst the sea of scarlet and purple in the hall. She was young, after all; her every move and word carried the vigor of youth. Wei Qi still remembered her Palace Examination essay; the section on legal principles happened to align perfectly with today's topic. Wei Qi secretly fiddled with her fingertips inside her sleeve, pondering for a moment. It felt rather fitting that this matter had fallen to Fang Jian.
By then, Fang Jian had finished speaking and bowed to her as a signal. Wei Qi cleared her throat and said, "Good. My esteemed ministers, let us discuss this."
Vice Censor-in-Chief Pei Li was the first to step forward and report that, according to procedure, the Three Judicial Offices1 should jointly dispatch personnel to verify and try the case. Wei Qi naturally had no objections, and the heads of the three offices all stepped out from the ranks to receive their orders.
Afterward, the Vice Minister of Rites stepped forward to argue that both Ye Ze's seizure of his wife's property and Zhuo Guanyi's filial impiety in accusing her father were contrary to ritual propriety, and that they should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others. Several other ministers argued that either the former or the latter had extenuating circumstances. Officials of different statuses and positions all held different views, and somehow, they devolved into a shouting match. Before that argument was settled, the Ministry of Personnel proposed that the Qinzhou officials at all levels, who had shirked their duties and forced Zhuo Guanyi to bring her petition to the capital, should also be investigated for dereliction of duty. This poked another hornet's nest. Ministers who had served in local posts all claimed that local situations were complex and many cases could not be judged by common standards, so pursuing accountability might be overly harsh. And so on and so forth, the arguments were endless.
In all of this, there was no room for Fang Jian to interject. She stood in the center of the hall, clutching her tablet with her head bowed, her palms under her sleeves drenched in sweat. She dared not make any large movements, fearing she would commit a breach of etiquette before the throne, only daring to discreetly wipe her palms on the inner lining of her wide sleeves. The clamor of the high officials was a chaotic din in her ears, comparable to a village market. Fang Jian was inwardly astonished; this imperial court was different from what she had imagined. Her thoughts inevitably drifted, wandering like a lost soul in the great hall. Time passed like years. She couldn't help but think of Gao Yunqu. She hadn't heard Gao Yunqu speak. What was she doing right now, what was she thinking?
Gao Yunqu was doing nothing at all. She was holding her tablet in almost the same posture as Fang Jian, head bowed. But she was far more at ease. Having been at court for many years, she had seen this scene countless times and had long since learned to find a comfortable yet proper posture to rest, leaving just one ear open to roughly track the progress of the debate while she closed her eyes to recuperate.
This continued until Wei Qi clapped her hands and shouted, "Enough."
Everyone in the hall fell silent at once, returned to their ranks, and resumed their reverent demeanor.
"We have a general understanding. Do my ministers have any other views?" Wei Qi's voice betrayed no emotion, but it struck the ground like metal and stone, compelling the heart. The ministers all remained silent, not daring to speak.
"This subject has a memorial to present." A voice broke the silence, one that Fang Jian knew better than any other. Someone stepped out of the ranks and stood before Fang Jian. "Your Majesty, in this subject's view, whether it is Ye Ze embezzling his wife's family property, Zhuo Guanyi accusing her father, or the prefectures and counties shirking their duty to investigate, all stem from the same problem: the law is unclear. The law does not specify how such matters should be judged, so local officials do not know how to rule. Our dynasty has been a new dynasty since the reign of Emperor Yongchu; it is difficult to continue using the statutes of the old dynasty. And while the New Laws of Yongchu were groundbreaking, they were inevitably flawed when first drafted. Three reigns have now passed. It is time to amend and revise them."
Gao Yunqu's clear, gentle voice echoed in the silent hall. She said, "This subject requests a revision of the Great Zhou Code!"
All the ministers in the court bowed their heads, not daring to speak. Only Gao Yunqu stood below the steps, looking up at Wei Qi. Wei Qi returned her gaze, the corners of her lips curling into a smile that showed she had everything under control.
Fang Jian stood just half a step behind Gao Yunqu. With her head lowered, she could only see the hem of Gao Yunqu's robe, but Gao Yunqu's resonant words struck her heart like a tidal wave. She knew she had won her gamble.
Wei Qi did not immediately agree to Gao Yunqu's request. She simply set it aside gently, instead ordering the Three Judicial Offices to quickly ascertain the facts of Zhuo Guanyi's case and instructing the Censorate to collect similar cases from across the land. Then, she dismissed the court.
The ministers exited the great hall one after another, walking out in twos and threes. Fang Jian was the last to leave. As she stepped out of the hall, she saw Gao Yunqu in the distance, walking alone on the path back, her figure erect, her steps firm.
The Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review each dispatched a secretary to take charge of Zhuo Guanyi's case. The Censorate, naturally, assigned Fang Jian. After the three met and exchanged courtesies, they got busy. First, they took statements from Zhuo Guanyi and her younger sister, Zhuo Guanyou. After that, they were to set off for Zhuo County in Qinzhou, where the Zhuo family resided. Before they had even uncovered the facts, public opinion in the capital was already in an uproar. The entire capital had heard the Petition Drum that day, and its citizens loved nothing more than a good spectacle. In just a day, they knew the whole story. Some supported Ye Ze, others supported Zhuo Guanyi. With the help of certain interested parties, the case became the hottest topic in the capital's major entertainment houses, teahouses, and restaurants. Soon, the debates among the court ministers and Gao Yunqu's proposal to revise the law also began to spread. Before the court had even reacted, the common people had already begun a new wave of discussion.
Fang Jian had no energy to pay attention to these things. She and her colleagues from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were already preparing for their journey. The day before their departure, Fang Jian went to bid farewell to Gao Yunqu. This was the first time she had come to see Gao Yunqu since the Petition Drum was struck.
"Teacher."
"You're here?" Gao Yunqu was writing. As she always did, Fang Jian waited to the side for her to finish.
【Law is the beginning of governance, and the noble person is the origin of the law.】2
"Teacher's calligraphy is as grand and steady as ever," Fang Jian praised as Gao Yunqu set down her brush.
Gao Yunqu smiled but didn't respond to the compliment. Instead, she asked, "You're leaving for Qinzhou?"
"Yes, we depart tomorrow."
"Good. Take good care of yourself." Gao Yunqu signed and stamped the paper, her voice as gentle as always.
Fang Jian's heart was filled with anxiety. She couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to ask me anything, Teacher?"
"Ask what?" Gao Yunqu looked up at her. "Ask why you didn't report to me? Ask why you acted on your own initiative?"
"Teacher… you know?" Fang Jian was surprised, looking at Gao Yunqu cautiously.
"What should I know? Are you talking about how you guided the memorial toward legal reform, or how you secretly had Cui Miao help you fan the flames among the populace?"
"You knew everything?" Fang Jian grew a little nervous.
"I know you." Gao Yunqu looked at her cautious expression and sighed. "The rumors spread so quickly among the people because more than one party was pushing it. Her Majesty was one, of course. And Cui Miao's mother controls half of the busiest streets in the capital; using her to push things along is naturally fast. Her Majesty probably knows as well, but she doesn't care. You did what she wanted to do, and she will even think more highly of you for it."
"Then, Teacher, was I right?" Fang Jian asked, a little disappointed, though she didn't know what she was hoping for.
"You are very clever, and very cautious." Gao Yunqu's lips curved into a slight smile, then fell again as her face turned stern. "If you were not the supervising censor for this case, I would have praised you."
Gao Yunqu emphasized again, "If you were not the censor on this case."
"Why is that? Zhuo Guanyi is the victim in this case. I know the hardship of having no path to take, so I wanted to help her. And Her Majesty wanted a case to reignite the debate, so I delivered this case into her hands. Even you approve of revising the law. Where was I wrong?" Fang Jian raised her head, her eyes full of light as she looked at Gao Yunqu with determination.
"A'jian, none of that is wrong." Gao Yunqu looked at her and sighed. "Sizing up the situation, using leverage to your advantage—you've learned well."
"But, A'jian, tell me, what are the duties of an on-duty supervising censor when a Petition Drum case occurs?"
"To clarify the facts, observe silently, supervise the entire process, and ensure every step is clear and untainted…" Fang Jian lowered her eyes, no longer daring to look at Gao Yunqu. She understood. She had considered everything, seized every opportunity, but had completely forgotten her own duty and position as a supervising censor. She had done the right thing, but she had been derelict in her duty.
"I have told you before, a censor is a clear mirror, meant to reflect all filth. A mirror cannot have its own bias, because you represent the law." Gao Yunqu pointed at the piece of calligraphy she had just written.
"But Teacher, people like Zhuo Guanyi live in the cracks of the law, struggling bitterly. Is this world right? I want them to be able to live like human beings. Is that not right?"
Gao Yunqu looked at the fire in Fang Jian's eyes. No one loved that light more than she did. She sighed in her heart. A young child must endure the wind and rain to understand the intentions of their elders. "That is not wrong, A'jian. It is good that you have not forgotten your original intentions. I just hope you remember that the practice of justice should not come at the cost of trampling order."
"So Your Majesty and you, Teacher, want to revise the law?"
"Yes. The law is the foundation of governing a state." In a place Fang Jian could not see, Gao Yunqu's eyes also burned with a brilliant fire.
Gao Yunqu paused for a moment, then patted Fang Jian's bowed head and smiled. "It's alright. Lift your head. I am not scolding you, merely offering you a reminder as an elder."
"Thank you, Teacher. I understand."
"You depart tomorrow? Qinzhou is not far, but be careful on the road. Don't catch a chill at night…"
Author's Notes
1The Three Judicial Offices here are the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate. You can roughly understand them as the supreme court, the supreme procuratorate, and the commission for discipline inspection.
2'Law is the beginning of governance, and the noble person is the origin of the law.' From Xunzi, 'The Way of the Ruler.' It means that the legal system is the start of governing a state, and the noble person is the source from which the law is implemented.
Gao Yunqu is talking about procedural justice. Her political philosophy is Confucian on the outside and Legalist on the inside, with an emphasis on law. She believes that if there are laws to follow, if laws are always enforced, if officials are dedicated, and if the common people are dutiful, then the world can be brought to great order. Fang Jian's thinking, however, is more traditionally about acting as a champion for the people; as long as the result is right, it is acceptable to use certain tactics and play political games in the process. Fang Jian is walking the path of a powerful minister. Their political views diverge, but they are different paths to the same destination.
Get instant access to all chapters now.
Post a Comment