A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 314 Scenery
With a gentle spring breeze, the grass and trees on Longshou Plain are gradually turning green, full of vitality.

Since the Chang Le Palace was reopened, the Shenlong Hall has become more and more bustling, with the emperor's cronies and nobles constantly coming to pay their respects, allowing the imperial power to shine once again.

Gradually, news spread that the Emperor of the Han Dynasty intended to issue the final decree of the Han Dynasty and select officials, and officials throughout the court and the country were mobilized.

Those seeking official positions flocked to the area.

This inevitably caught Liu Ju's attention, and the names of the officials rumored to be promoted by the emperor were constantly being presented to the emperor.

The moonlight, like water, poured down on the high platform.

Standing atop the front hall, one can see the Wei River flowing like a ribbon to the north and the Qinling Mountains shrouded in mist to the south. Liu Ju was not particularly fond of the bright moon; perhaps on a whim, he discarded the so-called list and came here.

The flowers cast dappled shadows, and a subtle fragrance wafts through the air; it truly is a wonderful time.

On the palace corridor, a hunched figure slowly walked towards the lights with support, getting closer and closer.

They were Gongsun Hong, the Grand Secretary of the Privy Council of the Han Dynasty; Mo Zimo, the Minister of Works; and Huo Guang, the Minister of the Grand Council.

The emperor's agreement to abdicate was largely due to the contributions of Mozi, Huo Guang, and Chen Mo.

Chen Mo had already received his due reward; as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, there was no need for further reward.

Mozi Mo also received a reward, becoming one of the six ministers at the young age of twenty, which was clearly an overestimation.

However, the Minister of Works must be knowledgeable about construction projects.

Looking at the entire dynasty, those whose abilities surpassed Mozi Mozi's were inferior in terms of construction, and those whose construction was superior to Mozi Mozi's were inferior in terms of ability.

Furthermore, many of the members of the Han Academy are former disciples of the Mohist school. Mozi Mo communicates with them, and the generals and craftsmen are impressed by Mozi Mo's abilities and ingenuity. With the cooperation of all parties, things can proceed more smoothly and bring more benefits to the people of the Han Dynasty.

Merit, ability, construction projects, and status propelled Mozi Mo to take office.

While somewhat similar, they are not entirely the same. Huo Guang's promotion to the position of Grand Councilor was a combination of merit and ability, as well as a way to keep an eye on his brother Huo Qubing's position.

As the Grand Secretary of the Han Dynasty, he remained indifferent to affairs and ignorant of matters. Even if Liu Ju protected him, he could not ignore the criticisms of many officials and people, after all, it was a new dynasty's elegant policy.

Although there were many criticisms surrounding the rise of Mozi Mo and Huo Guang, the two demonstrated remarkable learning and adaptability, effectively fulfilling their responsibilities and dispelling the controversy with their own abilities.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard, who replaced the Embroidered Uniform Envoy, was fully exposed to the world's attention. However, there was little discussion about the equally young Chen Mo in the court and among the public. Apart from the fact that the former Special Service Bureau was "notorious," Chen Mo's methods were quite similar to those of the former Imperial Censor Zhang Tang, and he was extremely ruthless.

Chen Mo eliminated Yin Qi, Yang Pu, Du Zhou, and other "remnants of cruel officials" who had not been eradicated before, using the principles of "fast, accurate, and ruthless."

Moreover, in most cases, the entire family was executed.

The Yin family, the Yang family, and other families of cruel officials, almost simultaneously followed in Wang Wenshu's footsteps, having their entire families wiped out.

If His Majesty had not issued the edict in time, granting amnesty to Du Zhou's youngest son, Du Yannian, the entire Du clan would have suffered the same fate. However, of the vast Du clan, only Du Yannian survived.

The list in Chen Mo's hands was known by the people of the land as the list of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or, in other words, the Book of Life and Death.

Let alone actively criticizing Chen Mo, even if it is mentioned or heard by chance, people will change color, quickly end the conversation, and leave in a hurry.

The different circumstances left Mozi Mo and Huo Guang feeling helpless and secretly annoyed by the nature of the civil and military officials who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Liu Ju stepped forward to support Gongsun Hong and helped him walk forward, leaving Mo Zimo and Huo Guang standing solemnly behind.

As he walked slowly, Liu Ju asked, "Is the old prime minister worried about me?"

"Your Majesty is wise and mighty..."

"What's wrong with the old prime minister?" Liu Ju interrupted Gongsun Hong's flattery and said with a smile, "Now every word sounds nice, but I can't tell which is true and which is false. Could it be that you want me to become the emperor?"

The emperor's arrogance.

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between truth and falsehood. A casual remark can lead to someone praising your wisdom, and another can elicit accusations of divine genius. After hearing so many praises, one can't help but start to believe them.

Over time, the government becomes confused, the ruler becomes incompetent, and the country perishes.

"With just these words from Your Majesty, Your Majesty will not become His Majesty."

"Can it be surpassed?"

Liu Ju laughed heartily.

Gongsun Hong was unusually speechless.

Is it surpassing His Majesty's civil and military achievements, or surpassing His Majesty's debauchery?

Gongsun Hong had no choice but to answer honestly, "I am somewhat worried."

From the moment His Majesty resolved to acquire the power he deserved through drastic means, he clearly distinguished who our enemies were and who our friends were.

His Majesty has done an excellent job in this regard, doing everything he can to help the Crown Prince's ministers, and even when they commit serious mistakes, he is willing to save and forgive them.

It can also use ruthless methods to punish the emperor's cronies, cruel officials, and corrupt bureaucrats, eliminating the traces of the enemy's existence, including their knowledge and ideas, in the most direct way.

Jiang Gong of Xiaqiu of the Guliang family, who once debated with the emperor in Xincheng about "Tang and Wu replacing Xia", not only died, but his disciples also died, fled, escaped, perished, or were injured in the previous Confucian catastrophes.

Jiangmen is essentially dead, and the Guliang School of thought is practically dead as well.

Gongsun Hong considered himself a radical, but he was also worried that the emperor was too radical. For example, the emperor was about to issue an edict to promote some officials. If this angered the emperor and he refused to accept the edict, the matter of abdication would be thrown into turmoil again.

As people get older, they realize that stability is more important.

"How does the old Prime Minister intend to persuade me?"

Liu Ju did not explain the principle that without distinguishing between friend and foe, one cannot win a victory; without seeing one's opponent, one cannot defend one's country. Nor did he explain the wisdom of "the unity of opposites," leaving the old prime minister to convince himself.

Gongsun Hong realized that he seemed to have worried unnecessarily, but since the ruler had asked, the minister had to answer. He solemnly replied, "The ruler is the model, and the minister is the shadow. When the model moves, the shadow follows."

"表" is a benchmark for measuring the shadow of the sun, and "景" means shadow.

The monarch is like a standard, and the ministers are like shadows. Wherever the standard moves, the shadows follow.

If a ruler is fond of flattery and rejects criticism, even loyal ministers will have to flatter him to survive. If a ruler is happy to hear his faults and readily accepts good advice, even sycophants can be transformed into loyal ministers.

"It is not that its nature has changed."

"Therefore, as stated in 'Yanzi's Mission to Chu,' 'Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, but those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges. Their leaves may be similar, but their tastes are different. Why is this? Because the soil and water are different.'"

"I am like this, and so is Yu Rang. With the two handles of punishment and virtue in power, the good find it difficult to be good, and the evil are abandoned. I hope Your Majesty will think about this and be cautious."

Often, a subject's behavior is based on the monarch's wishes. Gongsun Hong used himself as an example: serving His Majesty and serving the sovereign were two different things. He also used Yu Rang from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods as an example: serving the Fan family and Zhongxing was also two different things compared to serving Zhi Bo.

Where there is a wise ruler, there will be wise ministers.

Where there is a foolish ruler, there will be treacherous ministers.

Whether they are virtuous or not is not up to them; some of the emperor's cronies are usable.

(End of this chapter)