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

Chapter 233 Debunking
Winter's chill lingers, yet we search for plum blossoms, hoping for spring's return.

Inside the Xuan Shi Hall, the white cloud bronze stove burned brightly. The ministers and officials of both the central and foreign dynasties, as well as the nobles, relatives, and members of the imperial family, had different thoughts, most of them burning with passion, while others felt cold.

The time for the final offensive is fast approaching.

The imperial ancestral temple's confession and edict of self-reproach firmly pinned the label of "unfilial and immoral" on His Majesty's head.

If anything goes wrong again, His Majesty's reign will come to an end; he will either abdicate or be deposed.

As the saying goes, "A new emperor brings a new court."

After the emperor ascends the throne, the former crown prince's ministers and upright officials naturally rise in rank, while the officials of the central court and those who are cruel and tyrannical come to an abrupt end in their careers.

In short, this is what all the people of the country are hoping for. The court only has so many "pots" to fill, and only by pulling out the radish and bringing out the mud can others fill them.

Even if ordinary people have no chance to enter officialdom, they can still find solace in witnessing the downfall of former high-ranking officials who took responsibility for their past hardships.

As one of the few unhappy figures in the main hall, the court officials and cruel bureaucrats never expected that the political situation would change so quickly.

Many people even think that if His Majesty had done nothing after retiring to Ganquan Palace, things wouldn't be like this now.

Why does Your Majesty make more mistakes the more you do?
The court discussion continued, and Prime Minister Gongsun Hong, sitting on an embroidered stool, spoke slowly and deliberately, "Another year has passed. Last year, the decrees of opening up domestic land, allowing all industries to return to the country, and abolishing the feudal lords and incorporating them into the Han state were promulgated. Several major wars were fought in Nanyue, the Southwestern Yi, Hexi, and Dai. This has been the case year after year, and it is the same today. I don't know how we have managed to get through this. His Majesty has been working tirelessly day and night. As his subjects, we should all suffer a little. Recently, the court has issued decrees on relocation and account clearing. The Prime Minister's office has heard a lot of complaints. However, I hope that everyone present will understand and implement these decrees, whether they understand them or not. Understand them while implementing them. This is not only for our sake, but also for the long-term peace and stability of future generations."

At this point, Gongsun Hong paused, turned around and looked at the solemn officials and ministers of both the Chinese and foreign dynasties, his righteous spirit shining through.

Although they knew the Prime Minister was telling the truth, the princes and ministers found it hard to accept. The Book of Rites says, "Confucius said, 'A gentleman values ​​others and belittles himself, putting others before himself.'" However, putting oneself before others is more in line with human nature.

The Han Dynasty has been trying to change the phenomenon of "birth determines one's fate". The current "Four Dukes" of the court, namely Grand Marshal and General Wei Qing, Grand Marshal and General Huo Qubing, Chancellor Gongsun Hong, and Imperial Censor Zhang Tang, all rose from humble beginnings, proving that personal efforts and choices can break the limitations of birth. However, the hardships they endured are heartbreaking to hear.

Which of the court officials present would want or bear to see their descendants suffer this kind of hardship?

It could be said that during the reign of Emperor Gaozu, the group of founding heroes thought that they and their children and grandchildren had already endured all the hardships from the moment they entered the pass.

The officials could not accept that their family's wealth, which could have been passed down through generations, was instead used to benefit the people.

Gongsun Hong knew what the bowed officials were thinking, but he didn't care much. His words were more like a reminder: if all the officials could act and govern according to his advice, they might be able to leave safely. If not, even the current Crown Prince's officials would be people and forces that the Emperor would have to eliminate in the future.

As the Lord once said, "Don't say you weren't warned." Gongsun Hong continued, "Coincidentally, after winter began, a comet appeared in the sky, accompanied by thunder and blizzards. Some people wanted to use this to attack the court and slander the Lord..."

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall changed, and a chilling aura instantly filled the air.

Er Kuan, Chu Da, and other officials of the Central Court once again felt the pressure of having all eyes on them. To be honest, they had prepared themselves before the court meeting to launch a joint attack on the emperor, citing his corrupt policies and celestial warnings.

Embarrassingly, the fact that His Majesty broke ground at Wannianji Land was exposed as soon as the court meeting began. If the celestial phenomena were said to be unusual and a warning from Heaven, the Emperor could simply shift all the blame to Ganquan Palace and to the unfilial and immoral Emperor.

Er Kuan and Chu Da appeared calm on the surface, but their irregular breathing proved that their inner feelings were not as peaceful as they seemed. After suppressing their emotions for so long, they finally found an opportunity to attack, but it ended before it even began. Moreover, the reason for the end came from Gan Quan Li Gong and their teammates. Anyone would feel frustrated.

If that doesn't work, just stay put and watch them wield power in the court while causing trouble in the rear. Who can stand that?
"To prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation to stir up trouble and seize our property!" Gongsun Hong looked towards the end of the outer court's ranks.

The Zhan family refers to the geomancers, one of the geomancers employed by the imperial court.

He was of low rank and position, not among the court officials, and was sent here by special order.

Upon hearing the call, Zhan Jiajiao, who was at the end of the procession, suppressed his excitement and walked to the center of the hall. He bowed deeply towards the throne and said, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and enjoy endless happiness!"

He studied diligently from a young age, with a wide range of interests, but he was particularly fond of the Book of Changes. He was originally a county official in the Liang Kingdom. When the decree to abolish the vassal states and incorporate the Han government was issued, he was originally facing dismissal. However, because of his knowledge of the Book of Changes, he was summoned to serve as a central government official. Although his rank was not high, it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Liu Ju nodded.

Gongsun Hong said, "Zhan, please explain to the Emperor and his ministers the meaning of the celestial phenomena of a comet, thunder, and blizzard."

"Your Majesty, though comets are ominous, the Great Expansion Number is fifty, of which forty-nine are used. One is omitted, and this 'one' is called 'Heavenly Secret.' It does not refer to comets, but to Saturn. In the eyes of your ministers and diviners, Saturn is the star of the Yellow Emperor, the star of virtuous governance, the central star that 'holds the rope to control the four directions.' Saturn rises in the east and sets in the west at night, filling the middle of one of the twenty-eight constellations each year. It fills all twenty-eight constellations in twenty-eight years, completing a full cycle. Saturn is always bright, almost as bright as the North Star. When it fills any constellation, Your Majesty can recognize its brilliant light at a glance if you look up at the sky on a clear night. Currently, Saturn is filling the four stars of the Fang constellation in the east, shining brightly. Such a celestial phenomenon means that the Han Dynasty on earth has established virtuous governance, rising like Saturn in the vast sky amidst the turbulent tide of this era of great strife."

Jiao Gan spoke eloquently, “As for thunder and blizzards, thunder and blizzards occurred in the middle of winter in the third year of Emperor Xiaowen’s reign and in the last month of winter in the first year of Emperor Xiaojing’s reign, but they were just ordinary occurrences.”

It was either a divine revelation or something ordinary, or it was questioning the heavens and the rule of Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xiaojing. The princes and ministers all looked on with disapproval, wondering where the prime minister had found such a diviner.

Ignoring the many astonished gazes, Gongsun Hong said calmly, "The ancient sage Xunzi said: 'The course of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie.' I hope that all of you will not take calamities and anomalies as the will of Heaven."

Upon hearing this, Chu Da, the foremost of Dong Zhongshu's four disciples, paled. "That old scoundrel! He actually wants to destroy the theory of calamities!"
(End of this chapter)