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

Chapter 193 Transformation
The court meeting concluded.

The princes, dukes, marquises, and members of the imperial family from both the central and foreign courts withdrew from the hall.

Prime Minister Gongsun Hong stayed behind.

As Liu Ju watched the prince's figure gradually disappear into the sunset glow, he stepped down from his throne. Gongsun Hong was about to get up, but was stopped. "Old Prime Minister, sit down and talk."

Jiang Bo brought out an embroidered stool for Liu Ju, and the emperor and his minister sat facing each other. Liu Ju spoke first, saying, "I hope the old prime minister will not misunderstand the establishment of the ministers who participate in government and deliberate on state affairs."

It was indeed intended to weaken the power of the prime minister.

But it wasn't directed at Gongsun Hong.

"I have no misunderstanding."

Gongsun Hong shook his head, his cloudy eyes often flashing with a sharp light, and said from the bottom of his heart: "From ancient times to the present, the power of the monarch and the power of the prime minister, or the power of the ministers and officials, have been in a game and a struggle, and bloodshed has often occurred. Your Majesty has been able to do this much, and I am already deeply grateful and deeply thankful."

This human world is a huge contradiction.

Monarchical autocracy needs a bureaucratic organization to improve the efficiency of its rule, but it also rejects the bureaucratic organization's autonomy, which leads to a contradiction.

The power of the monarch often represents personal interests, while the power of the prime minister often represents the overall interests of the bureaucratic organization. The two often have major disagreements on the distribution of interests and the formulation of policies.

In terms of policy priorities, the monarch tends to follow his own will, while the prime minister and his bureaucracy act from the perspective of overall interests, thus restraining or correcting the monarch's power.

Wherever there are people, there is selfishness.

The monarch desires absolute power, while the prime minister desires the increasing power of the bureaucracy, even to the point of checking the imperial power.

Throughout history, monarchs, prime ministers, and high-ranking officials have always been engaged in power struggles, and the power between the monarch and his ministers has always been in a state of ebb and flow.

Over the years as Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, Gongsun Hong’s sense of the situation became increasingly clear: the empire needed centralized power and a monarch who could dominate the Han Dynasty and lead the court further.

Disagreements only lead to chaos, and chaos only leads to destruction.

Of course, the Great Han Empire does not need a "tyrant" like His Majesty who indulges in extravagance and debauchery.

What we need is a wise and virtuous ruler like the Supreme Sovereign, who can strategize and win battles from afar.

"However, I must remind Your Majesty that excessively weakening the power of the prime minister will only slow down the handling of national affairs and military matters. If power is divided too finely, it will lead to self-consumption, and in the long run, the empire will inevitably become weak and impoverished," Gongsun Hong said slowly.

The power of the prime minister can be weakened. For example, if the emperor adds two ministers to the prime minister's office to participate in government affairs, then the ministers can raise objections when the prime minister's policies are not in line with the law. This is a good thing.

However, if the sovereign agrees in court to appoint all ten kings of Chengyang as ministers and advisors, it would be detrimental to have too many people involved in state affairs.

With more people, there are more ideas and more things to consider. If you are not satisfied with my ideas, I will not agree with your proposals. In the end, things that should be done and things that should not be done cannot be done. Factions and dissent are formed, and people wear each other down. National affairs are delayed, and the empire will slide towards weakness and poverty.

Liu Ju nodded. "I understand."

Gongsun Hong hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "Perhaps Your Majesty already has a draft proposal for reforming the power of the prime minister?"

Liu Ju was startled, but he didn't hide anything and nodded again, "I have never told anyone this before, but I didn't expect the old prime minister to see through it. The prime minister is truly wise." "The system created by the Qin legal officials was imitated by our Han legal officials, but our Han ruler is not the Qin ruler, and today's world is not the Qin court of yesterday. The system that was once considered a masterpiece is now insufficient. Your Majesty has foresight and wisdom and wants to change it. I think there is nothing wrong with it, but we must be very careful," Gongsun Hong said solemnly.

The current system is inseparable from the Qin system, which was established by Qin Chancellor Li Si based on the First Emperor's design.

It is a complete governance system established from top to bottom, based on the principle of centralized governance, emphasizing governance and people's well-being, and with the centralization of governance power as its core.

This governance system is divided into four levels, with each level having its own jurisdiction, encompassing everything from the emperor's palace to villages and rural areas.

In short, central decision-making was centered on the emperor, central government affairs were centered on the prime minister, local administration was entrusted to prefects and magistrates, and grassroots governance was left to the people.

The above four systems were not only a grand miracle at the end of the Warring States period, but they will never be outdated even today or in the future.

The empire's four-tiered administrative system—county, prefecture, county, and township—is awe-inspiring to those who came before, are present today, and will come after.

However, Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng and Qin's Grand Chancellor Li Si overlooked a crucial issue.

Stablize!

The Qin court, which governed the country with Legalist ideas and advocated using violence to control violence, failed to change the empire's policies in time. In addition, it was too lenient with the remnants of the six states who caused trouble, which led to the Qin Dynasty falling into chaos as soon as the First Emperor died.

The Qin court earned the name "Tyrannical Qin," and Qin Shi Huang became a "tyrant" and "despot."

The combination of the emperor, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, himself, and Zhang Tang could implement any feasible system in the dynasty and use any ideology as the governing principle. As long as one of the five was still alive, the Han Dynasty would not perish.

The question is, after these five men have passed away, will the Han Dynasty repeat the mistakes of the Qin Dynasty?

The ruler intends to influence the key positions in the four major governance systems, which are aligned with the emperor's will and guide the people's power. A slight misstep could sow the seeds of national ruin.

A ruler should establish a stable foundation, significantly improve discipline, and change the power of the prime minister. If this affects stability, it is better not to make any changes.

Even the fleeting beauty of the epiphyllum cannot compare to the enduring charm and fragrance of the peony.

Liu Ju's restless heart calmed down considerably, and he agreed, "What the old prime minister said is absolutely right."

"I am getting old. Since the beginning of summer, I have often felt tired and listless, and my body feels heavy. I fear that I may fall asleep one day and never wake up again."

Gongsun Hong described his physical condition, saying it wasn't due to the season, but because he was truly nearing the end of his life. Every day now could be his last. "Your Majesty is young and has many years ahead of you. You can do many things, surpassing Emperor Wen, Emperor Gao, Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang... to spread the glory of the Han Dynasty to even more distant places. I want to say, take it slow. Each generation has its own tasks. Your Majesty, you have already done very well, better than anyone or any monarch in the past!"

Gongsun Hong's eyes were full of regret. He was already eighty years old when the Lord came. If only it had been twenty or forty years earlier.

Liu Ju grasped Gongsun Hong's hand, which was as withered as a twig, and nodded heavily, remembering the heartfelt words of his minister.

"Your Majesty, the Li family is about to be destroyed. Li Guang, Li Gan, and Li Ling, the three generations who led troops on the left wing of the Xiongnu, will inevitably find it difficult to return to the country to be beheaded. We must be prepared for them to defect with their troops." Gongsun Hong almost rambled on as he explained the unresolved matters from the court discussion.

Liu Ju noted everything down, personally escorted the old prime minister out of the palace, and watching his departing figure, he wrote, "Draft an edict appointing Prime Minister Gongsun Hong as Grand Tutor!"

(End of this chapter)