Chapter 697 Who gave you such a big face?
Xiao Yan kept Liang Guangyi.
At the morning court session the next day, Liang Guangyi did not mention the matter of resigning again. Cao Dejiang and the others seemed to have expected this and did not mention it at all. Except for the princes of the royal family who looked confused and did not know what had happened, the court was as usual.
Over the next few days, the issue of dismissing redundant officials was put on the agenda. This involved not only members of the aristocratic families, but also members of the Qingliu faction. In the words of Liang Guangyi, "The pests in the court are not limited to the aristocratic families. If Your Majesty is determined to strengthen the Wei Dynasty, he should not only focus on the aristocratic families."
Liang Guangyi and Cao Dejiang were arguing back and forth as usual. The aristocratic families and the Qingliu faction almost turned against each other in the court over the fate of one or two officials under their command. Xiao Yan sat high on the dragon throne and let the two argue. A few days later, the list of officials to be laid off and transferred came out.
Officials from aristocratic families accounted for 70%, and among the remaining 30%, half were from the Qingliu faction and half were relatives of the royal family.
It seemed that many people were dismissed and demoted from the aristocratic families, but little did they know that the Qingliu faction was also in uproar. It was not easy for them to enter the court as humble people, and the loss of one would be a serious blow to their vitality. Some people were indignant and went to Cao Dejiang, their words full of anger.
"Your Majesty, what's going on? It's fine if he wants to lay off and suppress the people of the aristocratic families, but why are our people among them?"
"Yes, Lord Cao, we are loyal to His Majesty. He was able to ascend to the throne with our help. It would be fine if he didn't accept the reward, but how could he turn his back on us? He actually wants to demote Lord Xu and Lord Meng, and even send Lord Luo into exile!"
"That's right, Your Majesty, this is simply destroying the bridge. If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have survived. How could he be so ungrateful and treat us like this?!"
Cao Dejiang was surrounded by a group of people, and all he could hear were their indignant words, some of which were even rude and offensive.
Seeing their faces filled with indignation and their increasingly aggressive words, Cao Dejiang said in a slightly cold voice, "Have you forgotten that this is still the imperial palace?"
"If you don't want your heads anymore, you can make louder noises. Let's see which is harder, your necks or the swords of the Black Armor Guards."
The people who were just talking at once froze in an instant, and the one who was making the most noise turned pale.
The palace walls and roofs were all covered with snow, and the white snow weighed down the branches of the trees.
The atmosphere was tense for a moment, and after a while, someone couldn't help but whisper, "Lord Cao, we didn't mean to offend Your Majesty, but we simply felt that Your Majesty's actions were inappropriate."
"We are different from the noble families. We all served His Majesty very early on, and we haven't had any dissent since he ascended the throne. And you, you helped him in every way and helped him ascend the throne. But how could His Majesty treat us like this?"
"He wants to suppress the aristocratic families and lay off their officials, so why is he targeting our people?"
Although there were not many of them on the list, they all held important positions. It was very difficult for them to stand out and gain a seat in the court, but now they were directly demoted. This not only made them feel uneasy, but also shattered their idea that the new emperor relied on the upright officials and that they could suppress the people from the aristocratic families.
The new emperor's "equal treatment" made them feel uneasy.
Cao Dejiang didn't interrupt the man until he finished speaking, then asked, "Do you think His Majesty is destroying his own bridges? Do you think he shouldn't have demoted Xu Liang and the others?"
The man didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he thought so.
Cao Dejiang raised his eyes and looked at the others: "Do you also feel that you have done a great service to His Majesty, just like him?"
The others were silent.
Cao Jiang looked at their expressions of acquiescence and suddenly sneered, "Who gave you such a big face?"
"Lord Cao..."
Several people's expressions changed. They didn't expect him to ridicule them.
Cao Dejiang said in a cold voice, "Your Majesty's current situation is the result of his own planning step by step."
"He endured for years, plotting countless schemes, even enduring the ridicule of the world as a eunuch, and narrowly escaping death to regain the throne. How could his becoming the new emperor have anything to do with you?"
"When he was still Governor Xiao, who among you hadn't had a dispute with him? He called him a treacherous eunuch and a villain, and he did a lot of things to take advantage of his misfortunes. Did you help him seize the throne? What kind of help did you contribute?"
The people around him all looked grim at Cao Dejiang's sarcasm. The man from before couldn't help but say, "But you saved him..."
"What does that have to do with you?"
Cao Dejiang was blunt: "Those who saved Your Majesty were Concubine Xue, Imperial Tutor Rong, the loyal ministers and warriors who served the late Crown Prince, and those members of the Xiao family who sacrificed their relatives and their vast estate to save his life."
"Even if I was entrusted by someone to cover up for Your Majesty, that was a matter between me and Your Majesty. The Cao family will settle the grudges. Why do you think that a small favor that is not a favor can guarantee you all a smooth rise in the court and wealth?"
"What do I owe you?"
The man was so embarrassed that his face turned purple after Cao Dejiang exposed his thoughts.
Cao Dejiang looked at the others. "Xu Liang colluded with the Ministry of War to embezzle military pay and accept bribes. Meng Fanhui forced Liang into prostitution and seized other people's land. Luo Dong murdered his superiors, falsified the tax figures for his subordinates, and arbitrarily switched the citizenship of another person to allow his nephew to obtain an official position under his identity."
"There are several other people who were demoted, and they all carry crimes on their shoulders. Are there any of them who were wrongly accused?"
"Your Majesty has shown extraordinary mercy by merely dismissing them from their posts and sending them into exile. What makes you think I would use our old friendship to protect such ignorant and corrupt officials? Or do you think that these things committed by aristocratic families are unforgivable, but that they are excusable when committed by your people?"
Cao Dejiang's words were like a knife, almost cutting off the skin of several people.
"Your Majesty is not a deposed emperor, and he cannot tolerate the rampant chaos in the court. He certainly dislikes the actions of the aristocratic families and does his utmost to suppress them, but in his eyes, everyone else is the same. Those who are incompetent and without virtue are not worthy of staying in the court."
"Besides, His Majesty has shown you mercy. If he had used the same methods against the noble families as he did, do you think you would still be standing here shouting? Or do you think that the little things you have done over the years would not be uncovered by His Majesty's ability?"
"Xu Liang and the others are merely targets used by His Majesty as a warning to others, to teach you to be more restrained and not cross the line. Instead of thinking about how to get His Majesty to revoke his order and let Xu Liang and the others go, you should reflect on how many shady things you've done over the years."
"Just because others call you a clear stream doesn't mean you are truly a clear stream."
Cao Dejiang's words were sharp and his voice was low after he finished speaking.
"Think carefully about why His Majesty kept Liang Guangyi and the others here. If you can't figure it out, then you should quit your job. Otherwise, one day you might lose your mind and endanger your own life, and bring harm to others as well!"
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