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

Chapter 159 Counting Back
Dictatorship by divine will.

The Crown Prince of the Great Han Dynasty issued an order.

The officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family of both the Chinese and foreign dynasties remained silent.

This is the power of martial arts prowess.

A single torch in the southeast melted away the icebergs, dispelling the dark clouds that had shrouded the Han Dynasty for nearly a century. Amidst the changing winds and clouds, Liu Ju's young dragon-like power also underwent a transformation.

The ministers' vision gradually blurred. The emperor, who had completed the centralization of power and proven his wisdom and prowess, should now guide the future of the Han Dynasty.

Thinking of the growing "wind" in the court and among the people, many court officials were prepared.

As expected, Imperial Censor Zhang Tang stood in the center of the hall, and his bow caused countless civil and military officials to tremble.

However, some officials noticed that Zhang Tang, who was "launching the war" this time, did not have the same excitement as before, and instead gave people the feeling of being a wilted cucumber.

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present. Since Emperor Gaozu established the Han Dynasty, our dynasty's system has remained unchanged for decades. The system has been followed by Xiao He, Cao Cao, Chen Sui, Zhou Sui, and others. Emperor Wen of Han recommended virtuous, upright, and outspoken officials. Your Majesty recommends those who are filial and honest. Your Majesty should establish a new system to continue the legacy of our Han Dynasty. Therefore, I request that a new system be established for the selection of officials."

Zhang Tang held the memorial on the new regulations for the selection of officials above his head with both hands, as if he had lost all his means.

Compared to the previous version, the only difference is the addition of an "accountability system".

In other words, he ultimately failed to outmaneuver the old prime minister.

Upon returning to the Imperial Library that day, he summoned representatives from all schools of thought, hoping to regroup. However, the Daoists, Mohists, Agriculturalists, and even Legalists all had their eyes light up when they heard about the old prime minister's "accountability system."

Looking at Zhang Tang again, all I felt was disdain. How could a legal official not be as radical as a civil official?
Several hot-tempered "family members" pointed their fingers at Zhang Tang and asked him if he had treated them fairly.
The Legalist family members even pointed at Zhang Tang's chest and asked him if he had lived up to what he had learned.

Legal officials.

One must have a spirit of dedication.

Gongsun Yang is a prime example; dying under his own legal system is the ultimate sublimation of scholarship.

Zhang Tang wanted to explain to the various schools of thought that he was different from Wei Yang. During the reign of Duke Xiao of Qin, Wei Yang was a minister second only to the ruler, while he had not yet become the prime minister of the Han Dynasty.

He can die for his scholarship, but he should wait until he comes to power before he dies.

The representatives from all schools of thought ignored them and left the room.

Zhang Tang tasted the bitterness of being treated like trash and finally realized that the way of cruel officials was both his stepping stone to advancement and his burial ground.

But there's no going back.

Therefore, before being "held accountable and brought down," Zhang Tang wanted all his subjects to taste the bitterness of suffering.

"Accountability based on name," "law and arithmetic," "accounting books," "military merits," "special recruitment by the monarch," "professional official studies"... When they saw the content about "unlimited accountability," almost all the dukes, marquises, and royal ministers were chilled.

Ignoring the potential breach of etiquette before the emperor, he rubbed his eyes to confirm that what he saw was true. A large group of court officials stared intently at Zhang Tang's back.

This madman!

As a cruel official, he even unearthed the system of "Confucian tombs" and "tombs of cruel officials," and then brazenly displayed them before the emperor.

Did Zhang Tang really think that the wrongful convictions he handled could withstand a retrospective investigation?

The people in the main hall couldn't understand it; they just thought Zhang Tang had gone mad, completely mad.

Sober courtiers tried to find loopholes in the system, but to no avail. The “probationary official system,” “performance system,” “military merit system,” “recruitment system and memorial system,” and the “indefinite accountability system,” which posed the greatest threat to all officials, were all created by Chancellor Gongsun Hong, Imperial Censor Zhang Tang, and various schools of thought. Even if they had decades more, they would not have been able to find any loopholes in the system.

The dukes, marquises, and members of the royal family were in despair. Although they knew that the emperor would implement new systems and change the court under the banner of military prowess and virtue, they never expected that the emperor would target their very roots. In a daze, they seemed to see the court decaying and officials facing death.

The Han Dynasty has entered a period of counterattack and reckoning.

"What do you all think?"

Before Liu Ju could finish speaking, Gongsun Hong chimed in, "This system is excellent!"

Seeing the emperor and his ministers openly echoing each other, the faces of the civil and military officials of both dynasties turned red, then green, and finally black.

When Your Majesty was in power, you often bypassed the court and issued edicts directly, treating the officials of the two dynasties as if they were not human.

When the ruler took power, there were indeed actions to "seek opinions," but that was all; they weren't treated as human beings, and not many were.

"We, your humble servants, second the proposal regarding the establishment of the Imperial Censorate."

The arm can't twist the thigh. The dukes, marquises, and royal ministers all saw through it. They had no power to resist. Rather than continuing the meaningless struggle, it was better to adjourn the court and go back to deal with the "tails" of the past.

"We, your humble servants, second the proposal regarding the establishment of the Imperial Censorate!"

"We, your humble servants, second the proposal regarding the establishment of the Imperial Censorate!"

The three voices of agreement grew louder and louder, gaining the approval of all the court officials.

Sima Tan, the Grand Historian standing beside the palace, tirelessly recorded the scene of the Han emperor and his ministers united as one.

"Therefore, from this day forward, our dynasty shall proceed in accordance with the new system. All matters concerning the system shall be copied and distributed to all prefectures and counties, and to all the vassal states and marquises. No official in the world shall be negligent in the slightest."

Under government order.

The court officials shared Zhang Tang's sentiment: the emperor's will was like a mountain collapsing, and no means could stop it.

However, Gongsun Hong clearly had no intention of letting them off so easily. His voice rang in everyone's ears: "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present. The wealth of a nation lies in the prosperity of its people, and the wealth of the people lies in their virtue, wisdom, and physical well-being. I, in my ignorance, have pondered this for a long time without success. Therefore, I request Your Majesty to reveal the way to enrich the nation and its people. Your Majesty said: 'First, seek truth from facts; second, put the people first; third, store wealth among the people.' I believe this to be the ultimate truth. If only I know it, it will not lead to wealth. Therefore, I request Your Majesty to reveal it so that all subjects of the realm may know it. In this way, I believe it will be a great blessing for all the people! A great blessing for the nation! A great blessing for the Han Dynasty!"

It was clearly a golden voice, but the officials felt that Gongsun Hong's voice was fading into the distance. The empire had a governing program, but they, as dukes, marquises, and members of the imperial family, didn't even know when it had been established.

Your Majesty and the Prime Minister, you two are really bullying us.

"These profound truths should be known to all subjects of the world!"

It was Zhang Tang's turn to sing in response.

The civil and military officials, their spirits completely extinguished, echoed the emperor's praises, saying, "These words of profound truth should be known to all subjects of the world!"

Being an official from now on won't be easy.

If everything is recorded and any mistakes or omissions are investigated indefinitely, how can an official be a good person?

Suddenly, I thought of His Majesty, the one who treated everyone equally, drawing blood from them with a knife. It was so much more satisfying than having a ruler cut flesh with a dull knife.

"Since that is the case, and there is a popular demand from below, there is no reason not to grant it from above. These three words, twelve characters in total, are copied down from all the prefectures and counties, the states of the vassal states, and the states of the marquises, so that the subjects may know them."

The government issued another order.

Tears welled up in the eyes of officials from both dynasties.

Seeing this, Sima Tan paused slightly before quickly writing, "In the early summer of the second year of Yuan Shou, the Crown Prince issued decrees, governing the country, its systems, its officials, and its people. In the Xuan Shi Hall, the court officials on both sides were moved to tears..."

(End of this chapter)