Chapter 381

In the Qian Qing Gong.

Jing Sheng Di said, his emotions somewhat agitated and hard to suppress, he grabbed Jia Jing's hand, then spoke loudly:

"Zi Jie! As long as we, ruler and minister, are one body, sharing weal and woe, in the future we will surely together recover Liaodong, revive the realm, and share in a prosperous age!"

"When that time comes, your achievements, I and the realm shall never forget. In later ages, the annals will be variegated, in the western wing of the Ancestral Temple, there will surely be a place for you."

Faced with Jing Sheng Di's sincere display of emotion, Jia Jing's expression trembled slightly, then he composed himself, bowed his hands, and said:

"Your grace is like the sea; how dare I, a subject, presume to accept it? Your Majesty, rest assured, even if I exhaust myself to the point of spilling my brains and liver on the ground, I will surely sweep clean the four seas for Your Majesty and aid Your Majesty in reviving the Da Han Empire!"

"With Your Majesty's lofty virtue, you will surely become a ruler like Yao and Shun in the future!"

This is just mutual empty promises!

Jing Sheng Di publicly gave Jia Jing a solemn promise, that in the future he would be allowed to receive sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple!

And Jia Jing said he would help Jing Sheng Di become a ruler like Yao and Shun!

To be granted sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple can be said to be the highest honor for civil and military officials of the Da Han Empire, the 'ultimate endpoint' of a subject.

It is also the ultimate affirmation by imperial authority in the present era of those who 'go forth as generals and enter as ministers'.

Whether civil or military, the ultimate destination for those who establish merit and aid the state is to accompany the emperor after death, eternally enjoying sacrifices.

You should know that, in the over hundred years since the founding of the Da Han Empire, the total number of civil and military officials who have been granted sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple does not exceed ten.

And all of them are those who, during the eras of Taizu and Chengzu, made outstanding contributions in founding the state and establishing its foundation.

Moreover, being granted sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple brings concrete benefits to one's descendants: besides the supreme honor, they can constantly boast 'My father received sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple'!

It also brings practical benefits such as hereditary official appointments through grace, hereditary titles, protection from punishment, and elevation of status.

It is more like a 'life-preserving charm' and 'protective talisman' that Jing Sheng Di promised to Jia Jing, which can concretely benefit his descendants.

So that he need not fear slander from fellow officials, nor worry about future resentment for offending people through diligence in state affairs.

The attending cabinet ministers, upon hearing this, all had changing expressions and complex thoughts.

The Son of Heaven, in this Qian Qing Gong, before everyone's eyes, took hold of Zi Jie's hand,

saying that he would let him receive sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple in the future and share in a prosperous age; such trust is truly unprecedented.

As long as the emperor remains on the throne, it is entirely foreseeable that Zi Jie could become the Da Han Empire's fifth king of a different surname!

Zhang Tingyu's white beard trembled, and his face could not help but change slightly.

Receiving sacrificial offerings in the Ancestral Temple has always been his ultimate dream; or rather, there is no civil official who does not wish to receive such offerings after death.

Zhang Tingyu had originally thought he would wait until after assisting Jing Sheng Di in implementing the New Policies throughout the realm, then find an opportunity to bring this up; he never expected that Jia Jing would get ahead of him!

This... honor that I myself sought but could not obtain, Jia Jing can obtain effortlessly!

One cannot deny that Zhang Tingyu at this moment is indeed somewhat jealous!

And Fang Congzhe's gaze toward Jia Jing at this moment is full of apprehension, for he knows that given the emperor's current level of trust shown toward Zi Jie,

it is likely that as long as Zi Jie does not openly rebel or suffer a major defeat, no one will be able to shake his position in the emperor's heart!

Any slander against Zi Jie may perhaps be regarded by the emperor as malicious speech that harms the Da Han realm's lands and state!

Such a situation where martial matters outweigh civil ones, I fear... may be a calamity rather than a blessing for the state!

After Jia Jing and Jing Sheng Di had this deep ruler-minister exchange, Jing Sheng Di reluctantly released his hold on Jia Jing's hand.

He then walked back to the imperial desk and sat down, his expression cold as he looked at the three kneeling officials Xu Zhuo, Xie Jishi, and Lu Shengnan in the hall, and said coldly:

"Since I ascended the throne, over the past ten years I have repeatedly warned the princes and civil and military officials to guard against factionalism!"

"The Taizu and Chengzu emperors also repeatedly admonished the officials to guard against factionalism! Why is that?"

"Because once a faction is formed, whether its members are close at hand or far away, they stick together like glue, unbreakable, and breed disasters!"

"For those in the faction, regardless of worthiness, they are protected in every way; for those not in the faction, regardless of quality, they are attacked in every way."

"They regard the rise and fall of their faction as a matter of life and death, while disregarding the larger interests of the state."

"This time, Xu Zhuo, Xie Jishi, and Lu Shengnan have incited officials, fomented factional chaos, threatened my person, and even plotted treason—this is ironclad proof!"

Jing Sheng Di paused after saying that, then, with a face turned iron‑gray, he asked the cabinet ministers:

"You senior officials of the court, please discuss how to deal with these few traitorous ministers and the riffraff outside the Meridian Gate, so as to clear obstacles for the New Policies and to warn all who engage in factional misrule under heaven!"

Although Jing Sheng Di was asking for opinions, the mere mention of factionalism and the charge of 'threatening the imperial person' already set the tone for severely punishing Xu Zhuo and his associates.

According to these charges, confiscating property and executing would be considered lenient!

Of course,

Jing Sheng Di also had no choice but to punish them severely; after all, whether it was forcing the palace or memorials advocating abolition of the New Policies, both touched his bottom line, and he absolutely does not want such a thing to happen a second time.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhuo, Xie Jishi, and the others' faces turned ashen, and they furtively cast their pleading glances toward Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cilu among the nearby cabinet ministers.

Fang Congzhe, seeing this, furrowed his brows, his dignified face grew solemn; after a moment's thought, he forcibly suppressed his inner fear, composed himself, knelt to the ground, and bowed, saying:

"Your servant, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Fang Congzhe, dares to submit this memorial at the risk of his life!"

Everyone in the hall looked toward Fang Congzhe, knowing he was about to intercede for Xu Zhuo and the others!

Otherwise, why would a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet need to kneel and risk his life to submit a memorial?

Fang Congzhe faced the surrounding looks of astonishment and uncertainty, appearing oblivious, yet inwardly he could not help but let out a quiet sigh,

He knew that at this moment, pleading for those who forced the palace would surely provoke the emperor's wrath!

But thinking of the conduct of officials in Jiangnan, he nevertheless felt compelled to step forward!

Moreover, he had prior knowledge of this incident of officials forcing the palace.

He originally thought that, even if this action could not shake the New Policies or oust Gong Dingzu, at the very least it could pressure Jing Sheng Di into making concessions.

For example, the policy of 'equal labor service and equal grain tax' could be temporarily suspended in the Jiangnan region.

But he did not expect that Jing Sheng Di's resolve to implement the New Policies would be so firm, even going so far as to specially summon Zi Jie,

and declare that if Jiangnan rebels, he will surely dispatch a large army southward!

As things stand now, not only did the palace‑forcing attempt fail, it appears instead that many of the old faction's core members will suffer losses; truly a case of trying to steal a chicken and losing the rice used to lure it.

All that can be said is, Jia Zi Jie gave the emperor the backbone to be tough toward the officials; previously the emperor was never so overbearing and forceful!

If Jia Zi Jie is not removed, the officials' future days will probably be unpleasant!