Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 274 Lu Zhi: This brat is suing my parents?
Seeing Cao Song lower his head, Liu Bian nodded slightly.

Cao Song wasn't malicious; he was simply eager to make a name for himself, or rather, coveted the immense prestige that coming from managing the Ever-Normal Granary.
If the Ever-Normal Granary project is handled well, it will be a tremendous merit. The common people will not only commemorate the organizer's achievements by carving stone tablets, but also by building shrines for him in life and temples for him after his death!

The reason why Sang Hongyang was not honored with a shrine or temple was entirely because Emperor Xiaowu's aggressive military campaigns left the country desolate, thus eliminating Sang Hongyang's right to have a shrine or temple erected for him during his lifetime and after his death.

When even the Ever-Normal Granary couldn't suppress grain prices, and exorbitant taxes and levies became increasingly heavy, the people's resentment, unable to be directed at the emperor, naturally turned to Sang Hongyang. As a result, the people were more grateful than thankful; they were even more grateful if they hadn't dug up his family's ancestral graves.

However, the establishment of shrines and temples was not an honor that ordinary people were entitled to. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the imperial court strictly prohibited unorthodox worship, that is, prohibited unofficial sacrifices.

Whether it was building temples for deities or emperors other than those of the Han Dynasty, or holding sacrifices for them, the organizers would be sentenced to death, and at most their merits and life stories could be inscribed on a stone tablet.

Last month, Zuo Fengyi Dingyuan reported that after the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, Cao Quan, the magistrate of Heyang County, comforted the elderly, cared for widows and widowers, and used his private wealth to buy rice and millet to provide relief to the disabled, blind, and mute. After hearing that Cao Quan had implemented benevolent policies, all the people who had fled Heyang County returned to their hometowns, re-registered their households, and had their original land returned to them according to the land register records. The people were grateful for this.

County Magistrate Wang Chang and others led the crowd to raise funds to erect a stele in praise of Cao Quan. Li Ru, the Chief Secretary of the Left General's Office, was also from Heyang County. Therefore, he sent his clansmen to raise 50,000 coins on his behalf and asked Dong Zhuo to ask Zhang Zhi, the son of Zhang Huan, the former Minister of Ceremonies of Liangzhou, who was famous for his cursive script, to write the inscription for Cao Quan's stele.

Ordinary people might have to wait a year or two to complete this approval process, and in most cases, this memorial would not attract any attention and would be shelved until it disappears. But if the important officials present were to have temples built for them by the people, who would dare to delay the approval process for a year or two or even ignore it?

Therefore, it would be a lie to say that anyone is not tempted by this merit. Just look at the undisguised eagerness in the eyes of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. Even the usually prudent and upright Minister Liu Tao and Minister Yang Xu could not sit still.

Liu Tao cleared his throat and spoke first: "Since this matter does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, why not have the Secretariat take the lead and entrust it to Feng Fang, the Minister of Civil Affairs?"

Feng Fang, the Minister of Civil Affairs, has a daughter who has caught the eye of the Empress Dowager, who intends to bring her into the Emperor's harem. She is currently being taught palace etiquette by palace tutors at home, which means that Feng Fang can be considered a relative of the Empress Dowager.

Although Feng Fang had been related to a eunuch through marriage in his early years and had been promoted by the eunuch, Liu Tao still recognized Feng Fang's abilities.

Since the affairs of the Ever-Normal Granary are so important, wouldn't it be better to entrust them to a trusted and capable relative of the emperor?

As the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Liu Tao was also able to get a share of the benefits.

Although Yang Xu was known for his integrity, he could not resist the temptation at this moment and immediately added: "With the Grand Tutor and the Three Dukes in charge of the affairs of the Secretariat, as well as the Attendant-in-Ordinary, the Gentleman Attendant-in-Ordinary, and the Attendant-in-Ordinary in charge of the affairs of the Secretariat, it is unlikely that there will be any mistakes in this matter."

As Yang Xu finished speaking, it must be said that the important officials also began to have some thoughts.

At their level of status and position, there are few things that can excite them anymore. The Three Dukes and Nine Ministers are already the highest official positions, so naturally, a good reputation is what matters.

Even if you are not the organizer, as long as you leave a few words in the history books or record the event in your family history, you can still be remembered by future generations.

On the surface, Yang Xu's words were saying that with so many important officials overseeing the Ever-Normal Granary, corruption should be difficult to occur. But in reality, he was telling everyone that entrusting the Ever-Normal Granary to the Ministry of Personnel was the fairest way to distribute the spoils, so that everyone could get a share.

Of course, if the distribution is done this way, then the Nine Ministers will only get an empty bowl.

Today's small meeting is ostensibly divided into two major camps: the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers of the Outer Court and the Ministers and Attendants of the Inner Court.

But the communal meal was ultimately served in individual bowls; the Three Dukes and the Nine Ministers each had their own bowls, as did the Secretariat and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Yang Xu managed to win over the three highest-ranking and most powerful officials, and even invited the Attendant-in-Ordinary, a confidant of the emperor, to dine with him.

A pot of rice filled three bowls, but the Nine Ministers' bowls were empty. How could they possibly cause trouble for the three vested interests at the same time?
You have to keep your dissatisfaction to yourself!
If the Secretariat can't compete with the Three Dukes, can't it at least not compete with you Nine Ministers who don't even have the power to record the Secretariat's affairs?
Liu Bian was quite impressed with Yang Xu. He hadn't expected that this seemingly honest and upright man would have such a side. Even loyal and upright officials can be politically astute.

Unfortunately, Liu Bian did not intend to entrust this matter to any existing government office such as the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers or the Secretariat; instead, he wanted to start from scratch!
Maritime Trade Office!
Jia Xu slowly rose, bowed to the emperor, and proposed to the emperor the establishment of a separate government agency, saying: "The Maritime Trade Office shall be divided into the Market Office and the Maritime Trade Office. The Market Office shall be divided into the Salt Department, Iron Department, Silk Department, Wine Department, and Grain Department, which shall be in charge of the prices of salt, iron, silk, and grain respectively. The Maritime Trade Office shall be divided into the Canal Transport Department and the Maritime Transport Department, which shall be in charge of canal transport and maritime transport respectively."

"The Maritime Trade Office shall be headed by one Maritime Trade Commissioner with a salary of 2,000 shi; under him shall be one Left Assistant to oversee the Maritime Trade Office and one Right Assistant to oversee the Maritime Trade Office, each with a salary of 1,000 shi; the Maritime Trade Office and the Maritime Trade Office shall each have one Chief Officer with a salary of 1,000 shi, and each of the other departments shall have one Principal Clerk with a salary of 600 shi."

Before Jia Xu could finish speaking, everyone in the hall was already turning their heads to look.

Without the emperor's authorization or prior consultation, Jia Xu might not have dared to propose the establishment of new government agencies at this imperial meeting.

At the opportune moment, Gao Wang led the eunuchs to distribute the "Detailed Explanation of the Maritime Trade Office Structure" that had been prepared in advance to each important official. Looking at this well-organized and clearly structured plan, it was clear that no one would believe that the emperor was unaware of it.

Although the Maritime Trade Office had a complete structure and few problems, its various powers had stripped away most of the original powers of the Ministry of Agriculture, and almost all the core powers related to commerce were handed over to the Maritime Trade Office. Salt, iron, silk, wine, and grain were the most important trade commodities in the Han Dynasty.

Jia Xu alone wouldn't dare to openly strip the Grand Minister of Agriculture of his power at this meeting; this must be the Emperor's will. This makes one subconsciously wonder when the Emperor actually began preparing for this.

This matter inevitably raises many questions: if the emperor reduces the power of the Grand Minister of Agriculture today, will he reduce the power of the other three dukes and nine ministers tomorrow?

Liu Bian took in everyone's expressions. This Maritime Trade Office was naturally not Jia Xu's idea, but as the emperor, there were many things that he could not personally take the lead in.

For example, right now, if Cao Song is unwilling to relinquish power and a strong dispute breaks out with the emperor, or even if things become very unpleasant, then there will be no room for reconciliation.

If Jia Xu were to make the suggestion, even if everyone knew that the emperor was the mastermind behind it all, it would at most mean that the emperor had been misled and deceived.

Even at its worst, it would only amount to "punishing Jia Xu and purging the court of corrupt officials," not "everyone has the right to kill a tyrant."

In fact, after receiving repeated memorials from the Grand Minister of Agriculture requesting the expansion of its subordinate officials, Liu Bian realized that the Grand Minister of Agriculture's power was too great, even though it had been weakened in the Later Han Dynasty, and the division of labor among the Grand Minister of Agriculture's officials was also unreasonable.

In addition to the Grand Minister of Agriculture himself, the Grand Minister of Agriculture's Office had one Assistant Grand Minister of Agriculture, who was responsible for assisting in the operation of the office. There were also 10 Assistant Ministers, who were in charge of processing and preserving statistical documents such as accounting books, calculation books, land books, and cattle books.

One official was appointed to oversee the collection of grain and money from the canal transported by the prefectures and kingdoms.
The Stabilization Order was primarily responsible for regulating prices and also oversaw the production of dyeing. However, since the Stabilization Granary and the Ever-Normal Granary had been abolished in previous years, the Stabilization Order was only responsible for production.

One official was appointed to oversee the pounding of imperial rice for dry rations.

Each order was issued under a chief minister and several subordinate officials.

It may not seem like it has much power, but in reality, the Grand Minister of Agriculture is responsible for collecting taxes, and all money, grain, gold and silk are produced by the Grand Minister of Agriculture. It is also responsible for allocating money and grain to support prefectures and kingdoms.

Just as procurement, sales, and finance cannot be managed by one person, the Grand Minister of Agriculture should be in charge of agriculture, and also oversee water conservancy projects and the distribution of national treasury funds and grain; that is the limit.

If there are too many, firstly, it will easily breed corruption, and secondly, it will lead to the excessively busy situation that the Ministry of Agriculture is currently experiencing.

"I think the proposal to establish a new Maritime Trade Office to operate the Ever-Normal Granary is excellent. Look at how Ju Gao Gong looks now." Liu Bian rose from his seat, slowly helped Cao Song up, and, holding Cao Song's hand, looked around at the ministers and said, "I also understand Ju Gao Gong's difficulties. In just two years, my body has become stronger day by day, but you can see that Ju Gao Gong is getting thinner and thinner. I see this and I am very worried."

This wasn't all just empty talk; Liu Bian was genuinely worried about Cao Song's health.

Liu Bian required that officials of the Imperial Medical Bureau with a salary of 2,000 shi or above undergo a physical examination every three months, while those with a salary of 1,000 shi or above undergo a physical examination every six months. Officials stationed outside the capital were required to undergo a physical examination every June by a physician dispatched by the Imperial Medical Bureau.

When Cao Song's second physical examination results came out in June of this year, the imperial physician confirmed that Cao Song had a weak pulse, which was a sign of insufficient heart blood and deficiency of both heart and spleen.

In addition, Cao Song's kidney qi was also somewhat deficient, but this was severely refuted by Cao Song, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, who even accused Zhang Ji of being a quack doctor.

Well... it wasn't until Zhang Ji offered to prescribe some medicine for Cao Song to address his kidney problems while also nourishing his heart, spleen, and liver that Cao Song hurriedly apologized to Zhang Ji, saying that he had been senile and had wrongly accused the renowned doctor.

However, Zhang Ji also told the emperor that Cao Song's health was good enough to continue working for another three to five years, but he might become ill from overwork, which could lead to complications of heart, spleen, and liver diseases, resulting in sudden death.

It wasn't just Cao Song; many high-ranking officials had health problems to varying degrees. This was partly due to the generally advanced age of these officials, but these issues also needed to be taken seriously.

In an era where people called themselves "old men" at the age of thirty, even aristocratic families and high-ranking officials were no exception. Thirty years old often meant that they had one foot in the grave, and very few could live past seventy.

The late Minister of Works Zhang Ji, who passed away last year, did not live to be sixty years old. Yang Ci and Liu Kuan, who passed away this year, both died at the age of sixty-six. Doesn't this illustrate the point?
According to the diagnoses of the imperial physicians, the biggest problem among officials in the court was excessive drinking.

The Han people are fond of drinking. In this era when breakfast is considered a main meal, they would often have a couple of drinks with their food early in the morning.

"It's not just Ju Gao Gong, but also the health problems of all of you. I've seen them all." Liu Bian suddenly changed the subject, pointing at Lu Zhi and glancing at his teacher with a serious expression. "Teacher Lu, I have already informed my grandmother and teacher's wife, ordering them to supervise your drinking in the mansion every day. Outside the mansion, there will be secret surveillance by the Embroidered-Robed Guards. If you drink more than the amount restricted by the Imperial Medical Bureau, you will be punished for deceiving the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with astonishment, and then glared at Liu Bian.

You brat, I'm forty-seven years old. What kind of nonsense is it for you to sue my parents?

To monitor my drinking, he even mobilized embroidered guards to keep watch, and even accused me of deceiving the emperor... Is this the kind of behavior a ruler would do?

As a filial son, Lu Zhi absolutely could not disobey his mother's request, otherwise he would become a highly unfilial and rebellious son, and his reputation would be ruined.

Faced with Lu Zhi's repeated, unspoken insults of "you brat," Liu Bian responded with a cold laugh, refusing to back down.

Who was it that secretly reported to his mother, Empress He, in Jizhou that he had his eye on a dancer?
Hey, I'm the kind of person who holds grudges and keeps all my grudges in my little notebook!
Seeing the teacher and student's tense yet subtly understanding "deep affection," everyone felt a mix of emotions and couldn't help but feel increasingly jealous.

It is said that the emperor felt at home when he entered the Grand Tutor's residence. Listen to how the emperor affectionately called Lu Zhi's mother "Grandmother". Obviously, the teacher-student relationship between the two was much deeper than the rumors outside.

"Lord Situ, I said Lu Shi didn't scold you, did I?"

Liu Yan, who was feeling jealous, had just taken a bite of the pastry he had brought to the palace from his sleeve to fill his stomach. He never expected that this fire would spread to him.

But the emperor disregarded all etiquette and came straight up to him, reaching into his wide sleeves and groping around. Liu Yan's heart tightened, and he knew something was wrong.

Liu Yan instinctively tried to dodge, but the emperor had already pulled out several pieces of pastry wrapped in silk from his sleeve.

These are all pastries sold by restaurants under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department. They are made with new sugar that is twice as sweet as before, and are deeply loved by the powerful and nobles.

Liu Yan had a sweet tooth. Although there was no way to test blood sugar in this era, and people didn't even know the concept of blood sugar, the Imperial Medical Bureau was still able to confirm that Liu Yan had consumed too much sweets.

Liu Bian immediately confiscated the pastries and had Gao Wang bring out savory snacks, placing a stack on the tables of all the important officials. Holding Liu Yan's hand, he reprimanded him with a hint of anger at his lack of ambition: "Minister of State, you, along with the Minister of the Imperial Clan and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, are pillars of the imperial clan! This empire cannot be built by me alone; we must rely on the assistance of you, our relatives. The younger generation of the imperial clan has not yet fully matured, and Marquis Zhaolie has passed away. We need you, our elders, to support us until they grow up. You elders should take care of yourselves and uphold the Han dynasty for me and for this empire. Yet you do not cherish your own health."

Suddenly feeling a surge of anger, Liu Yan realized he might be a bit shameless. Being publicly reprimanded by the emperor, he actually felt... kind of good.
The main reason is that the emperor cares so much about the health of his subjects. Since the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, when have we ever seen a monarch who cares so much about the health of his subjects?

It's hard to say how much of the visiting and personal care of medicine was just for show, but the fact that the emperor was watching their health before they fell ill and accurately pinpointed each person's health problems shows his genuine concern for his subjects.
The nation loves me; the nation is benevolent!

(4319 words)
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P.S.: There's one more chapter coming up!
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(End of this chapter)