"Bo Gui, Luoyang truly lives up to its reputation as the capital city; it is so peaceful and tranquil, a world apart from Liaodong!"
Seeing the people in the fields, almost all of them smiling and working hard, and the officials in charge of agriculture walking around the fields to personally guide the people in their farming, with everyone in harmony and congeniality, Gongsun Du, who came from the harsh land of Liaodong, couldn't help but admire this magnificent scene.
"Yes, such a peaceful and serene scene is like a dream to the people of Liaodong!"
Gongsun Zan, standing nearby, shared the same sentiment. His hometown was frequently ravaged by the Wuhuan, a place shrouded in war, making it impossible for him to witness such a scene outside Luoyang.
“Shengji, the Emperor is wise and loves his people. We should be loyal to the Emperor and lead our army north to drive out the barbarians. At that time, our fellow villagers will also be able to live such peaceful lives!”
Gongsun Du nodded solemnly. Although they had sworn to be loyal to the emperor the moment they received the imperial edict, that was only because of the emperor's kindness in recognizing their talents. Now, seeing this scene outside Luoyang, they felt a renewed sense of hope and reverence.
The same scene was playing out simultaneously in various places. Countless scholars and students who came here, whenever they saw this peaceful and harmonious scene outside Luoyang that only existed in ancient books, were convinced that the current emperor was the one destined by Heaven.
Inside the inn, Zhong Yao looked at his friend with some confusion: "Zhicai, you and His Majesty are old acquaintances. If His Majesty knew that you were coming, he would be overjoyed and entrust you with important responsibilities. Moreover, there are so many talented people in this assessment, and the number of places is limited. It will probably not be easy to pass the assessment."
Xi Zhicai smiled nonchalantly: "No, if I were to take this shortcut simply because I am familiar with His Majesty, I fear I would be looked down upon by the people of the world and would tarnish the Emperor's holy name. Furthermore, if I cannot rank among the top three, it would only mean that my talent is insufficient and I am not worthy of His Majesty's favor!"
"Sigh, well, I never imagined you could be so serious when you're usually so unrestrained!"
Thinking of Xi Zhicai's stubborn personality, Zhong Yao sighed helplessly, and then followed the eunuch who had come to summon him toward the palace.
Chongzheng Hall
With the spring plowing completed, Yang Qiu came here to report back to Liu Hong, and handed over the troop deployment token and the Emperor's Sword.
Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong were also sent by Liu Hong to guard outside the palace, and no one was allowed to approach them.
"Your Majesty, this is the list of criminals arrested during the spring plowing season, as well as a detailed list of the confiscated assets. Please take a look."
"Yes! Yang Qing, you've worked hard!"
Liu Hong nodded, then took the memorial from Yang Qiu and examined it carefully.
Upon seeing the first line of numbers, Liu Hong's face immediately darkened.
Even though Liu Hong was somewhat prepared, he was still shocked by the appalling numbers when he saw the final result.
During this spring planting season, Yang Qiu arrested nearly 400 people in the vicinity of Luoyang alone, beheaded more than 100, and confiscated nearly 8 billion coins in cash and grain, as well as over a million acres of land. This enraged Liu Hong.
Liu Hong immediately stood up angrily and slammed the memorial onto the table.
"Hmph~ These parasites of the nation, if not severely punished, will sooner or later be destroyed by the hands of these parasites!"
"Your Majesty, these are only a tiny fraction of the problem. There are many others who have managed to hide and evade investigation. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, there is still a long road ahead. In the future, I will surely eliminate all these corrupt officials to rectify the corrupt practices of our Han Dynasty."
Yang Qiu was furious when he first saw these numbers, and he hated those corrupt officials to the core.
“Yang Qing’s words make sense, but human nature is inherently evil. If the killing is too severe, I fear it will damage your reputation. Furthermore, there are many truly talented people among those officials. The Han Dynasty is in dire need of rebuilding, and talent is hard to come by. It is best not to be too nervous!”
Liu Hong also knew that corrupt officials could never be completely caught or killed throughout history. As long as they could be suppressed and prevented from going too far, that would be enough.
Upon hearing Liu Hong's words, Yang Qiu was deeply moved. He bowed respectfully and said solemnly, "Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated. However, without eliminating corrupt officials, the country cannot be at peace. Even if I am torn to pieces, I will not hesitate!"
Yang Qiu was aware of the emperor's intention to protect him, but he was the kind of person who was stubborn and inflexible. Since he had already decided to be loyal to the emperor, he was not afraid of death, so why would he be afraid of a mere reputation? At this moment, Yang Qiu had become a lone minister.
Seeing Yang Qiu like this, Liu Hong was also quite helpless. For these Legalists who were so stubborn, sometimes even the emperor's words were not so effective, so Liu Hong didn't say anything more.
Liu Hong then solemnly said, "All the land confiscated will be added to the imperial estates. As for the money and grain, 80% will be accounted for and added to the national treasury, and the remaining 20% will be used to expand the intelligence bureau!"
"promise!"
Yang Qiu agreed with Liu Hong's decision. From the spring plowing incident, Yang Qiu had already realized that the expansion of the Investigation Bureau was imminent. If it weren't for the infighting between the eunuchs and Dou Wu, Yang Qiu probably wouldn't have been able to uncover so many corrupt officials. Once the emperor eliminates these two powerful groups, he will need his own eyes to monitor all officials.
After the matter was settled, Liu Hong summoned Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong, who were waiting outside the hall.
"Zhang Rang, order the Ministry of Personnel to draft an edict to commend Yang Qing and all the officials involved in this inspection."
"promise!!"
Zhang Rang respectfully accepted the order and then quickly left.
Yang Qiu respectfully replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Serving Your Majesty is the duty of a subject. As for rewards, please..."
Liu Hong smiled and waved his hand: "Yang Qing, you are mistaken. People are inherently driven by self-interest. Hard work and toil should be rewarded. If the task is done well, there should be a reward. Only in this way will people do their best next time. Don't you agree?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
