Han officials

Chapter 303 Chain Reaction [4K]

Wei Zhe was startled awake in the middle of the night.

Hearing the clapper sound of "Peace and tranquility, year after year" from outside, Wei Zhe's bewildered eyes regained focus. He subconsciously touched his forehead and found it covered in sweat. Fortunately, Wei Zhe had not summoned any of his wives or concubines to serve him that night, but had instead spent the night alone in his study, so no one had seen him in such a disheveled state.

However, after all this commotion, Wei Zhe lost his sleepiness and simply got up, put on his clothes, and sat back down at his desk.

Looking at the thick stack of official documents in front of him, Wei Zhe felt a mix of emotions.

He just had a dream, a nightmare!
In his dream, he successfully changed dynasties, established a new country, and became the most powerful man in the world.

But as time went by, his sons grew up and became restless, fighting each other to the death as if they were their father's killers.

The old ministers who were once trusted by him have begun to become somewhat unfamiliar.

Although they remained loyal to him as emperor, they began to have their own schemes for the sake of their descendants.

After all, although he was the emperor, he would eventually grow old and die, and could not sit on the throne forever.

Therefore, it was necessary to curry favor with the succeeding emperor in order to ensure the prosperity of the family for generations.

However... if loyalty is not absolute, then it is absolutely disloyal.

Wei Zhe was unhappy, extremely unhappy!
So... he began to depose the empress, kill the crown prince, and kill adult princes.

He even went so far as to execute all the ministers who he considered disloyal.

He slaughtered countless people, including Yuan Cong from Liaodong, scholars from Hebei, and scholars from Yingchuan.

They just kept killing and killing until he was the only one left sitting alone on the throne, covered in blood.

Beneath the dragon throne lay an endless mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. With each "kill" he uttered, the waves on the sea of ​​blood rose a foot higher until they engulfed him.

Finally, Wei Zhe awoke in shock from the endless suffocation, and in his daze, he couldn't even distinguish between dream and reality.

Especially now, looking at the various heartfelt petitions before him, Wei Zhe's feelings became even more complicated.

The phrase "forming cliques for personal gain" inexplicably appeared in Wei Zhe's mind.

Of course, the situation isn't that dire for the shogunate right now.

However, driven by the trigger of "account suspension," officials have already shown a tendency to unite with the Party.

For example, those who supported "Duke Qi" were all from Qingzhou;
Those who advocated for the title "Duke of Yan" were all from Youzhou;

As for the suggestion to use "Duke of Jin" as the title, it was mainly made up of scholars from Yan and Xu.

It is unclear when it began, but the unity and cooperation that Wei Zhe had during the Liaodong period, and the spirit of overcoming difficulties together, were no longer present under his command.

Reality was exactly the same as in my dream.

The civil and military officials he used to trust suddenly seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

This made him suddenly wonder if these people were still trustworthy.

Despite his deep sorrow, Wei Zhe had no one to confide in.

His parents couldn't have him, and his wife and concubines were even less likely to allow it; he could only silently keep it to himself and process it all.

Transmigrators are inherently lonely, and those in the position of human ruler are even more so.

Perhaps, he was destined to be a lonely man when he came into this era!

After a long time, Wei Zhe finally came to his senses.

So be it, I'll be alone. I'll walk the path of solitude, and that will bring me peace of mind.

Thinking this, Wei Zhe finally slowly crossed out the characters "Qi" and "Yan" on the paper.

Admittedly, these two places were his base of operations, and Yuan Cong's veteran officials had moved to these two locations.

However, it was precisely because they were too powerful that Wei Zhe could not choose these two characters as his title.

Otherwise, with the added advantage of the new dynasty name, the power balance in the court would truly become unbalanced in the future.

Even though Wei Zhe could rest easy and be used at will while he was alive, what about when he succeeded to the throne?

This is similar to the Huaixi nobles in the early Ming Dynasty; their excessive power became a disadvantage.

Therefore, the nobles of Huaixi remained loyal to Zhu Yuanzhang, but he still ruthlessly dealt with most of his old brothers.

Immediately afterwards, Wei Zhe decisively crossed out the character "晋" (Jin) from the paper.

The reason is simple: it's disgusting!

It's truly a pity that the character "Jin" was associated with the Sima family; after being implicated, it also brought eternal infamy upon them.

Even though Wei Zhe wasn't superstitious, he didn't want to cause trouble for his family.

After hesitating for a moment over the character "赵", Wei Zhe still crossed it out.

However, the titles proposed by the officials this time were not limited to these.

Below him were titles such as Duke of Zhou, Duke of Han, Duke of Wei, Duke of Xu, and Duke of Liao.

In fact, Wei Zhe was quite satisfied with the title "Duke of Zhou," but unfortunately, the fame of Duke Zhou Dan was too great.

If this were chosen as the title, Wei Zhe worried that it would send the wrong signal and cause the world to misunderstand.

After some careful selection, Wei Zhe finally nodded slowly as he looked at the remaining character "Wei" on the paper.

After eliminating all the unsuitable ones, the remaining one, no matter how unsuitable, is the best choice.

However, since the country's name is the same as the emperor's surname, this time it truly is a unity of family and country.

When future generations review the previous dynasties, they will likely have to single out his family for discussion.

However, there are similar examples in ancient China.

The Chen Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period was the only legitimate dynasty in Chinese history where the emperor's surname and the dynasty's name were the same.

Chen Baxian was enfeoffed as a king based on his surname, and then established a state based on his surname, which led to the existence of the Southern Chen Dynasty.

……

Ten days later, at the Hall of State Affairs.

Due to the debates that have been going on for some time, the various parties have been arguing fiercely.

Upon hearing this, the prefects and generals stationed elsewhere also submitted memorials expressing their opinions.

In short: they all agree to whatever the title is.

As the debate escalated, various factions in Ye City were drawn into the discussion.

The title bestowed upon Wei Zhe gradually became the focus of public opinion throughout Ji Province.

However, to Wei Zhe's relief, most of the public was only debating the title, and no one expressed any opposition.

At least openly, no famous scholars or Confucianists dared to point fingers at such matters.

From another perspective, isn't this also a kind of foundation of public opinion?
However, the final outcome of the debate surprised many people.

The "Qi Kingdom" and "Yan Kingdom", which were widely favored by the outside world, were not selected. Instead, the "Wei Kingdom" won the bid.

That day in the Hall of State Affairs, Wei Zhe was promoted to "Duke Wei" with the recommendation of a group of civil and military officers!
When the news spread, the people of Ye City were naturally overjoyed.

As the seat of Wei Commandery, they naturally assumed that this was a sign of Wei Gong's favor towards them.

However, those with discerning eyes could see the deeper meaning behind Wei Zhe's words.

After all, the Wei of the State of Wei is not only the Wei of Wei Commandery, but also the Wei of the Wei surname!

Wei Zhe's use of his own surname as his title clearly indicates his intention to discard narrow regional symbolism, uphold justice and impartiality, and treat everyone equally, regardless of whether they are from Qingzhou or Hebei!
Some Liaodong Yuan generals, while feeling disappointed, also secretly became more cautious and began to restrain their previously arrogant behavior. However, when this matter reached the ears of various warlords, they interpreted it in a different light.

……

Xiangyang, the governor's residence.

"Should the people elect him to the position of Duke of Wei?"

When Liu Biao learned of the changes in Ye City, he was immediately astonished.

These outsiders don't care what the "ban" means; what they care about is Wei Zhe's action!
After stammering for a long time, Liu Biao finally managed to utter a sentence:

"How...how dare he...be so bold?"

Upon hearing this, the registrar Kuai Liang shook his head repeatedly, his face full of emotion, clearly not expecting this to happen.

However, upon hearing this, Liu Biao's brother-in-law, Cai Mao, suddenly retorted, "Why wouldn't I dare?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Biao was stunned.

Seeing this, Cai Mao didn't keep him in suspense and directly stated his opinion:

“Back then, Yuan Shao’s power base was not yet stable, but he still dared to take the position of Governor of Ji Province and call himself Grand General. Now that the Wei family’s power far surpasses his, do they not even have this much courage?”

"In my opinion, there's nothing strange about this. Right now, we should be thinking about how to deal with the Wei family!"

At this moment, Liu Biao finally caught his breath and couldn't help but sigh:

"That may be true, but how can Wei Gongwei be so disloyal and unfilial? The late emperor treated him very well!"

Everyone present was a smart man; without exception, they all discerned Wei Zhe's attitude from the political actions in Ye City.

He couldn't possibly be unaware of the political implications behind this move, yet he still chose to do it.

This shows that he was neither, nor intended to, be a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty who could turn the tide and save the dynasty from collapse.

Kuai Liang's younger brother, Kuai Yue, finally snapped out of his reverie.

Seeing Liu Biao's emotional reaction, he thought for a moment and couldn't help but speak a blunt truth:
"The Han Dynasty was not without loyal ministers who could turn the tide and save the dynasty from collapse."

"However, given the precedent set by Huo Guang of the previous dynasty, I'm afraid Wei Gongwei would not dare to try to turn the tide again!"

"You should know that his achievements now are even more remarkable than Huo Guang's!"

Regardless of why Huo Guang's family was raided and wiped out, the fate of the Huo family is clearly laid bare.

If Huo Guang's example is unsuitable, then what about Zhou Yafu?
A Han general who quelled the Rebellion of the Seven States and saved the Han dynasty from collapse did not rebel when he had the most power and the most troops. Instead, he was summoned by the Court of Justice in his old age for questioning and forced to confess to treason.

As a result, a hero who turned the tide died after a five-day hunger strike, vomiting blood.

And what about the Liang family, the imperial relatives? Even if they deposed and installed emperors several times, so what?

If a powerful minister does not advance further, he will eventually be purged by the next emperor.

After all, although the emperors of the Han dynasty died young, they were all ruthless and heartless.

Anyone who survives to adulthood is a ruthless character.

Even the underage Emperor Liu could often unleash astonishing fighting power.

In this situation, Wei Zhe was in a situation where it was either advance or die, and there was no room for retreat.

However, on the other hand, it is only because the prestige of the Han Dynasty is declining that Kuai Yue would not have dared to speak like that.

After being persuaded by those around him, Liu Biao sighed and lamented for a long time before finally stopping worrying about the matter.

Furthermore, the news of Wei Zhe's ascension to the throne stirred up his inner ambitions.

Not to mention Liu Biao, even Cai Mao, who was standing to the side, was getting restless.

“Brother-in-law, since the Wei family can be called a duke, why can’t you, as a member of the Han imperial family, be called a duke?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yun, who was standing to the side, was also filled with excitement and couldn't help but exclaim:

"In the past, you single-handedly pacified Jingzhou, bringing peace and prosperity to the people of Jingzhou and Xiangyang. Your virtue is immeasurable."

"Now the wealth under my jurisdiction is as high as a mountain, and I have 100,000 armored soldiers. If I do not advance my position, I fear I will lose the support of the people of Jingzhou."

"We urge Your Excellency to ascend the throne as the King of Chu, so as to fulfill the wishes of the people!"

Upon hearing this, Cai Mao, Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, and other confidants immediately stepped forward and echoed his sentiments.

Liu Biao's mouth practically stretched to his ears when he heard this, but he still waved his hands repeatedly in refusal.

Despite this, the smile on his face clearly betrayed his true thoughts.

Several days later, after repeated requests from the civil and military officials of Jingzhou, Liu Biao was finally promoted to "Duke of Chu".

Yes, although this old gentleman had some ambition, he ultimately dared not go too far.

In contrast, Yuan Shu was different.

The following day, Shouchun.

"What a fine example of Wei Gongwei!"

Looking at the letter in his hand, Yuan Shu was overjoyed:
"You've got guts! I underestimated you!"

Although things were not going very smoothly in Yangzhou during this period, Yuan Shu did not relax and enjoy himself.

However, he had no time to appreciate the singing and dancing beauties at this moment. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them and summoned a group of civil and military officials to discuss matters.

As a trusted and experienced minister of Yuan Shu, Chief Clerk Yan Xiang immediately discerned his lord's thoughts.

So, without waiting for Yuan Shu to give any hint, he took the initiative to bestow the title of "Duke of Jin" on Yuan Shu's behalf.

Seeing this, the other civil and military officials naturally understood and repeatedly shouted in agreement.

However, Yuan Shu frowned upon hearing this, clearly dissatisfied.

This guy didn't even bother acting anymore, and immediately said arrogantly:

"The surname Yuan originated from Chen. Chen was a descendant of Emperor Shun. The earth element was associated with fire, and thus the surname Yuan was chosen to follow the appointed time."

"In that case, I am also a descendant of Emperor Shun, bearing the bloodline of the ancient human emperor. How can a mere Duke of Jin possibly distinguish myself?"

At this point, he didn't even bother with hints; he simply stated it explicitly:

Emperor Wu of the Former Han Dynasty had long ago said: "After the Han Dynasty lasts for nine hundred and twenty years, Mengsun will die, and the position of Chancellor will be given to him. The one who will replace the Han Dynasty will be Tu Gao." Tu means road or path.
“My name, Gonglu, also means road; isn’t this destiny ordained by Heaven?”

Upon hearing this, the spacious hall fell into a deathly silence; everyone was stunned.

To everyone's surprise, Yuan Shu was even more arrogant than they had imagined!
However, the people had followed Yuan Shu for a long time and already knew his character.

Therefore, after regaining his senses, regardless of what he was thinking, he immediately and frantically began to cater to Yuan Shu's wishes.

Despite Yan Xiang's repeated advice, he ultimately failed to dissuade Yuan Shu from his idea.

Thus, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor in Shouchun two years ahead of schedule, carved his own imperial seal, established the Zhong clan, appointed ministers and officials, built shrines in the northern and southern suburbs, appointed the governor of Jiujiang as the governor of Huainan, and extensively appointed ministers and officials. He also built an altar for emperors to worship heaven in the north of the city and took in hundreds of wives and concubines in his harem.

The news sent shockwaves through Yangzhou.

Yuan Shu originally thought that after he declared himself emperor, these people would surely surrender to him under the guise of his high-ranking official positions and generous salaries.

Unexpectedly, after he declared himself emperor, resistance in various parts of Yangzhou intensified.

This greatly angered Yuan Shu, the newly crowned emperor of the Zhong family, who decided to personally lead the expedition...

(End of this chapter)