Chapter 696 Persuasion
Liang Guangyi's blunt words made Xiao Yan stunned for a moment. Looking at the old man in front of him, he was no longer as energetic as before, and his eyes were full of fatigue and boredom.
Xiao Yan said, "That's not what I meant."
"I do wish to weaken the aristocratic families, and I do not wish to allow you to continue to enjoy your former privileges. However, this is not due to any past grudges between me and you. The aristocratic families have become so powerful that they have already affected the court and the people's livelihood."
"Over the years, because you have controlled the government, the selection of officials has been monopolized. Children from aristocratic families don't need to make any progress; simply being born into a good family can secure a good job. Regardless of their abilities, they can occupy important positions. As a result, the government is incompetent, and corruption is rampant from top to bottom."
"I want to unify imperial power and reform the court, which will inevitably lead to conflict with the aristocratic families. However, I have never denied the talents of you and some of the aristocratic court officials. I am not using you to take all the bad reputation for Feng Qiuli, but because I believe you can suppress others, and because I understand you have the ability."
Upon hearing this, Liang Guangyi looked at Xiao Yan with dark eyes, obviously not believing what he said.
Xiao Yan smiled inexplicably when he met his somewhat stubborn eyes. He stood up from his seat and slowly walked to the side in front of a screen covered with silk cloth.
"Mr. Liang, do you know what I want?"
Xiao Yan reached out and lifted the silk cloth, and Liang Guangyi discovered that what was hanging on the rosewood screen was a map.
The map was so large that even from a distance one could clearly see the interweaving of ink and vermilion. Mountains, rivers, and streams were all on the map. Xiao Yan pointed to one of the places and said,
"This is the Great Wei, the place you've occupied and fought for. It's also the fertile land that Emperor Taizu conquered with countless soldiers and soldiers. Whether it's Beiling, Southern Qi, or the thirteen tribes and other small countries in the west, everyone covets the fertile land and prosperous territory of the Great Wei."
"I do not wish to be the ruler of a fallen nation. I wish to uphold the aspirations of my great ancestor. My ambitions have never been limited to the land of the Great Wei."
Grand Tutor Liang suddenly raised his eyes and looked at the young emperor who was standing in front of the map and talking, his eyes full of astonishment.
Xiao Yan touched the map and chuckled:
"Mr. Liang cares about his reputation after his death and fears being blamed for the downfall of his family. But rather than becoming a sinner of the aristocratic family, don't you want your name to be passed down through the ages? Don't you want future generations to praise you as a wise prime minister, Liang Guangyi?"
Liang Guangyi's eyes trembled, and his heart tightened as he listened to Xiao Yan's words.
Who doesn’t want to be famous for generations to come?
Can……
Liang Guangyi looked at Xiao Yan intently: "How could it be easier said than done, Your Majesty?"
Xiao Yan laughed: "It's not easy, but it's not impossible, right?"
"I can't believe you didn't see why I couldn't do anything when I could have easily surpassed Xie Tianyong."
"After the death of Emperor Taizu, the power of the Wei Dynasty gradually declined. After Xie Tianyong came to power, the court became even more corrupt. However, he was still able to hold Beiling and Southern Qi back for many years without losing a single territory. Do you think that I will be inferior to Xie Tianyong after I take the throne?"
"If I want to expand my territory, I must stabilize the court. I need capable people to help me."
Liang Guangyi's eyes flickered darkly: "But there are Cao Dejiang and Feng Qiuli in the court."
Xiao Yan shook his head. "Lord Cao is upright, and Feng Qiuli is young. You can do what they can do, but they may not be able to do what Lord Liang can do. Besides, what I said before was never a lie."
"While aristocratic families certainly have their share of corruption and deep-seated problems, it's undeniable that they have nurtured many talented individuals. The elites hand-picked from generation to generation are far superior to those court officials selected from humble backgrounds. There are too few people with Cao Dejiang's abilities, and the court can't have just one type of person."
"Putting aside past grudges, Lord Liang's abilities are no less than anyone else's. If it weren't for the Lu family and Lu Chongyuan dragging him down, the aristocratic family would have made mistakes one after another, losing ground and losing the initiative. I might not have been able to do anything to you."
"I really want to employ you, and I really treat all children of noble families equally."
Liang Guangyi's expression kept changing. He was a little hesitant about whether Xiao Yan's words were true or not, but a voice in his heart told him.
There was no need for Xiao Yan to lie to him.
He is now the emperor, a high and mighty king. If he just wants to push a target out to suppress the aristocratic families, there is no difference between using him and using Feng Qiuli. In fact, Feng Qiuli is more loyal and easier to control than him. After he resigns, there will only be benefits and no harm for Xiao Yan. There is no need for Xiao Yan to make up these excuses to "retain" him.
But if what Xiao Yan said was true...
Liang Guangyi really found it hard to believe that someone who was once so hostile to them could really treat the noble families "calmly" and even promise him great power to let him stay in the court.
Seeing Liang Guangyi remained silent, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "I regret Lord Liang's talent and am willing to offer him the position of Right Prime Minister. However, if you insist on resigning, I will not force you to stay. However, since I have just ascended the throne, there is no way I will allow you and the Liang family to leave the capital."
"If Lord Liang truly does not wish to remain in the court, I will issue an imperial decree to confer upon you the title of Duke, allowing you to remain in the capital and live out your days. As I have promised before, the children of the Liang family can still take the imperial examinations and enter the court, or become officials and ministers."
Liang Guangyi opened his mouth: "I..."
Xiao Yan interrupted, "Mr. Liang, there's no need to rush to answer. You can go back and think it over carefully before making a decision."
…
When he came out of the imperial study, it started snowing outside again. The biting cold wind blew on Liang Guangyi's face, making his skin hurt.
Liang Guangyi subconsciously pulled his cloak up to cover his neck more tightly, and put his hands into his sleeves, and walked out of the palace on the snow. The palace servant beside him held an umbrella over his head to shield him from the snowflakes falling from the sky, and whispered instructions to him.
"The roads are slippery in the snow, so watch your step, Grand Master."
Liang Guangyi turned his head when he heard the voice, looked at the familiar-looking young eunuch beside him, and suddenly asked, "Did you also work in the Imperial Study before?"
The eunuch immediately smiled and said, "Grand Master, do you still remember me? My name is Xiao Anzi, and I have been working in the Imperial Study for three years."
Liang Guangyi was surprised: "After His Majesty came to power, he never replaced you?"
Xiao Anzi was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand what Liang Guangyi meant, and quickly shook his head:
"Your Majesty is benevolent and righteous. Since entering the palace, apart from the palace maids who had previously committed crimes and the people in Shoukang Palace who had injured Princess Xiangning, he has never beaten or killed anyone in the palace. People like me who once served the deposed emperor are still on duty as before."
God knows how terrified those who had served the deposed emperor were when the palace coup occurred and the throne was taken away.
When the guillotine was about to be chopped off, everyone thought they were doomed, but they did not expect that the new emperor did not touch them at all. He only dealt with a few restless people, and everything was back to normal for everyone else.
Liang Guangyi asked in a low voice: "What about Feng Lai?"
Xiao Anzi shook his head: "I don't know, I just vaguely heard that Eunuch Feng seemed to have gone to the Empress Dowager's palace."
The snow was falling harder and harder. Xiao Anzi was struggling to hold up his big umbrella while keeping an eye on his feet. He had only taken two steps when he noticed Liang Guangyi suddenly stop. He turned around in surprise and asked, "Grandmaster, what's wrong with you?"
Liang Guangyi reached out to catch a falling snowflake, and tightened his palm to hold the coolness.
"Return to the Imperial Study."
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