Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 278 presents the inner chapter of this late Eastern Han Dynasty.

"In addition to the Lingyan Pavilion, a Hall of Merit was also built to complement it."

I will first set a general outline of the rules for the Hall of Merit, and then Lord Yan and his ministers will carefully consider and refine them, listing all the benefits that should be rewarded, so that everyone under my command can see them clearly.

The purpose of this temple is to exchange everything under heaven and the wealth of the nine provinces.

Those below have a pardon from death, which can be redeemed by those who are ranked in the Zhou Tian Star position in Lingyan Pavilion. Each person is limited to one purchase, and the value is three Great Merits.

The saying goes that one can be spared the death penalty but cannot escape punishment. Those who hold this card can be spared the death penalty once, unless they are involved in a serious crime, and will instead be punished with a living crime.

Those who pass will receive an iron certificate, redeemable only by the Earthly Fiend Star position, limited to one purchase per person, and worth one Great Merit.

Those who hold the iron certificate can be spared from the death penalty and escape punishment. As long as they are not involved in a major crime, they can be exempted from punishment once.

The highest-ranking person receives a certificate of merit, which can be redeemed by the Heavenly Star, limited to one purchase per person, and is worth ten Great Merits.

Those who possess the imperial edict will be pardoned once for any crime except for treasonous acts involving the extermination of nine generations of their family.

Yan Xiang's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. A cinnabar-written iron certificate granting immunity from death?

To make everyone fight tooth and nail for their star positions in the Lingyan Pavilion, the King of Han even brought out this treasure that Emperor Taizu Gao had devised.
Although there was a precedent set by Emperor Taizu Gao, it is clear that even holding a certificate of merit does not necessarily guarantee immunity from death.

If you really push him too far, the King of Han will say that you have committed a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family, and you will be executed along with your entire clan.

But this also shows that as long as you don't foolishly oppose the King of Han and force him to kill you, in most cases you can save your life.

For those who fight tooth and nail to reach the Heavenly Stars and Earthly Fiends in Lingyan Pavilion, what could be more important than their lives?

Yan Xiang truly hadn't expected that after the King of Han had just mentioned that those with high star ranks would receive benefits, he would then come up with such a lucrative benefit that would make people fight tooth and nail for it.

However, before the King of Han could finish speaking, he continued.

"In addition, five rings are set up in the city with Shouchun Palace as the core. The Heavenly Star can exchange for a mansion in the first ring, the Earthly Fiend Star can exchange for a house, and the Zhou Tian Star can exchange for the right to purchase a house in the first ring."

The ranks below that follow the same pattern.

In addition, five virtues are designated, corresponding to the five colors: yellow (earth), white (metal), black (water), green (wood), and red (fire).

Different colored Five Virtues badges allow one to ride a horse or drive a car within the Fifth Ring Road of Shouchun City.

The yellow ones can go directly to the first ring, but the thirty-six Heavenly Gangs are the ones that are connected, the white ones are the Earthly Fiends, and so on.

In addition to these benefits, all delicacies, fine wines, rare toys, precious artifacts, small coins, glassware, fine horses, divine weapons, and even rice, refined salt, cattle, horses, and farming tools, are all provided by the Emperor. No titles are required; all people with corresponding merits can exchange them in the Hall of Merit.

For example, if a farmer grows more grain this year, he will be rewarded with a small merit. If the harvest is poor the following year, he can exchange this small merit for rice to make a living.

All the details here were perfected by Lord Yan.

"King Han"

Based solely on what he heard, Yan Xiang assumed that the King of Han had come up with many new titles and things to encourage everyone to pursue fame and fortune and actively seek merit.

Upon hearing these last words, even Yan Xiang was moved. Was the Prince of Han planning to empty the Shouchun Palace?

Recalling the Han king before he obtained the Imperial Seal, he wished he could plunder the world and fill his palace with the rarest treasures. His dissolute behavior was known far and wide.

Little did Yan Xiang know that the playboy Han King's past act of collecting treasures was actually for today.
"All the kings and emperors of ancient times took the world to serve one person."

"Now Your Majesty governs the entire world by virtue of one person; even Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang could not match you."

"Has Lord Yan also become a sycophantic minister after not seeing me for several months?"

Yuan Shu smiled and said to him:

A monument should be erected in front of the Hall of Merit, inscribed with the words: "Taken from the people, used for the people."

I possess the nine provinces and the four seas, so all the people and all those who have contributed to the country will share the world with me!

I want to clearly tell the world that those who seek fame will gain fame, and those who pursue profit will pursue profit.

Reputation, prestige, luxury homes, privileges and conveniences—all clearly priced, fair and honest!
Do you want to be superior to others? Do you want to turn the tables and become the master of your own destiny? Do you want to trample those who used to humiliate and look down on you under your feet?
"Then come and earn some merit! The Hall of Merit has everything you could possibly need!"

He paused slightly as he spoke, and his gaze toward Yan Xiang became noticeably more serious.

"This next place is of utmost importance."

In order to complete the Lingyan Pavilion and the Hall of Merit, a special department was needed, separate from the court, called the Observatory.

The Observatory of Astronomy is responsible for upholding the balance of power on my behalf, monitoring the world, and calculating the merits and demerits of all beings.

Those who have made contributions will be rewarded, and those who have made mistakes will be punished.

Yan Gong is mature and prudent, so he should be the head of the Observatory, with Zhuge Kongming as his deputy, assisting and learning from Yan Gong.

To prevent favoritism and corruption, I will establish the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot, one open and one covert, working together and competing with each other, each responsible only to me, specifically to supervise the Imperial Observatory. The two will then be compared to calculate the merits and demerits of the Imperial Observatory.

"Lord Yan, I entrust this important matter to you. Organize it in conjunction with my coronation ceremony, and I will announce it to the world during the sacrificial rites."

Yan Xiang's already hunched body became even more hunched over.

While I am handling all the affairs, large and small, under the rule of the King of Han, I also have to organize the coronation ceremony, and then there are the Lingyan Pavilion, the Hall of Merit, the Astronomical Bureau, and I also have to calculate the merits and demerits of the world.
King Han, why don't you divide this old minister into several people to serve?
Seeing that he lacked enthusiasm, Yuan Shu said to him:
"If you accomplish this, it will be a tremendous achievement for you?"

Yan Xiang: "."

Three! No more than that.

"This old minister believes that Your Majesty is right. An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles, and this is precisely the time for me to put my skills to use!"

To be honest, he wasn't after any special benefits from the Heavenly Stars; he was simply hoping that in the future, the Han Emperor would replace the Azure Heaven with the Yellow Heaven, allowing the Earth element to continue the Fire element and usher in a new dynasty.

If I could become the number one star, it would be a glorious name for all time, just like the first of the twenty-eight generals under Emperor Guangwu. How could I not be tempted?
Watching Yan Xiang also become enthusiastic and leave excitedly.

In the study, Yuan Shu remained silent for a long time.

The Han Dynasty, which has existed for four hundred years, has been corrupt for far too long.

For example, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei once vowed to restore the Han Dynasty with their swords and spears.

But back then, they killed so many Yellow Turbans and risked their lives to kill bandits several times, only to be appointed as the magistrate of Anxi County. They were even forced to resign by the inspector. Doesn't that make people feel disheartened?
Liu Bei was only noticed because he later became Emperor Zhaolie, and was subsequently lost to history. How many others who contributed to the country but remained silent?
On the other hand, the likes of He Jin and the Ten Attendants are of no benefit to the country, yet they hold high positions. Isn't that ridiculous?

If Yuan Shu had remained the head of the Yuan family for his entire life, then as the head of a powerful clan, the corrupt Han dynasty would have been entirely beneficial to him.

However, if he wanted to establish a new dynasty and become the King of Han, the corruption of the Han Dynasty and the aristocratic families would be detrimental to him as the ruler of the world.

However, the corrupt system was deeply entrenched and could not be defied by any single person or force. Even a powerful emperor like Emperor Guangwu had to compromise with the aristocratic families.

What Yuan Shu is trying to do now is to use a battle for fame and fortune, under the guise of merit and demerit, to bind the people of the world to his war machine.

The world is bustling with activity, all for profit; the world is in turmoil, all for profit.

Whether they are noble families or commoners, everyone must be wrapped up by me!
To rise above others? To enjoy wealth and glory?
Everyone relies on their own abilities!
Those who have rendered meritorious service to the country, even if they are just old farmers in the countryside, can be granted noble titles and be superior to others.

If you have contributed nothing to the country, even if you are the eldest son of a noble family, you are still considered a lowly person.

The key is that if this is implemented, no powerful families will object, because the temptation of Yuan Shu being placed in the Lingyan Pavilion and the Hall of Merit is too great, and no one will refuse.

The powerful families who have followed Yuan Shu to this day already have an advantage. At this point, they don't see the common people as their rivals. The only rivals they can compete with are other powerful families.

This is precisely the time when they are vying to show off and compete for fame and fortune!
Just like the imperial examination system, after ten, a hundred, or a thousand years, the advantages of aristocratic families will gradually diminish, and that will be the time when the balance of power shifts.

How can a family with only one generation of talent compete with the rest of the world?
Perhaps by then, both I and Kongming will be dead, and corruption will emerge in both the Imperial Observatory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot, which are responsible for supervision.

But just as the imperial examination system was rife with favoritism and corruption, in any case, after the imperial examination system was established, the lives of all people in the world were better than before.

At least with such a vast and powerful China, it could turn the chaos caused by the Five Barbarian Tribes into a tremendous achievement, stealing lives and killing them until they were terrified.

I, Yuan Gonglu, shall present the inner chapter of this late Eastern Han Dynasty.

After a brief silence in the study, a servant announced, "Your Majesty, Prince Gan Ning has arrived!"

With the sound of a bronze chime, Gan Ning stepped into the hall and bowed down.

"Ning, pay your respects to your godfather."

Yuan Shu nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile:

"Just now, Lord Yan left from my side to receive his orders. Do you know what he intends to do?"

Gan Ning was bewildered, not knowing why Yuan Shu had asked such a question, and how could he possibly know, so he could only cooperate.

"I don't know, so please tell me, Godfather."

"This matter is top secret, but I'm telling you this in secret."

For some reason, Gan Ning felt a sense of déjà vu as he looked at Yuan Shu's smiling, sales-oriented tone.

That's it! Every time Xing Daorong and Cai Mao tried to introduce someone to lend a hand, they used the same expression and tone.

Just as he made up his mind to guard his mind and not be easily pulled into doing hard work by his adoptive father, he heard the King of Han say.

"Now that the Lingyan Pavilion has been established, the highest-ranking members will be listed among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars."

Gan Ning: "!!!"

A true man behaves in the world and is famous all over the world!

found it!
He had finally found the life goal he had been striving for all his life, which was why he had given up the stable life provided by his family and set sail on the great river.

He loves fine clothes and fine sails; isn't this what he's after—the kind of person who wants to achieve success through his own efforts?

These are not the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars, but clearly the Twenty-Eight Generals of the Han King's Cloud Platform.

This is exactly what I, Gan Xingba, want!

Therefore, before Yuan Shu could finish speaking, Gan Ning rushed forward and knelt down.

"There is no need to say anything more from my godfather, and there is no need to listen to the other star positions."

One should either not do it at all, or if one does it, one should be listed among the Heavenly Stars.

"If my godfather has any orders, please give them; I will go through fire and water, even at the cost of my life!"

"Excellent! Such ambition! You truly are my son!"

Yuan Shu nodded in satisfaction and gave the order.

"If it weren't for the previous campaign against Jingzhou, which led to the transfer of Jiang Qin's naval forces, they would have already been transporting supplies to Youzhou for General Gongsun."

Now that Jingzhou is pacified, and my son has been appointed as a naval admiral, you will be in charge of this matter.

Thinking back, without my help, General Gongsun must have had a very difficult time lately.

Gan Ning nodded upon hearing this. Transporting supplies by ship was something that was so simple to him that it was almost boring.

He immediately bowed and accepted the order.

"Your son will obey your orders, Father. But I don't know what supplies need to be transported to General Gongsun's place. Where should we allocate them?"

Yuan Shu simply blinked at this and said, "No need to allocate any resources. You don't need to bring anything. Just take your troops and set sail."

Here's what we'll do: since this is your first time doing this, I'll have Jiang Qin take you on this trip. After you've done it, you'll understand.

"Don't worry, this is my son's forte; it's as easy as taking something out of a bag."

Gan Ning was completely baffled by what he heard.

Wasn't I supposed to transport supplies to Youzhou?
Who would send an empty ship out to transport supplies?

What's the difference between this aid to Gongsun Zan and no aid at all?
Since their own troops wouldn't stay in Youzhou, what was the point of making this trip?

"Godfather, this..."

However, Yuan Shu did not offer him further explanation, only adding a single sentence.

"By the way, take one hundred sets of armor and horse armor from the Shouchun Heavy Industry and send them to your sworn brother Zhao Zilong."

Also, with the Lunar New Year approaching, these are clothes your godmother sewed for you children for the holiday.

Since you are about to embark on a long journey, I gave this to you in advance, and also to Zilong along with it.

The rest depends on your performance on this trip.

If you perform well, this trip will be a tremendous achievement for you, who knows?

Gan Ning: “???”

I'm just a supply courier, and I don't fight any battles. How can I possibly make a great contribution?

But seeing that Yuan Shu didn't seem inclined to explain further, he didn't ask any more questions.

Instead, he was quite moved when he received the two bundles of clothes from the waiter.

At home, only my elderly mother sews new clothes for me during the Lunar New Year. I never expected that I would receive new clothes this year, even though I am far away in Huainan.

Gan Ning bowed his head and kowtowed again, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, godmother! Thank you for your great kindness, godfather!"

"I will certainly not fail in my mission."

Yuan Shu waved his hand, indicating that he could leave, only giving him a parting word.

"Remember this!"
The affairs of Lingyan Pavilion are highly confidential and must not be divulged to anyone other than a trusted person.

"Don't worry, Godfather, I know what's important!"

Ning is definitely not someone who talks nonsense.

However, not long after, as everyone knows, there was a man whose name alone would startle people. He was best suited to have drinks with someone, and coincidentally, he was the one who brought Gan Ning into Yuan's camp. He was a trustworthy person.

So one day, Cai Mao saw Xing Daorong and was surprised.

"It's almost the end of the year, why is Brother Xing still working so hard?"

Even resettling displaced people requires exhausting one's wealth to provide shelter and food for the people?

Under the rule of the King of Han, anyone who did something beneficial to the people was recorded as a meritorious official.

However, such meritorious service requires a large scale; the number of people helped must be sufficient.

But the problem is that it costs a lot of money!
This is no different from burning money to gain credit. People don't usually compete for this, and income and effort are often disproportionate.

Xing Daorong's current behavior of spending money to gain credit appears unconventional and naturally attracts Cai Mao's attention.

When Xing Daorong saw that it was his good brother Cai Mao, who had helped him out, his eyes lit up.

My family only has so much money, while the Cai family is much larger and more powerful.

Then he said to him:

"Brother Cai, I have some top-secret information to help you out. Let's work together."

You must remember not to tell anyone else.

(End of this chapter)