Han family achievements

Chapter 521: Change of Mind
Obviously, Tian Feng's way of "rectifying the administration of officials" brought tremendous pressure to the Secretariat, so much so that Xun Yu was seeking to "slow down".

Liu Bian pondered and thought silently.

Tian Feng's methods not only shocked and frightened the court and the public, but also went beyond Liu Bian's expectations.

But what Tian Feng did was better than Liu Bian expected, which was what Liu Bian appreciated and needed.

At the beginning of Liu Bian's reign, in order to stabilize the political situation, he always adopted a "gentle" attitude towards the court's top officials. Even if there were changes, they were gradual and there had never been a large-scale purge.

Later, Xun You, Xun Yu and others came to power one after another. Liu Bian repeatedly demanded "clean and honest administration of officials". Xun Yu, Xun You and others also did some things. This was also the reason for the emergence, formation and expansion of the "Yingchuan Party".

Xun Yu, Xun You and others also hoped that the court would be stable, and did not thoroughly clean up the middle and lower levels. Moreover, as the court's money and grain circulated, corruption was also accelerating, which can be clearly seen from the issue of the river.

This is the situation in Luoyang City. The court had weak control over the prefectures and counties, and even lost control of them. The level of corruption was unimaginable.

Take Zuo Rong for example, he built a Buddhist city in a short period of time, and the money he spent amounted to tens of billions or even hundreds of billions of money!
It has come to this, how can we not clean it up? ?
The imperial court has successively pacified Dong Zhuo and Wuhuan, morale has been greatly boosted, and prestige is unprecedented. This is the best time to rectify the administration!

Xun Yu stood beside Liu Bian. Seeing that Liu Bian had been silent for a long time, his mature face became unusually serious. He said, "Your Majesty, no matter how chaotic Luoyang City is, with Your Majesty in charge, no one can rebel against the heaven, and we can handle it. But if you clean up the place in this way, I can conclude that Your Majesty's years of hard work may be destroyed in an instant!"

Liu Bian raised his eyebrows and turned to look at Xun Yu.

Xun Yu did not retreat. He looked at Liu Bian and said, "I am not speaking nonsense. Let's not talk about other things. Just the fact that Zuo Rong might rebel. Even if he fails, he will retreat to the south and join the rebels..."

Liu Bian narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You are exaggerating a bit."

Just as Xun Yu was about to open his mouth, Zhong Yao suddenly interrupted, raised his hand, and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, there are more than a thousand cases in Luoyang City. The three judicial departments have a mountain of cases, and they are still piling up. It will take the three judicial departments at least two years to handle all the cases up to now. If we continue, I am afraid that the three judicial departments will be overwhelmed."

Liu Bian took in the expressions of the two men, and suddenly turned to look at Cao Cao, smiling and saying, "Grand Marshal, what do you think?"

Cao Cao bowed calmly and said, "I have always kept in mind your Majesty's words. Harmony is the most important thing for the court."

Liu Bian looked at Cao Cao deeply, smiled and said, "I am very pleased that you can say this."

Then he turned to Pan Yin and said, "Go see Tian Feng in person and tell him that the people in Luoyang should take it easy. Don't rush to leave the capital in the short term. Take care of the things in Luoyang first."

"I obey your command." Pan Yin responded and took small steps back.

Xun Yu, Zhong Yao and others felt inexplicably relieved when they saw this.

But he didn't completely relax and looked at each other subconsciously.

Your Majesty, are you so easy to talk to?

Or is there something more brewing?

They are not stupid. If Tian Feng dares to do this, he must have the support of the palace!
From Tian Feng being escorted to Luoyang, to his "expungement of guilt", to his entry into the Censorate, to Liu Xie taking up the post and being promoted to Chief Censor, the planning in the palace was clearly visible step by step.

"So be it."

Liu Bian patted the sand table vigorously, stood up with a smile, and said, "Everything is out in the open now, let's do it step by step, and don't make any mistakes."

All the ministers bowed and said, "We obey your orders."

Liu Bian waved his hand and turned to leave.

Xun Yu, Xun You and others followed, leaving only Cao Cao and other officials from the Grand Marshal's Mansion.

Cao Cao watched Liu Bian's back, and when the footsteps disappeared, he turned to look at Jia Xu, his narrow eyes flashing with a strange light, and then said with a smile: "Wenhe, it's rare that the emperor values ​​you so much, why don't you go to the south?"

Jia Xu looked indifferent, and after a moment of silence, he said, "I obey your orders."

Cao Cao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Wenhe. I will inform the Imperial City."

Jia Xu remained calm and said, "Thank you, Grand Marshal."

Cao Cao's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then glanced at Shen Pei, Sima Lang and others, then turned and left.

Sima Lang quietly observed the expressions of the two men. After Cao Cao left, he returned to his seat calmly, secretly keeping in mind the strangeness of Cao Cao and Jia Xu.

Shen Pei walked silently to the window, looked towards the south, his face looking lost.

He was not valued in Yuan Shao's army. It was only when Yuan Shao withdrew his troops back to Yangzhou that he attracted Yuan Shao's attention. He was sent to be Yuan Tan's teacher and even came to Luoyang with Yuan Tan as a hostage.

Yuan Tan is dead.

Under the orders of the imperial court, Shen Pei traveled far and wide and saw many things.

Seeing with his own eyes that the imperial court was growing stronger and stronger and had the ability to sweep the world, he felt very uncomfortable.

In his original impression, the Han Dynasty was about to end, and a great talent was needed to support the country, become the unparalleled overlord, and establish immortal achievements.

Unexpectedly, he was wrong.

Yuan Shao is not that person, the Han Dynasty is not the Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period will not appear, and there is no need for anyone to save the lord.

If Shen Pei had not had his experience in Yuan Shao's army, he could have devoted himself entirely to the court and become a capable official in the revival of the Han Dynasty.

Unfortunately, he served in Yuan Shao's army, which became his "bad record".

Shen Pei knew it clearly in his heart, and countless people in the court remembered it.

His current situation is extremely embarrassing. He is neither loyal nor treacherous.

Sima Lang in the room saw that Shen Pei did not come back for a long time, so he quietly came to the door and saw Shen Pei with a complex melancholy look on his face, lost in thought, and sighing subconsciously.

Sima Lang secretly took note of this scene and returned quietly.

Xun Yu, Zhong Yao and others returned to the Secretariat, and after they had digested what had happened at the Grand Marshal's Mansion, they began to work.

The 'New Deal' was deepening and entering the critical implementation stage. At this time, it was facing many pressures and obstacles. The Shangshutai had to spend most of his time on it, often getting up early and staying up late.

"Prime Minister!"

Suddenly, the clerk on duty came in quickly and said in a hurry: "Prime Minister, the Censorate has just issued a letter to the chief officials of various states and counties, requiring them to rectify the administration of officials and asking corrupt officials to surrender themselves voluntarily within three months. Anyone who voluntarily surrenders and turns over the stolen goods and money can have his crime reduced by three levels and will not be sentenced to death. In addition, the price of the redemption silver has been clearly marked..."

Xun Yu's face straightened, then he nodded and said, "Go to Lord Xun and ask him to give you an official document, which is to advise all officials to be upright, honest and upright, abide by the law, and be strict with superiors and subordinates, and not to be corrupt, pervert the law, or levy heavy taxes."

The clerk said, "Yes."

"Close the door." Seeing the clerk about to leave, Xun Yu said indifferently.

The clerk was startled, and quickly bowed and turned back, gently closing the door. Xun Yu saw the door closed, took a deep breath, and felt a headache. He couldn't help but frown, and kept breathing and calming down.

He stopped Tian Feng from leaving Luoyang, but Tian Feng was unwilling to give in and did this.

It can be imagined that as the situation in Luoyang City continued to develop, coupled with this official document from the Censorate, officials all over the world would inevitably become panic-stricken, and no one knew how much trouble would arise.

Even if ten and a half county governors, county magistrates, or even provincial governors rebelled, Xun Yu would not be surprised at all.

As the prime minister, Xun Yu knew very well the character of the officials of the Han Dynasty. If he really wanted to investigate, he would execute all the officials, big and small, in a county or even a prefecture, and the number of those who were wrongly accused would probably be no more than one finger count.

Under such circumstances, Tian Feng's tyrannical and brutal behavior will not have any benefit except causing a strong backlash and a life-threatening situation.

Not long after, Zhong Yao and Xun You arrived, both with serious expressions on their faces.

Xun You closed the door and said before he could even sit down: "We were wrong. His Majesty has not changed. It's just that he won't force us anymore."

Xun Yu and Zhong Yao remained silent.

At this point, how could they not know.

The Majesty in the palace is always the same Majesty - he will never give up until he achieves his goal!

The 'Yingchuan Party' and the 'Yang Party' exchanged parties, and the 'Yingchuan Party' lost control of the Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel. Among the three judicial departments, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate returned to the hands of the palace, and Wang Lang of the Ministry of Personnel had always been at odds with them.

To get things done in the palace, it no longer has to rely entirely on the "Yingchuan Party".

"There's going to be trouble. Let's think about how to deal with it first." Xun Yu said calmly without mentioning Liu Bian.

Zhong Yao said: "Tian Feng's actions will definitely disrupt the local area, and the 'New Deal' will certainly be greatly affected. What we need to do now is to reduce this impact and stabilize the 'New Deal'. The 'New Deal' has reached this point, and we must not retreat, and we cannot even stagnate!"

Xun You was puzzled when he heard this, and asked, "Your Majesty must be aware of the consequences, so why did he still indulge Tian Feng?"

Xun Yu glanced at him and said, "We didn't do enough, and His Majesty is dissatisfied."

Xun You couldn't help but frown and said, "We have already reached our limit! Your Majesty..."

"All right."

Xun Yu interrupted him and said, "Let's talk about the matter."

Xun You came to his senses instantly and swallowed the words back. Even if he was dissatisfied with the palace, there were some things he could not say.

Zhong Yao looked serious and said thoughtfully, "There are two key points now. One is the local governors. As long as they are stable, the county governors and magistrates will not be a big problem. The second is the military department and the Grand Marshal's Office. As long as the local imperial guards are firmly under control, there will not be too much trouble."

Xun Yu thought seriously and said, "I will take care of the Grand Marshal's Mansion and the Military Department. You go out in person to appease the states, and also go to some important counties in person to make promises and protect what should be promised. I will put pressure on Tian Feng again."

Zhong Yao nodded and said, "That's easy. I have another idea, but I don't know if I should mention it."

As he said this, he glanced at Xun You.

Xun You sat up straight and said in a deep voice: "Cao Cao must not leave the capital!"

Xun Yu's expression slightly changed, and he said, "Yes."

Seeing this, Zhong Yao stopped talking and said, "Prime Minister, we must also keep a close eye on the Ministry of Personnel. There are many officials who need to be filled this time, and I am worried that Wang Jingxing will take the opportunity to do something."

Xun Yu could not help but press his temples with both hands, and said solemnly: "Okay. After you leave the capital, you can also visit the major families. For some great talents, you can make exceptions and admit them. If necessary, tell them clearly that if they really resist the imperial examination, the court will put them on the "list of those who cannot serve in the government" and within five generations, they will not be allowed to serve in the government, and even their relatives and friends will be implicated."

Xun You was startled and said, "Isn't this a bit too harsh? I'm worried that it will backfire."

Xun Yu looked at him with a stern gaze and said, "At this point, don't you understand the importance of this matter? If we don't do things in advance, once His Majesty takes action, we will be caught in a dilemma and in an awkward situation, just like now!"

Xun You opened his mouth to ask for something, but eventually changed the subject and said, "There are many of our people in the prison, we must rescue those who should be rescued, and we must not let the Censorate execute them all!"

This time, Xun Yu did not object and said, "I'll do it."

Xun You was surprised, but soon understood. He didn't know if he was dissatisfied or something else, but he suddenly sneered and said, "If you had known this earlier, why did you do it in the first place!?"

Zhong Yao quickly said, "Gongda, you have to understand the Prime Minister's difficulties."

Xun You knew his demeanor and adjusted his mood in an instant, saying, "That's what I said."

Xun Yu ignored Xun You's words and said, "I..."

"Prime Minister."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. After waiting for a moment, the voice of the clerk on duty came, saying, "Lord Cai has entered the palace."

"Cai Yong?"

Zhong Yao looked thoughtful and asked Xun Yu, "Did the Prime Minister know about this in advance?"

Xun Yu shook his head slightly and said to the door: "Go ahead."

The clerk responded and disappeared silently.

Xun You looked puzzled and asked, "Without an imperial decree, Cai Yong cannot enter the palace at will. Did His Majesty summon him? What did His Majesty summon him for?"

Zhong Yao was also thinking.

Although Cai Yong was not convicted and imprisoned because of the Wang Yun case, he was excluded from the court and would never be able to enter the core of the court in his lifetime.

Even if his daughter becomes the queen and his grandson becomes the crown prince, nothing will change.

This is the will of the palace!
Xun Yu seemed to have figured something out, and said, "Don't worry about him, it's probably not His Majesty's call. Let's talk about our business. The Ministry of Revenue is going to set up a transport envoy, who will be concurrently held by the Left Vice Minister. I have recommended Han Bin to His Majesty, and His Majesty has agreed. The Transport Department must speed up its operations..."

Zhong Yao and Xun You listened, agreed, analyzed the situation, and made suggestions.

At this moment, Cai Yong had already arrived at the back hall and sat opposite Liu Bian.

He had a head full of white hair, looked energetic, had a thin face and bulging eyes, like a scholar who was rigorous in his studies and strict in his manner.

But in front of Liu Bian, he was reserved and smiled, saying: "Your Majesty, this time I came to the palace mainly to inquire about the preparations for the construction of the Crown Prince's Mansion."

Liu Bian was stunned for a moment and said, "The Crown Prince's Mansion? The Crown Prince wants to open a mansion? Isn't it a little too early?"

Cai Yong's smile seemed to be frozen on his face. He had to keep it up, saying, "Your Majesty... I remember that Your Majesty has lived in the Shi Mansion since he was six years old. Now the prince is seven years old. In addition to building a mansion and selecting officials for the Eastern Palace, it will take another two or three years. Time is actually not enough."

(End of this chapter)