Chapter 465: Who is sitting in the law?
The situation of the Han Dynasty when Liu Bingyi took over was grim. After the great defeat of Emperor Xiaoding in the South, Emperor Li's aggressive military campaign, and the princes' suppression of the rebellion, the economy of the entire Han Dynasty collapsed completely. Although the Han Dynasty was now temporarily stable on the surface, it was actually all due to luck.
If we are unlucky and a major natural disaster occurs, with the current food reserves and population size, the people who rise up will turn the world into a wasteland, and only those who survive will be eligible to eat.
This is not even a contradiction that there is no idle land in the world, but farmers are still starving to death. It can be solved by killing the powerful. It is very simple. The world's resources are exhausted and the landlords have no surplus food. Without food, what good is the prosperity?
Agriculture is the foundation of the world and it is not just talk!
When Liu Bingyi learned that the Kaiping warehouse, Changping warehouse and Anping warehouse near Chang'an were almost empty, it was like cold ice pouring down his neck. He was so shocked that he couldn't even speak.
The only thing that could give him some relief was that Liu Dan had defeated all the barbarians in all directions through his aggressive military campaigns, and now they were still licking their wounds and had no ability to invade the Central Plains.
Otherwise, with internal and external troubles, regardless of victory or defeat, the Central Plains is bound to be reshuffled and restarted.
Soon Liu Bingyi issued an imperial decree.
"The country has never been more exhausted than it is now. The people are overworked and exhausted. The shortage of grain has endangered the country. I toss and turn and cannot fall asleep.
Now we require all county governors, county magistrates, and clerks throughout the country to supervise local agriculture and sericulture, repair local water conservancy projects, dredge the rivers in the counties and prefectures, turn over the congealed soil, remove weeds in the fields, and allow crops to grow luxuriantly.
I am seeking talented people who are good at agriculture and sericulture throughout the world, and am willing to grant them the position of Grand Minister of Agriculture. I am also seeking farmers who are good at farming, and will set up agricultural officials in the counties and marquisates. I am listening to news from all directions in Chang'an, and I will reward county magistrates who perform outstandingly.
I also require the county governors and magistrates of the world to revise the sacrifices to the eight masters, regulate the status and frequency of the sacrifices, worship the tablet of King Zhaosheng, and pray for the illumination of the masters of the four seasons.
If any of the powerful interfere with farming and sericulture, please report to me and I will show no mercy."
The issuance of the "Order to Encourage Agriculture and Sericulture" made officials all over the world truly feel the changing times. The most crucial thing was that Liu Bingyi proposed the assessment standard, which was to promote agriculture and sericulture.
Combined with the previous order to recruit talents, the emperor's eagerness to seek talents has been made known to the people of the world.
Liu Bingyi was still worried. He had seen how officials oppressed the good among the people, so he said in the court: "Since ancient times, those who have been punished by law have been extremely ruthless. Even after repeated warnings and admonitions, they have not shown any remorse or change.
Nowadays, the common people and the nobles are all exhausted, and when they are exhausted, they take advantage of the common people. How innocent are the common people?
The world is now extremely dangerous, and I am unwilling to take any risks.
The upright scholars, the descendants of the heroes who won the Jingnan Rebellion, the close relatives of the imperial family, and the brothers of the empress's mother's family, these are the ones I trust.
I appointed them as censors, and had them wear embroidered robes, carry my staff and tiger talisman, and call them Embroidered Robe Censors. They went to the counties and towns to supervise illegal activities in all places, so that the nobles would not dare to embezzle the people's assets, and the people could rest and rest at ease.
These imperial censors will obey my orders directly."
All the ministers were shocked when they heard this. In the past, Emperor Xiaowu appointed Inspectors to supervise the counties and kingdoms throughout the country, but the Inspectors could not actually go deep into the counties and kingdoms, and basically relied on reports to do their work. However, it was obvious that there were many Embroidered Robe Censors, and they carried ceremonial staffs and tiger seals, so they had considerable power. Moreover, the Embroidered Robe Censors chosen by the emperor were all children of wealthy families and Confucian scholars, so they could be said to have no scruples. Once they arrived at the local areas, I'm afraid each of them would be able to intimidate the counties and kingdoms.
Some people with more subtle minds tried to guess the emperor's thoughts from this. Looking at the candidates for the Jingnan Rebellion, the princes, the foreign relatives, and the close royal family, the emperor was probably going to strike hard again at the powerful people in the world and those nobles who had never helped him.
The laws of the Han Dynasty are like a net, densely woven. How could there be people in this world who have not violated the laws of the Han Dynasty?
Even the emperor dared not say that he had not violated the law. This was why the Empress Dowager Lu Ying was angry in the past.
"Your Majesty, the majesty of the law is unquestionable, but harsh judgment is inappropriate. I am very worried. The exhaustion of the country has exhausted the officials and the people. If you use strict laws, will it make the people even more difficult?
When the Han Dynasty was founded a hundred years ago, it was also in such a state of exhaustion. Empress Gao, Emperor Xiaohui, King Luowen and Emperor Xiaowen all used loose laws to govern the country, and the world soon prospered.
Your Majesty is gifted by nature, and the people of the world have high hopes for you. They hope that you can create another prosperous era, and I think we should follow your example."
The prosperous era at the founding of the Han Dynasty was what the entire Han court, from literati to princes and kings, all pursued. It was the era closest to the kingly way of governing the country as recorded in ancient books. In that era, even ordinary people had stored grain in their homes. Liu Bingyi felt extremely pressured whenever he thought about it.
After hearing what the prime minister said, Liu Bingyi pondered for a moment and said, "Is the law meant to make the people more lonely and miserable?
It is to deal with riots and prohibit evil.
Emperor Su Wang once said: "Rituals and laws are the foundation of the world and the destiny of all people. The highest rites are in line with heaven and lead the people to be kings. The lowest rites steal heaven and deceive the people and become thieves."
I strongly agree that the law should allow the living to have no resentment and the dead to rest in peace. Such laws are worthy of being called the highest etiquette.
What the Prime Minister said makes sense. Issue my decree and have the Embroidered Uniform Censors in charge of the officials who are in charge of the affairs of state. If they find anything suspicious, they must report it to me. They are not allowed to act on their own.
Prime Minister, Grand Censor, I have issued an order to relax the punishment of criminals, but this does not mean leniency. I will never forgive those who hinder agriculture and sericulture, oppress the people, or kill people without reason!
I have never heard of a country that can govern the country while the officials are unfair. The income of petty officials in the countryside is three parts salary and seven parts benefits. The court gives too little. It is really difficult to prevent them from encroaching on the assets of the people. Increase their salary by 20 dan so that they will not encroach on the people.
I have granted you grace, and if you offend again, I believe no one can blame me anymore."
"Your Majesty is wise and kind."
The heroes of the Jingnan Rebellion had no more dissatisfaction with this emperor. They really saw the shadow of Emperor Xiaowen in this emperor.
The reason why Liu Bingyi agreed with the prime minister's opinion so quickly was that he had seen how clerks in the society gained profits by distorting laws and regulations.
He knew very well that when there was no good way to control grassroots clerks, the best way was to relax the laws for the common people. In the Bang Zhou era, this was called "rituals are not extended to the common people", which meant not using strict rituals and laws to restrain and punish the common people.
The corresponding principle is "no punishment for officials", that is, if an official violates the rites and laws, he should commit suicide directly, and the emperor should not punish him personally with the rites and laws. The Han Dynasty deeply inherited this tradition. After Liu Dan's death, there were as many as a dozen high-ranking officials and princes with an official rank of more than 2,000 stones who committed suicide.
The imperial edict was decided.
The court acted quickly. Liu Bingyi selected a group of his trusted ministers. The people of Chang'an soon saw many officials in embroidered clothes carrying the staffs bestowed by the emperor and heading to the counties and prefectures directly under the court.
The powerful and wealthy living in Sili would never have imagined that after just experiencing a wave of political purges, they would be hit by another wave of crackdowns on lawlessness.
Only a small number of the smartest people could see that the new emperor's real purpose was to completely eliminate those unstable elements through repeated purges.
This was to completely cleanse Guanzhong into a base loyal to him, and to rebuild the good families in Guanzhong counties during the time of Emperor Xiaowu.
Kanto is too strong!
Liu Bingyi was so powerful that it frightened the emperor. He followed his mother's advice and was unwilling to settle accounts with the heroes who had made contributions to the Jingnan Rebellion. However, that did not mean that he would always let the heroes of the Jingnan Rebellion put themselves above himself.
The heroes who had made the Jingnan Rebellion had no intention of making him a puppet emperor, but they had the ability to make him a puppet emperor. He wanted to let everyone in the world see that he was a powerful emperor.
Sometimes it is not a good thing when the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong.
May, the first year of Yuanfeng.
The third son of Marquis Wuyang was found guilty of hiding his crime, and the Emperor dismissed him.
The censor knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, this is my fault.
The powerful and wealthy were lawless and attempted to seize the people's land and property. The people did not obey and even colluded with officials to manipulate the people, causing the people to lose their homes and families. This was truly a heinous crime.
I should have reported this to Your Majesty, but considering Your Majesty always thinks of filial piety and brotherhood, I really don't want to embarrass you."
As soon as the words "filial piety" and "unwillingness" came out, Liu Bingyi knew that the person who committed the crime must be a royal relative, and also an elder whom he found difficult to deal with.
The Han Dynasty ruled the world with filial piety.
If the emperor did something unfilial, it would be a huge joke, so the son of Marquis Wuyang was unwilling to say it, and the emperor didn't know, so there was no worry about unfilial behavior.
But Liu Bingyi was such an emperor that he immediately issued an oral instruction: "The way of filial piety and brotherhood?
Is there any higher way of filial piety than protecting the country and people of our ancestors?
Isn’t a subject’s loyalty to the monarch equivalent to filial piety?
The Emperor Li, who had brought chaos to the world, was overthrown. Who would have talked about loyalty and righteousness at that time?
Your father was a hero in the Jingnan Campaign, how could he be persuaded to retreat with just a few words!
You have brought chaos to our ancestors' country and ruined their society. If I do not deal with it today, when the country is overthrown, the former emperors will surely point at me and scold me.
Who is sitting?
I have made it clear that I will not let you off easily!"
"Your Majesty, it's your great-aunt, Princess Yangchang!"
Princess Yangchang!
The person with the highest seniority in the current royal family is Emperor Xiaowu’s sister!
————
When he succeeded to the throne, the country was empty and the people were exhausted. He said: "I, with my humble body, have served my ancestors and inherited the ancestral temple. I have always thought of the prosperity of Gao Wen and the righteous deeds of Emperor Xiaowu. I know that the six generations of rule were of one mind, and I have been rewarded with meritorious officials for pacifying the rebellion. The upper and lower levels are in harmony, and the country is peaceful. Their virtues are unmatched.
The emperor ordered the dukes, ministers, and princes to be lenient, to reduce punishments, to care for the people's sufferings, to encourage farming and sericulture, to revitalize the Han Dynasty, and to show the virtue of the six generations." - "Book of Han·Biography of Emperor Xiaoxuan"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
