Chapter 482: Chapter 264: Great Affairs of the State: On Sacrifices and Military Matters_2
The Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince had a tacit understanding: they would both protect Zhao Yao. No matter how much they disliked each other, they would not make a move against one another for the time being, because they were both waiting for Zhao Yao to grow up safely, to come of age, be conferred the title of king, and securely move to his fief, away from the disputes of the capital.
Before Zhao Yao comes of age and goes to his fief, they tacitly protect Zhao Yao in secret.
"Your Highness, can the Eighth Prince really protect the Tenth Prince?" Wei Mian was skeptical of the Eighth Prince.
"He can," said the Fourth Prince, narrowing his eyes slightly as a deep glint flashed in them, "If he cannot protect the tenth brother, then he has no reason to remain in this world."
The Fourth Prince knew well what kind of person the Eighth Prince was, but he turned a blind eye to what he had done over the years because he could protect Zhao Yao.
For the Fourth Prince, having one more person to protect Zhao Yao was a good thing. He believed he could protect Zhao Yao, but he could not be by Zhao Yao’s side every moment. Once he left the capital, he would have to temporarily entrust Zhao Yao’s safety to the Eighth Prince.
Hearing the Fourth Prince say this, Wei Mian felt relieved and did not bring up the matter again.
The Fourth Prince returned to Lanyuan Pavilion but did not go back to the History Compilation Hall. He was no longer involved in historical compilation, as last year he was called by the Emperor to serve at the Imperial Court of Judicial Review.
The Court Martial was responsible for Great Zhou’s punishments, extremely important.
After the establishment of Great Zhou, the prominent officials in the Imperial Court of Judicial Review were mainly from noble families. Although there were now some officials of humble origin, they held no significant positions and had no real power. Furthermore, there were too many aristocrats in the capital who looked down upon officials from humble origins, making it hard for them to manage.
Only a prince, capable of controlling the capital’s aristocracy and subduing the officials of the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, was suitable, and the Fourth Prince, with his high moral reputation and vast knowledge of poetry and law, was the best candidate.
The Fourth Prince, apart from being fond of reading classics and poetry, also had an interest in studying laws. He thoroughly examined the laws of the previous dynasty, the Chen Dynasty, and even earlier dynasties.
When Great Zhou was established, the late Emperor, besides commissioning the Li Family to establish the Imperial College and restore the decayed rites and music, also had them assist in creating Great Zhou’s laws. Over the years, the Li Family continued to amend Great Zhou’s laws, with the Fourth Prince contributing significantly.
The Fourth Prince opposed severe punishments but did not reject strict penalties. He believed that without strict penalties, those who committed heinous crimes could not be deterred. However, punishment should not be solely severe; it should also have a compassionate side.
Last year, the Emperor assigned the Fourth Prince to the Imperial Court of Judicial Review, intending for him to intimidate the noble family officials at the Court Martial and repair Great Zhou’s laws.
Although the Fourth Prince knew that going to the Court Martial would offend many noble family members, he was not concerned. Like the Emperor, he disliked the noble families, believing them to be the culprits oppressing the people. He always felt that Great Zhou belonged to the people, not the aristocracy, so the noble families must be eradicated; otherwise, Great Zhou would inevitably repeat the mistakes of the previous dynasty or the Chen Dynasty in the future.
He returned to Lanyuan Pavilion to look for books related to law. As he would soon depart for his fief, he also needed to establish new laws for it.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yao was studying in Wende Hall, learning the "Zuo Zhuan" during this period.
"The major affairs of the state lie in sacrifices and warfare."
Mr. Xiao instructed Zhao Yao to return home and thoroughly understand the meaning of this sentence.
Coincidentally, Zhao Yao recently received a letter from his third uncle, who also mentioned this sentence and asked how he understood it.
The literal meaning of "The major affairs of the state lie in sacrifices and warfare" is that the significant affairs of a state are sacrifices and warfare.
This sentence comes from "Zuo Zhuan. Duke Cheng."
Zhao Yao did not quite understand why his third uncle and Mr. Xiao asked him about this sentence.
In his view, the major affairs of the state, or national security, necessitate a strong military force for maintenance. This is what he understood as "warfare." As for "sacrifices," he deemed it unnecessary because the current times are not like the past.
In the past, dynasties believed there were deities in this world and hoped to communicate with them through sacrifices, seeking their protection. However, the current Great Zhou doesn’t need to conduct sacrifices to deities like the previous dynasties.
"Mother Concubine, do you think I understand this correctly?"
Lady Liang nodded and said, "I think your understanding is very correct. Even if Great Zhou achieves complete peace, it still requires a strong military to protect Great Zhou from being bullied by the Xiongnu or other foreign tribes or nations."