Chapter 1265: Argument (3)
"Since ancient times, how many geniuses have existed? However, how many had protected an empire from extinction? None!" Mu Yangling looked straight at them and said, "Do you know why?"
"Because the people have inadequate food, clothing, housing, medical care, and their descendants have no way out. Their lives are insecure. As long as these problems are not dealt with, they will still rebel one day when they are forced to the extreme!"
"The commoners are like springs. When suppressed by a tyrannical ruler or corrupt officials, they can only try their best to stretch their bodies to submit continuously. That is, until they’re forced into a desperate situation. Then, with a bang, the spring will loosen or break. Regardless of the former or the latter, the pressure of the rebound will always hurt the person pulling the spring. The more ruthlessly they pulled previously, the more serious the injury."
Mu Yangling said, "My son only suggested reforming the official system because he was worried that Great Qi would follow the same path as Great Zhou in two to three hundred years."
"Many of you here are ministers who served in the previous dynasty. You should know how chaotic the governance of the previous dynasty was. There’s a saying among the people of Jiangnan that goes, ’Even the most incorruptible person, who has been a prefect for three years, will have an income of 100,000 taels of silver.’ If even a magistrate who earns 100,000 taels of silver a year dares to call himself incorrupt, what about those unethical magistrates?"
"The Imperial Court has repeatedly given orders against corruption. The Imperial Censorate and the Ministry of Justice were in the capital, and there were also censors patrolling the regions. But why were there still corrupt officials?"
Mu Yangling said with a dark expression, "Because you officials protect each other, because you are all involved, because you have all benefited, including Emperor Jingyan, who also played a part in embezzling the people’s money!"
Mu Yangling’s words made everyone’s faces turn green.