Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5238 Benevolent Ruler and Benevolent Governance
After the court session ended, news that Guo Xiaoke had neither made any significant contributions nor received any reward or punishment quickly spread throughout the court and the public. After all, a long time had passed, and not many people cared about Guo Xiaoke's life or death. However, His Majesty's words in the Taiji Hall sparked a great deal of public opinion.

Who can never make a mistake? In the court, the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make. The only way to avoid making mistakes is to do nothing at all. But if you do nothing, what use are you to the country?
Therefore, as His Majesty's words of forgiveness and benevolence spread, more and more people felt grateful to have met such a wise and benevolent ruler, and a wave of praise and admiration arose.

From the highest officials to the lowest commoners, who wouldn't want to meet a kind and benevolent monarch?

Whether this "benevolence" comes from the heart or not, it is extremely rare.

Even if it's an act, Your Majesty, please keep acting. If you can act for a lifetime, what difference does it make whether it's real or fake?

……

After the court session, Fang Jun did not leave the palace immediately. Instead, he accompanied Ma Zhou out of the Zuoyanming Gate to the official residence of the Secretariat and entered Ma Zhou's office.

The two had just sat down when Ma Zhou boiled water for tea and had a clerk bring over some snacks, at which point Xu Jingzong came looking for them...

After eating a piece of pastry and drinking a couple of sips of tea, Xu Jingzong turned around, closed the door, and sat back down, complaining, "Your Majesty was too pretentious and lacked sincerity this time. Although I helped you in time, there were still too many flaws. You should be more careful and meticulous."

Ma Zhou then looked at Fang Jun and asked, "What idea did you give His Majesty?"

Fang Jun shook his head and said, "No, it's probably because His Majesty himself realized that his prestige was shallow and it was difficult to win people's hearts, so he planned to find another way."

The style of "benevolence" can be considered a characteristic that Li Chengqian has shown since he ascended the throne, but this is the first time that it has been formally regarded as a "label" today.

He took a sip of tea and said, "Whether it's pretentious or hypocritical, these things are not important. What's important is that Your Majesty has determined the direction of governance, which is a good thing. Moreover, it is a style of 'benevolence' that is unprecedented in ancient times, which is conducive to the stability of the court."

In times of chaos, severe punishments are necessary; without them, it is impossible to restore order and restore order.

Conversely, during prosperous times, taxes and levies should be reduced, policies should be lenient and gentle, and all levels of society should be allowed to develop independently.

Ma Zhou nodded, acknowledging His Majesty's "benevolent" style, but reminded him, "Since His Majesty implemented this matter without consulting you, you should be careful."

His Majesty has always trusted Fang Jun completely and even obeyed his every word. He consults Fang Jun's attitude and opinion on everything before implementing it.

But this time, he acted on his own initiative, at most giving Fang Jun some hints but not consulting him, which may mean that the relationship between His Majesty and Fang Jun has changed.

When His Majesty trusts Fang Jun, it doesn't matter how powerful or influential Fang Jun is, because all of this serves His Majesty's purpose of consolidating imperial power. But once His Majesty loses his trust, an irreconcilable antagonism arises between the emperor and the powerful minister.

Xu Jingzong looked at Fang Jun, somewhat nervous.

Once the relationship between Fang Jun and His Majesty truly breaks down, a struggle will inevitably ensue, and Xu Jingzong, as Fang Jun's "pawn," will inevitably be drawn into it, bearing the brunt of the conflict. Just thinking about the clash between the two most powerful forces in the empire, and how miserable he would be caught in the middle, filled Xu Jingzong with dread…

Fang Jun shook his head: "That's not necessarily true. His Majesty is, after all, just His Majesty, not Emperor Taizong."

Although the words were not explicitly stated, both Ma and Xu understood them perfectly.

Ultimately, His Majesty is weak-willed and lacks the decisiveness and courage of Emperor Taizong.

Perhaps he simply realized that due to insufficient prestige, it would be difficult to approach or even surpass the achievements of Emperor Taizong, so he took a different approach and ruled the world with an unprecedented "benevolent ruler" demeanor, in order to gain fame both before and after his death.

After all, in today's world where Confucianism is the dominant ideology, "benevolence" is the highest virtue.

It is not easy for ordinary people to achieve the virtue of "benevolence," let alone a monarch.

If His Majesty can uphold the principle of "benevolence" throughout his life, his reputation during and after his death will be unparalleled, if not unmatched in the future.

When the final verdict is reached, he may be the fourth person after Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Taizong of Tang...

Xu Jingzong exclaimed, "A benevolent ruler is in Heaven; it is a blessing for all the people!"

Throughout history, ordinary people have not had high expectations of their monarchs. They only ask for less turmoil, less indulgence, more concern for the national economy and people's livelihood, and more benevolent governance. The hardworking people will then honestly toil in the fields to make a living, supporting themselves and the emperor and the imperial family in return.

Therefore, nowadays, whether it is officials or ordinary people, even those aristocratic families, they all praise Emperor Taizong as "the greatest emperor of all time". Qin Shi Huang, who implemented tyranny, and Emperor Wu of Han, who said "If the enemy can go, so can I", are not well received. Although these two have made great achievements and looked down on their contemporaries, they were too troublesome.

One conquered six kingdoms and unified the world, while the other marched beyond the Great Wall to seal the Wolf Mountain. Behind their glorious achievements that have shone through the ages was the depletion of the entire nation's finances.

A country cannot be without money and food for even a day. What if the national treasury is empty?
It will only make the common people suffer...

Fang Jun praised, "Minister Xu's performance in the main hall just now was absolutely perfect."

Xu Jingzong grinned, full of resentment: "Being a treacherous minister isn't easy! When you shouted that, I was afraid those murderers in the hall would swarm up and 'purge the emperor's inner circle,' tearing me apart!"

Ma Zhouwan'er.

Xu Jingzong is cunning, treacherous, and has no moral bottom line. He is truly a "traitor" in the making. If it weren't for Fang Junzhi's suppression, he would probably have already risen to power and wreaked havoc on the court based on his seniority and ability...

After eating a pastry to fill his stomach, Fang Jun asked, "How is the situation in the capital and Chang'an after the heavy snow these past few days?"

Ma Zhou said, “Although the weather is bad, the disaster is not severe. Thanks to the ‘Emergency Relief and Disaster Relief Office’ that you established, Erlang, officials at all levels of the Jingzhao Prefecture and military camps stationed in the capital can be mobilized at any time for disaster relief. All six ministries are within the scope of control, ensuring that all disaster relief supplies are distributed to the affected people as quickly as possible. In addition, with the large investment in infrastructure construction in recent years, Guanzhong can be described as a land of plenty and prosperity.”

His concurrent post as Prefect of Jingzhao was highly regarded, and the people under his jurisdiction were deeply grateful, all thanks to the "legacy" left by Fang Jun.

Compared to his "following the old ways," Fang Jun's "groundbreaking" actions when he served as the Prefect of Jingzhao were particularly rare.

Fang Jun nodded and said calmly, "Guanzhong is strategically important and has been the origin of Chinese civilization since ancient times. However, after so many years of development, the population has increased while the land has become increasingly barren, which seriously hinders the development of the empire. Breaking away from Guanzhong and focusing on the Central Plains is bound to be the future policy of the empire. Therefore, the infrastructure design and construction in Guanzhong should be targeted and restrained, and more resources should be saved for developing Luoyang, cultivating Jiangnan, and opening up Lingnan."

Guanzhong could no longer provide resources for the development and expansion of the empire; on the contrary, it needed to import resources from all over the world. The grain alone consumed countless manpower and resources, and the Sanmenxia Gorge alone was like strangling the lifeline of Guanzhong.

Historically, the Tang emperors, accompanied by their civil and military officials, meritorious nobles, and dignitaries, would travel to Luoyang for a meal, which is a reflection of this situation.

Ultimately, Guanzhong's strategic location during wartime ensured the unification of the country by the Sui and Tang dynasties, but in times of peace, it became a constraint on the empire's development.

"Luoyang, with its strategic location and central position, is the blessed land that can support the empire's further advancement."

Xu Jingzong's heart skipped a beat. He leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "If I were to seek the position of Governor of Henan, would I have any chance of success?"

Now that Prince Li Tai of Wei has taken up his post in Wa (Japan) and become the "King of Fusang," he has naturally relinquished his previous position as the "Prefect of Luoyang." However, this position was created by His Majesty specifically to accommodate Prince Li Tai, and with Li Tai gone, no one else is qualified to fill the role.

After all, Luoyang and Chang'an are known as the "Eastern and Western Capitals". Looking at the court, who can stand alongside His Majesty?
The "Provincial Governor of Henan," who held power over Henan, took the opportunity to undertake the important task of building the Eastern Capital.

Ma Zhou despised Xu Jingzong's character but greatly admired his abilities. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "It's as difficult as ascending to heaven."

Fang Jun explained, “Zhang Xingcheng is a man of both talent and virtue, with an excellent reputation. He previously cooperated with the Prince of Wei in building the Eastern Capital, which went very smoothly. How could he be demoted and exiled without cause? Furthermore, although the Shandong aristocratic families have suffered setbacks and are no longer in power, they are still formidable forces. Even if His Majesty dislikes these aristocratic families, he must still maintain a balance in their relationships. Zhang Xingcheng, as the leader of the Shandong aristocratic families, has already been expelled from Chang'an. Exiling him to Luoyang is not a suitable course of action.”

These powerful clans have been operating for hundreds of years and are deeply entrenched in their networks. Unless they are subjected to indiscriminate massacres like those of Huang Chao and Zhu Wen, it is extremely difficult to eradicate them.

In fact, even the horrific massacres perpetrated by Huang Chao and Zhu Wen did not truly sever the roots of aristocratic families. What truly severed these families was the well-reformed imperial examination system during the Song Dynasty.

Even today, the wise and powerful Emperor Taizong had to deal with powerful families and clans gradually and methodically, let alone Li Chengqian.
While suppressing powerful and influential families, it is also necessary to treat them with leniency and strike a balance between the two.

Otherwise, the world would descend into chaos in an instant...

Xu Jingzong sighed, "The title of Minister of Rites looks prestigious, but in reality, it involves nothing but empty talk and little opportunity to put one's abilities to use. Once the land survey of the entire country is completed, I will be idle and have no hope of advancement!"

How could he not know that Zhang Xingcheng's position should not be moved without authorization?

The reason for asking this question is simply to see if Fang Jun and Ma Zhou will support him. If they do, he might even be able to dream of becoming the Governor of Henan...

If he can establish the Eastern Capital in Luoyang, when he returns to the capital after achieving his goal, he will surely become the head of three provinces and a powerful prime minister.

Fang Jun naturally saw through his ambition and suggested, "Instead of going to Luoyang and constantly fighting with those powerful families, it would be better to stay in Chang'an. You are the Minister of Rites, in charge of the imperial examinations. If you can continuously reform the imperial examination policy and gradually promote it throughout the country, achieving the true success of 'selecting officials through the imperial examinations,' you will not only be in charge of three provinces, but you will also be remembered in history!"