Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

"You're talking nonsense! The officials' coup attempt was also a testament to their unwavering loyalty to the country!"

"...And you keep talking about new policies, new policies, but what good are they if you lose the hearts of the people?"

"It is because of treacherous officials and cruel bureaucrats like you, Gong Dingzi, and Jia Jing that the people of my great Han dynasty have lost all their support."

"The gentry's policy of not having to perform official duties or pay taxes has been passed down for thousands of years, but the new government is trying to go against this, which has caused widespread resentment among the gentry, panic among the people, and chaos in the court."

"The sage said, 'The ruler is the least important, the state is next, the people are the most important, and the scholars are the foremost of the four classes. Without the support of the gentry and the scholars of the land, how can the Han dynasty's rule be secure?'"

"The officials' advice to abolish the new policies was entirely to fill the gaps in the government's governance. What's wrong with that?" Kong Ying retorted loudly!

"Well said! We are all thinking of the future of the Han Dynasty!"

"Yes! Forcing someone to abdicate is also a sign of loyalty!"

"Master Kong's words are truly like the sun breaking through the clouds, bringing sudden enlightenment!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tingyu swept his indifferent eyes across the faces of the officials before him. His resolute and sharp gaze caused everyone to lower their heads before he slowly spoke:

"In the early years of the Jingsheng era, the Yellow River flooded, turning the land into a vast wetland and causing millions of disaster victims. However, the imperial court was unable to provide relief to the victims, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, and the outbreak of war."

"In the fourth year of Jingsheng, Japanese pirates wreaked havoc along the coast of Jiangnan, killing our people. Your Majesty resolved several times to subdue the pirates, but due to the empty treasury, you had to prioritize the war in Liaodong and could not send troops to many other places."

"At the beginning of this year, the three barbarian tribes of the northwest invaded, and the Ministry of Revenue had no money, which even forced His Majesty to reduce palace expenditures to support the war on the northwest front."

"All these factors have led to the nation's exhaustion, depletion of resources, and internal and external troubles, causing Your Majesty to frequently lose your appetite and sleep restlessly."

"Therefore, His Majesty often told us that his greatest wish in this life was to pacify Liaodong, rectify official corruption, reform corrupt practices, and revitalize the Han Dynasty."

"That is why His Majesty, when external troubles have temporarily subsided, has vigorously promoted new policies and implemented the capital inspection system. You must know that these are not done for his personal enjoyment, but for the eternal prosperity of our Great Han Dynasty!"

"Since its implementation, the effects of the new policies have been evident to all! The conversion of poll tax to land tax has increased the national treasury's tax revenue by almost half in the past few months."

"Although the confiscation of the tax revenue meant that local officials would lose the income of 100,000 taels of silver that a prefect could earn in three years, it would increase the national treasury's revenue by 20%."

"When Grand Secretary Gong implemented the policy of requiring gentry and commoners to perform official duties and pay taxes in Jiangnan, although it caused losses to the wealthy landowners, it also sent several million taels of emergency relief silver to the court in the past few months."

"The poor have also seen their burdens reduced as a result of the new policies; these are all true stories happening right before our eyes!"

"Lord Kong, you shouldn't be unaware of these things, should you? As a descendant of the Sage Confucius, you have a long-standing reputation for virtue among scholars. Others may not understand the merits or demerits of the new policies, but are you truly unaware as well? Or are you acting out of self-interest?"

Zhang Tingyu emphasized the words "their own interests," because as far as he knew, the Kong family was the most active family in opposing the new policies in the court in recent years.

Kong Ying's repeated provocations and actions may very well have been at the behest of the current Duke Yansheng.

After all, the Kong family owned no less than one million mu of land in dozens of counties across four provinces: Shandong, Hebei, Henan, and Southern Zhili.

It can be said that the new policy truly harmed the interests of the Kong family!

According to the imperial court's investigation, most of these lands were acquired by the Kong family through cruel exploitation of tenants by charging high rents and lending money at exorbitant interest rates. They never paid a single penny of tax!

Recently, the Shandong Imperial City Envoy submitted a secret letter stating that the Kong family has completely disregarded the imperial court's decree to investigate land ownership in recent years.

On the surface, they constantly used private armies and servants to directly resist, while in secret they raised bandits and outlaws in Shandong to burn, kill, and plunder, obstructing the implementation of the new laws. They can be described as fearless and audacious!

The secret letter also stated that the Duke Yansheng's mansion of the Kong family had been expanded several times, covering an area of ​​nearly 300 acres.

With over 460 rooms, halls, towers, and pavilions, the family mansion was transformed into a palace, with carved beams and painted rafters, and was magnificent and resplendent. Including the Confucius Temple and the Confucius Cemetery, the entire Three Confucius Sites covered an area larger than the Nanjing Imperial Palace!

All the officials, including the Shandong Provincial Governor, had been bribed by the Kong family and dared not offend them at all!

This overstepping of authority shows a complete disregard for the imperial court!

When Emperor Jingsheng saw the secret report from the Imperial City Guard, he was so angry that he smashed several imperial artifacts in the Qianqing Palace. He called the Kong family a huge cancer in the Han Dynasty and ordered someone to invite Zhang Tingyu to discuss countermeasures!

Therefore, Zhang Tingyu understood the real reason why Kong Ying was so actively opposing the new policies. Although he spoke of benevolence and ancestral principles, he was actually calculating his own interests behind the scenes.

At this moment, the officials in front of Zhang Tingyu's mansion fell silent after hearing his reasoned and well-founded words.

Only Kong Ying frowned, her face flushed, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and instinctively shrieked:

"No matter how you put it, isn't it still about competing with the people for profit? Isn't it still about waging war and exhausting resources? Isn't it still about violating ancestral rules?"

"I see you now, Zhang Tingyu. You're a treacherous and despicable man. You're obsessed with your own position and wealth, and your mouth is full of the stench of money. Where is the integrity of a scholar?"

"You even went so far as to bear the infamy, fabricating numerous unjust imprisonments to curry favor with the emperor. Where in your eyes do you have any regard for the gentry, or for morality and righteousness!"

"Do you think I can't see through you? You have ulterior motives, you are despicable, you are utterly devoid of conscience!"

"You're just trying to eliminate dissidents and secure your own power. Do you think you can fool the world and deceive everyone?"

"Know that suppressing the people's voices is more difficult than preventing a river from overflowing; the will of the people is the will of Heaven, and the will of the scholars is the will of Heaven! History is clear and will not tolerate a villain like you distorting the truth!"

"Master Kong is right!"

"Well done, Lord Kong!" a few officials echoed.

Zhang Tingyu smiled nonchalantly, glanced at the Imperial City Guard envoy beside him, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Yes! History will remember us, and let posterity judge our achievements!"

Emperor Taizong of Tang once asked his minister Xu Jingzong, "The entire court praises your virtue and ability, so why are there still criticisms?"

Xu Jingzong replied: "Spring rain is as precious as oil; farmers rejoice at its moistening of the soil, while travelers find the roads slippery. The autumn moon is as bright as a mirror; beautiful women admire its purity, while thieves hate its brilliance. Even heaven and earth cannot always please people, let alone ordinary folk. I only wish to serve the public wholeheartedly and remain true to my conscience!"

"I, Zhang Tingyu, have studied under many wise men, learning the teachings of sages and understanding loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness! For decades, I have lived up to the emperor's grace and my own conscience, and can say that I have nothing to be ashamed of before heaven and earth. As for praise or criticism... history will judge!"

"I would also like to offer this advice to my colleagues present: His Majesty is a ruler like Yao and Shun, possessing great talent and wisdom. We, his subjects, are truly fortunate and blessed to have such a sage ruler, a rare find throughout history. How could we not devote ourselves wholeheartedly and repay his kindness with our lives!"

"Damn it!" Kong Ying was so angry that she clenched her fists and cursed under her breath when she saw that Zhang Tingyu was unyielding and even used her questioning to make grand pronouncements and show his loyalty.

Seeing that they couldn't gain anything by discussing the new policies, one of the other officials suggested changing the subject:

"Grand Secretary Zhang, what about the Capital Inspection? You preside over the Capital Inspection, using the performance evaluation method to assess all officials. But have you considered that, as the ancients said, 'Laws alone are not enough to govern,' the more stringent the laws, the more wickedness arises, and the stricter the assessment, the more prevalent falsehood becomes?"

"Will local officials, in order to meet performance targets, add layers of bureaucracy? Will they force people to pay taxes they shouldn't to make the numbers look better? Will they turn minor issues into major cases to improve their political record?"

"The examination system is a reform of the system, but when the system reaches the grassroots level, it is still implemented by people. If people have selfish motives, even the best system is just empty words."

Zhang Tingyu remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the man's face for a long time before he spoke, his voice lower than before, his tone hoarse:

"You're right, the new system of inspection in the capital is indeed not perfect, because the system is rigid, but people are flexible, and there is no such thing as a perfect policy."

"But I ask you, is what you're saying the fault of the performance evaluation system, or the fault of the officials?"

The man was taken aback. He was only dissatisfied with the new system of imperial examinations, so he pointed out the errors. He did not expect Zhang Tingyu to admit them directly!

"No matter how the system of inspection in the capital is changed, or who is implementing it, there will always be people who can find loopholes."

"But what the court wants to change is not a law, but the atmosphere of the court and the people. Only when the atmosphere of the court and the people is upright will those who try to take advantage of loopholes be exposed; and if the atmosphere is not upright, even the best law will be found to be flawed."

"The imperial court's reform of the capital's examination system is not intended to stifle everyone, but to provide a path for those who truly get things done." Zhang Tingyu paused, his voice suddenly lowering.

"The road is hard! It's always difficult to accomplish something, but easy to find fault!"

"I know that many people are not quite ready to grasp this concept yet, but don't rush, and don't be swayed or led astray by others to oppose it. Let's see the results for ourselves over time!"

"The capital inspection is currently only a trial run; everything depends on its actual effectiveness! His Majesty has repeatedly admonished his officials: 'The way to govern lies in pragmatism, not empty fame,' and 'With sincerity, implement practical policies.' You should carefully ponder the words of your sovereign!"

The alleyway fell silent for a moment, and no one asked any more questions.

Kong Ying stood there, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He couldn't help but wonder, wasn't Jia Jing supposed to be a master of flattery? What was with Zhang Tingyu spouting praises and imperial pronouncements all the time? Where was the pride of a civil official?

Some officials cupped their hands in greeting, said nothing more, and turned to leave. Others, though still showing dissatisfaction, did not want to be left alone.

The crowd slowly dispersed, like a tide, coming and going quickly.

Zhang Tingyu stood outside the threshold, watching those figures disappear into the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

At this moment, the old servant behind him whispered, "Master, everything is ready. It's time to go to the palace."

Zhang Tingyu didn't turn around, his voice low: "Let's go, and you be careful too!"

The old servant was the first to board the sedan chair, which was then lifted and carried along the street towards the palace.

Before long, another carriage drove out of the Zhang residence...

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