Chương 500: Banquet at Deyang Palace

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"From this day forward, all data on the nation's population, land, finances, and engineering projects will be independently compiled and audited by this agency. We will rigorously investigate any false reporting, concealment, or discrepancies between accounts and reality. All data will be sent directly to the Emperor; no one may obstruct or tamper with it. We will thoroughly expose local deception and safeguard the foundation of the national treasury!"

The people in the hall were terrified. The authority of the Royal Statistical Audit Office was even greater than that of the Censorate! It was directly responsible to the Emperor. Who would dare to obstruct it?

Lu Bing's eyes lit up.

This is good. In the future, when investigating corrupt officials, we will have data to support our investigations, and every investigation will be accurate.

He was already planning in his mind how to cooperate with the Royal Commission of Statistics and Audit to expose those corrupt officials one by one.

Shen Wansan was also excited.

Statistics and auditing accounts—that's his forte.

He recalled that when he was doing business, his biggest fear was unclear accounts. Now that the imperial court was doing this, the lives of ordinary people would only get better and better.

Many officials turned pale upon hearing this.

That's it. It'll be impossible to conceal or falsify reports anymore. The Royal Commission of Statistics and Audit will audit the accounts directly, and there'll be nowhere to hide.

Liu Ce ascended the steps once more, sat upon the dragon throne, and surveyed the entire audience with sharp, piercing eyes.

"The core of this new system is the separation of decision-making and execution, the separation of military and political affairs and military orders, the separation of the judiciary and administration, and the independence of supervision and auditing."

I hold the final decision-making power; the State Council is responsible for execution; the Privy Council for military orders; the Censorate for oversight; the Supreme Court for trials; and the Audit Office for data verification. Each department is in its proper place, fulfilling its specific duties, with clear division of responsibilities and seamless coordination.

"I hereby establish a new system for the circulation of government orders: proposals from various localities and government offices shall be collected and compiled by the Government Affairs Office, and then submitted to me for a final decision."

I hereby issue an imperial edict, which shall be distributed and implemented by the State Administration Commission within twelve hours, with each level assigned a specific post, time limit, and responsible person; the State Administration Commission shall supervise the entire process, the Censorate shall monitor the entire process, and the Audit Office shall verify the financial and grain data throughout the process.

The matter will be reported up the chain of command upon completion, with a complete record kept and lifelong accountability. Anyone who fails to complete the task within the stipulated time or engages in favoritism or fraud will be severely punished, regardless of rank!

Liu Ce stood up, his voice growing louder: "The title of rank above the imperial level is only granted to princes and dukes of the imperial family, who enjoy titles and stipends but no real power. Officials of the outer court are clearly divided into eighteen ranks, from the first rank to the ninth rank, and are promoted according to their performance and in accordance with the law, so as to prevent the formation of cliques, abuse of power, and overstepping of authority."

"My lords, the ills of the old system have been eliminated, and the new system has been established. From this day forward, all officials in the court must strictly adhere to the new regulations and diligently govern. Anyone who dares to disregard the new system, continues to shirk responsibility, or engages in corruption and bribery will be executed along with their entire family—nine generations will be exterminated without exception!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the palace attendants loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise!"

All the civil and military officials bowed in unison and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

No one dared to object anymore.

The new system of two governments, three courts, and one department was officially established in the imperial court.

The official system of the Han Dynasty thus entered a new chapter.

...

Liu Ce slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Rise, my lords. Today, I am hosting a banquet in the Deyang Hall to celebrate with you all! We shall not leave until we are thoroughly drunk!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!" once again, their voices devoid of the rigidity of court etiquette, filled only with heartfelt joy.

Many military officers shouted themselves hoarse, clutching the golden seals they had just received, grinning from ear to ear, wishing they could rush home right now to show them off to their wives.

The eunuchs filed in, carrying steaming dishes with great speed.

They were well-trained, moved nimbly, and carried their trays steadily without spilling a drop of soup.

Soon, the tables were filled with whole roasted lambs, their skin golden and crispy, their inside tender and juicy.

The braised pork knuckle, stewed until tender, has a bright red color and an enticing aroma; the fresh Yellow River carp, drizzled with sauce, looks mouthwatering; and the plump roast chicken is golden and glistening with oil, with crispy skin and tender meat.

There were also various seasonal fruits and vegetables and exquisite pastries, a dazzling array. The aroma, like an invisible hand, went straight into people's noses, making their stomachs rumble. The fragrance instantly filled the entire Deyang Palace.

The palace musicians played a lively banquet tune, and a dozen or so dancers in colorful costumes entered the hall to the beat. Their long sleeves fluttered, and their movements were graceful, like a flock of butterflies in flight.

But the military officers in the hall had no interest in watching the dance; their eyes were glued to the dishes on the table.

Cheng Yaojin was the first to grab his chopsticks, swiftly picking up the biggest chicken leg and stuffing it into his mouth, mumbling indistinctly:

"Oh my god! Finally, it's time to eat! I got up before dawn and was standing up, I was starving! If we hadn't eaten soon, I would have been gnawing on the table leg! This chicken leg smells so good!"

Zhang Fei was not to be outdone. He reached out and grabbed a roast chicken, tore off a leg, and started gnawing on it.

Oil dripped down his chin, but he didn't care. He wiped it off and exclaimed, "You're right! Forget dancing, nothing tastes better than meat! I, Old Zhang, have never been this hungry, not even during wartime!"

Dian Wei was even more ruthless. He hugged the whole braised pork knuckle to his chest and buried his head in it, gnawing on it with great relish, even crunching the bones.

Qin Qiong, who was standing next to him, shook his head and said, "You two eat slowly. No one is going to take it from you. Be careful not to choke."

While gnawing on a chicken leg, Cheng Yaojin mumbled, "Don't worry, my throat is much thicker than this chicken leg, I won't choke! Don't just look, eat!"

Xu Chu, holding a bowl of wine, gulped down a large mouthful, wiped his mouth, and laughed, "Who's going to compete with them? I'll have a drinking contest! Come on, Yide! Let's down a bowl together! Let's see who collapses first!"

Zhang Fei put down the roast chicken, picked up his wine bowl and clinked it against Xu Chu's. The two tilted their heads back and drank it all in one gulp. After finishing, they slammed the bowls on the table and laughed heartily.

The civil officials were much more refined.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui clinked their wine glasses and smiled at each other.

The two have worked together for many years, one offering advice and the other setting rules, their collaboration is seamless.

Now that they have both been granted the title of Duke of the County and are sitting at the same table, they are both filled with emotion.

"Eight years have passed, and this day has finally come," Fang Xuanling said with emotion, taking a sip of wine.

"When I first met His Majesty on the outskirts of Luoyang, I knew he was no ordinary man. Back then, His Majesty was still young, but his eyes already held the aura of an emperor. Now, he has indeed pacified the world and ushered in a golden age."

Du Ruhui nodded and took a sip of wine: "Yes, we finally don't have to fight every day anymore. We can focus on development and let the people live a good life. Think about how the people in Youzhou were displaced back then, and look at us now, it's like heaven and earth."

Xun Yu held his wine cup, looking at the lively scene in the hall, his eyes slightly reddening.

He remained loyal to the Han Dynasty throughout his life, following Liu Ce from Yingchuan to Luoyang, and from Luoyang to Youzhou, enduring countless trials and tribulations.