Perhaps because they felt that the celebration atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival was not strong enough, when lanterns and ribbons were thrown all over the streets of Tokyo, the court decided to add a touch of joy to it, but this touch of joy was red, bright red, and blood red.
On the 16th day of August in the 20th year of Kaibao, Emperor Liu issued an edict to take all the officials who had been detained in the capital during this period and had been sentenced to death to Nanshikou, where they were ordered to be sentenced to death. .
It's eager, it's domineering, it's cold, it's creepy. Emperor Liu did not break his promise, and Prince Liu Yang had no room to refuse, so he personally executed the sentence.
This batch of officials to be executed was only the first batch. Under Emperor Liu's brutal interference, the Sanfa Division hesitated but had to cut the knot quickly, and quickly drew up a list of 138 people in total.
Obviously, there is still a certain gap between this and the indicators set by Emperor Liu. However, the reasonable Emperor Liu also considered Xin Zhongfu and the others' difficulties and gave them some time to determine the sentences in three batches. But again, if it is changed to three batches, more people will be killed.
As for whether there were injustices among them, and whether there were crimes that would not lead to death, that is for sure, but Emperor Liu was obviously not as kind as the prince. He wanted to kill people and warn the world with blood. There are so many wronged souls in the world, and there is nothing special about bureaucrats.
In fact, this is no longer a simple liquidation of the "Lu Party". Among the more than 100 people, less than one-third were actually labeled as "Lu Party", and most of them were officials from Hexi. .
What's more, it's the corrupt elements and corrupt officials that have grown up during the ten years of peaceful politics. Lu Yu implicated them. In the final analysis, Lu Yu is just an introduction. This is still a political clean-up campaign of the Han Dynasty. It is a means for Emperor Liu, a centralized emperor, to ease conflicts and consolidate his rule. It is a phased summary of the politics of the Han Dynasty in the past ten years. .
This kind of centralized execution is not the first time in Han Dynasty, such as Huazhou Eucalyptus and Yangzhou Eucalyptus, and the scale is getting bigger and bigger.
However, the difference is that Huazhou Eucalyptus mainly targets those nobles who have done evil, while both Yangzhou Eucalyptus and Lu Eucalyptus this time target bureaucrats who have risen politically.
For a long time in the past, Emperor Liu treated the founding fathers and meritorious officials favorably while adopting a vaguely restrictive attitude. Whether it is the previous disposal of the nobles, the iconic Huazhou Eucalyptus, or the subsequent restrictive policies led by Zhao Pu, they were all developed under this principle.
No restrictions will do. Historically, when a dynasty was established, arrogant soldiers and powerful generals were inevitable. They were heroes in times of war, but if they were not well controlled in peacetime, they would become disasters.
Zhao Kuangyin solved this contradiction through the redemption policy and implemented a "cup of wine to release military power", but it also brought about another problem. The arrogant soldiers and strong generals were solved, but the burden on the country and the people was heavy.
Emperor Liu did this in the past, even if it was not as "extreme" as Zhao Kuangyin's, but it also produced a similar effect. The subsequent restrictive decree was also a measure of adjustment. This undoubtedly caused a lot of dissatisfaction among the noble class. If it were not for the active expansion in the past and the rapid development of commerce and overseas trade, which allowed the nobles to benefit from it and alleviate some conflicts, I am afraid that the internal problems of the Han Dynasty would have To be more profound.
At the same time, in order to balance the noble class and support the common people bureaucrats, Emperor Liu vigorously promoted it. Facts have proved that the development of this class is extremely rapid. As a group of ministers headed by Zhao Pu gradually gained importance, occupied important positions in the court, and gained great power, they also achieved a certain degree of suppression of nobles. There is also a reason why Zhao Pu has been the prime minister for so many years.
But nothing can have only advantages and no disadvantages. The rise of common people's bureaucrats has also brought about many administrative problems. Corruption is only the most gross manifestation among them, and it is also the reason used by Emperor Liu to release conflicts.
From Yangzhou Eucalyptus to Lu Eucalyptus, Emperor Liu's purpose was also this. On the one hand, they suppressed the nobles and on the other hand, they attacked the bureaucracy in order to consolidate the rule and maintain the imperial power. However, as time went by, the contradiction between the monarch and his ministers also inevitably deepened. On the one hand, power and interests were on the other hand. Emperor Liu's excessive strength and inflated desire for power also made it difficult for nobles and bureaucrats to endure.
As in the past, the common people were crowded with spectators, talking and applauding constantly, while the ministers and noble officials who were forced to watch the execution remained silent.
Many people have not even fully woken up from the hangover from the Mid-Autumn Festival Night Banquet, but the shining torture knife and the bloody human head are enough to wake them up and make their hair stand on end.
There is a shadow hanging over everyone's heart, and everyone seems to have a sharp knife hanging on their neck. The sense of crisis and fear are mixed, making people dare not relax at all.
Many people even couldn't help but wonder, what was going on? What on earth was the emperor going to do with such a large-scale torture prison and massacre of bureaucrats?
Similarly, many people can't help but think in the direction of "the cunning rabbit dies, the lackey is cooked". It's not that there are no sober people, but the bottom determines the position. They are more sympathetic to the situation and whether this fate and ending will happen to them.
This feeling may not have been deep in the past, but this time, almost all the noble ministers have this string in their heads. Lu Duosun's fate is proof of this.
It must be said that Emperor Liu's ruthless and even unruly and tough approach had a remarkable effect. The whole court was in awe and no one was unafraid. But at the same time, it also inevitably produced some negative effects. The gap between the monarch and his ministers became more severe. The ministers were already more afraid of Emperor Liu than they trusted him. This was naturally relative. After all, Emperor Liu never really trusted these powerful people. ?
However, Emperor Liu's authority was too heavy. Even if these powerful people had many thoughts and dissatisfactions in their hearts, they did not dare to express them. They could only remain silent and dormant, and did not dare to show up.
Whoever dares to take the lead will probably be killed and the family will decline. This is obvious. In an era when the king is strong and the ministers are weak, everyone can only follow Emperor Liu's rules. As for confrontation, let alone the strength, the looseness of the powerful is a problem. Each has its own contradictions and interests. , and no one can unite.
If that happens, they will end up criticizing each other and taking the opportunity to defeat their political opponents. For so many years, the Han Dynasty had only one center, and that was Emperor Liu. All affairs revolved around him, and no one could replace him.
The first two times, people were forced to watch, and some people couldn't bear to see such tragic scenes. Some officials even complained and insinuated "tyranny."
It is indeed easy to arouse empathy when seeing the same kind of people being treated like this. In the past, all those who "wrong words and deeds" also had a bad end, either demoted, exiled, or even lost their lives.
But this time, there was no noise. Outside the execution ground, the discussion of the people and the silence of the powerful were in sharp contrast. On the execution platform, Prince Liu Yang was also silent and expressionless, watching helplessly as the heads of the guilty ministers fell to the ground.
Many nobles and bureaucrats couldn't help but cast their sights on the crown prince, who was in his prime. Emperor Liu's authority was too strong, and everyone didn't dare to resist. However, the emperor was old after all, and his body didn't seem to be that healthy.
Compared with the old emperor's harshness and cruelty, His Highness the Prince must be kinder and more tolerant after all. Let's endure it until the day when the world changes. Maybe everyone's life will be easier.
In the past, many people may not have dared to think about such thoughts, but now, many people have unstoppably looked forward and expected in that direction.
Of course, even if there are such rebellious thoughts, no one dares to show them, they can only be hidden deep in their hearts. Among the many glances directed at Prince Liu Yang, Zhao Kuangyi felt more and more that his future lay not with Emperor Liu, but with the Prince.
Under Emperor Liu, it was no longer safe to be prime minister. What else could he do and show off his talents?
