Inside the top-tier room of the inn, the conversation among the civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun continued.
He Kuan, a civil official, was known as the "Little Zhuge Liang of Youyun". He was the head of the civil officials group in the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun and the chief strategist of the interest group in the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun.
As the generals, emboldened by alcohol, began to veer off course in their conversation, He Kuan finally stroked his goatee and said slowly, "Generals, please hear me out!"
brush!
Upon hearing this, the previously noisy inn room immediately fell silent, and the generals of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun looked at He Kuan with hazy, drunken eyes.
He Kuan said, “Generals, I wonder if you have noticed that at today’s court assembly, there is a faction of officials who have remained silent on both the matter of voluntarily relinquishing military power and the matter of establishing a new empress.”
"In my humble opinion, their silence signifies that they share the same aspirations as the civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in this new dynasty!"
"The Southern civil and military officials group?"
No sooner had He Kuan finished speaking than Liu Ziyu, the deputy general who appeared drunk but was actually very clear-headed, blurted out, "This general has also noticed that!"
"The governors-general of the two rivers and two lakes, Su Chen and Jiang Ning, as well as Tang Ziyi, the deputy general of the Tiger Army, are all high-ranking officials in the court who hold military power;"
"In particular, Su Chen, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, not only holds military power but also controls the local economy of the three provinces south of the Yangtze River. In this new dynasty, he is considered a very important regional official."
"if--"
On the other side, He Kuan immediately smiled and continued, "The Vice General is wise; this humble official also had the same idea!"
"If our civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun can reach an agreement with the regional governors of the Liangjiang and Lianghu regions, it is not impossible for them to secure the benefits they deserve in the new dynasty's court after the emperor ascends the throne!"
After saying that, He Kuan gave Liu Ziyu a meaningful look.
The meaning couldn't be clearer: this matter needs to be led by you, Deputy General, because you are the person in charge of the interest group in the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun.
"Lord He, allow me to consider this matter!"
Although Liu Ziyu was flushed from drinking, he did not rashly agree to unite the regional officials of Liangjiang and Lianghu to oppose the emperor.
Openly forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices within the court is a grave offense against the emperor.
If this gets out, the heads of nine generations of their families won't be enough to cover it all!
The reason why the civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun were able to unite as one was because they all came from the land of Yan and Zhao, shared common interests, and had their families all in the same place.
In other words, the complex relationships among these civil and military officials from the same hometown destined them to be natural allies.
Even if some acts of defiance against the imperial court were exposed, when the truth came out, someone would voluntarily step forward to take the blame, and the family members and descendants of the person who took the blame would naturally receive care from those who were protected.
For hundreds of years, this has been how powerful and aristocratic families in the Yan and Zhao regions have risen to prominence.
Otherwise, when Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, assisted Chang Yuchun in conquering the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, it would have been impossible for Liu Xinwu to so easily persuade the civil and military officials of the remaining thirteen prefectures of Youyun to surrender to Prince Jin, Chen Huai'an, with just his words.
Within the interest group of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, Liu Ziyu could do whatever he wanted without fear or hesitation.
However, Liu Ziyu still had some reservations when it came to dealing with external forces, especially the powerful clans and aristocratic families in the south, who were known for their "insidious and cunning" nature.
No one could guarantee that these southerners wouldn't turn around and betray him, reporting him to the Emperor.
While Liu Ziyu was pondering, none of the other civil and military officials from the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in the room had any intention of continuing to drink and eat. They all turned their attention to Liu Ziyu, waiting for the deputy general to make the final decision.
After a long silence, Liu Ziyu finally made up his mind and said, "Gentlemen, I will personally meet with the Governors-General of Liangjiang and Lianghu at the appropriate time."
call--
After receiving Liu Ziyu's reply, the civil and military officials of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then someone else said, "Vice General, should we inform the Prince about this?"
Um?
Liu Ziyu raised an eyebrow and waved his hand, saying, "Father is getting old; let's not trouble him with such trivial matters. We can handle it ourselves."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, we'll all have to take charge of things in the new dynasty's court sooner or later, so let's treat this as practice beforehand!"
"Come on, let's drink!"
"Dry!"
......
That night.
On a pleasure boat on the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, the Viceroy of Liangjiang Su Chen, the Viceroy of Lianghu Jiang Ning, the Deputy General of the Tiger Army Tang Ziyi, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery Lu Jiang, and others also gathered here after dinner.
While listening to folk songs and admiring the night view along the Qinhuai River, people drink, make merry, and talk about world affairs.
These men, except for Tang Ziyi, the deputy general of the Tiger Warriors New Army, were all old acquaintances.
Lu Jiang, the Marquis of Zhongyong, was previously the deputy general of the Liangjiang New Army under Su Chen, the Governor-General of Liangjiang.
To be honest, if it weren't for his status as the Marquis of Zhongyong, Lu Jiang wouldn't be qualified to drink and listen to music on the same pleasure boat as these powerful regional officials and generals who held military power.
Tang Ziyi, a military officer by training, was an impatient man, and after a few drinks, he became quite talkative.
Tang Ziyi said, "I am sorry to both of you gentlemen, but today in the court, I saw two deputy marshals of various armies step forward to request His Majesty to voluntarily relinquish their military power."
"My first reaction was, is the emperor going to target us military generals who hold military power?"
"I almost wanted to step forward and hand over command of the Tiger Warriors, since my status as a surrendered general from the previous dynasty would inevitably be somewhat awkward in the new regime."
"but--"
Then, Tang Ziyi changed the subject, saying, "I turned my head and saw that even Vice General Liu, the top military commander of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, who commands an army of 150,000, didn't make any move. My thought that had just popped into my head was forcibly suppressed."
"However, now I regret it a bit. I should have been more resolute in court back then and handed over this military power. It would have been quite nice to be a wealthy man who doesn't concern himself with current affairs."
Eh—
Tang Ziyi's long sigh was full of profound meaning.
However, in the eyes of Su Chen and Jiang Ning, two powerful regional officials, this young man seemed to be implying something, and it sounded like he was giving them a warning.
Ha ha!
The old fox Jiang Ning chuckled and said, "Vice General Tang, let's drink!"
"Didn't we say that tonight we won't talk about state affairs, we'll only talk about romance and nature!"
Su Chen smiled and said, "Come, Vice General Tang, have a taste of this fine Shaoxing wine. Let's leave the matters of the court to be resolved there!"
"cheers!"
As everyone toasted and exchanged drinks, Su Chen and Jiang Ning, the two high-ranking officials, frequently exchanged glances.
It wasn't until Vice General Tang Ziyi was drunk and carried off the boat that Marquis Zhongyong Lu Jiang volunteered to take Vice General Tang back to his inn.
No sooner had the two left than Su Chen and Jiang Ning, who were standing at the bow of the boat, met each other's eyes once again.
First, they shook their heads in unison, then nodded in unison again, and then a knowing smile appeared on their lips.
......
After the first court assembly of the new dynasty, the entire city of Jinling was bustling with activity. Various factions in the court gathered to vie for more say in the new dynasty's court in the future.
In addition to the gathering of civil and military officials from the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, and the gathering of regional governors from the Two Rivers and Two Lakes, the non-royal kings of the Great Xin Dynasty, who had not been seen for many years, also gathered together after the first court assembly of the new dynasty.
The gathering place of all the kings was naturally the residence of Liu Xinwu, the Prince of Wuning, whose reputation and prestige were at their peak in the new dynasty and who was also very likely to become the father-in-law of the new dynasty.
Unlike other civil and military officials who came to the capital to participate in the first court assembly of the new dynasty, Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, did not stay at an inn, but was arranged by the Ministry of Rites to stay at the former Prince Fu's mansion, which is close to the imperial city.
With the death of Zhao Lingzhan, the son of Prince Fu and the pseudo-emperor of the Hongxi regime of the Great Xin Dynasty, at the hands of the treacherous minister Qin Ruhui, the Prince Fu's mansion declined and was eventually taken over by the Ministry of Rites of the new dynasty.
Out of respect for the highly respected Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, Zhang Fu, the Minister of Rites, vacated the Prince Fu's residence to serve as Prince Wu Ning's residence during his stay in the capital.
Therefore, after the court assembly ended, the non-royal princes of the Great Xin Dynasty, who had not seen each other for five years, went to the prince's residence at Liu Xinwu's invitation to enjoy tea and reminisce.
More than thirty years ago, eight kings of different surnames followed Emperor Zhao Mang, the founder of the Great Xin Dynasty, to conquer the country. Now, only five remain: Liu Xinwu, the King of Wuning; Liu Zhixin, the King of Chuxiang; Deng Junjie, the King of Changxin; Du Bo, the King of Jiujiang; and Li Zongmin, the King of Guangxin.
However, Li Zongmin, the Prince of Guangxin, is now a prisoner and has been placed under house arrest by the new emperor, Chen Huai'an. He is being held in a residence specially chosen for him by the Ministry of Justice, awaiting the emperor's judgment.
Of the other three kings, Chen Polu, the King of Jin, was persecuted to death by Zhao Gan, the second emperor of the Daxin Dynasty; Su Wenbin, the King of Zhongshan, died of natural causes; and Mu Rongfu, the King of Pingxi, died in battle on the front lines of Pyu.
Meanwhile, the Kings of Chuxiang, Changxin, Jiujiang, and Zhongshan in the Jiangnan region, persuaded by Luo Yucheng, the special envoy of the King of Jin, and Liu Xinwu, the King of Wuning, declared their allegiance to the new dynasty after Chen Huai'an became emperor. They also collectively donated 12 million taels of silver to reward the Longcheng army and help stabilize the situation in the Jiangnan region.
As promised, Chen Huai'an retained the titles of the men.
Therefore, these individuals participated in the first court assembly of the new dynasty as kings of different surnames.
However, the princes, who had long since distanced themselves from the court, had little say or presence in the new dynasty's court and only wanted to live out the rest of their lives in peace.
Let's get back to the main topic.
When several former princes with deep friendships meet, they naturally exchange pleasantries.
Inside the study of the Prince's Mansion, the four princes from the previous dynasty, who were not of the same surname, took their seats as host and guests, enjoying tea and reminiscing about the past.
Once the conversation started, Deng Junjie, the eldest of the four remaining princes of the Great Xin Dynasty and the Prince of Changxin, suddenly stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Liu Xinwu, the Prince of Wuning, who was seated at the head of the table, and said apologetically, "Brother Jingyu (Liu Xinwu's courtesy name was Jingyu)—"
"Today in court, on the matter of establishing an empress for the new dynasty, I failed to stand up and vote for my niece, Shujun. I hope Brother Jingyu will forgive me!"
After a pause, Deng Junjie continued, "Brother Jingyu, as you know, I had already distanced myself from the court before Emperor Gaozu passed away, and this title and honor of Prince Changxin are merely empty names."
"Now that the new dynasty has just been established, if it weren't for Brother Jingyu speaking well of me to the new emperor, I and my family would probably have already died on the day the Longcheng army breached the Jiangnan camp;"
“Brother Jingyu has done me a great service to my family and the Prince’s family, but I failed to stand up for my niece Shujun when she needed support the most. I feel extremely guilty!”
"yes--"
The words of Prince Changxin, Deng Junjie, were immediately echoed by Prince Chuxiang, Liu Zhixin, and Prince Jiujiang, Du Bo.
Liu Zhixin said, "Brother Jingyu, it's not that we are unwilling to stand up and support our niece Shujun as the empress of this new dynasty. In fact, throughout the entire world, only our niece Shujun is the only suitable candidate for empress of this new dynasty."
"It is only because we are former kings of a different surname from those of the previous dynasty that we have been spared the lives of our families thanks to the Emperor's mercy."
"In the court of this new dynasty, we are well aware that we are of lowly status and have little influence. We dare not speak out against His Majesty when he is displeased. We hope that Brother Jingyu will forgive us!"
No sooner had King Chu Xiang finished speaking than King Du Bo of Jiujiang hurriedly chimed in, "Brother Jingyu, as you know, we old brothers have long since lost the ambition and passion we once had."
"My only wish is to live out the rest of my life in peace, to be a carefree prince who doesn't concern himself with worldly affairs, raising fish and watering flowers every day, and being surrounded by my children and grandchildren, which would be enough for me."
"Therefore, on the issue of my niece Shujun's appointment as empress, we old bones are afraid we really can't offer Brother Jingyu any assistance in the court of this new dynasty!"
Eh—
After they finished speaking, they all sighed in unison, as if they were apologizing to the Prince of Wu Ning, and also feeling frustrated by their own powerlessness.
This is also the main reason why these former princes went together to the residence of Prince Wu Ning today.
Whether it was due to their old friendship with the eight kings of different surnames in the Great Xin Dynasty, or because King Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, spoke well of them in front of the new emperor Chen Huai'an, thus helping them to retain their titles and ranks in the new dynasty;
These princes, all nearing sixty and practically on their deathbeds, felt it necessary to personally thank Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, and to also express their stance on the new dynasty.
After listening to the heartfelt words of his old comrades, Prince Wu Ning, Liu Xinwu, still maintained his calm and composed expression.
He picked up the still-steaming teacup and said to everyone, "My dear brothers, didn't we agree that today we would only talk about brotherhood and not about matters of state?"
"Come, come, come, have some tea!"
"This finest West Lake Longjing tea was personally delivered by the Emperor. Every cup we drink is one less we have left, haha!"
"Have some tea!"
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