[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-296":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},1558462,2024,"Chapter 296: The Register","shao-song-chapter-296",296,"\u003Cp>Yue Fei did not wait for the Mid-Autumn Festival grand ceremony at Mount Yue before turning back, and he returned early at that, because he had a more important mission. Zhao Jiu needed him and his strictly disciplined troops to ensure that the war-torn Jingdong region did not lose order during the autumn harvest, and he even more needed a reliable person to provide absolute military support when Moqi Xie imitated the Guanzhong model to clear unclaimed land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In particular, the ill-reputed Zhang Jun, after Li Qi broke out with a small core of trusted followers, now actually controlled the area east of Qingzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, scheduling this grand ceremony after the Mid-Autumn Festival was not only to make it more solemn, thus requiring a longer preparation time, but more so to deliberately use the autumn harvest as a boundary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, for an agricultural society, before and after the autumn harvest, not to mention the agricultural matters and the degree of busyness, even people's mental outlook is somewhat different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the blank period created by the autumn harvest to then hold a major spiritual civilization activity is a good method to carry forward the past and open up the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to be honest, although the ceremony was bustling with excitement after the news got out, Zhao Jiu was not in the mood, because in essence, the matters and words of carrying forward the past and opening up the future seemed to have already been done and said back at Yaoshan and Shaoxing. This time was clearly just a reinforcement and promotion activity, and he was going to be a tool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even some powerful words and declarations seemed to have lost their meaning... The times had changed. The court gazette, which had mastered regional block printing technology and had a daily increasing circulation, now had a better declarative effect. Ten thousand words he said on the spot were less useful than a single official document bearing his signature and seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for selecting temples and Daoist abbeys, Zhao Jiu was utterly impartial. Except for the Mingdao Palace, he did not give special treatment even to Buddhist and Daoist establishments that had rendered meritorious service to the state, such as the Shaolin Temple, Lingjiu Temple, Wuyue Abbey, Xiangguo Temple, and Dongxiao Palace. It was simply 'those with greater contributions get in, those with insufficient contributions get out.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, these few establishments probably did not lack money either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor did the Zhao Emperor degenerate into a dry, emotionless machine. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached day by day, he still maintained considerable shock at some things and some people... because some things and some people truly exceeded his imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The forty-seventh generation direct eldest grandson of Confucius, Duke Yansheng Kong Duanyou; the forty-sixth generation direct grandson Kong Ruogu...\" Inside the nameless stone pavilion, Zhao Jiu repeatedly looked at these two names, then put down the list, stood as still as a wooden duck, and did not move for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, on the stone table in front of him, there were several more large volumes of similar lists. Opposite him sat one Grand Councilor and four Councilors, one Censor-in-Chief, and two Ministers... two new Ministers, Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen and Minister of Personnel Chen Gongfu. This matter fell exactly within their purview; it could only be said to be a coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the stone pavilion, several Hanlin Academicians, Secretariat Drafters, Imperial Diarists, Chief Eunuch of the Inner Service Bureau Lan Gui, Imperial Guard Commander Yang Yizhong, Liu Yan, and many others were also divided into two groups, standing in attendance before and behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, if only four Ministers were missing, they could have just gone directly to the Wende Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty,\" said Liu Ji, the Vice Grand Councilor of the Secretariat, who was in charge of this matter, after waiting for a long time and seeing that the Emperor was indeed stunned, he spoke up seriously. \"Are there any errors or omissions in the list?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Emperor took a deep breath, finally making a move, but still did not speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, Zhao Jiu would never have imagined that the legitimate Duke Yansheng would appear on this list, because this list was the second 'List of Loyal Officials Who Preserved Their Integrity' among the living, that is, a list of nobles who had maintained their dignity during the Jingkang National Calamity! This was specially compiled by the Secretariat and the Ministry of Rites according to the Emperor's conception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And according to Zhao Jiu's laughable historical knowledge from his previous life, shouldn't the Duke Yansheng's family have always been spineless traitors? Shouldn't they have immediately groveled at the first sign of every dynastic change? The Jin army had advanced into Jingdong in the first year of Jianyan, actually controlled the Shandong Peninsula by the spring of the second year of Jianyan, and established the puppet Qi in the third year of Jianyan. For a long time, the northernmost part of Yanzhou, where Qufu was located, was enemy-occupied territory. There was no reason for the Duke Yansheng not to surrender to the Jin and join the puppet Qi, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, how could he very clearly remember that when Liu Yu established his state, he specifically went to Qufu to offer sacrifices to the Kong clan, and then issued a manifesto. For this, Zhao Jiu had unfairly taken the blame for the sins committed by this body (Chen Dong and the great escape from Hebei), a black pot he could never shake off?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I remember that the Duke Yansheng recognized the puppet Qi as the legitimate authority, didn't he?\" Zhao Jiu came to his senses and asked seriously. \"And even issued a manifesto cursing me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ji and the new Minister of Rites Zhai Ruwen, the two parties involved, exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Liu Ji gave a serious explanation: \"Your Majesty, the one in Jinan is a fake Duke Yansheng. The real Duke Yansheng, Kong Duanyou, did not lose his integrity in the slightest. On the contrary, during the Jin invasion in the winter of the first year of Jianyan and the early second year of Jianyan, he actively took the family heirlooms—'The Kai Wood Statues of Confucius and his Wife,' 'The Portrait of Confucius with His Sword (a work by Wu Daozi),' and 'The Vermilion Seal of the Temple of the Ultimate Sage King of Culture'—and led the vast majority of his close relatives south, then remained in Yangzhou awaiting orders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was stunned again: \"The influence of a gentleman ends after five generations. Even for the descendants of Confucius, this is the forty-seventh generation. They have been pampered for generations, born into wealth and honor. How could they be so righteous?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time it was Liu Ji's turn to be stunned. In fact, not only Liu Ji, but the other Councilors and the two Ministers were also stunned... because this statement was too absurd. If this logic were followed, your own family had also been around for seven or eight generations. Even if your father and brother were 'mediocre,' why could you be righteous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the only exception was Grand Councilor Lü Haoqiu. He had never shown any 'shock' from beginning to end... He had been shocked for four or five years; the shock department should have gone bankrupt by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, but the fact is that the Duke Yansheng truly carried those three treasures, which were like the spirit tablets of Confucius, and went south. Everyone in the world knows this.\" Sure enough, it was Censor-in-Chief Li Guang who could not hold back his temper. \"Moreover, with his special status, bringing the three sacred objects south with Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, not leaving them for the Jin, is equivalent to preserving his integrity and fulfilling his duty. And this principle is also known to everyone in the world... Why does Your Majesty pretend to be deaf and dumb?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu came to his senses and was momentarily embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty,\" seeing this, Zhai Ruwen stepped in to smooth things over. \"Actually, there are some other explanations for this matter...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty, look at the list. Besides the Duke Yansheng himself, there is also the forty-sixth generation descendant of Confucius, who is Kong Duanyou's uncle, Kong Ruogu... There are rumors that Kong Ruogu was the one who strongly urged the Duke Yansheng to abandon the family temple in Qufu and follow Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager south. But regardless, the Duke Yansheng's preservation of his integrity is beyond doubt.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu was completely speechless... At this point, how could he not understand that he had probably encountered a rare exception in the Kong family. Or conversely, perhaps it was precisely because those willing to preserve their integrity had gone south this time that those left behind in another timeline developed a family tradition of going with the flow, and then, like Granny Nine Jin, each generation was worse than the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, as Zhai Ruwen explained in detail, Zhao Jiu learned more specific circumstances:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, Kong Duanyou and his uncle Kong Ruogu went south, while his younger brother Kong Duancao was left in Qufu to guard the family temple and was later taken by Liu Yu to Jinan to be controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, after Qufu was recovered, Kong Duancao was detained in Jinan by Liu Yu. Kong Duanyou immediately sent his uncle Kong Ruogu back to take charge. Then, after Yue Fei defeated Li Cheng, he personally brought the three sacred objects and led his entire family to quickly return north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he arrived in Qufu and reunited with his uncle, upon learning that his younger brother had been taken to Hebei by Elubu along with Liu Yu, the current Duke Yansheng quickly submitted a memorial to the Secretariat, pleading for his brother's forgiveness, pointing out that his brother had been forced to stay and guard the family temple and was then taken by force, hoping for a pardon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This series of actions, whether led by Kong Duanyou or his uncle Kong Ruogu, no longer mattered, because anyone facing the Kong clan's performance from the Jingkang National Calamity to the present had to admit that they had handled things cleanly and beautifully, leaving no room for criticism in matters of righteousness, minor details, filial piety, and brotherly affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way they handled this could almost shame a certain Emperor sitting in the pavilion listening to the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, even Zhao Jiu, who viewed the Duke Yansheng family through the thick, colored lens of nearly a thousand years, had to sigh for a long time before personally approving the list containing the recommendation to commend Kong Duanyou and his uncle Kong Ruogu, and then pardoning Kong Duancao from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could he say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he go out and complain that, by some coincidence, he had encountered a Duke Yansheng who hadn't dropped the ball? Complain that the Kong family was too loyal to the Zhao family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really shouldn't make a fool of himself... Even a fool could see that during the Jingkang Incident, the Kong family had more face than the Zhao family!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Kong clan is so outstanding, and their family is so special, they deserve a strong commendation.\" After Zhao Jiu finished signing and sealing the last of the thick registers, Eunuch Lan stepped forward to affix the seal. Taking this opportunity, the Emperor thought for a moment and then asked the several important ministers before him. \"But I see that the Secretariat only granted Kong Duanyou a purple robe for his titular rank and Kong Ruogu a crimson robe... Given the Kong clan's exemplary role, isn't this reward a bit too light?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ji, who was responsible for this, nodded seriously in response: \"To be honest with Your Majesty, we have indeed discussed this matter and had the same opinion. But now that the Hanlin Academy positions are all abolished and the state finances are frugal, there really is no other way... We can't very well make the Duke Yansheng the Prefect of Qingzhou, can we?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, ready to let the matter drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as the Zhao Emperor's fingers brushed over another register on the stone table before him, he suddenly remembered something, and his heart stirred: \"I recall that when I was looking at the first volume just now, we talked about the reward for Han Xiaozhou?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" Prime Minister Zhao Ding keenly took over from Liu Ji to respond. \"Han Xiaozhou originally obtained his official position through hereditary privilege as a Court Gentleman for Prominent Service, and served as a Recorder in Kaifeng Prefecture. He was then granted the status of 'Same as a Graduate,' appointed as Junior Chamberlain for the Palace Revenues, and later sent out as Prefect of Jiangzhou. His qualifications are truly deep. With such qualifications, plus his merit in serving as an envoy to the northern state to request the return of the Two Emperors and the Empress Dowager, and his integrity in being detained by Woqian without ever losing his moral fiber, he certainly deserves a reward that matches his standing. However...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, given his background, qualifications, integrity, and merit, unless he is given a Councilor position, nothing else would be fitting.\" Zhao Jiu understood. \"But how could we possibly make him a Councilor? And there are some things you haven't said, but I understand in my heart. This man, after all, relied on a background that others couldn't match. As a privileged official in Kaifeng Prefecture, he was already wearing a purple robe, then jumped to Junior Chamberlain. Later, his mission was also a bit of an opportunistic move... Besides, I have met this man and know he is an honest but incompetent person, incapable of being entrusted with the heavy responsibilities of state.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhai Ruwen couldn't help but cough dryly, clearly unaccustomed to the Zhao Emperor's directness, but the fact that everyone else remained silent showed that the Zhao Emperor had hit the nail on the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So we need to think of a way to give Han Xiaozhou, the Kong uncle and nephew, and others like them—who are legitimate in a sense and do deserve some recognition, but simply cannot be given substantive assignments—a proper place.\" Zhao Jiu finally stated his intention. \"I just thought of this... Aren't we in the process of gradually making official titles match their actual functions? Only the secretarial titles are extra identities. So why not give them a designation, just like granting them a seat in the Secret Pavilion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty means creating a virtual Secret Pavilion?\" Military Councilor Zhang Jun immediately caught on and blurted out. \"For example, using the old courtyard of the Secretariat outside the Xuande Tower and calling it an Outer Pavilion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although it's outside the palace walls, 'Outer Pavilion' sounds too unpleasant.\" Zhao Jiu shook his head repeatedly. \"How about using the name 'Public Pavilion'? Allow them, like the Secret Pavilion, to meet once every twenty days, keep records and archives, and submit memorials to me in the name of the Public Pavilion. Also, allow them to attend the Grand Court Assembly just to listen, and when the Imperial Academy discusses state affairs, allow them to sit by my side...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if they only listen at the Grand Court Assembly, what can they say in the Public Pavilion?\" Zhao Ding already thought it was feasible in his heart, but still felt it was a bit hasty and awkward... It was too much of a brush-off. Han Xiaozhou could have been made a Councilor, and the Duke Yansheng's family had been running around carrying two wooden statues, which was quite hard work, wasn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, there were quite a few people around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How about stuffing in the abbots and temple masters who came this time, and have them discuss matters of sacrifice and prayer?\" Zhao Jiu continued to probe. \"Also, stuff in some reputable imperial clan members to discuss ceremonial regulations and title succession? Let the two Imperial Fathers-in-law also join, to discuss road repairs in Dongjing? And how to allocate houses in Jingyuan? When will the cuju league start? Great scholars can also join, to promote Original Learning and discuss Neo-Confucianism? In winter, they can also discuss how to relieve the poor? They can talk about anything. In the end, they send it all to me. If I have time, I'll look at it; if not, I'll send it directly to the Secretariat... How about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Ding was too embarrassed to nod, but judging by the way he and the other Councilors and the two Ministers exchanged glances, they seemed quite agreeable in their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, when they were compiling these lists this time, they discovered that there were too many similar people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, even the several close court officials standing outside seemed quite agreeable... Who would want these people to come and compete with them for their positions? As the Emperor said, these official positions were increasingly emphasizing the match between name and reality; they all had real power. Everyone felt like they were getting promoted on the spot. Why should these people just jump over their heads?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am willing to resign as the Chief of the Secret Pavilion and become the Chief of this new Public Pavilion,\" Lü Haoqiu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up. \"That way, I can focus on Original Learning...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Councilor Lü can be the Chief of the Public Pavilion, but you must also continue as the Chief of the Secret Pavilion.\" Zhao Jiu quickly waved his hand. \"There are still some matters where I need Councilor Lü to make the final decision for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lü Haoqiu nodded, then fell silent again in his seat, perhaps thinking about a new theorem of Original Learning. The remaining few roughly discussed the matter, probably needing the court gazette to cooperate in promoting the prestige of this Public Pavilion... And then the matter seemed to be roughly settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone who came today got a new task: to draft the list for the Public Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before that, it seemed there was still one matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is this all?\" Zhao Jiu said, stroking another register, momentarily unable to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Majesty.\" Zhao Ding and the others had no choice but to stand up and clasp their hands in salute, even Lu Haowen following suit. \"Your ministers are truly helpless... The Jin forces stop at the Huaihe River, Nanyang, and various points in Guanzhong, while Hebei and Hedong remain enemy-occupied, and Jingdong has only recently been recovered. So in fact, only three major areas—Guanzhong, the Central Plains, and Huaishang—can be effectively tallied. And even for these three, given how many times bandits, righteous armies, Jin troops, and government forces have swept through them, how could anyone give a clear account?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about those towns in the Jingxi region that were completely massacred during the winter of the second year of Jianyan?\" Zhao Jiu still did not understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To let Your Majesty know, since they were completely massacred, where would any information remain?\" Zhao Ding grew even more helpless. \"Moreover, the household registers had already been redetermined after the land surveys, military colonies, and land grants. Your ministers could only record a list of town names, which we have also written into the registers... As for the remaining areas, we sent out requests in the name of the Central Secretariat to the localities for records of righteous and martyred commoner men and women who resisted the Jin. But all we could get were things like 'around such-and-such a year, so-and-so organized a righteous army,' or 'so-and-so died in battle'—and those were all prominent local families.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiu looked at the several thick volumes of merit and martyrdom registers he had just examined... One volume was for bureaucrats who had sacrificed or rendered meritorious service—people like Li Ruoshui and Zhang Shuye. One volume was for generals who had sacrificed or rendered meritorious service—people like Zhong Shidao and Wang Bing. One volume was for surviving bureaucrats who had maintained their integrity—including many long-serving court officials like Han Xiaozhou. And one volume was for surviving nobles and renowned Confucians who had maintained their integrity—people like the Duke Yansheng and his uncle and nephew... Then he touched the thin volume in his hand, the register of righteous and martyred commoner men and women, and thought of the dense forest of memorial tablets in the mountain temple after the single battle of Yaoshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he prided himself on having seen many things in these past four or five years, he still felt a sense of irony and sorrow at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhao Emperor rubbed this thin register for a long time without speaking. The several chief councilors and the Censor-in-Chief, plus two Ministers, and those outside the pavilion, all felt somewhat awkward... They were the true elite of the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They truly understood what it meant for a state to fall or for the world to perish, and that in times of rise and fall, the common people suffer. How could they not recognize the embarrassment and sorrow here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But reality was precisely this clear and stark, so stark that even a few sighs felt hypocritical... What could you do about it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause, Zhao Jiu finally opened the register. At his gesture, the several chief councilors and high ministers sat back down. But just then, staring at the first page listing the massacred towns of Jingxi, the Zhao Emperor suddenly seemed struck by a thought, then turned his head toward Yang Yizhong, who stood to one side outside the pavilion: \"Zhengfu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your servant is here.\" Yang Yizhong was inexplicably flustered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are there any prostitutes in the city?\" Zhao Jiu asked seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire pavilion erupted in commotion and confusion. Even Yang Yizhong was dumbfounded. Everyone knew that the two Imperial Consorts were visibly pregnant—how could they tolerate such absurd words from His Majesty? But strangely, after a moment, including Li Guang, who had been furious to the extreme, everyone fell into a bizarre silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if by contagion, one person suddenly realized, and then these imperial elites quickly came to a clear understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The autumn wind rustled, the sun was warm and the slanting light golden. In the late afternoon, inside and outside the entire nameless stone pavilion, there was utter silence, broken only by the faint sound of the autumn wind coming from the distant mulberry grove.\u003C\u002Fp>",3764,"2026-06-06T07:46:04.529Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","9e8431d3bc6156926c797deaf3f0d3d33fa0d04b3f0a0200049e8d79308d5b83","shao-song-chapter-297","shao-song-chapter-295",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]