Chapter 1911: The Hall of Meritorious Officials

Under the spring sun, the Hall of Meritorious Officials was bathed in a soft glow. Since the start of the second month, the temperature had gradually warmed, the sky was a bright and clear blue, and the gentle breeze brought waves of comfort and ease.

To the east stood the Temple of Manifest Valor, to the west the Hall of Meritorious Officials — these were the landmark structures within the two capitals, built to commemorate the meritorious soldiers who had fought bloodily for the Great Han over the decades, and also as affirmation and reward for their life-and-death service.

The Temple of Manifest Valor was a shrine for martyrs, while the Hall of Meritorious Officials was a shrine for distinguished service. Unlike the magnificent forest of steles at the Temple of Manifest Valor, the Hall of Meritorious Officials was much smaller in scale, but more splendid and imposing, and of considerably higher rank — with incense burning without cease, generation after generation.

The Temple of Manifest Valor was open to the public on ordinary days, for sightseeing and for offering sacrifices in remembrance. Although the Hall of Meritorious Officials was likewise outside the imperial city, its security level was very high — heavily guarded on ordinary days, difficult for common people to approach. Even those who wished to pay their respects could only do so from outside the hall.

Over decades of continuous propaganda, the symbolic significance of the Hall of Meritorious Officials and the Temple of Manifest Valor had grown ever greater. The Hall of Meritorious Officials in particular was sacred and inviolable — for the many sons and grandsons of the Great Han's meritorious nobles, it had even become their spiritual symbol.

After all, the spirit tablets of their fathers and grandfathers were enshrined within. This was not merely a symbol of spiritual honor — it was the very source of their status, wealth, and power. Therefore, among Emperor Liu's many policies and arrangements, only the Hall of Meritorious Officials enjoyed absolute support from nobles high and low.

And over the past twenty or thirty years, no matter how many restrictions or suppressions Emperor Liu had imposed on the noble class, for the Great Han's nobles, as long as the Hall of Meritorious Officials still stood, they remained the ruling elite sharing the nation's fortunes.

In recent years, a saying had circulated among the upper echelons of the Great Han: easy to enter the Temple of Manifest Valor, hard to enter the Hall of Meritorious Officials. The Hall of Meritorious Officials was absolutely not a place just anyone could enter. The Great Han had several hundred dukes, marquises, and earls, yet fewer than a third of them could have their spirit tablets enjoy incense offerings within after death.

The establishment of the Hall of Meritorious Officials was originally centered on the Twenty-Four Meritorious Officials of Qianyou, whose spirit tablets stood in the very center, supplemented by portraits hung high. Only the twenty-four had the right to have their portraits displayed, which directly distinguished their status from that of other meritorious officials.

The rest were arranged in order after them. The threshold for entering the Hall of Meritorious Officials was very high. Although there was a series of comprehensive considerations, the core criterion was only one: without great merit, one does not enter. In this regard, Emperor Liu's attitude was clear and resolute. Many imperial relatives bearing noble titles were uncompromisingly excluded. To this day, apart from the Empress's brother, Li Hongwei of Si River, no one else had entered. In the future, the most likely candidates were probably Prince Yong, Liu Chenghsun, Duke of Shou, Li Shaoyou, and Duke of Hui, Song Yanwo. According to Emperor Liu's rules, even Prince Xu, Liu Chengyun, was not qualified — despite being the senior member of the imperial clan.

As such, the prestige of the Hall of Meritorious Officials only grew higher, and its status more prominent. Many old nobles, before they died, would mutter about nothing besides their funeral arrangements and whether they could enter the Hall of Meritorious Officials.

Over ten or twenty years, old ministers withered away and meritorious officials passed on. The Hall of Meritorious Officials was naturally no longer as "quiet" as it had been at first — people kept entering, and the incense grew ever more abundant.

Recently, two new figures had been added. One was naturally Duke Wen, Xiang Xun. Xiang Xun's life had been relatively tough, but even he could not withstand the great power of fate. Seven days after Emperor Liu visited him, he passed away from illness at home.

The other was Duke Wuqing, Wang Yanchao, a military governor of the old generation. Wang Yanchao could not be counted as a founding meritorious official, nor was he one of Emperor Liu's followers from the very beginning — even his submission to the court had not come particularly early. But this man had outstanding military talent and possessed a political acumen and insight distinct from ordinary military officers. He had rendered great service in the Great Han's campaigns north and south and the unification of the realm. Combined with his deep seniority and the good impression he had made on Emperor Liu, he ultimately obtained a County Duke title. He also lived to a ripe old age, passing at seventy-five — a good death, with a rich life experience and no regrets.

Of course, the Great Han's meritorious nobles had withered away in far too great numbers. Moreover, since he had died around the same time as Xiang Xun, the fanfare was overshadowed and did not attract much reaction. His family handled the funeral very quietly — Wang Yanchao had departed, as it were, without a sound...

At this moment, the great doors of the Hall of Meritorious Officials stood wide open. Within the solemn and dignified hall, a full gathering was assembled — essentially all the heads of the meritorious noble families of the Great Han in the capital had come. This was the second time this year; the last had been at the public memorial ceremony presided over by the Crown Prince, while this time they had come by imperial summons.

The main shrine hall was very spacious — a hundred or two hundred people gathered together showed no sign of crowding. The atmosphere was extremely solemn, order perfectly maintained. In such a dignified and sacred place, everyone maintained reverence, daring no breach of protocol. They simply arranged themselves in order of noble rank, gazing with devout hearts at the spirit tablets and portraits of their predecessors, silently consoling the heroic spirits.

Things always move forward; a new generation replaces the old. The Great Han's nobles of the early days had been the luminaries of that era — Murong Yanzhao, Guo Rong, Xiang Xun, Gao Huaide, Zhao Kuangyin, Wei Renpu, Wang Pu, Li Gu, Xue Juzheng — but now they had been replaced by second- and third-generation nobles.

Among those present, the one of highest seniority and prestige had become Duke Henei, Han Tong. One must understand that although Han Tong had followed Emperor Liu relatively early, he had never been among the first tier of powerful nobles — his status had always been a cut below.

Now, the situation was different. Men like Murong Yanzhao, Guo Rong, and even Zhao Kuangyin — no matter how great their achievements or how strong their abilities, what did it matter? They had long since turned to a handful of yellow earth.

But he, Han Tong, had a tough life, had lived longer, and was in excellent health — to this day he could still eat meat and drink wine. His son already sat in the chancellor's hall. Such illustrious prestige had already surpassed that of the vast majority of nobles.

Among the nobles present, whoever saw him, Han Tong, had to obediently lower their heads and respectfully address him as "Duke Han." Even if he threw his weight around and lectured them this way and that, they had to listen docilely.

Such status and treatment were things Han Tong could never have enjoyed in the past. Therefore, within the Hall of Meritorious Officials, standing at the head of all the nobles, Han Tong — though leaning on a cane — held his head high and chest out. That cane was of sandalwood gilded with gold, shaped with a dragon's head, bestowed last year by Emperor Liu when he saw that Han Tong's legs were unsteady.

And as Han Tong observed those "old comrades" enshrined upon the altar, amid his sighs of emotion, his mind could not help but ponder — when he died, he should surely be able to enter the hall as well. It was all but certain. Even Wang Yanchao was qualified — let alone he, Han Tong!

In the solemn atmosphere, there was not a single sound of noise. Everyone waited in silence, for the main figure had not yet arrived. But the wait was not long — with a loud proclamation, Emperor Liu's figure appeared.

The old emperor had arrived. These nobles, who were eminent before others, might not have been like mice seeing a cat, but they were not far off. Each lowered their eyes and held their breath, and even Han Tong dared not maintain his chest-out posture.

The bamboo cane had long become Emperor Liu's standard accessory, never leaving his hand as he walked. He no longer strode with the vigor of a dragon or tiger as in the old days. Accompanied by Crown Prince Liu Yang and Prince Jin, Liu Xi, he slowly made his way through the crowd of nobles, and under countless cautious and reverent gazes, step by step walked to the front of the assembly.

A sudden halt made people instinctively tense their bodies. Emperor Liu stopped before Duke Pingyuan, Sun Li — this "negative example" whom Emperor Liu often dragged out to discipline. Now he too showed his age — hair and beard streaked with white, frame thin and gaunt, with only a few rotten teeth left in his mouth still holding on stubbornly.

Seeing him in such an aged state, Emperor Liu could not help but feel a touch of empathy. Pointing at Sun Li's spotted old face, he said: "You silly fool, you've grown old too!"

Meeting Emperor Liu's gentle gaze, Sun Li grinned, and still spoke bluntly: "Though this old minister is old, he is still Your Majesty's vanguard!"

Hearing this, Emperor Liu smiled, walked forward two steps, then stopped again — this time before Wang Yansheng. The Ear-Biting General. Ever since returning from Mobei after a narrow escape from death in the northern expedition, his health had never been good — at one point people thought he was at death's door. But nearly twenty years had passed, and his old comrades-in-arms from those days, like Marquis Bowang, Guo Jin, had all passed away long ago — yet he still lived.

However, the erosion of time was truly hard to resist. Wang Yansheng had aged beyond recognition — his leg was lame, his eyes dim, and his ears had grown poor. Emperor Liu called out to him once, but there was no reaction. It was only when Yang Ye beside him reminded him that he finally came to his senses: "The Emperor has come? Where is he?"

"The Emperor is right in front of you!" Yang Ye could not help but lean close to his ear and raise his voice to remind him.

This time he heard clearly. Wang Yansheng immediately moved to perform the great salute, his movements clumsy, showing no trace of his former vigor. One must know that Wang Yansheng had once been renowned for his fierce bravery.

Seeing this, Emperor Liu instinctively reached out to support Wang Yansheng, clasped his hand, and had Yang Ye help him, instructing: "Take good care of him!"

Given Emperor Liu's nature, he ought to have suspected whether Wang Yansheng's display might be feigned. But at this moment, he did not overthink it — pitying the aging of his loyal hounds, and leaving a little warmth of human feeling in the sovereign-minister relationship...

Walking on, Emperor Liu noticed Shi Shouxin. Since returning to the capital, he had served for a time as commander of the imperial army, but soon fell ill and had been bedridden ever since, nursing his sickness.

Looking at Shi Shouxin's deeply ailing old face, Emperor Liu furrowed his brow and said: "If your body is unwell and movement is difficult, then rest properly — why force yourself to stir?"

Emperor Liu's words could be taken as concern, at best. Shi Shouxin coughed twice, and in a somewhat weak voice said: "When Your Majesty summons, how could one be bound by a mere sickbed? Your servant's years are already numbered — all the more reason to cherish the opportunity to hear Your Majesty's sage instructions..."

Shi Shouxin's words were the utmost in humility and loyal obedience, yet hearing them was rather moving. A slight ripple appeared in Emperor Liu's aged eyes. He raised his hand and gently patted Shi Shouxin's shoulder — everything was conveyed without words.