Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 146 Jia Lian, a temporary worker in the study room, travels to the cabinet meeting

The cabinet meeting is equivalent to the highest power body of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Being able to attend this occasion means getting first-hand the latest and most important information about the Great Zhou Empire.

Jia Lian's position is not considered a corner, but it is too far away to hear clearly, and it is inappropriate to sit too close.

A desk was prepared with pens, inks, paper and inkstones. Before Emperor Chenghui and all the important ministers took their seats one after another, Kong Zhao led the ministers to pay homage to the emperor. The ceremony here was not to kowtow, but to bow to the emperor while standing forty-five degrees. He also returned the gift, showing that the etiquette between the monarch and his ministers was equal at this moment.

As a bystander, Jia Lian was still very shocked at this moment. This process was naturally left by the Taizu of this dynasty. Different from Lao Zhu in the previous dynasty and the braided dynasty in the later dynasty, this was the emperor's respect for his ministers. This etiquette is actually a throwback!
"Today's meeting, there are two important matters in the DPRK. One is that the war in the Western Region has basically subsided, and how will the aftermath be settled? The other is that the Yunyang civil uprising started in May last year and has not been quelled for a year now. What will be the follow-up? It needs to be negotiated today.”

The person who stood up to preside over the meeting was naturally the first assistant on the right, Kong Zhao. After bringing up the main topic of the day, Kong Zhao sat down.

Jia Lian quickly took notes and entered the state very smoothly. There was no sign of nervousness or embarrassment at all, and he caught everyone's attention. Emperor Chenghui in the middle couldn't help but praise silently in his heart: "Some things are innate!" 】

Kong Zhao didn't care about Jia Lian, after all, the gap between the two was too big, but Liang Daoyuan, the second assistant, was a bit embarrassed.

Because of embarrassment, Liang Daoyuan, who used to speak proactively, twisted his body and sat down again, deciding to slow down and wait for the wind before talking. As if it was agreed upon, Sun Huazhen frowned slightly and Li Qing was thoughtful.

Zhang Ting'en was waiting. After all, he was the last one and the order of speeches still had to be maintained.

Emperor Chenghui coughed repeatedly when he heard this, interrupting Zhang Tingen's trolling.

As soon as Kong Zhao continued to talk about something going on, he quickly stood up and spoke: "What you all said makes sense. To sum up your opinions, the only thing is to hire people first and put the right people in the right positions." Jiang Chaozong, the governor of Huguang, said that he was ill. Then I can rest assured and recover. Han Zong, the governor of Liangjiang, has sufficient qualifications and prestige, and can be transferred to Huguang to take charge of the overall situation. Officials in Liangjiang are more pragmatic than pragmatic, and Sun Xiang is the leader in their achievements. Please work hard and take up the post of Liangjiang to urge local cleanup as soon as possible. owe."

The words were very calm, but in fact, beneath the calm words, the sword was flashing and the sword was filled with murderous intent.

After Sun Huazhen, it was Li Qing who spoke: "The leader of the bandits in the Western Regions has escaped to rest far away. The imperial court should send envoys to ask for people. If you don't give me an explanation, it will be difficult! It is true that Wang Taiwei used troops ruthlessly, but the barbarians are afraid of power and have no morals. I think he is not There is nothing wrong. Today, Taiwei Wang has resigned as commander-in-chief for the third time. I think we can wait for a while and wait for a clear reply from the Anxi native chief before discussing whether Taiwei Wang will stay or not. Some ministers in the Yushitai always want to make a big deal, but they don't care. It depends on the time. The soldiers are fighting outside, sleeping in the open air, and working hard for the country. How can they not be heartbroken when they have to worry about slander and ridicule? Your Majesty should rebuke the censor and order him to discipline his subordinates."

If the three-step approach doesn't work, don't blame Sun Huazhen for being ruthless. In fact, Sun Huazhen's words reveal an extremely pessimistic attitude toward peaceful resolution of the problem.

Kong Zhao saw everyone's unanimous silence and said, "Your Majesty, it seems that your colleagues have not thought about it."

Sun Huazhen stood up and clasped her hands: "I will go to Liangjiang and reorganize the troops stationed in the two rivers first. Then I will investigate the local officials and purge the officials. After stabilizing the place, I will convene local gentry and famous people to discuss how to clear the arrears of tax as soon as possible. If it still doesn't work, I will We have no choice but to rectify local public security, crack down on lawlessness, and restore peace to the people of Liangjiang."

Emperor Chenghui took over: "In this case, I have no choice but to name them. Liang Qing, first tell me, how should we end the affairs in the Western Regions?"

Sun Huazhen said this series of words very fluently, and he was obviously prepared for it. Especially about the Yunyang Civil War, he must have thought about it many times before he said such a thing.

Everything must start with rectifying the garrison, then rectify the administration, and the third step is negotiation, with courtesy first and then troops.

Before making his decision, Emperor Chenghui specifically asked: "Sun Qing, if you go to Liangjiang, how do you want to act?"

Liang Daoyuan had no choice but to escape from the emperor's roll call. He could only stand up and bow to the emperor, and said: "The war in the Western Regions is basically over. When Wang Taiwei resigned as commander, he mentioned the establishment of a province in the Western Regions. I think this is a strategy Great goodness, whether the northwest is stable or not, the Western Region has the final say. Wang Taiwei has the heart to retire and support himself, and the court should support him. There is a civil uprising in Yunyang, and I am not good at military affairs and dare not speak nonsense."

When Zhang Ting'en arrived, he stood up very directly: "The Western Regions and Yunyang are inseparable from the support of money and food. The most important thing at the moment is to make money. Without enough money and food, everything is empty talk and cannot be implemented. At present, In terms of the situation, Liangjiang owes more than 4 million yuan in taxes and must be liquidated as soon as possible. Don't always talk about the gentry's dignity, but the court's dignity? Why don't those censors in the Yushitai focus on this matter and impeach them? Want to keep an eye on the generals who are fighting outside? I don’t know what it means..."

Li Qing folded his hands and bowed to express his apology, and continued: "I have read the memorial in Yunyang last year. There were many floods in spring, and the people's livelihood was already difficult. The imperial court also issued a decree to exempt Yunyang and several surrounding states from the epidemic for one year. Why is there still a civil commotion? There are only two reasons. One is that local officials did not do enough to provide relief, or even did nothing. The other is that the imperial court exempted local taxes for one year, but local officials did not implement it. Either it continues to collect taxes and goes into the pockets of officials. Or, it’s a combination of both.”

A huge black pot is placed on the heads of the gentry in Liangjiang, which is similar to self-reliance. This is a hat that will crush people to death.

After Liang Daoyuan sat down, he didn't even have to wait for Emperor Chenghui to call his name. Sun Huazhen stood up and saluted: "Your Majesty, colleagues, Wang Taiwei has thought carefully about the affairs of the Western Regions and is experienced in planning the country. I have no objection. The Yunyang Rebellion seems to be The military, in fact, is civil affairs. The civil unrest began during the lean years last year. Everyone has experience in prefectures and counties. It is not difficult to imagine that the people will not be able to live without it and will not take risks. I believe that we should first rectify the officialdom in Huguang and investigate the local officials. How can the government force the people to rebel? Otherwise, more similar things will happen in the future. Militarily, the surrounding states and counties should focus on holding steady at present, stabilize the situation, limit the scope of the civil unrest, deal with local officials, and give the people a After the explanation, recruitment can get twice the result with half the effort, instead of directly sending troops to suppress it like last year. If the morale of the army and the people is not good, it will naturally lead to consecutive defeats."

Emperor Chenghui didn't seem to want to hear this, and knocked on the table: "Talk about Yunyang!"

After being briefly surprised, Sun Huazhen did not refute, but patiently waited for Emperor Chenghui's decision.

Emperor Chenghui, several cabinet ministers, and Jia Lian beside him all looked at Sun Huazhen with nothing but respect.

Jia Lian heard the contents of the cabinet meeting for the first time, but he did not expect that these ministers spoke really fiercely. Especially Sun Huazhen and Li Qing, they really dare to say anything. What Jia Lian wanted to say was that both Sun Huazhen and Li Qing were deliberately avoiding an issue, which was the collusion between officials and gentry to use natural disasters to appropriate people's land. This is the most critical issue.

After Zhang Ting'en hugged his hands and apologized bitterly, he continued to rant: "Liangjiang locals often use tax ratios to make decisions. They only want to enjoy the convenience provided by the court and are unwilling to shoulder their due responsibilities. In my opinion, what the gentry in Liangjiang localities have done is , the same as self-reliance."

On the land of Liangjiang, how many Jinshi and people have been produced in the past hundred years, and how many people are serving as officials in the court now?

I don’t know how much resistance Sun Huazhen will face soon, but if he does it as planned, the intensity of the retaliation he will receive in the future can be imagined. It will really be a disaster for future generations.

I can't get you Sun Huazhen, and I can't get your son or grandson? And the clansmen!

Emperor Chenghui was silent for a long time and did not speak for a long time. He was really worried about Sun Huazhen. At the same time, he also knew that what Sun Huazhen said was true, and he also knew that what he said was probably the reality of the future.

Should we put the problem aside and leave it to future generations to deal with? This is obviously not in line with Emperor Chenghui's character.

After thinking again and again, Emperor Chenghui finally made up his mind: "Draw up the decree!"

Emperor Chenghui dictated: "Emperor Chengyun of Heaven has issued an edict:...give Shang Fang a sword, and you will definitely do things cheaply...I appreciate this." The most important content of this imperial edict is "Give Shang Fang a sword, and you will definitely do things cheaply." 】

Especially the quasi-[acting cheaply] means that under the rule of Liangjiang, Sun Huazhen can deal with the officials below the third rank (not including the third rank) first and then report the reasons. Those below the fourth rank can be killed first and then reported. This right is huge!

Emperor Chenghui made up his mind and drafted decrees decisively. After Li Qing, Minister of Rites, gave the decrees to Sun Huazhen and Han Zong respectively, he handed them to Kong Zhao and others for review. After no objections were raised, Kong Zhao used his seal to indicate the major adjustment of the cabinet. It was passed collectively and finally handed over to Emperor Chenghui for his seal.

As for the position vacated by Sun Huazhen, just leave it empty.

The meeting continued, but decisions on matters concerning the Western Region fell behind. Wang Ziteng's resignation is on hold until the matter in the Western Regions is completely concluded before further discussion. The establishment of provinces in the Western Regions was prepared by the cabinet. After the process was completed, the plan was released. From the moment the emperor approved it, appointments were made from provinces to prefectures and counties.

Do you know that you should change your land and return to your hometown? Another explanation for this statement is to organize households to equalize the people!

What does that mean? The tyranny of the local chieftains was abolished, and the government was replaced by officials sent by the imperial court. A household registration system was established. After naturalization, local people had to pay taxes. Having household registration means that individual people have national identity and have rights and obligations.

There is a question that Emperor Chenghui and his cabinet ministers have not thought about, that is, how will the chieftains in the remote areas of the Western Regions view this issue once the land is transferred to the land and the people are reorganized into households. I am a good local emperor, but if I have a father on my head, I will probably cause trouble or even rebel.

This is the reason why Wang Ziteng's three words were not approved. You still have to stay in the Western Region and stabilize the place.

The situation at hand is that in the Western Region, those who dare to rebel, no matter whether they are noble or low, are almost killed. The rest did not dare to resist, so naturally they had no choice but to submit obediently. Therefore, Wang Ziteng declared that if he missed this opportunity, the difficulty would be infinitely magnified if he tried to change the situation and establish a province.

…………

In fact, when the cabinet meeting was being discussed, the envoys under Wang Ziteng's banner had already crossed the Congling Mountains and entered peace.

The local chieftain was so frightened by Wang Ziteng's blade that he trembled, and commanded his ministers to go fifty miles out of the city to greet him.

Zhou Lin, who was on horseback, saw the welcoming team from a distance, but did not dismount. He squinted at the chief who was walking forward, and asked: "The envoy of the Celestial Dynasty is here, why don't you kneel down to greet me? Are you unhappy with the sword on my waist?" "

As soon as he finished speaking, the fifty followers behind him unsheathed their swords and got ready to fight.

The chief's legs suddenly weakened and he knelt down in obeisance: "The envoy of the superior country, please calm down. The little king of the lower country does not know the etiquette of the superior country. Please forgive me!"

As soon as the great chief knelt down, the rest of them also knelt down by the road one after another!

Resist? How small is the population of Anxi? Don’t you see millions of people billowing across a green ridge?

It is not difficult to kill Zhou Lin directly, and it is not difficult to wipe out this envoy completely. The consequences will be to quickly pack up the things and the entire Parthian Kingdom will run away collectively.

In the Western Region, in terms of Anxi, the top-level people are all related to each other, and there are many marriages. Wang Ziteng went on a killing spree in the Western Region, which really frightened the chiefs of Anxi and the tribes further north. Even the Rus Empire, which had been dedicated to fomenting rebellion, was frightened. This is not the first time that the Ross Empire’s claws heading south have been cut off.

It's just that the last time in the east, the losses of the Ross Empire were not big. The reason for giving up the eastward advance was more because it was too far away. No matter how hard we fought, we would lose. After being beaten in pain, we had no choice but to accept it.

This time Wang Ziteng's butcher knife was raised, and once again the Rus' Empire and the Parthian tribes saw that what fell on the blade of the Celestial Empire was the blood of the barbarians that had been drank for the past two thousand years to stabilize the frontier.

Hundreds of Parthian nobles knelt on both sides of the road. Envoy Zhou Lin rode forward leisurely. Many names from history came to his mind, including Han and Tang. In the future, his name will also enter the list. History books.

The reason why the struggle between the Central Plains dynasties and the northern nomads could not be eradicated during the agricultural period was caused by nature.

Every period of decline of the Central Plains dynasty was a short-lived carnival for the northern nomads. Then came the blade from the Central Plains Dynasty, which once again made the North kneel down. It was another reincarnation.

No matter how reincarnated the land of the East is, the Central Plains dynasty will always stand firm, with a continuous culture and a continuous spirit.

Therefore, two thousand years later, people named it "Revival".

She is always there, but sometimes she gets sick. When she recovers, she returns to the chessboard called the world.

This heritage is unique in the world!
………………

When Jia Lian went to the study to observe the government, he was essentially serving as a secretary to the emperor, but this secretary had greater rights.

After reading the memorials from various places, the cabinet gave suggestions and dealt with all that could be dealt with. Those that needed to be dealt with by the emperor were sent to the upper study. In the past, the emperor read them all in person, but now there is a temporary worker Jia Lian who goes to the study. He will go through them first, judge the priority of things, and decide the order of submission to the emperor.

What concerned the ministers was that there had not been such a temporary position before, and Jia Lian's position was completely created!

This time it’s Jia Lian. Who will be next? Is it a temporary worker or a formal employee?

The importance of this position can be seen by any official at a glance.

(End of this chapter)