I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 151 The period of filial piety expires

During the Liu Ben court meeting, the funeral of the Emperor Xian was also proceeding step by step.

After the court meeting, before all the officials mourned, Liu Bian made the final arrangements.

Regarding the Shangshutai after Lu Zhi left, Liu Bian left the Shangshu Ling temporarily vacant, and the affairs of the Shangshutai were temporarily taken over by Shangshu Pushe Zhang Xun. He also arranged for Xun Yu to be the Shangshu Youcheng in the Shangshutai, as Zhang Xun's deputy.

Liu Bian's intention was to maintain the original structure of the decision-making body during his period of filial piety and avoid unnecessary turmoil caused by the new Shangshu Order.

On the other side, Queen He became Queen Mother He, and she had to move from the Central Palace to the West Palace to be with the Queen Mother. Of course, she still had to live in two palaces separately. If they really wanted to live together, they wouldn't have to fight every day.

Liu Bian talked to Empress Dowager Dong, who had been staying in front of Emperor Xian's body, about stopping the collection of gifts from the Western Garden and reducing or exempting oral taxes for three years. Contrary to Liu Bian's expectation, Empress Dowager Dong did not get angry or blame him. Just let out a long sigh.

Seeing this, Liu Bian said nothing more.

Later, he privately told the Queen Mother He: "When the Queen Mother is watching the government, you can ask the Taifu more when something happens. If there is anyone who can't decide, you can send someone to tell me first."

The courtiers who participated in the court ceremony were dressed in mourning clothes after the court meeting, with Grand Duke Lu Zhi and General He Miao as the first, followed closely by the three princes, followed by the nine ministers, who mourned for the emperor Daxing.

Liu Bian put away his other thoughts and officially began to observe filial piety for Emperor Xian.

After this, it was the first year of Guangxi.

During this period, the Dong family and the Queen Mother He inevitably had many conflicts, but fortunately, the Dong family did not say anything about asking Dong Chong to behead her head.

But something else happened, causing some waves.

In the middle of winter, when the weather was dry and everything was dry, the Beigong Zhangtai Hall unexpectedly caught fire.

As soon as this incident came out, someone immediately used this as a reason to write a letter to impeach the ten permanent servants.

A fire is an early warning from heaven.

At this time, Liu Bian was still observing filial piety.

Dong and Empress Dowager He were both watching the government in the West Palace. How could these things be hidden from Zhang Rang and others?

Zhang Rang, together with Zhao Zhong, Sun Zhang and other regular servants, cried to the two men about the sanctimoniousness of the scholars and what the party members had done to their family members and nephews, without mentioning whether those people had violated the law.

Dong and Empress Dowager He would not agree to punish the ten permanent servants, and they remembered that Emperor Xian had told Liu Bian to treat Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong well before his death. Faced with Zhang Rang and others' cries of apology, the idea of ​​​​convicting those who were impeached came up.

Fortunately, Lu Zhi and He Miao persuaded him during the implementation stage.

Before Zhang Rang and others went to cry and complain, Guo Sheng told Liu Bian first.

When Liu Bian found out, he didn't do much and only praised Guo Sheng for coming in time.

Outside the palace, although the matter was stopped, it was inevitably leaked.

As a result, the scholars became angry and worried that eunuchs would be in power again.

The conflict between scholars and eunuchs once again materialized, and the discussion it brought suddenly overshadowed the original discussion about whether the country needed an amnesty for the world.

Only those close to the center are waiting for the return of the new king.

After Liu Bian observed filial piety for twenty-seven days, Liu Xie and Liu Shou were left to continue to observe filial piety for the late emperor, while he returned to Yuntai Hall.

Yutang Palace carried too much of the late emperor's aura, and even after nearly a month, Liu Bian instinctively chose to return to Yuntai Palace.

Yuan Wei was already quite prestigious. Taking advantage of this trend, especially after Yuan Wei requested to stop accepting the gift money from the West Garden and got the new emperor's consent, he immediately submitted a letter after Liu Bian's filial piety was over. Although he wrote a long article eloquently. , but its purpose is very clear - Shi Changshi, from Zhang Rang Zhao Zhong down, has embezzled a lot of money, and it will be known after a quick investigation.

He figured out the direction and knew that Liu Bian had been rectifying the administration of officials. If officials had to be dealt with in accordance with national laws, could eunuchs be exempted?

Of course not!

Although he didn't want to follow Yuan Wei's path, Liu Bian still kept this memorial. This was indeed a good opportunity. After Yuan Wei, there were successive edicts impeaching the ten permanent servants.

Some are still clichés, such as God warning eunuchs to harm the country, but others, like Yuan Wei, point out that Zhang Rang and others used their power to gain wealth in the past, and their homes outside the palace cannot be deceived.

Some people even pointed out that Zhang Rang misappropriated the precious wood used in building the Western Garden for Emperor Daxing.

That night, Guo Sheng, who was instructed by Liu Bian, told Zhang Rang and others about the incident.

Liu Bian has the confidence to do this, and he is not afraid of Shi Chang's servant jumping over the wall in a hurry.

The Yulin Langs stationed in the East Palace were all under Guan Yu and guarded the Yuntai Palace where he was.

The ten constant servants are by no means of the same mind. Needless to say, Guo Sheng has long wanted to be the second Zhang Rang, and now he has legitimately served in Yuntai Palace.

Bi Lan was obsessed with inventing new paper, so as to gain the title of marquis for his merits, and his name would be passed down in history.

Moreover, based on his understanding of the Shi Changshi, as long as death is not imminent, would they dare to take risks?

That night, Liu Bian first chatted with Guan Yu about the people of Luoyang's views on the amnesty.

Guan Yu's trilogy was very popular among the people, and Liu Bian would regularly give them material rewards to maintain the purity of the trilogy.

Liu Bian could get first-hand information from them.

The people's ideas are not consistent, but they are very simple in nature.

For most civilians, the officials in Luoyang Township are now governing the Qingming Festival. Even if those imperial students who are willing to go to the countryside cannot endure hardship, they will not exploit the people. The amnesty has no impact on them, and they don't care.

Only when asked specifically whether they are willing to allow those rural officials who have been convicted to be pardoned will the people express their opposition, either strongly or subtly.

However, some people whose children had been exempted from the oral tax were very grateful to Xinjun, and they were smart enough to ask Xinjun what answer he needed.

This is also the benefit of Tai students. They don't have to worry too much about the imperial court's virtues not reaching the countryside.

The remaining civilians were polarized.

People who have relatives in prison naturally hope for amnesty, but how can the victims do so?

Some people quietly asked if they could only pardon his relatives but not his enemies.

Originally, there would be rural officials who oppressed the people with prison sentences, but this was a problem of official governance. At least after the rectification of the townships, Luoyang, which had the most provincial officials from Taipei students, almost disappeared.

Relying on amnesty cannot solve the problems caused by official administration.

Liu Bian does not intend to use amnesty to roughly resolve unjust, false and wrongly convicted cases.

……

The next day, as soon as Liu Bian woke up in the back hall of Yuntai Hall, he heard Guo Zhi telling him that Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and other ministers were asking for forgiveness outside the hall.

"When did they come?" Liu Bian asked while getting dressed.

"About two-quarters of an hour."

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Liu Bian was still not used to calling me, but this was normal. Even the emperor didn't need to call me all the time.

Guo Li immediately bowed down and said, "I saw that Your Majesty has not slept so well for a long time, so I took matters into my own hands."

(End of this chapter)