Chapter 369 Ascending the Throne
The fourteenth year of Jian'an (209).

After more than half a year of preparation, Jin Mao led his ministers and entered Luoyang for the first time in many years.

Everything was ready, and Emperor Liu Xie declined three times according to the rules. Although Jin Mao hated formalism, he could not prevail against the ministers and had to give in.

The first day of October.

When Jin Mao officially ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to abolish the reign title and use the New Han era from then on.

After Liu Xie abdicated, he was renamed King of Nanyang and did not appoint any subordinates.

From now on, princes and vassal kings will no longer have their own vassal states and ministers as before, and the throne will be merely an honorary title.

Of course, there must be some public pomp and circumstance, with 300 guards, 300 ceremonial guards, and 300 servants, a total of 900 people to be commanded, and the expenses will be provided by the fiefdom.

In addition, the princes appointed by Liu Xie during his reign or before were no longer hereditary, and all of them were taken back regardless of whether their descendants had any.

This incident immediately caused a sensation throughout the country. There were quite a few princes with the surname Liu, and Jin Mao's decision was immediately resisted by the royal family across the country. Even though they had very little power, they still rose up to resist.

For this reason, Liu Xie had no choice but to enter the palace, hoping that Jin Mao would show leniency.

"Bohe, you don't have to say more." Jin Mao flatly refused: "I am the emperor now, and I don't need to get the approval of these people for what I do!"

Liu Xie's face changed slightly when he heard this, but he immediately regained his composure. He knew that the young emperor in front of him, although tough, had great ambitions and was not an ordinary person. He slowly stepped forward, with a bit of sincerity and persuasion in his tone: "Your Majesty is wise, and I naturally know. However, the royal family is the foundation of the country, and a single move can affect the whole body. If the hereditary rights of the princes are forcibly deprived, it may cause unnecessary turmoil and be detrimental to the country. Why not find another way to stabilize the imperial power and appease the royal family?"

Jin Mao's eyes were deep when he heard this, as if he was weighing Liu Xie's words. After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice full of unquestionable firmness: "Bo He's words make sense, and I am not an unreasonable person. But the hereditary system has long been full of drawbacks, which is not conducive to the long-term stability of the country, nor is it conducive to the selection of talents. I have made up my mind that the position of the princes can no longer be inherited, but I can establish a new system, based on merit, talent and virtue, to select the sons of the royal family to serve as officials in the court, and the outstanding ones can be conferred titles. In this way, the glory of the royal family will not be lost, and the sons of the royal family can be encouraged to serve the country. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"

After hearing this, Liu Xie secretly praised Jin Mao's move, which not only showed his determination to reform, but also showed his sympathy for the royal family. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. We, the ministers, will do our best to assist you and work together for the great cause of the country."

Afterwards, Jin Mao summoned his ministers and announced a detailed plan to reform the imperial clan system, including the establishment of an imperial clan school to train young talents, an assessment mechanism to select imperial clan officials, and a special agency to manage imperial clan affairs. This series of measures not only won the support of some imperial clan children.

Compared with scholars who have to take the imperial examinations, the descendants of princes have a greater chance of becoming officials and the assessment standards are lower.

As a result, the princes who had many children in their families immediately stopped their movements, and some even cheered for the new emperor Jin Mao. The remaining princes who had few children gritted their teeth but dared not say anything more, because it was their fault for having so few children.

The ministers should also have the same benefits as the royal family.

Jin Mao also opened special channels for his ministers such as Xi Zhicai, Zhou Yu, Jia Xu, Xun You, etc., who had always followed him, just like the royal family members.

If the children of military generals above the rank of general want to continue serving in the army, they will also receive preferential treatment, and their starting point and assessment will be much better than ordinary people.

This preferential policy can last for three generations. If no descendants can stand out within three generations, it cannot be blamed on Jinmao and we will have to start all over again.

When the policy was announced, the ministers were in an uproar.

It's not that it was bad, but that it was too good. The ministers were afraid that Jin Mao would regret it in his later years, so they raised their butcher knives and killed a large number of people.

After all, this kind of thing should be considered an unspoken rule, how can it be made public?
Xi Zhicai was elected as a representative and raised his objection to Jin Mao: "Your Majesty, this move certainly demonstrates the importance and encouragement of military families, but I am afraid that it may also be a hidden worry in the long run. Since ancient times, the prosperity of a country cannot be achieved by the efforts of one person or one family. It is necessary to open up the way for talents and accommodate all rivers. Although the descendants of generals inherit family knowledge, if they are treated preferentially just because of their bloodline, it may make other ambitious people in the army feel unfair, affect morale, and may even breed arrogance and extravagance, which is not conducive to the purity of the army and the improvement of combat effectiveness.

Furthermore, Your Majesty has stated that this special benefit will only be extended to three generations, in order to encourage future generations to strive for self-improvement. However, things are unpredictable. If there are truly talented people who have not yet emerged after three generations, what will happen? Wouldn't that be another level of injustice? I believe that true fairness and incentives should be based on talent and contribution, rather than simply relying on bloodline.

Therefore, I suggest that Your Majesty establish a more fair and transparent selection mechanism, so that no matter whether they are descendants of generals or children of poor families, they can speak based on their strength and achievements. At the same time, strengthen the supervision and guidance of military families to ensure that they not only inherit martial arts and loyalty, but also cultivate a new generation of generals with both moral integrity and talent. In this way, we can not only inspire the soldiers in the army, but also maintain the long-term stability of the country. Why not do it? "

Jin Mao frowned when he heard this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "I know how to handle this matter."

"Children of meritorious officials enjoy special benefits. This is the legacy of their ancestors and they deserve it. However, there is still a lack of supervision on this matter."

"I believe that the royal family should serve as supervisors and selection officials. If anyone commits fraud, the supervisors and selection officials will be guilty of the same crime, and this crime cannot be pardoned!"

In this way, after the royal family members show favors to those with merit, their future sides will be made public, and it will be clear at a glance who belongs to whom.

Xi Zhicai felt powerless. Jin Mao not only raised Gu among his children, but also wanted to raise Gu among their children. Isn't this encouraging internal friction?

Xi Zhicai sighed inwardly, but he also understood that although Jin Mao's move seemed cruel, it actually contained far-reaching political considerations. He knew very well that in the game of power, absolute balance is often difficult to maintain, but moderate competition and checks and balances can stimulate potential and reduce the breeding ground for corruption. Jin Mao took advantage of this and cleverly tied the royal children and the descendants of meritorious service together, which was both a way to appease the meritorious service and a way to strengthen the imperial power.

"Your Majesty has farsightedness that is beyond the reach of us." Xi Zhicai forced a smile, his tone showing both admiration and helplessness. "However, the implementation of this policy will probably require consideration of many details. How to ensure the fairness of supervision and selection? How to prevent the abuse of power and the breeding of new corruption? These are all issues that cannot be ignored."

Hearing this, Jin Mao's eyes became deep. He slowly walked to the window, looked at the endless palace walls outside the window, and said after thinking for a moment: "Indeed, details determine success or failure. I will order people to draft detailed regulations and solicit opinions widely, especially to listen to the opinions of those upright and selfless court officials and wise people in the society. At the same time, an independent review agency will be established to strictly supervise each link to ensure that the whole process is transparent and fair." "In addition," Jin Mao turned around, his eyes were sharp, "the selection of supervisory and selection officials must also be extremely cautious. They must be people with both moral integrity and ability, and be upright and incorruptible to be qualified for this position. I will personally inquire to ensure that the candidates are safe."

After hearing this, Xi Zhicai's worries increased instead of decreasing: "Your Majesty is undoubtedly wise and powerful, but can you guarantee that your descendants will be as wise as you?"

Looking back at the 400-year period of the Han Dynasty, the founding monarchs were all wise, but there were many unfilial descendants. If a person like Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling had come along, we would have been in trouble if the dynasty ended in the second generation like the Qin Dynasty.

Jin Mao also understood this, and added: "Each dynasty has its own policies. I only care about the current situation. As for the next successor, that is his business. The new policies of this dynasty are only the laws that cannot be reduced, but can only be increased. The rest of the policies can be increased or decreased as appropriate by future generations."

"Besides," Jin Mao said with a firm and profound tone, "I have set out to establish a complete supervision and education system, aimed at cultivating the virtues and talents of future monarchs and court officials. I have set up a royal academy and recruited famous teachers from all over the world to teach not only the way to govern the country, but also to pay more attention to the historical lessons, humanistic cultivation and moral sentiments. Let every royal child, before ascending the throne, can deeply understand the lessons of the rise and fall of the country, and learn how to stay sober and wise in the complex and changing situation."

"At the same time, we should strengthen the functions of the Imperial Censorate and the Imperial Counselors to ensure that there is a supervisory force in the court that dares to speak out and is not afraid of power, and always reminds the monarch to stay true to his original aspirations and to work diligently and love the people. In this way, even if a monarch with mediocre qualifications ascends the throne, he will not stray too far from the right path under the constraints of the system and the assistance of good ministers."

"Furthermore, I intend to delegate some power to the Grand Council to form a system of assisting the government. Although the central government holds the final decision-making power, the execution and supervision of specific affairs will be handed over to professional departments to reduce the direct influence of the monarch's personal will on national affairs. In this way, even if the monarch is biased, it will not cause a global disaster."

"Of course, the premise of all this is that the throne can be passed on in an orderly manner. If there is no heir, then what is the future?"

Xi Zhicai sighed helplessly. If he continued discussing, he would have to plot against Jin Mao's family affairs, which was a crime of disrespect. So he bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

However, Xi Zhicai had nothing to say, but Liu Xie did: "Your Majesty, when will you appoint a crown prince?"

All the ministers looked at each other sideways. Only Liu Xie could ask this question. Anyone else who asked it would be suspected of taking sides.

Liu Xie was different. He had long been on Jin Lin's side. As long as Jin Lin was not made the crown prince, Liu Xie would not stop asking questions.

Jin Mao heard this, and a subtle complex emotion flashed across his brows. He slowly glanced at the ministers under the prince, and finally his eyes fell on Liu Xie, with both relief and helplessness in his eyes. "Prince of Nanyang, the matter of establishing a crown prince is related to the foundation of the country, and it cannot be taken lightly. I must be extremely cautious and consider many aspects to ensure that the person I choose can inherit the throne and stabilize the country."

"I know that you care about the country and have high hopes for the crown prince Jin Lin. However, the position of the crown prince is not only about personal virtue and ability, but also about whether he can win the support of the people and lead our dynasty to a more prosperous and stable future. I will always pay attention to the growth of my sons, and when the time is right, I will announce it to the world and appoint a crown prince to reassure the people."

At this point, Jin Mao changed the subject and his tone became more solemn: "However, I also want to remind you, my dear ministers, that you should focus on state affairs in the court and not let personal thoughts affect your judgment. I believe that as long as everyone works together and seeks common development, our New Han will be able to regain its glory."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers knelt down and said, "Your Majesty is wise," but their eyes were looking at Liu Xie. Anyway, the latter would lead the charge, so they just had to watch the show from the sidelines.

As expected, Liu Xie asked again: "Since ancient times, the heir apparent has always been the heir, not the eldest son. Since Prince Jin Lin is the eldest son, why didn't Your Majesty appoint a crown prince earlier?"

Jin Mao smiled slightly, his eyes revealing depth and wisdom. He slowly said: "King Nanyang is right. As the eldest son, Jin Lin is indeed noble. However, the position of the crown prince is not only related to blood inheritance, but also to the future of the country. I need to consider it carefully, not only to observe his character and talent, but also to observe his ability to govern the country and whether he can win the hearts of the people. I want to follow the example of the sages and implement a system of inspection, so that Jin Lin can participate in state affairs with the other princes, gain experience and grow, and make a decision when the time is right."

"Furthermore, I also know that there are many talented people in the court. If they can assist the wise monarch and work together for great cause, it will be a blessing for the country. Therefore, I hope that you can put aside your factional prejudices, put the overall interests of the country first, and work together to cultivate the future crown prince and make him the pillar of our new Han Dynasty."

After saying this, Jin Mao swept his eyes across the ministers one by one, his eyes were filled with both expectation and warning, as if he could see through people's hearts. The ministers felt the pressure and expectation, and they all put away their previous subtle thoughts, sat upright, and expressed their willingness to assist His Majesty with all their strength and work together for the future of the new Han Dynasty.

Seeing this, Liu Xie, although unwilling, had to admire Jin Mao's ability to control his subordinates. He thought to himself that since he could not force Jin Mao to make Jin Lin the crown prince, he could only assist from the side and slowly accumulate reputation and strength, waiting for the right time. So, he bowed and said sincerely: "Your Majesty has a far-sighted plan, and I admire you. I will do my best to assist your Majesty and the princes to create a prosperous era for the new Han Dynasty."

Jin Mao nodded with satisfaction. He knew that although today's conversation did not directly resolve the dispute over the succession, it had invisibly injected a new force and direction into the court, which was - putting the country first and seeking common development.

If the timing was right, Jinmao would have wanted to do it in one go and directly put forward the idea of ​​a socialist successor.

Unfortunately, that was too advanced.

There is a saying that goes, if you are half a step ahead of others, you are a genius; if you are one step ahead of others, you are a madman.

Jinmao does not want to be regarded as a madman. It is already very advanced to have been able to advance to this point, and it cannot introduce more subversive new policies.

Selecting a crown prince is just a small matter. After ascending the throne, everything becomes busy and Jinmao has too many things to do.

For example, the reform of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers.

Jinmao does not want to change this system rashly, but the specific responsibilities of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers must be clarified and cannot be vaguely defined as before.

For example, if the Grand Marshal is in charge of military affairs, then what about the General? Isn't this a conflict?
Therefore, Jin Mao imitated later generations and distinguished between military and public security.

The general is the highest military leader, and the marshal is the highest domestic security official. In the future, the army will only be in major military regions, and all county soldiers will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Security, which is similar to the security department of later generations.

(End of this chapter)