[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-268":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558434,2024,"Chapter 268: Public Opinion","shao-song-chapter-268",268,"\u003Cp>In March, Zhao Jiu watched a variety play inside Jingfu Palace together with two Imperial Consorts, Duke-Minister Lü Haowen, various eunuchs, and his attendant civil and military close officials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name Jingfu Palace was taken from the *Book of Songs*—\"May the lord live ten thousand years, and may great blessings be granted you,\" and also \"To offer and to sacrifice, to seek great blessings\"—which perfectly matched the meaning of a main hall for the Son of Heaven's residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, East Asian culture shares a single lineage. Not only was there a Jingfu Palace in Dongjing in these years, but also in the Forbidden City of another time and space, and even later in the capital of Korea, Hanseong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for variety plays, they originated from the Tang-era *canjunxi* (adjutant plays), which were similar to cross-talk, but had developed considerably. The role types of *sheng*, *dan*, *jing*, *mo*, and *chou* had formally appeared, and the dramatic form had also greatly advanced. There were not only warm-up *yanduan* segments before the main performance, but also *zaban* fillers, similar to encores or padding after the main show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Kaifeng Prefecture, driven by the Great Xiangguo Temple, had long had its own exclusive variety play, *Mulian Rescues His Mother*. This Buddhist story was performed for a full fifteen days starting every Qixi Festival. Over time, it became a tradition of Kaifeng Prefecture itself. When the time came, the Kaifeng Prefecture government, the Great Xiangguo Temple, and the surrounding residents would all prepare together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the tricks of splitting the believers' money seventy-thirty, and returning the rich men's and monks' money in full, were also indispensable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back to the present, it was perfectly ordinary for His Majesty and his close officials to watch plays in the palace... One must know that in these times, plays, *canjunxi*, and even storytelling were extremely common forms of entertainment, even more widespread than song and dance. There was absolutely no rule that commoners could watch and listen while the court could not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as Bianjing increasingly recovered its former vitality, the popular trends shown by these forms of entertainment far exceeded Zhao Jiu's imagination. Wealthy families at gatherings and banquets, ordinary people forming clubs and societies, and even Buddhists and Daoists holding corresponding activities would all hire professionals to perform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court naturally could not escape this custom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the court isolated inside from outside. The noble ladies of the rear palace could not go out to engage in activities, so these storytelling and plays became their main form of entertainment... For instance, one Empress Dowager was extremely fond of listening to storytelling and listened almost daily. After the storytellers had finished all the popular tales of the time, like the *Three Kingdoms* and *Journey to the West*, they had no choice but to temporarily weave current events into their stories for daily updates. As a result, one day, after improvising a story about a court amnesty, the effect was unexpectedly good. The Empress Dowager liked it very much, and she especially liked the character in the story who urged the protagonist to surrender to the court. So, without the Empress Dowager needing to say a word, the Son of Heaven, who noticed this on the side, went back and promoted the real-life counterpart of that character by three ranks!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a true story... if Zhao Jiu hadn't crawled out of that well!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the fundamental reason storytelling, *canjunxi*, and variety plays were unimpeded in the court was their low cost and another very legitimate function.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I gave you money for two rings, but you only bought one ring?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The *yanduan* began, still in the form of *canjunxi*. It was about the *canjun* sending a servant to buy earrings as a gift for the young lady of a high official's family. But the *canjun* was stingy, giving only enough money for one and a half rings while wanting to buy a pair. So, a joke ensued over buying one ring or two, paying for one ring or two, until the servant finally bought a ring, but it was only one ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me inform you, Master *Canjun*, this is one ring, yet it is also two rings...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How can it be both one ring and two rings?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master, look at this ring. Its name is called the 'Two-Sage Ring' (*Er Sheng Huan*). Isn't that two rings...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aiya, aiya! How can there be such nonsense? Even if it were called the 'Two-Sage Ring,' the young lady of that high official's family has two ears. One ring cannot be split. How can she wear it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master *Canjun*, listen to me. If it really won't do, let the noble young lady of that high official's family wear this ring behind her head.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well, let the noble one temporarily put the Two-Sage Ring behind her head...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the joke was even finished, as soon as the homophonic pun on \"Two Sages\" (*Er Sheng*) appeared, the audience had already fallen silent. By the time the punchline came, it was deathly quiet. Yet His Majesty sat there as if he hadn't heard a thing, making not a single sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Imperial Consorts whispered softly, Duke-Minister Lü just looked at the sky without speaking, and the several accompanying civil and military close officials exchanged glances, then each prepared themselves... not to deal with these two audacious performers who had mocked His Majesty for being unfilial and unbrotherly, but to be ready to offer remonstrance to His Majesty at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was simple. Since *canjunxi* appeared in the Tang Dynasty, through the Five Dynasties and the Liao-Song standoff, a unique cultural atmosphere had long formed between it and the court... Performers had a nickname in the court: \"Blame-Free Insects.\" This meant that due to their lowly status, no matter how they satirized, they were not guilty of speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take Song Huizong, for example—the Retired Daoist Emperor of the \"Two-Sage Ring.\" Once, on Xuanhe Tower, he encountered a commoner presenting a memorial, who directly accused him of excessive luxury and employing petty men. As a result, under the Retired Daoist Emperor's own oral decree, that person was convicted of \"slandering the imperial carriage\" and subjected to burning alive, the most cruel form of physical torture and execution, to intimidate others. Moreover, his demotions of scholar-officials who submitted memorials were never lenient... Yet even a man like this, when faced with a performer's satire, \"accepted the remonstrance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another example is Emperor Xingzong of Liao, famous for \"killing the innocent.\" Once, a performer openly mocked him for being defeated by the Western Xia. He was furious at first, but under the remonstrance of Crown Prince Yelü Hongji, he still granted a pardon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, throughout the entire history of the Northern and Southern Song, there was only one example of a performer being killed for satirizing current politics. That was decades later in another time and space, when Qin Hui, angered by being openly mocked for his peace negotiations, had the relevant performer killed the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back to the present, Zhao Jiu couldn't possibly be worse than a ruler of a fallen state, a tyrant, or Mr. Qin, could he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sure enough, after thinking for a long time, Zhao Jiu simply waved for the two performers to come down and see him, his tone not very harsh. Seeing this, everyone around and above and below breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two performers came over, cupped their hands in salute, and stood with their hands at their sides... Although they had been bold before, now that they were truly before His Majesty, they were still a bit trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Zhao Jiu naturally had to give a stern reprimand: \"You two performed poorly... Relying on homophones for humor sounds funny at first, but it's ultimately a minor trick, not enough to become a famous piece... Wanting to use me to gain fame is not a good idea either. The matter of the Two Sages has been settled by the court since the first year of Jianyan. Whether it's 'behind the head' or not is not for you to say!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two performers exchanged a glance. One was about to crack another joke, while the other, somewhat fearful, prepared to beg forgiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before the two could speak, they saw His Majesty continue to chatter on: \"In my opinion, whether it's variety plays, storytelling, or *canjunxi*, the essence is to tell a story. Only with a good story, good character portrayals, and depth can it truly spread... Look at *Mulian Rescues His Mother*. Although the Buddhist talk is laughable and absurd, it is still a complete story of mother and son. The son is filial and honest, the mother stingy and greedy—that's prominent character portrayal. It also mixes in Buddhist karma and retribution with the promotion of filial piety, which counts as having a theme. That's why it can be called a famous variety play... And in storytelling, the *Three Kingdoms*—the stories of Cao Mengde, Liu Xuande, Guan Yunchang, and Zhuge Kongming are natural, which is why they endure... You people who engage in these popular arts must indeed seek inspiration from history and life, but the key is to artisticize, perfect, and finalize them into finished products.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this speech, the surrounding close officials, Imperial Consorts, and the two warm-up performers were already stunned. Although some of His Majesty's vocabulary was truly strange, Chinese characters and words share a lineage, so they could roughly understand the general meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, after a long while, the \"Canjun,\" who had long lost any intention of causing trouble, said cautiously: \"Let Your Majesty know, we assistants (a self-designation of lowly entertainers) are barely literate and don't have the ability to write good stories. *Mulian Rescues His Mother* was personally written by a great monk of the Buddhist sect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you going to perform next?\" Zhao Jiu frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The *Canjun* and the servant exchanged a glance, even more helpless: \"It is precisely *Mulian Rescues His Mother*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Majesty immediately lost interest: \"If that's the case, I won't watch... However, Imperial Consort Wu has always been talented. I'll have her write a *Record of the White Snake* tonight to steal the bald donkeys' thunder. You come get it tomorrow. Once you've rehearsed it, I'll come watch again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the *Canjun* and the servant were overjoyed. But the two Imperial Consorts at His Majesty's side both made bitter faces. And Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, Lan Gui, Feng Yi, Li Ruopu, Fan Zongyin, Yu Yunwen, and the many other civil and military officials and eunuchs attending today behind them felt somewhat helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, who didn't know that His Majesty wrote all that messy stuff under Imperial Consort Wu's name, and did all those messy things under the name of the National Father Wu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everyone also knew that such things were ultimately improper for a Son of Heaven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to circle back, improper as they were, this His Majesty knew enough to provide cover and save face for everyone up and down. So why would anyone bother to argue with a powerful His Majesty over such matters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty has such magnanimity, not being angry at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The performance of *Mulian Rescues His Mother* had already begun in Jingfu Palace, but Zhao Jiu left the Imperial Consorts and eunuchs behind and walked out of Yingyang Gate with Lü Haowen and several close officials. When they reached the stone pavilion by the fish pond, His Majesty's favorite spot, and had just sat down, Duke-Minister Lü Haowen smiled and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is there to be angry about?\" Zhao Jiu was completely unconcerned. \"Any troupe that can enter the palace is among the best performers in Dongjing City. These people usually only move in powerful circles, but they don't truly understand principles. It's normal for them to take some people's words as public opinion and try to gain a reputation. As long as the attitude is there, why be harsh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lü Haowen thought for a moment, nodded slightly, then added a bit: \"Performers on stage do tend to like talking about things and striking poses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that artists often have a desire to perform... That was also true. Zhao Jiu immediately nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after Zhao Jiu nodded in agreement, the lord and his minister fell into a bit of a lull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of which, the current court structure was very interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, it very much resembled the later period of the Retired Daoist Emperor's reign from the \"Two-Sage Ring\"... The Son of Heaven sat high above, holding great power but rarely involving himself in mundane affairs. The court councilors were divided into categories, each with their own position and posture, and there was an implicit situation of clear factionalism. Additionally, there was a Duke-Minister of high status operating behind the scenes, grasping the most basic ideological work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, for others it might be one thing, but for this pair of lord and minister sitting opposite each other in the pavilion, they knew the enormous difference between the two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the later period of the Retired Daoist Emperor, Cai Jing, serving as Duke-Minister, although growing older by the day, was the only one who truly enjoyed the power of a councilor. Through years of management, his network of supporters was astonishingly extensive. He could at any time offer opinions on all aspects of court work and exert influence... In other words, at that time, he had a bit of a tug-of-war posture with the Daoist Emperor behind the scenes, only he failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did Lü Haowen have that kind of strength?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention anything else, just the so-called \"Original Learning\" that was now tied to Duke-Minister Lü, almost forming his trademark and sustaining his political life, was actually something Zhao Jiu had created, which Lü Haowen and his son then studied and researched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, the so-called factions in the court—Zhang Jun's faction, the military faction, the inner court faction—were, when it came down to it, all Zhao Jiu's factions! Even the leftover faction that seemed most unkind to Zhao Jiu after Li Gang was dismissed as councilor, key figures like Chen Gongfu, had long since made their stance clear before Zhao Jiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, in a certain sense, this court was truly a one-man show for a certain tyrant who had put the \"Two-Sage Ring\" behind his head. As the head of state, his power was actually without boundaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The tree desires stillness, but the wind will not cease.\" After a pause, His Majesty, whose power had no boundaries, suddenly uttered this sigh. \"But it was also expected.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Duke-Minister Lü Haowen opposite nodded repeatedly, then asked in return: \"How does Your Majesty plan to handle it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu, who had just been sighing, merely gave a scornful laugh and released the statement he had made to Zhang Jun before: \"There are plenty of people in the world who need to eat. So I would rather lose the country than give these people food!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And what about public opinion?\" Lü Haowen continued to press seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is precisely why I sought out Duke Lü today.\" Zhao Jiu finally became serious. \"Regardless, I will carry out the purge of accumulated abuses to the end, and there will be no discount whatsoever. As for these people, if they continue to jump up and down like this, I will have no choice but to disregard my reputation and truly become a tyrant! Let's see if they go to Jinan then, or to Great Ming Prefecture?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just Lü Haowen; the Hanlin Academician Li Ruopu standing beside him also let out a soft sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be frank, everyone present knew that today’s actor’s satire hadn’t come out of nowhere—it had been foreshadowed for some time. Just from the memorials submitted yesterday, quite a few people had openly pleaded for leniency on behalf of the six noble families who had spread rumors earlier. Most of these pleas argued that those people had merely made an unintentional mistake, with no motive for deliberate incitement. A smaller portion believed that since these individuals held no official post, they weren’t responsible for discussing such matters, and the Emperor’s arrest of them violated protocol. A very few directly pointed out that the main party responsible for this affair was actually His Majesty the Emperor himself—that he had allowed Zhang Jun to host lavish banquets in the city, deliberately creating an environment that encouraged the spread of related rumors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, there were also memorials reporting that satirical poems mocking the Emperor’s stinginess had appeared at the Temple of the Five Sacred Peaks, the Imperial Academy, and the cuju field at Hanfang Garden north of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why had such incidents suddenly arisen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One must understand that after Zhang Jun and Wu Jie left that day, things were still quite stable. The six noble families had been singled out and paraded as a warning—without involving women or children, without damaging their residences or furniture, and with the national bonds returned. In fact, some people had initially publicly praised the Emperor as “benevolent and righteous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was actually very simple: it was precisely what His Majesty the Emperor had called “clearing out accumulated abuses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, as an ordinary college student from a later era, Zhao Jiu—even having read plenty of high-end historical time-travel web novels—was hardly likely to know how to govern a state. Moreover, from the moment he stepped out of the well, he had faced a refugee court in an abnormal state. For a long time, he hadn’t needed to know how to govern. In the beginning, it was basically a matter of fully delegating power to the local level—the front lines becoming militarized, the rear areas becoming presidential, and the central government under Lü Haowen and others doing the painstaking work of patching things up, while he, Zhao Jiu, was responsible for carrying the dragon banner and boosting morale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as the situation shifted and the state gradually normalized, as the Son of Heaven, after settling on a guiding ideology, he needed to formulate corresponding governing policies based on that ideology. But the problem was: how could he still understand how to govern?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, that was easy too: clear out accumulated abuses. This was a brilliant governing strategy proposed in a memorial by the Censor-in-Chief Mo Qixie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what exactly was “clearing out accumulated abuses”? The answer was simple: it meant taking the decades-long governing experience of the Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign, whom His Majesty the Emperor detested to the extreme, combing through it from beginning to end, then, in chronological order, thoroughly criticizing it from start to finish. Finally, based on the policy flaws that had led the Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign, to ruin the state, they would do the opposite and correct and reorganize things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, at the beginning of his reign, the Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign, first proposed “reconciling the New and Old Factions” and strictly forbade factional strife. But after the Empress Dowager gave up her regency, he couldn’t wait to launch a massive party purge, elevating Cai Jing and imprisoning the Old Faction entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in Zhao Jiu’s case, he naturally had to issue an edict proposing “reconciling the New and Old Factions” and strictly forbidding factional strife, while simultaneously confirming that the New Learning lineage of Wang Anshi held a slightly higher status in political history. Then he would publicly criticize the Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign’s, party purge and how many loyal officials it had harmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the ridiculous strategy of the Abyssal Sage during the Jingkang era, where he championed the Old Faction, also had to be dragged out for public criticism and reflection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu had already done this—it was nothing more than mocking the Two Sages again—and it hadn’t caused much trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in the few days around Zhang Jun’s entry into the capital, the court had begun to “clear out” the matter of the Retired Emperor, the Daoist Sovereign, lavishly granting official posts and sinecures to stabilize his own position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as soon as this matter began, some nobles below grew flustered. The rumors spread to Zhang Jun had a bit of a probing intent to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it had to be said, these people had finally guessed correctly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day before Zhang Jun left, His Majesty the Emperor arrested those who had spread the rumors. On the very day Zhang and Wu departed, the court began a formal investigation into the sinecures and rewards granted during the Two Sages’ era, completely purging those who had rendered no service or merit to the state since the Jianyan era—so-called stripping of their official credentials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This policy, from a grand principle, was of course unproblematic. Zhao Jiu immediately issued a clear edict for its implementation, and several chief councilors and many high-ranking officials all expressed explicit support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the public opinion at the Censorate and among the Imperial Academy students was extremely positive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, cutting off someone’s livelihood and stripping them of their official position was a double blow akin to killing their parents. So, despite support at the bureaucratic and scholarly levels, it didn’t prevent a sudden undercurrent of unrest within the capital of Dongjing. Zhao Jiu suddenly became a “harsh ruler,” Zhao Ding and Liu Ji became “weak-willed councilors,” Zhang Jun and Chen Gui became “reckless petty men,” and even Lü Haowen was given a new label—supposedly “occupying his post without being able to correct the ruler’s heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the matter had finally escalated, culminating in the current situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only were there satirical poems, not only had actors, thinking they had public opinion behind them, come to offer face-to-face remonstrance, but even within the bureaucracy, there were signs of wavering. Some nobles even openly reminisced about the “sage governance” of the “Abundant Prosperity and Great Peace” era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cause of the matter was laid out clearly, with no need for further elaboration. The key was how to respond. This was also Zhao Jiu’s intention in seeking out Lü Haowen today. Lü Haowen’s Lü clan was, aside from the Plum Blossom Han clan, a first-rate prestigious family, with a bearing akin to the Yuan and Yang clans of the late Han—a lineage of high officials. They held considerable sway within both the bureaucracy and the noble system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could we perhaps add some differentiation and limit the scope of the stripping?” Lü Haowen hesitated for a moment before deciding to try persuading him once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why not simultaneously sort through old matters from the Jingkang era and grant rewards and posthumous honors to officials who rendered meritorious service or upheld their integrity since Jingkang?” Lü Haowen seemed to have anticipated this reply and, after a moment’s thought, offered a suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent!” Zhao Jiu’s spirits lifted, and he clapped his hands directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I presume to ask… could we do it in batches and try to make up as much as possible the half-stipends owed to officials from the past few years?” Lü Haowen thought further and continued his advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As expected of Lord Lü!” Zhao Jiu raised an eyebrow and immediately agreed. “Is there more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lü Haowen smiled bitterly and spread his hands. The several close officials around them exchanged glances, all silent. There was no other reason: these two suggestions from Lü Haowen had long been proposed to His Majesty the Emperor by others. For instance, the matter of supplementing officials’ salaries had been raised by the Imperial Diarist Yu Yunwen, who stood by the fish pond. Yet His Majesty the Emperor was now clapping and calling it excellent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew what scheme he was cooking up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I actually have a few ideas of my own.” Zhao Jiu clasped his hands and smiled. “Why not attack on two fronts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does Your Majesty mean?” Lü Haowen was momentarily puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yesterday, I saw a memorial saying that the sericulture ritual is the exclusive rite of the Empress. If the name is not correct, the words will not be smooth. Since Imperial Consort Pan is presiding over this matter, she should be established as Empress…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lü Haowen frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what I mean is…” Zhao Jiu finally sneered. “By dragging things to this point, these people can’t help but be suspected of interfering in the inner court. I am truly angered, so I want the Imperial City Office to go and arrest another five or six families as a deterrent!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Lü Haowen realized that he had been brought here to take the heat for the Emperor, and he felt somewhat powerless: “Your Majesty, you must guard against excessive use of force!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t deal with these people the way I dealt with Du Chong and Liu Guangshi. I left their women and children alone, left them their national bonds, furniture, and residences. The offenders themselves mostly got exile or military conscription. What more do they want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lü Haowen was utterly helpless and could only do his utmost to remind him: “There must be solid evidence; you cannot implicate the innocent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, amid the complex gazes of several close officials, Yang Yizhong stepped forward and cupped his hands, but spoke cautiously: “Your Majesty, Lord Councilor, should we guard against the families of these people fleeing in all directions?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.” Zhao Jiu sneered in response. “Let them come to the palace to plead for mercy, let them go cry to their relatives. I’ll watch how they make a fuss…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one had anything to say. Yang Yizhong immediately turned and prepared to head toward Yingyang Gate. This matter was settled, with no possibility of reversal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, just then, a palace guard on duty hurried toward them, carrying a sealed document box. Yang Yizhong instinctively stepped forward, but when he got close and saw that the man was from the Red Heart Squad, he came to his senses, quickly stepped aside, and walked straight past him out the door. Liu Yan also realized what was happening at that moment and hurried forward to take the box. Opening it and seeing only the envelope, he immediately became solemn, then turned and went up to the pavilion to hand it directly to His Majesty the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu saw that it was a message from the Taihang Mountains in Hebei and also grew serious. After opening it and skimming through it, he couldn’t help but chuckle, then looked up at Lü Haowen: “Lord Lü… Ma Kuo sent a memorial about a matter in the Jin state. The Jin ruler, Wuqimai, has suddenly suffered a stroke, and Nianhan is now in charge of the state!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Lü Haowen on down, the surrounding close attendants and civil and military officials all changed expression drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, should we summon Controller Yang back?” Hanlin Academician Li Ruopu stepped forward, his expression grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.” Zhao Jiu continued reading the latter half of the memorial’s report, shaking his head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then should we summon the chief councilors to discuss affairs?” Li Ruopu pressed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need for a special discussion. Send this matter to the Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs…” Zhao Jiu tossed down the memorial and looked up unhurriedly. “And have them handle the matter of revoking sinecures—quickly, strictly, and broadly. Otherwise, if the Jin people stir up trouble in the north, this clearing out of accumulated abuses will have to be temporarily suspended… Also, catch up to Yang Yizhong and tell him to arrest three or four more families of these vermin on the charge of slandering the imperial carriage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty.” Li Ruopu glanced at the silent Lü Haowen and spoke earnestly again. “There is a hierarchy of urgency in matters…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s so urgent about this?” Zhao Jiu said dismissively. “A powerful minister taking charge of the state is at most a matter of house arrest for the ruler. People who have been through the Jingkang disaster still need to worry about this? On the other hand, stripping away excessive favors and sinecures can save how much money and grain? Besides, if these vermin in the capital aren’t eliminated, how can we govern well and then march north to destroy the Jin? Which is more important—isn’t it obvious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Ruopu was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to refute him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: I’m going crazy… Xiao Jiu rides the three-month-old Chinchilla Persian cat every three minutes and won’t let it eat its canned food or use the litter box. The cat is so cornered it’s hiding in a cubby on the bookshelf and doesn’t dare come out. Xiao Jiu isn’t writing either—just crouching in front of the bookshelf like a wolf on the prowl… I’ve been serving the two of them all day, and even in my dreams, I’m woken up by the cat’s wails.\u003C\u002Fp>",4816,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","91343d30083767cea531839d081ffd0c6ba1ced8d92d9de431c04b4a31d36fa0","shao-song-chapter-269","shao-song-chapter-267",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]