Before the court meeting began, the Empress Dowager sent her most capable eunuch to invite Fang Yun to the Fengtian Hall.
Everyone was afraid that Fang Yun would not attend the meeting due to illness.
After the ceremony, the Fengtian Hall was silent.
Some of the officials lowered their heads, some looked up, and some looked up. But no matter where they looked, they were all looking at Fang Yun from the corner of their eyes.
Everyone knew that this Grand Court Meeting was actually for one thing.
To persuade Fang Yun.
Everyone was silent for a full 15 minutes. Sheng Boyuan, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, coughed lightly and broke the silence. He said, "Since my colleagues are not saying anything, then I will be the one to speak up. We have argued enough about this matter. This time, I do not want to say anything more. Fang Xusheng, sorry for offending you. May I ask if you are willing to admit your mistake to me? "
Fang Yun tilted his head slightly and looked at Sheng Boyuan. He asked, "What mistake?"
Sheng Boyuan was stunned. All the officials were also slightly stunned.
Many of the officials were suddenly enlightened. Their faces were burning.
Yes, what mistake did Fang Yun have to admit?
Almost everyone wanted Fang Yun to admit his mistake and resolve the crisis. But almost no one thought about this simple question. Where did Fang Yun go wrong? What mistake did Fang Yun have to admit?
After a few breaths, Sheng Boyuan smiled and said, "Some things can't be judged purely by right and wrong. Let me give you the simplest example. You banned the sea in Gyeongo. In the eyes of Jingguo and I, it was a great thing. There was nothing wrong with it. But in the eyes of Gyeongo, you did something wrong. Since you think you did nothing wrong, you can pretend to admit your mistake for the sake of Jingguo. "
"Minister Sheng, are you saying that what I do is not important, but what the enemy thinks is important?" Fang Yun asked.
"Fang Xusheng, you must be joking. How can the people of the Qing Dynasty be the enemy? Now, only the demons and barbarians are the enemy. Gyeongo and Jingguo are only competitors. They are not enemies, "Sheng Boyuan said.
"Since they are not enemies, why did I say that I would use the Holy Seal on Jingguo? This was a desperate measure that far exceeded competition. Could it be that Minister Sheng has accepted my money and is preparing to rely on Gyeongo? "Fang Yun asked.
Sheng Boyuan was not angry and said, "That's just my negotiation strategy. As long as you admit your mistake, I will definitely not do that kind of thing."
Fang Yundao: "Does Minister Sheng have a bad memory? The School of Miscellanea has not only given me one condition. Asking me to admit my mistake is the most insignificant part. The School of Miscellanea has also forbidden me from becoming enemies with them and from obstructing the Divine Path of Miscellanea. The last two matters are the most important. "
Sheng Boyuan smiled and said, "You are a pillar of the human race, so naturally, you won't oppose me. You are also a disciple of the Confucian school, so naturally, you won't affect my path. These two matters are actually insignificant."
"Minister Sheng, I really suspect that you've been paid. What would be considered as obstructing the Miscellaneous School? What should he do to be considered as opposing the School of Miscellany? Is the right to decide and explain in your hands, my hands, or Zajia's hands? Let me give you the simplest example. If I casually issue an order now, even if it's an insignificant order, does it fall under the scope of the Miscellaneous School's Divine Path? As long as I'm not satisfied, can I be considered as obstructing you? "
Sheng Boyuan said helplessly, "Fang Xusheng, you think too much of me. Why would I do such a thing? As long as your actions don't weaken the Divine Path of Miscellanea and don't publicly criticize me, I won't care about these things."
"Oh, if I'm not so calculative, why would I force Jingguo to negotiate with them? Did Jingguo announce its opposition to you? Did Jingguo tear apart the Divine Path of Miscellanea? "Fang Yun asked.
Sheng Boyuan was silent for a long time and said, "Jingguo's reforms these days have been too radical, and it has destroyed the harmonious relationship with Gyeongo. Naturally, I have the right to investigate."
"In other words, you still think that I, Fang Yun, am wrong?" Fang Yun looked directly at Sheng Boyuan.
Sheng Boyuan was silent for a long time again and said slowly, "If you had used gentler means, it might not have resulted in the current situation."
"Impossibly stupid idiot! Will the demons and barbarians give me time to be gentle, or will Gyeongo give me time to be gentle? After I came out of the Sacred Burial Valley, I could have taken a long time to recuperate, but I rushed to the cabinet to reform. Why do you think it is? It's because idiots like you are forcing me to be radical! If I'm not radical, idiots like you will drag Jingguo to death sooner or later, drag it to Gyeongo's dog, drag it to become a piece of rotten meat under the knives of the demons and barbarians! "Fang Yun suddenly became angry.
Sheng Boyuan said angrily, "I know that you have made great contributions to Jingguo, but you can't insult us civil and military officials like this!"
"I didn't insult you. When you forced me to admit my mistake, it was tantamount to asking for humiliation." Fang Yun's tone became colder.
He didn't release any power, but the surrounding scholars felt that Fang Yun seemed to have turned into an iceberg. As long as they got close to him, they would be frozen into ice sculptures.
"Are you willing to admit your mistake for Jingguo?" Sheng Boyuan asked sternly.
Fang Yun glanced at Sheng Boyuan contemptuously, then glanced at the civil and military officials contemptuously. Finally, he looked at Sheng Boyuan and said contemptuously, "I said that you are stupid, and you immediately used your words and deeds to prove it. Do you think that if I admit my mistake, the Zajia will let me go? Do you think that just because I promised not to obstruct the Zajia's path, the Zajia won't nitpick? Now, use your clean and spotless mind and think about it carefully. Do you think the Zajia just wants me to admit my mistake? The Zajia wants to eat me alive. He wants to eat Jingguo alive! "
Sheng Boyuan said, "As long as Jingguo is strong, why would we be afraid of the Zajia?"
"You bunch of kneeless bureaucrats are used to ignoring the interests of the country for your own interests. Under the pressure of the Zajia, you will slowly betray the interests of the country that you think are dispensable. When you have nothing to sell, you will realize that from the beginning, you bunch of spineless slaves have been afraid of the Zajia and Gyeongo. Even if the other scholars and I have worked so hard to strengthen Jingguo for so many years, we can't make your bones even the slightest bit hard! If you weren't afraid, why would you hold a court meeting for a mere Zajia to discuss how to divide me, Fang Yun! If you had the slightest bit of backbone, you wouldn't be afraid of Gyeongo and the Zajia to this extent! The root of the whole thing isn't how powerful Gyeongo was in the past, nor is it how the Zajia is a threat now. It's that most of the officials who control this country are a group of cowardly bandits! "Fang Yun pointed at Sheng Boyuan's nose and scolded him.
"Nonsense!" Sheng Boyuan glared at Fang Yun.
However, many of the officials present changed their expressions because of Fang Yun's words.
These officials were full of dissatisfaction and had countless reasons to shirk responsibility in their minds. However, their rationality and instincts told them that no matter how biased Fang Yun's words were, there was always a trace of truth in them that they couldn't refute.
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