Zhao Hanzhang naturally didn’t discuss only with Fu Tinghan about rewarding meritorious service—she also asked Ji Yuan and Ming Yu’s opinions.
She asked Ji Yuan, “What does the Scholar think about enfeoffing Ming Yu, Zeng Yue, and others as Marquis?”
She asked Ming Yu, “Scholar, how many meritorious officials do you think deserve to be enfeoffed as National Duke?”
She also asked Zhao Ming’s opinion, so the list was revised again and again. During this process, the court didn’t idle. Zhao Hanzhang kept Tuoba Yilu, granted him a residence, then had Tuoba Liuxiu take the imperial edict back to Dai.
Beigong Chun had already received Ji Dan with his thirty thousand households, and Wei Xiong had also been found by Huang An. Zhao Hanzhang wanted to meet these two people before deciding on the candidate for Dai’s Chief Administrator.
Before that, Dai would temporarily be under Tuoba Liuxiu’s administration with the authority of a commandery governor.
The court was still preparing for the investiture ceremonies of the Empress Dowager and Fu Tinghan. Zhao Hanzhang also issued an edict posthumously honoring her grandfather Zhao Changyu as High Ancestor, and her father Zhao Zhi as Progenitor.
She posthumously honored her grand-uncle Zhao Zhongyu as Prince Jing, and elevated his grandson Zhao Yi to Duke of Jingguo.
She enfeoffed Fu Tinghan as Prince of Zhao, Zhao Song as Prince of Runan, Zhao Yong as Prince of Qin Commandery, Princess Hongnong as Grand Princess Zhenguo, the Prince Consort Fu Xuan as Duke of Beidi Commandery, and posthumously enfeoffed Fu Zhi as Prince of Jingyuan.
These were all easily determined. After completing this batch of enfeoffments, Zhao Hanzhang began large-scale rewarding of meritorious service.
She enfeoffed Ji Yuan as Duke of Song, because he came from Sui County, Liang State in Yuzhou. Liang State belonged to Song during the Zhou Dynasty. At the same time, she changed Liang State to Liang Commandery.
She enfeoffed Beigong Chun as Duke of Ying, naturally because of his brave perseverance, while also elevating him to Grand General, commanding the northern military affairs.
She elevated Zhao Ming to Duke of Cai, promoted him to Minister of Revenue—this was a joint recommendation from Ji Yuan and Ming Yu, as he was of the imperial clan and should hold a higher position.
Ming Yu became Duke of Wei Commandery and Chancellor of the Central Secretariat. Zu Ti became Duke of Beiping Commandery and, besides serving as Governor of Jizhou, also held the position of Minister of War. Zhao Ju became Duke of Xiping Commandery and served as Governor of Yanzhou.
Zeng Yue became Marquis Yongyi, promoted to Commander of the Imperial Guards. Yuan Li became Marquis Zhongxin, promoted to Chief Minister of the Investigative Department. Chen Huiniang became Marquis Xuande, serving as Vice Minister of the Right of the Ministry of Rites and Administrator of the Imperial Academy. Fan Ying became Marquis Xuanping, promoted to Vice Chancellor of the Central Secretariat.
Qiu Wu became Marquis Zhongyong, advanced to Vice Minister of the Left of the Ministry of Works. Ji Ping became Marquis Changxin, advanced to General Xuanwei, Protector of the Left Camp.
Zhao Cheng was enfeoffed as Marquis Xinyi, advanced to Minister of Rites and Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. Shi Lei was enfeoffed as Marquis Xuanwu, General Mingwei…
Besides them, Wang Dao was enfeoffed as Earl Xuanwen, Wang Yifeng as Earl Pingxi, Liu Kun, Mi Ce, Changning, Zhao Kuan, Sun Linghui, Li Tianhe, Xie Shi, Zhao Xin, Hu Jin and others were all elevated to Earl.
After the Ministry of Rites officials finished reading the enfeoffment edicts, Zhao Hanzhang said, “The nation is newly established. Because of the great contributions made by women, children, and common people in the nation’s founding, the nation should reward them. Though the Zhou Dynasty was long-lasting, after the Eastern Zhou, the Zhou royal house declined. From the Spring and Autumn period onward, five hundred years of war followed. Qin fell after two generations. Han was divided into Western and Eastern, lasting only four hundred and nine years. Whether Zhou or Han, both fell because the people suffered.”
“Zhou and Han were thus—needless to say the previous dynasty. The people suffered through many years of war, so for a dynasty to endure, it must love the people. Mencius said: ‘The people are most important, the state comes next, the sovereign is least important.’ Therefore, one who wins the hearts of the common people becomes the Son of Heaven. Since the Son of Heaven is the people’s wish, naturally he should serve the people’s hearts.” Zhao Hanzhang said, “Therefore, the laws currently in use must change. I command Ji Yuan, Ming Yu, Zhao Ming, Zhao Cheng, He Xun, Zu Ti, Chen Huiniang, and Fan Ying to jointly deliberate on new laws and establish the new legal code of Hua.”
Law was a nation’s foundation. In fact, since the Qin Dynasty was established, China had always been a combination of rule by man and rule by law, with rule by law occupying no small position.
After the Qin Dynasty was overthrown, the Han Dynasty inherited most of the Qin legal code, only revising some provisions, then revising and changing laws generation after generation to serve the ruling class.
It could be said that law was the most powerful weapon for maintaining a society’s orderly development. If Zhao Hanzhang wanted this nation to change according to her ideas, the first thing to change was also the legal code.
Unfortunately, the Qin bamboo slips had been lost due to years of war and certain unspeakable reasons, making it temporarily impossible to find the complete Qin legal code.
However, among the bamboo slips collected in the imperial palace, many old Qin legal texts could still be found, as well as legal templates from when the Han Dynasty was first established.
Back then, Liu Bang was emperor for the first time, Empress Lü was empress for the first time, and the entire nation was also experiencing joint rule by emperor and empress for the first time, so everything proceeded through exploration.
Empress Lü directly participated in politics. At that time, she proposed several laws favoring women, but unfortunately, after her death, these laws were all erased.
However, it didn’t matter—Zhao Hanzhang had dug them out again.
The Wei-Jin period was still very close to the Han Dynasty. Some legal texts couldn’t circulate publicly, but the palace had collections.
Besides the Han slips, there were also Qin slips.
Zhao Hanzhang specifically received Liu Kun and Wang Yifeng, borrowing many bamboo slips from Han and Qin from their clans.
With her transcribed various legal provisions, the legislative team began working.
Of course, though this work was important, it was part-time. Each person was responsible for their type, first writing down legal provisions themselves, then gathering every two days to discuss together. The rest of the time, everyone still had to do their regular work.
Besides these eight people, officials in the court and knowledgeable people throughout the realm who had insights on law could all submit memorials to the Legislative Department or to Zhao Hanzhang.
Zhao Hanzhang had people build a large mailbox in front of the Luoyang palace gates, made of wood, leaving only an opening for depositing letters, then completely sealing it.
It would only be unlocked and opened every five days to retrieve the letters deposited inside.
This mailbox was specifically for legislation. At first, very few people deposited letters. Sometimes after five days when they opened the mailbox, it was completely empty with nothing inside.
Today was another day to open the mailbox. Zhao Hanzhang went as usual to the palace gate for a walk to clear her mind. Seeing the person opening the box retrieve nothing, she disappointedly walked back.
Passing the Legislative Department in the side hall, she heard intense discussion inside and walked in.
Ming Yu said angrily, “Vice Chancellor Fan, though Her Majesty said to refer extensively to the Qin slips, she didn’t say to copy them directly. What kind of harsh law is this—’If the husband is a breeding boar, killing him incurs no guilt’? Do you want to make Hua into a tyrannical Qin?”
“What tyrannical Qin? I’m not establishing only this law. There’s another clause: ‘If the wife commits adultery, killing her incurs no guilt.’ Husband and wife guilty of the same crime for adultery—what’s wrong with that?”
“If the husband is a breeding boar, killing him incurs no guilt” meant that if a man had affairs outside, the wife could kill him without guilt. Similarly, if a woman committed adultery outside, the husband could also kill her without guilt.
Ming Yu’s face darkened. “This law won’t work. One law shouldn’t just be fair to men and women—adultery doesn’t merit death…”
“But the previous dynasty’s laws stated that if a man killed his wife because of her adultery, he faced no punishment. But if a wife killed her husband, regardless of reason, it was a grave crime that couldn’t be pardoned. This isn’t fair.”
Ming Yu said, “We can change that provision, but we can’t change it to this Qin law provision. Fan Ying, next time if you want to change a law, just say directly what you want to change. Don’t probe indirectly like this.” He feared being angered to death.
Fan Ying said righteously, “This subordinate precisely wants to change it to this law, finding this law excellent.”
Ming Yu: …
Zu Ti coughed lightly and interjected, “How about changing it to exile for three to ten years? Regardless of male or female, apply this law equally!”
Fan Ying frowned. “How to calculate the crime of adultery?”
Zu Ti said, “Those committing adultery, whether husband or wife, once discovered, shall be imprisoned for three years. Those committing adultery with them, one year minimum, three years maximum.”