(Thank you all for supporting me and my work in the snow during the year-end inventory!)
As soon as he heard that His Majesty was going to return the title of Pillar of State to the Xu family, the Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace, Wen Shouren, immediately looked extremely embarrassed. This old and stubborn official, who had once become famous all over the world for carrying the coffin and remonstrating Xu Xiao to death, began to tremble all over. The leader of the clear stream in the officialdom, who had always given people the impression that he was still vigorous despite his age, finally looked somewhat like a candle in the wind.
In the Liyang Dynasty, although the Zhang and Gu Palaces were already like passing clouds, each had its own legacy. For example, when Wang Xionggui, the former Minister of Revenue, became Zhang Lu's successor, even though he was sent to the Guangling Circuit, he still managed to win over a large group of civil officials from the Spring of Yonghui around him. Tang Tieshuang, Dong Gong, Huang, and other military generals entered the capital from the border. The same was true for the Green Party. The Assistant Minister of Personnel, Wen Taiyi, and Hong Lingshu's promotions all belonged to the same origin. In fact, apart from these three parties, there was another party that was even more secretive and had even more complicated origins. It was the Anti-Xu Party headed by Wen Shouren, with Jin Lanting, the Assistant Minister of Rites, as his hidden successor, and Gao Tingshu of the Ministry of War, as the backbone. These people came from all over the world, and had no friendship with their hometown or the same age. There was a great disparity in seniority, and their backgrounds were completely different. The former General of the North, Ma Lulang, was also one of the backbone who did not show his face.
These people might have different opinions on many military and state matters, but they always maintained a tacit understanding on one matter, and that was to do their best to suppress the reputation of the Beiliang Xu family in the Liyang Imperial Court and the Central Plains. Simply speaking, this group of people had a bone-deep obsession with how to squeeze out the Xu family and father. When the old Grand Secretary Zhang Julu was still alive, he still had misgivings and did not dare to put his personal interests over his official duties. After the blue-eyed woman, who had once blocked out the sky and covered the sun in the Liyang Imperial Court, passed away, and Tantanon broke off with her early on, this group of people seemed to be able to see the clouds and see the moon, and they became more and more unscrupulous in their actions.
For example, this time, the matter of the imperial court setting a million dan of grain to cool down before autumn, it was precisely because of the spread of these deeply rooted large trees in Great 'an City that they brought back a lot of solemn gossip to Jingan Road, especially Qingzhou's Xiangfan, as well as all kinds of inside information that did not need to be said out loud. As a result, less than half of the grain had slowly made its way to Beiliang. As for when it would arrive at the granary in Lingzhou, the grain officials who had rested on the grain transport for 20 years naturally had all kinds of skilled excuses to deal with the imperial court's Ministry of Revenue. Moreover, the Ministry of Revenue only sent a few letters every few days that seemed to be strictly worded. How could they really investigate the officials for failing to do their duty? Who did not know that the Ministry of Revenue had always been seen as Zhang Lu's last defensive position? The officials who held real power in the Ministry of Revenue were almost all scholars who had emerged from the Spring of Yonghui. Everyone saw themselves as the old Grand Secretary's disciples. When the former Minister Wang Xionggui was in the capital, even though he was not very close to the famous Wen Shouren, Wang Xionggui had always had a bad impression of the northwest border. In addition, his son Wang Youling had formed a deep grudge with the new Prince of Liang, Hsu Fengnian. This was a topic that everyone in the capital knew about.
Most importantly, although the matter of the grain entering the capital and suddenly changing its route to the northwest had long been independent of the Ministry of Revenue, how could the Ministry of Revenue, which was nominally in charge of taxes, not really have anything to do with it? To be precise, the entire Ministry of Revenue's hands and feet were very clean on the surface, but many of the Ministry of Revenue's high-ranking officials were not necessarily clean. Once the transportation of the grain deviated from the familiar path of the officialdom, it would inevitably lead to the loss of countless vested interests. Once the transportation of the grain from the capital to the two Liao provinces was divided into three provinces and one Beiliang, it would become a rule. This meant that the annual dividend of a million shi of grain would go down the drain. Among the large group of meritorious families in Great 'an City behind the high ranking officials of the transportation of the grain were the Duke of Yan, Gao Shi, and the Marquis of Huaiyang, Song Daoning. When the old Emperor of Liyang first gave out titles to meritorious officials, according to Yuan Benxi's plan, it was roughly "the civil officials were given power and the military officers were given money". The Prince of Changshan, Zhao Yang, was also in this group. A large group of manors, such as Gao Shi and Song Daoning, were able to get involved in the transportation of the gold rolling in. However, Gao Shi and Song Daoning ate better and did not get a large share. In these years, they had intentionally or unintentionally instructed the people in charge of the transportation of the grain to keep a low profile. The gradual withdrawal of these two Dukes and Marquis also led to the rising arrogance of many other families. It was not an exaggeration to say that they were insatiably greedy. The reason why Zhang Julu's reorganization of the transportation of the grain and the officials was difficult was because these two matters had almost offended both high and low levels of the Liyang officialdom. Although there was not a strong backlash, it was not very effective. After all, there were no free people in the officialdom. After Zhang Julu was sent to prison, the entire imperial court was as silent as a cicada in winter. During this period of time, there was no doubt that the blue-eyed boy's best friend Huan Wen chose to stand on the sidelines and watch with folded arms, and there was also the fact that Zhang Julu allowed Zhang Lu to fall apart, but wasn't it also because of the selfishness of those Liyang civil and military officials, who felt that they had no day to see the light of day?
Who would think that dealing with the Xu family in the northwest would be an easy and pleasant matter? Who would dare to rigidly apply the Liyang officialdom's set of rules and regulations to the Beiliang Frontier Army? Who would have the guts to run to the northwest territory and ask the Xu family's officials for kickbacks? Who would not be afraid that those Beiliang barbarians' heads would be chopped off?
Therefore, one could well imagine the Ministry of Revenue's real attitude toward the matter of the grain going cold. Naturally they would drag it out as long as they could, slow it down as long as they could. In fact, this strategy happened to coincide with the opinion that Wen Taiyi raised to His Majesty the Emperor's face during the small court assembly.
Suddenly, the young Emperor smiled and asked, "Cai Nan, Han Lin, the territory you two are in is closest to the Beiliang Road. What do you think of the second battle of Liang Mang?"
Moreover, in the first battle, Northern Liang's first-rate elite cavalry suffered very few casualties. Putting aside the fact that the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry remained intact, those two heavy cavalry units that had always been kept secret from the outside were also accumulating strength and waiting to set out. Moreover, He Zhonghu and Zhou Kang's left and right cavalry did not participate in the first battle at all. On the other hand, in Northern Mang, Yang Yuanzan's entire army was wiped out at Gourd Mouth in Youzhou. At that time, Liu Kui's direct troops in Liuzhou on the western front also suffered rather heavy casualties, with nearly ten thousand Qiang cavalry completely wiped out. Now, the second great battle has yet to officially begin. In the battle of the Dragon Eye Plains, putting aside the fact that Northern Mang's elite cavalry was almost completely wiped out, Hong Jingyan's Rouran Cavalry scattered, and Dong Zhuo's private cavalry also suffered serious injuries. This is definitely an enormous hidden danger that Northern Mang still has a great advantage in terms of military strength on the surface. I believe that both sides in Liang and Mang will have a new set of considerations on this matter. "
The young Emperor sighed softly, "As expected of the Beiliang cavalry, the best in the world."
The Beiliang cavalry, the best in the world.
This phrase was not unfamiliar to the Central Plains but might not be recognized. Perhaps today was the first time it had been publicly spoken by someone in the officialdom of Li Yang, and it was from the mouth of the Zhao Emperor.
The Administrator of the Two Rivers, Han Lin, was more refined than when he was in the capital. His skin was darker, and his aura had become steadier and more restrained. There was a rough and simple aura of the border around him. Compared to Wen Shouren and Jin Lanting, who had been in the court for a long time, there was an indescribable feeling of distance between the two. Han Lin was one of the dozen or so Administrators who had left Great Peace City to take up the post of a major official of a border. He was the one who had been promoted in name and in reality. The court had placed high hopes on him, and he had not been demoted from an important place. Li Yang favored this former assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice.
The Emperor of the Zhao Family looked at this Administrator who would send secret letters to the capital every ten days through the hands of spies. His gaze was gentle. "Han Lin, you've worked hard this year."
Han Lin bowed and said fearfully, "I have betrayed your grace!"
The young Emperor smiled. "You have already done very well. If it weren't for Cai Nan … I'm afraid you would be the first Administrator of Li Yang to die on the battlefield, and I would have lost an arm. Han Lin, in the future, you must not act so rashly. The loyalty of a civil official to the country is never on the battlefield. I have never doubted your loyalty. Otherwise, I would not have let you be the Administrator of the border. "
Other than Tang Tieshuang, who had the title of Minister in name, Wu Zhongxuan, who was not familiar with the affairs of the yamen and was temporarily still the most powerful person in the Ministry of War, all the civil officials in the Hall of Cultivation were confused. Even Zhao Yang, Gao Shi, and Song Daoning, who had gradually walked from behind the scenes to the front and regained control of the military power, did not understand why the Emperor said this.
However, for Han Lin to be able to receive such a direct verbal praise, it meant that this person was destined to return to the central government in the future. Perhaps he could even successfully control one of the three provinces. This was indeed something that no one had expected. After all, Han Lin was a student of Zhang Lu in his early years. However, compared to Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, he seemed to be lacking in ability. Compared to Yuan Guo, he was also inferior in terms of knowledge. Even compared to Wang Xionggui, he had many disadvantages. Perhaps this was the so-called great talent matured late. There were many examples of people in the officialdom who were proud of their achievements one day, but would be punished the next day. On the contrary, Han Lin, who was calm and steady, had more potential.
After a seemingly casual discussion between the Emperor and his subjects, the young Emperor once again brought up the matter of awarding the young King Hsu Fengnian as the most outstanding military official of the Great Pillar State. This time, the hall was still silent. However, compared to the previous surging undercurrent, the eyes of many of the officials clearly showed a hint of resignation.
The young Emperor's fingers lightly stroked the imperial edict on his knee. "The Ministry of Revenue will draft a constitution and send it to the Hall of Cultivation. If there are some local resistance, the Ministry of Revenue can discuss with Assistant Minister Tang of the Ministry of War. In short. I guarantee that when the imperial edict reaches Beiliang, the grain will cool down before the imperial edict. "
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