12dz Chapter 94 Hidden Rules
Chapter 94 Hidden Rules
Chapter 94 Hidden Rules
Early the next morning, people came into the Shangshutai one after another, and the small conference room was soon filled with people.
The three highest officials were Minister of Education Ding Gong, Minister of Works Liu Hong, Grand Commandant Dong Zhuo, Grand Secretary Yang Biao, Recorder of the Secretariat Wang Yun, Secretary of State Xun You, Court Justice Zhong Yao, and the Administrator of Kuaiji Tang Mao.
Ding Gong and Liu Hong sat there, looking at the ground calmly, without saying a word, and without communicating with others.
Ding Gong suddenly recommended Jin Shang to be the governor of Yanzhou, which was the direct fuse that led to the demise of the Yuan family. Ever since he received the memorial, he has been staying at home, waiting to be questioned.
Liu Hong has always stood together with Ding Gong, so he is naturally to blame for Ding Gong's situation.
Dong Zhuo sat upright with a dignified look, not looking to the side, with a solemn expression of a loyal minister.
In his heart, he was even more anxious than Ding Gong and Liu Hong. His relationship with the Yuan family was well known. He had been racking his brains to escape from Luoyang City in the past few days, but he had not succeeded every time.
Yang Biao was relatively calm. He knelt there with a tense face and blinked his eyes, wondering what would happen today.
——Today is the day of the Yuan family’s execution.
Wang Yun seemed to have returned to the past, peaceful and silent.
Xun You and Zhong Yao were sitting at the back, pretending to be unaware of the vague gazes.
Tang Mao sat next to Yang Biao, feeling very confused and wondering what he had to do today.
Everyone was thinking a lot and no one spoke. It was very different from the past. The conference room was so quiet that it seemed as if no one was there.
"Your Majesty is here!"
Pan Yin came in from outside, glanced around the hall, and said in a sharp voice.
A group of people waited for Liu Bian to come in, and all saluted and said, "Your Majesty, we are here to see you."
Liu Bian smiled, sat down, and said, "No need to be polite, everyone."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The ministers withdrew their hands and knelt down again.
They did not look at Liu Bian. They knelt very standardly without any unnecessary movements.
Liu Bian looked around at the group of people, trying his best to put on a gentle smile, and said: "I have called you all here today to discuss a few things with you. The first one is the case of the Yuan family. You have all read the details and the case files. Tell me what you think."
No one answered.
Everyone stood still, as if listening to the Hadith.
Most of the people present here have complicated relationships with the Yuan family, and they are lucky not to be implicated.
Putting this aside, as ministers of the current dynasty, coming from aristocratic families, they felt sad when the Yuan family, the current number one family, was executed.
Liu Bian's eyes slowly swept across their faces, landing on Ding Gong's face, and said, "Mr. Ding, you speak first."
Ding Gong's eyes were filled with grief and anger, his face was tense, and he fell to the ground and said in a deep voice: "I was unable to recognize the ambitions of the Yuan family and became an accomplice to the tiger. Your Majesty, please punish me severely!"
Liu Bian smiled and said, "Ignorance is not a crime. Today we are talking about things, no crime will be imposed. Please feel free to speak."
Ding Gong felt extremely bitter. He stood up and raised his hand, saying, "Your Majesty, the fate of the Yuan family today is what they deserve."
Liu Bian looked at Liu Hong and said, "Mr. Liu, tell me something different."
Liu Hong had no idea what Liu Bian wanted to hear, so he thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, what the Yuan family did is outrageous to both humans and gods. Your Majesty's handling of the matter is truly benevolent."
"Liu Gong,"
Xun You quickly interrupted and said, "The decision to deal with the Yuan family was made by the Shangshutai, and has nothing to do with Your Majesty."
Liu Hong suddenly came to his senses and said quickly, "Yes, I made a mistake. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Liu Bian ignored him and turned to Dong Zhuo, saying, "Mr. Dong, what do you think?"
Dong Zhuo said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I think the Yuan family is a villain who has brought shame to the court."
Liu Bian did not expect to hear anything useful from him, so he smiled and said to Wang Yun, "My dear Wang, your family is yours."
Wang Yun looked calm and said, "Your Majesty, I think the court is dark and the rules are broken, which gave the Yuan family the opportunity to expand their ambitions. As a court official, you must cultivate your character and morality."
It's somewhat useful.
Liu Bian nodded and said, "Wang Qingjia did say something useful. Yang Qingjia."
Yang Biao's forehead was covered with cold sweat again. He wanted to wipe it off but didn't dare to. He raised his hand nervously and said, "Your Majesty, the Yuan family has been blinded by power and has lost their original intention. I think, I think, as a minister, you must be indifferent to fame and fortune, know the greater good, know right from wrong, and serve the country with a public heart."
Liu Bian looked at him, paused, and said, "What Yang Qingjia said makes sense."
Then, he looked at the remaining Xun You, Zhong Yao, and Tang Mao, and without giving them a chance to speak, he sat up straight and said, "What the Wang family and the Yang family said makes sense. The court's rules and regulations have collapsed, so we must rebuild them. The Censorate and the Secretariat will jointly revise the court's rules and regulations. After I have reviewed them, I will choose a time to promulgate them."
"We obey your order." All the ministers raised their hands and bowed.
Liu Bian said, "Stand up," and then said, "Next, the court will fill vacancies. There are three vacancies for the Nine Ministers, four vacancies for the Shangshu, and more than twenty vacancies for the rest."
Ding Gong, Liu Hong, Dong Zhuo, and Yang Biao had basically no hope for these things, so they remained indifferent.
Tang Mao was a complete bystander. He was observing everyone silently and never said a word.
Only Wang Yun, Xun You and Zhong Yao were somewhat serious.
Xun You and Zhong Yao were worried that Wang Yun would take the opportunity to cultivate his own nepotism, causing chaos in the court and ruining Liu Bian's plan.
Wang Yun was dissatisfied with Xun You and Zhong Yao, and he didn't want these two people from Yingyang to create a local clique in the court.
Liu Bian took in their expressions and said, "Li Ru, Li Su, and General Niu Fu will fill the vacant position of Shangshu. Cai Yong will be the Minister of Rites, Kong Rong will be the Minister of Horse Guards, and Liu Dai will be the Minister of Agriculture. Sun Jian, the governor of Changsha, will be transferred to the capital."
When Wang Yun heard Li Ru's name, he was naturally overjoyed. Then he heard Li Su and Niu Fu, and couldn't help but glance at Dong Zhuo.
Dong Zhuo's eyes suddenly widened, and then he calmed down, but his hands on his knees were already clenched into fists.
Liu Bian kept looking at Dong Zhuo and said calmly, "What do you think?"
Ding Gong, Liu Hong, Yang Biao and others could see what was happening, but they didn't say anything. Their eyes were all on Dong Zhuo, and they ignored everything else.
Dong Zhuo felt it but turned a blind eye to it, using all his strength to stay calm. In his heart, he was thinking that as soon as he left the palace, he would send a letter to them and not allow them to enter the capital!
Xun You, Zhong Yao and others naturally would not speak out against it.
Seeing that no one spoke, Liu Bian said, "Appoint the governor of Kuaiji, Tang Mao, as the lieutenant of Sili. He will not be in charge of military affairs, but will focus on government affairs."
Tang Mao never imagined that his good son-in-law asked him to enter the palace to promote him!
The words "Si Li Xiao Wei" echoed in his ears, and his heart surged, and it was difficult to calm down, but his face did not change at all. He bowed calmly and said, "I accept your order, and thank you."
His tone was calm, without any emotion to be heard.
Everyone else looked at Tang Mao, feeling almost nothing special.
As Liu Bian's father-in-law and the prefect of Kuaiji, it was natural for him to be promoted to the Inspector of the Imperial Capital.
"It won't be long before he will have a seat among the three highest officials." Wang Yun thought to himself as he observed Tang Mao.
Xun You did not care about this appointment, but pondered over the eight words "not in charge of military affairs, but focusing on government affairs". He vaguely felt that Liu Bian made such an arrangement not because the military power of Sili was too complicated, but seemed to have a deeper meaning.
Seeing that things were going smoothly, Liu Bian took the teacup handed over by Pan Yin, took a sip, and said with a smile: "The rest of the vacancies will be discussed by the Shangshutai. My dear ministers, do you have anything else to say?"
Seeing this, Ding Gong and Liu Hong looked at each other quietly, and then they knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, we are stupid and failed to supervise the Yuan family. We almost made a big mistake. We ask to be dismissed and handed over to the officials for punishment!"
Yang Biao didn't even think about it, and he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I am related to the Yuan family by marriage. Even if I didn't know that the Yuan family was so evil, I can't escape the blame. I beg Your Majesty to remove me from my position and punish me."
Dong Zhuo's eyes flashed, and he knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I have been promoted by the Yuan family several times, and I don't know their intentions. It is inevitable that I am suspected of being a party member. I request to be stripped of my position and punished."
Of the five recorders of the Secretariat, only Wang Yun was still kneeling upright.
Wang Yun looked at the four people, anger surging in his heart, and he knelt on the ground with an unchanged expression and said: "I am also a frequent visitor of the Yuan family. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Xun You, Zhong Yao, and Tang Mao could not help but look at each other when they saw that the five recorders of the Secretariat all demanded to be stripped of their posts and punished.
This is also one of the consequences of exterminating the Yuan family.
Xun You’s mind was racing, trying to figure out how to speak and smooth over the situation.
Five secretaries of the imperial court were dismissed from their posts and thrown into prison at the same time. This was an unprecedented event!
Just as he was about to speak, Liu Bian said with a smile: "Gentlemen, please stand up. I have said before that ignorance is not a crime. Moreover, in the case of the Yuan family, there will be no punishment for all the relatives, and there will be no party imprisonment."
Yang Biao was sincere in his resignation, Dong Zhuo was half-hearted, and Wang Yun didn't want to at all. The three of them stood up one after another.
Ding Gong, Liu Hong did not.
The two men knew very well that Ding Gong's memorial recommending Jin Shang meant that they would not stay in the court for long.
Ding Gong fell to the ground and said, "Your Majesty is kind and gracious. Thank you for your forgiveness. I am old and confused, and I don't know how to judge people. I am not worthy of sharing your worries. I beg to return to my hometown."
Liu Hong felt heavy-hearted. Although he was unwilling, he had no choice but to say, "Please grant me your permission, Your Majesty."
Xun You looked at the two of them, then at Yang Biao, Dong Zhuo, and Wang Yun, and frowned secretly.
Ding Gong and Liu Hong are still public-spirited, but it is hard to say about Yang Biao, Dong Zhuo, and Wang Yun. If these two are gone, the court will be left with Yang, Dong, and Wang, which will be harmful rather than helpful.
"His Majesty,"
Xun You raised his hand and said, "The two Lords, Si Tu and Si Kong, are loyal and have made great contributions. I beg you to stay and help the country solve its problems and relieve your majesty's worries."
"I second the motion." Zhong Yao immediately followed suit.
Tang Mao didn't really care, but he had just taken office as the Inspector General of the Imperial Guards, so he couldn't just sit there and watch. He raised his hand and said, "I second the motion."
Liu Bian glanced at the three of them, then looked at Dong Zhuo, and slowly considered his decision.
The idea was not to keep Ding Gong and Liu Hong, but to take the opportunity to abolish the Three Dukes' Office.
The Three Dukes' Mansion was separated from the Prime Minister's Mansion and had an official office outside the imperial palace with many subordinate officials.
After the rise of the Secretariat, the Three Dukes' Office gradually became a formality. The Three Dukes had no real power unless they recorded the affairs of the Secretariat, let alone their subordinates.
Keeping them means keeping a bunch of officials of all ranks who are drawing salaries without doing any work.
'It's a good opportunity.'
Liu Bian said to himself that there must be a proper way for the two of them to agree to take the next step, and he still understood the rules of refusing three times.
Liu Bian remained calm and pretended to be thinking, waiting for Ding Gong and Liu Hong to speak for the third time when they insisted on leaving.
But the two of them seemed not to understand the unspoken rule of declining three times and gave in three times, and they actually stopped talking.
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