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

Chapter 173 Counterattack
On a midsummer night, the sky was clear and blue, and the Milky Way was brilliant.

The officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family from both the central and foreign dynasties would enter the palace to pay their respects in the middle of the night, as the cool breeze blew.

His Majesty's edict of self-reproach has arrived in the capital.

In the Xuanshi Palace.

Four palace lanterns shone brightly as officials from both dynasties gazed at the "Nanyang Edict of Self-Reproach" unfurled before them on the steps.

The edict can be roughly divided into three parts. The first part reflects on the continuous wars against foreign powers over the past ten years. Although the Han army has won against various countries and tribes, large and small, countless soldiers have also died due to war and famine.

The second part examines the problems of excessive taxation and arbitrary rule, which led to instability in the court and subsequent widespread suffering among the people.

The third part clearly states that the construction of the four palaces in Chang'an City—Zhang Palace, Gui Palace, Bei Palace, and Mingguang Palace—must be stopped, and proposes that the current focus of governance should be "to stop unauthorized taxes, to focus on agriculture, to repair horses and restore the imperial edict to fill vacancies, and to ensure that military preparedness is not lacking."

Your Majesty has learned your lesson.

The civil and military officials all had different expressions.

Behind this seemingly sincere edict of self-reproach lies a cunning scheme.

On the surface, His Majesty appears to have softened his stance, repenting for his mistakes during his reign and attempting to make amends, which evokes sympathy and compassion in others.

But this is not the case.

Under the rule of the wise ruler, the Han Dynasty recovered Nanyue and the southwestern barbarians, and its military achievements and virtues were significantly enhanced.

His Majesty then expressed regret for the "continuous foreign wars" and mourned the fallen soldiers, which could easily incite people to oppose the continuation of the war.

Whether the continuation of the war stemmed from the monarch's personal desire for military prowess or from strategic considerations of the Han Empire, certain well-meaning, foolish, and scheming individuals would seize the opportunity to oppose foreign wars.

His Majesty's regret came at just the right time.

He served in power for two decades without showing the slightest remorse, yet after only a few months of his southern tour, he was filled with regret.

Is it because they don't want the emperor's martial arts skills and virtues to increase?

Cease all wars with foreign powers.

Cease the reign of the supreme ruler, and halt his martial prowess and virtuous deeds.

If you can't have it, destroy it.

The problems of excessive taxation and tyranny have long been resolved by the Supreme Ruler. All the exorbitant taxes and levies in the country have been stopped by the Supreme Ruler's decrees. The treacherous ministers, sycophants, and favorites whom Your Majesty trusted in the court have been imprisoned, executed, imprisoned, punished, or dismissed from office. However, Your Majesty's "self-reproach" remains only on the edict.

The text makes no mention of the harm caused to the court and the people by the implementation of cruel official politics; it only names the "treacherous officials"—Prime Minister Gongsun Hong, Imperial Censor Zhang Tang, Minister of Grain Yan Yi, and Minister of the Imperial Treasury Zhao Yu… all of whom were promoted during His Majesty's reign and are now deeply trusted by the Emperor.

Is this a list of treacherous officials or a list of national pillars?
The edict detailed the improper and illegal acts committed by Gongsun Hong, Zhang Tang, and others in their past attempts to advance their careers.

Your Majesty, have you been deceived?

As for the cessation of construction on the four palaces in Jianzhang Palace, is that something the emperor, who is on a southern tour, can decide?
After the Emperor entered Chang'an, construction on the four palaces ceased. Moreover, he utilized the locations and materials already prepared for the palaces to build luxurious residences on those sites, which were soon to be completed. According to rumors circulating in the Prime Minister's residence, some of these residences would be allocated free of charge to officials of both the central and foreign courts, as well as to officials in the capital. These officials only had the right to reside in the residences, not the right to buy or sell them. Upon their death or relocation, the residences would be reclaimed or redistributed. During their stay, officials could adjust the layout and style of the residences according to their own preferences.

Despite this, it excited officials from both dynasties. It was true that most of the Han dynasty officials and capital officials came from wealthy families, but residences in Chang'an were extremely expensive and could not be bought with money alone.

Before this, there were only two kinds of people who could live in Chang'an: the emperor and nobles.

The emperor lived in Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace, nobles lived in Qili Palace, and other people and their residences were just passing through or inns.

They were indeed officials in exile, and their residences would change due to demotion or dismissal. But even for a moment, for many, living in the capital was enough to make their lives worthwhile.

It should be noted that, apart from Jianzhang Palace, Gui Palace, Bei Palace, and Mingguang Palace are all located north of Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace, separated by only one street!

Most of the residences will be sold to the public. Yes, according to the news circulating in the Prime Minister's office, a new decree to relocate local powerful families is about to be implemented.

However, unlike the previous decree to relocate imperial tombs, which forced local powerful families to move to the vicinity of the tombs of the previous emperors and the current emperor, this relocation decree will give aristocratic families, powerful families, and the extremely wealthy another option: to settle in Chang'an.

The imperial court would normally provide appropriate "settlement allowances" to families that migrated. For example, in the second year of Yuanshuo, His Majesty issued an order to relocate to Maoling, which allowed heroes from prefectures and kingdoms and those with assets of more than three million coins to settle in Maoling. The imperial court would then provide an additional two hundred thousand coins for settlement.

This time, the content of the relocation order to Maoling will continue, but the relocation standard will be reduced from three million coins to one million coins.

Those who wish to settle in Maoling or other former emperors' mausoleums will receive a subsidy of 200,000 coins from the court. If they wish to live in Chang'an, the court will provide a limit of 300,000 coins to purchase a residence in Chang'an. After deducting the limit, the heroes from the counties and kingdoms who migrate to the capital only need to pay the remaining amount to obtain a luxurious mansion in Chang'an.

If all are taken together, the perimeter of the four palaces of Jianzhang is over forty li, and there are about 20,000 luxurious residences built there. Of these, about 2,000 belong to the government, and the remaining 18,000 can all be sold.

The imperial court will not set the price too high, at three million coins per seat. If all seats can be sold, the imperial court will receive five million four hundred thousand coins.

Ten years of taxes in the Han Dynasty!

The "imperial shift" at the end of the edict brought an end to all the wars and tyranny under Your Majesty's rule, and the golden age that followed gradually began. The source of this great achievement was none other than Your Majesty.

By issuing an edict of self-reproach, Your Majesty attempts to slander Your Majesty's military achievements and virtues, to seize Your Majesty's civil administration and strategies, and to steal Your Majesty's prosperous and peaceful reign. Your Majesty's methods are truly masterful!
Sitting on the throne, Liu Ju asked expressionlessly, "What do you all think of Father's self-reproach?"

Amidst the unsurprised gazes of the assembled officials, Imperial Censor Zhang Tang entered the center of the hall, bowed deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Your Majesty's 'self-reproach' is utterly insincere!"

As always, he never fails to make a shocking statement. Since ancient times, emperors have never admitted their mistakes. In the eyes of many court officials, His Majesty's use of "self-reproach" as the title of the edict is a great sign of repentance.

Does Your Majesty have to write down every single one of your past crimes and repent and weep before your subjects?
Where is the dignity of the royal family?

That's completely insincere and goes too far.

Zhang Tang paid no heed to the gazes behind him, his face chillingly cold: "In His Majesty's edict of self-reproach, His Majesty criticized me, the Chancellor, the Minister of the Imperial Treasury, and the Minister of Agriculture, among others, believing that we had disrupted the court. Please forgive me for not being able to accept this. I served as the Minister of Justice for several years under His Majesty's rule, and also as the Grand Censor for several months under His Majesty's rule. After His Majesty's southern tour, I reflected on the inappropriate and even illegal acts I committed in order to advance my career, as mentioned in His Majesty's edict. I also considered how I made these mistakes."

This brings us to His Majesty's inappropriate hints to me!
I only realized this inappropriate suggestion now; I didn't know it before. When I was serving as Imperial Censor, I greatly admired Your Majesty's way of governing the country and thought that Your Majesty was the most powerful and divine emperor of our Han Dynasty.

Therefore, I have tried my best to align myself with Your Majesty's wise and discerning mind. As a result, I have become an official in Your Majesty's court who disregards the people's livelihood!

Your Majesty, I do not know how many officials in our Great Han Dynasty truly follow His Majesty's will, but I do know that Wang Wenshu, the Commandant of Nanyang Commandery, should be considered one. This man is favored by the Emperor, acts arbitrarily, is ruthless and merciless, and has executed many in Nanyang Commandery..."

(End of this chapter)