Chapter 53
Logically speaking, isn't it easy for the emperor to promote an official?
This matter requires further discussion: if he were simply placed in that position, it wouldn't be difficult. Taizu had set a precedent for appointing officials directly through imperial decree, bypassing the Ministry of Personnel's selection process. Even during the Yongle Dynasty, what would have happened if he had arranged an individual this way?
Indeed, no one dared to disobey the order.
However, rulers must remember: the basis of employing people is to get things done.
For example, when the border is in crisis, and Emperor Yongshou wishes to appoint a capable general like Lü Jian, what is his motive? It's not to reward him with an official position, nor is it to spite the civil officials. Rather, it's to help him resolve the court's pressing needs. In this case, Your Majesty, you should clear the way for him.
If he were to be sent to a post and be hampered at every turn, with all civil and military officials opposing him, even if Yue Fei were alive again, he would find it difficult to exert his influence. Moreover, at this time of border trouble, how could he take it lightly?
Now, the Qingliu oppose Lü Jian's restoration and even want to punish him. Even if an imperial decree were forced upon him to appoint him as the Three Border Governor, what good would it do? After he took office, officials in Beijing refused to cooperate, and many local officials also colluded with the imperial court, pretending to obey but secretly disobeying. Could it be that Lü Jian truly possessed such power?
When Li Shufeng was alive, he still had his comrades to help him. Now that Li Shufeng is dead, everyone avoids him like the plague. Who will truly help him?
This is the real difficulty.
If he were to force the appointment and ultimately fail, wouldn't His Majesty be held responsible for his misjudgment of his subordinates? This is the true inability to manage subordinates!
…
The court recommendation ended in failure.
The Crown Prince and Song Qianzhao stayed behind and watched the emperor frown and shake his head.
"It was this group of people who initially shouted 'Purge the imperial court, eliminate the traitors,' and forced me to kill Li Shufeng. Now, undercurrents are surging in the court, and those who are standing by and watching, trying to protect themselves, are also this group of people!" The emperor said in a deep voice, "Too little one is willing to speak frankly for the country, to speak for me! Even the person who recommended Lu Jian was simply because he had connections with Li Shufeng in the past and was afraid of being 'isolated and helpless' in the court!"
He sneered, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Sometimes I really don't know who has the final say in this country."
When Emperor Yongshou thought of this incident, he felt depressed and couldn't help but express his resentment.
Song Qianzhao stood quietly to one side with a calm expression.
In her opinion, the emperor's words were wrong.
What does it have to do with the killing of Li Shufeng? Li Shufeng is a disaster for the country, and the sooner he is eliminated, the better.
As for the disturbances caused by this, we can resolve them one by one. Besides, such treacherous people will have to be dealt with sooner or later, so how can we wait for peaceful times?
These civil officials were also to blame. It was understandable that Song Qianzhao, not reviewing the memorials, was unaware of the state's difficulties. But how could those civil officials not know? Perhaps in their view, eliminating Li Shufeng was more urgent—after all, the opportunity could not be missed, and the central government was far more important than the border.
The flames of war at the border would never reach the capital. Or perhaps everyone felt that even without Lü Jian, they could still send another capable general.
Without a cook, would we have to eat raw meat? Who knows, there are still people eager to try, thinking that this opportunity will surely lead to great achievements and honors.
However, it was meaningless to pursue these issues at this point. In the government, a single move could affect the entire system.
Xuan Shu also thought so and immediately said, "Father, I want to ask you a question."
The emperor raised his chin and said, "Speak."
"I dare to ask," Xuan Shu said in a clear voice, "why doesn't your Majesty use the people recommended by those ministers?"
"Among the generals on the border, none can match Lü Jian." The emperor tapped his knuckles on the armrest. "He has fought in Liaodong for many years and is a seasoned military commander. If he doesn't take action, it's fine. But if he does, he'll achieve great success. He's the only one who can defeat the Di people."
Xuan Shu's eyes flickered slightly. "Since you have such a good general, why didn't you send him to guard the border before? Why did you wait until now to use him?"
The hall suddenly fell silent. The emperor paused, his fingers resting on the armrest, speechless for a moment.
After pondering for a moment, he could only say: "Although Lu Jian is extremely talented, his character is flawed."
The Crown Prince thought for a moment, then said, "Father, I believe that Lü Jian is not flawed in character, but rather has a rebellious nature and is unskilled in the ways of officialdom."
"He fought for many years, achieving remarkable feats time and again, but because his merits were so great and his rewards were so meager, he inevitably felt aggrieved and acted even more flamboyantly."
"Court officials disliked his arrogance, and seeing him interacting with certain powerful officials, they seized the opportunity to criticize him. But upon closer examination, has he ever truly done anything that harmed the country and the people? He simply offended so many people that he was labeled 'of flawed character.'"
The emperor frowned slightly and pondered, "But everyone in the court agrees. If I force him to use it..."
At this moment, Song Qianzhao, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, if I can find a way to get the court officials to agree to Lü Jian's deployment to Liaodong, I hope Your Majesty will not easily believe the criticisms against him in the court in the future, so that he can concentrate on defending the enemy."
Soldiers on the front lines fought bravely, shedding their lives; while in the rear, the court officials engaged in intrigue, often causing the soldiers to shed blood and sweat, and suffer injustice. The enemy failed to harm them, and instead, they were forced into a desperate situation by their own people.
Especially since Lü Jian's temperament already aroused jealousy. If he achieved more military success and was rewarded, he would only draw the ire of countless others. Slanderous rumors would then spread, chilling the morale of the officers and men. This was the most worrying thing.
When Song Qianzhao said this, the emperor looked surprised and his eyes finally fell on her - the young official whom he had ignored since entering the palace.
When Xuan Shu heard this, his eyes moved slightly, and there seemed to be a flash of sparks in his eyes, just like the first ripples on the water when the ice melts in spring - he looked at Song Qianzhao, with a slight smile on his lips.
The emperor studied the young man, his brows raised slightly. "Are you Song Jian's grandson, Song Qianzhao? The Crown Prince has often praised you to me for your extraordinary talent and intelligence. Can you truly convince the ministers to support Lü Jian as the governor of the Three Frontiers?"
"Everything depends on human effort. I dare not predict success or failure, but we can always give it a try." Song Qianzhao did not guarantee it. But as she said, why not give it a try?
"Good! If you succeed, I will reward you handsomely."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
…
Jing'an Prefecture, Qingping County.
This is Lu Jian’s hometown.
Lü Jian was a man obsessed with power. Logically, at his advanced age, why would he cling to power? Yet, starting in the first year of the Yongshou reign, he repeatedly submitted petitions to the emperor to protest his grievances.
In the third year of Yongshou's reign, the emperor allowed him to retire as a censor and return home. However, he was still unwilling to give up and secretly contacted the powerful official Li Shufeng in an attempt to make a comeback.
In the tenth year of Yongshou, things seemed to be turning around - the emperor intended to recall him to the court and take charge of the Censorate. However, due to opposition from the censors, the emperor eventually withdrew his intention.
Despite being frustrated again, he still didn't give up.
Until now, the news of Li Shufeng's death came from the capital. When Lu Jian heard it, he was struck by lightning, his eyes froze, and his lips and teeth trembled slightly.
At this time, his little granddaughter Lu Qi walked forward quickly with her skirt lifted up, and fell to her knees with a thud.
"Granddaughter begs grandfather, please stop thinking about making a comeback."
Lu Jian stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the withered plum tree in the courtyard. After a moment, a wry smile played on his lips. "Now... what difference does it make whether I want to or not?"
"Grandfather," Lu Qi stood up, his eyes solemn, "Now is not the time to seek an official position, but an opportunity to save your life. With Li Shufeng's death, someone in the court will surely seize the opportunity to impeach you. Someone from Li's faction has sent a letter inviting you to conspire for a comeback, clearly intending to harm you!"
Lu Jian's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.
"Grandfather, the only way to avoid this disaster is to close the door and refuse visitors, claiming to be ill."
If he claimed to be ill, the court would no longer remember him. After all, a sickly old general was of no use.
"Master," the butler had stood in the corridor without him noticing, holding a red lacquered letter in his hands, "a letter from the capital."
"Give it to me." Lu Jian stretched out his hand while lying on the rattan chair, but when he saw the content, he sat up straight.
"The Crown Prince intends to reinstate you. I hope you won't resign due to illness... You should wait for the right time, keep a low profile, don't believe rumors, and don't have any unrealistic thoughts... The border crisis is getting worse, and the Crown Prince wants to reorganize the army..."
Lu Jian suddenly jumped up from the rattan chair, and he took two steps at a time to chase after him, his robes stirring up a gust of wind.
The butler trotted over and said breathlessly, "Master, the person has left."
Lu Jian stamped his feet anxiously, "Oh! Why don't you keep him here?!"
Lu Qi had never seen her grandfather lose his composure like this. She bent down to pick up the envelope from the ground. "Grandfather, what's wrong?"
"A letter from the East Palace."
Lu Jian's eyes were surprisingly bright.
"Eastern Palace?"
Lu Qi was surprised. After reading the contents of the letter, she was shocked. The prince actually guessed her countermeasures?
But she didn't like the content. No matter how smart Dong Gong was, it would still put her grandfather in danger.
Lu Jian's mouth curled up uncontrollably. "Are you saying this is really a letter from the Eastern Palace?"
Fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, and his voice was a little excited, but also a little unbelievable.
"Song Zheng's letter details Li Shufeng's death. If it weren't for the Crown Prince, how could Your Majesty have made such a decision? So, the Crown Prince's instigation was the key to Li Shufeng's downfall. And yet, at this juncture, the Eastern Palace sent a letter like this?"
As Lu Qi spoke, he looked up, only to find that his grandfather hadn't heard him at all. He paced back and forth, his eyes burning as he said, "No, I must write back to the East Palace and get an explanation. This limbo is really frustrating."
He was indeed anxious.
As soon as the backer falls, new branches will appear in front of you, and everyone will want to hold on to them tightly.
…
A few days later.
Lü Jian replied. The prince did not deliberately conceal the letter, and it was spread out on the table. It happened to be seen by Zhang Yan, the Grand Tutor who came to give a lecture, and the two of them had an argument over it.
"I can't even send out a suitable general. When this is passed down to future generations, will they laugh at the Xuan family father and son for being foolish, or at the entire court for being pedantic? It's truly ridiculous."
Zhang Yan's expression changed slightly.
The Crown Prince raised his hand and said, "Don't worry, sir. I'm not referring to you. I've said before that you are a truly sincere gentleman. You treat me and the world with sincerity. So today, I won't hide it from you. I do have my eye on Lü Jian."
Zhang Yan's heart was shaken. With these words out, there was a possibility of a disturbance in the court.
"Your Highness?!"
Although Song Qianzhao also supported Lu Jian, his influence was insignificant, and without the prince's explicit words, the upright officials in the court would inevitably prevail.
As for Song Zheng and his ilk, they were originally Li Shufeng's old party, but now they are scattered like monkeys when the tree falls, and it is difficult for them to achieve anything.
This momentum must be started by him.
"I dare to ask," Zhang Yan said, lifting his robe and kneeling. "Your Highness dealt with Li Shufeng with swift and decisive action, yet now you're using his cronies. What are your plans?"
"I have no plans, but I hold fast to one principle." The prince's eyes were blazing. "In this world, I will never do anything that would bring sorrow to my loved ones and pleasure to my enemies."
"If Lü Jian were suppressed and not used, who would be the most happy among the upright officials in the court?"
"No, it's the Di people from Liaodong who are eyeing us covetously! I don't want my country to be branded as having generals but not using them, and sitting back and watching border troubles unfold in the eyes of future generations."
"Sir, please stand up. I don't need your help in this matter, but I hope you won't object. When you become a prime minister, what I said today will not be implicated."
"Your Highness, I am ashamed to accept your words."
The prince said no more.
Zhang Yan retreated silently, and silence returned to the hall.
Zhang Xian watched all this from the side.
…
Zhang Yan served as an official for ten years and was incorruptible. People of his time called him "the commoner gentleman."
His wife spun yarn and wove cloth to supplement the family income. After his eldest son passed the imperial examination, he was sent to be a county magistrate. Before leaving, he only gave him an inkstone with the four words "Guard your heart like a mirror" written on it.
Precisely because of his both moral integrity and talent, and his incorruptibility, he was respected as a "perfect man" by people from all walks of life.
But this perfect man tossed and turned in bed tonight. The Crown Prince's words, "Lovers grieve, enemies rejoice," echoed in his ears, and for the first time, he began to waver in his resolve. If border defense were truly delayed by court disputes, wouldn't that make him an accomplice of the foreigners?
Bang bang——
"What is it?"
He was in a bad mood today and had already issued strict instructions not to be disturbed when he returned home. When he heard the knock on the door, his brows suddenly turned annoyed.
The housekeeper outside the door said, "Master, someone is coming from the East Palace."
East Palace?
Zhang Yan's mind moved, and he immediately stood up and straightened his clothes: "Please come in!"
The man was wearing a black cloak and came here late at night. I don’t know why?
"Master Zhang."
When he entered the room, Zhang Yan recognized the person in front of him in the bright candlelight - wasn't this Zhang Xian!
"Eunuch Zhang," Zhang Yan bowed, "but what are His Royal Highness's instructions?"
Zhang Yan looked behind him and waited until he was sure the door had been closed by the servants before saying, "Your Highness is not aware of my visit."
Zhang Yan understood, and after the servant served the tea, he immediately waved his hand to signal the servant to leave.
But for a moment, he couldn't guess what Zhang Yan's intention was.
Zhang Xian took a sip of his teacup and looked up at Zhang Yan. "Looking at the gloom between Lord Zhang's brows, I'm sure you've been tossing and turning a lot since returning from the Eastern Palace, right?"
Zhang Yan sighed softly, "The court situation, the border, the Eastern Palace...it's really hard to fall asleep."
"Then I wonder what your Excellency thinks of what Your Highness said today?" Zhang Xian put down his teacup. "Do you support Your Highness, or continue to oppose it? Or, as Your Highness said, watch the fire from the other side of the river, and perhaps become a minister in the future?"
Zhang Yan frowned and his tone turned cold: "If you think that I can't sleep at night because of my future, then you are underestimating me."
"Then may I ask what your Excellency is worried about?"
"Lü Jian is a man who forms cliques for personal gain, boasts his talent, and is in cahoots with the likes of Li Shufeng. The officials in the court are opposing him for no reason," Zhang Xian said, his tone gradually lowering. "But... Your Highness does have a point. Lü Jian has fought for many years, repeatedly defeating the Di people. If we don't use him, the enemy will reap the benefits."
"What I'm concerned about is simply weighing the true path to serving the country. As for becoming a cabinet minister, that's not what I seek."
Zhang Xian nodded slightly. "Your Excellency is righteous. Have you thought it through?"
"Not yet," Zhang Yan suddenly felt strange. "My father-in-law came to visit me late at night and kept asking about this matter. I wonder what advice he has?"
Zhang Xian stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "We came here tonight to help you have a bright future. Since you don't value your future, then we are here to bring you disaster."
Zhang Yan laughed out loud when he heard this.
"My father-in-law is really a wonderful man! But you can say it."
"This matter is simple. Your Highness has made up his mind. The matter of Lü Jian must be carried out, and there is absolutely no room for change. If you finally decide to agree with Your Highness, I hope you will take the lead in submitting the memorial."
This is to let Zhang Xian be the first to take action.
Although Zhang Yan was a gentleman, he was not stupid. When this memorial was submitted, he became the first scapegoat.
"We need to explain this matter clearly to the master. We cannot let the master go to his death without knowing the truth."
"In fact, in this three-sided struggle for control, the court officials are doomed to lose. Your Highness, as the crown prince, has the Emperor's support behind him. But have you ever considered, even if Your Highness wins this battle, what is the biggest risk?"
Zhang Yan frowned and fell into deep thought.
Zhang Xian's words transcended the immediate conflict and focused on something higher. Even if Lü Jian ultimately took office, there would be risks—and that was...
"Hiss..." Zhang Yan's eyebrows jumped. "Are you saying, Eunuch, that Lü Jian might be defeated?"
"Your Excellency is truly a man of extraordinary talent, able to see things clearly." The military situation is ever-changing, and even renowned generals can fail. Your Highness is determined to promote Wang Lü Jian. If Lü Jian is defeated, how will the East Palace maintain its reputation?
The implication is self-evident.
Zhang Yan suddenly realized: "So this cannot be started by Your Highness."
He thought to himself that the Emperor's reluctance to express his views was probably due to his concerns about this matter. If Lü Jian were defeated, the ministers would surely say: "See, we told you not to listen to us..."
What Zhang Xian said about "future" and "disaster" now made sense.
If Lu Jian returns victorious, the matter will naturally be a success; if Lu Jian fails, someone will have to take the blame, and then it will be said that it was Zhang Yan who instigated the prince, and the prince had nothing to do with it.
"Master Zhang, other matters can wait, but the situation at the border cannot. The Eastern Palace will definitely take action in five days at most, or three or two days at least."
He paused and added meaningfully, "If you ultimately choose to stay out of this matter, or even disagree with Your Highness, then what I said tonight will be considered as never having been said. We will find another Master Zhang to start this conversation."
Having said this, there is no point in saying more.
Zhang Xian stood up and said, "It's late at night and the dew is heavy. My Lord, there's no need to see me off."
Zhang Yan bowed and said, "Every word you just said, eunuch, is a statement that benefits the country!"
Zhang Xian shook his head and chuckled, "Your Excellency, you are too kind. I am just a eunuch, how can I possibly contribute to the country? Your Highness will make the final decision on such important matters. All I am concerned about is how to protect the safety of the Eastern Palace."
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