Establishing a thousand-year family from the nobles of the Western Han Dynasty

Chapter 94: Suppressing the Xu Family, From Prosperity to Decline

On June 5, the third year of Jingxin, Xu Zhou, former Minister of Rites and Imperial Academy, died suddenly at the age of seventy-six.

For a time, the Confucian world and the legal community experienced a great earthquake. The death of this highly respected Imperial Academy Master was undoubtedly a heavy blow. It could be said that this was both a disaster and an opportunity!

Just like the death of Xu Gong in the past, it is an opportunity to become famous all over the world!

At the moment of Xu Zhou's funeral, countless students of the Imperial College spontaneously knelt on the ground to welcome him, and the streets were lined with people for ten miles. Some people even voluntarily resigned from their official positions to mourn for him.

The impact was so terrible that even Emperor Liu Ju personally mourned for him.

Of course, they did this not only to express their gratitude for Xu Zhou's life's achievements, but also to make a name for themselves! If they became famous, it would be of great benefit to their promotion in the future. Although the Han Dynasty ruled the country with Confucianism, reputation was still very important.

In many cases, morality is the decisive factor. As can be seen from the name of "Xiao Lian", if one wants to become an official in the court, morality is more important.

There is no specific standard for virtue. What is virtue? What is mediocrity? It all depends on how you say it. Morality is different, and it basically has specific standards.

It is visible to all the people in the world and it is easier to convince the public. Of course, it does not mean that we do not take it seriously, but it is relatively speaking.

Xu Zhou's official position was not very high and he was only a Nine Ministers throughout his life, but his prestige was extremely terrifying. Many high-ranking officials who served as the Three Dukes were his students, such as Liu Quti and Chen Nong. There were too many Nine Ministers, prefects, and inspectors to count.

This meant that his power was no less than that of the three highest officials, and some prime ministers had to show respect to him.

Liu Che acted in a domineering manner, but he only gave Xu Zhou some points. Liu Ju did this to strengthen his reputation among the literati so that he could better recruit talents in the future.

"Brother..." Xu Ye knelt in front of the spirit tablet, tears already streaming down his face. Next to him was his cousin Xu Nan. The two of them once again put aside their past grudges and mourned for their brother together.

Although Xu Zhou essentially belongs to the Henan Xu family, he has never acknowledged the split of his family and has also helped Qinghe.

In other words, with his reputation, he could play a lot of roles. Xu Ye's appointment as prime minister was the result of the collective recommendation of the Imperial Academy. Originally, Liu Che had not planned to promote him so early.

After all, the Xu family members serve as officials for half their lives, and the other officials have no chance.

Now Xu Ye's power in the court is at its peak, because Liu Ju needs him to counter the general. Although Huo Qubing himself is in a bad state, he is still feared.

This is also the reason why Xu Nan was supported.

"Brother..."

Xu Ye knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. Ever since his uncle went out to fight in the war, Xu Zhou had taken care of the children.

The eldest brother is like a father. The two of them have real experience of this saying. Even after resigning from office and retiring, they still help the family run the Imperial College.

So that Xu was able to maintain his transcendent position.

Xu Nan was also silent, his grief evident in words. He never liked crying, and only shed tears briefly when his father passed away.

"Prime Minister Xu, Cavalry Xu, please accept my condolences. The teacher doesn't want you to be sad for him."

The gray-haired doctor of the Imperial College was actually even more sad in his heart, but he couldn't cry out loud.

The Imperial Academy is now able to leave the Xu family's support, but the bond will not disappear. Almost all of the first batch of Imperial Academy doctors have passed away, and most of the current ones were taught by Xu Zhou himself.

The imperial guards in white shirts rushed in and stood aside. Liu Ju also came to the ancestral hall to pay homage.

Xu Zhou is not his teacher, so it is impossible that he has no feelings for him at all. In fact, it is just a side effect to improve his reputation. As he is the emperor of the current dynasty, how could he lack talented people to join him?

As for the evaluation in history books, it goes without saying that history books will determine your achievements. No matter how high your reputation is, it is difficult to cover up the fact that you are a tyrant.

The eyes of the world are sharp.

"Teacher, take care of yourself." Liu Ju, the emperor, actually knelt down.

"Your Majesty, this is inappropriate..."

Xu Ye wanted to comfort him, but was rejected by Liu Ju on the spot.

"Why is this inappropriate? A son kneels to his father, a disciple kneels to his teacher. This is only natural. Even the emperor cannot violate this ethical code. I said I will abide by the law, and I will also abide by morality!"

These words were well received by a number of doctors from the Imperial College.

My wise ruler! You must publicize this well in the future.

Liu Ju kowtowed and stood up. Almost all the heroes of the old era had passed away, and a new era was about to come.

Nowadays, the court is full of new people, and the old ones have been eliminated.

.........

After Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, engaged in aggressive military campaigns for many years, the national treasury became increasingly empty and could no longer support large-scale wars and reforms. The structure of the Han Dynasty was almost finalized.

Liu Ju spent his entire life recuperating and restoring the Han Dynasty, attempting to restore the country's national strength to its peak and restore the glory of the past Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing.

Emperor Gaodi founded the country, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing laid the foundation, and Emperor Wu carried out reforms, and all he needed to do was to clean up his father's mess.

In the third year of Zhengyuan, Grand Marshal and General Huo Qubing died at the age of 49, and General Huo Guang succeeded him.

Xu Ye was promoted to the title of Imperial Academy Director, and the prestige of the Xu family once again reached its peak. The family had been high officials for generations, with three dukes in four generations.

It can be said that this family is extremely prosperous. It is the first prime minister family in history, and there will be prime ministers in every generation.

In the 15th year of Zhengyuan, General Xu Nan died of illness, and his eldest son Xu Ning inherited his title and became the new head of the Qinghe Xu family.

In the 16th year of Zhengyuan, Prime Minister Xu Ye died of illness and his son Xu Ru inherited the title.

At this time, Xu Ning was already the Imperial Censor, and Xu Ru was appointed Grand Marshal. They were destined to prosper again, and the emperor still had absolute trust in the Xu family.

At least Liu Ju still relied on him, but it was hard to say about Crown Prince Liu Xun...

Xu's disciples are spread all over the world, and have been officials for generations. They have formidable resources and prestige, especially the position of Imperial Academy Master, which is now held by Xu Ru and is almost hereditary.

Because Liu Ju did not continue to let Xu teach the prince, Liu Xun was somewhat afraid of her.

He did not harbor hostility, but his desire to check and suppress him became stronger and stronger, and he discussed this with his teacher Huo Guang in private more than once.

Xu Ru was aware of this, but there was nothing he could do. They could not interfere in the matter of appointing a crown prince. The reason why the Xu family could remain undefeated was because they had a very full understanding of themselves and would never do anything beyond the scope of a subject.

As the emperor with real power, Liu Ju certainly knew this, so he became wary of Xu Ru and others.

He made the choice between his son and the minister without hesitation.

He did not support Liu Xun's idea of ​​suppressing the Xu family, but he did not oppose it either. After all, no emperor would want his subjects to become so powerful.

This situation continued until the 23rd year of Zheng Yuan, when Liu Ju died in Weiyang Palace, and appointed Xu Ru, Xu Ning, Huo Guang and others as ministers to take care of his son. Among them, Huo Guang was the chief minister, with full powers to assist in the administration.

After the emperor was buried, Crown Prince Liu Xun succeeded to the throne, changed the reign title to Benshi, and issued a general amnesty. One month after his accession, he secured the throne with the help of Huo Guang and others.

Therefore, Huo Guang was promoted to the position of Grand Marshal, holding the seal of the General of the Northern Expedition and wearing the seal of the Prime Minister, and was in charge of the government in order to counter the powerful Xu Party.

But their first goal was to weaken that powerful influence, which meant starting with Imperial College.

As long as the Imperial Academy is in his hands, the Xu family will be like weeds that will grow again in the spring breeze, but he still cannot change the reality that his students and former officials are all over the world. The emperor cares least about official positions, which are the cheapest things.

The only two things that can shake this supreme ruler are military power and reputation.

Military power can subvert imperial power, and reputation can force the emperor to make concessions, or even manipulate the throne's dethronement and enthronement, which are absolutely not allowed.

Therefore, Liu Xun felt like a thorn in his side.

In the Weiyang Palace, Liu Xun, who had just ascended the throne, sat at the top with a rather worried look on his face, with a glass of wine in his hand, but all the rare fine wines in the world tasted bland to him.

In the second year of Jingxin, Xu Ye once proposed to secretly scatter the prince among the people and protect him secretly, so that he could taste the sufferings of the world.

Liu Ju gritted his teeth and accepted this suggestion.

Therefore, Liu Xun now understands the sufferings of the people, and after returning to the throne of crown prince, he has a deeper understanding of the power of the Xu family.

A giant who enjoys great prestige among the people and the court, with influence spread across the military, political and academic realms.

It is naturally easier for the descendants of the Xu family to become officials than for ordinary nobles. As long as they do a little bit of work, they can be selected as filial and honest officials and easily take up an official position with real power.

Liu Xun's fear was not without reason. When the Han Dynasty was prosperous, they had no idea, but what about the weak imperial power? Who can guarantee that they can produce talents for hundreds of years?

The man drinking beside him was the current famous figure, Grand Marshal and General Huo Guang, who had incredibly great power.

He led the two armies in the north and the south, and also held the seal of the General who Conquers the North and wore the seal of the Prime Minister. Although he was not as powerful as Xu Gong and Xu Zhen in the past, he was also quite terrifying.

"Your Majesty, are you worried about the Xu family?"

Huo Guang certainly knew why Liu Xun was worried. It was easy to suppress Xu Ru and Xu Ning, but it was difficult to suppress the Xu family. The terrible reputation they had accumulated over a hundred years could not be weakened so easily.

At least, it will take at least 20 to 30 years to see any results, or even longer. This scale cannot be shaken in a short period of time.

Throwing dirty water? Imperial College is Xu's territory, the students will never believe it.

"Alas... I am not hostile to them, but their power is too strong, even I feel afraid."

Liu Xun said sadly.

Huo Guang smiled and said, "I will show you a way, Your Majesty. If you want to attack the Xu family, you must first attack the Imperial Academy! Otherwise, you will not be able to damage the foundation no matter what."

"Imperial College? Alas, the Xu family has been operating in the Imperial College for many years, and even the more scattered military academies have been infiltrated by Xu Ning's disciples. How can this be easy?"

Liu Xun shook his head. It’s not that he had never thought about it, but it was too difficult and no one could do it.

"Your Majesty, please do not forget the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism. In fact, since the death of Mr. Xu Zhou, the fundamental influence of the Xu family on the Imperial College has disappeared."

Huo Guang was confident and he also had ambitions in his heart that he wanted to realize, but because the Xu family was too powerful, he could hardly do anything he wanted to do.

Liu Xun seemed to be thinking about something.

.........

In the fourth year of Yuanfeng, the great Confucian scholar Li Ke and the great Legalist Zhao Zhuang started a dispute between Confucianism and Legalism, eyeing the position of Imperial Academy Master.

Ever since Xu Ru was forced to resign as the Imperial College Director under pressure, the Xu family could no longer suppress the Confucianism-Legalism dispute within the Imperial College.

This was a battle of ideologies and academics. Both sides formed cliques and factions, and even the court was in full swing. Coupled with the emperor's deliberate instigation, it was almost inevitable.

A large number of officials and scholars were forced to take sides, and it was almost impossible for the Xu family to remain neutral. Most people within the family chose the school they supported.

Although his family would not be the first to fall into chaos, that kind of superior status would be difficult to maintain.

The main dispute between the Confucian and Legalist parties was over orthodoxy, which was almost inevitable, including Xu Ru and Xu Ning.

Liu Xun took the opportunity to eliminate dissidents, and a large number of Xu's main disciples were eliminated. The academic dispute officially escalated into a fight.

Although there was no armed conflict, various frame-ups became more and more frequent, and even the instigators Zhao Zhuang and Li Ke could not be controlled, and Confucianism and Legalism began to be irreconcilable.

Everyone wanted to gain dominance over the country, and Liu Xun became the biggest winner, greatly consolidating his imperial power.

Just as Xu Ye said before, the main contradiction in the Han Dynasty for the next three hundred years will be the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism, and everything else will have to stand aside.

This was indeed the case, but there was one thing Xu Ye had not expected: the emperor would deliberately incite people. Wasn't he afraid that he would lose control?

The ministers all over the world think the same. Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that things will be too late to undo what has happened in the future? There is almost no end to the fighting among these people. Their ideas and concepts are fundamentally contradictory.

It seems that he underestimated Liu Xun. He executed Li Ke and Zhao Zhuang on the pretext of "disturbing the country". The followers of both sides did not vent their anger on the emperor, but continued to fight among themselves.

Because over time, this struggle has changed its nature. It is no longer a simple fight for positions, and those with ulterior motives have also used it to expand their power.

But with the emperor's instigation, he was besieged by a coalition of others, and the situation became more severe.

And one amazing thing is that the country is not in chaos. Because of the fear of being caught and the need to prove themselves, officials are diligent in governing the country and compete with each other to see who is more frugal and who has made the greatest contribution.

The emperor became the ultimate beneficiary and achieved almost everything he wanted, especially the need to weaken the Xu family.

The one who suffered the most this time was actually the Xu family. Not only did their transcendent status disappear, but they also lost a large number of disciples and clansmen, and their influence plummeted.

It seemed that many potential clan members also lost the opportunity to become officials. For example, Xu Ru's eldest son, a very talented scholar, was implicated because he mistakenly got involved in the dispute between the two parties.

He was sentenced to be a member of Li Ke's gang and sent back to his hometown, with no chance of becoming an official again.

Of course, it all depends on the emperor. As long as Liu Xun is willing to make concessions, these will not be a problem.

Xu Ning's eldest son was also implicated and charged with treason and was beheaded in public.

Of course, the two men were aware of all this, but there was nothing they could do; if the king wanted his subject to die, the subject had to die, and they didn't even have the chance to resist.

Because this method is reasonable and legal, even if it is simply a victim of party struggles, the charges are still valid.

The Xu family no longer has the power they once had. Although there are still people supporting them, there is no hope for the next generation.

Weakness is inevitable.

This method is too clever. Maybe the dispute between Confucianism and Legalism will backfire on the king in the future, but not now. It will only become a tool!

(End of this chapter)