The video takes us to ancient times; Li Er transforms into the Tongtian Emperor of Shu Han.

"Huh? We can't use torture yet?"

"Li Shanchang, is that how it works?"

"Why can't we use torture?"

After reading Zhao Kuangyin's words, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but glance at his close confidants beside him.

During this period of time, he had indeed studied history books quite deeply, but he hadn't really paid much attention to the saying that "punishment does not apply to high-ranking officials."

"The rites do not apply to commoners, and the punishments do not apply to high officials; this is how it should be."

Li Shanchang nodded.

"Oh? Etiquette doesn't apply to commoners? That doesn't seem quite right. We were commoners back then too. Are you saying we're not worthy of any etiquette?"

"As for the idea that high-ranking officials are exempt from punishment, that's utter nonsense."

"If you don't make a mistake, then naturally you don't need to be tortured; if you do make a mistake, then you absolutely cannot die too easily!"

Old Zhu scoffed at that statement.

Is it true that doctors are exempt from punishment?

Who said that? Would you dare say it to his face?

If you make a mistake in front of him, he will not only punish you, but also use the most severe punishments in the world!

“The situation of Emperor Gaozu is different from that of you, Zhu Yuanzhang. You are the founding emperor, and your word is law. If you want to kill someone, no one dares to advise you.”

"Emperor Gaozu was the same in his own time. Even Fan Kuai was almost killed by a single sentence from him."

"But in this challenge, he can kill the sons of powerful clans and even exterminate their clans, but he cannot use extreme punishments on them."

"To put it simply, you can kill them, but you must preserve their dignity."

Zhao Kuangyin explained.

He studied the intricacies of that time quite a bit.

After all, not long ago, he wanted to emulate the Han Dynasty and share the world with the scholar-officials.

He naturally had a thorough understanding of the explicit and implicit rules of the Han Dynasty.

During the Cao Wei period, this situation not only failed to improve, but was amplified to the extreme due to rampant indulgence.

Not only did high-ranking officials not face legal consequences, but even for aristocratic families, killing one or two people at will was no big deal; at most, they would be fined some silver.

Not to mention torture, no one even dared to give them a bad look.

And scholars all over the world agree with these words.

It can be said that even if Liu Bang wiped out all the gentry in the capital, as long as the remaining scholars could see the hope of serving the emperor and the hope of the Great Wei achieving great things, they would still be willing to come and join him.

However, if these age-old principles are broken, the outcome may be quite different.

On a smaller scale, it would make them feel that Liu Bang did not respect scholars and intellectuals, causing them to hesitate about whether to pledge allegiance to the Great Wei.

On a grander scale, it would drive scholars from all over the world to Sichuan and Jiangdong.

Given this ebb and flow, coupled with the impending internal strife in Wei, it's hard to say whether Liu Bang will still hold an absolute advantage in the Three Kingdoms after everything is pacified.

"I understand. You can just cut off the head, but you can't peel the skin off the daylily, right?"

Old Zhu understood.

But Zhao Kuangyin still shook his head.

“Beheading is not an option either. Only dignified ways of dying, such as hanging oneself with a white silk ribbon or drinking poison, are worthy of the gentry. Beheading, as you mentioned, is a way for commoners to die.”

Old Zhu: “…”

Does it have to be this dignified?

Do these rebellious fools even deserve to be called worthy?

"Although I hate to admit it, it was indeed this abnormal back then."

"Even during the Sui Dynasty, the situation did not improve much. The aristocratic families remained arrogant, and it was common for daughters of noble families to disdain marrying princes of the imperial family."

"Li Er, what about your Tang Dynasty? How is it?"

Yang Jian thought for a moment and asked.

"The five surnames and seven noble families remain very arrogant."

"I have been rejected several times for wanting to form a marriage alliance with them. The idea of ​​a dynasty lasting a hundred years and a family lasting a thousand years is just something these people have come up with."

"Old Zhu, to be honest, I envy you."

"Although I don't know what the dynasties in between went through, it is clear that by your time, the glory of the aristocratic families is gone, and you can deal with anyone at will."

“You are lucky, so you cannot understand me, nor can you understand the current situation of Emperor Gaozu.”

Li Er sighed slightly.

Although he considered himself exceptionally capable, he had to admit that the deeply entrenched prestige and power of the Five Clans and Seven Families remained a difficult problem to solve.

"Even you can't completely suppress the aristocratic clans?"

Old Zhu was shocked to see what these people were saying.

He really hadn't noticed, nor had he expected, that there were people even Li Er couldn't cure.

"Let alone me, the origin of the aristocratic clans is Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty. His abilities were top-notch, right? Yet it was under his leadership that the aristocratic clans began to develop."

"During the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period that followed, it was a time of struggle between warlords and also between aristocratic families."

"The struggle between the northern and southern gentry!"

"Later on, in order to seize the throne from Cao Wei, the Sima family repeatedly compromised with the aristocratic families, allowing them to develop almost without restraint."

"At that time, the Jin Dynasty was more of a gentry family's domain than a Sima family's."

"The timing of Emperor Gaozu's challenge, although the aristocratic clans had not yet reached their peak, was not too far off."

"So, Lao Zhu, you still think you can peel daylilies?"

Li Erjiang dissected the development history of the Li clan over the years.

From Emperor Guangwu to Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian.

After so many years of development, let alone the aristocratic families being sophisticated egoists, even if they were just pigs, their population would be unimaginably large under such indulgence!

Although the aristocratic families Liu Bang faced were not at their peak, they were not far behind.

Therefore, he will have many concerns.

"I understand now. In the end, it's still Emperor Guangwu's fault!"

Old Zhu finally nodded, reaching this conclusion.

Liu Xiu: "?"

Is that what you mean?

He roughly knew what these people were talking about, and he also knew exactly where he had fallen short.

During this time, he has also been making changes in secret.

But to my surprise, Old Zhu came up with such a simple and blunt answer.

Very well, so it's all my fault, huh?

As long as I don't create another Han dynasty, the Han dynasty won't perish again, right?

Everyone who hears this will say that you, Old Zhu, are a little genius!

Everyone: "..."

Just as Li Er was about to say something more, he saw something happening in the sky.

The aristocratic families gradually began to understand the situation they were facing.

This point in time did not occur long after they left the palace.

Shortly after leaving the palace, they smelled a strong stench of blood throughout the capital.

The battle to defend the capital was not particularly fierce, and the number of soldiers killed on both sides was within a manageable range.

There wasn't such a strong, soaring bloodlust even when the battle had just ended.

Why is this happening now?

Fu Gu was the first to react.

He followed the scent of blood, and as the smell grew stronger, his bad premonition intensified.

When he arrived at one of the crime scenes and saw the unprocessed corpses scattered all over the ground, the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.