Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 514 Can you all see the underlying cause and effect behind this self-examination by the officials?
"What are your thoughts, Mr. Shiqiao?" the First Prince asked, looking at the seat with the words "Shiqiao" hanging above it.

Wang Anzhi was silent for a moment, then said loudly, "It is a good thing for the Qin Dynasty to have officials conduct self-examinations and root out those corrupt officials."

"The Ministry of Rites and the Censorate are not afraid of self-investigation at all."

"Those who are really anxious are the ones who embezzle and line their own pockets while on duty."

"Once the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate have completed their self-examinations, the six ministries will then implement the measures to expel all those corrupt officials from the court, thus restoring order to the court."

Wang Anzhi was the Minister of Rites, and it can be said that he was the biggest beneficiary of this self-examination by officials.

According to his plan, as long as the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate thoroughly investigated, his entry into the cabinet would be secure.

Becoming a Grand Secretary in the Cabinet would bring him one step closer to the position of Prime Minister.

The eldest prince looked puzzled and said in a low voice, "There are many powerful families and countless martial families in the capital. What will be the final outcome of this self-investigation?"

"Could it be that His Majesty will ultimately use the Heavenly Suppression Bureau to launch a purge of the court...?"

The imperial court was cleaned up.

The Crown Prince's words made everyone at the gathering sit up straight.

Purges of the imperial court are not common, but they are certainly not uncommon.

Historically, when a new emperor ascends the throne or when the court implements reforms, there is always a purge of the court, in which opposing officials or those who have chosen the wrong side are removed from power.

The cleansing is sometimes gentle, sometimes intense.

In peaceful times, perhaps resigning from office and retiring, or being demoted and exiled, would be enough to quell the unrest.

But in a brutal situation, heads roll and blood flows like rivers.

"We must not let the situation escalate to the point where the Zhen Tian Si (Heavenly Guard) has to intervene," said Marquis Su Jing of Changning, causing everyone in the mist to turn to look at him.

Su Jing glanced at the seated Black Tiger and said in a deep voice, "The Zhen Tian Division has already instigated officials to conduct self-examinations, which has aroused their jealousy. If we get involved in this, we will likely bring trouble upon ourselves in the end."

The Heavenly Guard is a weapon in His Majesty's hand, to be used in crucial moments.

Su Jing, as the commander of the Black Ice Guard, understood one thing.

The Black Ice Guard stood opposite the court officials; it was a duty, not a genuine intention to antagonize them.

The Black Ice Guard and the Heavenly Guard can only survive long if they participate little in court affairs and only act at crucial moments.

“That’s right. It’s best if this self-investigation doesn’t involve the Zhen Tian Si again.” Wang Anzhi nodded.

He certainly didn't want the Heavenly Guardians to get involved, because that would be the worst possible outcome.

If the investigation is dragged on to the point where the Imperial Censorate gets involved, it means that the Ministry of Rites, the Censorate, and the Imperial Clan Court have already found it difficult to push forward with the self-investigation.

That also means that Wang Anzhi's chances of joining the cabinet are pretty much over.

How can you expect to enter the cabinet if you can't even do your job well?

"How many court officials are truly clean? Many families have operated in the capital for years, and military families are especially wealthy." The eldest prince shook his head.

"Without the intervention of the Heavenly Guard, I really can't imagine how this matter could have been carried out."

The Crown Prince's words silenced the fog.

Let alone others, who among these people isn't wealthy?
If it were really made public, what would the people think?
"Can any of you discern the underlying causes and effects behind this self-examination by the officials?"

After a moment, Zhang Yuan's voice rang out.

Hidden causes and effects?

Everyone was stunned and looked up at where Zhang Yuan was.

Even Wang Anzhi was taken aback.

He was caught up in the situation and didn't really think much about the underlying causes and effects.

Or rather, what he saw was His Majesty's intention to change the court's structure, which was the cause and effect.

"Based on the cause and effect I have observed, His Majesty intends to change the structure of the court, which is why this self-examination by the officials has occurred..." Wang Anzhi murmured.

"It must be a major shift in the situation on Yongtian Continent, with many powerful figures emerging. These powerful figures need matching resources. All officials should conduct a self-examination and clear out the resources within the imperial city. This is the cause and effect," said Zheng Qiaoshan, the commander of the Imperial Guards codenamed Ironclad.

He was the commander of the Imperial Guards and had already reached the Grandmaster realm, but in terms of wealth and resources, he couldn't even compare to those fourth or fifth-rank officials who had the backing of powerful families.

In his view, as the number of powerful figures increases, His Majesty and the court need to consider the interests of these individuals.

In the Great Qin, the strong are revered. "Recently, the Great Qin has been embroiled in numerous wars, and many have been promoted for their merits. Officials should conduct self-examinations and make way for these newcomers, relinquishing the imperial city and the wealth and property of various prefectures and counties," said Ji Liang, the Marquis of Xichang, after breaking his spear.

As a minister of the Grand Council and now in the eastern border, he has witnessed many people in the Qin Dynasty being promoted for their merits in the past two years.

Especially the elites of the spring hunt trial, these young people now have military achievements and potential, but for the time being they do not have enough official positions or resources to support them.

“Indeed, the prefectural government is already a difficult place to live in. The core industries in various places have long been divided up by powerful families. Newly promoted officials and low-ranking civil and military officials are in a difficult situation, let alone cultivation…” Zhao Kuo, codenamed White Paper, sighed softly.

He came from Liangyuan Prefecture to Zhengyang County. He wasn't wealthy, but he had some money. He taught at the county school and worked as an instructor at the martial arts academy. His salary alone wasn't enough to make a living.

Yu Kuizhen, Zuo Qiuren, Sun Qi, and others all nodded in agreement with what Zhao Kuo said.

Zuo Qiuren spent countless years running an academy in Zhengyang County and begging for alms.

Yu Kuizhen came from the Imperial Household Department, and his past was also difficult.

As for Sun Qi, the great scholar who was forced to marry a woman after failing the imperial examination, he has been living off her for many years. Only he knows the bitterness of it all.

“On Qingtian Continent, Confucian and Taoist practitioners cultivate diligently and act cautiously. In terms of character and ability, they are flawless.” The First Prince pondered for a moment, “This should be the cause and effect of the officials’ self-examination.”

“In fact, the Battle of Chenzhou was also one of the causes and effects,” said Consort Qi, who rarely spoke.

Zhao Yu listened quietly.

This gathering is a place for exchanging information.

The people attending the gathering were all of different statuses and had different information.

The clash of opposing viewpoints and the exchange and summarization of information are roughly the truth behind this self-examination by officials.

Everyone present was intelligent.

After the exchange, everyone understood that the Qin court and the Qin empire had reached a point where change was inevitable.

“Your Majesty is merely going with the flow, so…” Wang Anzhi looked at Black Tiger.

He remembered that when Black Tiger mentioned the self-examination of officials, he said it was "an inevitable trend."

In other words, Black Tiger had long seen through the cause and effect behind this matter, and he was even one of the people who personally instigated it.

The self-examination by officials is not something His Majesty insists on forcing, but rather a necessity driven by the prevailing trend of the times. Anyone who dares to obstruct it will inevitably be crushed by the tide of history.

"We need to investigate, but we can't act recklessly," Zhang Yuan said.

First, a consensus must be reached that the self-examination of officials must be pushed forward before we can proceed with the discussion.

"The self-examination by officials is meant to unite the hearts of the people, not to shake up the court."

Zhang Yuan's voice echoed through the mist.

Zhao Yu, seated upright, said softly, his eyes bright, "Three days ago, Xiao Lou, the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, sold a hundred-acre manor outside the imperial city, along with the treasures, spiritual materials, gold beads, and other items stored there."

"In terms of price, this manor should be worth eight million taels of gold, and with the treasures it contains, its value is well over ten million. However, in the end, the manor was not priced, but was exchanged for something else."

"The Qingtian Inkstone, a Confucian treasure personally crafted by the Master, the Grand Master of Confucianism and Taoism of Qingtianzhou."

"Xiao Lou made a fortune trading ten million taels of gold for the Master's Qingtian Inkstone..." Minister of Rites Wang Anzhi said in a low voice.

Silence fell once more amidst the mist.

Zhao Yu quietly looked up at Zhang Yuan, who was sitting upright in his seat, her eyes full of smiles.

In recent days, Yu Yuan Trading Company has stockpiled many paintings, seals, and books by Confucian and Taoist masters, each a Confucian treasure imbued with the noble spirit of Confucianism and Taoism.

For example, the stone carvings that Zhang Yuan practiced were all carved using the method of engraving on grand ritual vessels, and each character exudes a righteous spirit.

Placing that monument at home can nurture a powerful sense of righteousness.

"In Liangyuan Domain, Buddhist treasures, elixirs refined by immortal alchemists, magical artifacts forged by weapon refiners, and seemingly illustrious worldly gold and silver industries are actually quite common. A manor can be exchanged for a single elixir, and a shop for a single sword."

"Let these industries return to the people, and let the materials for spiritual practice enter the hands of practitioners."

"With the people prosperous and cultivators having sufficient resources, the path of cultivation on Yongtian Continent will also advance."

Zhang Yuan placed his palm on the armrest and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"The seemingly coincidental self-examination by officials is actually a resource struggle between cultivators and ordinary people in the Great Qin Dynasty, triggered by the advancement of the Great Dao."

"Those families or officials who are unwilling to give up their businesses and worldly resources should not blame His Majesty for wielding such a sharp blade."

(End of this chapter)