It means that if you don’t go through Zhongshu’s family, how can you have the nerve to call it "Edict"?

Comes from a famous saying by Liu Weizhi of the Tang Dynasty.

The background is that Wu Zetian changed the name of Zhongshu Province to "Fengge" and the lower province of Menxia to "Luantai". After suppressing Xu Jingye's anti-Wu uprising, Empress Wu began to implement cruel official politics, killing the Li Tang clan on the one hand, and the ministers loyal to Li Tang on the other. Accelerated the pace of usurping the throne.

Liu Weizhi, the third rank of Luantai in Tongfeng Pavilion at that time, said: "The Queen Mother has abolished the faintness and established the Ming Dynasty. It is better to return to power to calm the world." This is tantamount to opposing Empress Wu's rebellion. politics. Empress Wu ordered Wang Benli, the then governor of Suzhou (a corrupt official who was impeached by Di Renjie), to interrogate Liu Weizhi. Empress Wu's actions actually violated the judicial system of the Tang Dynasty at that time.

Liu Weizhi is the prime minister. Even if the prime minister is guilty, he should be impeached by supervisory officials, then removed from office, and then interrogated by officials sent by the judicial department. As the "Queen Mother (who had not usurped the Tang Dynasty at that time)", Empress Wu directly ordered a local official to interrogate the prime minister, which was obviously illegal.

Therefore, Liu Weizhi said this famous saying to Wang Benli - if it does not go through Fengge Luantai, what is the name of the imperial edict? Refuse to answer Wang Benli’s questions. Wang Benli reported to Empress Wu, and Liu Weizhi was ordered to die at home.

Extended information:

Liu Yizhi (631-687), courtesy name Ximei, was born in Jinling, Changzhou (now Changzhou, Jiangsu) and was the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.

Liu Yizhi was born in the Liu family in Linhuai, and was rarely known for his literary works. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, he moved to Zuo Shi and Hongwen Hall to be a bachelor and participated in political affairs. He also wrote more than a thousand volumes of "Biography of Lienv" and "Book of Music". He was once exiled. When King Li Dan of Yu came to the throne, he participated in his plan and promoted Zhongshu to the rank of Minister, Tong Zhongshu to the third rank, and gave him the title of Linhuai County Male.

Wu Zetian came to the court and was highly trusted. His official position reached the third rank of Fengge Minister and Tongfengge Luantai. Later, he returned to power due to private discussions and was falsely accused and sentenced to death at the age of fifty-seven.

Baidu Encyclopedia—Liu Yizhi