Chương 764: Announcement of the List

As he spoke, he cracked another joke, his tone light and relaxed:

"However, let me make this clear from the start: if anyone dares to exaggerate their achievements or pull strings to get into the cabinet, and I find out, not only will they not be allowed to enter the cabinet, but their name will also be engraved on the stone at the entrance as a negative example."

Let posterity condemn him for his opportunism, leaving him infamous for eternity. Do you understand?

The crowd roared in unison, "We obey your command!"

The sound was so loud that it seemed to make the beams and pillars of the hall tremble.

No one thought it was a joke; everyone knew that His Majesty meant what he said.

No one dares to joke about their reputation.

After returning from Zhaoji Pavilion, the entire capital city was in an uproar.

The news that the emperor had personally written an article and that the first batch of names would soon be announced spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys.

Officials discussed it during court sessions, after court sessions, and even when they went home to eat, they talked about it with their wives and children.

When the generals returned home, they didn't even bother to eat. They rummaged through their chests and cabinets to find their merit records, spread them out on the table, and counted them one by one.

Count them once and then repeat them to your wife:

"Look, look, I made the greatest contribution in the northern expedition against the Huns, I was the vanguard in the western expedition against the Kushans, and I was also at the forefront in the battle against Rome."

With so much credit, I'm definitely in the first batch!

The lady smiled and agreed, "That's for sure. With my husband being so capable, he'll definitely be able to enter the Zhaoji Pavilion."

He said that, but his heart was pounding.

The civil officials weren't idle either.

Several senior officials would frequently visit the residences of Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, ostensibly to report on their work, but in reality, they wanted to subtly inquire about some news.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui were all very shrewd. Each time, they would smile and change the subject without revealing a single word, leaving the group of people feeling uneasy and anxious.

On the contrary, the real big shots remained very calm.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui should have been handling government affairs, while Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Xu Da, Xue Rengui, Li Jing, Li Ji, Qi Jiguang, Yue Fei, Su Lie, and others should have been training troops. It seemed they didn't take this matter to heart at all.

It's not that they don't care, but they are aware of the situation. Given their contributions, it would be strange if they weren't in the first batch.

The people were also very excited. In teahouses and taverns, everyone was talking about it and guessing who would be among the first to enter Zhaoji Pavilion.

The storytellers even made up jokes, telling stories of the founding heroes every day, which the people listened to with great interest, and they all waited to see the final list.

Some people even run betting shops privately, betting on who will be included in the first batch, with the odds already calculated, and the business is quite booming.

......

Half a month later, a court assembly was held in the Liangyi Hall.

The atmosphere in the Liangyi Hall that day was completely different from usual.

All the officials had arrived, a full quarter of an hour earlier than usual. They had all come ahead of time, afraid of being late and missing the important event.

No one whispered or yawned; everyone stood ramrod straight, their eyes fixed on the throne, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The hall was unusually quiet, with only the smoke from the incense burner rising gently.

All the civil and military officials were very nervous. They hoped to be selected for the cabinet, but they were also afraid that they would not be selected. Their hearts were pounding like drums.

Those with average seniority and a mix of merits and demerits, in particular, had sweaty palms and their court robes were almost soaked.

Before long, a palace attendant announced loudly, "His Majesty has arrived!"

Liu Ce, dressed in court robes, slowly walked up to the throne. After sitting down, he first glanced at the assembled officials below.

Seeing the group of people below looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy, he chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, and spoke as usual:

"If you have something to report, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

Normally, as soon as these words were spoken, a bunch of people would step forward to report.

But today was different. The room was completely silent. People looked at each other, but no one spoke.

Everyone's attention was focused on the list of names for the founding committee; who had the mind to think about anything else?

Going up to report something at this time would be asking for trouble, wouldn't it? The people below would probably spit on you with their eyes.

Liu Ce suppressed a laugh and asked again, "Is everything alright? Then I'll get straight to the point."

"Your Majesty, I have a memorial to present!"

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan reluctantly stepped forward, intending to report on the summer grain entering the granary, which was just a routine matter.

But halfway through his sentence, he saw the people below glaring at him, their eyes gleaming with a chilling light, as if they wanted to devour him.

He immediately changed the subject, his mind racing:

"... However, it's not urgent. The summer grain has been stored smoothly. Your Majesty, please speak of the important matters first. I will report back later."

He quickly withdrew after speaking, afraid of delaying important matters and incurring public wrath.

Everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly giving Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan a thumbs up. He was quite sensible; they would invite him for drinks later.

Liu Ce finally couldn't help but laugh: "Alright, look how impatient you all are. I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I've already finalized the list of the first batch of meritorious officials to be admitted to the Zhaoji Pavilion."

As he spoke, he reached out and picked up a bright yellow scroll from the imperial desk, gently unrolling it.

The sound of the scroll unfurling was very soft, yet exceptionally clear in the quiet hall.

The air in the hall froze instantly.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the spool, their heartbeats slowing to a beat.

Some people even closed their eyes, afraid to listen, yet they longed to hear their own names, a truly contradictory situation.

Liu Ce cleared his throat and spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, each word striking a chord in their hearts:

"First place, Guan Yu."

When the first name was read out, no one in the hall was surprised, and there wasn't even a murmur of discussion.

Guan Yu's achievements are undeniable, placing him firmly among the top military generals wherever he goes, and no one would disagree.

Guan Yu stepped forward slowly, bowed, and said in a steady voice, revealing little emotion but with solemnity: "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great favor."

He appeared calm, but he was actually quite gratified. After a lifetime of military service, this recognition was enough.

Liu Ce nodded and continued reading:

"Second place, Zhang Fei."

"Third place, Zhao Yun."

"Fourth, Dian Wei."

"Fifth, Qin Qiong."

"Sixth place, Cheng Yaojin."

"Seventh, Xun Yu."

"Eighth place, Fang Xuanling."

"Ninth, Du Ruhui."

"Tenth place, Jia Xu."

"The eleventh is Guo Jia."

"Twelfth place, Xi Zhicai."

"The thirteenth is Xu Da."

"The fourteenth is Xue Rengui."

"Fifteenth, Zhang Liao."

"Sixteenth, Lü Bu."

"Seventeenth, Yuwen Chengdu."

As each name was called, one person stepped forward to express their gratitude.

The crowd below either nodded in approval or cast envious glances.

These are all genuine founding fathers, their achievements are plain to see, and no one has any objections.

Yuchi Gong stood in the ranks, listening to each name pass by, his palms sweating more and more.

The seventeenth is Yuwen Chengdu, the eighteenth... the eighteenth hasn't reached him yet?

His heart was in his throat; he almost couldn't help but stand on tiptoe to look ahead, his heart pounding.

Surely I'm not going to be left out? No way! I've contributed a lot in the war, I was at the forefront of the Western Expedition...

Could it be that His Majesty removed me from the list because I dozed off during the last morning court session?

The more I thought about it, the more panicked I became. My back was soaked with sweat, and my armor was completely drenched in sweat.

Just then, Liu Ce's voice rang out, unhurried and calm:

"The eighteenth is Yuchi Gong."

"arrive!"

Yuchi Gong instinctively shouted, his voice booming like a bell, echoing throughout the hall, as if he were taking roll call in the military camp.