Dāng shìqing dào le " guórénshāzhīyě " de dìbù, mínyì yǐ bùkě wéi.
When a matter reaches the point of 'the whole nation demanding his death,' popular will cannot be defied.
Tips
history
From 《孟子·梁惠王下》 (Mencius: King Hui of Liang II). Concludes Mencius's staged procedure: 国人皆曰可杀，然后察之，见可杀焉，然后杀之，故曰国人杀之也 - 'only when the whole populace says to kill him, and you investigate and confirm, should you execute - hence it is said, the nation does the killing.' The line frames capital punishment as an act of the whole polity, not the ruler alone.
usage
也 here is the classical assertive particle (wrapping up the statement), not the modern 'also.' Rarely used outside of quoting or paraphrasing Mencius on popular sovereignty.
