Chapter 1984: The Watered-Down Kaibao Meritorious Officials

"In the evaluation of Kaibao meritorious officials, where does Wang Ming rank?" Following the topic, Emperor Liu suddenly asked.

The evaluation of Kaibao meritorious officials had already officially begun and was in the selection stage. Unlike the assessment of Qianyou meritorious officials, Emperor Liu had delegated this authority to Crown Prince Liu Yang, who presided over it, convening several hundred nobles, court officials, regional governors, military officers, soldiers, and scholars to jointly form a "Selection Committee" to evaluate the Kaibao meritorious officials. This clearly reflected Emperor Liu's "unrestrained" way of thinking.

This was already a massive undertaking, and unlike the straightforward assessment of Qianyou meritorious officials, it involved all sorts of elaborate procedures, naturally leading to endless troubles and disputes. Moreover, compared to the Qianyou meritorious officials, the "candidates" for Kaibao meritorious officials were more similar in seniority and reputation, and there was no concrete standard for measuring the size of their contributions. Ranking them clearly was no easy task, and with many voices, diverse backgrounds, and varying levels of competence, it quickly became a mess within just a few days.

In fact, many in the court disapproved of the old emperor's fanciful ideas. What great honor and importance did the Kaibao meritorious officials represent? They were to be recorded in history! How could those people have any qualification to interfere and chatter about such matters?

And as things later developed, it indeed nearly became impossible to resolve. Such matters were absolutely not a case where the more people involved, the fairer the outcome—that only brought trouble. The best approach was for the emperor to decide alone, without dragging things out.

Thus, Emperor Liu once again "humbly" accepted remonstrance. He no longer insisted on "public selection," but instead had Liu Yang deliberate together with the chancellors, heads of the various ministries, and some retired elder ministers and nobles. In this way, there were fewer people, more weight behind the decisions, and greater efficiency. Of course, disputes still had to be settled, but Liu Yang and Zhao Pu could better control the situation.

More importantly, this seemed to signify that the old emperor was further delegating authority to the Crown Prince. Even such a major matter as the Kaibao meritorious officials could be presided over by the Crown Prince to determine the conclusions—his status and influence could well be imagined.

As for those previously convened, they could only continue their discussions, but since no heavyweight figures participated anymore, whatever they produced no longer held any reference value. When the matter was finally concluded, they would naturally be disbanded.

At this moment, hearing Emperor Liu's question, Liu Yang remained composed and replied softly: "Your subjects have held several court deliberations and reached a preliminary list of twelve officials. His Grace Wang is not among them."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu's expression remained unchanged, but his tone immediately began to turn somewhat cold: "Oh? Even Wang Ming couldn't secure a place? Tell me, who are the results you've discussed?"

Noting the old emperor's expression, Liu Yang searched his mind briefly and reported: "Chancellor Zhao, Duke Hui, Duke Song, Count of Guangyang..."

"Wait!" Just as a few names were spoken, Emperor Liu immediately interrupted him, looking as if his brain couldn't keep up: "Say the names!"

"Yes!" Liu Yang acknowledged, adjusted slightly, and continued: "Zhao Pu, Song Yanwo, Song Qi, Zhao Kuangyi, Wang Yansheng, Yang Ye, Shi Shouxin, Pan Mei, Cao Bin, Li Fang, Shi Xizai, Lü Duan."

As each name was uttered, Emperor Liu pondered and murmured to himself. After a long while, he remarked: "That's fairly reasonable, I suppose. Everyone on the list is qualified and has sufficient merit, but it seems to be mostly civil officials?"

Apparently having anticipated such a reaction from Emperor Liu, Liu Yang replied unhurriedly: "Your subjects deliberated and unanimously agreed that Kaibao is an era of good governance and prosperity, so civil administration should take priority."

"Have there been few wars since the Kaibao era began?" Emperor Liu said.

On this matter, Emperor Liu had memories and thoughts, but no sense of proportion. In fact, the number of battles large and small since the Kaibao era began was by no means less than during the unification wars—indeed, it even exceeded them in quantity. As for scale and losses, the Kaibao Northern Expedition was the pinnacle of this era, and no other war could compare to it.

It seemed that Emperor Liu had some reservations about the structure of Kaibao meritorious officials being dominated by civil officials. However, Liu Yang still decided to voice his considerations: "The Qianyou period was one of chaos and division, while Kaibao is a great unified prosperous era. Qianyou was about founding, Kaibao is about preserving. There is a fundamental difference between the two."

Pausing briefly and carefully glancing at Emperor Liu, Liu Yang said with a candid and composed attitude: "Your son has no intention of using civil officials to control the military. The mutual support and mutual restraint of civil and military is Your Majesty's method of governing subjects, which I dare not alter. It's just that the current state of the nation and the general trend are such—I am merely going with the flow."

Although not entirely satisfied with Liu Yang's explanation, Emperor Liu did not dwell on it excessively. Instead, he abruptly asked about a person: "Why is Lu Duoxun not included?"

"Lu Duoxun?" This name genuinely caught Liu Yang off guard. Suppressing his confusion, Liu Yang said in a deep voice: "Lu Duoxun is a convicted minister, stripped of his post and executed. How could he be ranked among the Kaibao meritorious officials!"

As if knowing Liu Yang would say this, Emperor Liu smiled faintly: "In evaluating Kaibao meritorious officials, are we discussing merit or crime? Speaking impartially, how were Lu Duoxun's contributions?"

Liu Yang was silent for a moment, then answered in a low voice: "Whether in the provinces or at court, Lu Duoxun's contributions were considerable, and his achievements were numerous!"

He stopped there, having no intention of discussing the Lu Duoxun issue further. Liu Yang was not unaware of the thoughts the old emperor was subtly revealing—he even felt that Emperor Liu's consideration was too fanciful and impractical.

Was the problem with Lu Duoxun merely whether his contributions were sufficient? Could the matter be treated so simply? Regarding Lu Duoxun, history had already been sealed—his crimes were clearly established. Back then, it was Emperor Liu himself who ordered the investigation, and it was his decision to have him executed.

After all these years, Emperor Liu wanted to pull this trick again. Even if he himself could be capricious, he should at least consider the feelings of the court officials. Not to mention others—what would old Zhao Pu think? Lu Duoxun had been his bitter rival, locked in direct confrontation. Now they wanted to use Zhao Pu while also restoring Lu Duoxun to the Hall of Meritorious Officials to be enshrined—would Zhao Pu have no objections? Zhao Pu's magnanimity did not extend that far.

Stepping back, even if Zhao Pu could tolerate it, what about the other meritorious officials? Placing them alongside a convicted minister—what would that do to the quality of the "Kaibao meritorious officials"? Would they be willing? How would the world view it? How would later generations interpret this history and this figure, all because of a single inexplicable whim of Emperor Liu?

Although history was always full of absurd emperors and absurd ideas, Liu Yang truly did not wish to associate that word with the imperial father he had revered and respected for decades.

Liu Yang's silence was too unnatural, and Emperor Liu naturally sensed the subtle shift in his emotions. He finally glanced at him and changed the subject again: "Why limit it to twelve? I always feel that's too few. How can such a major matter as the Kaibao meritorious officials be covered by a mere twelve?"

Liu Yang's brow furrowed slightly, somewhat helpless. Wasn't setting twelve officials for Kaibao Emperor Liu's own idea? Of course, nothing was finalized yet, and it was understandable that the imperial will might change, adding or subtracting. It was just that the old emperor's fickleness was truly unsettling.

But it seemed Emperor Liu still had some sense of proportion in this matter, as he continued: "Before the list was drafted, I thought twelve was enough, but now it's clearly insufficient! Your third uncle, your eldest brother, third brother, fourth brother, sixth brother—Kaibao has lasted a full twenty-eight years, and the contributions of our imperial clan members must not be forgotten!"

Hearing Emperor Liu say this, Liu Yang suddenly understood—so this was the real purpose behind all the talk.

"What Your Majesty says is reasonable. This was an oversight on our part—we didn't think it through!" Liu Yang let out a soft breath, clasped his hands, and probed: "Should we include Third Uncle, Eldest Brother, and the others in the list of meritorious officials?"

"Would it be appropriate to include them all? It seems a bit unsightly?" Emperor Liu thought for a moment and said, but before Liu Yang could respond, he continued: "But the palm and the back of the hand are both flesh—it would be hard to bear leaving anyone out."

With Emperor Liu having spoken thus, how could Liu Yang not understand his inclination? After pondering briefly, he said: "Your subject will return and discuss with the various lords, then make some revisions!"

"It should be discussed! This matter requires caution!" Emperor Liu immediately stated. "But it also shouldn't drag on too long. This affair has already dragged on for several months, causing anxiety all around—that's not good!"

Such words coming from the old emperor's mouth were somewhat ironic, but Liu Yang still tried to go along with his wishes and replied respectfully: "Yes!"

"I think it's best this way—the day after tomorrow, at the Jiaqing birthday celebration, we'll announce it publicly, making it a double blessing!" Emperor Liu added.

Hearing this, Liu Yang's brow immediately knitted. Looking at the old emperor's excited demeanor, he hesitated: "Wouldn't that be too rushed? I'm afraid there won't be enough time."

"What's so rushed about it?" Emperor Liu waved his hand dismissively, looking confident: "Drafting the list, writing the commendations, preparing the documents—with ample manpower, half a day is enough. Besides, it's just an announcement to set the mood. The specific award ceremony can be held at another time."

Emperor Liu spoke lightly, but Liu Yang felt a great headache. The logic was sound, but if one ignored the practical difficulties in implementation, problems were bound to arise.

But since the old emperor had spoken so plainly, Liu Yang knew there was little room for negotiation and stopped insisting. He began pondering how to resolve this matter as properly as possible according to Emperor Liu's requirements and direction.

Taking his leave and walking toward Guangzheng Hall, Liu Yang's expression was unnatural, somewhat strange, like someone constipated—a thoroughly pained look.

By now, Liu Yang truly found it difficult to grasp the old emperor's mindset, let alone understand his way of thinking. It changed too fast and too strangely—he simply couldn't keep up.

To say something bordering on treason, the old emperor these days was truly beyond reason.

His face remained rigid throughout the journey, with little expression, but by the time he returned to Guangzheng Hall, his demeanor had returned to normal. Entering the hall, where the atmosphere was as solemn as usual, Liu Yang went straight to his office chamber, sat down, and a palace eunuch served tea. Taking a sip, he let out a long sigh, then instructed: "Go, summon Chancellors Zhao, Chancellor Lü, and Chancellor Xin!"

"Yes!"

With this one instruction from the Crown Prince, the entire Hall of State Affairs sprang into action. The emperor says one word, and those below run their legs off. But some things, in the actual implementation stage, were truly not as easy as Emperor Liu made them sound.

Liu Yang and the others worked overtime and that very night produced a list, which they submitted to Emperor Liu—only for him to reject it himself. The reason was simple: Emperor Liu felt it didn't look right and didn't match his wishes.

Sent back for revisions, still unsatisfied, revised again—three versions in total, until the afternoon of the next day. Seeing that time was running short and the words he'd spoken had to be fulfilled, Emperor Liu finally couldn't hold back. He took the latest version Liu Yang had submitted and personally revised it.

After some strokes of the brush, the "Twenty-Four Kaibao Ministers" was abruptly promulgated in a tense atmosphere—clearly hasty, overly careless, highlighting Emperor Liu's capriciousness. Once the list was drafted, what followed was, as Emperor Liu had said, merely going through the motions and formalities.

On the seventh day of the third month, the Jiaqing imperial birthday, at the imperial banquet in Qianyuan Hall that night, at Emperor Liu's direction, the results were publicly announced, read out by Hu De, the newly appointed head of the palace eunuchs. Of course, it wasn't just reading the list—each person's biography and achievements were also included. For Hu De, making his "report" for the first time at such a solemn occasion, the pressure was considerable; his throat nearly went dry.

However, this list of Kaibao meritorious officials, whether in its process of creation or its content, was not entirely satisfactory to people. In the final list, following Emperor Liu's wishes, all his imperial clan uncles and nephews were included. Perhaps knowing it didn't look good, he added more people, and so the number of Kaibao meritorious officials swelled from the initially planned twelve to twenty-four, matching the Qianyou meritorious officials.

The twelve names Liu Yang had submitted were all retained without a single removal—a recognition of their work. Then, following Emperor Liu's wishes, Liu Chenghsun, Liu Xu, Liu Xi, Liu Fang, and Liu Min—five uncles and nephews—were added, along with seven others: Wang Quanbin, Wang Ming, Ma Renyu, Wang You, Zhang Yongde, Zhang Yong, and Guo Liangping, totaling twenty-four.

Lu Duoxun ultimately did not make the list. Liu Yang firmly opposed it, and on this matter, he did not let Emperor Liu have his way.

Of course, in terms of ranking, Zhao Pu was unshakably first, with imperial brothers, princes, and imperial relatives all placed behind him.

Yet this watered-down list stirred up a great uproar throughout the court, giving an overall impression of insufficient substance.

What was most incomprehensible was Emperor Liu's "questionable maneuvers" throughout the entire process—both frustrating and speechless. A perfectly good matter, after his meddling, had somewhat lost its original flavor.

Even Zhao Pu, placed at the head of all the ministers, felt an unpleasant sensation like swallowing a fly. To be honest, Zhao Pu had secretly looked forward to this matter for a long time—it was nearly a settled conclusion. But in the end, he didn't feel much honor, nor did he experience the emperor's respect for his subjects. To put it bluntly, it felt like charity.

After all this maneuvering, the Kaibao meritorious officials simply couldn't be compared to the Qianyou meritorious officials. Though the numbers were equal, the treatment was worlds apart. Although both were enshrined in the Hall of Meritorious Officials, setting aside political status, even just looking at material benefits, the comparison was impossible.

The Qianyou meritorious officials were the twenty-four princes and dukes; as for the Kaibao meritorious officials, aside from those who already held noble titles, the rest were merely given an honorary rank title and an additional annual stipend of honor — even so, all were high ranks of the second grade and above.

To put it plainly, being a Kaibao meritorious official was simply a matter of honor, with the nominal far outweighing the actual. But even so, Emperor Liu still managed to shrink the scope of it.

Of course, setting aside the numbers and the process, this was still an immense honor, more than enough to leave one's name in history — after all, in the twenty-eight years of Kaibao, how many towering figures and heroes had emerged, and in the end only these twenty-four were chosen. Moreover, an annual second-grade honorary official stipend was still something tangible.

When it comes to anything, what one fears most is comparison.