When I was in Qin Dynasty, I lost contact with the wave

Chapter 705: Yan Dan's death, the destruction of Yan

The views of good and evil held by the unenlightened people in the feudal period were so simple that they would not think about any greater justice. They only knew that someone wanted them to suffer and that the bright future promised to them was not fulfilled.

The mentality of the people of Yan would have been the same as that of the people of Qi if there had not been the Donghu in the north and if Yan itself was not so rich.

After all, Yan State had not experienced local wars for many years since the Five Kingdoms invaded Qi, except for a certain King Xi of Yan who thought he had the upper hand and failed in a sneak attack and was beaten instead, bringing the war to his homeland.

To live in peace in a corner is the common thought of people in various countries who have experienced nearly 800 years of war. The people's war-weariness has almost reached an unprecedented peak, and they are eager for a peaceful era to come.

Even the old Qin people had more or less developed a sense of war-weariness and no longer had the enthusiasm for war that they had during the reigns of King Huiwen and King Zhaoxiang. It was only the promotion opportunities that could change their destiny and the land and house rewards that far exceeded those of other countries that motivated the old Qin people's enterprising spirit.

The State of Yan experienced a major defeat in its foreign offensive, two major defeats in its foreign offensive, and then a third major defeat in its foreign offensive. Naturally, this made the people of Yan even more disgusted with war.

Being defeated by another country is understandable, but continuous attacks and repeated defeats, isn't this a sign of the king being too ambitious and warlike?
If the State of Yan had not been established eight hundred years ago, the people of Yan would have been in awe of the King of Yan, and the uprising might have taken place twenty years earlier, just like a certain second-generation ancestor in later generations who suffered disastrous defeat in three expeditions to Goguryeo.

But even so, Yan Dan's already insufficient prestige had been reduced to an extremely low level. Even when the Mohist school announced that it would unite the various schools of thought as well as Qin, Chu, Qi and Wei, a vassal of Qin, to try Yan Dan together, the people of Yan were amazed.

There was only surprise and few opponents. Instead, many people living outside Jicheng were ready to enter the city to see it. Nobles and powerful people from all over the country also wanted to see this rare event that would happen for the first time in history.

After all, there has never been a public trial of a king in the Mohist school for hundreds of years since its establishment. Previously, some tyrants' ministers had attended on their behalf, or King Kang of Song refused to attend and was then instigated by the Mohists to destroy the State of Qi.

The State of Qin sent the eight-year-old Fusu and Prince Xi, the son of King Xiaowen.

The State of Chu sent Song Yi, the Zuotu, who had the same name as one of the three ministers of the Crown Prince of Yan Dan. The State of Qi sent Jimo Dafu, who was not the title of Prime Minister but the most trusted minister of the King of Qi, to observe the ceremony.

There was a solemn and solemn atmosphere on the political forum, with large black and white flags fluttering in the cold wind all around.

There is a simple high platform with two plaques placed side by side on it. One of them has five big characters "Mohist Political Discussion Platform" written on it, and the other has four characters "Respect Heaven and Know Ghosts" written on it.

Below the stage, there were several long desks in the front, with representatives from various schools of thought and the three kingdoms of Qin, Qi and Chu sitting solemnly. On the left was the "main debate seat", where the Six-Fingered Black Knight sat, and Yan Chunjun also sat here next to him.

On the right was the "Enemy's Seat", where sat Yan Dan, who looked pale and disheveled, and Ju Wu, who had a head full of white hair.

It’s not that the Mohist School abused these two people, but they really couldn’t withstand such a heavy blow.

A few feet ahead were eighty-one Mohist swordsmen dressed in black and white robes.

Nine is the extreme number and also the most important number in heaven. The nine rows and nine columns express that heaven will witness this matter and will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor let a bad person go!
Eighty-one as the number of ninety-nine means the largest and the most, and it also expresses the determination of judgment.

The eighty-one Mohist swordsmen knelt with swords in their arms, staring intently at Yan Dan and Ju Wu who were sitting on their right.

And this is exactly the Mohist political discussion platform that shocked the world!
There was a burst of drum beats, rapid and loud, like the sound of horse hooves hitting the ground.

Then a gong roared, and Zhang Ji, in place of the six-fingered black knight who was to sit in the main debate seat, read out the opening speech that had been prepared long ago: "Yan Wang Ji Dan attacked his teacher, murdered his father and usurped the throne. Yan Taifu Ju Wu followed him. Today we will discuss politics, clarify right and wrong, and decide life and death. You can argue as much as you want. The Mohists have their own impartiality. The envoys of the Three Kingdoms and the various schools of thought will supervise it. The heavens, the earth, the immortals, demons, and gods will all witness it!"

"The first crime is that King Dan of Yan, in collusion with Yan Taifu Ju Wu and his followers, attempted to split the Mohist School and assassinated the Mohist master, the Six-Fingered Black Knight!"

"Assassinating and killing your teacher as a disciple is unfilial! Assassinating and killing a great man of the Mohist school as a disciple is disloyal!"

"Yan Wangdan, do you plead guilty?"

Zhang Ji announced the trial of Yan Dan's first crime today, and after he finished speaking, the six-fingered Black Knight sitting in the main debate seat summoned several Mohist disciples who had discovered Yan Dan's unusual behavior, and had them present some intelligence collected at the time and the letters between Yan Dan, Ju Wu and his followers as physical evidence.

The contents of these letters were read out by Jing Ke, a hero of Yan State and a disciple of the Six-Fingered Black Knight.

Yan Dan’s assassination plan was actually very simple, yet also very deadly. If the Six-Fingered Black Knight had been unprepared, he would have been the one who died in that passage.

But he discovered the plan and activated the trap to kill Yan Dan's followers before Yan Dan gave the order to act, so strictly speaking he did not put it into action.

However, the various schools of thought are not rigid. They will not say that you have not committed a crime just because your plan is ruined before you put it into action.

The people around, including the various philosophers, envoys from the Three Kingdoms, nobles and wealthy families, as well as the onlookers, all began to whisper and discuss.

Respecting teachers and honoring learning is a truth that everyone knows.

Moreover, the Mohists had made so many contributions to the State of Yan, and the people of Yan in the audience had the most say. Yan Dan's behavior was absolutely ungrateful.

Yan Dan, still looking pale due to his injuries, sighed. He originally thought that these were just some witnesses, and he could deny them all on the grounds that they were disciples of the Mohist School or hostile Qin Luowang assassins.

But he didn't expect that his followers would pass messages to each other and leave such evidence, which made it impossible for him to make excuses.

"Ji Dan pleads guilty!"

"Ju Wu pleads guilty!"

Yan Dan and Ju Wu looked at each other, smiled bitterly, and admitted the crime.

"His second crime is that King Dan of Yan murdered his father and emperor, usurped the throne and seized power. He is disloyal and unfilial, worse than an animal!"

"Ji Dan doesn't agree with this!"

Yan Dan understood that no matter what, he could never admit to this crime. Even if the whole world believed that he had done it, he could not admit it!
"Dan did plan to take control of the Royal Guards and sent assassins to attack the palace, but he had no intention of killing my father!"

"Dan just wants to use this opportunity to eliminate the dissidents and kill all the loyal guards and eunuchs around my father, so as to force my father to abdicate to me!"

"Is there any evidence?"

After listening to Yan Dan's explanation, Zhang Ji actually felt that Yan Dan might not be lying.

There were quite a few princes who forced their fathers to abdicate, but there were not many who killed their fathers and usurped the throne.

Yan Dan was just insidious and vicious, but not stupid. Even if he did something stupid, he would not have done such a thing because of the advice of Tian Guang and Ju Wu.

However, Yan Dan could not produce any evidence. The plans he had with Tian Guang, Ju Wu, several Yan State priests, and the imperial guards were all communicated verbally. How could he have left behind written documents as a hidden danger like those retainers did?

"I can prove this for him."

The old leader of the medical family, Wen Zhi, stepped forward and testified for Yan Dan. "I was watching from the sidelines in the palace that day and witnessed the whole process. I saw more than that young Taishi Heng who came later. I also took the pulse of King Xi of Yan."

"Yan Wangxi was frightened by the bloody and cruel slaughter of the imperial guards and palace maids by Wei Zhuang, Canglang King, and Yinfu. His brain veins burst and he died. It was really caused by shock."

"Yan Wangxi has been indulging himself in sensual pleasures for many years, and his health has deteriorated greatly. He also loves drinking and rarely moves. Once he is frightened or his mood swings drastically, he will have difficulty breathing at the least, and in serious cases, his brain tendons will burst and he will die."

With the testimony of the former chief medical officer, Yan Dan felt relieved and thought that this hurdle had been passed.

It’s just that Yan Dan thought too simply.

"However, when Yan Wangdan was the crown prince, he often went to the Imperial Hospital to check Yan Wangxi's pulse and confirm his physical condition. I cannot rule out the possibility that he knew Yan Wangxi was ill but did it on purpose."

Wen Zhi maintained absolute impartiality, simply stating what he saw and knew, leaving the responsibility of judgment to others.

"Yes, I have obtained the testimony of other doctors in the Imperial Hospital, proving that Yan Dan often went to the Imperial Hospital to check on my brother's health."

Yan Chunjun presented a book with testimonies from more than a dozen imperial doctors and their signatures. He did not think that Yan Dan cared about King Xi of Yan.

"My brother and this rebellious son were very kind and filial to each other before. If he had no conspiracy, why would he secretly check the pulse of the king and father?"

Faced with Yan Chunjun's accusations, Yan Dan was speechless.

Because when he checked the pulse case, he really wanted to see how long his father, Prince Xi of Yan, could live. If he didn't live long, it would be fine. But if he could live for a while, he would force his father to abdicate and seize the throne.

This time the mud is really falling down my crotch!

"Also, even if, as this little beast said, my brother's death was not planned by him, but sending an assassin to kill the king and causing him to die of shock by accident, doesn't manslaughter count as murder?"

Yan Chunjun had received advice from Zhang Ji in advance that if Yan Dan did not plead guilty, he could use this reason to fight back against him.

Planning to kill someone is considered murder, and manslaughter is naturally considered murder as well.

Instead of arguing with Yan Dan about whether he planned to kill King Xi of Yan, he could have brought the topic to who was ultimately responsible for King Xi's death.

This time, Yan Dan was speechless again.

After all, what Yan Chunjun said was very reasonable. Whether King Xi of Yan was killed or frightened to death, he died at the hands of three assassins, Wei Zhuang, Canglang King and Yinfu, whom he contacted.

Yan Dan looked around, sighed, and gave up struggling.

"Ji Dan pleads guilty!"

"Ju Wu pleads guilty!"

Seeing that Yan Dan had admitted it, Ju Wu, although he had only participated in drafting the edict, still admitted to the crime of complicity.

After all, it was he, the Grand Tutor, who failed to teach Yan Dan well.

If a disciple is not taught, it is the fault of the teacher.

Afterwards, Zhang Ji read out several other crimes of Yan Dan and Ju Wu, including but not limited to slaughtering royal relatives, colluding with the grassland wolf tribe to invade the Central Plains, etc. Yan Dan and Ju Wu also confessed to their crimes one by one.

"Respect heaven and enlighten ghosts, heaven and earth shall bear witness to this!"

"Today, after consultation with the Minister of Justice of Yan, the Mohist Arbitration Committee sentenced King Dan of Yan and Grand Tutor Ju Wu of Yan to be beheaded and thrown into the streets!"

There is no need to explain the meaning of beheading, but abandoning to the public refers to executing someone in public in a crowded place such as a market.

This means that Yan Dan and Ju Wu will be beheaded in public in front of tens of thousands of people today!

Most people are satisfied with this penalty, but some people think it is a bit too heavy.

Kong Qian, the head of the Confucius Temple, was the latter. He believed that he was the king of a country after all, even if he was a usurper, but as a king he should have a dignified end and should not act like this. Poisoned wine and white silk were both decent means.

However, Meng Yu, the head of the Meng family, completely disagreed with Kong Qian's point of view, and started arguing with Master Xun.

However, the minority obeyed the majority, and eventually Yan Dan and Ju Wu were beheaded on the political platform. The posthumous titles of King Xi of Yan and Yan Dan were decided on the spot by the Confucian disciples led by Kong Qian, the head of the Confucius Temple, Meng Yu, the head of the Meng Mansion, and Master Xun.

King Xi of Yan mourned King Ling of Yan.

Death at an early age is called “dao”, and becoming famous without hard work is called “ling”.

After all, Prince Xi of Yan was the king who was murdered by his own son. Confucianism was not completely inhumane. After all, he was given the two middle posthumous titles of "Dao" and "Ling". Yan Chunjun was quite grateful for this.

But they were not so polite to Yan Dan, and his posthumous title was King Yan Lici!

Killing innocent people is called Li, being tyrannical and ruthless is called Li, being stubborn and unreasonable is called Li, supporting evil and violating justice is called Li; being violent and cruel without relatives is called Ci, being violent and arrogant to the nine ministers is called Ci, not thinking about peace and happiness is called Ci, being stubborn and resentful is called Ci, and not thinking about forgetting love is called Ci.

Two evil posthumous titles were given to Yan Dan, which meant he would be infamous for eternity. At the same time, it also served as a warning to many people not to do evil, otherwise the Mohist political discussion platform and the Confucian posthumous titles would make them restless both during their lifetime and after their death.

With the death of Yan Dan, Yan Chunjun, as the only survivor of the Yan royal family, inherited the throne and was called King Le of Yan. However, he immediately supervised the construction of the abdication platform and held the abdication ceremony with the help of Zen masters.

Ying Zheng, who was originally quietly watching melons in Xianyang, was still reminiscing about the days when he and Yan Dan huddled together for warmth in Handan. As a result, he suddenly had to come to Jicheng to accept the abdication of King Le of Yan.

Even Ying Zheng was a little confused. How come they fought against a tribe of grassland wolves but ended up destroying the State of Yan?

However, Ying Zheng was also very particular and preserved the ancestral temple of the State of Yan. Although King Le of Yan became Lord Yanchun again, he was granted a fief of 100,000 households by Ying Zheng!

And they are 100,000 households in the fertile land of Du and Kang!
For this, Yan Chunjun was extremely grateful.

And just when all this was over, Zhang Ji, who had originally planned to rush to the central military camp at Yanmen Pass immediately after the discussion on the political stage, stayed behind and found the prince Xi and Fusu beside him.

(End of this chapter)