After their minds were read, the entire court trembled with fear.

Chapter 20: A Few Oddballs, Each Displaying Their Unique Abilities

"Uh oh, the fish is gone."

The fisherman was completely unaware that the old emperor's expression had changed.

"Where is the Minister of Justice?"

The Minister of Justice was speechless for a moment. Why would they bother him with such a trivial matter?

"The minister is here."

Hey, who knows what that Minister of Justice is cursing the old emperor for in his heart.

The old emperor suddenly turned his head.

The Minister of Justice shook his head innocently.

No, I didn't, she's talking nonsense.

"Your Majesty, fishing is the fisherman's livelihood, and the loss of fish is a major event. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly."

The fisherman was dumbfounded. No, that's not what the old woman told him.

This is a minor case. It would be a waste of talent to have the Ministry of Justice investigate it. They could solve it in no time, not to mention that Shen Zhiyi had already explained the reason.

Seeing all the dozens of cats he raised being taken away by government officials, the fisherman finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"You can't take them away. If you take them away, who will chase away the rats for me?"

"Oh dear, I was wrong. They didn't steal the food; I fed them myself."

The old emperor said in a deep voice, "Fisherman, you have a legitimate profession and can earn legitimate money. Why do you have to think about these crooked ways?"

[Can hard-earned money be the same as money gained without labor? Damn it, take the Imperial Diarist for example, the old emperor must have been under some kind of spell, he actually wants to implement reforms.]

Previously, she and Zhang Sheren would take turns, but recently the old emperor has been acting strangely, insisting on adopting the old ways of the previous dynasty, having both of them do it at the same time, and only going home to sleep after the emperor has fallen asleep.

[The old emperor had some strange quirk; one person wasn't enough for him to watch him defecate, he insisted on having two other people watch him too.]

The old emperor snorted coldly, pretending not to hear.

The fisherman shuddered, startled by the old emperor's snort.

He kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This humble subject knows his mistake, this humble subject knows his mistake, I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."

"Although no major mistake was made, a minor punishment is still necessary."

The fisherman was given five lashes and then released.

The old emperor quickly straightened his sleeves, preparing to return to the Yanying Hall to continue discussing state affairs.

[Why are you leaving? The people told you to leave, so you just leave? Don't you see there's a whole bunch of people lined up outside wanting to beat the Dengwen Drum?]

The old emperor stiffly turned his head, saw the long queue, and gasped.

He's already used a board, why are some people still not leaving?

The drum for petitioning continued to be beaten.

The old emperor asked, "Why didn't you leave when that fisherman was flogged?"

Zhang San, an ordinary citizen, said, "That fellow is here to swindle money, but I really have something to do."

The old emperor was relieved: "Alright, go ahead."

Zhang San: "This humble citizen has a complaint that the trees in the capital are bare and unsightly. My wife is in a bad mood because she sees those bare trees all day long. This humble citizen begs Your Majesty to replace the trees in the capital with those that do not shed leaves."

The old emperor remained silent.

The entire court of officials fell silent.

[Hahahaha, I'm laughing so hard I'll get rich! Beijing is in the north, and trees there always shed their leaves in autumn, hahaha.]

"Throw him out!"

……

"Your Majesty, I am Wang Ermazi. Only Your Majesty can resolve my grievances. No one else has the right to do so."

These words pleased the old emperor greatly.

"tell me the story."

"It is so. I have a son who is very intelligent. He is proficient in poetry and prose, and he is also a man of both literary and military talents. I believe that my son will definitely achieve great things in the future and relieve Your Majesty's worries."

The old emperor was delighted again, and laughed heartily: "Hahaha, it is a great fortune for Da Ye to have such a talent."

Wang Ermazi's face was beaming with smiles. He bowed to the old emperor and said loudly, "Therefore, this humble subject humbly requests Your Majesty to allow Luoshui County to hold the provincial examination again this year."

"Cough cough cough cough."

The old emperor's smile vanished instantly, and he even choked on his own saliva.

He immediately lost his composure and picked at his ear.

"Old Emperor, you heard me right. They're ordering the provincial examination to be held again because his son, who is already thirty-eight, is still only a novice scholar, and he's failed the provincial examination yet again."

[Take it easy, take it easy. I see plenty of people in the world who are seventy or eighty years old and still have the potential to succeed. Wang Ermazi's son is only thirty-eight; that's considered young and promising, with a lot of room for improvement.]

It's quite large, but Daye doesn't need this kind of talent!

The old emperor was so angry that his fingers were trembling: "Give him five lashes and throw him out."

……

"Your Majesty, I am Li Si, a commoner."

[Wow, Zhang San, Li Si, and Wang Ermazi were right! Wait, the old emperor's old name was Zhou Liufu, hahaha, no wonder he liked the sixth princess so much.]

The officials present all lowered their heads; they had never heard the emperor's previous name and did not know it.

"Why are you beating the petition drum?"

Hmm, I really can't tell what's wrong with this person. They don't seem to have any troubles or do anything weird.

Even Shen Zhiyi's divine artifact system couldn't tell?

That must be a big deal!

The old emperor straightened his posture and took the matter seriously.

Li Si grinned, revealing a few big white teeth, and said, "Your Majesty, I have nothing to say. It's just that everyone says that knocking on this will allow me to see Your Majesty. I'm just an ordinary citizen who has never seen an official before. If I were to see one, it would be the highest-ranking official. I'd have face when I go back and chat in the streets and alleys."

The old emperor: ……

"Fork it out, fork it out!"

[This is hilarious! These oddballs are all showing off their unique talents.]

[Hahaha, but the more I look at this, the more familiar it seems. Isn't this just that misused "one, two, three, four, five" thing? They've turned this place into a wishing well.]

……

"Nonsense! What kind of behavior is this? What do those people take the Dengwen Drum for? A drum from the vegetable market, something they can just beat anytime they want?"

"If you ask me, I could just sit there all day dealing with these trivial matters and die peacefully in my old age."

[Dying of old age isn't enough; there are so many people in Da Ye. They have to keep going, at least until they're buried in the ground.]

The old emperor was even angrier after hearing Shen Zhiyi's sarcastic remarks.

We can only keep it to ourselves.

I got even angrier.

He plopped back down on the dragon throne, fuming, and clapped his hands: "What do you think we should do?"

The officials exchanged glances, and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel stepped forward first.

"Your Majesty, the Dengwen Drum was originally a symbolic sign for the people to express their grievances and seek justice, and it was also an important part of the litigation system in Daye. However, in recent days, it seems that there are many problems with this Dengwen Drum system."

"Nonsense, do you think I can't see it? You don't need to analyze the reasons. I sat at the Meridian Gate during the day and analyzed it very thoroughly. You just need to come up with a solution for me."

[If you want to file a complaint with the emperor, you'll first get twenty strokes of the cane; that's how it's always portrayed in TV dramas.]

"Bad idea."

【Um? 】

Shen Zhiyi's eyes widened, and the old emperor also realized that he had misspoke.

The newly appointed Minister of Personnel immediately stepped forward: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. If those who beat the drum to appeal for justice are first given twenty strokes of the cane, then it would be better if the drum had never been set up at all. It was my oversight that led me to make this decision."

The other ministers: Your speed in flattering is truly unmatched.

The old emperor waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "The Dengwen Drum has a long history, dating back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. Its original purpose was to benefit the people, but many of them are stubborn and do not understand the benefits and harms involved. They beat it at will, which goes against the original purpose of the Dengwen Drum."

This highlights the benefits of nine years of compulsory education.