Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 50 Guo Tu: If a man is born without food, he will be cooked by five cauldrons when he dies!
Faced with the prince's question, Guo Hong fell silent

There are relevant laws and regulations in Tian Law, and the handling methods are actually not complicated.

For ordinary acts of land occupation, the punishment is nothing more than a fine, labor or exile. If ten hectares of land are occupied, the crime is enough to cause the entire clan to move to Jiaozhou.

However, the crime committed by the aristocratic families and the local officials who colluded with them should be more accurately regarded as the embezzlement of public land.

According to the land law, land without heirs should be nationalized. Concealing the truth and selling the land privately is equivalent to trafficking in state land. The lightest punishment is to confiscate the entire family's land and make them slaves of the government.

But at this moment, this is no longer a simple criminal issue, but a key decision that concerns the rise and fall of the Yingchuan Guo family for the next hundred years.

Liu Bian wore a warm smile and said, "Don't worry, Gongyuan. This question has troubled the Han emperors for generations, so it's naturally difficult to answer. You might as well think it over before answering me."

These seemingly warm words sent a chill down Guo Hong's spine. He knew full well that the prince was warning him, almost without disguising it, that he needed to make his choice carefully.

Considering the prince's age, living another thirty years should not be a problem.

If I answer that I don't know, then the Yingchuan Guo family will probably never have a chance to make a name for themselves in this generation of the prince.

Although the aristocracy passed down knowledge from generation to generation, even if several generations did not enter the government, the knowledge would not be cut off. However, to enter the court or be sent to serve as an official, one relied not only on knowledge but also on the support of the family's network of connections.

In official circles, if I am in power today, I will make friends with you and take care of you and your descendants; if you are in power in the future, my descendants will be taken care of by you, and this will be passed down from generation to generation, forming a stable network of contacts.

However, if no one in the family takes up an official position for a full thirty years, even the strongest network of contacts will gradually dissipate, and the Yingchuan Guo family will have to work hard for at least another hundred years to rebuild their network of relationships.

But if they answered the prince, it would mean that Yingchuan Guo would become the prince's lackeys to punish those wealthy families who occupied the country's arable land.

Since the Hundred Schools of Thought, have there been few Legalists who have served as lackeys of the emperor?

In the distant past, there were Shang Yang and Wu Qi, and in the recent past, there were Zhang Tang and Zhufu Yan. Which of them had a good ending?

Everyone in the hall witnessed the silence between the prince and Guo Hong, and felt the suffocating and oppressive atmosphere. They put down their bowls and chopsticks, held their breath, and dared not make a sound.

The same was true for Guo Tu and Guo Jia, but Guo Jia was young and did not understand the many complex relationships involved, while Guo Tu knew them very well.

As the accountant of Yingchuan County, Guo Tu was responsible for the examination and evaluation of officials in the county.

In order to obtain good evaluations, many officials in the county would bribe him, which means that he was also one of the beneficiaries of the "one million". Some people told him that these bribes were obtained by selling the cultivated land, so he knew all the ugly things in the county.

Just as Guo Hong was hesitating with sweat on his forehead, a voice suddenly rang out: "The whole clan should be executed!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Guo Tu who was speaking. Guo Hong was shocked and was about to start scolding him, but Liu Bian stopped him with his hand and motioned Guo Tu to continue.

"The arable land they have embezzled ranges from a few hundred hectares to tens of thousands. Even the smallest ones should be confiscated and enslaved. They will certainly not obey the king's orders, and the story of Emperor Guangwu will repeat itself."

"And at that time, Your Highness will execute their entire clan!"

There was a hint of ruthlessness in Guo Tu's eyes, and the murderous intent in his eyes shocked Liu Bian.

He understood that as the head of the Yingchuan Guo family, his uncle Guo Hong naturally had to consider the entire family and could not make a decision easily, but he himself was different.

He wants to improve so much!
Not to mention Shang Yang and Wu Qi, who left their names in history after their death, so what if they were cruel officials?
What about Zhang Tang and Lord Father Yan?
These three people were highly respected during their lifetime and were feared by the whole world. How powerful were they?

So what if I'm notorious?
So what if I die and my clan is destroyed?
A real man should learn from his master's father Yan!

If you don’t eat from five tripods when you are alive, you will be cooked in five tripods when you die!
Liu Bian saw an extreme desire for power in Guo Tu's eyes. For power, he even tied his own family to the chariot.

This kind of person is scary, but extremely useful.

There are ways to employ gentlemen, and there are ways to employ villains. Many things often require people who will do anything to gain the favor of the king.

Liu Bian looked at Guo Tu and smiled, a barely perceptible smile that Guo Tu caught. He was as ambitious as Emperor Xiaowen and as tyrannical as Emperor Shizong.

But whether it is Emperor Xiaowen or Emperor Xiaowu, they both need the assistance of someone like him!

So he smiled, he knew he had made the right bet.

However, Liu Bian suddenly waved his hand and shouted angrily, "This man is talking nonsense. Immediately throw him into the military prison. Without my order, no one is allowed to see him!"

Guo Hong quickly pleaded, "Your Highness, please forgive my nephew. He is young and frivolous, and has spoken nonsense. I beg Your Highness to forgive him."

Although Guo Hong was also troubled by Guo Tu's remarks, he knew that once these words were spread, many wealthy families would send assassins to kill him, and the Yingchuan Guo family would also suffer.

However, Liu Bian ignored Guo Hong's plea and just ordered Xu Chu to arrest the man.

The Yingchuan Guo family members were horrified when they saw Guo Tu being carried away by two ferocious-looking soldiers.

However, Guo Hong, the head of the family, sighed deeply, and the hesitation in his heart disappeared instantly, leaving only helplessness.

He knew in his heart that his family was not completely secretive, and Guo Tu's words today would probably spread to all the families of the Yingchuan nobles by evening, and then the Yingchuan Guo family would also be targeted.

Without the protection of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Yingchuan Guo family would probably have been doomed to destruction.

Guo Hong was not stupid. When he was frightened just now, he thought Guo Tu was just young and impulsive. But when he thought about it carefully, he realized the good intentions of his nephew Guo Tu.

Does this kid want to put me on the fire?
But what can he do?

Even if Guo Tu was expelled from the family tree, how could the wealthy families in the world believe that this matter had nothing to do with him?

Moreover, the prince would probably not allow him to do so. I think the prince insisted on sending Guo Tu to the army for imprisonment out of protection for him.

It turns out that he was plotting the same thing as Emperor Xiaowen and was as tyrannical as Emperor Sejong.

I'm afraid that even if Guo Tu hadn't jumped out today, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would have other means to force him to take sides. He is really overbearing.

"I am willing to be your henchman and be at your command."

Now that things have come to this, he can only admit defeat. At least His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a man of great scheming and means, so he may be able to accomplish his goal.

"I have received Gongyuan, just as Emperor Xiaowen received the Goshawk."

Liu Bian was beaming with joy, holding Guo Hong's hand and laughing, and habitually made comparisons to promote Guo Hong's fame.

"I would like to appoint you as the Inspector of the Imperial Guards, and I place great hopes on you. Please do not let me down."

Although Guo Hong was hesitant and unable to express his opinion at first, he was tied to the chariot by Guo Tu's words, and the initiative was in his hands. How could he dare to let him down?

Thinking of this, Liu Bian couldn't help but feel that this trip to Yingchuan was really worthwhile.

Xun Yu, Guo Tu, Guo Jia who is about to enter Hongdu Gate to study military tactics, and Xun You who was just recommended as a filial and incorruptible official by Yin Xiu this year but was unable to set off for the capital due to the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Yingchuan is truly full of talented people.

Among them, Xun Yu, Xun You and Guo Jia are of course worth mentioning, but the unexpected surprise this time is Guo Tu.

But for a man like Guo Tu, as long as there is a king who can intimidate him, his harm will only be directed at the wealthy and powerful families, and he will not be able to harm the king.

If Guo Tu dared to bite his master, he would make Guo Tu taste the taste of being cooked in five pots.

(End of this chapter)