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

Chapter 218 Go to Force
The wind and snow gradually subsided, and the bright moon rose in the east.

Inside the Xuan Shi Hall, palace lanterns shone brightly, and Liu Ju lit a charcoal fire, partly to keep warm and partly to brew tea.

The four embroidered stools surrounding the stove, which once gave the solemn and dignified atmosphere of a temple, were instantly transformed into a place for late-night conversations.

After Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing entered the main hall, Jiang Bo led the eunuchs out and closed the hall doors and some windows.

As the three were about to bow, Liu Ju stopped them and said gently, "Sit down."

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Gongsun Hong, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing replied and sat down together.

The strong tea in the earthenware pot had boiled. Liu Ju poured it into three earthenware bowls and placed them in front of the three people, saying with a smile, "The wind and snow bring a chill, so drink some tea first to warm yourselves up."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The three raised their bowls.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the tea and the comfort of the people, or perhaps it was the scorching heat of the stove; after a cup of tea, the atmosphere became harmonious.

It's time to talk about temple donations.

If a major victory against external enemies cannot alleviate or divert internal conflicts, then the victory will be greatly diminished.

"I have already read the twenty-four matters in the old prime minister's letter. Now, please tell me, my uncle and elder brother, about them," Liu Ju said.

The imperial shift has officially begun.

Gongsun Hong instinctively tried to stand up, but Liu Ju stopped him and gestured for him to sit down. He said, "Your Majesty, Lord Qin, Lord Wan, the problems of our dynasty lie in every aspect. Therefore, I have twenty-four matters to report."

"The first is the law, the second is the land reclamation order, the third is the removal of the powerful, and the fourth is to persuade the people."

"Fifth, calculating the land; sixth, opening and closing; seventh, a single word; eighth, wrong method."

"Ninth strategy, tenth principle, eleventh defense, twelfth command."

"Thirteenth, reform of rights; fourteenth, attracting people; fifteenth, penal code; sixteenth, planning strategy."

"Seventeen within the territory, eighteen with strong people, nineteen with defense against thieves, and twenty with both inside and outside the territory."

"Two-one: ruler and subject; two-two: prohibition and envoy; two-three: careful application of the law; two-four: fixed division of responsibilities."

"The matter of reforming the law lies in morality and in the law."

Gongsun Hong took a sip of tea and began to speak in a leisurely manner, “The glory of the Han Dynasty will not end today. I believe that in the future, more and more countries and races will admire our Han family and join our Han family.”

The Han Dynasty achieved initial victories in its southern and northern campaigns, severely damaging the Xiongnu and completely demolishing the Yue tribe's 100,000-mountain stronghold. This presented a very important issue: the former foreign tribes had become their own people.

Take Nanyue as an example. Although the Nanyue Kingdom was established by Zhao Tuo, a general of the late Qin Dynasty, and Ren Xiao's army integrated with the Baiyue people over a century, a sense of "separation" always existed.

The emperor ordered the entire population of the Ten Thousand Mountains to relocate to the Central Plains. The clash of different lifestyles and habits caused numerous problems. Moral judgments and legal standards differed, which often led to dissatisfaction from one or even both sides when local government offices tried to resolve the issues.

Furthermore, the laws of the Han Dynasty were established by Prime Minister Xiao He during the reign of Emperor Gaozu and have remained unchanged for over eighty years. Many of these laws are no longer suitable for modern society, and problems in all aspects urgently need to be addressed.

As long as Huo Qubing was alive, the Han Dynasty would not stop expanding its territory. In the future, more foreign countries and ethnic groups would be integrated into the Han people. The court could not allow all foreign peoples to move to the Central Plains. The conquered territories also needed someone to control them.

"The most urgent task is to re-regulate morality and law, and in this process, changes to ancestral laws will likely cause a great uproar in the court and among the people."

"And for those who join our Han clan, we must also consider how to reduce their dissatisfaction, resistance, and difficulties in accepting Han morality and laws." Gongsun Hong paused for a moment.

Since the emperor came to power, he has mostly issued edicts, but rarely changed the "ancestral laws".

The conservative forces within the Han court and the public were extremely stubborn, and no one knew how many subjects would be dissatisfied and angry if ancestral laws were violated. Similarly, would the new Han people who had migrated to the Central Plains be unable to accept the court's laws, which differed from their own clan laws?

Liu Ju looked at Wei Qing and Huo Qubing and asked, "What are your thoughts, Uncle and Elder Brother?"

"In the words of the old prime minister, reforming the laws is an inevitable pain for the Han Dynasty. The laws of our ancestors are hard to violate, and the laws of our own clan are hard to follow. We must do it first and then talk about it later," Wei Qing replied.

Huo Qubing followed up, saying, "Your Majesty, hand over anyone who disobeys the law to me. Whether they are old or new, I have ways to make them obey the law."

He had no way to get the conservative forces and the stubborn new citizens to accept the new law.

But he had countless ways to deal with the conservative forces and the stubborn new citizens! Countless ways!

The uncle and nephew shared the same idea: whether there were problems with the method or not, they should proceed with the modification first, and then address the issues and those who raised them later if problems arose.

Liu Ju responded with a smile, "Old Prime Minister, please tell us your thoughts, so that the two lords may hear them."

Gongsun Hong nodded and slowly said, "The laws of our ancestors should change according to the changes of the Han Dynasty. Following the old ways blindly is not advisable. Our ancestors are not to be followed."

In order to facilitate the central court and local government offices in handling national affairs, at least within the territory of the Han Dynasty, there can only be one moral judgment and one legal standard.

The imperial court's reform of the laws is, in fact, a completely new beginning for both the old and new citizens. Therefore, both the imperial court and local authorities must understand one thing clearly: those old and new citizens who cannot accept the new laws are, in reality, defying the decrees of the Han Dynasty!

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were both startled.

Something seems off, but I can't quite put my finger on it. My feeling is that the old prime minister is so fierce and cunning!
Are ancestral teachings insufficient to guide us?
Is this really something a subject should say?

Is it right to disobey the new law as defying the imperial decrees?

There seems to be no problem.

The result is always the same: some people will die, only the reasons for their deaths are different.

"Uncle, what does my elder brother think?"

"What the old prime minister said is absolutely right!" Wei Qing and Huo Qubing said.

"In that case, old Prime Minister."

"The minister is here."

"Let Zhang Tang and Bian Tong, together with Legalist and Strategist officials, formulate new laws for the Han Dynasty, which will only be implemented within the territory of the Han Dynasty. If other ethnic groups join the Han Dynasty in the future, new laws or other laws will be implemented instead," Liu Ju nodded.

Let's deal with the immediate issues first, then talk about the future. At least within the territory of the Han Dynasty, we must abide by Han law, both now and in the future.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Gongsun Hong noted this down and then continued, "The land reclamation decree needs no further explanation. The emperor has lifted the land ban on his subjects. Newly reclaimed land belongs to them, and taxes are reduced for several years. After the decree was issued, the Han Dynasty added nearly one million hectares of land, which is more than 20% more than the original land."

In mid-autumn, the Lantian Plain is now covered with vast fields of golden soybeans and millet. What were once desolate and barren mountains are now being transformed into a prosperous mountain village with forests, soybeans, millet, and tea.

Such scenes appeared one after another across the country, and in the blink of an eye, the sea had turned into mulberry fields.

Gongsun Hong composed himself and continued, "The matter of eliminating the powerful rests with His Majesty, with the princes and dukes, with the officials, with the powerful clans, and with the gentry..."

(End of this chapter)