Chapter 106

【Top Ten Tyrant Emperors List, sixth place — Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong】

The celestial screen's golden light swirled, a new name emerged, and beside it a label "Incompetence Index, textbook level" appeared.

In the scene is the Luoyang imperial city at the end of the Eastern Han; it still looks towering, but inside a sense of decay and absurdity already pervades.

"Emperor Ling of Han? Liu Hong? Yet another of my old Liu family?"

Liu Bang just lifted his wine cup, saw the celestial screen, his hand trembled, spilling the wine, and his face instantly darkened.

"It's never ending, huh? First we just got Liu Ao who died in a woman's bed, and now Liu Hong shows up?"

"Future generations, are you banding together to disgrace me?!"

Lv Zhi also furrowed her brows; although she was uninterested in certain Liu descendants, seeing her own dynasty repeatedly produce tyrant emperors on the list left her with a dimmed face and a vague ominous foreboding.

During Emperor Wu of Han's reign.

Liu Che had just barely calmed from the fury caused by Liu Ao, the unfilial descendant who died exhausted.

Now seeing the big characters "Emperor Ling of Han Liu Hong" and "Grave‑digger of the Eastern Han dynasty", the breath in his chest almost stopped again.

"Ling Emperor... Liu Hong... Eastern Han?"

Liu Che keenly captured the words "Eastern Han", his brows tightly knit.

"The celestial screen previously mentioned that after the Western Han, the Eastern Han was founded by Xiu Er."

He looked at the three characters "Grave‑digger" on the celestial screen, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Another prodigal, and a tyrant who digs up the foundations of our Great Han."

People from other dynasties also perked up,

after all, with two consecutive Han emperors on the list, this "melon" is guaranteed to ripen, and each seems more "spectacular" than the last.

Ying Zheng sneered, "It seems the Liu family's dynasty is running out of fate. First Liu Ao's debauchery led to the state's ruin, now Liu Hong digs graves—how ironic."

Li Shimin shook his head and sighed, "The fall of the Western Han began with Emperor Cheng, and ended with Wang Mang."

"This Eastern Han also cannot escape the cycle of decline; if a ruler does not self‑reflect, even the deepest ancestral legacy cannot endure turmoil."

Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhu Biao, "Biao, if an emperor doesn't do proper work and instead twists the law to wreak havoc, causing the state to collapse, that's also a myriad of tricks."

"We must take this as a warning and not follow these scoundrels."

Zhu Biao solemnly replied, "I, your son, will remember, governing diligently, loving the people, keeping close to the virtuous and distant from the treacherous."

【Reason for ranking: Liu Hong, the "Grave‑digger" of the Eastern Han dynasty, textbook‑level Incompetence Index. He not only personally drove the Eastern Han into the abyss, but also, through a series of absurd actions, set a "benchmark" for future tyrant emperors.】

"Textbook level? Benchmark?"

Liu Bang was so angry his beard even curled up,

"Co‑authoring this wasteful thing, and it can still be a role model?"

"It's merely a negative lesson, a disgraceful benchmark!"

Liu Che's face turned iron‑blue: "Pushing the Han dynasty into the abyss with one's own hands... good, very good."

"I, for my part, want to see how this Liu Hong actually became emperor."

【—: The "ceiling" of the tyrant emperor world.】

Emperor Ling of Han Liu Hong's reason for ranking is extremely hardcore: the ultimate practitioner of "selling offices and bartering titles".

He not only treated the sale of offices as business, but also pioneered "installment payments", completely breaching the limits of imperial authority.

If other tyrants are merely prodigal, Emperor Ling is the one who directly took his ancestors' tablets and auctioned them.

"Selling offices and bartering titles? And the ultimate practitioner?!"

Liu Che sprang to his feet, fire seeming ready to burst from his eyes.

"Official positions are state assets, not commodities; to price such great authority openly, like merchants selling goods, and even auction the ancestral tablets...?!"

He trembled with anger, barely able to utter a complete sentence.

This made him even more angry and ashamed than Liu Ao's debauchery!

This is digging at the roots of Great Han!

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were also stunned.

"Selling offices and bartering titles has existed since antiquity, but mostly done privately; such open, large‑scale practice, even with "installment payments", is unheard of and shocking!"

"Installment payments?"

Liu Bang was stunned for a moment, then quickly recovered, almost laughing with anger.

"These future descendants, damn, they really are talents!"

"Selling offices and still being able to buy on credit? Then double the loot after taking office? Isn't that just letting those who bought offices gouge the people to death after assuming power?"

"How did this useless one's brain grow, all of it devoted to crooked ways?"

Ying Zheng sneered, "Pricing and selling authority, self‑destroying the Great Wall."

"Such monarchs are no longer fit to be rulers, no different from street thugs; the ancestral legacy, buried by these fools, is both laughable and tragic."

Li Shimin, although familiar with Han history, was still shocked by the celestial screen's detailed exposition.

"Selling offices and bartering titles, this... this is no longer mere folly, it's child's play with state affairs, treating the realm as a toy! Such conduct is unprecedented!"

Wei Zheng, anguished, said, "Your Majesty! Administrative officials are the foundation of the state; if offices can be bought and sold, how can the worthy advance?"

"How can treacherous officials be removed? How can the people be at peace? This is self‑destruction of the world! This Emperor Ling is truly a sinner for all ages!"

Cheng Yaojin listened, his mouth agape,

"Goodness, is this emperor insane? He even sells official hats and does it on credit."

"Those officials below, once in office, must resort to all sorts of extortion; do the common people have any chance of survival?"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table, angrily declaring, "We despise corrupt officials most; see one, kill one."

"Liu Hong, then, personally distributes hats to corrupt officials—he should be killed! He should be sliced a thousand times, skinned, and trampled."

The Yongle Emperor Zhu Di also shook his head, saying, "Such actions sweep the court's dignity from the ground; the discipline is utterly gone."

"Among the wise of the world, who would still serve such a court? They are merely courting their own destruction."

【2: Grand Prize for Absurd Acts.】

First absurd act: publicly price‑list the sale of offices.

Procedure: establish an "Official Title Exchange" in the Imperial Palace West Garden, with clear pricing.

The Three Dukes (the highest offices) are priced at ten million coins, the Nine Ministers at five million, and even "installment payments" are allowed, with repayment doubled after taking office.

Result: after assuming office, officials greedily plunder the people's flesh and fat, leaving the populace destitute, and the officialdom becomes a breeding ground for corruption.】

A comical scene of the "West Garden Official Sale" appeared on the sky screen.

Official positions were displayed with price tags like merchandise, and people of all sorts, holding money bags or IOUs, queued to "shop".

Those who bought an office beamed with joy, as if they had acquired a treasure basin.

"West Garden Official Title Exchange… clear pricing… installment payments… double repayment upon taking office…"

Liu Che watched this utterly absurd scene, feeling a sharp pain in his chest as darkness flickered before his eyes.

He appointed Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, promoting the virtuous, to strengthen the nation.

His descendants, however, turned the sacred ground of talent selection into a marketplace‑like exchange, even allowing credit.

This is even more detestable than outright robbery; it mass‑produces corrupt officials, draining the bones and marrow of the people.

"Beast! You beast!!"

Liu Che could no longer restrain himself; a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, staining his collar red.

"Your Majesty!"

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were horrified, rushing forward to support him.

"I am fine…"

Liu Che pushed them aside, pointing at the sky screen, his voice hoarse, filled with endless grief, anger, and desolation.

"Ancestors above, I, Liu Che, what sins have I committed to have such unfilial descendants!"

"Ten million… five million…" Liu Bang also saw his blood boil.

"How much of the people's flesh and fat must be plundered? When these bought officials take office, won't they double‑down on looting?"

"This forces the common folk onto a road to death! This Liu Hong, what the hell is he thinking?!"

Ying Zheng said indifferently, "There is nothing more self‑destructive than this."

"When officialdom is rife with corruption, decrees become ineffective and the people's hearts are lost. If this dynasty does not fall, Heaven's justice cannot endure."

Li Shimin shook his head repeatedly, "Absurd! Far too absurd! This is no governance, but indulgence of officials, legally plundering the people. Such a court is no different from a bandit's den. If the people do not rise, when will they?"

Wei Zheng shouted, "Your Majesty! The wreck of the preceding carriage is a warning to the following; our great Tang must never set such a vile precedent."

"When selecting officials, virtue and talent must be the criteria; they must not be tainted by the stench of money. Otherwise, it will become a second Eastern Han!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, "Corrupt officials! All these officials who bought offices, and the emperor who sold them, must all be killed!"

"Even skinning a real grass won't quell the hatred; they deserve a thousand cuts. Our Ming must never allow such incidents."