836 New Year
Three years ago, the high-ranking official who died was bound by the “law of filial piety” too. The law of filial piety said that children should obey their parents even if they had been abandoned or cut off relationship with their parents.
The official was pressured by his parents’ greed to take bribes. In the end, he was caught. However, he wanted to be caught. He did that to prove that the “law of filial piety” was unfair and wrong.
That was because he had never used a single tael of silver that he had embezzled. But he was still beheaded in public.
After the Emperor read the man’s statement, he did not eat or sleep well for a few days.
Now, another official had been forced to commit suicide by the “law of filial piety.”
The Emperor was shocked once again.
He also knew that the “law of filial piety” had many inappropriate aspects, but this was, after all, a rule left behind by his ancestors. As a descendant, he could not easily change it.
However, this time, he was moved.
This “law of filial piety” had to be changed. Otherwise, it would harm not only the officials but also the common people.
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, li Huachun, brought the parents of the official who had committed suicide to the Emperor.
The pair of parents knelt on the ground and shivered. They were no longer as arrogant as they were in front of their son.
The Emperor was not angry, but he was imposing. He asked sternly, “Speak. What did you do to make a third-rank official of mine commit suicide? ”
The parents were so nervous that they couldn’t speak.
Li Huachun immediately shouted sternly, ” hurry up and tell us the truth. If you lie, you will be guilty of deceiving the Emperor. The crime of deceiving the Emperor is a serious crime that will result in the execution of your entire family.”
The moment they heard that their entire family would be executed, the pair of parents did not have time to be afraid. They kowtowed and begged for mercy loudly, ” Your Majesty. Please spare me! Your Majesty. Please spare me …”
“If you want the Emperor to spare your life, then tell the truth!” Li Huachun shouted.
The two of them looked at each other, and then the man said in a low voice, “Emperor… We just want some money!”
The Emperor sneered and asked, “How much money did you want that you forced my official to kill himself?”
The man replied, “We just wanted… a hundred…” He didn’t dare to continue.
“A hundred what?” The Emperor continued to ask, ” speak! Otherwise, I will sentence you to be guilty of lying to the Emperor!” It definitely wasn’t a hundred taels.
“It’s a hundred thousand taels!” The man said in a trembling voice.
The Emperor and Li Huachun were both shocked.
The Emperor said, “a hundred thousand taels? What do you need so much money for?”
“It’s … It’s my youngest son who lost a gamble and owed a high debt. He can’t pay it back, so the loansharks want his hands… I have no choice but to ask that bastard … I mean, my son, for a hundred thousand taels.”
Then, a stern voice said, ” you guys are really bold! I don’t even have a hundred thousand taels in my Treasury, and you guys actually dare to demand so much from your own son?”
..
In the end, the case was closed with the Emperor beheading the two heartless parents.
This case shocked the world.
However, the impact of this case continued …
