Chapter 42
A series of officials implicated in the Cai Shan incident were successively dismissed. After Prince Su died for the crimes of murdering the queen and forming a clique for personal gain, most of the power that originally belonged to him in the court was liquidated. Even those who escaped the net immediately drew a clear line with Prince Su and retreated into seclusion.
Many positions in the imperial court were vacant at once, and the question of who would fill the vacancies aroused the attention of all the ministers.
Although King Huai, who was inspecting salt far away, received the news of King Su's downfall and also wanted to place his own people in the position, his power in the capital was weak and he was away from home at the time. He could only sigh that he was powerless and had to miss this great opportunity in vain and hand it over to Wei Zhen.
Just as he was sighing, the staff member who had come with him reminded him that if this salt inspection was successful, his contribution would be no less than that of the Crown Prince, and the Saint would also look upon him with new eyes. These words temporarily made him forget his frustration and cheer up again.
On the other hand, the salt industry was a major source of revenue for the national treasury, and it was also the easiest sector for officials to manipulate and profit from. Salt inspections were not a good thing for local salt merchants and officials, so King Huai encountered two waves of assassins along the way. If it weren't for his powerful guards, he would have been killed.
This thrilling experience made King Huai even more angry and frightened, and he vowed to make those who plotted against him pay the price.
Putting aside the fact that King Huai was out inspecting salt and unable to interfere with personnel arrangements in the capital, Wei Zhen and his two tutors worked for three consecutive days before they drew up a list of new officials.
The saint handed over the task of filling the vacancies to Wei Zhen, and only waited for him to submit the list for review. If there were no problems, he would follow Wei Zhen's arrangements.
The sage was carefully looking at the list presented by Wei Zhen while discussing it with Prince Yu.
"The Jiang family is truly remarkable."
Prince Yu watched as the sage circled Jiang Weige's name with a red pen.
Zhongshu Ling Jiang Hongyuan had two sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Jiang Weige, passed the imperial examination and served a year as an intern at the Hanlin Academy before being assigned to a local post as a county magistrate. It has been two years now. The sage recalls that in the Ministry of Personnel's performance evaluations of officials over the past two years, Jiang Weige was consistently ranked as excellent, demonstrating his considerable abilities.
The second son, Jiang Weiqiu, is no less talented than his elder brother. He is proficient in both civil and martial arts. When he was young, he was admitted to the prestigious Bailu Academy in Beijing based on his own ability. When he was a teenager, he was selected to enter the palace to accompany the prince to study because of his extraordinary talent. Now he is a formal tutor to the prince and is highly trusted by the prince.
The third daughter, Jiang Yingyue, was the closest to Princess Yukang, Wei Xian. She excelled in reading, having been admitted to the White Deer Academy at the tender age of seven. Her kindness and generosity, with the air of a daughter of wealth, made her a distinguished figure among the imperial court ladies. If she weren't already engaged to Yang Ling, the third son of the Minister of Rites, even the Saint would have considered her a suitable candidate for the Crown Princess.
It's not just the younger generation in the Jiang family who are outstanding. Jiang Hongdao also has two brothers who are serving as officials in the court.
Jiang Hongdao's brother Jiang Hongyuan is currently the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, and his half-brother Jiang Hongzhen is currently the Secretary General of the Secretariat.
"The Lichuan Jiang family is indeed a renowned family throughout the ages," Prince Yu said. "Furthermore, Jiang Hongdao's wife is from the Huai'an Marquis's mansion and is the younger sister of the current Huai'an Marquis."
"That's why I say the Jiang family is incredible. A family like this can be a help if used well, but can become a sharp blade stabbing you if used poorly."
The saint spoke casually, but his words revealed his fear of the Jiang family.
"With Cai Shan's downfall, the vacancy in the Weizhou government urgently needs to be filled. The Crown Prince recommended Jiang Weige to be the prefect of Wenhe County, which is under the jurisdiction of Weizhou Prefecture."
Prince Yu also had some doubts: "Jiang Weige's performance in the exam is good, but he is young and has little experience. Will it be difficult for him to control the people as a county governor?"
The sage sighed, "The prince trusts the Jiang family too much."
"If you're dissatisfied, just cross out Jiang Weige's name. The Jiang family is indeed a bit too outstanding."
"Wenhe County is a large and important county. Jiang Weige has been in office for only two years. It is too early for him to be the county magistrate." The saint moved his red pen and crossed out Jiang Weige's name.
The sage and Prince Yu continued to read through the list. After reading it all, Prince Yu couldn't help but exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Why hasn't anyone replaced Cai Shan as the governor of Weizhou?"
The sage pondered and said, "After all, the Jiedushi holds great military power in a region and is extremely sensitive. Perhaps he is afraid of arousing my suspicion."
Prince Yu shook his head and said, "This child is too careless."
The sage's smile revealed understanding and admiration: "Of all the people in the court, only the Crown Prince has a difficult time."
"Compared to our time, the Crown Prince's living environment is much more relaxed," Prince Yu said with emotion. "Then who will fill the position of Governor of Weizhou? Does your brother have anyone in mind?"
The sage pondered for a moment and said, "A Jiedushi is in charge of a region's military affairs and holds a high position of power. Weizhou has been thrown into chaos by Cai Shan, so it needs someone of weight and ability to govern it."
"Are you going to send Jiedushi from other regions to take over the Weizhou military camp?"
"No. They have worked tirelessly to safeguard the stability of our Yong Dynasty, and now they need to rest." The sage waved his hand, and the list of officials drawn up by the prince added the name of someone who could serve as the governor of Weizhou -
Prince Yu took a closer look and said, "Jiang Bai? The eldest son of Marquis Wu'an?"
The Jiang family has been a family of military commanders since the founding of the Yong Dynasty. Their ancestor followed Taizu on his campaigns and was granted the title of Marquis of Wu'an for his outstanding achievements. According to Yong Dynasty regulations, the title was inherited through three generations, downgrading to a lower rank. By the time the current Marquis of Wu'an was born, the Jiang family was on the verge of decline. During this time, amidst unrest on the border, the current Marquis of Wu'an joined the army, safeguarding the frontier and deterring neighboring states from invading, earning outstanding military exploits. During the reign of the late Emperor, in recognition of his outstanding contributions and in appreciation of his ancestor's contributions to the founding of the nation, the title of Marquis of Wu'an was restored to the Jiang family.
The Jiang family, rooted in the northern borderlands, was beloved by the local people, their armies proudly known as the "Jiang Family Army." Furthermore, Marquis Wu'an, favored by the late emperor and bestowed with the title of Grand Marshal of the Army, made the Jiang family a prominent figure in the capital. However, as the late emperor grew older and more suspicious, Marquis Wu'an and the Jiang family no longer held him as his unwavering allegiance.
Wu'an Hou must have noticed this, and he resigned his post as Marshal, citing a relapse of an old injury and a weakening of health as an excuse. He then handed over his military power and returned to the capital from the border to recuperate. Since then, Wu'an Hou has gradually faded from the public eye, alleviating the late emperor's suspicions.
However, the Jiang family army, renowned on the border, was a source of concern to the late emperor. To protect the Jiang clan's safety, Wu'an Marquis's three sons, with the exception of the eldest, Jiang Bai, who remained in the army, while the other two remained in the capital as ordinary scholars. Until the late emperor's death and the sage's ascension to the throne, the Jiang family remained silent, and the Wu'an Marquisate became just an ordinary noble family in the capital, no longer possessing the splendor it once held.
"Brother, do you want to reuse the Jiang family now?"
"Young people should also gain more experience," said the sage. "Even if he can't fix the mess in Victoria, he still has the Marquis of Wu'an behind him."
The sage then ordered that the re-copied list be sent to the Eastern Palace for the Crown Prince to review. If there were no questions, it could be handed over to the Secretariat to draft an imperial edict.
"The matter of Weizhou has been settled. Now there are only two important matters." The sage looked at Prince Yu. "One is the Prince of Chu in Pingzhou, and the other is Prince Huai's salt inspection."
"News from Pingzhou again?"
"The King of Chu can no longer contain himself and may soon launch an uprising."
"What does brother think?"
The sage said calmly, "What else can I think? Of course I'll send him on his way."
"Have you found someone to quell the rebellion?"
"Prince Huai is out inspecting the salt industry, so the Crown Prince is the one who can be used now."
Prince Yu looked hesitant. "The Crown Prince is still young. I wonder if he can handle this important task. Moreover, he is the heir apparent to the throne. If he makes any mistakes, it will be of no benefit to the country."
"You and I grew up in the palace. In the past, we had the Crown Prince's personal guards, and now we have the Imperial Guards, but neither of us has true military experience," the sage said. "The Emperor can naturally sit firmly in the capital, leaving everything to his generals, but he cannot be completely ignorant of the military situation. The Crown Prince doesn't need to be a famous general. I care more about his understanding of the military. I want to see how he appoints and employs people, how he makes the army his sword and shield. As for the mistakes you mentioned—"
The sage seemed unconcerned. "One can only lament his lack of luck. I am now in the prime of life. If I lose a prince, I can simply train another. Whether it's my own child or a child from a branch family, can't the Yong Dynasty train an heir?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Yu was stunned for a moment, then glanced at the Saint with a look of doubt and disbelief. "Brother, you're not doing this for the sake of my sister-in-law's child—" Before he could finish his words, Prince Yu realized that this was an inappropriate statement. Although they had always been close brothers, without any barriers between them, he had already overstepped his bounds by questioning the Saint.
"I was careless with my words. Please punish me, Your Majesty!" Prince Yu immediately put away his smile and knelt down to apologize.
The sage smiled faintly and raised his hand. The eunuchs who attended him immediately stepped forward and helped Prince Yu to his feet. "Ah'ju, there's no need for this between you and me. The Queen is pregnant, and logically speaking, that child should be the legitimate heir. Everyone has selfish motives, and it's understandable that you think this way. My original intention in making this decision was indeed to increase the Crown Prince's bargaining chips, but deep down, I may not have such thoughts. But who can guarantee that the Queen will be pregnant with a boy? Who can guarantee that the Crown Prince will not make a mistake? What will happen next depends on the Crown Prince's ability and luck."
The sage handed two draft memorials to Prince Yu and said, "You personally submit them to the Secretariat for the draft of the imperial edict."
"Two?"
"There's another one for you."
"I?"
"Prince Huai has already encountered two waves of assassins while inspecting the salt industry. Furthermore, he is young and may not be able to defeat those local veterans. I need you to go there in person."
Prince Yu paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, but I have one condition."
The sage was somewhat surprised. His younger brother had always been obedient in matters of state, never raising any conditions or demands. He asked with a hint of curiosity, "What conditions?"
Prince Yu smiled and said, "I request your permission to have one person accompany you."
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