Jiajing and Hai Rui's Debate; Jiajing, Who Was Looked Down Upon

"--Granted!" Jiajing was overjoyed. He believed his grandson was exceptionally gifted, already possessing the ability to read people's expressions and understand their thoughts at such a young age. However, he hadn't noticed how well his grandson had inherited his carefree and irresponsible nature at such a young age. Could he truly become a great ruler in the future?

However, none of this is what everyone is focusing on now. The real highlight that everyone wants to see is the grand drama of all the officials from the Six Ministries and Nine Courts, including the biggest leaders of the Clear Stream Faction, gathering together just to win a debate against Hai Rui!

At this moment, in the hall that had been prepared in advance, the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty sat in two rows, and they were all recorders responsible for taking written notes of this debate.

One row was set up entirely with computers, while the other row of recorders used pen and paper to take notes in case of malfunctions or hacking into the system. This ensured that there was absolutely no room for manipulation in the debate. Whoever won the debate could not renege on their decision.

Clearly, Jiajing was determined to succeed this time. The person in charge of debating and interrogating Hai Rui was Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling. Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Li Chunfang, and others were all in their high positions, and although they had no intention of taking action, their mere presence was enough to make most people's legs go weak.

However, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, showed no sign of panic in the face of such a scene. Not to mention Hai Rui, even Chen Huijie herself would not be afraid.

Facing the evil and darkness of this world, Chen Huijie will use the Chi Xiao to cut through the darkness. Now, she plays Hai Rui, though without the Chi Xiao, her presence here represents the "loyal minister" and "upright minister" of the Great Yan. With profound righteousness behind her, justice will be judged by others; what does she have to fear?

"You used a congratulatory message as a pretext to harbor malicious intentions. This treasonous letter, written like a mad dog barking at the sun, hurling insults at the emperor and father, has infuriated everyone from Prince Yu down to the Grand Secretariat and the Six Ministries and nine ministers! They find it utterly incomprehensible!"

"Now I want to ask you, was this done under someone's orders, or did you yourself become so depraved as to seek fame?"

Now, the one questioning Hai Rui is Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling Su, and she is the main contributor in this debate. However, as soon as she said this, the sound of keyboards and writing filled the hall, but along with it came contemptuous and malicious glances from all directions.

This contempt wasn't directed at Ling, but at Zhao Zhenji. Originally, during the prosperous era of the Great Yan, officials with a sense of duty, a passion for the common Great Yan, and a genuine heart would have looked down on "egoists" like Zhao Zhenji. Now, compared to the upright and incorruptible Hai Rui, Zhao Zhenji appeared even more despicable.

Hai Rui dared to risk committing the grave offense of disrespecting the world by speaking frankly to Jiajing about the root of the problem. Yet Zhao Zhenji, in order to curry favor with Jiajing and distance himself from Hai Rui, has now resorted to such words to tarnish Hai Rui's reputation, which is utterly despicable.

Behind Zhao Zhenji, Gao Gong, played by Celestial Master Bai, made no attempt to hide his disdain. They had already read Hai Rui's Memorial on Public Order, and Gao Gong himself held it in high regard, making no attempt to conceal his admiration for Hai Rui.

Now, Zhao Zhenji's words are essentially "ignoring the facts," so how could Gao Gong not despise him?

Chen Huijie, who plays Hai Rui, holds Zhao Zhenji in utter contempt, yet she still answers word by word:

"I made it very clear at the beginning of my memorial that the purpose of this memorial is to rectify the way of the ruler, clarify the duties of the ministers, and seek peace and stability for all generations. Submitting such a memorial and offering such advice is the bounden duty of a minister."

"In my memorial, which matter or principle is not based on fact, which is not the principle of the sages?"

Having said that, Hai Rui turned his gaze to the Grand Secretariat members and continued, "Lord Zhao and all of you are scholars who have studied the classics and assisted the Emperor in governing the country. After reading my memorial, will you think my words are insane? Or that I am seeking fame for my honesty?"

"Quibble!"

However, before the officials of the Great Yan could all acknowledge and take notes of Hai Rui's speech, played by Chen Huijie, Zhao Zhenji immediately offered his rebuttal, saying:

"You say you weren't instructed by anyone else, nor are you seeking fame. Do you think the duties of a ruler and his subjects in the Great Yan Dynasty are entrusted to a mere clerk like you in the Ministry of Revenue?"

"I don't understand what Lord Zhao is saying."

"What don't you understand?" At this moment, in an effort to distance himself from Hai Rui, Zhao Zhenji resorted to accusations to force Hai Rui to submit, and immediately said:

"You demand that the way of the ruler be corrected, and that the duties of the ministers be clarified. What is wrong with the way of the ruler? What is unclear about the duties of the ministers?"

"To dare to criticize and curse the Emperor with every word you utter! Has there ever been such an arrogant and rebellious person throughout history?"

"... blatantly lying through his teeth, trying to whitewash the situation and glorify the Emperor—this Zhao Zhenji is utterly shameless."

Zhao Zhenji's words left all the officials of the Great Yan speechless. It wasn't just a matter of disdain; if this weren't a movie, these officials would have picked her up and thrown her out, impeaching her so many times that the table couldn't hold them all.

"A person who lacks the courage to speak the truth yet tries to break the teeth of those who dare to speak the truth... is truly shameful to be associated with."

All the officials of the Great Yan thought the same thing, and Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, was even less willing to argue with this clown. She immediately suggested that Zhao Zhenji recuse herself, because the two of them had a grudge against each other. According to the laws of the Great Yan, officials who had a grudge against the suspect were not allowed to preside over the case.

"What kind of time is this to suggest that Lord Zhao, who is here to hear the case by imperial decree, should recuse himself? What is the reason for this?"

However, Gao Gong, who had always admired Hai Rui, provided Hai Rui with a suitable outlet for his anger at this time. With Gao Gong's instruction, Hai Rui was finally able to expose his "past" with Zhao Zhenji, thus revealing all the dirty deeds Zhao Zhenji had done.

With so many recorders present, if Zhao Zhenji were recorded, he would be infamous regardless of the outcome of the debate. This was Gao Gong's small act of revenge against Zhao Zhenji he had always disliked.

Hai Rui, of course, understood Gao Gong's meaning. He then recounted in detail how Zhao Zhenji Zhe City, in pursuit of political achievements, had forced the people of Zhe City to return the grain allocated for disaster relief and to buy raw silk at half price, thus "making the people suffer."

Immediately, Zhao Zhenji, played by Hai Rui, felt extremely uneasy in the court. At that very moment, Hai Rui uttered words that sent Zhao Zhenji's blood pressure soaring:

"I disobeyed Lord Zhao's orders back then, and Lord Zhao submitted a memorial impeaching me, saying that I was trying to gain fame and win people's hearts. Today in the main hall, I heard Lord Zhao say the same thing again."

"This is what I meant by 'presumption of duty'. It is also what I mentioned in my memorial to the Emperor, 'my duties are unclear'."

"Lord Zhao, you are one of the ministers I want to impeach in my memorial."

"--Bang!"

However, Hai Rui's words instantly broke Zhao Zhenji's defenses, and in a fit of rage, he shouted, "Use torture!"

However, Zhao Zhenji's words were still stopped by Xu Jie and Gao Gong. But Hai Rui's criticism was far from over. Faced with a villain like Zhao Zhenji, she was determined to criticize him thoroughly.

Isn't she afraid of taking responsibility? Fine, then Hai Rui will let her avoid taking responsibility, but the price is that the whole world will know that you, Zhao Zhenji, are a petty person who only cares about himself and has no official duties whatsoever!

"Lord Zhao, you interrogated me last night, and you're doing it again here today. I understand your intentions. It's just because I'm the head of the Ministry of Revenue and you're the Minister of Ministry of Revenue that you're worried the Emperor will suspect you of being the mastermind behind this."

However, amidst the resounding keyboard clicks and the rustling of officials' writing in the hall, and with Zhao Zhenji, played by Chen Huijie, his eyes now dark and menacing, staring intently at Hai Rui, Chen Huijie, showed no fear, speaking each word clearly:

"Now I can tell you frankly—you, Lord Zhao, would absolutely not have instructed me to submit this memorial. No one would have instructed me to submit this memorial."

"I, Hai Rui, submit this memorial for only two reasons. First, for the stability and prosperity of my Great Yan dynasty; second, for the well-being of all Great Yan under heaven."

Hai Rui's frank and righteous words silenced the hall. The officials of the Great Yan clenched their fists, struggling to suppress their cheers and prevent themselves from shattering this "beautiful dream."

However, many empathetic officials of the Great Yan covered their faces with their sleeves, seemingly to hide their embarrassment or to prevent themselves from expressing their emotions. But Chen Huijie's words truly ignited their pure hearts once again.

At this moment, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, openly and frankly spread his arms, revealing his chest, and addressed Zhao Zhenji, the seemingly righteous but ultimately shameless and utterly unfit minister, who sat in the seat of honor:

"Lord Zhao, your involvement has been cleared. The Emperor will no longer suspect you of being the mastermind behind this."

At this moment, everyone knew that Zhao Zhenji's "non-stick pan" had once again successfully exonerated him. However, this time, although he had escaped responsibility, Zhao Zhenji's face showed no relief, only gloom, humiliation, and intense anger.

Zhao Zhenji won, but also lost miserably. By this time, Zhao Zhenji reputation was ruined, and all the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty despised her for what she had done.

PS: Second chapter today! (I've written two more 4k-word chapters, sob sob sob, I'm so tired, I'm going to collapse for a bit, I can't wake up no matter how I move... I'm collapsing...)

I'm reading a friend's new book, "The World of Wuxia: My Skills Were Broken Again by a Demoness!"

Synopsis: After his Virgin Pure Yang Divine Art was broken by a passing demoness, the transmigrator Duanmu Qing discovered that something was wrong with this world.

The Joyous Union Sect is the most powerful sect in the world, while other sects are considered second-rate.

A peerless martial art that can only be cultivated through self-castration has been passed down in the martial arts world.

The foolish female warrior always falls into the bandits' simple traps, shedding tears of humiliation.

A terrifying enchantress walks through the night, luring the young hero as her prey.

The dragon maidens from overseas carry the mission of finding the reincarnation of the Dragon Emperor and continuing the lineage of their race.

The beautiful lady always liked to travel to temples in various places to pray for a child...

Duanmu Qing broke out in a cold sweat as he looked at this terrifying world.

[Ding! Charm +1, Physique transformed into Pure Yang Sacred Physique]

Upon seeing the system reward that suddenly appeared on him, Duanmu Qing's face turned pale instantly.

"System, are you trying to kill me?!"

Volume 1: Chapter 329: The Debate Between Jiajing and Hai Rui, and Jiajing's Disdain

"Such a scene has ruined Zhao Zhenji's reputation, and he will likely never have another chance to advance further in the Grand Secretariat."

"She brought this upon herself; those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. Zhao Zhenji is capable enough to enter the cabinet, but she can forget about the position of Grand Secretary."

This grand drama, performed with such fluency and passion by Chen Huijie and others—a performance so seamless it could be described as a "history repeating itself"—didn't take up much of the Great Yan's time before it was declared over.

However, this was only the first round of debate. Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, suppressed Zhao Zhenji, played by Ling Su, with his absolute sense of righteousness. And everyone was well aware that Hai Rui's words in the hall had already ruined Zhao Zhenji's reputation and made him infamous.

Not only that, although none of the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty in the drama made a clear statement, because if they said they supported Hai Rui at this time, they would undoubtedly be labeled as "factionalists." Regardless of whether they could protect themselves, if "forming a faction" was one of Hai Rui's crimes, then the nature of her Memorial on Public Order would be completely different.

Even so, the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty in the drama undoubtedly supported Hai Rui in their hearts. They just dared not speak out due to the situation. But without a doubt, the scales were tilting in Hai Rui's favor.

"Let my men use torture; I'm not afraid they won't submit!" Lin Qingyan's character, Chen Hong, also reported to Jiajing that Zhao Zhenji had been utterly defeated and humiliated by Hai Rui.

However, Chen Hong clearly did not understand why Jiajing had not yet fully convicted Hai Rui, or even begun the process of determining his guilt, but only wanted to force Hai Rui to submit, which was to refute Hai Rui with reason.

If he rashly killed Hai Rui, or used torture to extract a confession, given the current situation, Jiajing would likely be condemned for eternity, becoming a notorious and shameful ruler of the Great Yan. From then on, perhaps only the cruelty of the Witch King in faraway Leithania could be compared to him.

This was unacceptable to Jiajing, who valued his reputation and face above all else; therefore, he had to win the debate against Hai Rui! Faced with Chen Hong's arrogant boasting, Jiajing immediately offered a second solution:

"You? You're no match for him, and Zhao Zhenji is no match for him either!"

"Have Xu Jie gather those useless bookworms from the Censorate, the Hanlin Academy, and the Imperial Academy— those well-read but useless officials—to discuss this matter first, then choose a date to interrogate him together!"

... Okay, the last line of dialogue in this episode was a bit too aggressive. But Jiajing's meaning was very clear: he couldn't reason with the greater good, so he had to resort to keyboard warriors who were good at nitpicking and labeling to argue with Hai Rui. Hai Rui, a pure scholar, was afraid of well-read scoundrels.

But it's clear that Jiajing's move was a blatant act of deception. It was already difficult for Hai Rui to debate with all the officials of the Six Ministries and Nine Courts. Even if he let these scholars win the debate against Hai Rui, he wouldn't feel any sense of accomplishment.

Therefore, Jiajing decided to personally test Hai Rui's intentions. Before doing so, he specially dispatched an official named Shi from the Directorate of Directorate of Ceremonial, a man whom Jiajing also trusted greatly, to see if Hai Rui could change his mind.

The scene had just begun filming, but the officials of the Great Yan, who had already finished a major drama, lingered, unable to leave. Instead, they were still excited by the previous scene where Hai Rui single-handedly defeated Zhao Zhenji. Suddenly, the small dressing room was filled with officials eager to see the long-awaited debate between the emperor and his minister.

There wasn't enough room in the lounge, so a number of officials actually changed into Court of Judicial Review costumes to play the role of guards when Jiajing appeared in the play, just so they could watch this unprecedented drama up close!

"I just hope that this last sentence won't offend the officials in the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy. They hate it when people say they're only good at studying and editing books, and have no use for their talents."

"If possible... sending them to local areas for experience might be a good thing. They are all new to officialdom, full of ambition, and will surely strive to achieve something in their respective regions. New officials all seek a clean reputation, so there's no need to worry too much about them being corrupt or accepting bribes."

Now, in the lounge, only the very front row remained untouched by any of the officials. The Emperor of Great Yan, watching the grand spectacle about to unfold on the large screen, was equally filled with anticipation, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke:

However, the Emperor of Great Yan still needs to discuss the relocation of officials from places like the Hanlin Academy. He is also incredibly curious about who will win between Hai Rui and Jiajing, the only two debating masters in the series.

"You are an honest official—these are the Emperor's exact words."

Lord Shi, acting as Jiajing's vanguard, attempted to coerce and entice Hai Rui into submission. He initially offered Hai Rui a reward, but then began to punish him severely.

He revealed the situation to Hai Rui: in an hour, Hai Rui would be going to the main hall for a debate. Moreover, the officials Jiajing had brought for her were all civil officials such as censors, Hanlin scholars, and supervising secretaries. Each of them had read Hai Rui's memorials and was ready to speak, each with at least one prepared rebuttal in hand. They were bound to put Hai Rui under immense pressure.

"If you want to die, just jump into the moat. A rope only costs two coins. Why do you have to stir up trouble and make the world uneasy?"

"In short, when you get to the Censorate hall later, just admit your mistake in front of those people, and the Emperor will release you. Those officials in the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers won't be implicated because of you."

However, Lord Shi's reasoning had no effect, and seeing that Hai Rui was unmoved by his words, he had no choice but to resort to his second tactic: appealing to his emotions.

"I won't go into the bigger picture, but just in the palace and the Pacification Office, many people have been implicated because of you."

"Lü Fang, Lord Lu, they've all gone to the imperial mausoleum; Huang Jin, that living Buddha-like man from the temple, said a few words for you, and now he's still in prison, being tortured every day."

"Qi Dazhu and Zhu Qi, who have always been good to you, have both been arrested. And your good friend Wang Yongji has been transferred back to Beijing. If you don't admit your mistakes, all of these people will die, do you understand?"

At this point, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, finally showed a hint of emotion. After a long while, with his back to Lord Shi and facing the only ray of sunlight in the prison, he finally asked, "... How can I save them?"

Humans are not plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? Although Hai Rui had already taken care of his affairs as much as possible when he submitted his memorial, those who were talking about Lord Shi had been in the officialdom of the Great Yan for a long time and had a personal relationship with him from the moment they became involved, making it extremely difficult to avoid being implicated.

Hai Rui had previously made many efforts to distance himself from these people, but now that he heard it was still unavoidable, he naturally wanted to protect them as well.

Seeing that Hai Rui was finally showing some signs of relenting, Lord Shi promptly offered the "best solution," saying to Hai Rui:

"Just say you didn't study the sages' books well and confused their theories, which is why you said those crazy things. If you apologize, the Emperor won't punish you. In fact, he might even make an exception and transfer you to the Imperial Academy."

"On the surface, it's about sending you to read the books of sages, but in reality, everything has been arranged for you to participate in the imperial examinations."

"Aren't you just a mere Juren? You participated in the imperial examinations, and after passing the nine-volume examination, you were selected to serve in the capital. Your academic achievements are now secured. Your virtuous character is awe-inspiring, and your future career has a solid foundation. This is truly an unprecedented tale of a ruler and his subject."

It must be said that the offer made by Lord Shi was extremely tempting. In an instant, even the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty, whether in front of the screen or out of sight of the camera, felt a surge of excitement, because they all knew very well what it represented.

In the drama, Hai Rui had previously suffered because he was only a Juren (a successful candidate in the Great Yan Dynasty). In the Zhe City case, Zhao Zhenji, who had passed the imperial examination, used this fact to humiliate Hai Rui, which shows that this academic title was quite useful in the Great Yan Dynasty.

To put it more simply, although both Hai Rui and Zhao Zhenji were provincial top scorers, Zhao Zhenji was admitted to an officially recognized 985 university, while Hai Rui only attended an ordinary first-tier university. There was a difference in their educational backgrounds, and this difference in education led to drastically different treatment of them after they were formally employed.

In official circles, everyone cares which school you graduated from, whether you went to the same school as them. If you went to the same school, it means you're in the "circle," and you can help each other with connections and abilities. In comparison, someone like Hai Rui, a graduate from a "miscellaneous university," is clearly inferior and it's normal for him to be looked down upon.

This point is also reflected in "Yes, Prime Minister." Humphrey, Oxford graduate, held Hacker's London School of Economics degree in contempt. Although both universities are top-ranked, in Humphrey's eyes, anyone who didn't graduate from Cambridge or Oxford was "inferior."

Now, the offer from Lord Shi is essentially a guaranteed postgraduate admission for Hai Rui, allowing him to gain valuable experience and silence the critics. Then, with the Emperor's support, Hai Rui's career will be paved with the Emperor's backing. What does he have to fear?

Of course, there's a prerequisite for being recommended for postgraduate studies: Hai Rui must retract his memorial to the throne and admit his mistake.

It's fair to say that most people would have compromised on the offer made by Lord Shi. After all, if they could get such a bargaining chip after things had escalated to this point, their lives would surely be on the rise. As for giving advice, they could do so once they were closer to the emperor.

Even the officials of the Great Yan Dynasty, experiencing it firsthand, found it difficult to resist such temptation. However, Hai Rui, played by Chen Huijie, merely smiled disdainfully, offering his own response to the allure of fame and fortune:

"Please convey to His Majesty that I, Hai Rui, have nothing to reply to. If I must speak, I can only reply with the words of the Emperor."

"The people are of paramount importance, the state is next, and the ruler is of least importance. A sage has no fixed mind; he takes the mind of the people as his own."

"Your Majesty, please consider the fate of our Great Yan Dynasty, and the well-being of all its people. My personal life and death are but a fallen leaf, turning to dust."

Having said all that, everyone knew that Hai Rui's resolve was unwavering. Her last words were essentially a message to Jiajing: she would bear all the blame herself, without implicating anyone else.

"Having gone this far, who would dare say this is just seeking fame and fortune? If someone were truly seeking fame and fortune, they would have already achieved their goal with such leverage; why would they persist like this?"

Seeing this, the Emperor of Great Yan couldn't help but sigh. As an emperor, he shouldn't have praised officials like Hai Rui so much. No matter how right Hai Rui was, his insubordination was a challenge to imperial power. If all officials in Great Yan followed his example, wouldn't the emperor be essentially powerless?

But now, the Emperor of Great Yan still has to praise Hai Rui. Officials like Hai Rui cannot fill the entire court, otherwise the country might descend into chaos; but they are necessary, because only officials like Hai Rui can ensure that the Great Yan Dynasty will not fall into chaos.