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

Chapter 185 Destroying Confucianism
Shared merit?

The expressions of the feudal lords, ministers, marquises, and members of the imperial family of the central and outer courts underwent subtle changes.

According to Er Kuan, if such a system were to be preserved in the Han Dynasty for a long time, it would be of immeasurable benefit to them both now and in the future.

When the emperor and his ministers dined together in the Xuan Shi Hall, it was clear to everyone that the emperor intended to use the merits of the Grand General and the General of the Guards to cleanse the court, rectify the government, and change the system of government.

The previous success of the Southern Strategy is a good example of this.

The new system for selecting officials, with its endless accountability, has left them in a terrible predicament. Their current achievements surpass those of the past, and who knows how many more tricks the emperor will pull to get them?

If we use "shared merit" to equalize the military achievements and virtues of the sovereign, and to commensurate the eternal merits of the Grand General and the General of the Guards, then the so-called "victory" will immediately vanish.

If the ruler were to punish them again for their past mistakes, they would have the means and the ability to join forces and fight back.

With this example in mind, in the future, no matter what merits the emperor, the general, the general of the guard, the prime minister, etc., the crown prince and his faction make, they can sit firmly in the Chang'an court and share in the merits of others' lives and deaths. That feeling is simply too comfortable.

They are intelligent people who will criticize the methods of the ruler and his followers, but they will not criticize the abilities of the ruler and his followers, because the ruler really knows how to recognize and use people, and the followers are really capable and willing to fight.

In the past, it was His Majesty who came to seize their wealth, titles, and merits. Now, it seems that they have the opportunity to seize the Emperor's merits and then use those merits to demand wealth and titles.

If this plan comes to fruition, the future ruler's civil and military achievements will become their "money tree" and "treasure trove".

Ruler and subjects, sharing the world!

As they pondered this, more and more court officials' eyes lit up.

Dr. Zhong is a truly talented man!
"I second the Grand Master's words. This is a meritorious deed for all ages. May Your Majesty bring salvation to all people!"

"I second the Grand Master's words. This is a meritorious deed for all ages. May Your Majesty bring salvation to all people!"

"..."

The sound almost blew the roof off the Xuan Shi Hall.

Apart from the princeling officials and the newly appointed hereditary officials, everyone else was tempted by the "grand scene" painted by Er Kuan.

Suo Lu Can, the next leader of the Mohist school and the then-guardian of the Qingmiao Temple, frowned. "Your Majesty is a bit too conservative, a bit too weak."

Officials from various schools of thought shared this view.

This is the mark of a wise ruler. Confucian scholars dare to bring the means of "deceiving the emperor" to court discussions. If it were His Majesty, he would have executed them eight hundred times over.

If you dare to "share the credit," then you must first "share the death."

The ruler is good in every way—supremely wise and benevolent, compassionate and merciful. However, sometimes being too reasonable and strict about rules is not good either.

Zhang Tang and other ministers of the Crown Prince have come through the reign of His Majesty, but that does not mean they have abandoned evil and embraced good. At this moment, they are like tigers and wolves opening their bloody mouths. With a single command, they can rush forward and tear apart Confucianism and everyone else.

Gongsun Hong stared intently at the throne. Confucian methods mostly involve intrigue and trickery, but what Er Kuan used was a scheme of open deception, a technique for slaying dragons. He also had a way to break it. As long as he stepped out of the framework set by Er Kuan, let the Imperial Archives and the Court of Justice handle the case according to the law, and push all the responsibility onto the laws of the Han Dynasty, a traitor like Li Ju could be killed by any official, or even handed over to Zhang Tang. Not even the infant of the Li family in Longxi could escape.

However, since it is a cunning strategy within the art of dragon slaying, cruel methods can only address the surface, not the underlying issues, which is the "shared world" that Confucianism seeks.

As stated in the Book of Documents, "The sage emperor governs the world by doing nothing."

Dividing merit, power, and the world – this is a complete set of Confucian techniques for slaying dragons. Once it starts, it's hard to stop.

Offering sacrifices to the Lord.

Gongsun Hong silently recited the name of this legendary family.

In the twelfth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, when Emperor Gaozu was on his way to conquer Ying Bu, he passed through the land of Lu and offered sacrifices to Confucius with the highest rites. He then appointed Kong Teng, the ninth-generation direct descendant of Confucius, as "Lord of Sacrifices" to preside over the sacrifices to Confucius.

Despite the prominence of the Gongyang and Guliang schools of thought in their time, there were hundreds of schools of Confucianism, but only one orthodox Confucianism: the one that worships the ruler.

Gongsun Hong hailed from Xue County in the State of Zichuan, a native of Lu. He had little contact with the Kong family, but he had heard that the Kong family was known for its prudence, and that the four generations of ancestral lords—Kong Teng, Kong Zhong, Kong Wu, and Kong Yannian—were all capable and discreet in their actions. He hadn't paid much attention to them until suddenly realizing that the Kong family was not as simple as he had imagined. Gongsun Hong believed that this kind of bloodless political coercion, or rather, the method of forcing someone to abdicate, was something even Dong Zhongshu had not mastered, or had not fully mastered, and was only prevalent among the direct descendants of the Kong family.

Gongsun Hong couldn't help but suspect that the fall of the State of Lu during the Warring States period might be inextricably linked to the Confucius family.

Everyone fell silent, their gazes fixed on the throne. The hall was deathly still, as if time had stood still.

Liu Ju never expected that someone would use moral blackmail against him and try to take credit for him.

The one here is not the "chess player"; the real "chess player" is that sacrificial lord.

The Kong family had a very accurate grasp of the situation and made overall plans for the Confucian school to protect itself and fight back. Er Kuan inherited the Kong family's true teachings on pacifying the country, accurately seized the opportunity, and understood the needs and interests of his father, the emperor, and most of the court officials. He then proposed "shared merit."

The clashes with Erkuan, the indirect clashes with the Kong family—that's politics for you.

There was no fighting, only games of strategy and battles.

"Erkuan."

"The minister is here."

Er Kuan bowed deeply, his demeanor exuding the air of a renowned scholar.

"According to you, all the merits and virtues in the world are the result of the wisdom and strength of the people?"

"Exactly."

"So, is this the wealth of Confucianism?"

Liu Ju looked at him, and also at his shadow. Confucianism had barged in on its own, so there was no point in blaming it.

Er Kuan froze, his smile faltering. "Your Majesty, I do not understand your intentions."

What is the essence of Confucianism?

"Manuscripts and classics of sages and worthies".

Liu Ju nodded at Er Kuan's answer, then shook his head, "That's only one aspect."

"The second is money, grain, land, and other things that are not used for production."

"The sages and virtuous men of Confucianism were not born as sages or virtuous men, but rather they heard and saw all things in the world, drew wisdom from people, and gathered profound truths, which have been preserved to this day. According to the words of the Grand Master, this is the achievement of people. Is this right or wrong?"

"……Correct."

Erkuan panicked a little.

He set his sights on the ruler's civil and military achievements, and it seems that the ruler has also set his sights on him.

"The status, wealth, and land of Confucian scholars today are derived from the books of sages and worthies. In turn, the books of sages and worthies are the product of the wisdom of the world. If that is the case, then the books of sages and worthies, wealth, land, and so on that Confucian scholars possess are all the result of the efforts of the world. Is that right or wrong?"

"..."

Er Kuan was speechless, his panic rising to an indescribable level. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't.

Liu Ju smiled and looked at the old prime minister, "Gongsun Hong."

"The minister is here."

"I hereby order all subjects under heaven to immediately confiscate the property of all Confucian scholars. This is my decree. Any Confucian scholar who disobeys this order will be killed without punishment!"

You share my merits, and I share your fate!
(End of this chapter)