The uproar over the abolition of the system of favoritism has not subsided for days, and has even intensified. Liu Chen delegated the matter to Fenghua Hall and handed it over to the ministers for discussion. What is there to discuss about this matter? Naturally, no one agrees. Only Liu Yan and Shen Jinghong insist on abolishing it.
After another morning of endless noise, Liu Yan left Fenghua Hall tiredly and went to Liubo Pavilion to take a rest.
Not long after, Shen Jinghong also came to the pavilion and bowed slightly to Liu Yan.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Liu Yan glanced at him. He was in the prime of his life and had a graceful appearance. When he saw him in Wenzheng Tower that day, Liu Yan knew that he was no ordinary person.
"Please sit down." Liu Yan smiled faintly, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of fragrant tea, "After arguing with the ministers for an hour and a half today, Lord Shen must be thirsty. Please sit down and have a cup of tea with me."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Shen Jinghong bowed, and then sat down opposite Liu Yan.
Shen Jinghong glanced at him, his eyes moved, and he smiled: "Your Highness, I have sent an official to tell you what you want to do?"
Liu Yan glanced at Shen Jinghong appreciatively, and said slowly: "Lord Shen is a smart man, he should naturally understand a truth, haste makes waste. The abolition of the system of favors and nepotism will involve too many people. It is impossible for the two of us to eradicate it in one fell swoop."
Shen Jinghong seemed to have anticipated Liu Yan's words, and there was no surprise on his face, "Your Highness, you must have made a decision."
Liu Yan smiled faintly: "You persuaded His Majesty to abolish the system of favors and nepotism, and the reason is... It is nothing but building up power for Your Majesty. The noble families have enjoyed the benefits of the grace for generations, and their power is spread throughout the court and the country. The tree is big and the roots are deep, and it is difficult to remove it. Your Majesty will be constrained every day. This king knows what you and Your Majesty are thinking. Considering your loyalty, this king is willing to help you, but you have to listen to my orders on how to act next. "
Shen Jinghong's expression moved, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He bowed his head and said, "Just follow your orders, Your Majesty."
The doors and windows of Fenghua Palace were closed, blocking the whistling wind outside, but at this moment, the warm palace was as solemn as winter.
There were seven or eight people standing in the palace, but it was dead silent, and even the breathing was difficult to hear. Everyone's face was covered with a layer of frost, and they lowered their heads slightly and could not raise their heads. Their eyes reflected a dark purple. It was the official robe of the King of Councillors, which weighed heavily on their hearts.
A high chair carved from red sandalwood was placed in the middle. A handsome and elegant young man in a dark purple official robe looked majestic without getting angry
. He held a thick memorial with his slender fingers and looked at the people in front of him with different expressions. "Everyone here is the minister of the six ministries, a loyal and old official. You have worked diligently and devotedly all your life. In a few years, you will be able to retire and return to your hometown." Liu Yan slowly opened the memorial. Everyone's eyelids twitched and they looked over involuntarily, but they were old and could not see the words clearly. "Zhuang Zixian should have retired next year. He had a good reputation and had never made any major mistakes. Your Majesty wanted to give him a grace and let him go down in history, but he made mistakes and lost his integrity in his later years, implicated his three clans. In order to atone for his crimes, Zhuang Zixian honestly confessed all the evidence of his crimes over the years. Even I could not have imagined that so many people would be involved."
Liu Yan said, his deep eyes sweeping across the old faces in front of him. He curled the corners of his lips, but the smile did not reach his eyes: "The ministers involved in the case are all high-ranking officials of the dynasty. On the surface, they are loyal to the emperor and patriotic, honest and dedicated to their work, but secretly, they are corrupt and abuse their power for personal gain! Who accepted bribes and sold official positions? Who appointed people based on personal connections and ignored the laws of the court? Who took advantage of his power to compete with the people for profits and seize good farmland!"
Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to argue. Liu Yan's words were like ice cones piercing their hearts, freezing their lips purple and shivering.
"Although what is written here is a confession obtained by the Dali Temple, this confession is enough to arrest and imprison the suspects. In this way, it will not be difficult to obtain solid evidence." Liu Yan smiled coldly. "You gentlemen have been living a life of luxury for a long time. I'm afraid you have never seen the horror of Tiger Prison. Zhuang Zixian confessed everything after only a few days of torture. How many days do you think you can hold on?"
The Minister of Works Sun Ru was confident of his close relationship with Liu Yan, and said boldly: "The Prince of the Council of State is wrong. The criminal Zhuang Zixian was tortured into confessing and making false accusations. How can we humiliate the court officials because of his one-sided statement?"
Liu Yan glanced at him and said coldly: "Since the king said so, there must be other evidence. If Lord Sun wants to see it with his own eyes, it's not a bad idea."
Sun Ru's face changed, he lowered his eyes and kept silent, wondering how much Zhuang Zixian knew about him.
Zhuang Zixian was not very capable, but he was smooth and popular. Most of the ministers in the court had dealings with him. No one dared to say that he was innocent and had done nothing wrong. Looking at the thick memorial in Liu Yan's hand, everyone was in danger, not knowing how much evidence of their crimes had fallen into Liu Yan's hands.
"Officialdom has a long history of bad habits. The former emperor did not pursue it, but Your Majesty hates evil and cannot tolerate any sand in his eyes. Once the drum is struck, the matter will be known to the world. Once this confession is submitted, the people involved will inevitably lose their reputation and be infamous for thousands of years. You are all great scholars of the time, and you are extremely rich and powerful. Now you are just seeking a name after your death. Are you willing to be ruined and cursed?"
Everyone was sweating profusely, and Liu Yan's words made them look as pale as death, but at this time, hearing Liu Yan's last sentence, it was as if the sky suddenly appeared in the dark night, giving them a glimmer of hope.
They were all old foxes who had been working in the court for many years. They lowered their heads, their eyes turned, and they understood a little in their hearts, but they did not say it out loud. They tried to ask: "What the Prince of State meant is..."
"Since your majesty ascended the throne, your government orders have been repeatedly blocked. The abolition of the system of favors has been discussed for many days, but your majesty has never come to the court for discussion. Don't you adults understand your majesty's mind?" Liu Yan looked at the old foxes in front of him with a smile, "You can naturally understand your majesty's intentions, but compared with your majesty, your own interests and the interests of your family are more important. You adults have devoted your whole lives to the court and are about to retire. If the system of favors is abolished, then the court will be forgotten and there will be no successors. Just for this reason, you can't let your majesty abolish the system of favors even if you die. Am I wrong?"
Everyone forced a dry laugh and said, "The system of favors is a national policy. The abolition of it is of great importance. We must think twice before acting."
"You gentlemen have a point, and I agree. The system of imperial favor can only be reformed, not abolished." Liu Yan continued, "Under the original system of imperial favor, anyone above the seventh rank could have one son appointed as an official. Over the years, this has placed a huge burden on the court, with redundant officials and politics, and people's virtues not matching their positions. But the system of imperial favor also has its merits. Children of aristocratic families, who have inherited poetry and literature from their families, are mostly better in literary and martial arts than children from poor families, and have made many contributions to the court. If the imperial favor is abolished, it will be a loss for the court."
More than half of the officials present came from aristocratic families in Jiangzuo. After hearing what Liu Yan said, they nodded involuntarily, and the expressions on their faces eased a little.
"Therefore, this king believes that the system of favor and influence should be reformed accordingly to meet the needs of the current court, so that it can provide the court with talents without causing too much burden."
Several ministers bowed their heads and said, "We are willing to listen to the advice of the king of politics."
Liu Yan said, "Officials above the seventh rank can give one son favor and influence, but now it will be changed to civil officials above the third rank and military officials above the second rank can give one son favor and influence to enter the Imperial College."
Everyone present was a high-ranking official of the first rank, and this reform had no impact on them, so everyone's face did not change.
But Liu Yan said again, "Those who are favored can be exempted from the provincial examination, granted the status of Juren, study in the Imperial College for three years, participate in the joint examination and palace examination, and be personally selected by His Majesty to serve as officials."
In other words, they still have to take the imperial examination!
Everyone looked a little unhappy, but Liu Yan turned a blind eye and said slowly: "For officials above the third rank, with their profound family background, it must be not difficult for them to pass the joint examination. What's more, after the abolition of the system of favors and favors, the number of places for imperial examinations will be expanded. For the children of officials, as long as they pass the joint examination, it is a sure thing to pass the palace examination and meet the emperor. Whether it is the system of favors and favors or the imperial examination system, their purpose is to select talents for the country, not to keep useless people.
If you don't have real talents and knowledge, it is better to go home as soon as possible, so as not to bring disaster to the country and the people, and harm others and yourself." Seeing that everyone still had doubts, Liu Yan chuckled and said, "You seem to have misunderstood. I am not discussing with you. This is a threat." Liu Yan held up the memorial in one hand, attracting everyone's attention: "To be ruined or to go with the flow, you are all smart people. This is not a difficult choice."
The thick memorial was as heavy as a ton, weighing on everyone's heart. On one side are thickets of thorns and cliffs, while on the other side it is just a little muddy, but it is still a road. The choice Liu Yan mentioned is simply impossible for them to choose.
He laid out his threat openly, with evidence in his left hand and the imperial sword in his right hand. Behind him are 200,000 elite soldiers, which gives him the confidence to be calm.
Liu Yan looked at the faces of the crowd and smiled slightly: "You gentlemen are all heroes, and it seems that you have made your choice. This memorial will not be presented to the emperor, nor will it be made public."
He placed the memorial on the stove, and the flames rolled up, igniting a corner. The fire suddenly became much brighter, reflected in a pair of unpredictable turbid eyes.
"Can the Prince of the Council of State ensure that this matter will not be leaked? Will Your Majesty not conduct a thorough investigation?" Someone asked in a deep voice.
The five fingers loosened, and the memorial fell into the fire. The white paper was rolled up by the flames, and the black words melted into the fire. The red light illuminated Liu Yan's dark smiling eyes. He raised his head and looked at everyone, and said slowly: "I know that you have resentment and doubt in your hearts, but this matter, you can only choose this and you can only believe it."
Liu Yan stood up from the chair. He was wearing a dark purple official robe, which was so oppressive that people dared not look at him. He always had a smile on his face, but people could not laugh. This seemingly gentle young man often made people forget his identity - he was the god of war of Chen State and the devil of Beiliang. He was never a humble and polite gentleman, but he rarely showed his sharp claws.
"I am a soldier, and I am more accustomed to dealing with people and things in a military way. If there is a mistake, it must be punished, and the death penalty must be executed. Unfortunately, things in the court are not always as expected." Liu Yan sighed with a smile, looking at the old ministers who were facing a formidable enemy, and said softly, "So when I am willing to speak, you don't want me to use my sword, right?" If he wanted, he only needed 200,000 soldiers and horses to overthrow the court in an instant. Even a thousand-year-old family could not resist the iron hoofs heading south.
But he didn't want to.
When the prosperity is prosperous, the people suffer, and when the decline is, the people suffer.
The sharpness of youth has been worn down a lot. He feels that he seems to be more soft-hearted. I don't know who has influenced him...
If things can be solved through negotiations, he is unwilling to cause killings.
And when he is willing to give face, these people had better have some face.
The dispute over favors lasted for a full ten days before it was concluded.
A court meeting was held at the morning court, and the ministers once again presented a memorial on the reform of the system of favor and patriotism. This time, there was no smoke or eloquence. Everyone lowered their heads tacitly. After the King of State explained the reform regulations of the system of favor and
patriotism, they all followed suit. Liu Chen looked at the obedient ministers below and couldn't suppress the sneer in his heart. These people, after all, can only be driven by interests, and have no real loyalty to the emperor and patriotism...
Although many officials in the court were dissatisfied, they had been suppressed long ago, and could only bow their heads with a bitter face, not daring to raise any more questions.
Shen Jinghong then stepped out and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Personnel's Examination and Reward Department has carefully re-examined the local officials and revised the performance results. There are 267 people whose performance is unqualified and should be dismissed, and 116 people whose performance is medium and below should be demoted."
The list was delivered to Liu Chen. The list of nearly 400 people was very thick. Liu Chen glanced at it a few times and then retracted his gaze.
"These people will be investigated and dealt with according to the laws of the State of Chen, and the vacant positions will be filled by the Jinshi and Juren who have passed the past few years. The Ministry of Personnel will draw up a list, and submit it to Fenghua Palace for discussion three days later."
The Minister of Personnel was startled, and hesitantly bowed his head and said, "I obey your order."
This was a major reshuffle at the local level. After knowing that the reform of the system of nepotism was inevitable, all the ministers had been secretly thinking about how to place their own people. But when they heard that Liu Chen was going to use the Jinshi and Juren who had passed the past few years to fill the vacancies, they were all stunned.
Zhou Cishan, the Minister of Revenue, stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I think that the Jinshi and Juren in recent years lack experience, so it is safer to select experienced people."
Liu Chen looked at Zhou Cishan with a smile, and his eyes became colder. He said slowly, "Mr. Zhou's words are reasonable. If you think you have suitable candidates, you can also recommend them."
These ministers were naturally planning for the actual vacancies above the fifth rank. Seeing that Liu Chen easily agreed to Zhou Cishan's opinion, they were secretly happy in their hearts. They thought that Liu Chen agreed to Zhou Cishan's suggestion for the sake of the Queen Mother, but they didn't know that the people they wanted to place in their hearts were all banished to the cold palace by Liu Chen at this moment.
Recommending is their business, but whether to use it is his business.
Everyone was planning in their hearts, but saw Shen Jinghong take a half step back, lift up the hem of his clothes and kneel down, take off his official hat and put it on the ground, and said loudly: "I am guilty, please punish me, Your Majesty."
Liu Chen was startled, subconsciously stood up and looked at Shen Jinghong, wondering: "What are you doing?"
Shen Jinghong kowtowed before standing up, straightened his back and said: "This time, the Ministry of Personnel's performance evaluation, I was valued by Your Majesty and entrusted with an important task to preside over all the affairs of the Examination Office. If it weren't for the incident of Zhuang Wenfeng, which made Your Majesty aware of the omission, more than 300 people would have gotten away with it and harmed the people. This matter is the fault of this humble official's negligence, and I have failed Your Majesty's grace."
Liu Chen sighed, "You have now atonement for your crime."
Shen Jinghong shook his head and said, "Your Majesty is wise. I dare not take credit for it. I also ask Your Majesty to punish me and remove me from the position of the Minister of Personnel to serve as a warning to others. I am willing to accept the punishment."
Liu Yan glanced at Shen Jinghong lying on the ground with a dark look. When he turned his head, he saw Liu Chen's wavering eyes.
"Your Majesty, Lord Shen is right. It is difficult to convince the public if no punishment is given for a mistake. Lord Shen is still young after all and is not qualified for the position of the Minister of Personnel." Liu Yan's voice was steady and mellow. When Liu Chen saw his eyes, his heart suddenly settled down.
Although Liu Chen felt that Shen Jinghong had made merits and no faults, since Shen Jinghong asked for punishment and Liu Yan agreed, there must be a reason.
Liu Chen could only nod helplessly and said, "In this case, Shen Jinghong will be dismissed from his position as the Minister of Personnel
and fined for half a year." Shen Jinghong strongly advocated the abolition of the system of favoritism this time, which offended more than half of the ministers in the court. I don't know how many people wanted to find faults in him and kill him. They never expected that Shen Jinghong would ask for punishment for his great achievements. Not only did he not get promoted, but he was dismissed and fined. The ministers who had prepared a lot of impeachment words were stunned, and punched cotton.
Looking at the man who turned and left, his back was free and easy, and he looked relaxed. Where was the melancholy of a criminal?
Since Shen Jinghong was dismissed from the position of the Minister of Personnel, his status plummeted, but the people who served him looked at him with the same awe as before, and even had more respect, especially the palace maids and eunuchs, who were full of admiration when talking about Shen Jinghong. The system of favoritism has no benefit to them, so abolishing it will not hurt their interests. Shen Jinghong's heroic act of not fearing power and speaking out impartially will undoubtedly be supported and admired by the lower classes. Unfortunately, good people don't get good rewards. Shen Jinghong was dismissed from his post and fined. People whispered about it in private, and they all felt unfair for him.
People from the court and the public were talking about Shen Jinghong openly and secretly, but the person at the center of the vortex looked calm and contented. Shen Jinghong was dismissed from the post of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, but Liu Chen still couldn't bear it, and retained his leisurely official position as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. With the identity of the emperor's lecture, others still dared not look down on him. Shen Jinghong went to the imperial study to give Liu Chen a lecture every three days, and spent the rest of the time studying at home. His life was much more comfortable than before.
But in the eyes of the common people, Lord Shen was just trying to have fun in misery. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that he lived in a shabby room with nothing to lose. How could such a poor life be worthy of his talent and achievements? After entering winter, it became colder day by day, but Shen Jinghong's family did not buy any charcoal for heating. At night, there was only an oil lamp burning dimly, which could not bring a trace of warmth and could only illuminate a small space.
Shen Jinghong looked at the bean-sized candle flame, thinking that reading would hurt his eyes, so he simply took out the zither and played it leisurely with his eyes closed.
The moonlight was as cool as water, and the winter snow was as fine as salt.
His ten slender fingers were placed on the strings, and the sound of the zither was like a plate of pearls and jade, crisp and clear.
The person playing the zither was dressed in white, with his eyes closed and smiling, and his demeanor was as clear as an immortal, as if he was not in a shabby room, but in the Guanghan Palace.
Snap -
the string broke, and the soulmate came.
Shen Jinghong opened his eyes and slowly raised his head to look at the door.
"It's windy outside, come in." He said gently.
A figure in a black cloak stood at the door. The figure was slender and the face was hidden in the shadows. After hearing what Shen Jinghong said, the figure suddenly came to his senses, stepped over the threshold, and closed the door with his backhand.
Without the moonlight, the room suddenly became much darker.
A pair of slender hands stretched out from the cloak, took off the hood, revealing a quiet and soft face. Princess Roujia's deep eyes fell on Shen Jinghong's face, without the usual gentle smile.
"Why did you resign?" Princess Roujia's voice was a little cold like wind and snow.
"It was arranged by Prince Ding, and it's what I asked for." Shen Jinghong stood up from behind the zither, walked slowly to the table, trimmed the lamp flowers, and the firelight became much brighter. He said slowly, "I made a big move this time, and my edge was exposed. The whole court is full of enemies. The only way to move forward is to retreat first."
Shen Jinghong never thought that he could successfully abolish the system of favoritism. He took two steps forward, and finally both sides took a step
back. It seemed that both sides compromised with each other, but in fact, his original intention had been achieved. The means to cultivate power, win people's hearts, and deal with the aristocratic families through this move are behind. "Once you leave the Ministry of Personnel, it will be difficult for you to enter again, and it will be difficult for you to interfere in the Beijing inspection at the beginning of next year." Princess Roujia frowned slightly, and seemed to disagree with his approach.
Shen Jinghong shook his head gently: "Even if I stay in the Ministry of Personnel, they will never give me the task of the Beijing inspection next year. The Minister of Personnel hates me to the core. I can't take a single step in the Ministry of Personnel. They are bent on finding fault with me and putting me to death. The more I do now, the more mistakes I make. Only by doing nothing can they not find fault with me."
Princess Roujia frowned and said nothing. She had thought about what Shen Jinghong said in her heart. "The situation is just right now, but you are not in
the court. It's a pity." Shen Jinghong smiled and said, "Princess, have you forgotten that I am also the emperor's banquet host, and I have a chance to see him once every three days. It doesn't matter whether I am in the court or not. What matters is whether I am in His Majesty's heart. Now that I have made great contributions, His Majesty has to punish me in order to appease the public anger. He is grateful and guilty to me in his heart. If I have any request, he will definitely agree to it."
Princess Roujia showed an enlightened look on her face, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly: "So this is what you are planning... In this way, it will be more beneficial to us." As she spoke, she She took out an envelope from her bosom and put it on the table. "There is a list of names in it. They are our people. You should try to persuade Liu Chen to put these people in the right positions."
Shen Jinghong opened the envelope and took a look. He listened to Princess Roujia saying, "In the court, the aristocratic families control half of the country. Only by abolishing the system of favor and favor can we gradually put our forces in. But now you have too many enemies. It is not convenient for you to come forward to advise on these matters. Recommending them to Liu Chen behind the scenes can also achieve our goals."
Shen Jinghong memorized all the names in his heart after reading it at a glance. He set the list on fire and burned it. The faint firelight reflected his handsome face, and the red light flashed in his dark pupils.
Princess Roujia looked at Shen Jinghong's face and couldn't help but lose her mind. He in the shadow merged with him who played the piano in the moonlight just now. He could have been a banished immortal in the world, but she forced him and became a demon.
"Why are you looking at me like this, Princess?" Shen Jinghong smiled with his phoenix eyes and looked at Princess Roujia.
Princess Roujia looked away and said indifferently, "I... was worried that you had forgotten those names."
She knew he would not forget them, and he also knew that she knew them, so this sentence was a lie that only made it more obvious.
She lied to him, but he smiled.
Shen Jinghong's smile came from the heart. He walked slowly to Princess Roujia and said, "Princess, there is worry in your eyes. Are you worried about me?"
Princess Roujia raised her head and looked back at Shen Jinghong. She said hypocritically, "Yes, I am worried. Shen Jinghong, Liu Chen values you so much. If you assist him wholeheartedly, you will surely create a good story of a wise ruler and a loyal minister..."
"What about the princess?" Shen Jinghong interrupted her softly, "What has the princess wanted all her life? Has the princess given up the supreme position?"
"No, I won't give up..." Princess Roujia shook her head.
"Princess..." Shen Jinghong sighed softly, "I will only be your minister."
"Liu Chen also treats you well..."
A hand gently stroked the fine lines between her eyebrows. She stiffened, but forgot to stop his insolence. Shen Jinghong's fingertips traced her light black eyebrows, passed over the corners of her eyes that were filled with worry and tension, and finally fell on her thin shoulders.
"People only love me for my brilliant and radiant appearance, but only one person has reached out to me when I was stuck in the mud." Shen Jinghong bent his neck and said to her slightly cold forehead. His voice was very soft, but his affection was very heavy, which made Princess Roujia unable to move, and let him gently embrace her in his arms.
"Don't be afraid, Princess, I'm always behind you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
