Senior Grand Secretary Fan Jingwen gave a light cough, then cupped his hands toward Emperor Chongzhen and said, "In this subject’s opinion, we should wait until Zu Dashou arrives at the Capital to question him in person. We can decide on a course of action after hearing his response."
It was a masterfully crafted reply.
On the surface, it addressed the Emperor’s question, but in reality, it said nothing at all. He had not stated whether Zu Dashou was guilty, nor had he suggested how to deal with him. He had merely pushed the decision further down the road, to be made only after Zu Dashou arrived. And when that time came, who would make the decision? Who would have the authority? Only the Great Ming Emperor, Chongzhen. Fan Jingwen had effectively deflected the burden right back onto the Emperor.
Chapter 1017