I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 749: Debate with Scholars: Reform is Imminent

Luoyang, at the Marquis Guanjun's Mansion, everyone gathered together.

"No, my lord!"

"Official system reform is of great importance. A single move will affect the entire system. Moreover, there is the precedent of Wang Mang's reform in the past. A hasty reform may cause unrest in the government and the public!"

Upon hearing that Su Yao wanted to reform the official system, Xun Yu and Zhong Yao were the first to step forward to express their opposition. They tried to persuade him anxiously, with worry on their faces.

Coming from prominent families and serving as officials at the central government, they knew only too well the impact of official system reform on the court.

If this matter is not handled properly, it is very likely to cause severe chaos and conflict.

In the past, Wang Mang usurped the Han Dynasty and ascended the throne without bloodshed, which won the support of almost all the aristocratic families and former royal families in the country. Everyone thought that Wang Mang would establish a new dynasty, create a new atmosphere, reform the shortcomings of the old policies, and solve the problems of the world.

Wang Mang himself was also in high spirits and full of ambition.

As a result, people later knew that Wang Mang's reforms ended up in a mess, and he brought about his own death, triggering a nationwide rebellion.

Although the later Guangwu Restoration restored order, the core problem was not actually solved. The stability of the world was only because nine out of ten houses were empty after the chaos, and the crisis of land conflicts across the country was passively resolved.

Now, I heard that our own Lord Su not only wanted to establish a female emperor, but also wanted to reform the system. Oh my God, it's so scary!

Not only did the royalists like Xun Yu and Zhong Yao express clear opposition, but Su Yao's die-hard supporters like Wang Ling and Zhao Yun also spoke out and asked Su Yao to act with caution:
"Sir, the reform of the official system is indeed a serious matter, and we must proceed with caution."

Wang Ling also stepped forward and tried to persuade him. Zhao Yun also stepped out and said, “I will give you a chance to show you how to do this.”
"Although I don't understand the affairs of the court, I also know that a single move can affect the entire body. Now that the traitor Dong has just been executed, the court is not stable yet. If you rashly reform when people are calm, it may cause chaos."

Su Yao smiled slightly and raised his hand to signal everyone to be patient. He paced slowly, his eyes swept across everyone's faces, finally stopping on the military advisor Jia Xu who also remained silent.

"Wenhe, I respect your wisdom. Do you think the same as everyone else?"

Jia Xu took a deep breath and smiled bitterly:
"I am a dull official, but I know that your actions are always meaningful, so I dare not question them."

"However, what my colleagues have said is also very reasonable. Your Excellency's intention to reform the official system and divide the power of the officials is commendable."

"But reform is no small matter and requires careful planning and adequate preparation. It must be able to truly address current problems and address them, while also taking into account the interests of all parties so as not to provoke unnecessary resistance."

"Otherwise, as Wen Ruo and Yuan Chang said, we may repeat the fate of Wang Mang and bring about our own destruction."

Seeing Su Yao in deep thought, Jia Xu knew that Marquis Guanjun must have listened to his words, and he felt a little relieved.

Although Lord Su behaves in an unruly manner, he is not arrogant and he is willing to listen to different opinions.

Therefore, after a moment, Jia Xu cupped his hands and said:

"In Xu's opinion, we should not act too hastily at the moment. Before we have control over the entire country, we should not rush into changing the official system."

"As for the Si Li Xiao Wei Huang Wan, we can promote him in public but demote him secretly, and make him give up the post of Si Li Xiao Wei by making him one of the Nine Ministers or Three Dukes."

As soon as Jia Xu finished speaking, there was a chorus of agreement from the surroundings, and Su Yao smiled dumbly:
"Wenhe's words are indeed a mature strategy for statecraft."

"The position of Sili Xiaowei has too much power and must be adjusted. Although Huang Wan has made contributions, he has not been doing his job well recently. Letting him enter the position of Nine Ministers or Three Dukes can be considered as compensation for him."

"If you act this way, you will have no objection. You are indeed worthy of being my military advisor!"

When everyone heard this, they all breathed a sigh of relief and started to praise him, as if no one had ever heard of the reform of the official system.

As a result, just when everything was harmonious, Su Yao suddenly changed the subject and said, "But":
"I have made up my mind about the reform!" After saying that, Su Yao looked around at everyone and said solemnly:
"The current situation is turbulent. Outside, the separatist forces of various local princes are gradually rising. The people of the world are suffering. Inside, the nobles are fighting for power and profit, and internal conflicts are endless."

"I have suddenly assumed a high position. Although the ministers in the court are intimidated by my military might and dare not speak out, undercurrents are surging. No one knows when a huge wave will arise."

"Yesterday, such a blatant murder to silence witnesses occurred in the Sili Xiaowei Prison."

"If I continue to tolerate this kind of thing today, and do not punish it severely and reform it, how many hidden arrows and conspiracies will there be in this court in the future?"

Su Yao's voice was low and powerful, and every word seemed to hit everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

He looked at everyone present with a sharp gaze and continued:
"Although I, Su Yao, am not a saint, I also know that in troubled times, severe punishments are needed to deter villains and stabilize the government."

"Official system reform is imperative! I will not only weaken the power of those powerful officials, but also establish a new and fair bureaucratic system so that truly talented people can realize their ambitions and the people can live and work in peace and contentment."

When everyone heard this, their expressions froze, and they secretly agreed with Su Yao's words.

Indeed, although Dong Zhuo is dead now, the situation in the world has not yet settled down.

The local princes ruled their own territories and acted independently. Although they did not completely ignore the authority of the imperial court, they were already selective in their implementation.

Even the two nearby counties of Hedong and Henei made all kinds of excuses when it came to the imperial edict to transfer them to the capital to watch the ceremony, each citing their own difficulties and refusing to carry out the order.

Meanwhile, in the imperial court, although the ministers who were rescued from Chang'an all agreed with Su Yao's proposal on the surface, they only argued for a while before giving up on the idea of ​​supporting the empress. They just delayed it for some time, first acting as regents as princesses, and would declare themselves emperor after sufficient preparations and the coronation ceremony.

But in reality, it was obvious that they were trying to buy time, delaying the princess's ascension to the throne as long as possible and secretly colluding to oppose it.

This time, the sudden emergence of those sinister people like the dead bearded man in Luoyang City must be their plan and test.

If this is not dealt with severely, God knows what kind of conspiracy they will plot next in Luoyang City.

If he wanted to end the chaos as soon as possible, Su Yao knew that he had to race against time and quickly restore the central authority before the local princes became completely warlords and trained a large and well-trained army.

Otherwise, he will face a situation similar to that of Cao Cao, where he will have to engage in decisive battles with one growing force after another. There is no doubt that the war will drag on for a long time, the people of the whole country will suffer, and the time for him to achieve the goal of unification will be greatly delayed.

"Wen Ruo, Yuan Chang, you are worried that the reform will cause unrest. How could I not know that?"

Su Yao turned his gaze towards Xun Yu, Zhong Yao and the others, and spoke in a slower tone:
"But have you ever thought that without reform, this turmoil will never subside?"

Xun Yu and Zhong Yao looked at each other, both with thoughtful expressions on their faces.

Su Yao continued:

"The official system of our Han Dynasty is now complicated, and the powers and responsibilities are unclear. There are a lot of people who are in charge of military and national affairs, such as the general, the general of chariots and cavalry, and the general of cavalry."

"With these super-ranking generals who each have their own government offices, as well as the eunuchs who record the affairs of the Shangshu and the Shangshu Ling, everyone can make decisions on the major government affairs, and no one will give in, resulting in government orders not being implemented and the government's order being weakened."

"There are also many problems with the local official system. The governors of each county are in charge of the local military and political power, like independent kingdoms. The aristocratic families and local tyrants each build fortresses to control one side. The rich have fields stretching across the country, while the poor have no place to stand. The people of the world are suffering terribly."

"If these problems are not resolved, how can the Han Dynasty be revived and how can the world be stable?"

"Even if my army plows all the land, it will only be a repetition of the previous cycle of Guangwu's deeds."

"Even worse, if our Chinese people are over-consumed in the protracted war, there is no guarantee that the world will not be taken advantage of by those covetous foreign races!"

(End of this chapter)