The prince is more stable

Chapter 890 Misunderstanding the Emperor's Will
The Song Dynasty's accumulated problems and weakness were complex issues left over from a century of development.

The root of this problem lies in the fact that the policies implemented when the country was founded were flawed.

Zhao Kuangyin rose to power as a military general, seizing the throne from an orphan and widow. He was already feeling guilty about this, which is why he was particularly wary of military generals.

From the "releasing military power over a cup of wine" at the founding of the nation to the later national policy of "emphasizing civil affairs and de-emphasizing military affairs," the ambitions of military generals were suppressed even at the cost of their own military prowess.

The military officers and soldiers were suppressed and became the bottom class of Song society. Naturally, the morale of the army plummeted. Therefore, the Song Dynasty's foreign wars after its founding were simply a complete mess.

As military generals were suppressed, the chain reaction was that civil officials gained prominence.

As a result, civil officials governed and directed the country, and the emperor placed too much trust in them. As the civil officials gradually gained power, they also led to the rise of merchant groups, powerful landlord groups, and so on, who colluded with and transferred benefits to officials.

Therefore, Zhao Xiaoqian said that this is an incredibly vast network.

The twelve officials investigated by the Imperial City Guard were not even a fraction of the total.

They distorted the new policies, using them to exploit and amass wealth, levying exorbitant taxes and levies, forcing people to sell their land and houses, leaving them destitute and destitute, and turning them into vagrants...

These evil deeds could not have been accomplished by a single official covering up the truth. They must have formed a complete chain of interests in the local area, which allowed the officials to act with impunity and enabled the various local gentry and business groups to share in the benefits.

Zhao Xiaoqian was furious. He was the emperor, and all the people under heaven were his subjects and his land.

How could Zhao Xiaoqian not be furious that his officials were so cruel to his people?
Zhao Xiaoqian was very dissatisfied with the results of the Imperial City Guard's investigation, and he even began to doubt Zhen Qing's competence.

He squinted at Zhen Qing, his gaze slicing over him like a knife.

Zhen Qing's face was pale, and the hairs on his body stood on end. He knelt on the ground, bowing his head and not daring to raise his head.

"Zhen Qing, are you even capable of handling things? If you can't, then give up your position and I'll find someone more competent. I'll give you a rank of honorary official with a stipend, and the court will pay you a salary every year. You might as well retire and go back to your hometown," Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

Zhen Qing trembled and slammed his forehead heavily against the floor of the hall: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I know I am guilty! Please give me another chance, and I will do my best to serve Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed to the list thrown in front of him and said coldly, "In many prefectures and counties in the capital region, there is widespread public resentment and anger. They are willing to appeal to higher authorities because they have been driven to desperation by local officials. Otherwise, how would ordinary people dare to defy the law like this?"

"After all that investigation, the Imperial City Guard only found twelve people. Do you think I'm a fool?"

"Who are the local officials colluding with? What are their backgrounds? Who do they share the profits from exploiting the people with? Who did the farmland that the people depend on for their livelihood get sold to? How many local clan landlords are involved in the case?"

"You didn't have a single clue or piece of evidence, yet you handed me a list of twelve people. Zhen Qing, is this how you serve me? When did the Imperial City Guard become such incompetent fools? Or are there too many important figures involved, and you dare not touch them?"

Zhen Qing was covered in cold sweat, and his face grew increasingly pale.

Zhen Qing's original approach was correct. The network of interests in various places is intricate and involves many important figures. Don't underestimate a small county town. Once you pull out the radish, you might find a bigwig from Bianjing (Kaifeng) among them.

In the past, the Imperial City Guard would simply submit a list of well-known figures with solid evidence and that would be the end of it.

As for the bigwigs hidden behind this network of interests, according to the unspoken rules of officialdom, they usually won't be touched unless the bigwig himself commits some serious mistake in court, and the emperor can no longer tolerate him, then he will dredge up old, trivial matters as evidence.

Zhen Qing originally thought that this time would be the same, and that he would complete his task by submitting the list of officials directly involved in the case. However, he did not expect to be scolded by the officials and almost lost his job.

At this moment, Zhen Qing finally understood the Emperor's meaning.

The authorities are not only targeting the few officials involved in the case on the surface, but also using this case as a model to establish their authority and uproot all the related networks involved.

At the same time, this case will become a benchmark for the Control Yuan's handling of cases in the future. From now on, the Control Yuan will take this case as an example when handling any case, and will do its best to eradicate evil completely, rather than just arresting a few scapegoats and calling it a day.

Simply put, what the government needs to do is to solve the problem at its root, and the Censorate will do the same thereafter.

If the Censorate cannot be impartial and eradicate evil completely, then what is the point of the government establishing it?
It would be better to maintain the status quo and continue to let the Censorate supervise all officials, turning a blind eye to most cases of corruption and malfeasance.

Only then did Zhen Qing realize the Emperor's original intention in establishing the Censorate despite opposition.

From the day the Censorate was established, the rules of the game in the entire Song Dynasty's officialdom had already changed.

Just as the emperor said, he wanted to establish a new order.

This is not just a slogan, but a real new rule, and the person who made this new rule is the current emperor.

Even now, Zhen Qing believes that many officials do not take the Emperor's words seriously. The so-called establishment of a new order is just lip service. As for the establishment of the Supervisory Bureau, even the most far-sighted person would think that the Emperor's purpose was to consolidate imperial power and concentrate more power in the central government.

At this moment, only Zhen Qingcai truly felt that a new order in the Song Dynasty's officialdom was quietly taking shape.

From now on, the unspoken rules of the Song Dynasty's officialdom will be completely broken, and many interest groups that hide in the shadows and are bloated with wealth will be uprooted.

At that moment, Zhen Qing finally understood, and a deep sense of self-reproach and guilt welled up in his heart.

The Imperial City Guard, a sharp sword in the emperor's hand, failed to keep up with the emperor's pace, acting so hastily and perfunctorily. This time, their actions have indeed disappointed the emperor.

"Your Majesty understands. Please give me another chance. The Imperial City Guard will reopen the investigation and bring all the local powerful figures, landlords, and merchants involved to justice, to serve as a warning to others and to establish the authority of the Censorate!" Zhen Qing said through gritted teeth.

Seeing that Zhen Qing finally understood his meaning, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "I'm giving you one last chance. If you still don't meet my expectations, Zhen Qing, you can prepare your resignation memorial."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" As Zhen Qingcheng left Funing Palace in a state of fear and trepidation, Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes narrowed, and a murderous intent flashed in his long, narrow slits.

The real struggle between the ruler and his subjects is only just beginning.

This time, I will prove my path through killing.

…………

At the construction site of the Censorate, craftsmen and laborers are still building the Censorate in full swing.

However, in the early stages of construction, officials from the Ministry of Works, following Zhao Xiaoqian's instructions, built a main hall of the Censorate along the Imperial Street, along with several side rooms behind it, for the temporary use of the Censorate as offices.

Inside the side room of the Censorate, Censor Han Zhongyan looked terrified, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead from time to time. Lu Huiqing, sitting next to him, also had a livid face. Only Li Qingchen, who had just taken office, looked quite calm, but there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

At the table in the side room, Zhen Qing stood there looking utterly dejected, his expression one of profound grief. He was still reeling from the scolding he had received in the palace.

In the first operation of the Censorate, the Imperial City Guard fully cooperated, starting with the prefectures and counties in the capital region.

The incident was naturally caused by a lawsuit filed by residents of the Gyeonggi region, bypassing the proper channels of communication.

The people filed their complaints because they had heard that the imperial court had newly established a Censorate. Most of the people did not know exactly what it was in charge of; they only heard from scholars that the Censorate was in charge of officials, and that if local officials exploited the people and enriched themselves, the people could file complaints with the Censorate.

Throughout history, it has been extremely rare for ordinary people to sue officials. Even if they won, they would pay a heavy price. Folk tales about people playing the grievance drum, breaking through palace gates, and passing through nail boards are just unofficial historical accounts, but they are not entirely unfounded and have some factual basis.

For example, the Song Dynasty law clearly states that when a citizen sues an official, regardless of right or wrong, the citizen must first be given twenty strokes of the cane before the matter can be discussed. As for whether the citizen will survive the cane, that depends on how tough their life is.

After years of studying and becoming an official, the emperor or the court must first and foremost uphold the dignity of the official. If any Tom, Dick, or Harry could sue an official at will and not have to bear any responsibility even if they lost, wouldn't the social hierarchy and laws of the world be in chaos?

The lawsuit filed by residents of the Gyeonggi region, bypassing the proper channels, was also a last resort.

No one would choose such a difficult and dangerous decision to file a lawsuit unless they were driven to the brink of despair and unable to survive, risking their life for a bleak and uncertain outcome.

After receiving the complaints from the people, Han Zhongyan took them very seriously. After all, this was the first case since the establishment of the Censorate, and whether the Censorate could establish its authority in the court and at the local level depended on this case.

Han Zhongyan then immediately reported the case to Zhao Xiaoqian.

That's right. The Censorate was directly responsible to the Emperor. Any matter could be reported directly to the Emperor without going through the Council of State Affairs. This was the independent power of oversight.

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately issued an imperial edict to investigate the case and ordered the Imperial City Guard to be responsible for the investigation, to identify the people involved, and to collect evidence.

For several days in a row, the case progressed steadily. The Imperial City Guard quickly obtained evidence of the crimes. After discussions between the Censorate and the Imperial City Guard, a list of twelve officials who had been convicted was quickly drafted and presented to the Emperor by Zhen Qing.

The decision to convict twelve officials was a joint decision of the Censorate and the Imperial City Guard. Han Zhongyan and Lü Huiqing, among other officials, had carefully discussed the matter, but their thinking remained stuck in the old order, still silently adhering to the unspoken rules of officialdom.

Apart from the twelve corrupt officials, the case was not investigated further.

Unexpectedly, after the list was submitted, Zhen Qing was severely reprimanded by the Emperor. Then, Zhen Qing, looking dejected, told Han Zhongyan that the Emperor was very dissatisfied with the result. Because of this case, Zhen Qing was almost dismissed from his post on the spot.

Han Zhongyan panicked, and so did Lü Huiqing.

The emperor was scolding Zhen Qing, and although he didn't mention the Censorate at all, Han Zhongyan still felt as if the emperor's slap had hit his face hard, and it stung.

Clearly, the handling of this case can no longer follow the unspoken rules of the Song Dynasty officialdom.

The government wants to eradicate evil completely and eliminate it from the root.

The establishment of the Censorate's authority is insufficient; such a lukewarm result is ineffective in deterring officials.

Han Zhongyan was ultimately smarter than Zhen Qing, and he immediately understood Zhao Xiaoqian's intention.

The Emperor is about to do something big!

Seeing Zhen Qing's bitter expression at the table, Han Zhongyan stood up and bowed to him: "Zhen Qing, you've suffered..."

Zhen Qing's cheek twitched slightly, and he sighed listlessly, "I didn't suffer, I just had a bad life."

Indeed, their fate was unfortunate. The Imperial City Guard only assisted the Censorate in investigating and prosecuting cases. The real decision-makers and those who drafted the list of convicted officials were the few people in the Censorate.

As a result, Zhen Qing foolishly volunteered to submit the list to the emperor and was severely scolded.

After a pause, Zhen Qing added earnestly, "Next time you deliver the list of convicted officials, you will go; I won't go."

Han Zhongyan and Lü Huiqing nodded repeatedly: "That's only right. It's time for the Censorate to be scolded."

Li Qingchen, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but say, "Gentlemen, what you're saying is really true... If we learn from this painful experience and do the job the Emperor has given us perfectly, then none of us will get scolded. Wouldn't that be better?"

Zhen Qing felt even more aggrieved: "Then what about the scolding I received today?"

Li Qingchen sighed and said, "You're just unlucky."

(End of this chapter)