Chapter 495: Establish a Cabinet and Confirm Seven Grand Secretaries!

The next day, morning.

Today's emperor is not an emperor who is keen on holding court meetings. This is something that all officials know.

According to the custom of the Han Dynasty, the court meeting was held every five days.

But when it came to Liu Xie, it became open every ten days, and sometimes it was not opened at all, and officials were asked to submit all matters to the announcement room.

The officials naturally had opinions on the emperor's lazy behavior. Many ministers had written letters to remonstrate before.

The emperor accepted all these suggestions and praised them for their courage to make direct suggestions, but they did not change them.

The more times it happened, the officials gradually accepted it.

After all, today's emperor is really wise and powerful. Even if he doesn't hold many court meetings, he can still understand political affairs and handle them in an orderly manner.

Of course, everyone understands that most of the credit for this lies with the ministers who handle government affairs in Xuanshi Palace every day.

Although those ministers had different official positions, and most of them were not even Jiuqing, they were qualified to help the emperor handle government affairs in the Xuanshi Palace.

This right makes many ministers jealous, but they are unable to join them and can only stare.

Today is the first court meeting in the past two months. Although it has passed the Yin hour, there are still many ministers who have not arrived at Chengming Hall.

The reason why the ministers came so late is also very simple. The emperor never goes to court on time and is often later than them. Even if he comes early, he just stands and waits.

Sure enough, it was not until around Mao hour that Liu Xie arrived late after all the ministers had arrived.

"My dear friends, you are here early enough."

Liu Xie walked to the dragon throne and sat down. After accepting the worship of the officials, he said with a smile.

When the officials heard this, they couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths.

Are they here too early? It’s already three poles a day!

You obviously came too late!

Kong Rong stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, the world has just been settled and everything is waiting for improvement. As the emperor, you must not be lazy in state affairs."

"You haven't been to the court for a long time and let Da Situ, Da Sikong and Yushi Zhongcheng handle the government affairs. How can it go on like this?"

"Your Majesty, please focus more on political affairs."

Liu Xie looked serious when he heard this, nodded and said: "Dachangqiu taught you a lesson, I will remember it."

Kong Rong sighed, feeling helpless.

Every time someone remonstrates with the emperor, they use the same rhetoric. On the surface, they accept it humbly, but in fact they don't change it at all.

Tired.

Just when the ministers thought that the emperor was going to say "If there is something to do, if there is nothing to do, to withdraw from the court" as usual, Liu Xie said something else that surprised them.

"I have also been reflecting on this over the past few days. The important affairs of the imperial court are related to the livelihood of the country and the people. As the emperor, I really should not be so slack."

Liu Xie showed a look of self-blame, and at the same time said: "But manpower is sometimes poor, and my energy is limited. It is helpless to ask Da Situ and others to assist me in handling government affairs."

"But this is not in line with the court etiquette, so I want to change the system so that we can handle political affairs better and faster."

Liu Xie's words made all the ministers stunned.

Restructure?

Before anyone could react, Liu Xie said: "I want to establish a cabinet with seven bachelors."

"All matters in the court, big and small, are submitted to the cabinet for review and approval by the great scholars, and then I make the decision."

Liu Xie expressed his thoughts exactly.

The cabinet system was created by the Ming Dynasty. It was a quite advanced management system and had great advantages in managing the country.

Liu Xie had the idea of ​​establishing a cabinet a long time ago, but this was not something that could be decided casually, so he had been preparing for it.

For such a long time, he has allowed Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Sima Yi and others to participate in political affairs at the beginning, and then directly be responsible for handling and reviewing memorials, which is slowly decentralizing power.

Until now, the civil and military officials have almost accepted the behavior of letting ministers handle government affairs. It is a good time for him to propose restructuring.

"Your Majesty, this, this is absolutely impossible!"

Kong Rong recovered from the shock, and then said anxiously: "The emperor is the king of a country, how can all major national affairs be left to his ministers?"

"So, so afraid..."

He didn't dare to say what he said next. The emperor's decentralization of power could easily lead to the dictatorship of his ministers!

The Ten Constant Attendants back then were the best example!

But before Kong Rong finished speaking, Cui Yan stood up, shook his head and said, "What Dachangqiu said is wrong. As a minister, it is your duty to assist the emperor."

"As the saying goes, if a family has dissatisfied sons, the family will not be defeated; if the country has good ministers, the country will not be destroyed. The civil and military officials of the entire dynasty are all good ministers and good ministers. Your Majesty established the cabinet and asked me and other ministers to assist in handling government affairs for the sake of the Han Dynasty, so there is nothing wrong with it. ?”

"I think this cabinet is doing good and doing great good!"

After Cui Yan finished speaking, Shen Rong, Ju Zong and other ministers also stood up to support the emperor's reform.

What a joke, the cabinet bachelor can directly handle government affairs. How much power does this have?

In the past, the emperor did not set up a cabinet, and he chose people to inform political affairs based on his own preferences. Now that the system has been officially restructured and this system has been incorporated into the rules, all the ministers of the dynasty will have the opportunity to enter the cabinet!

So how could they object?

Kong Rong wanted to persuade him again, but the courtiers all agreed, and it was impossible for Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang and others to object, so he had no choice but to retreat.

"In this case, the cabinet will be officially established."

Liu Xie couldn't help but smile when he saw that all the officials agreed to the restructuring as he expected, and then asked the eunuch on the side to announce the list of cabinet bachelors.

They are Guo Jia, the Grand Secretary of Xuanshi Hall, Jia Xu, the Grand Secretary of Wengyuan Hall, Zhuge Liang, the Grand Secretary of Qilin Hall, Sima Yi, the Grand Secretary of Jinhua Hall, Yang Xiu, the Grand Secretary of Chengming Hall, Lu Su, the Grand Secretary of Guangming Hall, and Fa Zheng, the Grand Secretary of Shoucheng Hall.

There are only seven Grand Secretaries in the Cabinet. Grand Secretary is just a title. Apart from assisting in handling government affairs, he has no other actual power.

Among the seven Grand Secretaries, the Grand Secretary of Xuanshi Hall is the chief, leading all the Grand Secretaries, and the emperor can appoint and dismiss the Grand Secretaries at any time.

In addition to these seven Grand Secretaries, there are also Grand Secretary candidates, who can also participate in government affairs, but only have the right to make suggestions but not the right to review.

For these candidates, all officials are not surprised, because these people are the ones who handled government affairs in Xuanshi every day before, and it is normal for them to be selected into the cabinet.

Anyway, as long as the cabinet system exists, they will be selected one day sooner or later, because this is a system within the framework of "rules".

Among the ministers, Xu You was stunned when he heard that he was not among the seven grand secretaries, and then smiled bitterly in his heart.

"Sure enough, His Majesty still has a grudge against me because I pleaded for Cao Chong..."

"Maybe I should retire."

Logically speaking, with his status, he is qualified to be one of the seven grand secretaries, but the emperor did not include him.

This made Xu You have to start thinking about whether he should retire bravely and resign from his post to the emperor, so that he could still preserve the relationship between the monarch and his subjects.

After the reform was established, Liu Xie continued: "In addition to the reform, I have another thing to announce."

"During this period of time, I have discussed with the grand secretaries and believe that now that the world is stable, there is one thing that should be completed as soon as possible."

"This thing is to survey the land and census the population."

After Liu Xie finished speaking, the ministers who were whispering about the reform suddenly quieted down.

Except for Guo Jia and Jia Xu, the rest of the ministers, including Zhuge Liang, Sima Yi and others, could not help but stare with wide eyes, and there was a trace of confusion.

Discuss with them? When?

Liu Xie said solemnly: "Years of war and separatism in various places have made the treasury of our Han Dynasty empty and the people suffer."

"Now that the world is stable, the first thing to do is to census the population of the world and survey the land in various places in order to collect taxes and fill the treasury."

"I have discussed this with the Grand Secretaries and will send embroidered clothes to various places to survey the land and census the number of people in various places."

Liu Xie said this decision lightly.

But these words fell into the ears of the ministers in the hall, which frightened them all, and almost changed their colors!

"It's bad!"

Yang Xiu was even more shocked, and the joy of being selected as a Grand Secretary just disappeared without a trace.

He looked around, and sure enough, many ministers, including his father Yang Biao, looked at him, with shock, anger, coldness, and hostility in their eyes!

"Your Majesty!"

A correct version in 16-9-1 book-1 forum!

Yang Xiu felt his scalp tingling, and stood up without hesitation, clasping his hands and saying: "This matter is of great importance, don't we... need to discuss it again?"

Since the extermination of the Yuan family, his Yang family, as a century-old family with five generations of three officials, is the undisputed leader of the major families.

But now!

The emperor openly announced that he would survey the land and census the population, and said that it was jointly agreed with the university scholars. Isn't this directly putting the blame on him?

If he admitted it, how would other major families look at him and his Yang family in the future?

He, Yang Xiu, became a traitor who betrayed the gentry class!

Liu Xie laughed and said, "Why do you say that, Dezu? This matter has obviously been agreed upon, why do we need to discuss it again?"

"Besides, if we don't measure the land and census the population, how can we know how many acres of land and how many people are there in our Han Dynasty now?"

"As a cabinet minister, how can Dezu speak so confusedly?"

Liu Xie retorted Yang Xiu's words in a few words.

Since ancient times, after experiencing a major war, it is inevitable to census the population and check the land, because the population and the number of fields are important data for the court to collect taxes, so no one can refute Liu Xie's proposal.

"Minister, minister..."

Yang Xiu blushed and was speechless.

There is no problem with measuring the land and census the population, but this matter came too abruptly!

The emperor suddenly announced and made the decision, and the ministers in the court did not receive any news in advance, and there was no time to respond!

If it is investigated at this time, the land that the major families concealed and the tenants who were affiliated with them will be found out!

If they find out, they will be severely punished!

Yang Xiu complained bitterly in his heart. He was wondering how he could enter the cabinet with his qualifications. It turned out that they were waiting for him here!

He was now dumb and could not speak out his suffering. Even if he did, no one would believe him.

The emperor said that he had discussed it with the cabinet ministers, but he said that he didn't know. Who would believe him?

Just when Yang Xiu didn't know how to respond, a familiar old voice suddenly sounded.

"Your Majesty is right. Now that the world is unified, it is imperative to survey the land and census the population."

"I, Yang, will fully cooperate with the census of the Embroidered Uniform Envoy."

Yang Biao stood up tremblingly and said to Liu Xie with a hunched back, with a very respectful attitude.

"Father..."

Yang Xiu's face changed. He wanted to speak, but was forced back by Yang Biao's eyes.

Liu Xie looked deep in his eyes and smiled, "It is great that Mr. Yang has such an awareness. Let's start with the Yang family to survey the land and census the population."

"I have ordered the embroidered clothes to make preparations and will go to various places to conduct censuses soon."

Liu Xie's light words directly shattered the last fantasy in the hearts of other ministers.

The emperor has been planning for a long time!

He is determined to take action against these noble families and make them reveal the land and population that they have concealed!

For a while, Cui Yan, Dong Zhong and others looked very ugly, and their eyes looking at Yang Biao and Yang Xiu became even colder.

"I am tired, let's end the court meeting today."

"Withdraw."

After Liu Xie finished speaking, he stood up and walked out of the hall, leaving the ministers in silence.

Guo Jia and Jia Xu smiled at each other and left as well.

Zhuge Liang seemed to be thinking about something, Sima Yi looked at Zhuge Liang with suspicion, while Lu Su and Fa Zheng remained calm.

All officials withdrew from the court.

Dong Zhong looked at Yang Biao coldly and sneered: "Mr. Yang is really good at this. I admire you!"

Cui Yan said indifferently: "Mr. Yang is cutting himself off from the nobles of the world. Take care of yourself."

After that, the two left directly.

All officials did not talk to Yang Biao and Yang Xiu, father and son. They either looked at them coldly or ignored them, as if there was an invisible thick barrier between them.

In the end, only the father and son were left in the hall.

Yang Xiu couldn't hold back any longer, and said with trembling lips: "Father, why do you want to..."

"Don't say it."

Yang Biao sighed deeply and said: "Tomorrow, I will resign from His Majesty and no longer participate in any court affairs."

"Don't fight with His Majesty, you can't fight."

"Now there is no other way to go, we can only go down this road until the end."

How could he not know how much hatred the Yang family would bring to them if he admitted this, but what could he do?

The emperor clearly wanted to pit them, unless Yang Xiu resigned and retired, he could make everyone believe that the Yang family did not stand on the side of the emperor.

But is it possible?

The position of the cabinet minister is too important and too tempting, and it cannot be given up anyway.

So, since it has come to this point, it is better to make the best of a mistake and stand firmly on the side of the emperor.

Tears flashed in Yang Xiu's eyes, and he felt deeply powerless in his heart.

It was not until now that he knew what the real imperial method was.

Officialdom is really too cruel.

He raised his hand to wipe his tears, then stepped forward to support Yang Biao and walked out of the hall and went out of the palace.