I, Liu Bian, Sanxing Han Dynasty

Chapter 153 The Emperor’s Severe Punishment

The use of eunuchs in espionage politics is undoubtedly a double-edged sword.

You may not need this sword for now, but you must have it.

And we need to find the right time to reduce the backlash of the scholars.

On that day, when the three ministers came to Yuntai Hall, Liu Bian told them about Zhang Rang and others' donation of family wealth.

He said: "Nowadays, outside Luoyang, there are often people who are unable to bear heavy burdens. This is a major issue for me and the princes at the moment."

Both the words and the words were intended to cool down the conflict that broke out again between scholars and eunuchs this time.

Lu Zhi had long accepted the status quo. As long as the eunuchs did not affect the new king's handling of government affairs, he would be out of sight and out of mind.

Ma Rixi suddenly thought of Yuan Wei's persuasion when he visited him a few days ago——

Yuan Wei was heartbroken and righteous.

"Now that the new monarch has succeeded to the throne, the ten permanent servants do not know how to restrain themselves. During the period of the new monarch's filial piety, they used clever words, commands and sex to seduce the Queen Mother. If they had not been stopped in time, they would have almost caused another tragedy in the prison of the party!"

"If such a villain continues to be the companion of the new king and spends time with the emperor day and night, wouldn't it be putting the emperor in a dangerous place where the wolves are?"

"Young Master has been entrusted by the late emperor to record the affairs of the ministers. How can you not eliminate troubles for the emperor?"

...To this day, Yuan Wei's voice is still in my ears.

Ma Rixi was not a strong-willed person at first. He had accepted Lu Zhi's persuasion to temporarily give up targeting eunuchs and concentrate on political affairs.

But Yuan Wei's persuasion aroused the hidden worries in his heart. He felt that it was very reasonable. Zhang Rang and others were hidden dangers after all.

Ma Rixi first glanced at Lu Zhi, who had not spoken, and knew that his friend's attitude should not have changed.

After hesitating for a moment, he admonished: "Your Majesty, this money was obtained by Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and other senior servants in the past, and it should not belong to them. Not punishing them is already showing mercy outside the law, but they Earlier, I tried to bewitch the Queen Mother, punish the remonstrating ministers, and block the path of loyalty and remonstrance, which is really a serious crime!"

Liu Bian was not too surprised by Ma Rixi's proposition.

He sighed: "Mr. Ma doesn't know something. My father once told me to treat Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong kindly. Now that they are willing to donate their greedy gains to the country, I will not listen to their instigation in the future. Let's stop here. How could I disobey my father’s last wish?”

"And if those corrupt officials can take the initiative to plead guilty and hand over the proceeds of corruption before the court investigates, they may not be able to tolerate it."

Ma Rixi finally realized that he was worthy of being the son of Emperor Xian, and his love for money was the same. Fortunately, I can use my money in the right place now.

Although he felt that this was a bit advantageous to Zhang Rang and others, but Xinjun mentioned the late emperor in his words, what could he do?

Moreover, Ma Rixi was worried that if he continued to insist on dealing with the Shichangshihui, it would have a counterproductive effect, so he did not say more.

He Miao asked a more realistic question - "Are there only four of them, Zhang Rang? Didn't the other regular servants apologize to His Majesty?"

He Miao didn't do it out of malice. He had a good relationship with Shi Changshi, and he thought that in case Liu Bian got angry at someone who didn't come to apologize, he would say a few good words for them.

After this is over.

Lu Zhi reminded: "Your Majesty, do you want to grant amnesty to the world?"

Liu Bian asked: "Has the debate between the government and the opposition come to an end?"

"No, both sides have their own opinions..." The discussion about amnesty did not stop because of the episode caused by the eunuchs.

"Then just wait a little longer!"

Afterwards, Liu Bian took out Gai Xun's memorial. After reading it, He Miao suddenly said to Liu Bian: "In the past few days, one of the courtiers has been trumpeting Gai Yuangu's achievements. Gai Yuangu was touring Hedong County to rectify the officialdom. Now everyone knows what is going on in the counties and villages.”

Liu Bian was stunned, he really didn't know, and asked: "Could it be the Sili Colonel who did it?"

Zhang Wen and Gai Xun have a very good relationship.

He Miao looked like "You didn't expect that," and said, "It's Honglu Qing Dong Zhuo!"

Liu Bian: "..."

However, this incident just reminded him that before handling government affairs in the afternoon, Liu Bian summoned Guan Yu and Jia Xu.

Liu Bian first asked Guan Yu about Wu Fu's performance.

When Guan Yu heard this, he immediately said: "Wu Yu has an upright temperament, a sense of justice and integrity..."

The words were full of compliments.

After becoming Yu Lin Zhonglang General, Guan Yu didn't have much energy to take care of the original department, and almost all daily affairs were handed over to Le Yin and Wu Fu.

"I intend to transfer some officers and soldiers to Wen He for other purposes."

Guan Yu was stunned. He thought of a time when his Majesty asked him to ask Jia Xu for help. Of course, he didn't go in the end.

He immediately reacted and said, "This is all part of His Majesty's work..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bian knew that Guan Yu might be wrong, so he told the two of them about Dong Zhuo's praise of Gai Xun: "This matter should not be a secret among the courtiers, but if the general hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known about it. I want Yun Chang to select some officers and soldiers who are good at this, so that I will not close my eyes and listen outside of the memorial."

Guan Yu immediately said: "Your Majesty, I will go and select for your Majesty!"

Guan Yu resigned without even asking how many people he needed. Liu Bian did not stop him and turned to Jia Xu.

Liu Bian didn't ask Jia Xu if he was willing to do this. He just took Jia Xu's hand and said, "I'll leave this matter to you! I can trust Wen He to handle things!"

Jia Xu had no choice but to admit it.

"Many troops are still in other counties, and it will take time to mobilize manpower. If Wen He has any other requests, just tell me."

Jia Xu was deep in thought and suddenly said: "Your Majesty, there are many dignitaries in Luoyang. If something urgent happens... I am a foreign minister and cannot see your Majesty all the time."

"No problem, I will arrange for a regular attendant to assist you."

……

After Guo Sheng left Yuntai Hall, he did not return to serve in the hall. One of the things he had to do was to go with Zhang Rang and others to report the good news to Duan Gui, Song Dian and others.

The Ten Constant Attendants always stick together for warmth, sharing blessings and sharing hardships.

Although there are several other people who have not participated in bewitching the Queen Mother.

There are also high and low levels of middle-ranking servants. Not every middle-ranking servant can reach the threshold of hundreds of millions like Zhang Rang. Among the original twelve regular attendants, Xia Yun died of illness, and Yang Wang committed suicide earlier due to crime. The combined wealth of the remaining six could not compare with the four who first found Liu Bian.

Duan Gui and others were very envious when they learned that Zhang Rang and others had been entrusted with important tasks by the new emperor.

For eunuchs, if they can gain the emperor's trust, so what if they offer all their family property?

Not to mention if you can be granted the title of Marquis, adopt an adopted son, and offer incense...

Cao Song and his son, who are now prosperous in officialdom, are their role models, although this role model is a scholar.

Duan Gui, in particular, was very envious of Bi Lan, who now stayed in Xiyuan all day. The title of prince promised by the emperor himself when he became the crown prince is not a secret among the ten permanent servants.

He, Song Dian and others bowed to the four forerunners and said, "Please teach us, sir. We also want to serve your majesty!"

……

In the evening of that day, Zhang Rang and four others came to see Liu Bian with the charter they had prepared.

And Liu Bian made a new request to them - "First set up some eyes and ears in Luoyang, and collect important information for me every day. Leave this matter to Duke Zhang. Tomorrow, Duke Zhang will go to find Jia Shizhong. I have given instructions." However, Mr. Zhang can just give him a helping hand..."

Later, Duan Gui, Song Dian and others also came to pay their respects. In the following time, a scene appeared in Luoyang City. A carriage and horses carrying money were moving in an orderly manner in the lane. Someone who wanted to trace the source found that these carriages and horses were transported from the eunuch's house. Go out and go to the palace.

Later, when the news came out, people suddenly realized that it was the ten permanent servants who felt grateful for the emperor's kindness and voluntarily used their family wealth to supplement the palace. All this money was shipped to the Shaofu to make up for the lost three years of oral tax.

Of course, it is impossible to say good things about Shi Changshi for this, and he deserves to be scolded no matter what.

……

In the first month of the first year of Guangxi, on the day of Xinhai, there was a court meeting.

Liu Bian issued his first edict for seeking talents at the court meeting.

The minister, Erqian Shi, and the governor of the state were ordered to recommend a famous scholar and a talented person.

He also ordered that ten famous Confucian scholars in China, including Xun Shuang, Chen Ji, Han Rong, and Shen Tupan, be summoned by bus to become doctors.

It is said that one needs to become a doctor, but as long as these people accept the conquest, then the doctorate is only the starting point.

To be recruited as doctors, these people must be over fifty. If he really doesn't want to be an official, it's easy to find reasons for refusing to be recruited. It would not lead to failure of conquest but guilt, which both sides can accept.

Liu Bian announced: "Those who have outstanding talents and talents recommended by the ministers are not subject to quota restrictions. I will personally inspect and appoint them."

Although Liu Bian added a patch to the quota, he knew that this additional situation would probably not occur.

Because Emperor Xian initially re-instated the party's ban, and later sold his officials for profit, many scholars lost trust in the court and were unwilling to serve as officials.

Liu Bian's move was to show his attitude of recruiting talents and accepting advice.

And given the mutual success relationship between the person who recommends and the person being promoted these days, the person being recommended either has status or is famous.

Nepotism is unavoidable, but you can always find some gold!

Moreover, Liu Bian still remembers some names in history, making it easier to find gold.

And with the rectification of officialdom in the future, there is no need to worry about the whereabouts of these more than 100 people.

……

Outside the palace.

Regarding the amnesty for the world, from a practical perspective, there is a debate about whether it is conducive to governance, and from a classical perspective, it involves a discussion of morality and punishment.

When Zheng Xuan, who was in Luoyang, asked the students for advice, he first answered this question from the perspective of etiquette - "The eight handles of punishment and virtue should be handled by the emperor, and kindness and punishment should come from top to bottom. Things should be handled according to the etiquette system, and everything should be handled appropriately. , there should be no guilt, and disasters should not be eliminated."

Although Zheng Xuan did not answer directly, he also revealed his political views through this sentence.

He is a believer in the connection between heaven and man and recognizes the authority of the emperor.

He believed that whether or not to grant amnesty to the world was a matter for the emperor to decide.

Nowadays, there are criminals and disasters everywhere. The reason is that etiquette is not observed. This is a problem of governance.

From this, there is no need to elaborate on his proposition.

The Tai students who spoke the most freely in Luoyang were also divided into two factions. This was something Xinjun allowed, and the Tai students joined with even greater enthusiasm.

Someone asked bluntly: "In the past, there was almost a general amnesty every year, but has the world become peaceful because of this?"

At this time, when local affairs were at their lowest, some Tai students who were local officials near Luoyang returned, bringing more realistic voices.

Under their governance, there were almost no unjust cases, and those who were convicted deserved the punishment they deserved.

But there is only one kind of criminal that they can't stand.

That is, those people who did not have any permanent property, could only survive as tenants, and were really unable to pay the dues.

If these people cannot make up for the missed tax, they will of course be punished, and it will be more difficult to make up the tax after being punished.

Originally, he could still earn some remuneration by working, but after becoming a prisoner of working for free, he could only go into a vicious cycle. The best result was that the whole family was sent to a border county to join the army.

……

Discussions on this matter are not limited to Luoyang.

Yingchuan has a strong academic atmosphere and is close to Luoyang. The discussion triggered by the court quickly spread to Yingchuan.

Xun Shuang revised his books behind closed doors after the disaster of the party's imprisonment. After the Zhongping period, he was repeatedly recommended for conscription, but he failed.

Xun Yue, who was the first to propose amnesty to the world, was not conducive to governance, and was his nephew, just like Xun Yu.

Xunzi's status in Confucianism is relatively special, and his thoughts contain some Legalist ideas. As the successor of Xunzi, the Xun family of Yingchuan also inherited this point academically.

On this day, Chen Ji came to visit. He was also a great scholar of Confucian classics, and his late father Chen Shi was a famous party member.

Chen Ji had gray hair and was wearing ordinary clothes but he was in good spirits. He shouted to Xun Shuang from a distance: "Ciming, your nephew has made a big splash!"

Xun Shuang and Chen Ji had a close friendship from their parents' generation. The two had known each other for many years and had frequent contacts.

Xun Shuang said proudly: "I have a successor to my family!"

The two then talked about the recent controversy over Amnesty.

Xun Shuang suddenly asked: "The three-year period of filial piety has passed. Can Yuan Fang be interested in showing his ambition?"

Confucius said, "Follow your heart's desires and do not exceed the rules." This is exactly the age they are. Their observance of filial piety is no longer limited to formalism, and they do not need to rely on observing filial piety for many years to become famous.

Chen Ji asked back: "I'm afraid it's not me who wants to show off my ambitions, right?"

They are pragmatic people and understand that amnesty is useless in governance.

Xun Shuang smiled and said: "Zhongyu and Wenruo often write to me, saying that the new king has innovative ambitions. I don't believe it, and I haven't written to you for a long time!"

Changwen was named after Chen Qun, the son of Chen Ji, who was also recommended by Xun Yu to be an official of the East Palace.

"Of course I have written it." Chen Ji stroked his gray beard and said calmly, "I think it will be after the new emperor comes out of his filial piety period that the imperial court will come, and Ciming will not refuse this reply. Bar."

Xun Shuang only said: "Luoyang has not yet made a final decision on whether there should be a general amnesty for the whole country."

"Ciming wants to go to Luoyang to debate scriptures? Just go!" Chen Ji said, teasing, "Are you worried about being accused of being greedy for fame?"

That is to say, in front of old friends for many years, Xun Shuang admitted it simply: "In the past, I always responded to the government's conquests. Now I run to Luoyang on my own. Do you want to lose my face?"

"Yes, yes, we still have to wait!" Chen Ji suddenly sighed, "I don't know if the new king is the one we are waiting for!"

Cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world... This is the ideal of Confucianism.

Regardless of whether the scholars participating in the discussion supported the amnesty for the world or not, they had to admit that this incident sent a message to the outside world - the emperor would punish the emperor severely.

For those who only cling to the classics and remain stubborn, this is certainly not a benevolent move.

But in the eyes of great Confucian scholars like Xun Shuang and Chen Ji who learned about economic management, it was a signal to work hard to govern.

(End of this chapter)