So that one day, when the Han Dynasty declines and imperial power weakens, a member of the imperial clan can produce another Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, and bring about a third revival of the Han Dynasty!
Historically, Emperor Ling of Han did the same. When he first appointed governors, Liu Yan was the governor of Yi Province, Liu Biao was the governor of Jing Province, Liu Dai was the governor of Yan Province, Liu Yu was the governor of You Province, and there was also a governor of Yang Province who was surnamed Liu.
Unfortunately, later on, so many members of the Liu clan were uncooperative and disunited, or rather, the treacherous officials were too powerful, and all the plans came to naught.
At this time, Emperor Ling was already seriously injured, and no one knew whether he had recovered or not. His wife, Empress He, had been stripped of her power by Lin Yang.
His sons, Liu Bian and Liu Xie, were barred from participating in politics by Lin Yang on the grounds that they were too young. The only people who could influence Lin Yang were these members of the imperial clan!
"Well, the members of the royal family are generally quite rational. They are roughly divided into two factions."
"The first faction is quite satisfied, they're already content. After all, your strength is undeniable, my lord. Moreover, they have no intention of destroying the Han Dynasty; they're already quite happy to be a powerful minister."
"Of course, they still verbally condemn our lord. But in reality, they are quite satisfied. These people are among the more powerful members of the imperial clan, including Liu Yan, Liu Biao, Liu Yu, Liu Bei, and others. Their leader is Princess Liu Hao."
Hearing this, Lin Yang nodded. These people were all powerful individuals. Among them, Liu Hao, the eldest princess of the Han Dynasty, was at the limit of the sixth rank, and her cultivation was certainly not inferior to others.
If it weren't for encountering Lin Yang, an unreasonable guy who frequently uses cheat codes, things might have been different!
"As for the other group, it's quite the opposite. They are somewhat irrational and are adopting a non-violent non-cooperation approach towards the current political assembly. In fact, they often try to sabotage us behind the scenes."
"Their leaders are two princes, Prince Bian and Prince Xie, and their subordinates are a bunch of disillusioned officials. In short, they are all guys who have lost power. If we are willing to offer a few seats in the Council of State, they will definitely change their stance."
Lacking any real strength yet jumping around in all directions, unable to recognize the true situation or their own limitations, these remnants of the Han dynasty are truly detestable!
"Hmph, these guys have no sense of propriety at all. Don't they understand that the more they jump around, the more annoying they become? At the political conference, the powerful families can gain more power, the feudal lords can gain greater benefits, and the local magnates will also have a place to participate in and discuss politics."
"It's fair to say that everyone with power is now at the council meeting, holding their own interests. Yet these guys just can't see that, still dreaming of going back to the past—how is that even possible?"
To be honest, Lin Yang had no respect for these clown-like fellows. He could easily figure out their little tricks with a snap of his fingers; how could they possibly hide them?
"By the way, what do others think of the Han Dynasty's underhanded tactics?"
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia immediately said, "Yes, most of the older generation of aristocratic families cherish the glory of the Han Dynasty, so they don't stop this matter. Generally speaking, they pretend not to see it, and some even help keep it a secret and cover up the relevant traces."
"There are also some people who are very dissatisfied. But they are afraid of retaliation, so they pretend not to see it. As a result, these guys really think they can succeed."
"Well, everyone's skin isn't thick enough. Or rather, everyone's still relatively conscientious," Lin Yang concluded, before taking a sip of his tea.
"Power is a good thing, and many people like it very much. However, everyone is rather thin-skinned. Those who are not powerful enough are afraid of the prestige of the Han Dynasty. Those who are powerful are mindful of His Majesty's favor and have not stopped this matter. Many people even privately support and sympathize with them."
"I can actually understand that. However, they don't realize that by doing this, they are actually harming the Han Dynasty!"
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia nodded in agreement. This wasn't hard to understand. If it truly mattered for the good of the Han Dynasty, they should have stopped them directly!
"Once time passes and ambitious individuals discover the court's weakness and the benefits of this system, will they still act like virtuous gentlemen? At that time, only destruction awaits them!"
After all, every action taken by the remnants of the old regime is, to some extent, depleting the goodwill accumulated by the Han Dynasty over thousands of years! Once this goodwill is exhausted, wouldn't ambitious individuals directly attack the Han Dynasty? This is quite possible!
Upon hearing this, Guo Jia found himself at a loss for words. As Lin Yang's chief civil official, he naturally had to consider the issue from Lin Yang's perspective. However, as a citizen of the Han Dynasty, he couldn't directly say things like the Han Dynasty would perish.
"Over the past ten thousand years, the Han Dynasty has had many virtuous policies and has indeed done many practical things to benefit the people and the world. It has never lost its virtue. The current situation is not due to any fault of war. If it weren't for the Immortal Qin, the Han Dynasty would certainly be in a better position now."
To be honest, Lin Yang had no complaints about the Han Dynasty. His initial success in acquiring his first fortune and being granted the title of Duke of Wu was inseparable from Emperor Ling's magnanimity and powerful spirit!
If Lin Yang were to wipe out the Han Dynasty at this point, it would be a sign of a lack of conscience and morality. He would be condemned for eternity, which wouldn't be surprising.
"Moreover, without His Majesty's appreciation back then, I wouldn't have achieved my current position. Therefore, in order to preserve the Han Dynasty, I will do what a powerful minister should do. Perhaps, in the short term, the Han Dynasty will hate me, but in the long run, they will be grateful to me." Lin Yang stood up, looked at the distant scenery, and said calmly.
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Chapter 57: Missed Opportunity
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About thirty miles outside the imperial palace in Jiangling City, there is a huge palace, which was recently built and is used as a place for the officials to quarrel and fight during political assemblies.
At first glance, it was quite magnificent. At this moment, Lin Yang personally arrived here, went to the meeting place, and sat in the most prominent and conspicuous seat at the head of the table.
This is the seat reserved for the president of the council. Previously, it was left empty; even Guo Jia, the vice president appointed by Lin Yang, wouldn't sit here.
Sitting quietly on the stool, looking down at the seats below, then looking up through the huge skylight at the outside world.
After indulging in the aroma for a moment, Lin Yang shook his head.
"Power is indeed a wonderful thing. If sitting here is so alluring, what about inside the palace? No wonder so many heroes throughout history, knowing full well that chair isn't easy to sit on, have still fought tooth and nail for it, refusing to yield an inch. Truly..."
Hearing this, Guo Jia simply pretended not to hear Lin Yang's mutterings. After all, it's easy to talk when you're not in the situation; anyone can do that.
Just like Mr. Ma, who always says that his life has not been as happy as before since he started Aliwangwang.
They even encourage ordinary people not to focus solely on making money—isn't that just ripping them off? Oh, right, that's not ripping them off, it's just ripping off ordinary people!
After a while, Lin Yang looked at the empty venue and immediately said, "Ahem, why is no one here yet?"
Seeing this, Guo Jia finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"My lord, the meeting is scheduled for tonight when the moon rises. The sun hasn't set yet..."
"Huh? That seems to be the case. Let's go have dinner first, and then come over," Lin Yang said, his expression unchanged.
Over the years, I can't speak for other aspects, but I've certainly developed a thick skin. I wouldn't say it's invulnerable, but I'm quite adept at lying without batting an eye.
As night fell, the entire council assembly was illuminated. This time, it wasn't candles, but lamps made of spirit stones, one of the great inventions of the Wu Kingdom.
These spirit stone lamps, illuminated by the spirit stone powder, were incredibly bright. Even in the darkness of night, they were as clear as day, revealing every detail.
Meanwhile, hundreds of heroes also arrived. Among them, more than 160 were official councilors, while the remaining 500 or so were just there to make up the numbers.
They were either enthusiastic members of the Chaoyang District community or eager onlookers. They came to watch the spectacle.