Chapter 155: Collective resignation? Just as I wished!

The news of Li Wan's arrest by Liu Ju spread like wildfire through Ji City in no time.

Almost all officials in the city were, to varying degrees, entangled in interests with Li Wan; once she fell, many would inevitably be implicated.

Thus, under the coordination of several leading officials, everyone jointly submitted a memorial urging Liu Ju to release Li Wan.

When this joint memorial was presented before Liu Ju, he was discussing follow‑up matters with Zhang Tang, Wei Xiang, and Xu Wei.

Liu Ju unfolded the letter, glanced at it hastily, his face instantly turned ashen, and with a slap he slammed the document onto the table, shouting furiously:

"This gang of corrupt officials dares to act so recklessly! Li Wan has committed heinous crimes; they show no remorse and even dare to demand I release her—utterly absurd!"

Zhang Tang, hearing this, flushed with anger, drew his sword and roared: "Your Majesty, these officials show no respect for the throne, openly opposing you; I beg to lead troops to slaughter them all and uphold the law!"

His eyes burned with fury; he longed to rush out and slaughter those officials to the last man.

Wei Xiang frowned, though also furious, he kept a semblance of calm and said: "Your Majesty, while Zhang Tang's words may feel satisfying, doing so would likely provoke greater chaos. These officials are deeply entrenched in Ji City; rashly executing them would surely arouse public resentment, and with the multitude of court affairs, killing them all could leave the government without anyone to serve."

Xu Wei also nodded in agreement: "Wei Xiang is right, Your Majesty; this matter requires careful deliberation. But no matter what, Li Wan's crimes are unforgivable, and those officials colluding with her must not be shown leniency."

Liu Ju took a deep breath, pondered a moment, then insisted: "My decision is final. These officials have colluded with Li Wan, gravely corrupting the bureaucracy, maliciously annexing land and seizing the property of the Han people—crossing the red line. I will surely dismiss and investigate them."

"As for the concern that the court will have no usable officials, I will find a solution. I cannot tolerate these corrupt officials harming the people merely because I fear a lack of manpower."

However, as soon as Liu Ju's decision was announced, it met with strong opposition from many officials.

The next day, Liu Ju's temporary palace was surrounded by Ji City's officials to the point of being impenetrable.

One official, face full of sorrow, knelt outside the gate and wailed:

"Your Majesty, most officials in Ji City are implicated; if we remove them all, the court will grind to a halt, numerous affairs will go unattended, and the construction of the secondary capital will fall into difficulty!"

His wailing drew a crowd of onlookers, who pointed and whispered.

Hearing the officials' words, the townsfolk whispered among themselves, discussing heatedly.

"Hmph," a strong young man shouted, "these officials usually throw their weight around, now they've made a mistake and still want to wiggle out. Your Majesty's reform of the bureaucracy is a good thing! The realm is vast, talented people are plentiful—how could there be no one to handle affairs?"

An elderly man nearby also nodded: "Indeed, we common folk long for a pure and honest court. Your Majesty, being wise, ought to sweep away these corrupt officials and appoint those who truly care for the people."

The crowd erupted in approval; many commoners clapped, showing strong support for the emperor's actions.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the local clans gathered together, their faces solemn.

One clan elder furrowed his brow and whispered to the person beside him: "This emperor is so stern; if he really removes those officials, our influence at court will be greatly weakened. Henceforth, handling many affairs will likely become difficult."

Another clan member, dressed in splendid attire, also wore a worried expression.

"Yes," he said, "most of the implicated officials have countless ties to us. This purge would damage our interests. We must find a way to persuade the emperor to withdraw his order."

Although they dared not wail in the streets like those officials, their eyes were full of opposition and worry toward Liu Ju's decision, and in private they schemed how to retrieve the situation.

Liu Ju's gaze was firm as he surveyed the kneeling officials and proclaimed loudly: "If no one is usable, I will select new talent! I believe that in this vast realm there will surely be capable individuals willing to serve me and contribute to the prosperity of the Great Han. I will never abandon bureaucratic reform because of temporary difficulties, nor tolerate corruption."

His voice was firm and powerful, echoing through the crowd.

Hearing this, the commoners cheered even more, their admiration for Liu Ju growing.

"Your Majesty is determined to eradicate all ills from our Great Han! With such a wise ruler, we common folk finally have hope!"

An old man with white‑streaked hair stroked his beard, his face full of relief.

The surrounding commoners nodded in agreement, and from time to time bursts of cheers rose from the crowd.

Meanwhile, the officials, upon hearing Liu Ju's words, grew ever more grim‑faced, their worries deepening; they realized that trying to stop his bureaucratic reform would be nearly impossible.

Nevertheless, some officials were unwilling to relinquish their power and interests, especially those heading key departments in Ji City.

"This emperor is so obstinate; let him taste the bitterness of having no usable officials. Once the court falls into chaos because of our departure, he will surely regret it and will have to beg us to return, restoring our offices and authority."

Some gathered like‑minded individuals to express doubt about Liu Ju's policies.

Immediately, these officials collectively approached Liu Ju and presented their resignation letters.

The scene once fell into a tense standoff.

Liu Ju sat in the chief seat, his expression calm, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd—all of this had been anticipated by him.

"These people think they can threaten him with this; they are simply foolish to the extreme."

Zhang Tang stood nearby, seeing this, he could not help but glare, hand on his sword hilt, longing to seize at once those officials scheming to disturb the bureaucracy.

He gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, these people openly defy your edicts, disregard the law, and deserve severe punishment!"

Wei Xiang, brows furrowed, looked worried, and with clasped hands said to Liu Ju: "Your Majesty, although these officials are hateful, their departure may temporarily throw court affairs into chaos; I hope you will reconsider your response."

Xu Wei appeared somewhat at a loss, glancing at Liu Ju then at the resigning officials, unsure what to do, so he simply stood aside quietly, awaiting Liu Ju's instruction.

Liu Ju lightly waved his hand and spoke steadily: "Officials, do not panic. Since I have firmly resolved to reform the bureaucracy, I will not be swayed by these petty tricks. The realm is vast, and capable individuals are countless. If these officials wish to leave, let them go. I will myself select those truly talented and responsible to serve the Great Han."

Soon after, news that seven‑tenths of Ji City's officials had resigned spread throughout the Great Han, causing a great uproar.