Chapter 106.2
General An danced well!
The Emperors drumming was even better!
A song for the ages!
Everyone looked on with envy at An Lushan.
For His Majesty favored him far too much.
Not only was he not punished for returning without permission, but he was also richly rewarded and even provided with drum accompanimenta privilege unique in the entire court, both civil and military!
On the surface, An Lushan was tearfully grateful, but inwardly, he thought: His Majesty still favors me; great achievements are surely within reach!
Setting down the drum, Lin Beifan spoke wearily, General An rarely returns. Continue to enjoy the Banquet of Ultimate Bliss here! I am tired and will go back to rest, you all carry on!
With that, he took the Consorts hand and slowly left.
Farewell, Your Majesty! the crowd shouted in unison.
An Lushan stayed behind, continuing to drink and revel in the intoxicating luxury.
Looking at the extravagant feast, he made a secret vow that all this would be his one day!
On the second day, the second day of the new year, the court officials officially started their holiday.
Unless there was an urgent matter, the government would not resume operations until after the Lantern Festival.
During this period, the officials would visit relatives and friends.
Lin Beifan was also going to visit relatives and friends. Early in the morning on the second day, he went to the Prime Ministers residence and the Grand Generals mansion to pay his New Years visits.
Prime Minister Xiao Guoliang and Grand General Chai Yulang were very pleased: Your Majesty, what brings you here?
Lin Beifan clasped his hands with a smile and said, You are both my uncles, the only two relatives and elders I have in this world. How could I not come? I am here to wish my uncles a happy new year, good health, and that everything goes smoothly for you!
Haha! Your Majesty is too kind! The Prime Minister and Grand General felt even more delighted in their hearts.
Among all the civil and military officials of the court, they were the only two whom His Majesty personally visited to celebrate the new year.
This showed that they were still very important in the Emperors heart.
Lin Beifan clapped his hands, and a group of eunuchs immediately brought in steaming hot dishes, saying, It has been a long time since I have dined with my uncles, so I specially ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a feast. How about we have a few drinks together?
Alright! Theres no respect greater than obedience! The two clapped their hands in approval.
Thus, the banquet was laid out, and the three of them sat around the table, eating dishes and pouring wine for each other.
Seeing that Lin Beifan was in a good mood, the Prime Minister and the Grand General exchanged glances. Prime Minister Xiao Guoliang said, Your Majesty, your humble servant has some words that must be said for peace of mind!
Todays meal is like a family gathering; there are no distinctions between sovereign and subject here. Uncle, feel free to speak your mind!
Alright, then your servant will speak boldly!
The Prime Minister mustered his courage and asked, Your Majesty, why do you favor treacherous officials and distance yourself from loyal ones?
Seeing that Lin Beifan had no particular reaction, the Prime Minister continued, Take Heshen, for example. Although he appears to be upright and honest, your humble servant has learned in private that he has embezzled millions of taels of silver!
Theres also Li Linfu, with honey on his lips but a sword in his belly, fawning over superiors and bullying those below! To curry favor with you, hes indulged in extreme luxury, spending over 300,000 taels of silver just on hosting the Banquet of Ultimate Bliss!
And Qin Hui, Yan Song, Cao Cao, An Lushan, and others, theyre no good either! Theyre all sycophants, opportunists, forming cliques and pursuing their own interests The entire court is filthy! If this continues, our Great Xia is doomed!
The Prime Minister bowed respectfully, speaking earnestly, I beseech Your Majesty to pull back before its too late, to draw close the wise and virtuous, and to distance yourself from the petty men!
The Grand General nodded emphatically, What the Prime Minister has said is precisely what Ive been wanting to say!
Lin Beifan poured himself a cup of wine, remaining very calm, and said, The concern of my two uncles is clear to me! But now, I must ask you, what defines a loyal minister, and what defines a treacherous one?
One who serves the country and the people can be called a loyal minister! Conversely, he is a treacherous one, said the Prime Minister.
Lin Beifan declared loudly, Wrong! Completely and utterly wrong!
The Prime Minister and the Grand General exchanged glances, perplexed. Your Majesty, where is the mistake?
A loyal minister and a treacherous minister are not distinguished in such a way! To me, those who can relieve me of my worries and solve my problems are considered loyal ministers! Regardless of their issues, whether they are corrupt and accept bribes, whether they curry favor by flattery, whether they frame the good and honest or oppress the people, as long as they can share my concerns, they are indeed great loyal ministers!
On the contrary, those are the treacherous ministers! No matter how talented they are, no matter how loyal and righteous they are, no matter how much they serve the country and the people, if they are not of use to me, then they are treacherous ministers, great treacherous ministers!
While sipping his wine, Lin Beifan chuckled and said, My two uncles, with this explanation, you should understand, right?
The worldviews of the Prime Minister and the Grand General were shattered by Lin Beifan!
They had not expected that the ministers they regarded as loyal to the country in their hearts were considered treacherous by Lin Beifan!
In their eyes, the treacherous official was, in Lin Beifans view, a loyal minister!
But listening to his explanation, it seemed there was some reason to it!
My uncles, do you know why I favor the so-called treacherous official you speak of instead of the loyal ministers you mention?
Your Majesty, why? the Prime Minister and the Grand General asked in unison.
Because they are useful, and very much so!
Lin Beifan said with a smile, As long as I give the orders, they carry them out to the letter, and they do an excellent job! When I wanted to construct the Grand Canal, they immediately gathered a million workers to dig the river!
I wish to build an imperial palace, and immediately they summoned hundreds of thousands of workers to construct the imperial palace! I wish to wage war, and wherever I point, they fight. Whomever I choose to fight, they fight without a single word of complaint!
Lin Beifan spread his hands and asked, Would the loyal officials you speak of agree to these things? Would they not oppose me? To not call me a foolish emperor would already be quite something!
The Prime Ministers voice weakened, They oppose because they want whats best for Great Xia!
Lin Beifan spoke loudly, If they truly want whats best for Great Xia, then they shouldnt oppose but simply follow through! Look at what has happened since I ascended to the throne, what have I done wrong? It is I who have expanded the territory of Great Xia nearly twofold! It is I who have improved the lives of millions of common people! It is I who have made Great Xia so formidable that no one dares to be our enemy!
Although many actions seemed foolish at first, they all proved to be correct in the end! If not for me, our Great Xia would still be a small kingdom living day to day in uncertainty!
Lin Beifan knocked on the table, his words resounding powerfully as he asked, My two uncles, if I had followed your advice and appointed the loyal, good, and wise officials you speak of, would our Great Xia still enjoy the prosperity it does today?
This probably not, both the Prime Minister and the Grand General said, their voices fading.
Lin Beifan shook his head, Absolutely not, because their thinking is too conservative, they will only hold me back! If thats the case, whats the use of having them around just to give me a headache?
The Grand General said anxiously, But Your Majesty, those people you favor are all corrupt officials and sycophants, they will corrupt the government
You are being too harsh! Everyone has flaws, whether they are corrupt officials or loyal and virtuous ministers, they are motivated by fame, profit, or power. Who is to say who is more noble?
Lin Beifan said disdainfully, As long as their contributions outweigh their corruptions, I can tolerate their faults!
Take Heshen for example, you say he embezzled millions of taels of silver, but he has helped millions of common people escape poverty and become wealthy! Tell me, is his contribution greater, or is that of an ordinary incorrupt official greater?
What do you think, do the common people need him, or do they need loyal officials more?
***
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