Chapter 208: Wei Qing's Position

Wei Qing felt the Son of Heaven's gaze cast upon him; only after a long while did he let out a slight sigh, striding with steady steps to the exact center of the Xuanshi Hall.

But his solemn expression and the slight sweat on his forehead still revealed the great pressure he was under and his unease.

Wei Qing walked to the middle, first paying respects to Liu Ju, then clasping his hands and looking around, his voice low and forceful: "Your Majesty, fellow officials. Regarding today's discussion, I have a different opinion."

Seeing everyone's attention turn to him, Wei Qing composed himself and slowly said: "During Chancellor Tian Qianqiu's term in office, although he had some achievements, he also had deep policy disagreements with Huo Guang, which seriously hindered the implementation of court decisions, especially regarding the Southern Great Development."

Wei Qing's gaze grew slightly solemn as he continued: "When preparing the Southern Great Development, Chancellor Tian advocated a steady approach, believing they should first pacify the local populace before gradually advancing the projects to avoid stirring resentment. Huo Guang, however, urged swift and decisive action, concentrating manpower and resources to quickly open the situation and establish effective rule, arguing this was necessary to seize the initiative and fully utilize southern resources. The two held opposing views, refusing to yield, causing related decisions to be debated repeatedly without resolution. Because of the delay, the materials and manpower originally planned to be invested on time could not be put in place, and the project's progress fell seriously behind. Many who had intended to participate in the development also gradually lost confidence as they saw no results."

"Especially, the incident involving Chen Wenjin also occurred earlier."

Seeing Liu Ju nod in approval, and the officials, especially Tian Qianqiu, showing a thoughtful expression, Wei Qing continued: "Your Majesty, therefore I believe Tian Qianqiu's merits and faults are about three to seven."

As soon as Wei Qing's words fell, an uproar arose in the hall.

Who in the world doesn't know that Tian Qianqiu has always followed the Son of Heaven, earning merit for accompanying the dragon, and after becoming chancellor has been diligent and conscientious? How could Wei Qing evaluate him like this?

The clamor in the hall subsided somewhat, then someone spoke up first, his tone sharp: "Prince Wei, words cannot be spoken recklessly. Chancellor Tian and Minister Huo—one steady and experienced, the other bold and progressive—both have the Southern Great Development and the Han state at heart. Deliberating decisions naturally takes time; how can we blame the project's delay entirely on them? Moreover, the Chen Wenjin case is merely an isolated incident; we cannot deny the value of the chancellorship system because of his misdeeds."

No sooner had he spoken than another said: "Your Majesty, Prince Wei, the Southern Great Development is inherently a complex undertaking; differing opinions are quite normal. If we question the chancellorship over this disagreement, who in future court deliberations would dare voice a differing view?"

Yet another official stood up to oppose, but Tian Qianqiu himself stepped forward and spoke loudly: "Prince Wei's words are not without basis; regarding the Southern Great Development, my dispute with Huo Guang caused delays in decision-making, affecting the project's progress—this is my dereliction of duty. Prince Wei's remarks are like a heavy blow to the head, making me clearly recognize my fault."

He turned to face Liu Ju, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I too cannot escape responsibility for the affair of Chen Wenjin and other guilty officials; I am willing to accept punishment, and I earnestly implore Your Majesty to widely solicit good counsel, perfect the chancellorship system, and make court decisions more rational and efficient."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall first fell into a deathly silence, then voices of discussion rose all around.

At this moment Zhang Qian clasped his hands and said: "Chancellor Tian, you have assisted Your Majesty for many years, diligent and conscientious, establishing many merits for the Han state; how could you completely deny yourself over just this matter? The Southern Great Development is inherently difficult, and disagreement in the decision‑making process is inevitable; responsibility should not be dumped entirely on you."

Su Wu said: "What Officer Zhang said is absolutely correct. Chancellor Tian, from accompanying the dragon to the present, who inside and outside the court does not respect him? Even if he has made some mistakes this time, his past achievements cannot be obliterated; General Wei's evaluation is overly one‑sided."

Wei Qing's expression remained calm as he again clasped his hands and said: "Fellow officials, I respect Chancellor Tian's achievements and acknowledge his years of effort. But the chancellorship bears great responsibility; every action affects the nation's rise and fall. The obstruction of this Southern Great Development sufficiently shows that there is a problem in the chancellor's crucial decision‑making link. If not timely reflected upon and improved, it may later provoke a greater crisis."

Just as the officials were arguing without cease, Huo Guang stepped forward, his gaze sincere, looking at Tian Qianqiu and then scanning the crowd: "In this incident I also bear responsibility. Precisely because we failed to communicate properly and reach a consensus, the delay occurred. Chancellor Tian's willingness to take responsibility is worthy of our learning. Now, rather than debating merits and faults, how to perfect the system to prevent such situations from recurring is of paramount importance."

Liu Ju nodded slightly, pondered a moment, then spoke slowly: "General Wei, Chancellor Tian, and Beloved Minister Huo—all your words are reasonable. This incident has sounded a warning bell for the Han court."

"I will dutifully follow the imperial edict!"

The officials in the hall all dropped to their knees, responding in unison.

And when the officials saw Tian Qianqiu and Huo Guang face‑to‑face reflecting on their faults and letting go of past grudges, they too expressed admiration.

Liu Ju was even more pleased, continually nodding.

"As for Chen Wenjin?"

At this moment, Wei Qing's tone turned icy in the center of the hall, a flash of anger in his eyes as he said: "This man, relying on chancellorial authority, formed factions for personal gain, controlled the appointment and dismissal of officials, and many posts throughout the court were occupied by his cronies. Under his leadership, the law became a tool for private profit, and false convictions arose frequently. To satisfy his desires, he levied taxes heavily, causing the people to suffer immensely and severely shaking the foundations of our Han state."

Wei Qing paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembly, his expression growing ever more solemn as he continued: "Although the chancellorship was instituted with good intentions to assist the Son of Heaven in governing the state, today it lacks effective checks and balances. The conflict between Tian Qianqiu and Huo Guang stems from the chancellorship's excessive concentration of power, which prevents proper resolution, causing important orders to be difficult to implement. Once the chancellor harbors ill intent, as Chen Wenjin did, he can wield his authority to disrupt the court and endanger the state."

Seeing everyone's solemn faces, he went on: "Moreover, chancellorial affairs are myriad; even with wholehearted devotion to the public good, it is hard to attend to everything, greatly increasing the risk of erroneous decisions. Now the Han realm continually expands, affairs grow ever more complex, and the present chancellorship system can no longer adapt. If this continues, it will surely hinder the development of our Han and jeopardize the land and the state."

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall filled with gasps of astonishment.

People whispered to one another, some showing surprise, others lost in thought.

Zhang Qian frowned slightly, pondered a moment, then said: "General Wei's words are not without reason; if chancellorial power is not checked, the hidden dangers are indeed grave."

Su Wu also nodded in agreement: "We ought to re‑examine the chancellorship system, seek a solution, and ensure a clear court and peaceful populace."

Tian Qianqiu nodded repeatedly, then said: "Your Majesty, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility; I indeed feel the pressure from chancellorial authority, sometimes so busy I can't catch my breath, and work efficiency actually becomes lower."

"What Prince Wei just said is entirely true; this old minister feels ashamed."

Tian Qianqiu's face grew solemn as he bowed deeply to Liu Ju and Wei Qing.