I am a commoner, but I will lead the empress to unify the world

Chapter 809: Subjugating Hai Rui

Shen Changgong waved his hand, asked the guards to withdraw, and said,

"Master Hai is a loyal minister with a proud character. I have a few questions for you, and I hope you can answer them."

"You can ask as much as you want. Once you're done, just give me a quick answer!"

Hai Rui said with an arrogant look on his face.

"Okay, first question, since Lord Hai is a loyal minister, why didn't you go with the Emperor of Chu when he fled to the sea, but stayed behind?"

Hai Rui immediately said,

"First, I don't know where your Majesty has traveled to, so I can't follow him. Secondly, the people of Rui'an still need me. If I leave, they will be left without anyone to manage them and make decisions, and chaos will break out."

"Now that you would rather die than surrender, we kill you and send a corrupt official to manage them and plunder them. What do you think?"

"Of course not."

"Then you should stay and continue to manage them. For the sake of these people, you must continue to be the prefect of Wenzhou.

Otherwise, I will send a corrupt official to plunder the people's wealth. When the Japanese pirates come again, they will abandon the city and flee. Then they will report the losses to the court and pocket all the money and grain allocated to them, leaving none for the people. What do you think?"

"Of course not. You...how are you any different from the former county magistrate?"

Hai Rui was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick.

Shen Changgong was surprised.

"Huh? What's your logic? Why can the previous county governor and the court do this, but our new court can't do the same?"

"The old dynasty was corrupt and dictatorial, content with pleasure, and rampant with corruption. If the new court remains the same, then wouldn't the change be in vain?

Aren’t the people still suffering?

I heard earlier that Dayan did not consider people's background but only their ability when hiring. They killed corrupt officials and powerful families, held imperial examinations, and reformed the military system, so that talented and capable people from poor families and common people could have a chance to succeed.

Now it seems that it is all fake, just a false reputation!"

Shen Changgong said with a smile,

"Since you know that Dayan is so good and Chu is so bad, why do you remain loyal to Chu and not to Dayan?"

"How can a loyal minister serve two masters?"

"Then do you think that the State of Chu should be restored and your emperor should come back?"

"That's natural."

Hai Rui said without hesitation.

However, Shen Changgong showed a smile of success and said,

"Oh? So, Lord Hai wants the wise, honest, and people-oriented Great Yan court to leave, and let the corrupt and incompetent Chu court return to continue plundering the people and oppressing them?

Alas, the people of Wenzhou all say that Hai Rui is dedicated to the people and is a loyal official.

It turns out he's also a corrupt official."

"When did I become a corrupt official? Don't you want to slander someone's innocence out of thin air?"

"Isn't it? Only corrupt officials hope for the return of the corrupt court so they can continue to oppress the people. Good officials, on the other hand, hope for clean governance and a peaceful and prosperous environment for the people."

Hai Rui was speechless for a moment after being refuted. After thinking for a long time, he said,

"I hope the Chu government will return, reform itself, govern with integrity, and care for the people.

Rather than letting your Yan State occupy our land."

"Do you think it's possible? If the court is like this, you must have submitted a petition, right? Has anything changed?"

"……No."

"why?"

"There are too many corrupt officials in the court..."

"Is that because there are so many corrupt officials in the court?"

Shen Changgong slammed the table and shouted,

"That's because of your emperor. He's rotten to the core! What kind of emperor you have, what kind of ministers you will have.

If there were emperors like Yao and Shun, the ministers below would work hard to govern the country and ensure peace and prosperity for the people in order to keep their positions, and would let their political achievements speak for themselves.

If the emperor is a foolish man who is greedy for pleasure, then so are the officials in the court!

In order to please the emperor, they would also plunder people's wealth for the emperor's enjoyment.

What the superiors do is what the subordinates should follow. What kind of monarch you are, what kind of subjects you will have.

Even if the King of Chu comes back, can the Chu land that has been fought in wars withstand his plundering?

By then, the people will be living in poverty and starving, and they will rebel. As an official of the State of Chu, what choice will you make?

Should we continue to protect the court that harms the people and suppress and kill those people who have no way to survive?

Or rise up and rebel against the imperial court?"

After hearing what Shen Changgong said, Hai Rui was struck by lightning and stood there in a daze.

He had always believed that the court was corrupt because there were too many corrupt officials who deceived the emperor, but he never thought deeply about it. If the emperor was wise, would his ministers dare to do this?

The entire Chu State is rotten from the root.

Shen Changgong struck while the iron was hot and continued,

"I just can't understand why you chose the court that harms the people instead of the existing one that is wise and virtuous.

I am different from you. You are only loyal to your master, but I am loyal to the people.

Whoever harms the people is my enemy.

The tyrant king harms the people, I will kill him.

Corrupt officials harm the people, so I will kill them.

The Japanese pirates are harming the people, so I will fight them.

All the Japanese pirates in the territory of Chu were killed, but there were still 3,000 Japanese pirates in the territory of Qian.

This king doesn't care about the Qian Kingdom or the Chu Kingdom. This king only knows that the people of our country cannot be harmed. Even if they flee to the ends of the earth, this king will chase them down and kill them all! "

"This is the difference between a wise man and a foolish man.

You, Hai Rui, are nothing but a foolish and incompetent person."

Hai Rui was moved to tears by Shen Changgong's words. He knelt down with a thud and said,

"Thank you, Prince Lanling, for your guidance. I have now realized that my loyalty should not be to a certain court, but to the millions of people under my rule.

I should be loyal to the dynasty that treats the people well.

I am willing to surrender, please punish me, Your Majesty!"

Shen Changgong nodded in satisfaction and said,

"Stand up! I won't punish you. But if I learn something's wrong in Wenzhou County someday—corrupt officials are rampant, or the people are hungry and poor and planning a rebellion—I'll be the first to hold you accountable!"

"Subordinate to obey!"

Hai Rui stood up and wiped his tears.

"Alright, sit down and eat. Tomorrow morning, I will lead my army south to continue suppressing the Japanese pirates. You will stay here as the county governor, open the granaries to provide disaster relief, and comfort the people."

"As ordered."

After dinner, Hai Rui was convinced. Without taking a rest, he went directly to the government office to check official documents and the granary.

The Southern King laughed and said,

"This kind of person is really pedantic and stubborn. Only you can persuade him with your words."

Shen Changgong nodded and said,

"But it is these stubborn people who have such determination in their hearts that they are wholeheartedly devoted to the good of the people and will not be easily shaken.

I also hope that all officials in the world are such good officials.

Unfortunately, there are too few.

In the future, I hope the Emperor can select more.”