Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 159 Liu Bei's Reforms, the Han Dynasty's Siyong Base (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
The Secretariat has one Chief Minister, one Vice Chief Minister, six Secretaries, two Left and Right Assistant Ministers, thirty-six Vice Ministers, and eighteen Clerks.

In addition to Zhong Yao being appointed as Minister, Liu Bei, after careful consideration, decided to appoint Jia Xu as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, formally separated the Imperial Secretariat from the Imperial Household Department, and raised the salary and rank of the Imperial Secretariat.

The original rule of "the rank of the magistrate is 1,000 shi, and the rank of the minister and the secretary is 600 shi" was changed to "the rank of the magistrate, the minister, and the secretary are of the same rank as the nine ministers, and all have a rank of 2,000 shi." The ranks of the left and right assistant ministers, the vice ministers, and the clerks were all increased accordingly.

The existing ministers, vice ministers, vice ministers, and clerks were also assessed and reported by Jia Xu and Zhong Yao, who either promoted or transferred them.

The officials in Luoyang were mostly incompetent and lazy, as well as former protégés and former subordinates of Yuan Shikai, and others outside of Yuan Shikai who also wanted to seize power and control.

Dong Zhuo's decision to appoint scholars from Luoyang as trusted ministers instead of his own loyal followers from Yong and Liang provinces, ultimately leading to his being deceived by Zhou Bi, serves as a cautionary tale worthy of repeated reflection.

Although Liu Bei now holds a high position and wields great power, in essence, he is no different from Dong Zhuo in obtaining power. Both of them ascended to high positions by force rather than through the joint efforts of scholars.

If Liu Bei had not appointed his trusted subordinates to important positions, he would have been deceived just as well.

Although Jia Xu longed to return to Chang'an and live a peaceful life, the position of Shangshu Pushe, as the deputy to the Shangshu Ling, was in fact the executive Shangshu Ling.

Liu Bei was not at ease entrusting the task to someone else.

With Jia Xu as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Liu Bei wouldn't be too worried even if other forces or villains infiltrated the Imperial Secretariat.

Whenever someone threatens Jia Xu's life, the outwardly amiable Jia Xu transforms into "Poisonous Jia Xu," whose intelligence surpasses its limit and whose morality drops to negative levels.

Jia Xu's shrewdness lay in his knowledge of others and himself; he knew that his own foundation was not deep and that he needed to rely on a strong person to survive.

Liu Bei's magnanimity and straightforwardness convinced Jia Xu that even if he failed following Liu Bei, he would not be "borrowed for his own use".

Therefore, after being refused the offer to decline, Jia Xu abandoned his desire to remain in office and earnestly took up the post of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

His resignation was both an attempt to back down and a test of Liu Bei's bottom line.

If Liu Bei agrees, it means he has other suitable candidates; if Liu Bei disagrees, it means that if Jia Xu doesn't take the position, no one else will.

The Tao Te Ching says: "He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened." Jia Xu was a prime example of this.

With Jia Xu handling the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat, Liu Bei could free up his energy to plan for the future of the empire.

The world is in chaos.

The chaotic imperial court in Luoyang now only controls Hanyang Commandery, Youfufeng, Jingzhao Yin, and Zuofengyi in Yongzhou, as well as parts of Hedong Commandery, Hongnong Commandery, and Henan Yin. Even Henan Commandery, which is close to Luoyang, is in Yuan Shao's hands.

In other words, Dong Zhuo accomplished almost nothing after taking power in Luoyang.

Hedong Commandery was administered by Xun You, whom Liu Bei sent. When the White Wave bandits raided Hedong, Liu Bei also sent Zhang Liao to reinforce it.

Hongnong Commandery was under the jurisdiction of Zhang Wen and Huang Guang, and the suppression of the Yang clan of Hongnong was something Liu Bei forcibly demanded.

The remaining governors of Henan were all controlled by ministers with their own ulterior motives.

Despite facing such internal and external troubles, Dong Zhuo still had the leisure to visit the palace and enjoy himself.
Liu Bei could only lament: Those who slack off are not suited for high positions; those who hold positions without doing anything will only lead the Han Dynasty further toward its demise.

To revitalize the Han Dynasty, we must roll up the scrolls.

Either Liu Bei will crush someone else, or someone else will crush Liu Bei.

Only through rolling can a new great man be born.

The Han Dynasty had accumulated many problems over the years, and drastic measures were necessary.

Therefore, on the fourth day after assuming the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Liu Bei submitted a memorial proposing three decrees:

Article 1: Abolish slave farmers and slave laborers, restore official status, and those who do not comply shall be severely punished.

Article 2: Officials at all levels must truthfully hand over embezzled funds; those who refuse will be severely punished.

Article 3: All fields and houses that have been seized by the people of each county over the years must be returned to the county. Those who rent fields and cultivate them with others must sign new contracts. Those who do not comply will be severely punished.

Upon hearing these three decrees, all the officials in the hall felt their scalps tingle, and even Liu Xie, who had only recently become emperor, was astonished.

"Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, I believe this move is inappropriate. If this decree is enacted, the empire will surely be thrown into turmoil," said Yang Biao, Grand Master of the Palace, who hurriedly stepped forward to object.

I tolerated the fact that Huang Guang, the governor of Hongnong, suppressed the Yang family in Hongnong, but now you actually want to issue a decree in the name of the imperial court?

The Yang family of Hongnong was a powerful and influential family. They were the most powerful bandits in Hongnong and remained the strongest in the region even after being suppressed by Huang Guang for several months.

Yang Biao didn't care whether the land and houses accumulated by the Yang family ancestors were bought or sold through coercion or not; after all, it was done by the family members, not by him, Yang Biao.

With Yang Biao taking the lead, officials in the court echoed his sentiments.

These three laws are related to the vital interests of everyone, and we cannot help but oppose them.

"Grand Master of the Palace, you are actually more suited to be a proofreader at the Eastern Pavilion. Why do you have to take the lead?" Liu Bei glanced at Yang Biao and chuckled. "Not to mention that you married a woman from the Yuan family, which raises suspicions of collusion with Yuan Shu; I haven't even settled accounts with you yet for discussing private matters with Zhou Bi. Why don't I have Zhou Bi repeat himself in court?"

Yang Biao's expression changed drastically.

Zhou Bi is still in prison. If they were to confront each other in court, the law might be overturned, but Yang Biao would certainly be punished.

"Minister of State, you've misunderstood. To be frank, these three decrees of yours will indeed cause turmoil throughout the land." Yang Biao's tone softened, losing its previous intensity.

"That's why I said, Grand Master of the Palace, you're more suited to proofreading books at the Eastern Pavilion. Have you gone mad from reading too much?" Liu Bei's tone sharpened, and he said in a low voice, "What does the turmoil of the world have to do with my three laws? The turmoil of the world comes first, then the three laws. You surely know which comes first."

"Moreover, these three laws have already been implemented in all the prefectures of Yongzhou, and are being gradually promoted in Hedong and Hongnong prefectures. Only the prefecture of Henan has not yet officially implemented them. Even if there is chaos, it will only affect the prefecture of Henan and half of Hongnong and half of Hedong prefectures. How can it affect the whole country?"

Reform is like conquering cities and seizing territories; it cannot be accomplished overnight, but it can be done step by step.

Liu Bei implemented his new policies based in Yongzhou, and then gradually transferred Xun You and Huang Guang to Hedong and Hongnong counties to implement them. Only after he gained control of the power of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat did he begin to issue them in the name of the imperial court.

Once interests are involved in redistribution, there will inevitably be strong opposition.

However, if Liu Bei only had the Governor of Henan and half of Hongnong Commandery and half of Hedong Commandery, he could control this opposition.

Yang Biao was immediately speechless.

Seeing that no one objected, the officials became even more anxious. Wang Yun, the Grand Master of the Palace, intending to win over the officials, also stepped forward to object: "Grand Master, there's an old saying: governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; you can't be too forceful. Even if you want to make changes, you should do it gradually. Why not first issue the first decree, abolishing slave farmers and slave laborers and restoring official status? Observe the effects before deciding whether to issue the second and third decrees, what do you think?"

Wang Yun's proposal quickly gained the support of dozens of people.

As long as money and land are not touched, and slave farmers and laborers are abolished, there are corresponding solutions with a little maneuvering.

Wang Yun was secretly pleased. Reform?

Don't just make decisions on a whim; reforms without support are just wishful thinking.

Once you issue these three decrees, not a single official in the entire court will escape unscathed.

You think this is Yongzhou?
This is Luoyang!

Those who could enter the imperial court as officials were all from prominent and powerful families in their respective prefectures and counties.
You still want to dig up their roots?
No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Bei's mocking voice rang out: "You, who are in charge of chariots and horses and examine workers, also know how to govern a large country?"

During the Western Han Dynasty, the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud was responsible not only for the emperor's carriages and horses, but also for the stables and the pastoral officials of the six northwestern commanderies, and was in charge of animal husbandry.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, only the Imperial Stud and the Weiyang Palace were retained under the Grand Stud to manage the emperor's carriages and horses. The functions of the various stables and the pastors of the six northwestern commanderies were removed. A new office, the Kaogong, which was originally under the jurisdiction of the Shaofu, was added. Its duties were to make weapons such as bows, crossbows, knives, and armor, and to be in charge of weaving ribbons and other miscellaneous crafts.

Judging solely from his position as Grand Master of the Palace, it is indeed inappropriate to talk about "governing a large country as easy as cooking a small fish".

However, Wang Yun had also served as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and his current position as Grand Master of the Palace does not mean he was incapable of governing a large country.

Liu Bei's mocking remark immediately enraged Wang Yun, whose face darkened as he asked, "Does the Minister of State Affairs want to debate with me about the principles of governing a country?"

"Hahaha—" Liu Bei laughed loudly, "Grand Master, you jest. Have you ever heard of a skilled zither player playing for an ox?"

"I am the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, in charge of all affairs. Even if we were to debate the way to govern the country, we should do so with the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the other ministers. If I were to debate with the Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, would I be debating how to arrange the carriages or how to store bows, crossbows, swords, and armor?"

“Since ancient times, everyone has their own expertise. These three laws were jointly formulated by me, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and the other ministers. The Grand Master of the Imperial Secretariat may raise any difficulties in their implementation, and I will answer his questions. But the Grand Master of the Imperial Secretariat immediately dismisses two of the three laws. Does he think that none of the people in the Imperial Secretariat understand the way of governing a country as well as the Grand Master of the Imperial Secretariat, who is in charge of carriages and horses and examines crafts?”

After being repeatedly mocked by Liu Bei, Wang Yun's anger had reached its peak. If he hadn't been unable to defeat Liu Bei, Wang Yun would have already taken action.

"Minister of State, we are discussing state affairs. How dare you insult me ​​like this?" Wang Yun suppressed his anger.

"Insult you?" Liu Bei's smile vanished. "Then I'd like to ask the Grand Master of the Palace, when you made my father-in-law drive to Hangu Pass, why didn't you think it was an insult to me? I've just married, and the Grand Master of the Palace is already making things difficult for my father-in-law. What is your intention?"

Wang Yun's expression changed. He hadn't expected Liu Bei to mention Cai Yong at this time. His momentum faltered, and he retorted, "It was all because I mistakenly trusted Zhou Bi. I did not intend to make things difficult for Attendant Cai."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Bei stepped forward, staring at Wang Yun like a raging tiger: "Zhou Bi intended to instigate a conflict between me and Dong Zhuo, and deliberately sent away the Imperial Physician Li Ru, causing the Prince of Hongnong to die an unnatural death, making the Han Dynasty a laughing stock. Such a traitor deserves to have his entire family executed."

"Dong Zhuo is just a military man with little wisdom, so it's not surprising that he was bewitched by Zhou Bi; but you, Wang Yun, as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who boasts of having the talent of a king's advisor, couldn't even see through Zhou Bi's few provocative words."

"After the incident, Dong Zhuo, knowing he was not up to the job of Minister of Works, resigned and recommended me to be Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; but you, Wang Yun, instead of properly managing your carriages and examining your own mistakes, you dare to question the laws of the Imperial Secretariat?"

"It is because of pedantic people like you that the court is in turmoil and unrest, and even government orders cannot leave Luoyang. How dare you debate with me about the way to govern the country?"

After being rebuked by Liu Bei, Wang Yun was both angry and helpless.

Regardless of the reason, Wang Yun cannot escape responsibility for blindly believing Zhou Bi's instigation.

Frustrated, Wang Yun flicked his sleeves and returned to his seat, saying nothing more.

Seeing that Liu Bei first confronted Yang Biao and then Wang Yun, the remaining people who had complaints about the three laws dared not speak up anymore.

If you can't win in terms of force or reason, then opposing it would only be inviting humiliation.
Seeing that Liu Bei had persuaded the officials to stop opposing him simply by reasoning with them, Liu Xie felt a pang of envy.

As emperor, Liu Xie also wanted to be as eloquent as Liu Bei, so that his officials could not refute him.

However, what Liu Xie did not know was that the officials were not incapable of refuting, but rather dared not. Words alone could not intimidate the officials; what they feared was that Liu Bei could not only reason but also use force.

Only by combining both civil and military means can we truly deter those who refuse to submit.

With no objections, the three laws were quickly passed.

As Liu Bei said, although there will be chaos, it will only affect the Governor of Henan and half of Hongnong Commandery and half of Hedong Commandery.

Or perhaps, Liu Bei used these three laws to establish his authority.

If Liu Bei, after becoming Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, cannot even implement his policies in the provinces of Henan, Hongnong, and Hedong, then who in the Guandong region will take Liu Bei seriously in the future?

Therefore.

No matter how fiercely the people of these three prefectures protest, and no matter how much the officials in the court complain, these three laws must be implemented.

Hedong Commandery had 100,000 households; Hongnong Commandery had 50,000 households; and Henan Yin had 200,000 households.

If Liu Bei can't even intimidate these 350,000 households and the hidden population, then how can he possibly intimidate the whole world?

The governor of Henan province was surrounded by a large number of corrupt officials and lawless bandits. Combating corruption and suppressing lawless bandits not only provided a legal basis but also allowed the people to live and work in peace.

As long as Liu Bei firmly stands on the side of the common people, wins over law-abiding citizens, and severely punishes corrupt officials and lawless bandits, he will be invincible.

As for the remaining vested interests, if they dare to rebel, Liu Bei has troops, and a battle can decide who is the king and who is the king.

Because he needed to focus his efforts on transforming Henan Yin, Hongnong County, and Hedong County into the same level as the four counties of Yongzhou, Liu Bei did not interfere in the affairs of the Guandong provinces.

Even Yuzhou ignored it.

Whether it's vying for power or governing the world, one must proceed cautiously step by step.

First, lay a solid foundation, using Sili and Yongzhou as bases, and then conquer the world. Only then will you have the opportunity to make everyone in the world submit to Liu Bei's rules.

If the foundation is not solid, then Liu Bei's sweeping reforms will end up like Wang Mang's.

Two thousand years after Liu Bei is beaten to death by a mob, stories of "Liu Bei the Time Traveler" might still circulate.

This is also the best time for Liu Bei to lay the foundation.

After the Yuan clan alliance dissolved, each faction had its own agenda and no longer cared about Liu Bei.

Even knowing that Liu Bei's three decrees would cause the powerful bandits in Henan, Hongnong, and Hedong to rebel, he would at most send a few people to make promises to the bandits, but would not provide any substantial military assistance.

And so it is.

After looting extensively in Nanyang, Yuan Shu fled to Runan, intending to divide Yuzhou with Huang Wan.

After Zhang Miao, Yuan Yi, and others returned to Yanzhou, they first turned their attention to Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou in Xiaopei, in order to avoid being kicked out of their rear by Cao Cao in future conflicts.

After learning of the death of the Prince of Hongnong, Yuan Shao went directly to Han Fu in Ye City, intending to persuade Liu Yu to accept the mandate and declare himself emperor.

(End of this chapter)