Han Shizu

While the perpetrators of the Shu Rebellion were collectively executed, the late Jiannan Governor Pan You was also rehabilitated. Emperor Liu Yang issued a special edict to clear his name.

Because of the rampant bandits in Sichuan and Sichuan, Pan You was used as a scapegoat by Jiannan and some people in the court, saying that the chaos in Sichuan and Sichuan was caused by Pan You, and all the blame for all kinds of crimes was attributed to Pan You.

The people around him are dead, and there is no way to prove his innocence. Moreover, when Wang Xiaobo started the incident, he was still under the banner of revenge for Pan You. The reaction of the people in Sichuan also emphasized Pan You's "crime".

At that time, although Liu Yang was well aware of the matter and was indignant at the criticism that was pouring in on Pan You, he chose to ignore it in order to take the "overall situation" into consideration or to paralyze those people.

Now, not only did Pan You die without a happy death, but he also received fierce criticism and extremely unfair treatment after his death. He was labeled a traitor and rebellious minister, and his reputation was completely ruined. It even affected future generations. His daughter, who was married in a foreign country, was kicked out of the house by her husband's family with a letter of divorce and lived in the world.

Pan You, a direct minister and a solitary minister, may not fully agree with Liu Yang, but he actually has respect in his heart. I have always known what happened to him, but because of political intentions, I have not said much. Even after the Shu rebellion was settled, I have been silent.

Until the real treacherous officials and traitors were brought to justice, Pan You's rectification of his name began. Liu Yang asked Wang Dan, a bachelor in the cabinet, to write a Shinto inscription for Pan You, describing his loyalty and merits. Not only did he restore his reputation, but he also gave him extremely high posthumous treatment. He was given the posthumous title Wenlie and was worthy of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

At the same time, Liu Yang ordered a monument to be built in Chengdu to commemorate Pan You. He also ordered people to find Pan You's daughter, rewarded her with 500 acres of land and house, and found a good family for her to marry, showing great care for her.

Although Pan You has never classified himself as one of Nanchen's factions, the southern bureaucrats, especially the southeastern bureaucrats who have increasingly gained prominence in the court in recent years, have always regarded him as one of the spokespersons of the southeastern interest class.

The initial criticism and censure of Pan You within the imperial court was to some extent mixed with the intention of suppressing the officialdom in the southeast. After all, the strength transformed from the great economic and cultural development would inevitably affect the northern dignitaries, bureaucrats, and scholars who had the main say in the imperial court. Feel threatened.

Therefore, when the emperor's decision to rehabilitate Pan You came out, the happiest people in the capital were the southern ministers. As for other dignitaries, officials and ordinary people, they did not have much affection for Pan You.

A memorial service was held for Pan You, led by officials from the south of the Yangtze River. Xu Xuan, a bachelor of the cabinet, Taishan Beidou in the field of literature and history, and a living stone leader of Southeast Shilin, dedicated his mansion as a memorial place and personally attended the ceremony at the age of seventy-nine. There were many officials who presided over the ceremony and delivered eulogies. After hearing the news, there were many officials who went to express their condolences.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing was that Emperor Liu Yangsheng came in person, offered incense to Pan You, and delivered an emotional speech, closing Pan You's coffin with the words "I dedicated my whole life and died".

Regarding Pan You's generous treatment after his death, it was not that there were no objections within the court. On the contrary, it could even be said that there was a lot of weird talk. It was because the emperor praised Pan You too highly. From a "criminal minister" to a "loyal minister" who was famous for generations, such a change that was like the world turning upside down was still difficult to accept even if the deceased was dead.

Just one question: Why should Pan You be the only loyal minister and talented person who dedicated his whole life to the Han Dynasty and died?

Obviously, Liu Yang's actions contain special political intentions. Compared with titles such as "loyal minister" and "honest official", there is only one most prominent mark on Pan You, and the most resentful and disgusting thing about Pan You: a reform leader.

Apart from him, this person is really down to earth, without any leeway or fear of offending anyone. People who are too pure and cannot agree with others should never hear anything good from others.

Liu Yang set up Pan You as a "role model" to quell another internal debate within the court after the Shu Rebellion, whether to continue the reform of unified local taxation.

The Sichuan-Sichuan Rebellion had a huge shock to the Han Dynasty. Although there are countless records in history, how powerful and destructive the ordinary people would be when they broke out, but without personal experience, it would never be possible. There will be a painful awakening.

Since most of the rebels were wiped out, from Luoyang to Chengdu, the ruling class has been reflecting on the root causes of the turmoil. Although many people's understanding still remains on a superficial surface, there are still some knowledgeable people who have proposed Got some insights.

The land issue, the tax system, the rich and the poor, and the supervision issue. In the final analysis, it is still a problem of the social operating mechanism. It is basically impossible to completely solve it. It cannot be done in a legal society, let alone a society governed by man.

However, as the ruling class of the empire, which controls the absolute voice of the entire society and most of the social resources, it still needs to have a certain awareness and a bottom line.

But the powerful people in Shu, on the contrary, disobeyed the orders of the imperial court and ignored the voices of the common people, which ultimately led to drastic changes.

The Sichuan-Sichuan Rebellion caused extremely heavy losses to the population and economy of southwest China. It can be said that the vitality was severely damaged. However, if you look through the piles of corpses and rivers of blood, it seems that there are no benefits in the long run.

At least, a large part of the hard-to-boil public dissatisfaction was released, and decades of stubborn abuses were overcome after such an impact, providing a blank and opportunity for the court to deal with the aftermath and reform.

The once unscrupulous nobles, bureaucrats, and landlords had to put away their green faces and fangs, and at least learn to pretend to be kind and do some charitable deeds.

The tenants in the neighboring households are no longer just being treated like slaves. The uncontrolled exploitation has begun to come under control. The ruling class has learned to reflect and no longer dares to completely ignore the voices of the people.

Of course, given the urinary nature of the ruling class, such thinking and repentance may not last long. After all, it is natural law to heal the scar and forget the pain.

How long the pain caused by a tragic bloody death can be remembered by the ruling class is also a manifestation of its value. Although no matter how you look at it, it seems not worth it and is even too tragic.

At least, starting from the second year of Yongxi, in the next twenty or thirty years, social conflicts in Shu will be at a relatively low level, which is something that no reform and improvement under the rule of the Han Empire could achieve.

The imperial court began to apply the lessons learned from the Shu Rebellion to the discussions in other prefectures and counties.

But in the same way, there are still some people who insist on blaming the "tax reform" as the root cause of the Shu chaos. In their words, without reform and sticking to the old system, the Shu chaos will not happen.

During the implementation of the new tax system, so many problems and contradictions arose, which were enough to arouse the imperial court's vigilance. The Shu chaos is a lesson to be taken beforehand, so we must not be careless.

Those who hold this argument know what they are going to do. Therefore, it is his statement to give Pan You, a famous tax reform official, a generous posthumous event.

As for the ills and problems raised by those people, Liu Yang began to solve them in the autumn and winter of the first year of Yongxi. He stubbornly believed that the disadvantages of the tax reform lay in poor implementation and lax supervision.

He chose to regulate officials, clarify the law, and help the people. Until this method proved to be a failure, his heart for reform remained firm.

Of course, Liu Yang has no choice. Compared with the foreseeable chaos caused by the failure of tax reform, he would rather bite the bullet and stick to this difficult road. Governing a country is like treating a disease. Medicines cannot be used indiscriminately or mixedly.

Before long, the emperor issued an edict to appoint Li Hang, the governor of Kaifeng, as the chief envoy of Jiannan Road, and the veteran Liu Tinghan, who had served as Minister of War, was once again appointed as the commander of the capital of Jiannan Road. At the same time, the envoy Yang Yanzhao and the Holy Guard Army were recalled. More than 10,000 Fengguo troops were still stationed in Chengdu, and soldiers and horses from Guannai, Shannan, Huguang, and Western Beijing were sent back, each with a reward. From this, Sichuan and Sichuan dealt with the aftermath. to a new stage.

There are only three core positions in the southwest military administration, the chief envoy, the capital commander and the prefect of Chengdu. Now they have all been changed.

Xu Shilian, the prefect of Chengdu, wanted to imitate Zhao Pu in the late Qianyu period and Zhang Yong in the early Kaibao period. This scholar who had the courage to go public more than 20 years ago to complain about unfair recruitment of scholars is currently performing another story of ups and downs in the officialdom and unpredictable fortunes. drama.

It has to be said that although the imperial court has been sucking the blood of Sichuan and Sichuan in the past few decades, its political status is still not unfair at all. There were Xiang Xun and Zhao Kuangyin, the twenty-four heroes who brought peace to Shu, and later there were Zhao Pu, Zhang Yong and other famous officials who played a prominent role in Kaibao's political activities throughout the Kaibao era and had important historical status.

They all have a deep and indissoluble bond with Sichuan, Sichuan and the Southwest. Now, with Li Hang and Xu Shilian standing on the historical and political stage of the Southwest, it seems that a new cycle has begun to turn again.

Like Xu Shilian, both Li Hang and Xu Shilian were under fifty years old, but they were both close ministers of the emperor. Unlike Xu Shilian's exciting ups and downs, Li Hang's official career was much smoother. Compared with Xu Shilian, he was a pure winner in life.

He was born as the number one scholar, valued by two generations of emperors, and his virtuous reputation spread far and wide. He was outstanding in the court. He started from Zhengzhou as the governor, and was promoted all the way to the deputy envoy of the capital and the governor of Kaifeng. The big barriers to promotion among bureaucrats in the world are like drinking water to him. Just as easy.

Of course, all of this is based on Li Hang's excellent character. Otherwise, with the ancestors and current employees, it would not be Li Hang's turn to climb so high.

On the other hand, Li Hang and Xu Shilian were both "young men" in the court, and they were both old friends of the emperor. Placing them in Jiannan also showed that the emperor and the court attached great importance to Sichuan and Shu. As for Liu Tinghan being appointed as the commander of the capital of Jiannan and also serving as the inspection envoy of the Five Southwest Routes, Liu Yang needed someone who was both reliable and reassuring in the military.

Not to mention anything else, Liu Tinghan's qualifications and prestige are more than enough. After all, he has served as a privy envoy. In today's Han military circles, there are very few people who have participated in the Qianyu Northern Expedition and achieved great military exploits. Even Liu Tinghan is gray-haired and is willing to come out to work again. This is the result of the emperor's sincere invitation.

And Liu Tinghan, who is nearly seventy years old, is he still afraid of what harm he will cause to the court? At least his ability to be a good person and do things can make Liu Yang feel at ease.

As for Shangguan Zheng, the former commander of the capital, he dedicated his career to his duties. This is because he worked very hard to suppress the rebellion during the Shu Rebellion. Otherwise, due to his close relationship with the Wang family, Luoyang Nanshikou He may not be missing among the more than 300 heads.

Of course, the adjustment of the military and political affairs in the southwest is far more than just these three people. It is just a long-term process. Emperor Liu Yang, who learned from the painful experience, is determined to carry out a major overhaul of the southwest. The recovery period after the chaos is also very difficult. Provides a good operating environment.

A single move affects the whole body, and the adjustment of military and political affairs in the southwest is reflected in Luoyang, showing a major personnel change in the court.

For example, Wen Guogong Xiang Deming replaced Gao Qiong as the new Secretary of the Ministry of War because of his persistence in countering the rebellion. Gao Qiong was transferred to the northwest five roads inspection envoy to inspect the northwest border defense situation.

There is actually another hidden story behind Xiang Deming's transfer. It stands to reason that such an eager transfer to the center is not conducive to Jiannan's aftermath. However, during his tenure in Jiannan, he broke too many constraints of the imperial system, especially seriously interfering in the military.

Of course, due to the strong authority of local chief officials in the political environment, top leaders in various places are more or less influential on the local military. However, Xiang Deming's actions during his time in Chengdu still triggered excessive regulations. This was not the case during the reign of Emperor Shizu. But it's something very taboo.

Even if it is urgent to obey the authority, if it is really necessary to pursue the case afterwards and establish a law for overstepping the control of chaos, there are laws to follow and examples to follow.

Of course, Liu Yang was not the kind of emperor who was inconsiderate. Therefore, the situation in Jiannan gradually stabilized and personnel adjustments were immediately initiated. The Minister of War and material rewards were enough to reward his merits. At the same time, an "emergency envoy" became Xiang Deming. Jiannan Zhiren's evaluation seems to be just right. In addition, the imperial court ranked Deming first in its efforts to put down the rebellion in Shu.

Like Xiang Deming, after Yang Yanzhao, the military commander who quelled the Shu rebellion, returned to the court, his rank rose one level and he was appointed deputy commander of the Guards Department. Well, as mentioned before, this was actually a false position. The person in charge was Du Yu. Hou.

This kind of promotion and demotion may hurt the hearts of the heroes, so Liu Yang gave a large amount of money as a reward. Yang Yanzhao is also too young. He is only in his early forties now. It is impossible for Liu Yang to abandon this talented general who knows everything about him. According to his plan, he will stay in the position of deputy commander of the bodyguard for two years to settle down and be able to take on more responsibility. important authority and responsibility.

It is not too surprising that Yuhou succeeded Yang Yanzhao as the capital of the bodyguards. Guo Yi, the commander of the Hexi capital. At this point, Yang Yanzhao, Li Jilong, and Guo Yi, the three "Three Heroes" appointed by the emperor, officially began to become the most important figures in the Han military circles. The protagonist.

Yang Ye, the imperial envoy, took advantage of the situation and retreated to the second line. He held the title of Grand Master and entertained his grandchildren in the palace. From now on, people will call him "Grand Master Yang".

As for the person to succeed Yang Ye, Liu Yang chose to let Han Hui, the minister Youcheng, serve as the minister. The senior Han "Prime Minister" had sufficient skills and qualifications. At the same time, he was also a check and balance on Zhao Kuangyi. In the context of constantly improving the supervisory system and strengthening the legal system and the authority of the metropolitan supervisory system, it is impossible for Liu Yang to let one person hold power alone.

At the same time, Liu Yang finally transferred Zhang Qixian to Shangshu Youcheng, who also served as financial envoy, further strengthening the real power of the "imperial party" in the court.

As for the former financial envoy Zhang Yong, he devoted himself to his official duties without hesitation, ended his political career, and returned to his hometown to recuperate. Within two years, he died in depression.

As one of the heroes who opened the treasure, Zhang Yong's ending was desolate, but it was not without warning. Such a serious disaster occurred in Sichuan and Shu, causing unprecedented losses to both the government and the people. Someone must take responsibility.

There are more than 300 guilty officials in the southwest, and there must be someone of sufficient weight in the imperial court. After counting, there is only Zhang Yong! There is no need to feel aggrieved. Among the bureaucrats in Sichuan and Shu, many were promoted by Zhang Yong himself and were beheaded at Nanshikou.

At this point, the power structure of the Han court has undergone tremendous changes. Liu Ai, the Zhongshu Ling, Lu Duan, the Shangshu Ling, Zhao Kuangyi, the Shangshu Zuocheng, Zhang Qixian, the Shangshu Youcheng and Finance Envoy, Cao Bin, the privy envoy, Han Hui, the imperial envoy, and Li Murong Defeng, the Minister of the Ministry, Xiang Deming, the Minister of the Ministry of War, and of course, the King of Zhao Liu Fang, who was free from the center of power and participated in political affairs. These people jointly formed the power center of the upper class of the Han Dynasty.

Compared with the beginning of Yongxi's first year, the biggest difference is that Emperor Liu Yang's authority has been further consolidated, and he is gradually taking full control of the emperor's right to speak and initiative.

Shortly after completing the main personnel adjustments in the imperial court, Emperor Liu Yang issued another edict, asking all prefectures across the country to self-examine the storage and tax warehouse conditions of the "Second Warehouse". At the same time, officials from the Ministry of Personnel, the Finance Department, and the Metropolitan Procuratorate rushed to the scene. Coordinated investigations from various places. This decree once again caused turmoil in the officialdom of the Han Dynasty, because everyone knew what it was for, and this test was not so easy.

Still in the process of raising supplies for counterinsurgency and subsequent aid to Shu, the imperial court discovered that there were gaps in many places and it was impossible to meet the imperial dispatch needs. The problem, of course, is the local misappropriation of money and grain, or even theft.

So taking this opportunity, Liu Yang will of course start the reform of the central government's supervision of local financial powers. This is also the second step of his "Yongxi Reform" and is especially important.

Similarly, this job is still difficult to do. It is very common for local governments to misappropriate shortfalls, but how to solve it is not so easy.

It is of course unrealistic to ask local governments to generate money and food out of thin air to make up for the shortfall. Therefore, strengthening institutional supervision is the main purpose. In this process, of course, old accounts must be checked and the crimes of those silverfish should be traced.

It was originally proposed that local governments should be given a time limit to make up for the shortfall, and those who were dissatisfied after the deadline would be punished in accordance with the law. This was simple and crude, but Liu Yang vetoed it almost without thinking. After his judgment, this was simply another excuse for officials from various places to exploit the local area. It was inevitable that it would be wrong, and the people of the Han Dynasty couldn't afford it.

Originally, at the end of the Kaibao period, the imperial government's finances were balanced with a certain deficit. After the Shu Rebellion, from the quelling of the chaos to the aftermath, coupled with the inherent series of large expenditures, a new round of financial constraints for the Han court came.

In this regard, Liu Yang chose "conservative treatment". On the one hand, he vigorously reduced expenditures from the palace to the imperial court, on the other hand, he intensified the crackdown on corrupt officials, local tyrants and evil gentry, and on the other hand, he increased the acquisition of external resources. .

For this reason, Liu Yang even started a "population" business with the vassal states in Nanyang. There were nearly 300,000 people captured during the Shu Rebellion. The court did not dare to let go of these people, and it was impossible to kill them. They were raised in vain. It cost money and food to live, so he could only be temporarily demoted to the prison camp to perform hard labor.

As one of Yongxi's benevolent policies, Liu Yang's reform of the prison camp could not be stopped, so exporting to the outside world once again became a choice based on comprehensive considerations.

However, the cost of transporting 300,000 people to various overseas feudal countries is too high. Even within the country, "migration" can be used, and ships are always needed at sea.

Therefore, the Nanyang kings "quickly" expressed that they could afford it and exchanged it for real gold, silver, and spice agate. Of course, the emperor also paid attention to food and appearance, and received real money and silver. As for the rest, he used the military expenses of the Nanyang garrison to pay for the rest.

In this way, a deal that was beneficial to both internal and external parties was reached. As far as the court was concerned, the nature of the blood transfusion did not fundamentally change, but the trouble and money and food saved were earned.

This seems to have also started a wave of accelerating external exports in the Han Dynasty. After all, no matter whether you are a criminal or a traitor within the empire, when you reach a feudal country, you are all talents and the most precious resources.

For this reason, Liu Min, Liu Ye, and Liu Wenyuan also made requests to the court. In the end, after careful consideration, 50,000 people were given to Anxi and 10,000 to Liu Wenyuan. Likewise, the immigration costs were borne by themselves.

Even Liu Yang sent more than 10,000 people to the Beiting Kingdom of Zhao Wang Liu Fang. He took the initiative and always gave some special care to this most special brother. As for Beiting Kingdom, it is currently run by Liu Fang's eldest son Liu Wen.

Being careful about budgeting and walking on thin ice has gradually become a portrayal of Liu Yang throughout the Yongxi era.