It is the 20th year of Kaibao, the sixth month of summer, the eighth day of the lunar month.
The morning light had first appeared, and the sky was still hazy. In front of the Chongyuan Palace, the nobles, civil and military officials in Tokyo were slowly climbing up the hall through the corridors, unloading their shoes and entering the palace.
Everything is in order, and the atmosphere is solemn and solemn. Those who can participate in the Great Court Meeting are all officials of fifth rank or above or admonishers such as Yushi, Shiyi, and Buque. For most of the upper-class dignitaries, this is a rare event in a year. Get up so early.
The court meeting system is still one of the most serious systems in the court. However, after so many years, it has only remained a formality. To this day, no officials believe that anything practical can be negotiated through the court meeting.
However, during every court meeting, something big must happen. This is also the consensus of almost everyone in the court. So today, what is the matter? Everyone inevitably has such a question in their mind?
Many people couldn't help but cast their eyes on the important ministers in the front, trying to find out something from their reactions. Of course, it was just a useless effort. Each and every one of them was not cunning and cunning, and they had deep knowledge.
In the Chongyuan Hall, several rows of palace lanterns illuminated the hall brightly. The chamberlains lowered their hands and served on both sides respectfully. All the officials took their seats in order of rank. After all, it was not the Qianyuan Hall in Xijing. Such a well-attended court meeting had never been expanded. The Chongyuan Hall that I passed also seemed a bit "crowded".
As people got closer, the relationship seemed to get closer, and it was easier to talk. Some reserved comments naturally sounded in the palace. Before the emperor arrived, there was still room for them to discuss and communicate.
"This court meeting happened suddenly, which is quite unusual!" A few officials at the end of the hall couldn't help but whisper when they saw the formation.
"Yes! It's neither a festival nor a grand ceremony. Your Majesty has not been in court for two months. I don't know what's going on?"
"Could it be something related to Hexi?"
"I don't think so. Although the Hexi case shocked the government and the public, with His Majesty's handling style, action has already been taken whether it is in the temple or in the northwest, and relevant ministries have already sent officials to investigate. Such... Under such circumstances, why bother bringing it up to the High Court to discuss..."
"That makes sense. I just received the notification yesterday evening. It seems a bit hasty!"
"Even Lord Rong Guo, who has been at home for a long time and has no interest in government affairs, has come out!" One person looked at Zhao Kuangyin, who was ranked first, with a little inquiry in his eyes.
"I'm afraid something big is going on!"
The imperial court is always like this. Whenever there is some disturbance, it is inevitable that there will be a lot of discussion and gossip. But most people don't stop there. The people below are all speculating. How can those ministers who hold great power not speculate.
And their eyes and ears are usually clearer, they are better informed, and their sense of smell is sharper, but even so, this situation and scene seem to be covered with a layer of fog, making it difficult to discern.
In the past, every time there was an important dynasty, preparations would be made in advance and relevant issues would be sorted out. Even the procedures were fixed. But this time, it was obviously different.
There was a lot of discussion, and the noise inevitably got louder and louder. The atmosphere in the Chongyuan Hall, where the elite gathered, was almost the same as that in the teahouses and wine shops in Tokyo.
Seeing this, Zhao Pu, who was sitting at the head of the ministers' table with his eyes closed to rest, opened his eyes, looked around, and coughed twice. The cough was short and powerful, with full penetrating power, as if it had special energy. It suddenly changed the atmosphere in the hall. Gradually, the discussion stopped, and everyone was calm and focused, not daring to say more, and kept quiet. Waiting for Emperor Liu's message to come.
This wait, which lasted for about two-quarters of an hour, inevitably aroused some surprises. It was not that these ministers were impatient, but that a strange feeling lingered in their hearts. For a formal and serious occasion like this, Emperor Liu would hardly keep the courtiers waiting like this.
Until Yantuo sang "Your Majesty has arrived" in his high-pitched voice, everyone stood up and bowed solemnly. At this moment, everyone's thoughts seemed to have stopped.
Emperor Liu came with the crown prince Liu Yang. He was dressed in a simple dragon robe. He made a grand appearance in the eyes of everyone who was either respectful or fearful. His expression was calm as usual. There was nothing unusual about him, but it still made people dare not look at him. .
The prince was half a step behind and followed steadily, but his expression seemed a little more solemn.
After boarding Danqi, taking his seat, and accepting the worship of all the officials, Emperor Liu glanced around briefly, his eyes lingering on Zhao Pu and Lu Duoxun for a moment, and then with a big wave of his hand, he stood up without paying any courtesy.
This court meeting was carried out in a plain way, but some things were discussed, such as improving the status of public security law enforcement officials and grading and classifying the world's arrests.
This is a matter of course. The Han Dynasty has always implemented a system of dividing officials and officials. There is also a huge gap between officials and officials. There are tens of thousands of officials in the world, but there are only a handful of officials who are officially authorized by the imperial court. And this proportion is growing.
Taking a county as an example, the only people with real official status are the county magistrate, county seat, county captain, and chief registrar. As for the rest, they are all miscellaneous officials who are not in the mainstream. However, it is these officials who really do things, and officials are also the largest and most basic group in the entire Han management system.
Regarding the promotion of the status and treatment of "officials", the court has been debating for many years, but there has been no result. There are many people who support it, but even more people who oppose it.
Most people look at the problem from a class standpoint and resolutely oppose the merger of officials and officials, and want to maintain the dignity and status of officials. Some people also consider financial issues. This improvement will be comprehensive. If passed , the imperial court will increase a huge amount of expenditure on raising officials every year.
This decision to upgrade the status of the arrester can be considered a formal opening, and it was also contributed to by many factors. After all, arresting officials are also a violent institution of the country. They are the main force in maintaining public order and fighting crime, and they should be taken seriously.
In the past, many military officers were assigned to the local public security system after retiring, which resulted in a situation where people with the title of officer in the military, but after being transferred to the local government, became a low-level role, even if In fact, their responsibilities and powers are not small. This gap makes many people uncomfortable and complain a lot, which has reached heaven.
On the other hand, considering the deterioration of public security in various parts of the country as a result of the Hexi case, the imperial court has decided to carry out a public security crackdown in various places. If they want the arresters to work hard, this is also to give them a sweetener first to increase their enthusiasm.
Obviously, this is another adjustment to the structure of the Han official system. It is conceivable that further improvements will be made in the future. As for the results and impact, it remains to be tested.
This is always the case in great court meetings. This is not a place for discussion. Rather than discussing state affairs, it is more like an announcement ceremony and a process. All the courtiers have long been accustomed to this. Almost everyone knows that when important national affairs need to be discussed, they are always held in Zhengshi Hall and Chongzheng Hall.
And this time the court obviously did not just inform the decision. After the matter of arresting officials was decided, Chongzheng Hall quickly became quiet, and the atmosphere became serious and gradually depressed.
Emperor Liu sat high on the throne and calmly looked down at the ministers. After a long time, he finally said: "It's been a long time since I've been in court, and I haven't seen so many ministers for a long time. Some of you may not have seen me for a long time. Such a rare opportunity is not available." Do you have something to say or something to report?"
After saying this, many people looked at each other in confusion. Even the officials at the back showed hesitation. This posture did not look like they wanted to listen to their advice.
"My supervisor, Wang Yucheng, has something to report!" At this time, the "hard-headed" man stood up, and the whole court looked at him sideways.
But when they saw it was Wang Yuchen, many people put away their surprised expressions. After the "nursery rhyme case" that year, almost everyone got to know this bold and outspoken young remonstrator.
Although there were many officials and admonishers in the court, and there were also many people who acted like Wang Yucheng, there were only a few who achieved good results. The key is to look at Emperor Liu's mood and understanding. Emperor Liu always has a "smart eye". Some people he considers to be loyal and direct advice, while some people he considers to be favored by direct invitations.
After the "nursery rhyme case" that year, Wang Yucheng was left out for more than half a year, living at home studying knowledge, writing poems and poems. But half a year later, Emperor Liu remembered this man again, issued an edict, reinstated him in his post, and promoted him to Got an official position.
At this time, seeing Wang Yuchen jumping out again, most people were a little curious as to what this "iron-headed boy" would say on this occasion.
