Chương 503: Left Assistant Shooter, Right Assistant Shooter

Now that he's in charge of anti-corruption audits and has independent arrest powers, anyone who dares to embezzle even a penny will probably die without even knowing how.

That old fox never leaves anyone alive when he strikes.

One official's legs started shaking, and his colleague quickly helped him up, asking in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

The man's lips trembled as he said, "N-nothing, it's just a leg cramp..."

Jia Xu glanced at them expressionlessly, his eyes like knives, which frightened the men so much that they quickly lowered their heads, pretending to straighten their clothes, wishing they could shrink their heads into their necks.

Lu Bing stood to the side, a slight smile playing on his lips. In the future, he and Jia Xu would team up, one to investigate accounts and the other to arrest people, making them the nightmare of corrupt officials all over the world.

He was already planning in his mind that when he returned, he would redeploy the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) personnel and form a special anti-corruption team to cooperate with Jia Xu's work.

...

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:" Consultant Fang Xuanling: You are known as "the strategist of Fang," skilled in long-term planning, system design, and document drafting. You can transform my vague ideas into concrete and actionable policies. You are gentle, steady, hardworking, and adept at coordinating relationships between various departments.

I hereby appoint you as the Left Vice Minister of the State Affairs Office, a first-rank official, to assist the Minister of State Affairs in managing national affairs. You should work together with the Right Vice Minister, complementing each other's strategies and decisions, to jointly assist in governing the country. You should strive in this endeavor.

So be it.

...

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:" Consult Du Ruhui: You are known as "Du Du" (meaning "decisive judge"), skilled in making swift decisions, handling urgent matters, and overseeing major projects. You can resolve Fang Xuanling's doubts and dispel the confusion of other officials. You are decisive, efficient, and impartial.

I hereby appoint you as the Right Vice Minister of the State Affairs Office, a first-rank official, to assist the Minister of State Affairs in managing national affairs. You should work together with the Left Vice Minister, complementing each other's strategies and decisions, to jointly assist in governing the country. You should strive in this endeavor.

So be it.

After the two imperial edicts were read aloud, a low murmur of praise rippled through the hall.

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui stepped forward, knelt down to express their gratitude, and smiled at each other.

These longtime partners, one shrewd and the other decisive, work together seamlessly and are finally back together in the most crucial position. They don't need to speak; a single glance is enough for them to know what the other is thinking.

Back in Youzhou, the two of them managed the government affairs very well.

Now, with one left-sided striker and the other right-sided striker, continuing to play together is simply a match made in heaven.

Fang Xuanling whispered, "We'll be busy from now on. We'll have enough paperwork to read alone."

Du Ruhui nodded slightly: "Being able to share His Majesty's burdens, no matter how busy I am..."

...

The following imperial edicts completely overturned the rules of previous dynasties...

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:" Consult Liu Yu: You are a member of the Han imperial family, highly respected for your virtue, benevolence, and fairness, and enjoy an outstanding reputation among the royal clan. You are indifferent to fame and fortune, and do not covet power. You are able to govern your relatives with virtue and influence...

I hereby appoint you as the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, a first-rank official, in charge of all affairs of the Imperial Clan. You must diligently perform your duties, uphold the reputation of the Imperial Clan, and refrain from interfering in the affairs of the outer court. Strive to fulfill this duty.

So be it.

Liu Yu stood at the front of the civil officials' line, thinking to himself, "I'm just a supporting character."

Hearing his name, he was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard, until someone next to him nudged him and he realized what was happening.

He was so excited that tears streamed down his face. He thought he was going to retire, after all, he had voluntarily given up Jingzhou and was already a free man. He never expected that Liu Ce would entrust him with such an important matter concerning the royal family.

The Imperial Clan Court was in charge of the imperial genealogy, titles, stipends, education, rewards and punishments of all imperial children. This power was neither too great nor too small, but the most important thing was trust.

He immediately stepped forward, knelt, and kowtowed, his voice trembling: "Your subject Liu Yu obeys the decree! I will strictly manage the imperial family and never allow any member of the royal clan to abuse their power! Anyone who dares to misbehave outside will be the first to suffer the consequences!"

This trust is more valuable than any high-ranking official position or generous salary.

...

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:" Consult Guo Jia: You are a top-tier strategic strategist, adept at devising ingenious plans, capable of predicting battle situations, and formulating national military strategies. You are unconventional, insightful, and focused solely on military logic, disregarding personal relationships and worldly concerns.

I hereby appoint you as Privy Councilor, a first-rank official, with the authority to oversee national military strategy and troop deployment. You must strictly adhere to the principle of separation of military and political power, having no authority to command troops, but only to deploy troops and formulate strategies, thus preventing the abuse of power by military generals at its root. You shall strive to do so.

So be it.

Guo Jia smiled and stepped forward to express his gratitude.

He never liked leading troops into battle; he preferred to strategize from the rear, drinking and analyzing the situation, which was much more comfortable than charging into battle.

This position was practically tailor-made for him.

He accepted the imperial edict and said, "Your subject Guo Jia obeys. Your Majesty, rest assured, I guarantee that the strategy will be formulated so clearly that the enemy will have nowhere to turn to cry."

...

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:" Consultation with Yang Biao: Your family has held high office for four generations, making you the leader of a prominent clan. You are loyal, upright, and hate evil. You dare to impeach officials of any rank, including the Grand Secretary and the Privy Councilor. You are incorruptible, fearless of powerful figures, and have lived a life of integrity.

I hereby appoint you as Left Censor-in-Chief, a first-rank official, in charge of all supervisory affairs nationwide. You must diligently perform your duties, rectify official corruption, and serve as a model for all supervisory bodies. Strive to fulfill this duty.

So be it.

Yang Biao was so excited that he trembled all over, even his gray beard was shaking. His greatest wish in life was to reform the bureaucracy and eliminate corrupt officials, and now his wish had finally come true.

The Censorate, an independent supervisory body, could impeach the Grand Secretary and investigate minor officials—what a great trust that was!

He knelt and kowtowed, his voice resounding so powerfully it made the hall hum: "Your subject Yang Biao obeys the decree! I will be impartial and incorruptible, investigating all corruption and punishing all wrongdoing! Even those who are imperial relatives will not be tolerated! Your Majesty trusts me, and I will risk my life for you!"

...

What shocked the officials the most was the appointment of the Minister of Revenue:

"On the day of Renshen in the first month of the first year of the reign of Emperor Shenwu, the Emperor said:" Consult Shen Wansan: You are proficient in financial management, commerce, taxation, and treasury management. You are shrewd, capable, and insightful, able to discover business opportunities and sources of wealth that others miss.

I hereby appoint you as Minister of Revenue, a second-rank official, in charge of all national financial affairs. You must diligently perform your duties, replenish the national treasury, and bring benefits to the people. Strive to fulfill this duty.

So be it.

"What? A merchant can become a minister?"

An uproar erupted instantly. Several conservative old ministers' faces changed immediately, and they couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Majesty! Absolutely not! Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants are the lowest class. How can they hold such a high position and manage the national treasury? What will the people of the world say if this gets out?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! This violates ancestral rules! There has never been such a precedent in any dynasty!"

"Merchants are driven by profit. Letting them manage the money is like handing the national treasury over to thieves. Letting them manage the money is like letting foxes manage chicken coops."