"By the way, you just said how much time I have left?"
"At most one year!"
The Grand Secretary nodded and continued, "You have already defeated all the aristocratic families, but their foundations remain. They are waiting for me to breathe my last!"
"But that's not the most important thing. The main issue is that many of the aristocratic families are also colluding with the rebels in the south! Therefore, the key to eliminating this hidden danger lies in solving the problem in the south!" The Grand Secretary said to Lin Yu with a serious expression.
Lin Yu nodded. "I'm already preparing to head south, but I don't know if this red signboard you gave me will still be effective in the south?"
The title Lin Yu was referring to was naturally the Imperial Inspector of Eight Prefectures. This title was effective in the north because of the influence of the cabinet, but it would probably be less useful in the south.
The Grand Secretary chuckled. "Whether it works or not depends on your skills. Mice are naturally afraid of cats, but once a cat enters a mouse's nest, that's a different story!"
Lin Yu looked speechless and was about to speak when the Elder quickly waved his hand.
"Don't worry, I won't leave you all alone," he said, and then he had Hua Zhen fetch a token.
Order from the Governor-General of Liangjiang!
“This is…” Lin Yu’s eyes widened slightly.
The Governor-General of Liangjiang, that's quite a high-ranking position!
Logically speaking, it should be even one rank higher than Lin Yuanlong's position as military governor.
The Governor-General of Liangjiang could simultaneously coordinate and govern the six provinces of the Three Rivers region, and control all military power.
As far as Lin Yu knew, this position had been abandoned for many years. The reason was simply that this position held too much power, equivalent to bestowing a title upon a king or prime minister! Once an ambitious person occupied this position and cultivated it deeply, they could even rival the cabinet.
Similar things have happened in history, so after the reforms, this position was abolished.
The twelve provinces of Kyushu were all under the administration of the Cabinet.
However, Lin Yu never expected that the Grand Secretary would actually give him this position.
"Your Excellency, you're not joking with me, are you?" Lin Yu was still somewhat skeptical and couldn't help but ask.
The Grand Secretary said irritably, "Do you think I, an old man, would joke with you? Take it, it's freshly made and still warm!"
Lin Yu took it, weighed it in his hand, and said, "With my qualifications, even if I were to take this position, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to convince the public, right? To put it bluntly, this is just a waste of money!"
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yu understood.
The division of power among the various regions of Kyushu has long been established, with its own power structure. Even if I were to become the Governor-General of Liangjiang, I might not be able to command these military governors. In essence, this position is merely a nominal one.
The Grand Secretary smiled and said, "This position has been vacant for many years. Restoring it will definitely be difficult. How much power it carries depends on you!"
Lin Yu rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You've got a good plan. You're clearly trying to use me to help you unify military power!" Lin Yu finally understood the old fox's intentions.
The old man blushed and said with a smile, "You can't wrong me. I'm promoting you and giving you a raise. The position of Governor-General of Liangjiang was originally meant to coordinate and control, but in reality, it's the general supervisor of the various departments. In terms of rank, it's half a rank higher than the Governor-General. Now that you're the heir apparent, based on your seniority, it can be said that you've been promoted exceptionally. Young man, don't be ungrateful for getting such a good deal!"
"Come on! Even if you asked me to be a lone commander, I would really thank you!" Lin Yu couldn't help but complain.
Is this how you use people? I could have smoothly inherited the position of Military Governor of Fengtian Prefecture. Now look what happened, I've been sent to the south to be a commander without any troops.
That old fox really treated him like a brick, using him wherever he was needed!
Knowing he was in the wrong, the Grand Secretary smiled awkwardly and then said, "How could I let you have no support at all? General Wang Zhonghou of Jinling is loyal and courageous, much better than your slippery father. If you need anything, the 100,000 troops of Jinling are at your disposal at any time!"
This makes it very clear: Lin Yu should use Jinling as his base.
Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties, is an important axis of the southern development strategy. The old saying that "whoever controls Nanjing controls the world" is not just a saying.
Upon hearing that he would be given 100,000 troops, Lin Yu's expression softened somewhat.
With this army of 100,000, at least the basic base can be stabilized.
The Grand Secretary sighed again, “Commanding military power is not as complicated as you think. Although the senior officers in each department don’t see eye to eye, they at least know the big picture. The reason why Great Xia is not in chaos is largely thanks to these loyal and courageous old generals!”
"Of course, to be on the safe side, we should still try to bring them together and form a united force. I believe you have the ability to do so! Hold this gun firmly!" The elder glanced at the token in Lin Yu's hand and said earnestly.
"Do your best!" Lin Yu repeated those four words.
The Grand Secretary nodded and continued, "If the problems in the south can be resolved, internal and external troubles will be eliminated, the overall situation will be settled, and in the next twenty or thirty years, Great Xia will surely reach its peak! Young man, we have been planning for decades, and this final step depends on you!"
Lin Yu initially thought it was nothing, but these words made him feel a little pressured.
The task is arduous and the road ahead is long!
"Like I said, do your best!" Lin Yu said calmly, "Is there anything else you want to say? I'm leaving now!"
The Grand Secretary smiled slightly, "Before I leave, I'll give you four words!"
"Let me guess... Never forget your original intention?" Lin Yu answered without being asked.
The Grand Secretary smiled, looking pleased, and said, "Haha, I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
Lin Yu nodded, said nothing more, and strode away.
Watching his departing figure, the Grand Secretary's eyes welled up with tears, and in a daze, he seemed to see his younger self.
“Your Excellency, I trust your judgment in people. This young man is no ordinary person. However, now that the Feng Mansion belongs to the Lin family, if he secures his position as Governor-General of Liangjiang, will there really be no problems?” Hua Zhen couldn’t help but voice his concerns.
The cabinet's stability stems from its control of the military. If Lin Yu succeeds, he will essentially control the entire country!
After all, under military power, politics and economics are secondary. Once Lin Yu takes control of the entire situation, the so-called cabinet can be sidelined and become a vassal at any time.
"Is this something you or I can decide?" The Grand Secretary shook his head and chuckled.
Hua Zhen was a little confused and asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"
Is there anything that the Grand Secretary cannot decide?
But then, he suddenly realized something and his eyes widened in surprise.
"So, he..."
The Grand Secretary nodded. "Thirty years ago, the political situation needed someone to step forward, end the chaos, and promote reform and development. They chose me!"
"Now, in this peaceful and prosperous era, my time has passed. The chaotic times must eventually be ended by someone! So, it wasn't me who chose him, but them!" the Grand Secretary said meaningfully.
Who does "they" refer to?
Although the Grand Secretary did not say it explicitly, Hua Zhen already understood.
In the entire Great Xia Dynasty, besides the Grand Secretaries and the Cabinet, who else could be the mastermind?
They are the true driving force behind the course of history and the guardians of the entire Great Xia Dynasty.
It is called divine blood!
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