I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

Chapter 340 As long as Father Zhong does not rebel, I will make the Huo family the prince! (Please subscribe)
Excluding the emperor, there are a total of 16 important officials in the new Shangshu office.

There are three ministers, six ministers of the six departments, six censors of the six departments, and one seal officer.

They will become the new "important ministers" in the Han Dynasty - as for other Chinese and Korean officials, they are only for consultation and will not play a big role.

Except for Huo Guang, the general secretary, there are still fifteen couches.

Every one is crucial.

Liu He saw Huo Guang's urgency, but he did not directly mention the selected candidates. Instead, he first laid out the criteria for entering the Shangshu Office.

"After the reconstruction of the Shangshu Office, it is more important than ever. The powers and responsibilities of these six ministers are not the same as those of the original ministers."

"The candidates to lead the Secretariat, the Six Ministers and the Chief Seal should be selected from officials with more than two thousand dan."

"As for the six censors who perform supervisory duties, they can be relaxed to a thousand stones."

"What do you think, Father Zhong?"

Huo Guang nodded and did not raise any objection. He had already guessed this - if a few officials worth [-] dan were let in, Huo Guang would not object.

"Except for Zhongfu, who is the chief minister, I would like to appoint Cai Yi, the imperial censor, and Ren Gonglai, the prime minister, to serve as the other two ministers."

"Because Ren Qing is still ill, Bingji will take over his responsibilities for the time being. After the Prime Minister recovers, he can come to the Shangshu Office again."

It makes sense that Huo Guang, Cai Yi and Ren Gong are all three princes, and they jointly serve as ministers.

It was a last resort for Ren Gong to report his illness, so Huo Guang could only accept Bingji's arrangement to temporarily serve as Gong.

Liu He secretly laughed, Ren Gong would probably not have the opportunity to be the minister.

"The Minister of War is appointed by Zhao Chongguo, and the Censor of the Ministry of War is appointed by Fan Mingyou."

Fan Mingyou is Huo Guang's son-in-law. His prestige and qualifications are not as good as those of Zhao Chongguo. Huo Guang is very satisfied with being able to serve as the censor of the Ministry of War.

"Tian Yannian serves as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and Gong Yu serves as the Censor of the Ministry of Household Affairs."

After Tian Yannian was beaten by the emperor, he kept a distance from Huo Guang, but after all, he had been with Huo Guang for many years, and Huo Guang could accept it. As for who Gong Yu was, Huo Guang didn't care.

"I haven't decided on the candidate yet, so Wei Xuancheng will take over for the time being, and Yu Wuyou will be the censor of the Ministry of Industry."

These two people had little qualifications and neither had two thousand stones of rank. However, Huo Guang did not pay much attention to matters under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry, so he did not have many objections.

"The Minister of Rites is appointed by Liu De, and the Censor of the Ministry of Rites is appointed by Wei Xian."

Like the Ministry of Industry, the matters under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites are also matters where "name is more important than reality", so Huo Guang naturally looks down upon it.

"The Minister of Punishment is Li Guang, and the Censor of the Punishment Department is Huang Ba."

Li Guang was a court lieutenant in the dynasty, so it was appropriate for him to be the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment. He was also half a Huo Party member, so Huo Guang was very relieved.Huang Ba was just the director of the monastery, so he probably didn't dare to oppose Li Guang.

"Zhang Anshi serves as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Xiao Wangzhi serves as the Censor of the Ministry of Personnel."

Huo Guang could accept the previous arrangement, but when he heard the names of these two people, Huo Guang frowned slightly and seemed very unhappy.

Xiao Wangzhi had despised Huo Guang's authority in his early years, and Huo Guang had no good impression of him.

Zhang Anshi is most likely a "sycophant" around the emperor, and will definitely be detrimental to the Huo family in the future.

How could Huo Guang like these two people?
"The Minister of Civil Affairs can only appoint, remove and appraise officials with less than [-] shi. Officials with more than [-] shi must be appointed and removed with my approval. Father Zhong, don't worry."

The emperor added the last two sentences without any hesitation, which was profound and revealed Huo Guang's thoughts half truthfully and half falsely.

This not only dispelled Huo Guang's doubts, but also told Huo Guang that this matter was Liu He's carefully considered decision and there was no possibility of changing it.

The deal was done, Huo Guang could only nodded silently.

"As for the seal officer, I have decided to let Prime Minister Wei take the post."

As soon as Wei Xiang's name came out, Huo Guang's face became even more ugly.

In the past, Huo Guang was the most trusted minister, general and chief minister in the court, but the Prime Minister of Wei did not accept his fault.

Now that Prime Minister Wei holds the post of Chief Seal, although he seems to have little power, he can actually veto all edicts of the Shangshu Office.

For Huo Guang, this is the biggest constraint.

If Prime Minister Wei doesn't care about the Han Dynasty at all and only thinks about going against Huo Guang, then Huo Dang will be unable to move forward in the entire Shangshu Office.

With such a mortal enemy in front of him, how could Huo Guang be happy?
"Father Zhong, I see that you are a little unhappy. Do you have any opinions on this candidate?" the emperor asked.

From the emperor's perspective, these courtiers who "joined the administration" were chosen very carefully - cleverly and fairly.

There are both Huo Guang's cronies, Huo Guang's political opponents, and vacillating wallflowers.

Including the old ministers who stayed from the previous dynasty, as well as the newcomers who had just been recruited from various counties, and even the ministers who were close to the emperor's residence.

In short, even Huo Guang couldn't find any faults.

But it was precisely because this candidate was so ideal that Huo Guang, who was used to being arbitrary and domineering, felt uncomfortable.

Being held back by others is a very bad feeling.

"Your Majesty is wise and sees further than I do. I dare not differ." Huo Guang actually did not answer the emperor's words.

If you don’t dare to have differences, then you still have differences, but you just don’t dare to say them out.

Liu He secretly laughed in his heart. This was the trouble of not wanting to let go of power. Once the power in his hands was divided, it would be as painful as his own flesh being cut.

"I know that there are some people here who have a rift with Father Zhong. Naturally, Father Zhong will worry that they will avenge themselves and affect the government of the Han Dynasty."

Huo Guang was a little surprised. He didn't expect that the emperor could express his doubts so "properly", and he was already very considerate of him.

"This is exactly what I'm worried about. Having been in charge of the government for more than ten years, I will inevitably offend some people." Huo Guang said proudly without concealing it.

"But why was Father Zhong not worried before, but now he is worried?" the emperor asked with a half-smile.

"Because..." Huo Guang's words came to his lips before he realized that he couldn't say them out.

He couldn't say that it was because he had all the power in the government before and could suppress them at will, so there was no need to worry.

Once you say this, doesn't it mean that you are admitting that you are the one who "revenues private revenge"?
Huo Guang couldn't admit it, let alone admit it. He did it for the sake of the Han Dynasty!
"Because I'm getting old, I'm afraid I can't fight with so many people like before." Huo Guang said with a deliberate sigh.

"Father Zhong's words are wrong. The Shangshu Office is full of courtiers from the Han Dynasty, and there are no enemies." Liu He said sternly.

"Don't worry, Father Zhong. When I issue an edict to appoint them, I will emphasize the respect of Father Zhong as the Chief Minister and tell them not to be disrespectful to Father Zhong."

"In addition, I will also keep an eye on them. If anyone dares to avenge private matters or use public weapons for private purposes, I will definitely punish them severely!"

When Liu He said this, he kept staring at Huo Guang intently. The "who" naturally included Huo Guang.

Huo Guang and the emperor looked at each other for a moment, and finally he turned his gaze slightly away to avoid its sharp edge.

Today, the direction of the wind has changed, and Huo Guang cannot afford to be a powerful official in front of the emperor for the time being.

After meeting several times, he had been firmly suppressed by the emperor.

Liu He naturally saw the dodge and avoidance in Huo Guang's eyes. He thought of Huo Chengjun who was teaching the maids how to read in Jiaofang Palace, and he felt a little soft-hearted.

He decided to speak more thoroughly to make this old man, whose mind was confused by power, feel remorse.

"Father Zhong, I have some words from the bottom of my heart that I want to say to you. I'm afraid these words will make you unhappy, but I still have to say them."

"Old minister, I await the emperor's instruction." Huo Guang replied calmly.

"Father Zhong, I am the emperor of the Han Dynasty. Although I am not very familiar with the political affairs of the court, I still have to be in charge of the family of this big man."

"My father-in-law has been assisting the government for nearly [-] years. Now that the government is handed back to me, I will definitely feel uncomfortable and have unavoidable worries."

"That's why I want you to stay in the court and continue to assist me, so that I can become a qualified emperor as soon as possible."

"Then... Father Zhong must believe that I can be a good man in this family." Liu He slowed down and said.

"As for Zhang Anshi and Cai Yi, they are actually the same as Zhongfu. Many of the things they do are for the sake of the Han Dynasty."

"I hope Father Zhong won't worry too much, so as not to cause more troubles."

Liu He's words were extremely explicit, almost as direct as saying, "They are acting according to the imperial edict. Father Zhong should not bear grudges."

It wasn't that he couldn't say this, but he wanted to leave some face and a way out for Huo Guang in the end.

So straightforward, how could Huo Guang not understand? Although he had recovered from his serious illness, he still felt much older.

How could he not have the intention to retreat bravely?

The more frankly the emperor spoke, the more moved Huo Guang's expression seemed.

A trace of guilt gradually grew from the depths of my heart.

Huo Guang thought of the picture of Duke Zhou becoming king that he had put away, and suddenly felt that every word the emperor said made sense.

As a minister, even an auxiliary minister, in this situation, he has to think about retreating bravely.However, among the many powerful officials in the Han Dynasty, which one had a good ending after retreating from the rapids?

Huo Guang sighed deliberately, and the mask hanging on his face finally took off, revealing a complicated and tangled expression.

Worry, guilt, unwillingness, stubbornness... appeared alternately on his face.

"Your Majesty..." Huo Guang hesitated.

"Father Zhong, speak directly if you have anything to say," Liu He said.

"Since ancient times, powerful officials have never had a good ending."

Liu He was a little surprised. This was the first time in the past six months that Huo Guang had said such sincere words to him.

"Shang Yang, Lu Buwei, Li Si of Great Qin..."

"Han Xin, Zhou Bo of the Han Dynasty...and General Wei..."

"Which one of them has made great contributions to the emperor, but which one of them has a good ending?"

"After all, Zhou Gong, Zhao Gong and Yi Yin are too far away from now. No one can tell whether their affairs are true or false."

"I'm afraid that your Majesty will be afraid of the Huo family one day..."

When Huo Guang said this, he stopped. There was some blood red and crystal in his cloudy eyes.

In the past, Liu He was afraid that Huo Guang would destroy him; now, Huo Guang is afraid that Liu He will destroy the Huo family.

Today, Huo Guang felt this and was willing to talk about the matter openly and honestly, which was not a bad thing.

"Father Zhong, have the iron certificates of the alchemy book been delivered to the general's residence?" Liu He asked.

"Yesterday, Taichang Zhongcheng had already delivered the iron coupon of the alchemy book to the mansion."

"In that case, what else does Father Zhong have to worry about?"

Yes, now that he has the iron ticket to get out of jail, what does Huo Guang have to worry about?

"Father Zhong will assist the government well. The heir born to King Cheng will be my legitimate son. I will make him the crown prince. In this way..."

Liu He paused, took a breath, and then said: "In this way, the Huo family will still be relatives in the future, a vassal that big men can rely on, and a pillar that the court can trust..."

"This will never change!"

"Father Zhong, are you willing to work with me to leave a good story for future generations where kings and ministers can help each other?"

Liu He spoke very sincerely, and Huo Guang was even more moved, as if he was on the verge of tears.

After a long time, the old Huo Guang nodded.

……

Not long after, Liu He personally accompanied Huo Guang to the outside of the Greenhouse Hall, respectfully seeing him off as a junior.

Such a scene has not appeared for a long time, and even the indifferent Chang Yilang was a little surprised.

Liu He stood with his hands behind his back, watching Huo Guang's extremely stooped back gradually go away.

I was silent for a long time and thought a lot.

Finally, the respect on his face gradually dissipated and turned into indifference.

If today's fake show comes true, it will be the last chance he gives Huo Guang and Huo - not a chance for them to stand tall in the court, but a chance for them to shed less blood.

But there are still several prerequisites for this.

The first is that Huo Xian will not do anything crazy, the second is that Huo Guang will no longer hinder his pro-government in the court, and the third is that Huo Yu will not do anything treacherous.

I hope Huo Guang can take control of his back house, his wife and children, and prevent further trouble.

……

Huo Guang walked out of the greenhouse hall and staggered all the way to the Danqi in the front hall.

Seeing no one around, he finally raised his hand and wiped away the sweat on his temples and the tears in his eyes with his sleeves.

He hammered his sore back and gradually stood up straight. The vicissitudes of life on his face gradually faded under the last ray of sunset.

In this short period of time, Huo Guang suddenly became three or four years younger.

Although he has not returned to his prime appearance a few months ago, he is completely different from the waning appearance in the Greenhouse Palace just now.

This is not a mysterious spell, but the dejected look in the Greenhouse Palace just now was at least half an act.

In the past half month, Huo Guang has been losing, and he lost so much at that moment that he even panicked.

However, half-truths and half-falsehoods can deceive the shrewd emperor.

In the past few decades, Huo Guang has not only relied on this virtual reality, but also deceived his own acting skills to make Emperor Xiaowu trust him, make Emperor Xiaozhao fearful, make Shangguan Jiesang Hongyang misjudge the form, and make the courtiers put their arms around their ears. ?
It's been a long time since I've been like this. Huo Guang's acting was even a little rusty, and he almost really softened his heart.

It seems that I really have to pick up my old job and go back to my prudent job as a minister in the Shangshu Office.

No, it should be the general secretary.

The emperor is now domineering, so let him be domineering.

He had to be patient for a while, and when he got a good opportunity, it wouldn't be too late to fight back.

Huo Guang is not yet 60 years old, how can he completely let go of the power in his hands?

Exiting the court smoothly was indeed Huo Guang's last long-cherished wish.

But there are several conditions.

First, Huo Yu wanted to be in a high and powerful position, second, the Huo family was stronger than before, and third, Huo Chengjun's bloodline was established as the prince.

As long as one of these things is not realized, Huo Guang will never leave the front hall willingly.

Now, Huo Guang had to admit that the emperor had the advantage, so he changed his strategy.

Just wait cautiously like you did before with Emperor Xiaowu, and find a suitable opportunity to return to the core position of the court.

This month, Huo Dang's strength has been greatly damaged, but as long as Huo Guang is here, the Huo family will not fall.

Huo Guang doesn't know how to show weakness and avoid fighting.

In this day and age, young people don't always live longer than old people.

Huo Guang took a few steps forward and came to the edge of the high stairs. He raised his eyes and looked down, feeling dizzy.

It took Huo Guang decades to get here from below. There was no way he could call it quits, let alone put the Huo family in danger.

He looked up again and looked at the fish scale-like roof of Shang Guanli in Chang'an City in the distance, and couldn't help but feel even more excited.

I don’t know how many wealthy families have risen here with the wind, and then disappeared with the wind.

Han Xin, Zhu Lu, Zhou Bo, Wei Qing, Li Guangli, Shangguan Jie, Sang Hongyang...

Each and every name has been prominent for a while, but in the end no one has reached such a high status as Huo Guang. They died and their clans were wiped out, and Huo Guang was unwilling to repeat the same mistake.

In the Han family, no one has been able to do this, so Huo Guang wants to give it a try.

Thinking of this, Huo Guang's energy improved a lot. The resentment accumulated in the greenhouse palace burst out, and his spirit was lifted.

He looked back at the tall and breathless front hall behind him, and the emperor's stubborn and childish face appeared in front of him again.

The emperor indeed had the demeanor of a filial emperor, and he suppressed him until he could hardly breathe.

But after all, he was too impatient and too young. He actually thought that some tricks and a few conclusive vows could make him, a general who was used to seeing troubles, surrender completely?
Naive as hell.

In today's confrontation, Huo Guang still lost.

But soon, good news will come from the northern front, and by then, all problems will be solved.

Huo Guang was determined to let the emperor call him Father Zhong with tears in his eyes like before.

"I am doing this to teach the emperor a lesson, to live up to Emperor Xiaowu's instructions, and even more so for the great Han Dynasty!"

After reciting this sentence silently in his mind, Huo Guang finally walked down the steps.

The back gradually blurred into the night and cold wind.

This powerful man could tell that his desire and obsession for power had already made him lost in the conspiracy of Weiyang Palace.

And he missed the last opportunity given to him by the emperor.

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(End of this chapter)