Yan Shaofei was asking whether Zhang Shoulian deserved the word "talent," whether he fell within the Wei Son of Heaven's scope of selecting men solely by ability.
But he was also asking—
Now that Zhang Shoulian harbored malice and could act without restraint, was it because the rules could not be established? Now that Zhang Shoulian lacked virtue and could still do harm, was it the Wei Son of Heaven's fault?
To have an audience with the Son of Heaven and remonstrate with him to his face over his failings.
This had always been regarded as the model of a minister.
Why?
Because before one who held the eight handles of life and death, such "offense" truly required immense courage!
Even before a Son of Heaven with grand ambitions, one often willing to accept remonstrance, there was still the charge of "slandering the sovereign to peddle one's integrity" waiting in the wings.
Throughout history, there had been those who sought fame without begrudging their lives. Yet there was no shortage of examples of people who lost their lives and failed to gain fame besides.
Have you not seen You Jinglong upon the River Viewing Terrace, who let Jing Prodigy reign supreme beneath heaven for a hundred years? Cast from office in a single day, he passed how many years in obscure silence—and now his entire household had been exterminated. Who would speak for him?
For Yan Shaofei to dare ask this question, lightly slighting the sovereign's name, was already to court death.
Especially when the Son of Heaven before him was Wei Xuanche, renowned for ruling alone with an iron grip.
He had once promoted Martial Dao throughout the realm. The court and common world were filled with opposition, and resentment beneath heaven boiled over. He raised the blade of