I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 527 Who agrees? Who objects?
The sound of the door closing was like a thunderclap, which frightened all the officials and made them look back subconsciously.

The early morning court session of the Han Dynasty started at 5 a.m. At this moment, the sun had not yet risen outside, so there was no light at all. However, even so, many officials felt that the Xuanshi Hall had become a little darker. The atmosphere was indescribably depressing, and their hearts unconsciously rose.

Catching turtles in the urn?

Close the door and beat the dog?

This extremely unusual situation has caused some people to think of these words.

Especially those officials who participated in the planning and coordination of how to create difficulties for Liu Ju, their hearts were pounding, worrying whether the plan had been exposed and whether they could still see the sun today.

After all, this is the Weiyang Palace and the Xuanshi Hall. If Liu Ju really wants to do something to them, no matter how rich, powerful, or influential they are, they will have no room for resistance.

But think again.

Does Liu Ju really dare to do this?
Regardless of Liu Che's current situation, Liu Ju has not yet officially ascended the throne. He is still just a crown prince in charge of government affairs. He still has a long way to go before he can hold all the imperial power in his hands. It is not yet time for him to do whatever he wants.

If he really dared to order the execution of ministers who were preparing to "advise and discuss politics" at the morning court during his first hearing, even if he only executed a few people, he could be labeled as a tyrant like Jie and Zhou.

The last person who did this was named Hu Hai, also known as the famous Qin II.

Today, the grass on Hu Hai's grave has grown into towering trees, and the Qin Dynasty established by Qin Shihuang has long become history.

After all, Hu Hai was the emperor in law at that time, while Liu Ju was now just a prince in charge of government affairs, and his foundation was undoubtedly much shallower than Hu Hai's.

In such an "unjustified" situation, this move is tantamount to digging one's own grave.

By then, it would not just be those who, for their own interests, did not want Liu Ju to succeed to the throne who would oppose him.

Even those ministers who were loyal to the emperor and patriotic would probably not be able to support Liu Ju's succession to the throne. They might even become the most staunch opponents. After all, if Liu Ju did this, he would cause chaos in the world and end the Han Dynasty.

Thinking of this, the officials exchanged glances in private, and most of them calmed down a little.

They firmly believed that Liu Ju was just bluffing and he would not dare to do anything rash!

If he really dares to mess around, even if a few people die, it doesn't seem to be a bad thing...

at the same time.

"This……"

Huo Guang, Sang Hongyang, Gongsun Hong, Du Zhou, Han Shuo and others were extremely worried and looked at Liu Ju with anxiety.

In their hearts, they certainly supported Liu Ju, so they definitely did not want Liu Ju to mess up during his first hearing.

Otherwise, if he left a bad reputation at this time, and someone made a big fuss about it, it would definitely cause panic among the people in the court and the country. At that time, not to mention whether Liu Ju could succeed to the throne smoothly, it was possible that the world would be in chaos.

Just when all the court officials were worried and had their own thoughts.

Liu Ju motioned Guo Zhen to present a scroll of bamboo slips, then he opened it and glanced through it in front of everyone before he spoke slowly:

"Everyone, I attach great importance to my first hearing today, so I specially commissioned my junior tutor Shi De to write a draft. I wanted to have the audience read it before the morning court began to show my determination to share the same heart and mind with you and to share my father's worries."

"But I just read through the draft and found that most of the content is just empty rhetoric that deceives oneself and others. It is better not to recite it, so as not to waste the precious time of the morning court and you all."

Hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to Prime Minister Shi Qing.

Shi De is now only the Prince's Tutor and has no actual position in the court, so naturally he is not qualified to attend the morning court.

As Shi Qing is Shi De's father, although Liu Ju did not mention him directly in these words, it makes people suspect that Liu Ju was actually making a veiled attack on Shi Qing.

"..."

Shi Qingze kept his eyes down the whole time, looking indifferent, as if Liu Ju's words just now had nothing to do with him.

"Snapped!"

With a slight sound, everyone's attention returned to Liu Ju.

Liu Ju had already thrown the scroll on the table, and then signaled Guo Zhen to present a piece of white cloth.

What is this again?
Everyone couldn't help but become curious again.

Liu Ju did not hide anything. He took the ball of white cloth and shook it gently, completely opening it up, revealing its original appearance.

Only then did everyone finally realize that this was actually a lining.

However, it is not an ordinary lining, because there are dense ink marks on it, which are clearly official script characters, closely arranged and connected into one piece, making this lining, which should be white, look like a black and white leopard print lining.

"This is……"

Someone immediately widened his eyes and tried to see the words clearly.

Unfortunately, they were some distance away from Liu Ju, and at the moment the Xuanshi Hall was illuminated by palace lanterns. Although the lights were on, it was far less bright than daytime. In addition, Liu Ju only shook it a few times and then put it away, so it was impossible to see clearly no matter what.

"This is a draft I asked another patriot to write. This patriot has done a lot of research on the current situation of the Han Dynasty, and many of his opinions are very insightful. I think they are worth discussing with you."

Liu Ju grinned, his eyes fell on the front row of ministers, and he said in an increasingly humble manner,
"But this is just my personal opinion. I'm afraid it may be ill-considered. I dare not jump to conclusions, let alone act on my own."

"Therefore, I would like to ask Prime Minister Shi, Censor Zhang, and Minister Han to come forward and help me take a look. The three of you are capable officials who have served in office for many years. If you also think it is feasible, it will not be too late to discuss it openly with you all."

"Please come forward, Prime Minister Shi, Censor Zhang, and Minister Han?"

There is no need to say much about Shi Qing and Zhang Gan, the two highest officials in the Three Kingdoms. The Han Taichang mentioned by Liu Ju is Han Qianqiu, the Minister of Taichang, who is now the head of the Nine Ministers.

This man was originally the Prime Minister of Jinan. When Liu Ju was pacifying the Kingdom of Nanyue, he asked for orders to lead his army to attack Nanyue.

Historically, the Han envoys failed to successfully make the Nanyue Kingdom submit peacefully. Not only were all the envoys killed, but the first 2,000 soldiers and horses sent to support the envoys were also ambushed and eventually wiped out. The commander of these 2,000 soldiers and horses was Han Qianqiu, who died in battle in the Nanyue Kingdom.

In this life, Liu Ju successfully made the Kingdom of Nanyue submit peacefully, so there was no subsequent war, and Han Qianqiu naturally did not get ambushed and killed in battle.

However, his initiative to submit a petition for war was appreciated by Emperor Liu Che.

So Liu Che transferred him back to Chang'an from Jinan, and from then on he rose rapidly in career and eventually became the head of the Nine Ministers.

"This...No."

The three of them looked at each other quietly, and they were a little confused about what Liu Ju was up to.
Is this an attempt to win them over?
The three of them had the same stance. They all did not want Liu Ju to succeed to the throne. They had all long ago chosen to support Liu Hong and had participated in planning many things together.

Once Liu Ju was overthrown and Liu Hong was supported to succeed to the throne, the contribution of following the dragon was indispensable.

However, Liu Ju treated them at this moment as if Liu Che treated the officials in the inner court. He allowed them to participate in political affairs on a priority basis, as if he was planning to pull them into Liu Ju's own "inner court" and entrust them with important tasks in the future.

Most importantly, this was done openly at the morning court session.

Huo Guang, Sang Hongyang, Gongsun He, Du Zhou, Han Shuo and other inner court officials are still there. These people are either the core figures of the current Wei and Huo families, or important officials who have worked with Liu Ju. No matter how you look at it, their relationship is closer than that of the three of them. Why did Liu Ju choose these three people?

Could it be that Liu Ju is now planning to marginalize Liu Che's inner court officials, establish his own inner court, and gradually eliminate Liu Che's influence?
"?"

Huo Guang, Sang Hongyang, Gongsun He, Du Zhou, Han Shuo and others also couldn't help but look suspicious.

At this moment, they had no idea what Liu Ju was doing.

After all, apart from personal ties, some of them have been to the Western Regions and had more in-depth exchanges with Liu Ju, and some are still cooperating with Liu Ju. There are almost no conflicts or grudges between the two sides. No matter how you think about it, Liu Ju has no reason to marginalize them.

"..."

The rest of the officials were also completely confused.

Although Liu Che was not an easy emperor to serve, at least many things could be traced.

However, what Liu Ju was doing at this moment gave people a feeling of reversal, making people completely unable to understand what he was trying to do or what he was thinking.

Such an emperor is undoubtedly more difficult to serve. Even those officials who have clearly followed Shi Qing, Zhang Gan and Han Qianqiu and wanted to help Liu Hong succeed to the throne, don’t know whether they should be happy or worried at this moment, and they are very uncertain.

In such an atmosphere.

Shi Qing, Zhang Gan and Han Qianqiu had already bowed and walked forward, coming in front of Liu Ju.

"Three, please."

Liu Ju smiled and handed over the lining.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Highness."

Shi Qing bowed again, then took the lining with both hands, and then slowly shook it open to check the contents.

next moment.

"!!!"

Shi Qing's body shook violently, and then he froze in place like a statue. His face was as pale as silk, and he looked at Liu Ju with horror.

"???"

Zhang Gan and Han Qianqiu had never seen Shi Qing like this before, and they all looked at him with confusion.

"Don't be polite, both of you. Come and take a look with Prime Minister Shi."

Liu Ju was still smiling, his voice didn't fluctuate at all.

"promise……"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gan and Han Qianqiu did not dare to neglect it, and hurriedly moved to Shi Qing's left and right, stretching their necks to look at the lining in Shi Qing's hand.

next moment.

"!!!"

The two men's bodies also shook violently, and they froze in place like statues. When they looked up at Liu Ju, their pupils shrank wildly.

At the same time, beads of sweat the size of beans had appeared on Shi Qing's gray temples and were sliding down silently.

If they were not facing Liu Ju at the moment with their backs to the civil and military officials, this inappropriate behavior would surely make the officials who followed their lead extremely anxious, and their hearts would jump out of their throats.

Even so, many people have begun to worry.

I wanted to pluck out my eyeballs and throw them over to see what was written on the lining that could make these two dukes and one minister so dumbfounded?
"Have you three looked carefully?"

Facing the gazes of the three people, Liu Ju grinned, revealing his white teeth, and asked in a kinder tone than before.

"Look, look carefully..."

The three of them shuddered again, and finally came to their senses. They quickly lowered their heads and bowed to answer.

"So, regarding the two national policies mentioned above, do you think they are as sharp as I do? Do you think they must be implemented with the whole country's strength?"

Liu Ju reached out to take the lining from Shi Qing, rolled it up and handed it to Guo Zhen to keep, while looking at the mist rising above the heads of the three people and asked.

"I believe that Your Highness has a far-sighted vision. These two national policies are beneficial to the country and the people, and they must be implemented..."

The three of them kept their heads down the whole time, making muffled sounds with tremors.

"Zhao Qian, remember what Prime Minister Shi, Censor Zhang, and Minister Han said. The three of them strongly advocated the implementation of the two national policies. When drafting the edict, you must write it clearly so that the world will remember their contributions."

Liu Ju immediately turned around and said to Zhao Qian who was standing behind him.

Zhao Qian was originally just a envoy. After arriving in the Western Regions and collecting Liu Ju's local specialties, although he had to eat sand for a while in the Western Regions, he has now become a constant attendant (Zhongshu envoy), and is often ordered to draft imperial edicts for Liu Che. His status is second only to Su Wen, the Yellow Gate Assistant Minister.

"promise."

Zhao Qian bowed and agreed, but in his heart he was wondering what kind of national policies were written on the inner lining that could make these three people lose their composure like this, yet still support it so strongly.

He wasn't the only one thinking this.

The ministers in the hall were also thinking about this question and were very curious.

Only Shi Qing, Zhang Gan and Han Qianqiu felt devastated, as if they had lost their parents.

Where was the national policy on the lining that Liu Ju showed them, and two national policies at that?
It was clearly just a list of up to a hundred people, and except for the three of them who were at the forefront of the list, the rest were all people related to them who secretly assisted Liu Hong in his bid for the throne, from princes and nobles to local tyrants, with almost no omissions.

If Liu Ju arrested people based on this list, he would be able to uproot their entire alliance in an instant, and all of them could be executed according to the law.

This is a naked threat and also an open conspiracy.

The so-called two national policies were simply taking a blank scroll of bamboo slips and forcing them to stamp the official seal on it. As for what Liu Ju intended to write in the scrolls, that was Liu Ju's business.

And they also had to support Liu Ju.

Otherwise, don’t even think about walking out of the gate of Xuanshi Hall today, and their clansmen will also be killed!
Moreover, the methods Liu Ju displayed were extremely clever.

He did not make the list public, but only showed it to the three of them. This was an extremely clever means of division. Once it was made public, it was tantamount to expressing to the outside world that the other people on the list might not be held accountable, and only the three of them would be blamed.

In this way, the three of them instantly became the target of those people who wanted to atone for their sins, and they would definitely spare no effort to add insult to injury.

After all, the members of their alliance all have their own ideas, and they only gathered together temporarily for their own interests. Many of them even placed other bets, unlike them who have already gone all in.

How could they be willing to accept that only the three of them should bear the consequences for something that everyone had done together?

Therefore, if they still want to survive and protect their entire clan, they must obey Liu Ju wholeheartedly and support him vigorously, including supporting the two blank national policies that Liu Ju just mentioned. They must even work harder than those who support Liu Ju, and not hesitate to stand on the opposite side of these allies and go against all odds, becoming the vanguard or the cruel official like a white glove, in order to get a chance to atone for their sins...

At this moment.

Sang Hongyang finally couldn't help but stand up, bowed and asked:
"Your Highness, since the two national policies you mentioned have been supported by Prime Minister Shi, Censor Zhang, and Minister Han, can we make them public for discussion?"

"It's natural."

Liu Ju nodded and said seriously,
"This national policy is called the imperial examination."

"Dong Zhongshu had already completed the reform of the Imperial Academy, which had already established many other disciplines besides Confucianism."

"And my father, the emperor, had already established school officials in each county 20 years ago and ordered each county to open a school. Now the reform of the Imperial College has also affected the curriculum of the county schools. The time is ripe."

"In addition, my father's dynasty was full of talented people, many of whom came from poor backgrounds. For example, my uncle was born a cavalry slave, and the former Imperial Censor Ni Kuan was born in a poor family and had to carry scriptures and hoe when he was young."

"This shows that there are still a lot of untapped talents among the people, and there are also many unlearned sons in the court."

"Now with the full support of Prime Minister Shi, Censor Zhang and Minister Han, in order to discover talents with real abilities and knowledge for the Han Dynasty, I am afraid we have to abolish the Renzi system (those who are appointed to office because of their fathers and brothers' merits), the Fuxuan system (those who are appointed to office because of their donations) and the Chaju system (those recommended by local officials), and promote the imperial examination system, so as to select talents who are truly capable of governing the country and protecting the people through fair and just examinations and evaluations."

"The matter of education selection has always been presided over by the Minister of Rites. Han Taichang just praised this national policy, so it must be led by Han Taichang!"

"I've finished speaking. Who agrees and who opposes?"

The words have not yet fallen.

Han Qianqiu felt his eyes go dark and his whole body was about to fall.

Letting him lead such a reform is tantamount to putting him on the opposite side of the entire officialdom, which is equivalent to letting him die. The only difference is whether he dies sooner or later, and whether his clansmen have to die together!

Haven’t you seen what kind of fate Chao Cuo, who took the lead in “reducing the power of the princes and reforming the laws” during the reign of Emperor Jing, suffered in the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms that he triggered?
There was also Shang Yang from an earlier time...

Your Highness, this huge black pot of yours is as heavy as Mount Tai!
(End of this chapter)