Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 239 He's an honest man and doesn't talk much.

Shi Shouxin left, arriving quietly and leaving without a trace.

He left Luoyang late at night and traveled unimpeded to Mengjin Ferry. Before the Grand Canal froze, he traveled along the Ji River to Licheng, and then from Licheng, he traveled by land to Linzi.

The journey has been incredibly smooth, as if blessed by divine intervention.

When he arrived in Linzi, an urgent messenger sent by the imperial court arrived first and delivered Shi Shouxin's appointment letter to the governor's office.

The governor of Qingzhou remained the same, but was additionally granted the title of General Who Conquers the East and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Qingzhou and Xuzhou. The governor's office was directly changed to the Commander-in-Chief's Office, which greatly increased his power, needless to say.

With the positions of Military Governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou and General Who Conquers the East, Shi Shouxin could extend his reach into Xuzhou and find ways to cause trouble for the numerous powerful and influential families there.

It's not simply a matter of increased power.

If anyone disobeys, the Governor's Office will issue a military order to suppress bandits across the border.

Of course, this is just a title; it needs to be backed by substantial strength. Without strength, it's just a trivial order, utterly useless.

In any case, with the title of Grand Commander, Shi Shouxin could roll up his sleeves and get things done in Qingzhou.

Upon returning to Qingzhou, he immediately oversaw the construction of the Qi King's Palace and recruited soldiers locally, demonstrating his ambitious plans.

Shi Shouxin left Luoyang easily, without worrying about anything afterward, since he was just a local official.

But as the new emperor, Sima Yan couldn't simply disappear. He had to take responsibility for all the aftermath; after all, he was the emperor.
The coronation ceremony of the new emperor proceeded smoothly and uneventfully, albeit in a simple and unremarkable manner, yet carried out in an orderly fashion.

The enthronement edict, which had been read aloud that day, was slightly modified and read aloud again by Zheng Chong. This was followed by the ritualistic offerings to Heaven and the Imperial Ancestral Temple, exactly as had been performed when Sima Zhao ascended the throne.

Everything was just a routine affair; the food and drinks on the table were all fake, making the guests feel like they were chewing wax.

It was even a little disgusting.

There was no mutiny, and no ministers stood up to cause trouble. Everyone calmly accepted the crown prince's ascension to the throne, just as Shi Shouxin had predicted.

Every successful change of the throne was actually a close call with no real danger, just without bloodshed.

Early the next morning after the coronation ceremony, Jia Chong was summoned to the palace by an imperial edict sent by Sima Yan.

He then went with Sima Yan to the cellar and saw Sima Zhao, who was "well preserved".

The moment Jia Chong saw Sima Zhao's corpse, he understood everything. He had figured out everything that had happened since the last banquet.

Unfortunately, he failed to foresee the situation in advance. One step behind leads to another, and now it's too late to do anything.

As a result, we suffered significant losses and missed the opportunity to plan ahead.

We can only settle for the next best thing.

Jia Chong was not fighting alone; he had various "friends" behind him, cheering him on and encouraging him.

"The late emperor passed away so suddenly, alas!"

Jia Chong shook his head and sighed; the sadness on his face was all an act.

"Minister Jia, come with me."

Sima Yan didn't stand on ceremony any longer and nodded to Jia Chong. "That was merely the beginning; what follows is what we need to discuss properly."

The two returned to the imperial study and sat down. Sima Yan did not stand on ceremony and had a eunuch bring up a pot of wine, and they drank and chatted.

Sima Yan looked at Jia Chong, this "highly respected" old minister, and secretly became wary.

When he ascended the throne, while everyone hesitated, it was Jia Chong who was the first to stand up and shout "Long live the Emperor!" three times, which allowed the court meeting to continue.

Old Deng's political acumen is unparalleled.

"What brings Your Majesty to summon me?"

Jia Chong feigned ignorance and asked. Upon hearing this, Sima Yan felt a chill in his heart and cursed Jia Chong for his shamelessness.

The successful ascension of a new emperor only proves that the court officials accept him as the Son of Heaven. But that doesn't mean these veteran officials will willingly serve the emperor!

Otherwise, how could there be a saying like "a new emperor, a new court"?
If the old ministers were truly obedient, how could they have been collectively purged?
Sima Yan's successful ascension to the throne was not the end of the story; he still had to deal with old ministers like Jia Chong, who had served his father in the past.

Either successfully persuade them to serve, or kick them out of the court and go home to be with your grandchildren!

"Ugh!"

Sima Yan sighed deeply and looked at Jia Chong, saying:

"Minister Jia, to tell you the truth, I had hoped that the late Emperor would live to be a hundred years old, so that I could just be the Crown Prince in peace."

I didn't think about too many things.

But who would have thought that the late emperor would pass away so suddenly!
"I am not ready to be the emperor!"

Sima Yan's face showed a mixture of sorrow and sincerity, and Jia Chong nodded in empathy.

Although he disagreed with it, he didn't point it out.

And no matter what happens in the future, he will never comment on Sima Yan's pretentious performance.

"So, Your Majesty summoned me here today to ask..."

Jia Chong interrupted Sima Yan's emotional appeal and steered the conversation to the main topic.

Sima Yan also put away his emotions and sorrow, sat up straight, and said solemnly, "I have suddenly ascended the throne and do not know how to govern the country. There are still many things I need to ask Minister Jia for advice."

"Your Majesty, please ask. Your humble servant will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Jia Chong bowed to Sima Yan and spoke with a calm smile on his face.

Although Sima Yan only invited Jia Chong to the Imperial Study today to inquire about the matter, the question he just asked had been brewing in his mind for a long time.

"The country has been at peace for a long time, but many problems have accumulated."

I have serious doubts about whether this Nine-Rank System is feasible.

With a new dynasty comes a new atmosphere; I wonder if the structure of the government should be adjusted.

Shouldn't the system for selecting talent be adjusted?

Please, Grand Commandant Jia, enlighten me.

Sima Yan humbly sought advice, his expression appearing very sincere.

Hearing this, Jia Chong understood.

He smiled and said:
"Now the central government has three dukes (Grand Commandant, Minister of Works, and Minister of Agriculture), as well as the Secretariat and the Central Secretariat, to strengthen the emperor's power."

This structure is superior to the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system of the Han Dynasty. In my humble opinion, there is nothing wrong with it, and it can be followed.

As for the Nine-Rank System, it has promoted many talents for the country. It can be slightly modified by adding an assessment of filial piety, without major changes.

However, the laws since the Han Dynasty are too harsh. I suggest simplifying the legal provisions and reducing punishments, so that filial piety can be combined with the law.

This shows that the law is not separate from human feelings.

Jia Chong spoke at length about three points, which made Sima Yan frown slightly.

The first point is that changing the configuration of government offices is not an option, as there are too many political interests involved.

This change is not a big deal; many of his former students and officials will have to pack up and go home to wait for the selection of officials.

Is this okay?

The second point is even more unchangeable. The core of the Nine-Rank System is that local officials would assess talents into nine ranks—superior, middle, and inferior—based on family background, ability, and virtue, which would then serve as the basis for the court's appointment of officials.

In other words, once a person's rank is determined, their official career path is basically over.

The classic saying goes, "You can tell what a child will be like at three and what they will be like in old age at seven."

So, how did the officials in charge of official positions determine the ranks? This cannot be discussed in detail; it is the core secret of promotion in officialdom.

If this system were changed, and a decree were issued today, the Great Jin Dynasty would be overrun with bandits within a month. This is something that absolutely cannot be changed.

The only thing that could be addressed was the revision of the third law. Of course, the revision was also for the benefit of the powerful and wealthy families.

Since the punishment is reduced and filial piety is included as an assessment, it means that powerful and influential families will have even more freedom of action in the future! As long as one is filial, serious crimes can be reduced to minor ones, and minor crimes can be eliminated altogether.

As long as someone is filial, it doesn't matter if they commit murder or arson!

Although I have committed murder, arson, and other heinous crimes, I am a good person because I am filial to my parents.

This is true filial piety that breeds strength!

Sima Yan, having previously been the heir apparent and crown prince, would naturally not have thought there was anything wrong with Jia Chong's opinion.

But now that he is the emperor, the more he hears what Jia Chong says, the more uneasy he feels.

If the ministers and powerful families are so arrogant and given so many privileges, won't they be able to sit on equal footing with the emperor in the future?
Sima Yan pondered for a moment, then questioned with displeasure, "If what Minister Jia said is true, then wouldn't those powerful families be lawless and disregard even me?"

"Well... I don't know what to do. I am old and my eyesight is failing."

Your Majesty needs someone capable of handling these matters; this humble subject is unable to do so.

However, hastily changing the system could plunge the empire into chaos; Your Majesty should consider this carefully.”

Jia Chong slowly bowed to Sima Yan, his attitude humble, but his arrogance was obvious.

Sima Yan might be able to seize the opportunity when everyone is not paying attention, suddenly ascend the throne and take that position.

However, governing the country is not something that can be done in a day or two. It is not something that can be done at will by exploiting loopholes to become emperor.

To govern the country, an emperor needs talented people. And in those days, most talented people came from powerful and wealthy families.

If powerful and wealthy families are not given sufficient benefits, then these talented individuals will not serve the emperor wholeheartedly.

What else could Sima Yan do? Jia Chong had already made his point very clear.

If he doesn't step forward to take the lead, then Sima Yan's throne will be unstable! At least that's the case now!

Even without Jia Chong, there would still be Zhang Chong or Li Chong; it would be the same thing to change the person.

What Jia Chong proposed was also the bottom line of powerful families: the government structure should not be changed, the talent selection system should not be changed, and filial piety should be incorporated into the law to make it easier for them to get away with their crimes in the future.

As for land annexation and such in those areas, since the government structure and talent selection process remain unchanged, then everything will continue as before. Sima Yan doesn't have three heads and six arms; what tricks can he possibly pull?
The emperor's will needs to be conveyed from top to bottom through imperial edicts.

How imperial edicts were carried out depended on the structure of the bureaucracy, as well as the competence and personal inclinations of the officials within it. The emperor himself could not directly carry out the orders.

It's like an emperor wanting to distribute seeds to farmers; would he personally go door-to-door to distribute them? That's impossible, and inefficient.

After he issued the imperial decree to distribute the seeds, whether these seeds would actually reach the farmers was a big question mark.

The three conditions proposed by Jia Chong may seem modest, but in reality, they have already determined the fate of the new dynasty.

"What Minister Jia just said is a mature and prudent approach. I need to consider it carefully."

Sima Yan said in a deep voice.

Jia Chong bowed to him and said, "Your Majesty, please take your time to consider this. There is no need to rush. I will take my leave now."

Sima Yan quickly got up and saw Jia Chong out of the imperial study.

When he returned, a feeling of dejection and helplessness welled up inside him.

Are Jia Chong's words merely his personal opinion?
Perhaps some do, but he's definitely not the only one who thinks this way. In fact, the entire court of officials probably thinks the same way.

It's just that some people don't have the chance to speak, some don't dare to speak, and some find it inconvenient to speak.

The saying "a sedan chair is carried by people" and "officials protect each other" illustrates this principle.

To some extent, the emperor and these bureaucrats were in an adversarial position.

On the one hand, you have to get these people to work for you, and on the other hand, you have to feed them from time to time, keeping them half-full.

The appropriate measure is difficult to grasp.

Although Jia Chong had no intention of threatening Sima Yan, the underlying threat in his suggestions was not hard to discern. If Sima Yan did not govern according to those three suggestions, the situation in the court and the country would never be peaceful, and the new policies would absolutely not be able to be implemented at the local level!

What are some ways to change this situation?

Sima Yan sat alone on the dragon throne in the imperial study, pondering. Slowly, a highly feasible idea emerged in his mind.

Since outsiders are so unreliable, only willing to serve when given high positions and generous salaries, then there shouldn't be any problem in promoting our own people, right?

For example, we could promote members of the imperial family and create a system of checks and balances between them and the court officials. Wouldn't that solve the problem?

The more he thought about it, the more amazing it seemed.

……

Qingzhou, inside the Governor's Mansion in Linzi City.

Shi Shouxin was discussing some troublesome matters with his advisor Li Liang in the study.

What Li Liang was holding was a thick stack of visiting cards.

"The powerful families of Xuzhou have come here after smelling the scent."

Shi Shouxin sneered, placing one hand on the table and tapping his fingers lightly.

Not long after he was appointed as the military governor of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, many prominent families from Xuzhou sent him visiting cards, wanting to come to Qingzhou to meet with Shi Shouxin in person.

What were they talking about? Of course, it was about sending family members to serve as staff in the governor's mansion!
If you don't even have this much political sensitivity, then you might as well not bother working here.

Qingzhou really doesn't have any prominent aristocratic families. Perhaps there were some in the past, but many of them have degenerated into nouveau riche.

However, the situation in Xuzhou is different. Xuzhou is a core prefecture in the Central Plains, a place rich in outstanding people and resources.

The power of prominent and wealthy families should not be underestimated.

For example, the six families of Langya Commandery—Wang, Yan, Zhuge, Hui, Chang, and Fu—are all formidable forces.

In addition, many other branches of the Liu family also live and multiply in this prefecture.

Compared to Qingzhou, where the ponds are shallow and turtles abound, the families in Xuzhou have a much deeper and more established history.

The stack of visiting cards in Li Liang's hand is proof of this.

Their information channels were more advanced than those of the prominent families in Qingzhou, and they also knew that Shi Shouxin was an extraordinary person.

Although Shi Shouxin's governor's office was located in Linzi, Qingzhou, his influence had already extended to Xuzhou, which was noticed by the local powerful families in Xuzhou.

It's better to guide than to block. Since the Governor-General's Office has already been established, it's better to send talented people to the Governor-General's Office than to let them be put on a waiting list.

Whether it's avoiding disaster or giving advance warning, there will be a way to go.

It can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

"My lord, are you really not going to meet with these people?"

Li Liang asked hesitantly.

"Well, you should write letters to them, one by one, saying that I am too busy with official duties to spare time while building the palace for the King of Qi."

Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll head south to Xuzhou and pay you a personal visit."

Shi Shouxin waved his hand gently.

Upon hearing this, Li Liang was taken aback, feeling that Shi Shouxin's attitude had shifted from arrogance to obsequiousness, which was rather humble.

“My lord, you refused them first, but then came to visit us again. It seems that this will give these people the illusion that we can’t do anything to them.”

Li Liang cautiously suggested that he would definitely not recommend that Shi Shouxin visit Xuzhou in the future.

People live for their reputation. These local tyrants, under the shadow of the Grand Commander's aura, even dragons have to coil up before Shi Shouxin, and tigers have to lie down before him!

"No, no, no, you misunderstood."

Shi Shouxin smiled slightly and then continued, "I mean I will bring troops to pay a visit."

(End of this chapter)