Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 297 Gu Lin's Legislation, Resolutely Decisive! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Almost simultaneously.

The various events that occurred at the canal wharves in different regions stirred up a tremendous wave throughout Kyushu.

Given the immense importance of the Grand Canal to the Song Dynasty, this sudden event was akin to a financial meltdown in modern times, making it major news for the entire nation!
And the ensuing impact was immense.

— Criticism!
Yes, it's controversy.

Even though Gu Lin exposed these people's crimes immediately, in this era, neither ordinary people nor most officials could fully see the harm it would cause to Kyushu.

This is actually a limitation of cognition.

Given the unprecedented circumstances, how could everyone possibly see these things?
In an instant, a deluge of memorials were presented to the emperor.

Even Gu Lin couldn't completely block these people, and he went directly to the emperor, who never sought power.

This is the influence of the Gu family.

The reason why these emperors of the Song Dynasty have not been completely sidelined even today is because the Gu family is the one in power.

From the highest officials in the imperial court to the common people, no one ever doubted that the Gu family would usurp the throne.

Even though the Gu family had been in power for five generations, it was no exception.

It was precisely because of this that the emperors of the Song Dynasty were able to live such a peaceful life, not only having the dignity of an emperor but also without any worries.

Chui Gong Hall.

Faced with the mountain of memorials, Zhao Hanyin was at his wits' end.

Looking at the grand hall with only a few people, now devoid of its former bustling crowds, he wore a bitter expression, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles on the dragon throne.

"Ugh!"

He sighed deeply, picked up another memorial, glanced at it briefly, then tossed it aside. He then looked at Gu Lin beside him and said, "Grand Tutor!"

"You can handle these trivial matters yourself."

"Why must I come and see for myself?"

As he spoke, he picked up several memorials: "They're all pretty much the same!"

"These people actually want me to depose you!"

"Are they crazy?"

"Do you think I can cure the Song Dynasty? Or do you think the Song Dynasty would have come to this point without the Gu family?"

He spoke very directly.

It can be said that no emperor in history, whether wise or foolish, could have said such a thing.

Even if such a person did exist, it would probably only be Emperor Renzong of Han, Liu Shan.

But who was Liu Shan facing at that time?

That's Gu Chen!
Even Liu Bei treated Gu Chen as an equal, so how much more so Liu Shan?

It can be said that Zhao Hanyin has now reached the same level as Liu Shan.

Even the same situation.

Compared to the feeling of truly controlling life and death, Zhao Hanyin actually preferred to hide among beautiful women on ordinary days, where he had no worries at all.

“Your Majesty.” Gu Lin’s expression remained unchanged. He held his tablet and bowed, his voice steady and clear: “This is no trivial matter. It is a report from the censors and remonstrators, which has reached the Emperor’s ears directly.”

"Your Majesty, I am the one who submitted these memorials impeaching you."

"How can it be reasonable for the one who has been impeached to deal with the impeachment memorial itself?"

"This is not something a subject can do, nor is it something a subject should do."

He raised his head slightly, calmly meeting Zhao Hanyin's troubled gaze, and continued, "Our ancestors established the system of censors precisely to broaden the channels for expression, so that Your Majesty could listen to all sides and thus gain clarity."

"Your Majesty's judgment on my merits and demerits shall be made solely by Your Majesty's sagacious mind, and should also be subject to the public opinion of the people."

“If I were to handle this myself, it would be to block the channels of communication and mislead Your Majesty’s ears. I would never dare to do such a thing that goes against the law.”

His expression was very calm.

Seeing this, the bitterness on Zhao Hanyin's face deepened.

How could he possibly punish Gu Lin?
Gu Lin has already explained the harm this will bring to the Song Dynasty. Although some ministers felt that these words were excessive and were unwilling to believe them, he believed them!

He believed every word Gu Lin said.

How could they possibly dismiss Gu Lin?

Looking at the pile of memorials in front of him, Zhao Hanyin's mind raced for a moment, as if he had thought of something.

He reached out and picked up another memorial.

But the moment he opened it, he suddenly let out a gasp.

"I--"

"My head hurts so much!"

Having said that, he collapsed right there, amidst a sea of ​​memorials!
"Your Majesty!" Gu Lin's expression suddenly changed.

Looking at Zhao Hanyin lying on the ground, he instantly understood what had happened, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of panic followed by helplessness.

Even though he was certain that Zhao Hanyin wouldn't harm him.

But seeing this scene now still fills me with utter helplessness.

This is hardly the behavior of an emperor!

Is he faking illness to play the victim?

Seeing that Zhao Hanyin had no reaction at all, Gu Lin had no choice but to continue the act with him and quickly summoned the imperial physician.

And on that very day.

—The emperor fell ill and was unable to handle the memorials, so the imperial edict that he entrusted all government affairs to Gu Lin was sent out from the Chuigong Hall.

In addition, Zhao Hanyin even specially ordered someone to block everything this time.

It wasn't just that he didn't see any court officials.

Don't even send the memorials!
—A huge shock to the government and the public!
We're all shrewd foxes; who wouldn't see through Zhao Hanyin's intentions?
After all, Zhao Hanyin's actions were not exactly clever.

But no way.

Although this method is not sophisticated, he is the emperor, so as long as he does it, it will be effective, and no one can get past the layers of obstacles he has set up.

Not to mention, Gu Lin is there too!
Gu Lin took action immediately.

He mobilized almost the entire Censorate to thoroughly eliminate all such activities.

In addition, he also began to formulate relevant laws.

The purpose is to finalize this matter completely.

Within the culture of Kyushu.

There is one rule that can never be completely erased: the laws of our ancestors!
And now, the Song Dynasty has only just been unified.

Why can't their generation also be considered ancestors?
Gu Lin must act decisively and ruthlessly to firmly establish the rules.

Don't forget, the Gu family's goal has never been short-term, but rather for eternity.

What Gu Lin needs to do now.

It wasn't just for the sake of the Song Dynasty; he wanted to establish this as a rule from beginning to end, and even continue to use it in future generations!

It must be said that Gu Lin's ability in this area is indeed beyond doubt.

In just over a month, he had already formulated a very comprehensive legal system!

First, the crime of smuggling should be clearly defined, and the punishment should be based on the value of the goods.

—For any goods transported by canal, if it is found that they have been smuggled, concealed, or underreported, the principal offender or ringleader, whose goods are valued at more than one hundred strings of cash, shall be exiled three thousand li.

Anyone holding more than 500 strings of cash shall be hanged.
Those who possess more than a thousand strings of cash, as well as repeat offenders and ringleaders of gangs, shall all be beheaded, and shall not be pardoned even if granted amnesty.

His family property was confiscated and the proceeds were deposited into the national treasury.

Secondly, the system of joint liability and reward was implemented to clean up officialdom.

—Officials of the grain transport commissioner and various checkpoints who fail to properly inspect the vessels under their jurisdiction and who knowingly fail to report smuggling shall be punished the same as the offenders.
Those who proactively report or uncover crimes will not only be exempted from punishment, but may also be promoted and rewarded.

At the same time, merchants, boatmen, laborers, and even ordinary people are encouraged to report such activities. Once the report is verified, the informant will be rewarded with 30% of the value of the confiscated goods.

Third, strictly manage invoices and contracts to prevent concealment.

—All grain transport vessels must possess a detailed cargo manifest bearing the seals of the Grain Transport Office, the Maritime Trade Office, and the local government at the point of departure, clearly recording the type, quantity, and value of the goods. Checkpoints along the route must rigorously inspect the manifests, and vessels can only be released after verification. Those who forge cargo manifests will be treated as smugglers, and relevant officials will also be severely punished.

Fourth, a Grand Canal Inspection Commissioner was appointed to independently supervise the canal transport.

A special "Grain Transport Inspection Office" was established under the Censorate, and upright and outspoken individuals were selected as inspectors. They were given the power to randomly inspect any grain transport vessel and to access any relevant documents and accounts. They could report directly to the Emperor or the Grand Tutor Regent and were not subject to the control of local governments or grain transport offices.

In fact, the laws that Gu Lin formulated alone are enough to demonstrate how much importance he attaches to this matter!
Especially the first point.

This is completely aimed at blocking all smuggling routes.

Those who possess more than one hundred strings of cash will be exiled three thousand miles away.

If there's no profit of even a hundred strings of cash, who would be willing to risk smuggling?

Of course, Gu Lin was also well aware that once his various plans were officially implemented, the profits from smuggling would increase again.

Even so, he had to do it!

He was the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.

Even if he does make mistakes, he has to try.

Gu Yi watched all of this silently without interfering in the slightest.

In fact, even he didn't notice this problem at the beginning. Although he now has the perspective to overlook everything with just a thought, he had never thought about it in this way.

Ultimately, Gu Yi was just a college student.

Although Gu Yi's abilities have improved significantly over this period of growth, his abilities have also improved considerably.

But this is only a skill.

His experiences haven't yet given him enough time to think things through.

Take this smuggling incident, for example!

As a college student, Gu Yi had only been exposed to these things through the news before. Moreover, in the current development of the world, everything is only just beginning to sprout. How could he suddenly realize this and then pay attention to it?

From beginning to end, Gu Yi never thought about it in this direction, so naturally he wouldn't deliberately observe these people.

However, given the current situation, it's not too late.

At least Gu Lin is still here.

As long as he's still around, all these problems will surely be resolved!
—The situation has completely descended into chaos.

When Gu Lin issued an edict mobilizing the entire Censorate, even the atmosphere of the entire country changed abruptly.

This applies not only to local areas, but also to the important figures in the central government.

As the Censorate meticulously investigated, they all fell from grace one after another.

This time, Gu Lin truly showed no mercy whatsoever.

In fact, he could have taken action much earlier.

The reason he didn't take action and even gave these people time to impeach him was entirely due to considerations of the bigger picture.

The canal transport was crucial.

Moreover, the forces controlled by these people were all powerful figures in the canal ports of various regions.

The sudden collapse of these people will inevitably cause chaos in the canal transport. Gu Lin needs to give others time to quickly seize the market lost due to their collapse.

Only in this way can the entire dynasty be replaced without affecting the overall situation!

This is absolutely the biggest case in history.

Almost all of the people involved were important figures in local areas and even in the central government.

Such a thing could only be accomplished at the very beginning of a dynasty, and it would require the presence of a prestigious figure like Gu Lin and a powerful and influential department like the Censorate. If it were in the middle or later stages of a dynasty, this move would have caused the dynasty to collapse in an instant!

On the first day, Liu Geng, the deputy transport commissioner of Huainan Road, was dismissed and arrested. His residence was surrounded by officials from the Imperial Guard, and all his account books and documents were sealed.

Before the news could spread, the very next day, Chai Jing, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works and the Director of the Bianhe River Embankment, was impeached in court by the censor for accepting huge bribes and facilitating smuggling ships. The evidence was conclusive, and he was immediately stripped of his official position.

Following this, a number of officials involved in the case, including Sun You, the Assistant Magistrate of the Imperial Treasury, and Zhao Qian, the Supervisor of the Bianhe Water Mill, were successively dismissed from their posts.

The Censorate's investigation efficiency was astonishing; it was clear that they had already obtained solid evidence and were just waiting for a swift and decisive strike.

These once powerful and renowned figures, who held real power in every aspect of the canal transport, have now fallen from grace like autumn leaves swept away by the wind.

And this is only the central part.

The various local issues need not be mentioned further.

Most importantly, with the start of this purge by the Censorate, the people in various regions who had suffered at the hands of powerful clans were no longer tolerating it and began to report the various crimes committed by the powerful clans to the Censorate.

And this is bound to cause an even bigger vortex!

—The world was shocked!
Less than thirty years after unification, that sense of turmoil has risen again throughout the land.

Fortunately, at the beginning of the unification, Gu Lin had already ordered a large-scale cleanup, which almost wiped out all the resistance forces, thus preventing greater chaos.

However, the power of the Censorate could never fully extend to every region.

The strength of those powerful clans who had cultivated their influence in the local areas for many years was naturally beyond question. After they withstood the first wave of attacks from the Censorate, they were left with only one way out.

That is rebellion!

Huainan Road, Luzhou Prefecture.

This ancient city, which prospered because of the Grand Canal, is destined to be sleepless tonight.

The Lu family mansion in the east of the city, which covered a vast area and had a deep and imposing gate, was now shrouded in a sense of desolation and despair.

The Lü family, whose members had been salt merchants for generations, had been deeply involved in the Luzhou region since the previous dynasty. Many of their family members had become officials, and their students and old friends were spread throughout the various departments of the Huainan canal transport system.

With their control over key waterway transportation routes and their deep-rooted connections in the local area, the wealth and power that the Lü family has accumulated over the years, both openly and covertly, far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine.

But now, the guillotine of the Censorate is already hanging over their heads.

Deep within the mansion, in a secret room.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating the face of the family head, Lü Zhang, which was contorted with anger and fear.

He slammed the copy of the "Grain Transport Regulation" he was holding onto the table, the heavy sandalwood table making a dull thud.

"Did you see it clearly?" Lu Zhang's voice was hoarse, with a hint of desperate madness. "Gu Lin is trying to wipe out our lineage!"

"One hundred strings of cash for exile, five hundred strings for hanging, one thousand strings for beheading, and confiscation of all property. He's driving hundreds of members of our Lü family to their deaths!"

Those seated at the lower end were all core members of the Lü family and several local powerful leaders who were affiliated with the Lü family. Everyone had a solemn expression, and some even looked fearful.

“Uncle,” Lü Zhang’s nephew, Lü Xiao, who now serves as a commander in the Luzhou Garrison, suddenly stood up. He was young and impetuous, and his face was full of hostility. “How much tax has our Lü family paid for Luzhou Prefecture? How many people have we supported?”

"Now that Gu Lin holds absolute power in the court, he has come up with such an evil law, clearly intending to exterminate us powerful local clans!"

"Are we just going to sit here and wait for the Censorate to come and confiscate our property and arrest us?"

"Wait to die?" Lü Zhang sneered, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light. "My Lü family has built its reputation over generations; how could we willingly offer our necks to be slaughtered?"

"If Gu Lin won't leave us a way out, then we'll forge our own path!"

He looked around at everyone and said, word by word, "Don't forget, we still have money, grain, and manpower! There are our men in the Luzhou Xiang Army. And along the Huainan Road, how many of those who have received favors from my Lü family and have been driven to desperation by Gu Lin's new policies are we not the only ones?"

Another elder said worriedly, "Patriarch, that's the Gu family. They've ruled for five generations, their influence is deep-rooted. How can we possibly contend with them?"

"Confront?" Lü Zhang slammed his hand on the table. "Who said we were going to confront that behemoth head-on?"

"What we need to do is 'pacify the rebellion'!"

He lowered his voice, but with unwavering resolve: "We will raise the banner of 'Purge the court of corrupt officials and execute the powerful minister Gu Lin'!"

"Tell the world that it was Gu Lin who abused his power and enforced harsh laws, forcing virtuous officials to rebel!"

"We are not rebelling against the Song Dynasty. We are acting on behalf of the Emperor and on behalf of the gentry and common people who have been oppressed by the Gu family, to eliminate the traitors!"

"Yes! We must purge the court of corrupt officials!" Lü Xiao immediately echoed, a sickly flush rising to his face. "Can the Gu family really remain perpetually on top of the world?"

"I refuse to believe that we are the only ones in the world who are dissatisfied with the Gu family!"

"As long as we take the lead and raise the banner, there will surely be followers!"

"Even if we ultimately fail, we'll knock out a few of the Gu family's teeth and skin them alive!"

"Let him know that even we local bullies will bite when pushed too far!"

Inside the sealed room, heavy breathing echoed throughout.

But as time goes by...

This fear of the future, gradually fueled by the desperate gamble of Lü Zhang and his son, transformed despair into a mad, all-or-nothing madness.
(P.S.: I'm begging for monthly votes at the beginning of the month. I would be extremely grateful for your support.)
(End of this chapter)