With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 258, Attitude towards aristocratic families
Allowing everyone to recommend talented individuals not only brought them closer to the emperor but also brought them tangible benefits.

The world is bustling, all come for the benefit, and the world is bustling, all go for the benefit.

Even the most loyal ministers need to be valued and cannot escape the pursuit of fame and fortune.

Previously, only one out of 100,000 candidates could be recommended for the civil service examination, but now, everyone has a spot, and Liu Xie has not limited the number of spots for them.

If you know any talented people, you can recommend one, two, or even more.

You can recommend members of your clan or other people.

Thus, an unprecedented consensus emerged in the hall, with no one standing up to object.

Powerful families monopolize everything, including official resources; for ordinary people to become officials is harder than climbing to heaven.

Aristocratic families monopolize knowledge, and ordinary people can forget about reading, because they have no books and no academy to teach them.

Almost every family had a dedicated place to store books, and academies were also controlled by aristocratic families. In the late Han Dynasty, the Yingchuan Academy and Shuijing Villa, which were quite famous, were all outstanding children of their respective families.

These powerful families monopolize speech; they can discuss the state of the world, comment on individuals or events, and even control the direction of public opinion.

They can easily make someone famous, and they can easily ruin someone.

Liu Xie was well aware of the power of aristocratic families; for the court, these families were a double-edged sword.

If you want to attract talented people, you must value established families, because talented people basically come from established families.

However, the monopoly of everything by aristocratic families is also very harmful. If the power of aristocratic families becomes too great, it will restrict the power of the imperial court and the emperor.

Liu Xie's actions today are merely an experiment.

Liu Xie should give others appropriate opportunities; everyone has the chance to recommend talent, but the decision-making power rests with Liu Xie.

Those who were not from aristocratic families and could not obtain the quota for the recommendation of filial piety and incorruptibility could at least get some opportunities.

For the time being, Liu Xie will try to adopt a mild attitude towards the powerful families, because he only has Yuzhou and Qingzhou under his control, and his strength is too small. He still cannot do without the support of the powerful families.

Everything should be done step by step; drastic reforms should never be undertaken, lest they provoke hostility from powerful families.

After the court session ended, Liu Xie walked with Jia Xu and Zhao Yun, and he could clearly sense that both of them were somewhat agitated.

Zhao Yun came from a poor background, and Jia Xu came from the western border region of Liang. Such measures would also benefit them.

After walking for a while, Zhao Yun said, "Your Majesty's actions today were not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather the result of careful consideration. The Secretariat has the Eastern and Western Offices, which are specifically responsible for selecting talents. Your Majesty only needs to give them more slots to recruit more talents for the court."

Liu Xie shook his head. "I am not trying to deny the existence of the Eastern and Western Offices. They have indeed helped the court recruit many talented individuals, but the people they recommend are all from aristocratic families. Firstly, the number of them is too small, and secondly, ordinary people have no chance."

Jia Xu saw things even more clearly and said, "Your Majesty's move is tantamount to directly recruiting talents from all over the world. It not only allows the world to see Your Majesty's ambition and magnanimity, but also gives many people the opportunity to support the country. Officials in various regions are most familiar with the situation within their jurisdictions and can recommend useful talents to the court in a timely and effective manner. Not only will those selected be grateful to Your Majesty, but everyone who has the opportunity to participate will also be grateful to Your Majesty."

Liu Xie nodded. "Wenhe is right. Let's treat the palace examination as an experiment. If it works well, we can promote it in various places in the future and set up state examinations, prefecture examinations, and county examinations, recommending and selecting candidates at each level."

Han Xin commanded his troops, the more the better.

Liu Xie would never have too many talented people.

"But……"

Although Liu Xie's idea was inspiring, Zhao Yun still had some concerns: "Your Majesty allows local officials to make their own recommendations. Inevitably, some people will have selfish motives and only recommend their own trusted relatives and sons, which will inevitably create a bad atmosphere."

Zhao Yun was always outspoken, which Liu Xie appreciated. "Zilong," Liu Xie said, "what do you think if I were to link the recommendation of talented people with the performance of local officials?"

Zhao Yun was taken aback, but Jia Xu's eyes lit up immediately, and he couldn't help but praise, "Your Majesty is wise."

Liu Xie, clearly having given this matter considerable thought, said as they walked, “Everyone is bound to have selfish desires. What Zilong just said is exactly what I was worried about. Therefore, I have decided that this should be linked to performance evaluation. From now on, whoever can recommend virtuous people without favoritism, whoever can truly recommend talented individuals, I will treat them differently and reward them. However, if anyone recommends someone who is merely a trusted confidant or has no real talent or ability, then they are treating me like a fool.”

As he said this, Liu Xie's eyes gradually turned cold, and the unassailable majesty of a superior immediately emanated from him.

Jia Xu nodded again, linking the recommendation of talent with performance evaluation. This combination of strictness and leniency not only gave everyone opportunities but also made it easier to control the situation, thus demonstrating the emperor's determination to reform the officialdom.

The three strolled along, chatting as they went. The streets were bustling with activity and lined with shops. After several years of development, Xudu had already taken on the appearance of a capital city.

Seeing the emperor traveling in the streets of Xudu was no secret; the people of Xudu were already used to it.

Liu Xie would occasionally smile and wave to the crowd, and the people would spontaneously make way for him, and even applaud and cheer.

Although Zhao Yun would occasionally chime in, his vigilance remained ingrained for years, ingrained in his very being. He calmly observed his surroundings, and if anyone got too close, Zhao Yun would immediately become highly alert.

As they walked, they ran into Ma Kui on the road. Ma Kui rubbed his eyes, too excited to be sure, afraid that he had mistaken someone for someone else.

Liu Xie hadn't been to Tianxiang Pavilion for a while, and Ma Kui was also conflicted.

He both hoped the emperor would visit Tianxiang Pavilion and felt that it was a place of pleasure, and that the emperor should focus more on state affairs and visit less often.

While Ma Kui was lost in thought, Liu Xie walked over with a smile, "Boyi, it's been a while. Come with me for a walk."

Neither Ma Kui nor Wang Cai had courtesy names; Liu Xie gave them those. Wang Cai's courtesy name was Bo Cai, reflecting Liu Xie's wish for his business to prosper and for him to become wealthy. Ma Kui's courtesy name was Boyi, because he was loyal and generous.

Ma Kui nodded hurriedly. As soon as the emperor spoke, he felt that familiar and warm feeling from the past, and he was overjoyed. His Majesty had not changed, and the two of them had not become estranged.

Liu Xie then introduced Jia Xu, "His name is Ma Kui. Wenhe should know him. He's the manager of Tianxiang Pavilion."

Jia Xu nodded. He was in charge of intelligence inside and outside Xudu. He was very familiar with Tianxiang Pavilion, such a famous brothel, and there was a secret passage leading to it.

After a few words, the group became acquainted. Liu Xie said apologetically to Ma Kui, "Boyi, I just returned from Qingzhou recently and haven't visited you for some time. Please don't mind."

Ma Kui hurriedly shook his head, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? As the Son of Heaven, you naturally have many things to attend to. Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare to blame Your Majesty."

Liu Xie patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I will always remember what you have done for me."

Ma Kui's eyes welled up with tears, but he suddenly felt a strange sense of loss. He couldn't help but wonder, now that the emperor had reclaimed Xuchang and become the rightful emperor, would he no longer be needed by him?

In the past, he often saw the emperor, and Ma Kui missed that feeling of being needed and valued.

Everyone, regardless of who they are, wants to be valued and needs to feel a sense of presence.

"Boyi".

Suddenly, Liu Xie grabbed Ma Kui's hand, his expression turning serious.

"Your Majesty, whatever you need, please feel free to give me your orders. I will go through fire and water for you, even at the cost of my life."

Ma Kui's heart suddenly became excited. He had been dreaming of the emperor having something to entrust to him.

Liu Xie leaned down and whispered in Ma Kui's ear, "I will need you to continue to gather information for me and monitor the high-ranking officials and nobles who come and go. You can even open branches of your Tianxiang Pavilion in other places, so that you can also gather information for me while making money."

Some people think that brothels are filthy and involved in many dirty transactions, but they are precisely where the most intelligence is concentrated.

Those who frequent this place are all wealthy and powerful; a casual remark from them could be a piece of very important information.

Without saying a word, Ma Kui nodded vigorously, his whole body instantly energized and full of enthusiasm.

…………

Yizhou, Chengdu!
Yizhou is known as the Land of Abundance, and Chengdu was a paradise-like place at the end of the Han Dynasty, with beautiful scenery and a spring-like climate all year round.

In the north, it's already scorching hot in July; even just walking a few steps on the street will leave you drenched in sweat. But in Chengdu, the temperature is pleasantly cool.

But at this moment, Liu Zhang had a worried look on his face and paced back and forth in the room anxiously, going around and around again.

It has been spinning around several times and still hasn't stopped, occasionally letting out a long sigh.

It seemed as if Yizhou and the imperial court were completely cut off. Liu Zhang had just received news that all regions had received instructions from the imperial court that officials above the rank of village head were qualified to directly recommend talents to the court, but Yizhou had not received such instructions.

"My lord, even the people in Hanzhong have received the news."

Like Liu Zhang, Wang Lei also had a face full of worry.

"The imperial court has not issued any instructions to us, which is very unusual."

"Gentlemen, do you have any brilliant ideas to help me?"

Liu Zhang walked around again, stopped, and looked at the advisors beside him.

Those present were Wang Lei, an official from Yizhou; Zhang Song, a deputy prefect; and Huang Quan, a registrar.

Huang Quan immediately advised, "My lord, I advised you before that you must send someone to apologize to the court as soon as possible. Even Liu Biao has taken action, offering 20,000 troops and money, but we have not made any statement. This will inevitably displease the emperor and the court."

Wang Lei nodded in agreement. "I agree with what Gongheng said. The court wants us to reflect on ourselves and take the initiative to apologize. If we delay and do not show any sincerity, we may incur His Majesty's wrath at any time, and the court may send troops to punish us."

"Alas!" Liu Zhang sighed again, "Who could have imagined that things would turn out like this?"

Liu Zhang was filled with remorse. If he had known it would turn out this way, he should have handed over 10,000 troops to the court.

Now things are really messed up; we're completely on the defensive.

Huang Quan and Wang Lei were both loyal and upright men, and they both hoped that Liu Zhang could take action to gain the court's understanding.

Zhang Song suddenly said, "Gentlemen, Liu Biao's death was quite mysterious. Don't you all find this very strange?"

Zhang Song's words startled Liu Zhang, who was honest and timid by nature. His eyes widened immediately. "Yongnian, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Song said solemnly, "Everyone says His Majesty is benevolent and righteous, but as far as I know, His Majesty has been on the battlefield quite a bit. At Guandu, His Majesty almost killed Yuan Shao, and at Wuchao, he also confronted Yuan Shao's army head-on. His Majesty is by no means an incompetent ruler. He is not only benevolent and righteous, but also very decisive in his actions. Once he decides to deal with someone, he will never show any mercy."

Liu Zhang had also had this thought in his mind: perhaps Liu Biao was disobedient and was eliminated by the emperor, but that was just speculation. Now, after hearing Zhang Song's words, Liu Zhang felt that it was more likely to be true.

Anyone who disobeyed would be killed by the emperor. Liu Biao's death put Liu Zhang under great mental pressure.

Huang Quan looked at Zhang Song, his expression changed, and he said seriously, "Liu Biao is a member of the Han imperial family. Yongnian, without evidence, you can't just make things up. As a subject, don't you think it's going too far to make baseless accusations and criticize the emperor behind his back?"

Zhang Song gave an awkward smile, his expression somewhat embarrassed. "I'm not just making this up, but I always felt that Liu Biao's death was too suspicious."

Liu Biao clearly believed that Lady Cai had poisoned him, but Liu Xie was made to take the blame.

Liu Zhang was skeptical, but his fear grew even stronger.

After thinking it over, he decided to send someone to Xuchang. Since he needed to apologize to the court, he couldn't just send anyone. After much deliberation, Liu Zhang decided to send his eldest son, Liu Xun.

If you are to apologize, the person who goes must be of high rank and influence.

After leaving the governor's mansion, Zhang Song returned home, where his friends Meng Da and Fa Zheng happened to be visiting. Zhang Song then brought up the matter.

Fa Zheng was not tall, of medium build, and wore a black robe, but his eyes were very bright, revealing a sharpness that gave him a shrewd look.

Fa Zheng's current position is Military Advisor, similar to an operations staff officer.

However, since there has been no war in Yizhou for many years, his official position has long been a mere formality, just a sinecur that he could only do to pass the time when he was bored.

Meng Da was tall and strong. Although he was dressed in casual clothes, his powerful body exuded a fierce aura, like a bull. His eyes were also bright, and his pupils kept rolling. He didn't look like the kind of honest person who would suffer a loss.

Throughout history, birds of a feather flock together. Zhang Song, Fa Zheng, and Meng Da are all shrewd and have a strong desire for anything that benefits them.

Fa Zheng stood up and said with keen insight, "Regardless of how Liu Biao died, the court is clearly using Liu Biao to warn our lord. Our lord is weak-willed to begin with, and I'm afraid it won't be long before he obediently surrenders Yizhou to the court."

(End of this chapter)