Seeing King Zhou turn his gaze toward him, as though he had noticed something, Li Jing stepped forward. "Your Majesty's words are not without reason. Hou Yan is merely a commandery deputy; submitting such a memorial was indeed... against protocol. But I believe that calling him to account over a single memorial, and even dispatching troops, goes too far. He may be guilty, but his offense does not warrant that."
"This investigation has indeed implicated countless people, so it is only natural for Hou Yan to be frightened. Your Majesty has now imposed harsh measures on the nobles of Chaoge, but you cannot apply them to every noble under heaven. If you insist on forcing them through, remember that what is too rigid breaks easily. Not only will you fail to win the wholehearted acceptance of the realm, you will provoke a chorus of resentment, not just among the nobles, but even among the common people."
"What we should do now is offer some reassurance. Only by tempering gentleness with firmness and wielding both grace and authority can we achieve the best result."
Li Jing was, after all, the minister of punishments, and knew better than anyone how laws should be enforced. His words were eminently sound.
Relying solely on intimidation could certainly display the court's authority, but it would also drive people into a dead end. Then it might backfire, leaving the fish dead and the net torn, jade and common stone burning together.
After feeling his way along for so long, Li Jing had also worked out a way of dealing with the nobles: slice off their flesh and bleed them a little at a time, fatten them when they needed fattening, and cut and bleed them when the time came.
Zi Shou paused. He could find nothing