Chapter 256 The Many Faces of Reborn Ministers (Part 1) ^^……
In the first ten days after the new emperor ascended the throne, Qi Chengming had begun to recover and it was time to start sharing the spoils with his confidants.
Changes occurred one after another in the imperial court.
Grand Tutor Wu was appointed Grand Academician of the Zichen Hall, and his son was promoted and returned to the capital, serving as Prefect of Luoyang. Grand Academician Cao was appointed Minister of Rites and concurrently Grand Academician of the Zichen Hall. Grand Academician Mu became Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince of three reigns, also concurrently serving as Grand Academician of the Zichen Hall; his eldest son, Mu Fan, was then serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works' Agricultural Reclamation Department. The former Minister of Justice was reinstated and returned to his post, concurrently serving as Grand Academician of the Zichen Hall.
Shen Shuzhi was appointed Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works and, together with Wang Chuandao, served as Imperial Commissioners, specifically in charge of river affairs. Minister of Rites Chu was transferred to the position of Governor of Jiangnan, still a second-rank official; his son, Chu Hong, was appointed Imperial Lecturer. Minister of War Liu was promoted to Minister. Qin Chongzhi, son of the Director of the Imperial Academy, was commissioned to compile the *Ding Shi* (a historical record).
In addition, Qin Liusong was appointed as the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, a second-rank official. Zhang Ting was appointed as the Director of the Salt and Tea Department of the Ministry of Revenue, overseeing salt taxation. He Santie was appointed as the Director of the Ministry of Personnel. Huang Lan was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the Office of Transmission, a fifth-rank official... Qi Chengming promoted all his trusted confidants from the Prince's residence into the Six Ministries by taking advantage of every opportunity. Some of these positions may seem insignificant, but they are extremely important.
After promoting his trusted confidants from the Prince's residence, Qi Chengming did not forget those who had silently shown goodwill and contributed to the succession struggle. From the Director and Deputy Director of the Imperial Observatory to Wang Shi, the consort of the Third Princess, as well as members of the Xue clan, Li Banhui and his son, and so on, they were all given appointments.
At such a frequency, Qi Chengming dismissed Huang Dong, a Jinshi from the eighth year of the Hongren era, and appointed him as the prefect of Lingnan... Such ordinary news did not cause any ripples.
Inside the Grand Secretary's Hall.
Mu Jie, Grand Tutor Wu, Grand Secretary Cao, and the Minister of Justice stood speechless: "..."
Of the four Grand Secretaries appointed to assist the new emperor, Mu Jie and Grand Tutor Wu were already quite old and rarely participated in official duties, yet they were both key ministers who supported the new emperor. The Minister of Justice and Grand Secretary Cao were in their prime, and as ministers themselves, it was clear to everyone that they would be the main force in future government affairs.
As the four men sat together awaiting the new emperor's announcement, their diverse backgrounds created an awkward silence among them, a sense of unspoken unease settling in. What should have been a pleasantry ended in quiet contemplation.
Grand Tutor Wu didn't even lift his eyelids.
If Grand Secretary Cao weren't here, the three reborn old men would still have something to talk about. At least he could criticize his old friend's stubbornness—how could years of planning have led to such a misjudgment on the day the new emperor ascended the throne?
But now that there's another person, even Grand Tutor Wu, who had a lot to say, couldn't bring himself to say it.
Fortunately, he was the most valued person promoted by the new emperor. The new emperor had no more titles to bestow upon him, so he could only show favor to his eldest son by transferring him back to the capital from another region. After a few more years of training, he would be the right candidate to succeed him in the cabinet. This was the emperor's intention to entrust him with important responsibilities.
With such imperial favor and hope, Grand Tutor Wu had nothing more to say.
Grand Secretary Cao felt extremely uncomfortable, wearing an awkward smile throughout, and was extremely cautious.
During the reign of the retired emperor, he was a confidant of the retired emperor. He was even ordered to supervise the crown prince when he went to deal with the powerful families. If it weren't for his excellent reaction, quickly kneeling down and defecting during the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, he would not have been able to keep his position as Grand Secretary.
Even now, her identity remains... somewhat ambiguous.
He was not a trusted confidant of the new emperor at all, and he was very self-aware, considering himself only as the last of the four, someone who was just there to make up the numbers.
The Minister of Justice smiled broadly, completely oblivious to the subtle shifts in the eyes of the four people present, clearly in a very cheerful mood.
He has finally waited for this day.
The new emperor, who appreciated him, reinstated him to his original position as soon as he ascended the throne, and even promoted him to a high position, transforming him from a neglected last-ranking official in the Six Ministries into one of the four Grand Secretaries.
The days that followed were all wonderful!
As for what others think... that's none of my business, as someone who only knows how to solve cases!
Grand Secretary Mu pondered for a moment, coughed, and put the teacup down steadily. He then spoke first, saying, "You are all familiar faces who have worked together in the court for a long time. Please take care of each other in the future."
He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
The other three did not dare to be negligent and returned the greeting.
It's quite ingenious.
All four of them were veteran officials from the reign of Emperor Hongren. Even after the new emperor ascended the throne, he did not rush to promote his confidants; his actions were frighteningly steady. Add to that the presence of Grand Secretary Cao—there was nothing to criticize about them.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Majesty has finished his business and is summoning you."
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Xiao Dezi put on the reserved smile that a chief eunuch of the imperial court should have. He made a gesture of invitation, which startled the four people in the room.
Grand Secretary Mu nodded, about to agree on his behalf, when he saw Eunuch De looking at Grand Tutor Wu, waiting for a reply.
"..." Grand Scholar Mu was speechless, then suddenly realized what was happening, and calmly accepted it.
"Thank you for your trouble," Grand Tutor Wu replied quickly. He turned and exchanged a glance with Mu Jie, and the four of them filed out.
Even among the Grand Secretaries, there must be a distinction between the best and the worst.
In terms of seniority, it would be either Grand Tutor Mu or Grand Tutor Wu, but the newly appointed officials have always been led by Grand Scholar Mu, so even Grand Tutor Wu tacitly acknowledges that Grand Scholar Mu is the leader.
But now it seems the new emperor is acting on his instructions—he relies more heavily on Grand Tutor Wu.
Grand Scholar Mu understood the new emperor's temperament; he wouldn't simply erase the Mu family's contributions over the years based on the choice made on the day of his ascension. So why was the new emperor exhibiting his current tendencies...?
Grand Scholar Mu wouldn't think much of it.
Based on what the new emperor did after ascending the throne in his previous life, the shrewd and calculating man roughly understood.
It's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. No matter when the new emperor learns the truth about them, he cannot become a concern in the new emperor's mind at this moment.
Grand Scholar Mu made up his mind and began to plan something.
...
Ministry of Works.
Shen Shuzhi was not surprised by his appointment. He sat down in front of Wang Chuandao and smiled familiarly, "How about it? Let's have the two of us as imperial envoys."
He earnestly advised, "I told you to pledge your loyalty long ago, but you were stubborn..." Shen Shuzhi didn't want to say the rest, as it would be hurtful.
—Wang Chuandao said he wanted to be a loyal minister, but when he was asked to speak at the coronation ceremony, he remained silent? That was the perfect opportunity to show his loyalty!
As a result, this perfectly good Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince was transferred to an outside post, but his position as Grand Tutor was never fulfilled.
Wang Chuandao glanced at him calmly, without arguing, and simply said, "I would be more than happy to do something practical."
He was indeed loyal to the emperor, but he had his own principles. He had his own judgment on right and wrong. Therefore, he did not regret his attitude at the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, and he believed that the new emperor's assignment of him to an outside post was not a punishment for him, but rather a proper relationship between ruler and subject.
Both he and the new emperor knew that he longed to go out and do practical things rather than stay in the capital as the Crown Prince's tutor.
Only a mediocre person like Shen Shuzhi couldn't understand it.
But because of his enthusiasm, Wang Chuandao only glanced at him and didn't say anything sarcastic.
At the entrance of Chu's residence.
In front of several parked carriages, servants were struggling to load two bundles onto the carriages, bustling about like people moving house.
Chu Hong, now a young man, looked at his father, who had aged considerably, and was speechless. The former Minister of Rites, now the Governor of Jiangnan, gazed at his son with a complex expression, yet still had the mind to pat him on the shoulder and offer some words of advice:
"My departure is also a good thing for our Chu family. You are His Majesty's study companion, so you won't be implicated by me. In the future—the whole family will depend on you."
Chu Hong was appointed as a lecturer to the emperor.
This is a seemingly insignificant official position, but in reality, it involves appearing before the emperor every day to organize memorials and explain scriptures for His Majesty.
Adding to the bond of studying together, Chu Hong will be His Majesty's right-hand man in the future—saying he's the left and right arm is a bit of an exaggeration, but at least he'll be a pen that His Majesty can use comfortably.
It was precisely because of these repeated transfers that outsiders dared not underestimate the Chu family. They all knew that the future of the Chu family had completely tilted towards Chu Hong.
"..." Chu Hong responded weakly.
Even now, when he thinks back to that day, he still feels confused and angry. Why did his father, as the Emperor's mouthpiece, waver at such a crucial moment? He had argued with his father about this many times, but the appointment had already been made, and everything was irreversible.
Having nothing more to say, Chu Hong shifted his gaze to the female attendants who had accompanied his father, and weakly managed to squeeze out, "Chef Zhang has also said goodbye?"
"Chef Zhang has gone back to the Imperial Kitchen," said Father Chu, somewhat flustered.
The new emperor revoked the unique honor bestowed upon him, which led many people to mock him even though they knew that the Chu family was one of the confidants who helped the crown prince ascend the throne.
Even more surprisingly, the number of high-ranking officials trying to undermine him was astonishing. This baffling absurdity was the reason for Chu's father's unease, which is why he wanted to leave the capital as soon as possible to avoid these turmoil.
Even far away from the capital, he remained a diligent and devoted minister to the new emperor.
On this day, all kinds of people appeared in different forms.
Qin Liusong walked through the Hanlin Academy, full of vigor and with a slight upturn at the corners of his lips.
He was appointed Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy. This was a middling position, seemingly too low for someone as close to the Emperor as his most trusted confidant. But in the eyes of those in the know—
Qin Liusong was especially delighted; he had been happy for days.
To explain why...
There are only a few ways for civil officials to be promoted.
The imperial examination system was fertile ground, and entering the Hanlin Academy was the foundation for becoming a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Later, newly appointed officials with poor results were sent to local posts, while the outstanding ones remained in the Hanlin Academy to hone their skills.
After several years of this, they can be transferred to other departments to accumulate practical governance experience, or they can join one of the six ministries. Once they have gained sufficient experience, they can try to climb the ranks. At this point, the only difference is whether they have real power in government or hold a high-ranking official position.
Qin Liusong has extensive experience in local governance, having governed various regions. He is also a member of the Hanlin Academy, personally appointed by the late emperor, and a confidant of the new ruler. His resume is more than qualified, but he lacks the necessary experience to be immediately appointed as a minister or a grand secretary assisting in political affairs.
—If the new ruler insists on acting that way, Qin Liusong will only be branded with the infamous reputation of a favored minister.
Therefore, starting from the position of Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy is quite ingenious.
The Grand Academician could draft important edicts for the new emperor, give daily lectures, handle miscellaneous important tasks, and participate in the Grand Academicians' discussions on confidential matters. This was a position that already possessed real political power, which meant that Qin Liusong had returned to his old profession from Liuzhou—working for the new emperor.
After accumulating experience over several years, Qin Liusong could be appointed as a Grand Academician of the Zichen Hall or concurrently serve as a Minister of a certain department.
At that time, there would be no one, inside or outside the court, who hadn't heard his name...
In this life, his future has finally become bright thanks to his careful planning, and all that remains is a high position of power!
Qin Liusong gazed at a lotus pond in the Hanlin Academy, where a faint shadow could be seen beneath the frozen ice.
Qin Liusong stared intently, his gaze filled with undisguised ambition, as deep and unfathomable as the frozen pool water: "..."
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The author notes: Although the reborn ministers are all loyal to the new ruler, it doesn't mean they will unconditionally uphold the new ruler's opinions every time. Each person's thoughts, personality, and beliefs differ, leading to various changes.
—It's not a matter of who's better or worse.
[This chapter was so frustrating writing about everyone's promotion struggles, but this is the MVP reward screen that the reborn ministers have been waiting for for over two hundred chapters, hahaha. I finally managed to finish it, phew... I'm spitting out my soul.]
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