Chương 545: The Issue of the Imperial Clan and Streamlining the Imperial Court

"In the past, Emperor Guangwu revived the Han Dynasty and enfeoffed members of the imperial clan as kings, originally to protect the imperial family and pacify the four directions," Liu Ce said slowly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable power.

"However, over the past hundred years, members of the imperial family have been granted titles indiscriminately, and there are countless examples of those who have received rewards without merit. Some were still infants when they were granted fiefdoms; others were mediocre, yet they possessed vast fiefdoms, indulging in eating, drinking, and merrymaking without doing anything."

"The imperial court spends hundreds of millions of coins and silk every year to support the imperial family, while the common people are starving and poorly clothed. It is not I who am supporting the imperial family, but the people of the world who are supporting my imperial family! It is the blood and sweat of the people that are supporting these people..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall erupted in uproar.

"Your Majesty! You mustn't!" An elderly minister from the imperial family quickly stepped forward, knelt on the ground with a thud, and tears streamed down his face.

"The imperial princes and vassal kings are the foundation of the Han Dynasty! Taking back their fiefdoms would shake the very foundation of the nation! The spirits of our ancestors in heaven would be uneasy!"

"The foundation of the nation?" Liu Ce sneered, his laughter particularly jarring in the hall.

"The foundation of my nation lies with the people, not with these good-for-nothings who only know how to eat, drink, and be merry! Where were they during the Yellow Turban Rebellion? Where were these princes and nobles when Dong Zhuo seized power? Where were they when the people were displaced? They only hid in their fiefdoms, drinking and eating meat with their wives and children, never even stepping out of their homes!"

He surveyed the crowd and declared loudly, "I hereby declare: From this day forward, all fiefdoms of the imperial princes and nobles shall be brought under the control of the court! Prefectures and kingdoms shall be renamed prefectures and counties, to be governed by officials dispatched by the court. Members of the imperial family shall no longer interfere in local administrative, judicial, or military affairs; those who violate this rule shall be punished as treason and executed without mercy!"

These words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving the entire court of officials dizzy and disoriented.

Several senior members of the imperial family nearly fainted, but were supported by those around them.

Liu Ce paused, his tone softening slightly, but his attitude remained resolute:

"I will not treat them unfairly. All titles of the imperial clan will be reassessed. Those who are not imperial sons, brothers, or have made significant military contributions will all have their titles demoted."

Those who were originally princes were demoted to dukes, and those without merit or virtue were demoted to marquises, or even stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners. The capable rise, the mediocre fall—this is a matter of course.

"The fiefdom will also be changed, no longer linked to the territory. From now on, the imperial court will pay the salary monthly. All salaries will come from the national treasury... In the past, they ate the people's hard-earned money; from now on, they will eat the imperial court's food."

"Furthermore, all members of the imperial clan and princes, regardless of rank, are to relocate to Luoyang within three months. The court has already constructed a city for the imperial clan south of the city, providing you with uniform residences and proper accommodations. Those who fail to arrive by the deadline will be considered to have disobeyed an imperial decree, and will be stripped of their titles and exiled! I mean what I say!"

The hall was deathly silent.

After a long pause, a member of the imperial clan stammered, "Your Majesty... relocate to Luoyang? What will happen to our family property? What will happen to our ancestral graves? We can't just throw away the savings of generations, can we?"

"As long as your family property is legally acquired, you can take it all with you. The imperial court will not confiscate a single penny. The imperial court will send people to guard your ancestral graves, and you will be allowed to return to pay your respects during festivals. The imperial court will even provide transportation," Liu Ce said calmly.

"What? Are you being mistreated by living in Luoyang? Are the houses in Luoyang worse than the palaces in your fiefdoms? Or is the wine in Luoyang not good enough? Or are the girls in Luoyang not pretty enough?"

The official was rendered speechless and slunk away.

...

Having resolved the issue of the imperial clan, Liu Ce turned his attention to the civil and military officials, his expression turning serious once again.

"The second thing is to streamline the government's institutions and eliminate redundant officials."

"In the past, Emperors Huan and Wei sold official positions, leading to a bloated government and an overabundance of officials. The position of Minister could be held by five or six people simultaneously..."

A county magistrate can have more than a dozen deputies. These people receive salaries from the imperial court but do nothing of substance, spending their days drinking tea, chatting, forming cliques, and embezzling bribes. The yamen is overcrowded, but few are actually doing any work.

"The country is now in dire need of rebuilding, and money is needed everywhere. Road construction costs money, school construction costs money, disaster relief costs money, and maintaining the army costs money. The imperial court can no longer afford to support so many idle people!"

Liu Ce slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "I hereby order Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui to lead a comprehensive overhaul of all government institutions! Results must be seen within three months!"

"First, eliminate redundant officials and bureaucrats: all officials over the age of seventy shall retire and return home to enjoy their old age, with the court providing them with a pension."

All officials without actual duties or those holding sinecure positions should be dismissed and sent back to where they came from.

Any official who has failed the performance evaluation for the past three years will be dismissed and never re-employed! I don't want people who occupy positions without fulfilling their duties!

"Second, strictly enforce the system of hereditary privilege: abolish the old rule of 'when one person attains the Dao, all his chickens and dogs rise to heaven'! From now on, only officials of the second rank or above, and generals who have made first-class military merits, can grant their sons official positions."

Moreover, one must pass the imperial examination to take office; those who fail are sent home to farm! Want to be an official? Take the exam yourself!

The imperial edict caused another stir in the court.

Many scions of wealthy families who had risen through the ranks due to favors turned deathly pale instantly, as if their souls had been ripped out.

They were originally completely incompetent, but they managed to get official positions through family connections. They spent their days drinking tea and reading newspapers in the government office, just waiting to die, and they couldn't even approve official documents.

Now they're being laid off! How are they supposed to survive?

An official from a prominent family quickly stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty! The ancestral laws cannot be changed! The system of hereditary privilege is a favor bestowed by the court upon meritorious officials and powerful families! If it is easily abolished, it will likely lose the hearts of scholars throughout the land! All scholars will be disappointed! This would offend everyone!"

"The mindset of a scholar?" Liu Ce sneered, his gaze sweeping over him like a knife.

"What I need are officials who can serve the people, not useless idiots who only know how to compose poems and engage in empty talk that harms the country! Tell me, what can you scions of noble families do besides being born into wealth? Can you build irrigation systems? Can you farm? Can you fight? Can you treat illnesses?"

"If I asked you to build water conservancy projects, you wouldn't know how; if I asked you to farm, you wouldn't know how; if I asked you to fight, you'd run faster than rabbits! All you do is sit in the government office, drinking tea, accepting bribes, oppressing the people, and harassing respectable women!"

Such a scholar's mentality is better left unacceptable to me! Anyone who feels I have wronged them may resign and return home now; I will not retain them! One more or one less makes no difference!

The official was so angry that his face turned red, and he lowered his head and didn't dare to say a word, retreating back into the queue.

Fang Xuanling quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty's words are absolutely right! The current court is bloated with bureaucratic redundancies, which is certainly not a long-term solution. I am willing to work with Xun Yu and Du Ruhui to do our utmost to eliminate these redundant officials, thus relieving Your Majesty's burdens and bringing benefits to the people! We will certainly not fail in our mission!"

"Your Majesty, we obey!" Xun Yu and Du Ruhui stepped forward simultaneously, their voices firm.

"Anyone who dares to obstruct the new policies will be impeached without exception! No matter who they are, they will be severely punished!"