Chapter 695 Crazy
"Is Liang Guangyi crazy?!"
This was the thought of almost all the court officials in the hall. Even the King of England and others who had already surrendered looked at Liang Guangyi, thinking that he had lost his mind.
That was the foundation of the aristocratic families accumulated over hundreds of years, and it was the privilege they had refused to give up at the cost of their lives. In the past, the late emperor and Emperor An had spent so much effort fighting wits and courage with the aristocratic families but had never been able to do anything to them. But now, Liang Guangyi, the head of the aristocratic families, actually took the initiative to propose abolishing the privileges of the aristocratic families.
Once the imperial examinations were held, it meant that the situation in which the aristocratic families monopolized the selection and dispatch of officials in the court would be completely broken, and the influx of fresh blood would dilute the aristocratic families' foundation in the court. What's more, Liang Guangyi also took the initiative to ask the new emperor to lay off redundant officials.
Among these "redundant" officials, more or less they are related to aristocratic families. The new emperor will definitely not miss this opportunity.
Is Liang Guangyi going to sacrifice the flesh of the aristocratic family to please the new emperor?
The court officials of the Qingliu faction looked at each other in bewilderment, and several princes of the royal family also looked at the new emperor. However, the new emperor's face was calm without any surprise. Although the other court officials of the aristocratic families had ugly expressions, they did not come forward to refute Liang Guangyi, and obviously tacitly approved of his actions.
Before everyone could come to their senses, Liang Guangyi's next words were even more shocking.
"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the court needs capable people to reform. I am too old to take on the position of Grand Tutor. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to resign."
Wow——
"Grand Master!"
This time, not to mention others, even Feng Qiuli and others looked up.
Xiao Yan also showed a look of surprise: "Grand Master wants to resign?"
Liang Guangyi stood in the hall with a calm expression: "This old minister has long reached the age for retirement. If it weren't for the unrest in the court and the disasters caused by the deposed emperor's incompetence, this old minister would have long ago given up the position of Grand Tutor and returned home with his wife to live out his days in peace."
"Your Majesty is now wise and powerful, the government is clear and upright, and the ministers are in harmony with your Majesty, and the people are loyal to you. I, an old minister, am ashamed to continue serving as Grand Tutor. I beg Your Majesty to grant me the permission to retire."
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Xiao Yan and knelt down.
Xiao Yan stared at Liang Guangyi for a long moment before speaking, "Grand Master, you're too modest. You've served three dynasties, assisted Emperor Taizu, and are a pillar of the Wei Dynasty. Now that the war in the south is raging and Beiling is eyeing us covetously, how can the court be without someone as capable as you?"
"His Majesty……"
Liang Guangyi wanted to speak.
Xiao Yan simply waved his hand and said, "There's no need to mention resigning. The Grand Master is old and strong, and the court still needs wise ministers like you and Lord Cao to help me steer the ship. However, I can consider the other two matters you just mentioned, and I'll hand them over to the Secretariat to discuss the specific details later."
After Xiao Yan rejected Liang Guangyi's offer to resign, he simply let the matter go.
The others looked at Liang Guangyi's frown, and for a moment they were confused as to whether this was a show between Liang Guangyi and the new emperor, or whether he really wanted to resign.
After the morning court session ended, Xiao Yan left Liang Guangyi alone.
They were once colleagues and sworn enemies in the court, and now they are one the king and the other the minister.
Xiao Yan looked at Liang Guangyi and said, "Grand Tutor Liang, have you misunderstood something? I have no intention of asking you to resign. All I want is the attitude of the aristocratic families. Since you have agreed to my wishes, I will not touch you or those people in the aristocratic families. You don't have to do this."
"This old minister knows."
Liang Guangyi lowered his eyes calmly and said, "Your Majesty, since you have promised me the position of Right Prime Minister, I naturally do not joke. I am tired of the court fighting. I have spent my whole life in the court. Now that I am nearly seventy years old, I just want to live a stable life."
"Your Majesty now holds all power. With the assistance of Cao Dejiang, Marquis Wenxin, and others, Your Majesty and the Great Wei will surely reach their peak. It would be useless for someone as old as me to remain in the court. I beg Your Majesty to grant my wish and let me leave."
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unpredictable.
He originally thought that Liang Guangyi's resignation was just a means to negotiate with him, but now he found that he really wanted to leave.
Xiao Yan retracted his feigned affability and asked calmly, "Why? You should understand that I can't let you go at this moment."
Seeing Liang Guangyi frown, Xiao Yan said:
"The aristocratic families have long dominated the court. Their deep-rooted ties have already eroded the entire Great Wei. I do not wish to exterminate you all, but I will never allow the aristocratic families to control the court as usual."
"Your several great families share a common affiliation, yet each has its own unique foundations. Everyone has their own selfish motives. Without a leader who can command the support of the others, no family will obey the others. Each acting on its own will inevitably lead to more trouble. It will be very difficult for me to stabilize the court and implement new policies."
Xiao Yan knew that Liang Guangyi was not someone who could be fooled by a few empty words, so he did not beat around the bush and said directly:
"The premise for me to agree to let the aristocratic family go is that I can control them, and you are also knowledgeable and sensible enough not to do anything that crosses the line. But if the aristocratic family becomes something that cannot be controlled and affects what I want to do, then there is no need to keep them."
"Grand Tutor Liang is a wise man and should understand what I mean."
Liang Guangyi seemed to have not expected Xiao Yan to be so blunt. He dropped his pretense of humility and sneered, "This old minister understands, but doesn't Your Majesty already have Feng Qiuli?"
Xiao Yan frowned.
Liang Guangyi said in a slightly cold voice, "Your Majesty, do you know what the first word I learned when I first learned to read was? 'Clan'!"
"Since birth, I have shouldered the responsibility of my family. From a young age, I have taken it upon myself to maintain the family's glory. From what I have learned, the king is not the most important, but the clan and family. And everything I have learned is based on the fact that the interests of the clan and family are above all else."
His eyes showed a hint of melancholy, as well as a dark and complex look.
"I entered the imperial court at seventeen, and the Secretariat at twenty-three. I climbed step by step to the position of Grand Tutor, never slacking off for a single day. I believed I could maintain the glory of my family and live up to the reputation of my ancestors, but our family, which had been so glorious for so many years, still lost its glory to old ministers."
"I, your Majesty, understand your intentions and know that letting the aristocratic families go is only a temporary measure. Once you have completely taken control of the government and quelled the internal and external troubles of the Wei Dynasty, you will definitely strike back at the aristocratic families. You want to completely eliminate the aristocratic families' privileges and centralize imperial power. Your ambition will not tolerate the aristocratic families for too long. Unless you are in power for a short time, otherwise the aristocratic families will surely decline if they continue to give in."
"You promised Feng Qiuli a bright future. You can't put the blame on me, an old minister."
"I do not want the history books to record that the aristocratic family fell into decline because of me. I do not want the aristocratic family to be destroyed by me. In the future, after I go to the underworld, I will have to bear this crime and face the ancestors of the Liang family. Even after death, I will not be able to rest in peace!"
Liang Guangyi seemed to be able to imagine what future generations would say when they mentioned him if he continued to stay in the court.
A hint of sarcasm flashed across his face. "Your Majesty was able to coax Feng Qiuli into becoming a renowned official, even selling out his ancestors and family. You can't let him reap the benefits without getting even a stigma."
"I am old and cannot bear the ridicule of future generations!"
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