Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 663 Everyone has their own plans
Wang Yun said: "Our Han Dynasty is a great dynasty that values ​​courtesy and trust. Since we have made a promise to the people, how can we suddenly go back on our word just because something unexpected happened? How can we continue to gain the trust of the people in the future?"

"Your Majesty has inherited the mandate of heaven, and your power is spread across the world. Your benevolence is bestowed upon all people. That is why hundreds of merchants, craftsmen, and hundreds of thousands of people have come to respond to the call. This is a manifestation of your majesty's benevolence and justice, and a clear proof of our dynasty's power and virtue. It is enough to show that your majesty follows the will of heaven and responds to the people. You are a wise ruler for all ages. A wise ruler governs the country and is supported by the people. Isn't this a sign of the revival of the Han Dynasty? How can there be a danger of turmoil in the world?"

Although Liu He was somewhat surprised by Wang Yun's statement, when he heard this, many ministers in the court nodded consciously or unconsciously, so he was very satisfied with him.

Cui Jun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I think what the Minister said is reasonable. Although the court did not expect so many merchants and craftsmen to come to help, the imperial edict did not mention how many titles were available. Since everyone has made contributions and there is an imperial edict, it is only natural to reward them accordingly. Moreover, these are just a few empty titles with no substance. I really cannot understand why the ministers are so strongly opposed to it."

"I beg your pardon, I cannot agree with what the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of the Chancellery said."

A man refuted loudly. It was the Grand Herald Guo Fang.

"Merchants, craftsmen, geishas, ​​and actors are people without virtue and talent. Since ancient times, it has been difficult for them to enter the court. Your Majesty's edict in the past stated that the reward of titles was only a temporary emergency and an exception was made out of necessity. However, the award of titles to more than 400 people at one time is unprecedented in scale. It is really contrary to the ancestral system and the words of the saints. Your Majesty, who has inherited the throne, should uphold the teachings of the Han ancestors and govern the country with the way of the saints. How can you disrupt the court order for such a mere inferior technique? Even if I die, I will definitely give advice to Your Majesty!"

"My dear minister, your words are too kind." Liu He's tone was clearly filled with displeasure. He was very displeased with this kind of sophistry that always mentioned the ancestral system and the way of the saints.

Guo Fang said in a serious tone: "I am not exaggerating. Haven't you heard that a thousand-mile embankment is destroyed by an ant hole? This matter is a small matter, but it affects the whole body. I humbly hope that Your Majesty will think twice!"

"What the Grand Herald said is somewhat biased. I am familiar with the laws of the country and the Confucian classics, but how could I not know that the ancestral system states that merchants and craftsmen who have made contributions to the country cannot be rewarded? How could I not know that the sage once said that the number of titles to be rewarded should not exceed three or four hundred? I wonder where the Grand Herald saw this, and could you please give me some advice?"

After all, Lu Zhi was a master of Confucian classics. Just this one sentence hit the nail on the head, leaving Guo Fang speechless for a moment.

"Lu Cheqi's words are totally wrong."

A man came out and refuted Lu Zhi.

Lu Zhi looked and saw that it was Cao Ling, one of the Nine Ministers. This man was over sixty years old and had been one of the Nine Ministers for more than twenty years. He had served in almost all nine official positions and therefore was quite prestigious in the court.

Lu Zhi looked at him coldly: "What advice do you have for me, Grand Coachman?"

Cao Ling said, "Whether it's the ancestral system or the saints, how could they have predicted what would happen today? Of course, they wouldn't have predicted it in advance. However, the saints used etiquette and law to educate people. Scholars are the first among the people, and they should assist the emperor and control the people. Now, Your Majesty has promoted hundreds of merchants and businessmen to the same titles as scholars. Isn't this disrupting the etiquette and law of the saints? What else is that?"

"That's right." Du Ji agreed.

"In the past, Emperor Wu of Han abolished all schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone, which led to the prosperity of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Guangwu respected etiquette and valued scholars, which established the Han Dynasty's 200-year foundation. Your Majesty should follow this instruction and revive the Han Dynasty. Don't listen to the words of merchants and villains."

"Nonsense!" Meng Jian couldn't stand it anymore.

"You are all important ministers of the country. For your own selfish reasons, you have used the words of the ancestors and saints of the Han Dynasty to accuse the monarch without reason. How can you have any respect for the ministers and the law? What ancestral system? Your Majesty's move conforms to the will of the people. When the imperial edict was issued, merchants and civilians all rushed to tell each other that your Majesty is a wise monarch for all ages. In Luoyang alone, hundreds of merchants distributed food, winter clothes and other winter supplies to the people to celebrate."

"Your Majesty's benevolent and wise actions have made the cunning and treacherous merchants grateful, so that they have taken such actions to give back to the people. Doesn't it show that Your Majesty has taught them well and made them abandon darkness and join the light? Now that the rebels in Yizhou have established themselves and are fighting against the court, Your Majesty has united the people to fight against Liu Yan. This is truly a wise and heroic act, an unparalleled act of the world."

"I think you are just afraid that if these people get the title and are granted the same noble family background, their family members will compete with your sons and nephews for the position. Why do you have to speak in such high-sounding words?"

"How dare you!" Cao Ling's old face turned red with anger. He pointed at Meng Jian's nose and started scolding him.

"We have been deeply blessed by the court, so we should correct our mistakes and offer honest advice. As the governor of Henan, you have made unwarranted assumptions and slandered us loyal officials just because you have different political views. This is really disgraceful!"

"Yes, Henan Yin Dangting slandered the important officials of the court with evil intentions. Please punish him, Your Majesty!"

"We, your Majesty, humbly hope that you will take my advice and respond to the people's wishes!"

Meng Jian smiled coldly, "Why, are you angry because I hit the nail on the head? I, Meng Jian, followed Your Majesty when he was in humble circumstances. I started from Yanmen and traveled all over Bingzhou. I listened to the people's opinions. I know Your Majesty well and know how the people view Your Majesty. You have been in the government for a long time, never seeing the people, never listening to their opinions, yet you dare to speak nonsense here, claiming to represent the people's will. You are really shameless."

"Be bold!"

"presumptuous!"

All the ministers were extremely angry and accused Meng Jian, but Meng Jian stood proudly, not afraid at all.

Qian Li, Shi Tao and others also stood beside Meng Jian to show their support, and glared at many ministers.

Qian Li rolled his eyes and said, "Your Majesty just said that anyone who makes comments in the court and expresses his own opinions will not be punished. Moreover, the laws of our Han Dynasty never mention that those who rebuke other ministers in the court should be punished. You are so eager to openly defy your Majesty's will and unanimously ask your Majesty to punish the governor of Henan. I wonder which law this comes from? Or..."

At this point, he glanced at the ministers and asked, "Are you so excited just now because you feel guilty?"

"You..." After he said this, the ministers were suddenly speechless.

Seeing this, Liu He laughed out loud: "Haha, Daozhun, Gongwei, you are just anxious at the moment. I believe that what they said is from the public interest." Qian Li and Meng Jian bowed and said: "Your Majesty, what you said is very true. I will learn from your advice."

After saying this, the two men bowed to the ministers and said, "We were very offensive in our words just now. Your Majesty has rebuked us and we are here to apologize to you all."

Although those people were still very dissatisfied in their hearts, they were still holding on to the fact that Liu He and the other two were playing a double act and had said such things. As elders, could they still hold on to it?

"Forget it. We are all loyal to our country. Why differentiate between us? I and others have also done something wrong."

Liu He looked pleased. "Well, this is the style of a minister of state. What you said makes sense, but I think that all the people in the world are my subjects, and we should make the best use of people and things. Why not use a few empty titles to get merchants to work hard for the court? Otherwise, how could Yunhai County be successfully completed, and how could the court save more than 3 billion in huge expenses?"

When he asked this question, the ministers had nothing to refute.

However, seeing that they still looked somewhat unwilling, Liu He guessed what they were thinking.

"However, what you said is reasonable. The court still needs to rely more on scholars to govern the country. Merchants and craftsmen have their own uses. Although they have been granted the same status as scholars today, they have little education. How can they be compared with your sons and nephews? Even if they are recommended and serve as officials, their chances are slim. If they want to enter the government, it will be even more difficult. Why do you worry too much? Or do you think that I am the kind of person who doesn't know how to judge people, despises the virtuous, and values ​​the treacherous?"

After Liu He said all this, the ministers all apologized.

"I dare not even think of that. Your Majesty has a keen eye, and I am far behind you."

"Haha, if that's the case, do you have any objections, my dear?"

Many ministers looked at each other, and finally bowed their heads.

"Your Majesty is wise and we sincerely admire your observation and have no objection."

Liu He looked at these kneeling ministers and a smile appeared on his lips.

Outside the palace, Yang Biao was about to get on the car to return home when Du Ji and a group of ministers caught up with him.

"General, when we discussed this matter before, you were clearly against His Majesty's move. Why are you pretending to be ill and not saying a word today? What's your intention?"

"Yes, the reputation of the Grand Marshal is unrivalled in the court and the country. If you were willing to speak, why would it be like this now?"

Yang Biao looked at them, shook his head slightly, and sighed softly.

"You are well-read and have been in the imperial court for a long time, so how come you don't even have this much foresight? The reason why I kept silent today is because I saw that His Majesty had already made preparations. Even if we shouted until our throats were hoarse, it would be useless. Why bother to upset His Majesty in vain?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard this: "You've already prepared? What do you mean, General?"

Yang Biao said, "When you were making your reports, I saw that His Majesty was calm and composed, and he was clearly confident. Besides Lu Zhi, all the people who came out to refute you were from the younger generation in the court. It was obvious that they wanted to use Lu Zhi's seniority to lead the discussion to the ancestral system and the legal code, and then Meng Jian and others would directly slander and rebuke you."

"When you guys start arguing, Your Majesty will come out to act as a peacemaker, and then the topic will be brought to the quarrel among the ministers in the court. You are all elders, and most of you hold high positions such as the Nine Ministers. In terms of official positions and powers, you are also above them. How can you still make things difficult for a few juniors? In this way, the court discussion will be suspended, and it will be natural for Your Majesty to make the final decision with a single word."

After he said this, Guo Fang and others suddenly realized.

"No wonder the two Xuns, Cui Lie and others didn't say anything today. Cui Lie is one of the three ministers and is of the same generation as the Grand Commandant. The two Xuns hold great power. If they make such speculations and slanders, it would be beneath their dignity."

"It turns out that His Majesty had already planned it out, and was just waiting for you and me to jump."

Du Ji suddenly said, "That's not right. Today, Wang Situ also stood up and spoke."

When Wang Yun was mentioned, Yang Biao narrowed his eyes and said, "This matter is beyond my expectation. However, from what I have seen today, I am afraid that Wang Yun's words were made on his own initiative, and it may not be authorized by Your Majesty. As for the reason..."

He glanced deep into the palace: "I'm afraid it's related to the affairs of the harem..."

Cao Ling seemed to have thought of something when he heard this: "Ah, that's right. Now that the Queen is pregnant, it's inconvenient for her to sleep with the Emperor. Wang Yun should show his loyalty to Your Majesty. Your Majesty will be happy and will naturally go to Zhaoyi's palace more frequently. When Zhaoyi gives birth to a prince for Your Majesty, the status of the Taiyuan Wang family in the court will naturally be very different."

After his explanation, everyone understood.

Yang Biao looked into the palace and whispered, "It seems that our emperor, although a new emperor, is already quite experienced in political tactics..."

(End of this chapter)