Chu Anping from the Royal Government Affairs Office nervously completed the writing of the imperial edict to appoint Mu Yundian as the Minister of War. Deep down, he had great doubts about whether the Mu family could continue to remain loyal.
He knew very well that if His Majesty made a mistake in judgment this time, Wei might be plunged into endless war, which would be a disaster not only for the royal family but also for the people of Wei.
Despite his inner worries, Chu Anping ultimately chose to trust His Majesty's judgment and carefully wrote the imperial edict. He then assigned a guard to inform Mu Yundian to stay home the next day and prepare to receive the imperial edict.
After all, reading the imperial edict is an extremely solemn matter. It is not like the emperor's oral order that can be read anywhere at will. Mu Yundian must accept the imperial edict in an appropriate occasion and with an appropriate attitude.
The next day, Chu Yiran from the Royal Government Affairs Office arrived at Mu Yundian's residence with the imperial edict. Mu Yundian was waiting respectfully at the gate with his family.
When Chu Yiran produced the imperial edict, Mu Yundian and his family knelt. Chu Yiran then solemnly read: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, declares: Mu Yundian, loyal and dedicated, has distinguished himself by his meritorious service. He is hereby appointed Minister of War, granted a golden seal and purple ribbon, and commanded to protect the land of Wei. This is my decree."
Mu Yundian responded calmly, "I accept your command. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
However, Mu Yundian's body was not calm. When he stood up after receiving the order, his legs were shaking. Of course, this was not because of excitement, but because he was extremely afraid.
Mu Yundian's family members present were all immersed in the joy of Mu Yundian being appointed Minister of War, and no one paid attention to this situation.
Chu Yiran also said to Mu Yundian indifferently: "I hope Minister Mu will not let down His Majesty's gift." After that, he left.
The Mu family's servants immediately prepared to invite the ministers from Kaifeng City to the Mu family for a banquet. However, before the servants even stepped out of the door, Mu Yundian stopped them.
Mu Yundian said to his family expressionlessly, "The Mu family is closed to visitors today. No matter who comes to visit, I will not see them."
While everyone was confused, Mu Yundian turned and walked into the study. He needed to be alone and calmly think about each next step.
The other members of the Mu family were discussing the situation, trying to understand why Mu Yundian seemed so unhappy after his promotion. After all, for the Mu family, Mu Yundian's promotion should have been a cause for celebration.
Mu Yundian stared at the imperial edict brought by Chu Anran in his study, lost in thought. Originally, the position of acting Minister of War hadn't caused him much worry, but after being appointed Minister of War, he felt an unprecedented fear.
Throughout history, no matter which dynasty, once the power of a noble family exceeds that of the royal family, this family will either become the object of pursuit by other ministers and noble families and be dragged onto the path of rebellion; or become the target of public criticism and eventually be eradicated by the royal family and other forces.
The Mu family was now clearly in such a delicate position. If the Mu family could not effectively eliminate the vigilance of His Majesty and the royal family, then the Mu family might disappear from this world in the next few years.
Mu Yundian rushed to his brother Mu Yunfeng's residence overnight. When Xi Xueyi saw Mu Yundian's hurried arrival, she knew that His Majesty had issued an imperial edict through the Royal Government Affairs Office.
Xi Xueyi said, "Brother, don't panic. I already know everything. I've sent people to the border to inform Mu Yunfeng about this. I believe that His Majesty and the Royal Government Affairs Office will receive news from the border soon."
"Brother, you only need to focus on your duties as the Minister of War. However, there is one thing you must be careful about: do not form cliques in the court. Otherwise, our Mu family may face catastrophic disaster."
Mu Yundian was very surprised that Xi Xueyi could see through his thoughts.
Mu Yundian asked, "How did you find out about this?"
Xi Xueyi revealed to Mu Yundian what she had seen and heard in the palace. After understanding the whole story, Mu Yundian finally felt relieved. As long as His Majesty didn't really intend to harm the Mu family, then everything could turn around. Mu Yundian was finally able to relax a little.
Half a month passed in a flash. While Chu Anping was working at the Imperial Government Affairs Office, he received a memorial from Lin County, a border town.
At first, Chu Anping did not dare to open the memorial easily because he knew that Mu Yunfeng was currently in Lin County. He was not sure whether Mu Yunfeng had done anything treasonous in Lin County.
But when he opened the memorial and examined it carefully, he finally felt relieved. It turned out to be a memorial from Mu Yunfeng voluntarily requesting to hand over part of his military power. The memorial also had Chu Yuanju's signature on it, which undoubtedly proved that Mu Yunfeng was truly willing to hand over part of his military power.
Only at this moment did Chu Anping suddenly realize the profound meaning behind His Majesty's decision to appoint Mu Yundian as the Minister of War.
Chu Anping's admiration for His Majesty was beyond words. The war in the north had subsided this year, and Mu Yunfeng had even annihilated the Xiongnu and Gan State coalition forces. Such a feat naturally warranted a reward, and it was even more impossible to reclaim Mu Yunfeng's military power.
However, His Majesty has only appointed Mu Yundian as Minister of War, which on the surface seems to be a reward for Mu Yunfeng. However, this would make the military power held by the Mu family appear too great, which could easily arouse the suspicion of the royal family. Therefore, if Mu Yunfeng is wise enough, he would voluntarily give up some military power to allay the royal family's suspicions.
After Chu Anping figured it all out, he excitedly slammed the table in front of him and shouted, "I finally understand your majesty's true intentions. I was so ignorant before that I failed to understand your majesty's foresight. From now on, I will never doubt any of your majesty's decisions again."
The other princes in the Royal Affairs Office saw Chu Anping's actions and gathered around him. After reading the memorial in Chu Anping's hand, they all marveled at the profoundness of His Majesty's thoughts and the superb skills he possessed in controlling his subjects. They knew that they were far behind His Majesty.
The princes immediately realized a problem: Mu Yunfeng's voluntary surrender of some military power meant that the princes of the royal family would have another opportunity to arrange for some people to join the army. This would not only allow the royal family members to fully utilize their talents, but also make the Wei army more loyal to the royal family.
After all, Your Majesty has abolished the ancestral precept that royal family members are not allowed to participate in the military or politics.
Of course, everyone knows that we cannot be too extreme in doing things. We must also reserve some places for the Ministry of War so that the soldiers of Wei can see the hope of promotion and maintain the morale and motivation of the army.
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