Chapter 979 Inaugural Speech
Chapter 979 Inaugural Speech (Additional update for the leader Qingfengbanyunyuelangxingxi)
What should be done after ascending the altar to receive the abdication and announcing to God?
There has been a custom since ancient times that when returning to the palace to speak to the ministers, the fashionable term for this is to deliver an "inaugural speech."
In this matter, there is not much difference between ancient and modern times.
The Golden Root Chariot, surrounded by a large group of soldiers, drove into the palace and stopped in front of the Taiji Front Hall.
Shao Xun went into a side hall to rest, waiting for the ministers to return from the southern suburbs and arrange their train.
The eunuch Hou San worked very hard. He even prepared some rooms in the palace for the respected officials who returned first to rest, change clothes, or have some snacks and drink some tea.
Such as Prime Minister Wang Yan, Grand Tutor Pan Tao, Grand Commandant Yang Jiongzhi, Minister of the Interior Pei Miao, Minister of Works Liu Han, Minister of the Chancellery Chu Huo, Minister of the Chancellery Liang Fen, Chen Jing, and Grand Master of the Imperial Household Yang Chen, and other officials of the second rank and above.
Wang Yan's face was rosy at this moment, with a complacent smile on his face.
From today on, he is second only to the emperor in the entire North. His power is so great that it makes people look sideways.
On the way back to the palace just now, passers-by all saluted and carriages gave way to him, which made him feel very comfortable, even more comfortable than when Sima Yue was still around and he was the Shangshu Zuo Pushe.
How can a mere servant be compared with the prime minister?
However, at this moment, everyone in the hall did not have much respect for him.
Pan Tao, Yang Jiongzhi, Pei Miao and Liu Han all had respected status. Although they did not hold real power, they were among the Six Dukes of the National Dynasty and were of the first rank like the Prime Minister.
The Shangshu Ling Zhu Huo, known as the "Little Prime Minister", will inevitably compete with him openly and secretly in the future.
The Chu family of Yangdi was a noble family that was devastated by Wang Mi's rebellious army, suffered heavy losses and was almost defeated. However, because they followed the emperor very early and had decent abilities, they were pushed up by the entire Ruying scholar group and reached this position.
Compared with him, Yu Liang is like a pig and a dog!
He also has a cousin named Zhu Fei, who was a clerk in the Department of Agriculture when he first entered the officialdom. He worked his way up step by step to become the Minister of Agriculture of Liangcheng. Now he is the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, a fifth-rank official in the Xin Dynasty.
His son Chu Xi succeeded Yu Bing as the magistrate of Luoyang after he completed the mourning period.
Thinking of this, Wang Yan’s mood was not so good.
Why couldn't the Yingchuan nobles suppress it? One left and another came.
It will be even more troublesome if Zhu Yu rises again in the future.
Liang Fen sat in the inner room, feeling lonely. She had no choice but to say a few words to Sikong Liu Han.
Liu Han was just a plaque hung up for the nobles of Youzhou to see. He had no interest in government affairs, and he had no government affairs to take care of. On weekdays, he either taught his students or devoted himself to studying and writing books.
Liang and Liu had similar personalities, and as they whispered to each other, they suddenly felt like close friends.
Chen Jing was born in the Chen family of Xuchang. In his early years, he fought side by side with King Liang and they had a close friendship. He deserved to be appointed as Shangshu You Pushe and assist Liang Fen.
As for Guanglu Dafu Yang Chen, he was both civil and military and had rich experience. Being awarded this position was also a reward for Yang's support over the years.
For some reason, Wang Yan always felt that although the Taishan Yang family seemed low-key, they actually had a deep foundation, which made him feel worried.
This court has unknowingly become a situation where various forces are intertwined. If you are not careful, you will be attacked by everyone.
No one can dominate alone, and they can only maintain a fragile balance and wait for the emperor's judgment.
"The time has come, please enter the main hall." The voice of the eunuch Hou San was heard from outside.
Wang Yan put down his tea bowl and said, "You may follow me into the palace to congratulate the emperor."
"It should be so." Everyone stood up and responded.
******
Inside the Taiji main hall, Shao Xun sat high on the throne.
The Tongshi Sheren called out the names one by one, and all the civil and military officials in the capital came in one by one.
After everyone entered, Shao Xun glanced around, and everyone he saw bowed their heads.
The identity is different.
If we say that he was the King of Liang before, not the emperor, but better than the emperor, but in the end it was just "better than" and not true.
He and Wang Yan were both ministers of the Jin Dynasty in theory, but now they were the emperor and his subjects, and their status was set.
"I—" Shao Xun sorted out his thoughts and said, "My father and grandfather were not famous, but they are different from the Sima family."
"My royal grandfather was born in the Huangchu period of Emperor Wen of Wei. He had three brothers, two of whom died in the service of the king. Only my royal grandfather survived. He opened up the land in the East China Sea, cultivated the land, married and had children, and my father was born."
"When my father was young, he fought in the war against Wu and advanced to Jiangdong. After defeating Wu, he retired from the army and returned to the countryside to support his parents, wife and children."
"With such a family background, there is no need to hide it. It is not as good as the two emperors Xuanwen of the former Jin Dynasty."
"But within just 20 years of the founding of the Jin Dynasty, the Qi Dynasty experienced a 10,000-year rebellion. Afterwards, foreign invaders and rebels, internal troubles continued, unworthy descendants attacked each other, and natural and man-made disasters continued to ravage the country."
"The sacred artifacts are so important, and the people are so important! Jin could not defend itself from foreign aggression, and could not stop the chaos at home, which led to the anger of both the gods and the people, and the betrayal of all relatives and friends." "You are all important officials of the country, and you should know my intention of establishing the Yuan Dynasty: to create a peaceful and prosperous era for the people. Remember, remember. This is the first one."
"The way to select officials is to employ the virtuous."
"The methods used by the court and prefectures to select people have accumulated many problems. In the Han Dynasty, there was a nursery rhyme that said, 'The selected scholar is ignorant of books; the selected filial and honest person has a father who lives separately.' This is not far off the mark today. Previously, drunkards and rebellious people were selected by the Ministry of Personnel, and later, people who were illiterate were selected by prefectures and counties. What use are these mediocre people?"
"The way to keep the people safe is to govern well."
"The Jin dynasty is not virtuous, and government affairs are neglected. The officials in the government sit back and talk, or even travel around the mountains and rivers. Do they have any thoughts on keeping the people safe and governing the country? Even if they are bent over their desks, they can only manage government affairs for a few days. When they go to the mountains and forests under the pines and springs, they chant and recite poems, and they are elegant and charming, but they have no plan to keep the people safe and are at a loss."
"Therefore, the new dynasty should make some changes in selecting people and appointing officials. Imperial scholars are the good ones of the previous dynasty, and military scholars are the elegant ones of the new dynasty. From today on, we should make every effort to rectify this. The Ministry of Personnel should not select officials arbitrarily, and the government should examine the character and ability of the officials. After a few years, the official schools will flourish, and we can select good talents from them."
"The state attaches great importance to the financial plan."
"It can support the army to defend against foreign aggression, and it can pay officials and support scholars. However, since the end of the Jin Dynasty, many fields have been occupied, and many households have been hidden, resulting in insufficient funds and the king's government has become increasingly chaotic."
"When Daliang was first established, it was time to refresh and revitalize. The matter of measuring land should be done sooner rather than later, faster rather than slower. Starting from the first month of the second year of Kaiping (328), Henan and Hongnong in Sizhou; Jibei in Yanzhou; Jinan and Donglai in Qingzhou; Xiapi, Pengcheng, and Donghai in Xuzhou; Xiangcheng in Yuzhou; Changshan, Zhongshan, Gaoyang, Hejian, Boling, Zhangwu, and Leling in Jizhou; Xihe in Bingzhou; Yiyang, Xinye, and Sui in Jingzhou, a total of counties, must complete the measurement of land and register it before the end of the year, without any mistakes."
"Those of the four barbarians who are willing to change their customs and stay at the border can be given more positions. The counties can conduct more investigations, and those who are filial can be selected as filial and honest, those who are outstanding in literary talent can be selected as scholars, and those who are outstanding in military strategy can be recruited and appointed by imperial decree. All of them can be promoted and appointed according to their surnames and family backgrounds."
"The custom of elegant conversation has prevailed for a hundred years. But have you ever discussed farming, military affairs, medicine, and mathematics?"
"The talk of gods and ghosts is not to be believed. Cultivating immortals is elusive and hard to achieve. Instead of this, it is better to be down-to-earth and talk more about agriculture, soldiers, medicine, industry, and commerce. If I have time, I will also participate to promote this trend."
"The Zhang family of Xiliang is trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm, overestimating their own strength. Li Xiong of Chengdu is the emperor in the southwest, arrogant and self-important. Sima Rui of Jianye resists the royal army and lives in a corner. These villains should be wiped out one by one to serve as a warning to others."
After saying so much, Shao Xun once again glanced at everyone and said, "I still need your assistance in all matters. I hope you will share the wealth and glory of the new dynasty with me."
This concludes the inaugural address.
After waiting for a while, Wang Yan took the lead and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty's intention is known to us, and we will obey your order."
"We obey your order." All the ministers said in unison.
******
After the court was dismissed, Shao Xun immediately honored his father Shao Xiu as the Supreme Emperor, his mother Liu as the Supreme Empress, and his wife Yu Wenjun as the Empress. Then the couple went to the Jiulong Hall hand in hand to pay homage to their parents.
Liu looked at the gorgeous Zhai bird clothes on her body and felt very uncomfortable. She said, "Little bug, this dress is not as comfortable as before."
The Emperor of Daliang, who was dominating the world and full of vigor and vitality the moment before, saw his status plummet and turned into a "little bug" the next moment.
Yu Wenjun supported Liu and covered her mouth with her hands while laughing.
In this world, the only one who can rule her husband is the Empress Dowager.
Although the retired emperor was capable of governing, he often made eyes at his husband, and the father and son were truly birds of a feather.
"Mother, you can wear whatever you like." Shao Xun said with a smile, "If there is nothing in the palace, I will get it for you."
"Stop disturbing the people." Liu said, "I am satisfied if I can wear a cool shirt made of hemp cloth in summer and a sheepskin coat in winter. In the past, I couldn't even think about it. Your father was defeated in the battle and his armor was thrown away. In order to buy him equipment, our family was penniless and his hemp clothes were patched again and again."
Shao Xiu glared, feeling quite helpless.
This matter can't be resolved, right?
"Among the people in the harem, I like Wenjun the most. You must never let her down." Liu looked at her son again and said, "When you were about to rise to power, Wenjun wanted to elope and marry you. If you forget this friendship, I will beat you."
Shao Xun's eyes widened as well.
Mother, didn't you say that last time? You have too many "favorite" ladies in the harem.
But his mother was covering up for him, so he certainly wouldn't ruin her act. He just said, "I will never let Wenjun down in my life."
Yu Wenjun's face turned slightly red and she glanced at her husband with great joy.
Liu continued, "Mother gave birth to you a little late, so your brother was already able to go to the fields to help. But when you were a child, you were too naughty and fell into the river once. It was your brother who pulled you out. He was unlucky and didn't live to see this day..."
As Liu spoke, she began to wipe away her tears.
"When you were young, you loved to wield spears and sticks. There was someone in the village who was skilled in spearmanship and was willing to teach you. Every time you went out, your sister-in-law would prepare steamed cakes for you. During festivals, you had to give people gifts. Your sister-in-law got up before dawn to cut reeds and weave mats, and then sold them at the market to exchange for some wine and meat to send to people. Otherwise, how could you be so good at martial arts?
"During the cold dew season in late autumn, the river water is so cold. Your sister-in-law has suffered so much for you. Xiao Chong, now that you are the emperor, you must not mistreat your brother, sister-in-law, and nephew."
"Yes." Shao Xun nodded repeatedly.
"Our family is not as powerful as those aristocratic families. We don't have many people with abilities. We must not be estranged from each other and must get along well with each other." Liu continued, "I will also say this when the eldest grandson (Shao Shen) comes. With your abilities, how can others really appreciate you? Work hard for your second uncle and don't be lazy."
"And your women, you can't let them down just because you're old and ugly, and make them sad." Liu finally said, "When you were penniless, how did they treat you? They gave you money, gave birth to your children, and persuaded your father and brothers to fight for you. Without them, you wouldn't be here today."
"Mother is right. I will do as you say." Shao Xun said.
"Spend more time with Wenjun when you have time. She comes every day when you are not around." Liu patted Yu Wenjun's hand again and said.
(End of this chapter)