Chapter 1763: You are the mastermind behind this crime.
Zou Qingyuan stood rooted to the spot, his face flushing red.
He thought that as long as he could handle this matter properly, the court would see how well Yulin Prefecture was managed after the fact and would surely recognize his contributions. However, he didn't expect that all the effort and hard work he had put into creating this scene would be worthless in the eyes of the Crown Prince. Not only was it worthless, but it was even a foolish move that had jeopardized the overall situation.
"As you were born in the year Tianyuan Yuan of the late Emperor, let me tell you a story from the autumn of Tianyuan six."
Li Chen said lightly: "Back then, when the Yellow River flooded, two banks and three provinces and seventeen counties were affected by floods. There is a dike upstream of Qingshui County today, which is related to the life and death of 300,000 people in four counties on both sides of the Yellow River."
"At the time, he was a well-known upright and capable official in Qingzhou County. He was appointed as the commander of the Yellow River flood control project in four counties. Qingzhou County was located upstream of the dam, while the other three counties were downstream. In order to protect his 80,000 citizens, he disregarded others' advice and forcibly breached the dam to release water. As a result, Qingzhou County was saved, but the Yellow River burst its banks, flooding the three downstream counties for 400 miles and drowning 220,000 people."
This case caused a huge stir in court at the time.
>“Some people believe that as the magistrate of Qingshui County, it was his duty to protect the people under his jurisdiction, and he had no responsibility for the people in other counties. Therefore, opening the dam and releasing water was not wrong.”
But more people believe that the magistrate of Qingshui County, for personal gain and to protect his reputation, led to the devastation of the three downstream counties, resulting in the loss of 220,000 lives. He is deemed extremely guilty.
After the incident, the magistrate was immediately dismissed and imprisoned by the provincial governor. However, the case was too big, and the governor did not dare to handle it on his own. He sent the man to the capital, effectively removing himself from the situation. The case went through six trials in the Ministry of Punishment and four hearings in the Censorate before a verdict could be reached. In the end, the chief officials of the Censorate jointly entered the palace to present the Emperor with the dilemma. Do you know how the Emperor ruled?

Zou Qingyuan's face turned pale, and he lowered his head to answer: "Your servant has heard that the final disposition was... beheading."
"Yes."
Li Chen nodded and said, "Execute decisively."
But there are still people in Qingxiu County who secretly offer incense to his memorial tablet. Can you say he was a bad official?
"From the perspective of the 80,000 people in Qing Shui County, he is a reborn parent. But from the perspective of the 200,000 souls who have passed away, he is a heinous criminal. In the end, it will be the imperial court that has to step in and provide relief and manage the aftermath."
This case wasn't just a sensation among the court and officials; it gripped the entire nation. This was especially true for local officials, because the final outcome of this case would directly impact the administration of the Qin Empire. It went straight to the heart of a critical issue: what should an official actually do?
"Being an official is like being a person, but being an official is harder than being a person."
“Back then, when the previous emperor issued an imperial edict to execute him, there was a sentence in the edict: ‘The fundamental principle of governance is to prioritize the well-being of the common people throughout the land, followed by national stability, and lastly the king. Although the people were originally divided into territories when they came into being, they are all subjects of our great Qin. As subjects, there should be no distinction between high and low or noble and humble. To harm the majority for one's own gain is to be a thief.’”
"Having said that, Li Chen gazed at Zou Qingyuan, who was sweating profusely in the cold winter weather, and said, "What you did today is strikingly similar to what the magistrate of Qingshui County did back then. Why did the imperial court demand that officials treat the relocated people well? Why did they repeatedly warn local government officials not to act on their own accord? It's precisely because once someone does this, compared to other gathering points, the image of the officialdom here would plummet. Even if a rebellion doesn't erupt in your Yulin Prefecture, it will happen in other gathering points. You are the mastermind behind this chaos."

(Editor in charge：novel robinson crusoe)