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

Chapter 216 Generals and Prime Ministers
As dusk settles, pedestrians throng the streets.

The Crown Prince decreed that the beginning of each year be designated as a day of celebration and merit for the Han Dynasty, during which the country would take a ten-day holiday.

Inside and outside Chang'an, shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" resounded.

An early snowfall is a sign of a bountiful year.

Grand Marshal and General Wei Qing, Grand Marshal and General Huo Qubing, and Chancellor Gongsun Hong paid their respects at night.

In front of the Xuan Shi Hall, the uncle and nephew, who had been specially granted the privilege of riding horses and carrying swords in the palace, saw Gongsun Hong's palanquin and took the opportunity to dismount, ending their display of power.

"Old Prime Minister," Wei Qing and Huo Qubing greeted them.

However, Gongsun Hong seemed to be deep in thought, unaware that the palanquin had fallen, nor did he notice the uncle and nephew.

"Master?" Mo Zimo tapped the carriage pole, reminding him.

Gongsun Hong then came to his senses, quickly alighted from the palanquin, and bowed, saying, "Lord Qin!" "Lord Wan!"

"Your Excellency, this is unacceptable."

Wei Qing helped Gongsun Hong up the steps to the main hall. Huo Qubing told Mo Zimo to wait in front of the corridor first, as no one else would be present at tonight's gathering.

Yu Lin bowed his head.

Wei Qing noticed that Gongsun Hong's steps were unusually steady, and the road ahead seemed uncertain and unsteady. Without making a sound, he subtly supported the old prime minister as he ascended the steps and said softly, "Old prime minister, what are you worried about?"

"The new prime minister will be chosen," Gongsun Hong said without any attempt to hide his intentions.

The power of the emperor and the power of the prime minister are similar in many ways. The matter of the crown prince is very important, and the position of the prime minister is also very important. The awkward thing is that Gongsun Hong, as the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, is facing the situation of having no successor. If he cannot solve this problem, it will be the biggest failure of his life.

"Is Zhang Tang not an option?" Wei Qing asked.

The Embroidered Robe Censor provided significant assistance to the army during the Battle of Dai, and it was the secret envoys of this agency who tracked down many fleeing Xiongnu tribal chiefs.

In Wei Qing's opinion, Zhang Tang was a man of considerable talent and insight, capable of shouldering great responsibilities and assisting the ruler, making him a very suitable candidate to succeed Gongsun Hong.

“Zhang Tang is too dirty; he is unfit for a refined setting and should not be the prime minister of a ruler,” Gongsun Hong said, shaking his head.

"Has Zhang Tang cleared his name of all his past misdeeds?"

After the rise of the Embroidered Robe Censor, Zhang Tang's first act was to cover up his past crimes, and now he could be described as a "clean man".

Gongsun Hong shook his head again and said, "As the saying goes, 'If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place.' No matter how well you cover it up, you can't erase the ugly nature of the act. Once the sun shines on it, it will be the biggest scandal of the Emperor's court. Moreover, Zhang Tang is greedy by nature and does things without considering the consequences. Perhaps the Qin Emperor and the Wan Emperor have evidence against Zhang Tang?"

Wei Qing replied expressionlessly, "How could that be?"

Huo Qubing was still young, and he couldn't help but recall how, when His Majesty first fell ill, Zhang Tang couldn't wait to express his loyalty to the emperor and wrote a letter to the emperor proposing a posthumous title for His Majesty.

"Emperor Xiaowu" is a fitting name.

The Han Dynasty governed the country with "loyalty" and "filial piety." That letter could easily destroy everything Zhang Tang owned. The emperor gave him the letter, and he destroyed it on the spot.

The old prime minister seemed to know a lot of things. The evidence was gone, but his description of Zhang Tang was very accurate. Huo Qubing also believed that Zhang Tang was not a suitable candidate for prime minister of the Han Dynasty.

Gongsun Hong paid no attention to the expressions and answers of the uncle and nephew, and said to himself, "Since the Qin ruler and the Wan ruler have evidence to put Zhang Tang to death, others will also have it. If Zhang Tang is allowed to become prime minister and is held hostage by others, it will become a disaster for the Han Dynasty."

Wei Qing remained silent.

Huo Qubing nodded in agreement. "If anyone in the Zhang family could become the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Tang's second son, Anshi, would be ahead of Zhang Tang," Gongsun Hong sighed.

The Gongsun family is like a tiger father and dog sons and rabbit grandsons, each generation worse than the last. Zhang Tang, on the other hand, is like a tiger father and tiger sons, each generation stronger than the last. Zhang Tang's two sons, Zhang He and Zhang Anshi, are both precocious. Zhang Anshi, in particular, shows the potential of a general and minister at a young age. Given time, he will surely become a great man.

Unfortunately, he was too old and died before Zhang Anshi could grow up.

Let alone not wanting to transfer the public power of the Han Dynasty to private individuals, he couldn't even if he wanted to.

"Where is the Minister of Justice?"

Remembering his former subordinate Bian Tong, who was like a dog among wolves, Gongsun Hong chuckled and said, "He has the talent of a minister, but not the talent of a public official, much less the talent of a prime minister. To be able to hold the position of a minister is simply due to fate. If he were to take any further, he would be doomed."

"The Chief Clerk and Secretary under the Prime Minister?"

"His fortunes are not as good as those of the Minister of Justice."

Luck and ability, or rather luck is also a part of ability. The abilities of Zhu Maichen, the Director of Justice, and Wang Chao, the Chief Secretary, were almost the same as those of Bian Tong, the Minister of Justice, but their luck was not as good as Bian Tong's. How could such people become the Chancellor of the Han Dynasty?

“Most of the high-ranking officials in the court are like this,” Wei Qing exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yes."

Gongsun Hong nodded emphatically and said helplessly, "These are the former officials and ministers from His Majesty's reign, and also the generation of officials with the worst qualifications in the Han Dynasty!"

Over the past two decades, the Gongyang School has flourished, becoming a prominent school of thought that has replaced Huang-Lao philosophy. It has influenced most officials, nobles, and members of the imperial family in both Chinese and foreign dynasties.

The most profound impact came from the "Great Revenge".

Even a feud spanning nine generations, or even a hundred generations, can be avenged. This once led to endless private feuds throughout the land, which was precisely the "soil" for Your Majesty to implement a cruel and tyrannical political system.

Amidst new and old grievances, countless subjects forgot that "unifying the three systems," "promoting the three generations," and "differentiating between inside and outside" were the main tenets of the Gongyang School.

The concept of "understanding the three dynasties" refers to the Gongyang School's understanding of historical change. They believed that the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties each had their own lineage, with later kings inheriting the legal authority of their predecessors. This concept emphasizes the continuity and flexibility of history, suggesting that learning from history is essential to understanding rise and fall.

Zhang Sanshi is a term used by the Gongyang school to divide the Spring and Autumn period into three stages: "the world as seen," "the world as heard," and "the world as passed down," in order to explain the profound meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals and to illustrate the continuous development and changes of the times.

He Xiu further elaborated on this, corresponding the three periods to the "era of chaos," the "era of peace," and the "era of great peace," suggesting that things are always in a state of flux.

The distinction between inside and outside, close and distant relatives, and Chinese and barbarians is emphasized. It highlights the clear distinction between the Chinese and the barbarians and is an important part of the Spring and Autumn Annals.

The Spring and Autumn Annals strictly distinguished between the Chinese and the barbarians, and condemned the behavior of the barbarians. If the barbarians admired propriety and righteousness, they were praised and even promoted to "China". This is the distinction between the Chinese and the barbarians.

This generation of officials who accepted or implemented the cruel methods of the two dynasties were filled with hatred and murderous intent. They believed in solving problems by eliminating those who raised them, and none of them were fit to be prime ministers. It can be said that this was a generation of officials ruined by His Majesty.

"It's not as serious as the old prime minister makes it out to be, is it?"

Huo Qubing responded with a puzzled look, "Your Majesty has taught me a lot, but it hasn't affected me at all."

He had no interest in hatred or killing.

"How many Xiongnu people did the Marquis of Champion kill in Hexi?"

Gongsun Hong's lips twitched, and he said speechlessly, "Does the Marquis of Champion know how many memorials impeaching you my Prime Minister's office has received recently?"

You have the blood of tens of thousands of Xiongnu on your hands, and you slaughtered the Right Wise King's main force. You have no hatred and do not like killing, right?
(End of this chapter)