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

Chapter 293 Everything has just begun, everyone still needs to work hard!

On the first day of the third year of Jian'an, in Shouchun, the grand ceremony for proclaiming himself king was held!

As the morning sun pierced the darkness, the first rays of dawn spread across the mountains and fields.

The altar on Mount Bagong was covered with layers of earthen-yellow curtains, swaying in the wind and gleaming in the morning light.

People from all over the mountains and fields spontaneously came to witness the ceremony. They came as if on a pilgrimage to pray for blessings and to pay homage to the Manifest Holy Lord they believed in.

Before the common people were representatives from the major clans of Jing, Yang, and Yu provinces. Next to them were all the civil and military officials from Yuan Shu's camp who could attend. In the innermost circle were Yuan Shu's adopted son Zhang Xiu, his stepson Yuan Ce, and his biological son Yuan Yao.

Everyone gazed intently at the altar, where Yuan Shu wore a twelve-tassel imperial crown, a bright yellow imperial robe, the Imperial Seal of the State at his waist, and held the Taiping Sword in his hand.

He stepped forward with his sword at his side, slowly ascending the nine jade steps to the center of the altar, where he joined the chanting of the sacrificial official, Yu Jidao.

The sacrificial animals were offered, and sacrifices were made to Heaven and Earth. Offerings were made to the Yellow Heaven above and to the Earth God below, and the decree was issued:

I have heard that the order of Heaven is constant, and only the virtuous reside in it; the divine regalia is in motion, and only the foolish and incompetent can safeguard it.

In the past, Emperor Taizu Gao pioneered the Han Dynasty, which lasted for four hundred years. He spread virtue and civilization to nourish all people.

However, times change and the descendants are unfilial, causing people to live in misery and suffering.

Since the Great Teacher of Virtue was ordained by the Yellow Heaven and determined the fate of the Azure Heaven, he sacrificed his life in the past to fulfill his wish for peace and prosperity.

Then the empire fell apart, the people suffered, the state collapsed, and the Han dynasty declined.

I first heard that Dong Zhuo's wicked arrogance was boundless, he deposed and installed emperors, seized power, burned Luoyang, moved the ancestral temples, and caused the emperor to be tarnished and reduced to a mere plaything.

Later, Li and Guo continued the rebellion, hijacked Chang'an, burned down the palaces, and forced the people to flee, causing the emperor to escape and be treated worse than pigs and dogs.

Even today, the traitor Cao Cao holds the emperor hostage, manipulates power, and coerces the emperor to command the feudal lords!

He harmed loyal officials, undermined the foundation of the Han dynasty, made all the decisions himself, and killed all who disobeyed him. He burned Luoyang to the ground, imprisoned the emperor, and treated him like a puppet.

Its edicts did not leave the palace, the loyal and forgiving wept in the netherworld, the common people died in ditches, and the corpses of the starving were scattered all over the wilderness!

This is truly a critical moment of life and death, a crisis unprecedented in the four hundred years of the Han Dynasty.

As a result, a secret envoy of the emperor arrived in Shouchun, carrying a blood-stained edict, which revealed a secret plan to eliminate Cao Cao and to unite loyal and upright officials both inside and outside the court.

Those listed in the imperial edict started with Grand Tutor Liu Yao, followed by Grand Preceptor Liu Biao, General of the Rear Liu Bei, General of Chariots and Cavalry Dong Cheng, and others!

The book, titled "Han Minister," contains over a hundred works, all of whom harbored the ambition to uphold justice and the desire to save the nation.

What a tragedy! What a pity!
The secret was not kept, and Cao Cao discovered it. The best of Han officials were reduced to ashes.

Luoyang is now a sea of ​​fire, the blood of loyal ministers has been spilled all over the streets, the people of the Central Plains have suffered their atrocities, and the emperor in the palace has been abused!

This has angered Heaven and man, and aroused the wrath of both gods and men. Even if all the bamboo of the Southern Mountains were used to record the crimes, they would not be enough; even if the waves of the Eastern Sea were used to wash away the evil, it would not be enough!

Fortunately, there are diligent ministers serving within the palace and loyal officials who forget themselves outside, all because they cherish Your Majesty's special favor and have brought this edict to Huainan.

The atrocities committed by Cao Cao should be made public so that all discerning people can truly witness them!

How could I not be heartbroken and filled with remorse, yet I humbly obey the imperial edict?

As Yuan Shu spoke, he seemed unable to control his emotions, covering his face and weeping. He paused for a moment, then took out an imperial edict from his sleeve and handed it to the assembled officials for them to see.

There were designated readers who read aloud the words of Yuan Shu and the contents of the imperial edict, proclaiming them layer by layer until they resounded throughout Mount Bagong.

Those present wept bitterly; those who heard the story were heartbroken, and those who saw it were filled with sorrow.

A scene of sorrow pervaded the mountainside and the valley below.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Shu immediately suppressed his emotions, wiped away his tears, and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

After all voices had fallen silent, he then proclaimed:

[I, whose courtesy name is Gonglu, have been a member of a family that has produced three dukes for four generations. Since the chaos began, I have not had a single day without grieving for the emperor and tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep.]

Rising early and retiring late, with the ambition to quell the rebellion, we now reclaim the lands of three prefectures to restore the Han dynasty and comfort a million displaced people to enjoy peace.

This was in line with the aspirations of Emperor Taizu Gao, who wanted to eliminate tyranny and bring peace to the world!

Ten days ago, I sent Cao Anmin to Luoyang, where he received an imperial edict instructing him to send someone back to Shouchun. His words were:

"Cao Cao's treason has been exposed, and the Han dynasty is in imminent danger. Among all the warlords in the nine provinces, only Shu is capable of taking on the task of suppressing the traitor, supporting the crumbling edifice, and relieving the suffering of the people!"

"Now I shall ascend to the throne of the King of Han, and take it upon myself to restore order to the world!"

In the Luoyang Palace, the Emperor personally conferred upon Cao Anmin the title of Marquis of Duting. Cao Anmin declined the title three times on behalf of the Emperor, but the Emperor refused.

The ministers kowtowed and pleaded, saying, "Without being promoted to a higher position and enjoying greater prestige, we cannot win the hearts of the people; without taking full control of the military, we cannot eliminate the traitor Cao!"

I have carefully considered this:

The Han dynasty is not yet over; there must be ministers to save it from peril.
The people are not yet dead, and they desperately need a savior.

At that time, Luoyang was in great chaos, Han officials died for their country, the emperor was trapped within the palace walls, and the traitor Cao Cao ran rampant outside!

If I do not obey the will of Heaven and the people, and instead accept Your Majesty's decree to ascend the throne as King of Han and establish my capital in Shouchun, who will save the Han Dynasty and its people?
Now I shall be appointed King of Han by imperial decree, personally command the six armies, vow to kill Cao Cao, rescue Your Majesty from prison, and restore the ancestral temples of the Han Dynasty!
He brought peace and prosperity to the people, punished the disobedient, won the hearts of the people, and had all nations pay tribute!
This is the mandate of Heaven, the cause of the Han dynasty's rise, and I, along with all the people, bear witness to it.

By the mandate of Heaven, I am now the King of Han!

After Yuan Shu finished speaking, the messengers repeated the story in turn, and it spread throughout the entire Bagong Mountain.

The people and officials instantly prostrated themselves, and robes of all colors rose and fell from the mountain to the foot of the mountain, the waves of sound growing louder and louder.

"Long live the King of Han!"

"Long live the King of Han!!"

"Long live the King of Han! Long live the King of Han! Long live the King of Han!!!"

Yan Xiang and other loyal veteran officials trembled slightly as they held the jade tablets, watching this scene with relief, their eyes already brimming with tears.

The representatives of the powerful families bowed their heads in reverence, then quietly raised their eyes to watch this scene with eager anticipation, as if they were expecting something.

The people bowed their heads in worship, sincerely praying that the Daoist King would bless them with favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year.

The drums beat in time, the eight drums resounded, and firecrackers crackled, celebrating both the enthronement of the Han King and the arrival of the new year!

The clear sound of the chime bells mingled with the echoes of bells and chimes. After everyone's emotions had gradually calmed down, Yuan Shu smiled and looked down at the crowd, saying:

"Now that I am the King of Han, I shall welcome the New Year and establish new systems."

"I am about to announce several decrees to you, to the world, and to all the people of the nine provinces. I imagine you have already heard of many of them."

From the ministers to the noble families and even the common people, everyone immediately guessed that what the King of Han would announce next was the long-rumored Lingyan Pavilion, the Hall of Merit, the Ten Great Noble Families, and the Council of Princes.

Many of these, especially the merit system of Lingyan Pavilion and the reward exchange of the Hall of Merit, are closely related to even ordinary people.

For the first time, the people were not completely ignorant of the government's decrees and were not misled by officials.

On and around this Mount Bagong, their king personally announced the decrees to them, with the announcer repeating them, and those who did not understand could ask the junior official of the Astronomical Bureau who was on duty to explain.

Never before had they felt this so deeply:

Their king stands in the center of the crowd!

Yuan Shu raised his hand, signaling for silence from the entire audience!
In the brisk morning breeze, his robes fluttered in the rising sun, rising slowly like the sun itself, reaching its zenith.

The first thing he announced was the long-established matter of the ten great families.

"I have long heard that what is taken from the people should be used for the people!"

Now, initiating this righteous act, based on the amount of land contributed, the number of people released, and the merits of those who have been charitable and generous in recent times, and taking into account the voice of the people and the recommendations of the ministers, I hereby designate ten prominent families: Yuan, Cai, Bu, Sun, Gu, and Lu, etc.!
These ten surnames are exemplary aristocratic families of the Han state and will enjoy the benefits of the top ten aristocratic families this year.

Firstly: No need for formalities!

You shall not bow to your superiors, nor kneel before the emperor; you shall be the backbone of the people, forging your iron will.

Secondly: Virtue is revered!
All prominent families in the country, upon encountering these ten surnames, shall yield the way and pay their respects, in order to honor their virtue.

Thirdly: Rewards in salary!
All prominent families in the country shall have one percent of their annual income taken from every hundred miles to reward ten families!
Fourthly: Talent recommendation!
Of these ten families, one talented individual may be recommended to enter the Shouchun Academy and become a registered disciple of mine.

Fifthly: Relatives

Of these ten families, one woman may be chosen to enter the palace, becoming a member of the imperial family and sharing the nation's fate.

"

As the King of Han listed out the benefits one by one, including the numerous advantages, the ten selected families were overjoyed.

They were originally just vying for a spot in the palace to be selected as daughters of good families, but they never expected to end up buying the box and returning the pearl. The benefits of being selected as one of the top ten families are just too many!
As expected! The Prince of Han, being born into a prestigious family and leading it, still deeply loves our family!

If a hundred families in the world were to take a portion of their annual income, they would support ten families like ours.
The benefits are so great that all the previous losses can be made back in the blink of an eye.
Those aristocratic families who were not selected were even more heartbroken, their eyes red with regret.

What does that mean? Not only do we have to use our own annual income to support these guys, but we also have to bow and give way to them when we see them?
Why should we be inferior to them for no reason?
No, King Han, if you have this benefit, why didn't you explain it earlier?
If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have cared whether we had any eligible women in our families. We should have just grabbed those spots in the top ten aristocratic families at all costs!
and many more!

Just as one side was secretly pleased and the other side was envious and jealous, everyone suddenly realized that something seemed wrong.
[This year's Top Ten Family Benefits?]

A familiar feeling gradually surfaced in my heart!

As expected by the noble families, the King of Han laughed and said:
"Given the enthusiastic holding and successful conclusion of this year's election activities for the ten aristocratic families."

I have decided that this joyous and celebratory celebration will be held once a year during the annual festival!
The ten surnames that contribute the most to the common people each year and achieve the greatest merit will be designated as the top ten families for the following year, enjoying a year's worth of benefits.

Those who fail to meet the requirements will have their benefits cancelled, but will be encouraged to try again in the future!

The Ten Great Families: "."

So all that effort was just for us to experience it for a year?
King Han! No! Can't we enjoy the title of "One of the Ten Great Families" forever?
However, people's joys and sorrows are not all the same.

Unlike the people of the ten great families, the other families were overjoyed!
That's wonderful! The King of Han hasn't forgotten us!

This time, I was unaware of the many benefits and was careless, allowing these people to take advantage of me. They can come back to fight again next year.

At this moment, even if the ten selected aristocratic families had a lot of dissatisfaction with the Prince of Han's sudden move, they could not go against the will of all the other aristocratic families.

And what about the other aristocratic families?

They were already somewhat resentful when the King of Han ordered them to contribute one percent of their annual income to support the ten great families.

After all, although each family doesn't draw many samples, they're still reluctant and even have reservations about it.

But now it’s different!

If we win the battle for the title of one of the ten great families next year, won't all the patronage from the great families in the world come to our side?
Cannot be cancelled!

Such a good policy absolutely cannot be cancelled!
As for the wishes of those small and medium-sized families who feel they are not qualified to compete for the title of one of the top ten families?

I'm sorry, but all the major families have already been united in the battle for the title of "Top Ten Families," leaving the smaller families with no voice to object.

Fortunately, the number of people selected from a hundred is not large. They often suffer from the annexation and oppression of powerful families anyway. They can always endure it and things will be fine. It's not the first time, after all.

Therefore, everyone, whether they were already selected as members of the ten great families and enjoying the benefits, or those who were not selected but were eager to compete in the next year, called the King of Han's decree of the annual "Battle for the Ten Great Families" a benevolent and virtuous policy, and all obeyed it.

As for Yuan Shu, since he couldn't stop the powerful families from exploiting the common people, he would encourage the powerful families to exploit the smaller families.

Finally, these powerful families, vying for the right to exploit smaller families, use the wealth they have extracted from the people for the benefit of the people.

Thus, a wonderful cycle is born!

Powerful families exploit the common people, the ten great families exploit each other, and to become one of the ten great families, one must give back to the people.

Although some wealth will inevitably be lost in the process, and it is impossible to take much from the people and use much for them, it will definitely make people's lives much better than before.

As for him, he doesn't need to worry about his position as one of the top ten families being secure in the future, because every time there is a competition for the top ten families, those families have to bleed a lot of money and beat the dogs until their brains come out.

At this point, as long as there are clever families who patiently wait a year before making their move, they can easily seize the throne by weakening the enemy at their peak.

There might even be a sixth brother who endures three years and accumulates ten years of effort, all for the sake of making a name for himself.

Therefore, the powerful families here fought and schemed, formed alliances and used spies in a complex and interconnected manner, creating an unprecedented spectacle, much like the Hundred Schools of Thought contending.

It's impossible to predict who will be this year's dark horse!

No matter how they fight, in this battle for the title of one of the Ten Great Families, the common people will ultimately benefit.

Of course, there is a way to break his open scheme: all the powerful families in the world should unite as one and not fight against each other!

If all the powerful families agree to surrender and lie low together, then this situation will collapse on its own.

Even though he was the King of Han, he could only bow down and compromise with the powerful families, begging them to contribute their efforts.

But this is impossible!
Because there will be traitors!

As long as one traitor emerges among the powerful families and begins to secretly stir up trouble, the others will be trapped in a vicious cycle of being forced to join in and vying for the title of one of the top ten families.

If you don't compete, you will be exploited by the ten great families. Only by becoming one of the ten great families can you become an exploiter of the other families.

After announcing the competition among the ten powerful families, Yuan Shu then announced the list of those selected from these families to enter the palace.

"Now, the Bu, Sun, Zou, Cai, and Feng families have entered the palace as ninth-rank talented women."

The current system of nine ranks for the imperial harem is established.

The rank of a concubine is second rank; the rank of a Noble Consort is first rank; and the rank of Imperial Noble Consort is second rank!

hiss~
Finished!

Upon hearing the Prince of Han mention the Nine-Rank System, the noble families felt that familiar feeling return.

as predicted.

All I heard was the King of Han speaking eloquently.

"The two Qiao sisters have served me for many years and have made great contributions. They are the second-rank Consort Xian and Consort De, and they manage the harem for me."

Others, if they wish to be promoted, can exchange their merits in the Hall of Merit.

Those who make great contributions will be promoted, those who make minor contributions will be promoted, and those who make no contributions will not be promoted.

The concubine with the most merits in the harem each year becomes an Imperial Noble Consort; if she holds this position for seven consecutive years, she can become Empress!

The Ten Great Families: We're finished! They're coming for me!

When it comes to selecting a suitable husband, why must it be one of the ten most prestigious families?
King Han, you've really messed with us!

How could these imperial concubines achieve any merit other than giving birth to the emperor's sons?
Isn't it still up to these relatives of the emperor to invest heavily, contribute their labor, sacrifice their families and businesses for the country, and establish merits in order to earn achievements?

good good!
We just contributed land and people to compete for the title of one of the top ten families, earning so much merit. And now you're immediately planning to take back our achievements?

The Hall of Merit hasn't even been announced yet, and there's already a huge additional expense for spending merit points.

In the past, women from the clan were sent to the palace to compete for the emperor's favor, hoping to become powerful generals and wield absolute power.

Now things are better. It's true that he can still be a powerful general with the maternal relatives, but sending women from his clan into the palace is just the beginning of his investment. He still needs to work hard to rise to the top.

(End of this chapter)