After a conversation with Kou Zhun, and after two days of thinking and preparation, on the first "working day" after the Jiaqing holiday, Emperor Liu issued a clear edict to address the current national conditions, civil affairs, social security, and the country's A comprehensive rectification operation of "anti-corruption and anti-crime" was carried out from top to bottom.
Regarding this edict, the ministers who heard it for the first time were somewhat confused. This fight against corruption and upholding integrity is a need for official administration and is politically correct. This is what Emperor Liu has always emphasized, and he did not dare to raise objections on this matter.
In the past, Emperor Liu would rectify the administration and trouble the bureaucrats from time to time. This was basically cyclical, and the officials below him almost figured out the pattern. It’s just that this time, it seems to be a little different. In the official earthquake caused by the Lu case, countless people were dismissed from their posts in the four northwest districts. Almost all the local court officials were killed and their heads were rolling. How long has it been since there was another big earthquake? Case?
As for the so-called "anti-crime" and public security clean-up, it is not common. After all, the Han Dynasty has been relatively stable and peaceful in the past twenty years or so. That is, the case of the Black Khan Mission and the Yulin Rebellion. After learning about the public security chaos, Emperor Liu was furious and issued an edict to conduct a public security cleanup across the country to eliminate the bandits, thieves, and robbers who were causing trouble to the local area and eliminate them. Those unstable factors.
This wave of political ups and downs has passed not too long ago, and it has only been a year since the Yulin Rebellion was settled. Everyone wanted to live a peaceful life, but Emperor Liu's order caused trouble again.
The specific "anti-corruption and anti-crime" method was not mentioned in the edict, but everyone knew that the movement would not be small. Generally speaking, when Emperor Liu acted solemnly, there must be something going on. When decisions are made without extensive discussion, the situation becomes even more serious. Emperor Liu's will to do arbitrary things is rarely shaken.
After going to court, many ministers looked solemn and worried. These people, with high positions and noble status, are the carnivores at the top of the ruling class. For them, what they want most is stability and peace of mind, and they least want to see change and chaos. However, they meet someone who does not want them to live in peace. divided emperor.
In this period, no one dares to oppose Emperor Liu's will, or even dare to raise opinions. The higher the status and the more powerful the person, the more so. If he offends Emperor Liu by making suggestions, he will lose his power. official position, then it is not worth it.
Perhaps Emperor Liu himself did not realize that in recent years, few ministers would take the initiative to come forward to advise him. More often, they would just give strict government affairs reports. In the more than half a year since he resumed government affairs, , even more so, each one remains meticulous. Those who really dare to speak out are those low-key, middle- and lower-level officials, or officials like Wang Yucheng who are too upright and staunch.
Faced with Emperor Liu's sudden edict, these central ministers who were close to Emperor Liu invariably cheered up and increased their vigilance. Anyone with a little political sense could feel the impending storm.
Therefore, in silence, letters one after another, warnings and warnings, were transmitted through Luoyang to all the people in the world. The meaning was probably the same. The imperial court was about to rectify the administration of officials again. Everyone should be more careful, restrained, and disciplined. Wipe your butt clean and don’t let anyone take advantage of it
The next actions really sent a chill down the spine. Emperor Liu ordered that the Imperial City and Wude Second Divisions deploy elite soldiers and generals to take charge of this rectification campaign.
The relevant legal and supervisory agencies such as the Ministry of Personnel and the Department of Three Laws were all abandoned, which caused an uproar in Luoyang. In the past few decades, Emperor Liu had trampled on the court's rules and regulations and violated unwritten political rules more than once, but this was the first time that he had fought openly and unabashedly like this.
Even in the initial cleanup of the northwest officialdom, although the Wude Division took the lead as the main force, on the surface, there were also three law divisions supporting and assisting behind the scenes. The Wude Division did the dirty work and was responsible for investigating and collecting evidence, arresting and sending to court, and the Criminal Department Dali was responsible for deliberation and trial, and many judicial officials were deeply involved in it. No matter what, the judicial authority of the court was maintained on the surface.
But this time, the situation is obviously different. Many ministers felt the possible negative impact of Emperor Liu's move, but no one dared to take the initiative. Even ministers such as Li Fang and Zhao Kuangyi remained silent even if they were worried and dissatisfied.
Of course, at any time, there is no shortage of loyal ministers who dare to offend Yan Jin to remonstrate. At this time, Wang Yucheng, who had always been upright, stood up again and led a group of officials and censors to remonstrate with Emperor Liu's move. His attitude was very tough. , his words were particularly fierce. He bluntly said that Emperor Liu used the imperial city and Wude to purge the officials, which was an act that broke the law and disrupted the country. It was an evil start and was not conducive to the stability of the court and the stability of the people.
Over and over again, it is the same rhetoric, the rectification of the officialdom and the purification of the public security have their own actions. Abandoning the judicial functions of the court and using spy politics is not justified in name, but it is inconsistent with the words. It will hurt others and hurt yourself, and it will inevitably have negative consequences.
It has to be said that Emperor Liu was extremely angry when he received Wang Yu's remonstrance. For many years, no minister had dared to criticize his employment of people in this way.
Even though Emperor Liu knew that what Wang Yucheng said was out of public motives, he couldn't swallow the bad breath aroused in his heart. In the past, Emperor Liu admired Wang Yucheng and was more tolerant of him. Not only did he know that he had such a temperament, but also because he was not afraid of power and dared to ask for orders for the people. During Wang Yucheng's time as the imperial censor, he impeached many nobles and ministers. .
Wang Yucheng can be regarded as a model for Emperor Liu to establish a strict and upright atmosphere in the court, but when the object of this unafraid of rape became Emperor Liu himself, his anger could not be suppressed. It even felt that Wang Yucheng was arrogant and arrogant, and acted outright to gain loyalty. Even the prime ministers such as Li Fang and Zhao Kuangyi did not dare to speak rashly. What a little Wang Yucheng was, daring to speak so arrogantly, it was simply contempt for the emperor.
Emperor Liu was unhappy and his thoughts were unclear, so naturally someone would be unlucky, and the board would soon fall. Of course, beheading would not be enough. Although Emperor Liu was surly, he did not go so far as to kill people indiscriminately. Therefore, Wang Yucheng was demoted to the post of magistrate of Shazhou and went to the northwest to blow sand. None of the officials who made the remarks with him were packed up and demoted to serve in the newly planned Gaochang Road and Anxi Governor's Mansion, which could be regarded as helping the Ministry of Personnel complete some personnel targets.
Wang Yucheng's status in the court was not high. Even within the Metropolitan Procuratorate, he was only the fourth or fifth leader. However, the fate of him and his colleagues was of great warning. Taking this as a lesson, no one dared to dissuade Emperor Liu about his "bad laws" anymore.
With the strong attitude shown by Emperor Liu, if the prime minister dared to persuade him, he would dare to resign. I am afraid no one would doubt this. When the whole court is silent, things will be much easier to handle. Even if there is resistance, he is not afraid. Emperor Liu is never afraid of breaking the rules. If the rules are difficult to follow, he will mess with people and attack whoever takes the lead. This is his authority. Wherever you are, no one dares to disobey.
The first move of the Imperial City and Wude Divisions was aimed at the court's judicial supervision system. From the Ministry of Punishment to Dali Temple and then to the Metropolitan Procuratorate, one official after another was found guilty of violating laws and disciplines.
These bureaucrats, who were most familiar with the laws of the Han Dynasty and had a high degree of interpretation power, often had an additional crime of knowing and breaking the law, so their punishment was often increased by one level. Those who commit serious crimes and cause serious damage to the country and the people will be sentenced to death directly. Moreover, there is no need to wait for the unified execution in autumn and winter, and then find a bunch of nobles and bureaucrats to watch the execution as in the past.
Emperor Liu also discovered that as time passed, some "antibodies" were injected into the bodies of nobles and bureaucrats, and the effect was not as significant as before. Therefore, after the verdict, he will be beheaded. Of course, perhaps Emperor Liu himself knew that if mass executions were to be carried out again, there would not be enough execution platforms in Luoyang City by then.
It took more than a month, and after the judicial system was basically cleaned up, it began to spread. Under the instruction of Emperor Liu, the "Regulatory Agency" absorbed a large number of experts who were familiar with law and trial from the Three Law Departments, expanded its lineup, and turned its fangs and teeth to other departments.
Thus, a top-down, inside-out, and from central to local government clarification campaign was officially launched. This time, Emperor Liu was really murderous, or he might have planned to use severe punishments and the most direct violent means from the beginning to cure the evils that the Han Dynasty had accumulated for decades. Many people who might have been demoted, removed from office, and exiled in the past may have lost their lives during this crackdown.
The result was that in the two months from April to May, officials in Luoyang cities could be seen being executed and beheaded almost every day. The people of Luoyang still responded enthusiastically at first, eating melons, watching theater, and seeing It is really comfortable for those nobles and bureaucrats who hold high power to fall. However, after seeing it too much, you get used to it, then become numb, and then become fearful.
As for the nobles and bureaucrats, it cannot be described as fear. They are always surrounded by terror. There are only a few people who can have a clear conscience. No one knows how long this movement will last or when this disaster will happen. It will be your turn.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, a situation in which everyone was truly in danger appeared in the Han Dynasty.
