Emperor Ling of Han was the last powerful emperor of the Han Dynasty, a figure who could have altered the course of history, yet he became the root cause of the empire's collapse.
Fate ha...
Night had fallen, but the Secretariat was brightly lit, where Liu Hong, Chen Fan, Hu Guang, Li Ying, and others were personally overseeing various government affairs.
Although the eunuchs led by Wang Fu and their cronies have been mostly captured, the officials who had previously sided with them also need to be purged, and the vacant positions must be filled as soon as possible.
One after another, imperial edicts of appointment and dismissal were issued by the Ministry of Personnel and then passed to Yang Qiu, the Commandant of the Capital Region.
Soon, the Court of Justice and the Ministry of Justice mobilized simultaneously, and for a time, shouts and reprimands filled the city of Luoyang. Many sleeping people were awakened by the commotion outside and got up to see what was happening.
“When the Sili government is in charge of its affairs, no unauthorized personnel are allowed to go out at will. Anyone found taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble will be severely punished.”
Many villagers who peeked out of their homes were terrified when they saw rows of constables and soldiers wielding swords and weapons. They quickly retreated and shut their doors tightly.
At the Imperial Secretariat, beside Liu Hong's desk, Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Xi Zhicai, Zhang Zhao, and others, who had been newly appointed as Attendants-in-Ordinary, were also busily processing the official documents that had accumulated over the years in the Han Dynasty.
Looking at the mountain of official documents in front of them, everyone felt quite heavy-hearted. No one had expected that the Han Dynasty was already so deeply entrenched in corruption.
One appointment after another was issued from Liu Hong's hands. At this moment, the poor scholars he had left in the capital came in handy, and he filled almost all the important vacant positions.
Liu Hong believed that it wouldn't be long before these people gained a foothold and became his strongest supporters in the court.
The first rays of dawn dispelled the darkness, and the civil and military officials who had toiled all night at the Imperial Secretariat couldn't help but rub their red eyes as they looked at the sunlight streaming in.
Now that the power of the imperial relatives has been eliminated and the eunuchs have been removed, the Han Dynasty, like the morning sun, has ushered in its dawn.
Liu Hong put down the official document in his hand and realized that it was already dawn.
Before long, Zhao Zhong led a group of eunuchs, carrying food boxes, and stood outside the government office.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has ordered me to bring breakfast to Your Majesty and all the ministers."
"Okay, come in."
Liu Hong felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at the food that Dou Miao had personally prepared for him, and then looked at the officials who were still carrying out their official duties.
"Gentlemen, the problems of the Han Dynasty have been accumulated for many years and cannot be solved in a day. Let's finish our breakfast and go back to rest."
"Your Majesty, we thank you!"
The officials, exhausted from a night's work, put down their official documents, expressed their gratitude, and picked up their bowls and chopsticks.
Everyone ate with great relish, as if this morning's breakfast was exceptionally delicious.
"call...."
Liu Hong stepped out of the Imperial Secretariat and let out a soft breath. Then he looked at the rising sun, and the fatigue of the night was instantly swept away.
Soon, news of the eunuch's execution reached the ears of the common people and scholars.
In an instant, people took to the streets to celebrate, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" and "The Emperor is wise!"
Countless elderly party members wept and cried out the names of those who had died in the party persecution.
Outside the South Palace, it was already noon, and countless commoners, scholars, students, and students from the Imperial Academy had gathered there.
Everyone formed a semicircle, silently watching the eunuch faction led by Wang Fu within the circle.
Yang Qiu, who was in charge of supervising the execution, looked up at the sun and then shouted loudly, "The time has come! Execute!"
As Yang Qiu finished speaking, Wang Fu was forced to stand under a guillotine. Wang Fu couldn't help but look up at it, the blade gleaming with a chilling sharpness.
A sudden surge of survival instinct made Wang Fu struggle, but how could he possibly break free from the two eunuchs at this moment?
As a sharp pain shot through his waist, Wang Fu felt a sudden lightness in his lower body, and then he couldn't help but crawl forward, as if only in this way could he alleviate some of the pain.
After the executions were completed, the Tiger Guards responsible for maintaining order made way for the corpses, and onlookers rushed towards them, spitting, kicking them like balls, poking them with sticks, and throwing stones at them. Everyone vented their anger and resentment that had been building up in their hearts for many years in their own way.
After everyone had left, the person in charge of collecting the bodies looked at the unidentified objects scattered on the ground and sighed helplessly.
With the downfall of the eunuch faction, Liu Hong and the court officials turned their attention to the local powerful families who had once served them.
To prevent them from colluding and causing greater chaos in the Luoyang area, the Imperial Guards, the Tiger Guards, and the newly integrated five battalions of the Northern Army opened the treasury and took out large siege weapons that had been sealed away for a long time.
With the cooperation of the "Investigation Division" personnel, squads of Imperial Guards marched out of Luoyang and began to purge the lawless powerful clans in the Sili region.
With the support of the emperor and his officials, local governments also actively cooperated.
After Huang Zhong and his men read out Liu Hong's edict, all the soldiers were overjoyed and eagerly charged towards the powerful local tyrants, because the emperor had promised that a portion of the spoils would be given to them.
Before those local tyrants who had once wreaked havoc could react, they were struck down by the Imperial Guards. Although there were occasional resistance fighters, how could they possibly be a match for these elite soldiers? Thus, most of the tyrants were brought back to calm in an instant without even a ripple.
A very small number of powerful clans reacted quickly, gathering their trained assassins and slaves in a fortified village, preparing for a desperate fight.
The Imperial Guard officer in charge of the arrest sneered, then produced an imperial edict and read it aloud:
"The Emperor has decreed that these people, who have attached themselves to the eunuch faction, have wreaked havoc in their villages and committed numerous evils, may have their commoner status restored if they are willing to assist the royal army in eliminating the rebels. Those who remain obstinate will be punished the same as the rebels."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!