Unaware of the air of awkwardness filling the hall, Shufeng explained further, "Our law system is mostly in favour for the rights of the nobility. What about the rights of the less fortunate? Who will fight to protect their rights?"
For a long minute, the court officials stood in stunned silence, too shocked to even breathe—the prince's words sounded rebellious!
Briskly Taizong tugged at his brother's arm, and scolded him with a clear and strong voice for the whole assembly to hear, "How dare you utter words of treason!"
Shufeng frowned, eying his brother in wary confusion. "All I am saying is—"
Taizong interrupted him once more and shouted out a warning, "Second Highness, keep quiet or you will suffer punishment for speaking against the Emperor!"
Immediately following Taizong's words, almost instantly, Emperor Akishino's sonorous voice startled everyone in the hall:
"Enough!"
His eyes flared, peering at Shufeng sharply from under his black protruding brows.
The prince knew he had gone too far.
Shivering inwardly, he immediately threw himself down on his knees, face nearly touching the floor. "Fa—" he gulped nervously, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I spoke rashly."
A dreadful silence.
He glanced sideways at the Emperor, then at his brother. He might have been mistaken, but at that moment, he thought he saw Taizong smiling with a twinkle in his eyes.
Then he looked around at all of the court officials, still as statues. Every one of them kept their heads low, trembling eyes fixed on the floor, awaiting for the Emperor's anger to descend on the prince. But—
The Emperor didn't raise his voice. The expression on his face had mellowed and transformed into one of interestingness. "Prince Shufeng, explain why you feel that our law system is more favourable to the richer man, also lack benevolence and moral principles?"
At once, the eyes now falling upon the young prince were not as merciful—the Emperor was too lenient. Being from the Royal Family evidently had his advantages! Anyone else ringing bells of rebellion and offending the Maker of the Law would have been flogged straightaway to his death!
Nevertheless, the court officials couldn't help being in awe of his courage. After all he was first and foremost just a ten years-old child before being a royal person.
"Arise and speak." The Emperor looked at his son with bright eyes emitting warmth, making Shufeng less afraid to speak.
Shufeng straightened his garment and sat back on his stool.
"The law stipulate that if someone steals one or more chicken he should be punished accordingly, between twenty-five to one hundred lashes, between one to thirty days in prison, and compensate the victim three-fold. Is it not too severe? And depending on the magistrate's temperament one could get up to one hundred lashes!"
He paused, suddenly aware of all the eyes assessing him.
"If I may intervene Your Majesty," the Emperor nodded and the official continued, "Your Second Highness, the punishment is equal to the gravity of the crime. When punishments are not properly awarded, the people do not know how to move hand or foot.
"And if I may add to the words of Your Second Highness, the law does not favour the rich man; but as it happens the rich man is the one most likely to suffer a loss. Who would steal his chickens? The poor man, of course.
"Sadly poverty exists often leading to crime. That is why, to someone with a naive and kindhearted heart as the Second Prince, it may seem as if the law is partial, only punishing the weak and protecting the strong."
Shufeng's voice which started out high and squeaky, slowly gained confidence and steadiness, "I meant that, if we analyse the man's rights and motives for stealing the chicken, firstly—the punishment may be too severe, and secondly—the verdict would be less favourable to the rich man."
Shufeng turned to the Emperor who slowly blinked and nodded, inviting his son to pursue with his thought process.
"Let's imagine a landlord increases the rent unfairly so the tenant cannot afford food for his family. What if the landlord's property right in the chicken conflict with the tenant's right to do what he must to keep his family from dying of starvation? Does the tenant's right prevail, or the landlord's? May the tenant has the right to steal the chicken?"
"Brother, you speak nonsense!" huffed Taizong. "Nobody has the right to steal, no matter the motives."
Shufeng explained in a low but perfectly distinct voice:
"It is the landlord unfair rent increase which ultimately led this man to steal. The hardworking tenant only led an honest life, but seeing his family starve to death compelled him to steal for the very first time.
"Should we not value human beings above property? What is one chicken to this rich landlord when he has fifty more in his backyard? What about the landlord taking responsibility for his unfair action leading his tenant in breaking the law?"
He paused. Shufeng suddenly felt like new energy had taken over his body. He felt more relaxed and authoritative as he carried on:
"Still according to the Silver Rule, 'What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others', the tenant should apologise and compensate the landlord by replacing the stolen chicken, and the landlord should amend the rent to the price originally agreed on.
"But sadly, the reality is the landlord dragging his tenant before the magistrate: Should the tenant receive a similar punishment to that of a greedy thief stealing ten chickens and selling them at the market; simply because the law say so?
"The law blindly treat the tenant and a thief as the same. However should we not consider each case differently according to human rights, motives and circumstances?
"And this is why I feel that the law lack moral principles, benevolence and will always side with the strong."
His words, once again, brought a stiffish silence upon the hall. But this time, it was because all those listening to him were in constant amazement at his understanding of the law and moral ethics, and of his wisdom and eloquent speech.
And when his last word echoed in the hall, still the officials couldn't believe they had listened to the speech of a mere ten years-old boy. Furthermore, this boy's power of persuasion compelled them to agree with such unexpected sagacity.
The Emperor who was also greatly impressed that his son could clearly understand the moral dilemma in the making of the law, finally uttered:
"Your words reflect the philosophy of the Old Classics. Your tutor informed me that you go everyday to the Imperial Library before the sun rises. You have been studying well, very well indeed." The tone in his voice came out extremely pleased and commendatory.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Very well, a good ruler need to internalise the Old Classics so that their deep thoughts allow him to relate the moral problems of the present to past expression of the commoners' feelings and noblemen's reflections."
Taizong's eyes widened as he heard his father calling Shufeng—a good ruler! His heart felt very heavy with sadness, and the faintly discernible bitterness lingering in his heart began to grow stronger.
"Also, Prince Shufeng, your words reminded me that the autocritical habit of mind is indispensable to be a good ruler."
The Emperor's voice, resonant and solemn, acknowledged the trueness of his son's words while pointing out their practical limitations: "Law and moral issue are two different topics, and yet they are entwined like the yin and the yang; however, constant philosophical debates are an hindrance in law-making, for the person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
"Without the law to guide their decision the people would choose their own rules and choose who must follow and when. Thus, our system of laws is a valuable aspect of social order, and yet, I agree, all laws are unjust to some degree as men do not have godly wisdom and reality consistently reveals the arbitrary nature of their application.
"The relationship between morality and law is one of the most enduring topic of discussion amongst the White Mountain Scholars. Son, you should deepen your comprehension of the Old Classics and attend their next lecture."
Following this interlude, the meeting resumed and didn't pause once until all the items listed on the imperial agenda were discussed.
…
Only a few officials remained in the inner courtyard of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and two in particular were making their way so slowly to the outer courtyard, that their conversation was overheard by the Empress.
"His Second Highness is truly a talented speaker and his intelligence surpass the age of his mind. It was as if he was giving us a lecture on ethics. And along with his pitch, tone, and pace, it truly felt as if stood before us the esteemed Scholar Pēitang. Really remarkable!"
"Agreed. He surpasses by far His First Highness in the understanding of the law and moral ethics. What a pity Prince Shufeng is the son of a low-born concubine with no claim to the throne, he is a true emperor in the making."
The two ministers swiftly turned towards Empress Yū Miko as they could suddenly see her appear in the corner of their eyes, and instantly froze while keeping their head low. "Your Majesty, greetings!"
"Did the princes enjoyed the meeting this morning?" she asked, feigning casualness.
The two officials looked truly on guard. They knew that by "the princes", the Empress really meant to inquire about her son, obviously expecting compliments.
"His First Highness dazzled us with his wisdom," responded one of the official, his throat unusually dry.
"Yes, Your Majesty, His First Highness spoke as eloquently as the Emperor himself," embellished the other court official. "The First prince is a true emperor in the making."
Her well defined moth-eyebrows shot up. "A. True. Emperor... in the making?" she articulated very slowly. And her delicate eyes stared at them like daggers. "What about Prince Shufeng? Were you not speaking about him just now?"
The other official swiftly articulated quite eloquently, "Yes, Your Majesty. We were appalled how His Second Highness spoke quite insolently to the Emperor. To comment how unsurprising his behaviour is since he is the son of a lowborn concubine, was rude of us. After all, he is a prince. Please, forgive our lack of propriety."
"Those words you just spoke are but the truth, but they were not the rude words that I overheard from your mouth."
"Your Majesty?" The two officials forced a smile.
Her seething eyes hooked onto their lying face. "Were you not saying that this lowborn was a true emperor in the making?" And before she realised she did it, her whole body reacted; the Empress stomped her feet and turned around theatrically by swooshing her robes.
The procession of palace attendants trailing her, looking at her slender figure accelerated pace impetuously striding towards the East Gate, wondered who would be the ones to suffer her burst of anger this time.
The laundry maids? She complained that her undergarments felt too rough. The cooks? One of the side dishes was too salty. Or perhaps the sweepers? The snow touched the top of her brocade shoes—it was unacceptable.
While they trailed behind her, the palace attendants were genuinely grateful to the Empress for she would never mistreat the staff directly serving under her.
Empress Yū Miko suddenly stopped. She smiled devilishly and snarled, "Let's go to the East Gate."
The Empress and her procession had to double back.
Beyond the East Gate stood the Palace of Eternal Spring, Royal Noble Consort Soyong's residence.
*
The next day, the two officials were flogged and thrown in prison, serving a three-year sentence for fraud.