特别赏赐
A Special Reward
戴希
Dai Xi
天有不测风云。这不，左骁卫大将军长孙顺德满以为其贪腐之事压根儿不会走风，哪料未出三日就传得满朝皆知。
The winds and clouds in the sky are never fathomable. See, the Left Valiant General Changsun Shunde (unknown date – about 631 AD) reckoned that his taking of bribes would never be revealed. He had never expected that within three days the whole Court would have gotten wind of it.
这是贞观元年(627年)。
This was the first year of the Zhen Guan period (627).
唐太宗闻之气恨交加：一者，当时位高权重的宰辅大臣温彦博、戴胄等人，哪个不是倾心于治国理政，以“我瘦天下肥”为荣?二者，一粒老鼠屎，搞臭一仓谷。可这粒老鼠屎，干吗偏偏就是自己的叔岳父长孙顺德?这个长孙顺德，干吗这样不守气节、不顾声誉?
Hearing this, the emperor Taizong of Tang (598 – 649) was both furious and hateful. For one thing, back at that time, which one among the other high-ranking and power-wielding Prime Ministers for example Wen Yanbo (574 – 637), Dai Zhou (? – 633) and so on didn’t threw themselves into the management of the country and the government and took “Thin out myself to fatten up the whole world” as an honour? For another, one single mouse dropping stinks out a barn of grain. However, why would this single mouse dropping prove to be, of all the people, his empress’s uncle? This Changsun Shunde. Why is he so lacking in integrity? Why is he so careless about his reputation?
满朝文武拭目以待，他们要看唐太宗如何惩处长孙顺德。
The whole court of civil and military couriers wiped their eyes clean and waited to see how Taizong would punish Changsun Shunde.
唐太宗彻夜未眠。苦思苦索一番，天亮前终于心生一计。
Taizong was sleepless the whole night long. After having racked his brain for a long while, he finally hit upon a good idea before daybreak.
赶紧叫中书舍人岑文本迅速拟好诏令，命五品以上在朝官员翌日全部参加早朝，谁也不得迟误。
He ordered his Chief Secretary Cen Wenben (595 – 645) to write out an imperial edict, which decreed that all the couriers in the capital city who ranked among the fifth grade or above must attend the morning session the next day and none should be late.
早朝之时，文武百官各就各位，站得整整齐齐，无一不是洗耳恭听的模样。
At the time of the morning session, all the civilian and military couriers stood in neat lines according to their seniority and all seemingly were listening with respectful attention.
唐太宗端坐金銮殿上，环顾文官武将，然后紧盯长孙顺德，重重地干咳两声。
Taizong sat down squarely on the throne in the audience hall and looked around at his ministers and generals. Then he gazed fixedly at Changsun Shunde and coughed drily twice.
“顺德公啊，受贿绢绸一事，还是你自己通报吧!”唐太宗语气温和。
“Duke Shunde, about taking silk as a bribe, would you please relate this business yourself!” Taizong’s voice was gentle.
长孙顺德却面如土色，浑身筛糠似的抖动。
Changsun Shunde’s face turned an earthen hue and his body trembled like bran was being sifted.
“……这几个奴仆联手偷盗宫中财宝被我发现。他们魂飞魄散，齐刷刷地跪在地上向我求饶……说什么也要塞给我二十匹绢绸……然后……”长孙顺德嗫嚅道。
“… These slaves joined hands to steal the treasures from the palace and I rumbled them. Their souls soaring away and their spirits dispersed, they knelt down on the floor as one and begged me for mercy … Come what may, they persisted in cramming twenty rolls of silk into my hands … And then …” Changsun Shunde bleated.
“那——各位爱卿，你们说，长孙顺德为什么要收受绢绸?”唐太宗下意识地问。
“Then – all my dear ministers, tell me: why did Changsun Shunde take the silk?” Taizong of Tang enquired subconsciously.
谏臣魏征脱口而答：“很简单，他就是个贪官!”
The remonstrator Wei Zhen (580 – 643) blurted out: “It is very simple. He is a venal official!”
“可他为什么要贪绢绸?”唐太宗追问。
“But why did he take the silk?” Taizong shot a prying question.
“这个嘛……”魏征皱眉。
“Because …” Wei Zheng creased his brow.
唐太宗不愠不火道：“这不是和尚头上的虱子，明摆着吗?长孙顺德家里紧缺这玩艺。顺德公家里紧缺它朕却不知，朕也有失察之过啊!既然这样，不如朕再赏赐他五十匹绢绸，让他背回家去?”
Taizong was neither irritated nor angry. He said: “Isn’t this as conspicuous as a louse on a Buddhist monk’s head? Because his family was in want of this stuff. Duke Shunde’s family was in want of this stuff but we didn’t know. Our carelessness also put us in the wrong! Since this is the situation, what say we bestow fifty more bolts of silk upon him and let him carry them back home?”
“皇上，”魏征急了，“不可，万万不可呀!”
“Your Majesty.” Wei Zheng was on a knife-edge. “You can’t, you can never do that!”
“那你说咋办?”唐太宗笑问。
“Then how do you think we should handle it?” Taizong asked with a smile.
“王子犯法，与庶民同罪。长孙顺德虽是大唐开国功臣，也应交大理少卿胡演查处，按大唐律法治罪!”魏征正色道。
“A prince should be punished like a commoner if he has committed a crime. Though he is a meritorious founding minister of the nation, he should still be transferred to the Supreme Court of Justice, interrogated by the Vice-President Hu Yan and punished according to the law of the Great Tang (618 – 907).”
唐太宗捂嘴而笑。
Taizong of Tang clasped a hand over his mouth and smiled.
“魏爱卿可见过猫捉老鼠?”
“Dear Minister Wei, have you ever seen how a cat catches a mouse?”
魏征不假思索：“当然!”
Wei Zheng answered without thought: “Of course!”
“猫捉到老鼠后，不是要把老鼠抛一抛、玩一玩吗?”
“After a cat has caught a mouse, won’t he first toss the mouse into the air for some fun?”
“这……”
“This …”
“就听朕一次，这回先赏赐赏赐顺德公吧?”
“Indulge us for once and this time let us first grant Duke Shunde some rewards?”
唐太宗呵令：“来人!”立马有人搬来五十匹绢绸。
Taizong ordered: “Attendants!” Immediately some attendants fetched fifty bolts of silk.
“顺德公啊，还得让你屈尊一下，弯腰弓背哩!”唐太宗悠然下殿，轻轻拍拍长孙顺德的肩膀。
“Duke Shunde, you should condescend for once – to stoop and arch your back!” Taizong went down the audience hall at leisure and patted Changsun Shunde’s shoulder gently.
长孙顺德的额头就开始冒汗，腰背弯曲得几乎让头叩地。
Changsun Shunde’s forehead broke out in a sweat and his back arched until his head almost knocked against the floor.
“来呀，把绢绸一匹一匹地放在顺德公的背上!”唐太宗指着长孙顺德的背。
“Step forward and pile the silk on Duke Shunde’s back bolt by bolt!” Taizong pointed at Changsun Shunde’s back.
于是，那些个绢绸就开始一匹接一匹地压向长孙顺德。
The silk weighted down Changsun Shunde’s back bolt by bolt.
每放好一匹，唐太宗都会关心地问：“顺德公，不重吧?还能扛得住、背得起吗?”
After one bolt was put in place, Taizong would enquire with concern: “Duke Shunde, they are not heavy are they? You can still carry them and hold on?”
长孙顺德羞得脸一阵红、一阵白，一阵青、一阵紫。对唐太宗赏赐的绢绸，自然是欲卸不敢、欲背不能。僵在那里，他大气不敢出。恨不得找个地缝钻进去。
In great shame, Changsun Shunde’s face was red awhile, white awhile and then indigo awhile and purple awhile. Naturally he dared neither to dump nor to carry away the silk bestowed upon him by Taizong. Standing stiffly there, he even didn’t dare to breathe loudly and only wanted to find a crack in the floor into which he might crawl.
目睹此景，满朝文武都忍不住窃笑，俨然在看一曲诙谐、幽默而辛辣的闹剧。
Admiring this funny humorous pungent farce, the court-ful of civil and military couriers couldn’t help laughing inside.
早朝完，文武百官一身轻松、匆匆散去。
After the morning session, the ministers and generals dispersed at ease.
唐太宗欲起驾回宫，胡演却忧心如焚，紧跟在其身后。
Taizong wanted to stand up from the throne and retire to the inner quarters of the palace. Hu Yan, his heart stricken with worry as if it were being burned, followed him closely.
“皇上，长孙顺德贪脏枉法，罪不可赦，您干吗反其道而行之，加倍赏赐他?”胡演小心探问。
“Your Majesty, Changsun Shunde has taken bribes and twisted the law. His crimes are unpardonable. However, why did you do exactly the opposite and bestow double rewards upon him?” Hu Yan probed cautiously.
唐太宗轻轻转身，笑道：“胡爱卿，你说，只要长孙顺德还有人性、良心未泯，那么，朕在众目睽睽之下加倍赏赐绢绸给他的羞辱，是不是会比判他下狱伏法更剜心?反过来，如果面对如此羞辱，他仍无动于衷、不知愧疚，那他不就是一介禽兽，即使杀他又有何用?”
Taizong turned around slightly and explained smilingly: “Dear Minister Hu, tell me: as long as Changsun Shunde still has human qualities and his conscience is not yet dead, won’t the humiliation brought by our double bestowal of silk in full view of a large crowd be more heart-gouging than sentencing him to prison to satisfy the law? On the other hand, facing such humiliation, if he is still nonchalant and guiltless, isn’t he then only one animal? What is the use of executing him?”
“可是皇上，不怕一万，只怕万一。万一……”胡演忐忑不安。
“But, Your Majesty, it is not a certainty but an accident that should be afraid of. What if …” Hu Yan’s heart was at sixes and sevens.
“放心，我自有安排。”唐太宗安慰他。
“Put your heart at ease. We will make the arrangement,” Taizong consoled him.
胡演将信将疑。
Hu Yan took his words with a pinch of salt.
之后，长孙顺德就像一只泄了气的皮球，很长一段时间都消沉、沮丧，不敢抬头走路。
Thereafter, for a long period of time, Changsun Shunde was in dismay like a punctured ball and didn’t dare to strut with his head held high.
唐太宗观之，又反其道而行之，诏令他为泽州刺史。
Taizong again acted contrariwise and issued an imperial decree to make him the Imperial Inspector of the Ze Prefecture.
长孙顺德感恩不已，发誓一定改邪归正、改过自新。
Beside himself with gratitude, Changsun Shunde swore an oath that he would abandon evil and return to righteousness.
果然，上任不久，他就大胆地将前任刺史张长贵、赵士达在郡内多占几十顷良田之事上报朝廷，把全力追回的田地尽数分给当地贫穷的农民。此后，他又亲自查办了泽州的几个贪官，硬是把泽州治理得道不拾遗、风清气正。老百姓都夸他是廉洁奉公的好官。
Sure enough, soon after he hit the ground running, he bravely reported to the Court that his predecessors Zhang Changgui and Zhao Shida had seized through force several dozen hectares of fertile farmland within the commandery. He then did his utmost to get all the farmland back and distributed it among the local poor peasantry. After that, he also personally investigated and punished several domestic corrupt officials. Under his governance, the locals wouldn’t keep what the others had lost on the road and the social ethos was positive and upright. People all heaped praise upon him, saying that he was an honest devoted official.
唐太宗龙颜大悦，有意召胡演进宫。
Very pleased, Taizong summoned Hu Yan to the palace intentionally.
“胡爱卿，可曾听说老百姓怎样评价现在的长孙顺德?”唐太宗佯装担忧。
“Dear Minister Hu, have you ever heard how the regular people appraise Changsun Shunde now?” Taizong pretended to be worried.
“都夸他是青天大老爷呢!想不到啊想不到，”胡演禁不住感叹，“能让长孙顺德发生如此大的改变，皇上，您真神!”
“They all praise him that he is an Upright Lord! Beyond all my expectation, beyond all my expectation,” Hu Yan couldn’t help exclaiming. “Changsun Shunde has changed so much. Your Majesty, you are a god!”
“真的吗?”唐太宗这才“转忧为喜”，笑道，“那也不能夸朕神，要赞就赞咱大唐政治清明，个别贪官根本没有立足之地啊!”
“Really?” Not until now did “his worry give way to happiness.” Taizong concluded with a smile: “It is not that we are a god but our Great Tang’s political atmosphere is clear and bright and those sporadic corrupt officials can never find a foothold!”
(本文原载《创作与评论》2015年第5期，转载于《小说选刊》2015年第5期、《小小说选刊》2015年第16期、《微型小说选刊》2015年第18期、《小小说月刊》2015年12月上半月、《绝妙小小说》2016年第5期，选入《当代文学作品选粹2015》、《2015中国年度小小说》、《2016中国好小说·微小说卷》，入选2015年中国小小说排行榜，获武陵“德孝廉”杯·全国微小说精品奖一等奖)
