A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 154 Linchen
The palace is adorned with cassia and orchid, its beams and pillars adorned with carved wood and painted rafter

Without riding in a sedan chair or accompanied by any attendants, Liu Ju and Gongsun Hong walked along the road from Cangchi near the West Garden Forbidden Wall towards the distant Qilin Pavilion, led by Jiang Bo.

Originally a place for the collection of royal books, Liu Ju ordered painters to paint portraits of fifteen people, including Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and Gongsun Hong, to be hung in the pavilion in order to honor the meritorious officials who assisted the Crown Prince. This created the "Qilin Hall".

Or you could say "Qilin Pavilion" or "Lin Pavilion".

All fifteen meritorious officials are still alive today. Below their portraits, only their full names are listed, without their official titles or ranks.

As the only civil official in the Ling Pavilion, Gongsun Hong gazed at the young figure in the painting and was momentarily lost in thought.

Was I ever that naive back then?

"Does it resemble the old prime minister?"

Liu Ju's question made Gongsun Hong nod, then shake his head, and laugh, "The painter's skills are superb."

"Old Prime Minister, I thank you, and the Han Dynasty thanks you too," Liu Ju said from the bottom of his heart.

Without Gongsun Hong, the Han Dynasty would not have been able to break the monopoly of meritorious officials over the Three Dukes; without Gongsun Hong, the Emperor would have long since subdued the Chancellor into a puppet; and without Gongsun Hong, the Chang'an Incident would not have gone so smoothly.

For the sake of the Han Dynasty, the imperial court, and the Crown Prince's palace, Gongsun Hong even sacrificed one of his sons, demonstrating utmost loyalty and sincerity.

In his old age, he reshaped the "spirit" of the Han Dynasty, abandoning his learning and stance, all for the sake of the empire's future going further.

He is truly a "Lin Chen" (a high-ranking official).

“I was originally a commoner, making a living by herding pigs on the East Sea. To tell you the truth, when I was young, I never dared to hope to become famous among the feudal lords. I was content just to survive in that world.”

Gongsun Hong recalled the past, his cloudy eyes glistening with tears. "I am of humble status and have limited knowledge. The only things I can offer are the Book of Poetry and the Book of History. But Emperor Xiaowen did not take it seriously and invited me to serve as a scholar along with Jia Yi. This can be described as unconventional."

Emperor Xiaowen consulted me on important matters of state, and I spared no effort in trying to understand them, but alas, my wisdom was ultimately insufficient, and my efforts were of no benefit to the affairs of the state or to the world.

I was once depressed, but Emperor Xiaowen enlightened me, and I picked up books again when I was over forty years old. I began to study miscellaneous sayings of the Spring and Autumn Annals and eventually chose to study the Gongyang Commentary.

He once studied under Hu Wusheng of Qi, intending to find some solace and while away the rest of his life in his later years.

Unfortunately, the lives of virtuous men are short, while those of petty men are long. I lived to be sixty or seventy, and was able to be recommended by the prefectures and kingdoms again and again, and was able to return to the hall of fame as a 'virtuous and capable' official.

My journey has been filled with trials and tribulations, but it has all been due to the times, fate, and destiny.

There were few words of praise, but many words of criticism. An elder criticized and admonished the minister, saying, "You must serve the ruler with the demeanor of a Confucian scholar and not distort your knowledge to please the world."

But in my opinion, learning is learning; understanding principles and knowing etiquette is enough to live up to the legacy of the sages.

In my opinion, anything more would go against the original intention of the sages.

"Your Majesty's acceptance of my proposal, and your consideration of not equating the innovation of culture and education with lofty moral standards with 'civil governance,' is truly a sign of Your Majesty's benevolence and forgiveness."

To demonstrate their civil administration capabilities, monarchs often seek out talented individuals in literature, elevate the level of scholarship to an extreme, and sing praises of humanity to prove that their rule is brilliant.

Your Majesty is indeed like that, surrounded by a large number of scholars, such as Dong Zhongshu, Dongfang Shuo, Zhao Wan, and Wang Zang. Even Sima Xiangru was once among them. His works, such as "Zixu Fu" and "Shanglin Fu", all testify to the brilliance of the literary achievements of this era.

It allows future generations to see the refined elegance of today.

Forget the countless bones of the common people beneath your feet.

Therefore, the fact that a ruler could recognize the power of simple words to win the hearts of the people as a manifestation of the great Han dynasty's civil administration is unprecedented throughout history.

Liu Ju shook his head, invited Gongsun Hong to sit on the stone bench, and said frankly, "I originally thought that the old prime minister's debate would lead to a shift from 'conquering the world' to 'defending the world'."

A timely transformation to consolidate existing interests might be more in line with people's wishes.

The territory that the Han Dynasty is expanding or about to expand is now vastly different from that of the early Han Dynasty. Learning from the lessons of his father's aggressive military campaigns, Liu Ju received numerous memorials advising him to "rule the world" after moving into Weiyang Palace.

If one can see something desirable, one should reflect on what is sufficient and restrain oneself—contentment.

Those who act should know when to stop in order to bring peace to others—knowing when to stop.

When facing high risks, one should think of humility and self-discipline.

Fearing overflow, one should think of rivers and seas receiving all streams—tolerance.

Enjoying the game while thinking about three-wheeled driving as a limit – with moderation

Worried about laziness, one should think of being cautious from the beginning to the end. Concerned about being obstructed, one should think of being open-minded and receptive to advice.

If you are tempted by slander and evil, then you should think about rectifying yourself to eliminate evil—rectify yourself to eliminate evil.

When favors are bestowed, one should not be overly pleased or give undeserved rewards.

When imposing punishments, one should consider that there is no reason to be angry and to abuse the law—do not act indiscriminately.

He advised Liu Ju to be content with what he wanted and to know when to stop in order to bring peace to the people; to be humble and self-disciplined when in a high position; to be open-minded and inclusive when worried about complacency; to be cautious and thorough when enjoying hunting; to be careful from beginning to end when fearing laziness; to be humble and respectful when not wanting to be deceived; to be upright and avoid evil when avoiding temptation; to be mindful not to give undue rewards out of joy when bestowing favors; and to avoid excessive punishment out of anger when administering punishments.

It seems there are no problems.

However, this should be considered in conjunction with the timing of the imperial edicts being submitted to the palace, as they were mostly issued when new policies were promulgated or when a major campaign was about to begin.

The thing they wanted was received shortly after the Chang'an Incident. It was meant to say that Liu Ju had already obtained imperial power and should not pressure his father for more power.

The intention was to say that when Liu Ju announced that the champion Hou Chunzheng would continue, he should not, like His Majesty, launch a large-scale war in pursuit of military achievements and virtues.

His high position and great power were meant to be a reminder that when the witchcraft case at Weiyang Palace broke out and Zhang Tang implicated many people, he was advising Liu Ju to stop.

Fearing complacency, the former Imperial Censor Mei Gao advised Liu Ju, upon his death, to have compassion for ministers and officials with differing political views, to keep them by his side, and to listen to their advice and suggestions.

Liu Ju's fondness for hunting stemmed from the death of King Zhao Mo of Nanyue. The court dispatched two thousand armored soldiers to protect him and sent Lu Bode, the Commandant of the Strong Crossbows, to lead a large army to Guilin County. Although many nobles, marquises, and members of the imperial clan did not know the details of the southern campaign plan, they regarded Nanyue as a hunting ground and believed that the Han court and Liu Ju did not need to pay so much attention to it, and that they could "hunt" in moderation.

……

The above ten points are both advice and reflection. A wise ruler should choose the virtuous and appoint them to office, and follow the good and follow their lead.

Then, under heaven, the wise will offer their talents, the brave will exert their strength, the benevolent will spread their blessings, the trustworthy will dedicate their loyalty, and the civil and military officials will fulfill their duties. With peace between ruler and subject, the world will be at peace, and people will enjoy the pleasures of leisure. They will live as long as the immortals Chisongzi and Wang Ziqiao, playing the zither and reciting poetry, governing by doing nothing. The world will be well-governed. Why bother to rack your brains and do the daily tasks that ministers should do, tiring the wise ears and eyes of the ruler, and also damaging the great way of governing by doing nothing?

In Liu Ju's view, this was a case of officials from both the Chinese and foreign dynasties wanting to "shirk their responsibilities."

During the reigns of Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaojing, the affairs of high-ranking officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family were extremely few. However, since the father emperor ascended the throne, the court suddenly became very busy. Seeing the father emperor lose power and the new emperor take the throne, the officials were eager to return to the "golden age".

Take a break.

Gongsun Hong knew about those memorials and could sense the emperor's dissatisfaction. He sighed and said, "Your Majesty, there is no such thing as 'defending the world' under heaven. Before the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gao led his troops in one thrilling life-or-death battle after another, fighting desperately on the battlefield with flashing swords to establish our Han Dynasty. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, our dynasty was threatened by foreign tribes from the outside and treacherous people from within. The visible flashing swords were less, but the unseen thrills were more numerous. It is said that we are 'defending the world', but which of the emperors of our Han Dynasty was not a tough man who went through fire and water? Emperor Xiaowen was an iron-willed man who broke out of the outer prefectures. Our Han Dynasty is where it is today entirely because of the pioneering spirit and hatred of evil of our predecessors. How dare I go against the virtues of our ancestors?"

What offense? What defense?
Offense is the best defense.

Which of the following groups were easy to get along with: the Xiongnu, the Nanyue, the founding heroes of the Han Dynasty, the imperial family, and the maternal relatives?

If the late emperors hadn't attacked and had only known how to defend, the Han Dynasty might have perished long ago.

Danger exists in times of crisis, and danger exists in times of peace. One cannot hold onto the world by simply guarding; even temporary forbearance is merely a way to accumulate strength.

Therefore, in Gongsun Hong's mind, there was never any concept of "protecting the world".

Liu Ju looked at the old prime minister, whose hair and beard were completely white, who was old and frail, and who even had to breathe heavily when he spoke for a long time. He suddenly paused for a moment, and then said after a long time, "After the old prime minister, who can be prime minister?"

"I do not know," Gongsun Hong replied.

"Does the old prime minister truly not know, or is this an excuse, perhaps a test from me?"

"Your Majesty, I truly do not know."

Gongsun Hong's eyes remained unblinking as he solemnly said, "People often say, 'Poverty reveals a good wife, and chaos reveals a good prime minister.' During Your Majesty's reign, the country gradually descended into chaos, and thus 'heroes emerged in great numbers.' But whether they are true heroes or heroes created by the times, I am too old and my eyes are too dim to tell."

Liu Ju nodded and then asked, "In the old prime minister's mind, what kind of person should a prime minister of the Han Dynasty look like?"

Gongsun Hong pondered for a moment, “Your Majesty, if you are to choose a new prime minister, look at the people he is close to in his daily life, the people he associates with when he is rich and powerful, the people he recommends when he is prominent, the people he does not do when he is poor, and the people he does not take when he is poor and lowly. Just these five criteria. If he is not a great sage, he is a great thief. Your Majesty has sharp eyes. Use the sage and kill the thief.”

Liu Ju pondered for a moment, then looked at the sincere old prime minister, "Old Prime Minister, are you trying to exclude Zhang Tang from the Prime Minister's residence with these words?"

None of these five criteria apply to Zhang Tang, Gongsun Hong's former protégé. This is not Zhang Tang's problem, but the problem of cruel officials.

Cruel officials who blindly follow their superiors and are ruthless are almost universally disgraceful; how could they possibly possess any virtuous character worthy of praise?

“Zhang Tang is a man who does things without considering the pros and cons, and is too concerned with gains and losses. If he were to become the prime minister, serving as a role model for countless people to emulate and advance their own careers, it would be a catastrophe for our great Han Dynasty. Although he is an old friend of mine, I cannot speak well of him. It is not that I am heartless, but that I am unrighteous. I only hope that he can die a peaceful death,” Gongsun Hong sighed.

Liu Ju thought of the prophecy that Mei Gao's death had given to Zhang Tang, and suddenly understood.

(End of this chapter)