Establishing a thousand-year family from the nobles of the Western Han Dynasty

Chapter 133: The New Imperial College Commander, the Anticipated Li Nianzhao
"Wang Gen has already determined the successor."

Xu Li handed a piece of encrypted information to Xu Hua. He looked very depressed because the thing he least wanted to happen finally happened.

"Well... it's as expected. Chunyu Chang is a very dishonest person. Accepting bribes is one thing, but he also didn't know how to keep secrets like having a secret meeting with someone. It's normal that he was reported and his plans for many years were ruined. It was even much slower than expected. Wang Mang should have obtained solid evidence a long time ago."

"Maybe he was busy with something, so he didn't reveal it."

Xu Hua flipped through the book without any surprise in his eyes. To him, all this was just a matter of course.

If you want to investigate, you can easily find clues. It's just that no one is willing to believe that one of the Nine Ministers and the successor of the Wang family would be so unable to control his desires.

This eventually led to him becoming a disaster. Moreover, Chunyu Chang was too arrogant. He told everyone that he would become the successor of General Wang Gen and take the position of Grand Marshal from him.

He also promised various official positions. Emperor Li's former empress, Xu, was deceived by his sweet words and bribed him crazily. Most of the wealth over the years went into Chunyu Chang's pocket.

There was actually nothing wrong with this approach, using blank checks to exchange for real benefits, but the mistake was that he underestimated the enemy. He had already regarded himself as the successor of the Wang family, and had almost no defense against Wang Mang, his competitor, and did not even take him seriously, so he was caught off guard.

Although Wang Mang did nothing for many years, he did not leave any handle on him, but instead gained a good reputation known throughout the world.

This was undoubtedly done very well. After defeating his competitors, he immediately took the time to support his followers in order to gain real power. In less than half a month, he successfully sat on the throne of salvation and it was almost a natural thing for him to become the Grand Marshal in the future.

"The general's health is also very poor, right?" Xu Hua took a deep breath and silently put his mind at ease.

"Yes, now I need to stay in bed for a long time to recuperate." Xu Li answered truthfully.

"It seems that we need to pay close attention to Wang Mang in the future. He will be a strong rival." Xu Hua said thoughtfully.

He knew that Wang Gen would not live until autumn, and that his nephew Wang Mang would take over the position of Grand Marshal and would certainly continue the Wang family's strategy to secure his place in the court.

Liu Xin was a little naive at this time. He actually thought that Wang Mang really favored Liu. After all, he did not behave like a treacherous minister before. He was very good at acting. Maybe he was really diligent and frugal before, but he was definitely not loyal to the emperor!
His ambition was extremely great. In the past, Wang Feng just wanted to be a powerful official and try his best to avoid the emperor's reckoning and get away with it. As for Wang Gen, he was smaller and just wanted to ensure that the family was not destroyed and maintain the status quo.

But what Wang Mang wanted to do was to change the world! He wanted to change the plight of the people who had no land to farm due to land annexation. Of course, his starting point was good, but it was too unrealistic.

The current situation at the grassroots level can no longer be changed by reform. Xu Hua sees it clearly. If he wants to solve it in a short time, he can only reshuffle it like at the end of the Qin Dynasty, or slowly grind it down over time, gradually taking back the land and distributing it.

How could a government decree bring all the powerful forces to heel?

No one would hand over their wealth, and using violence would lead to death. A feudal society cannot do without powerful landlords, otherwise the grassroots would be out of control.

The situation became even more chaotic and the country collapsed. The imperial court could no longer collect taxes and its control over the local areas weakened.

It's not a good thing no matter how you look at it.

"Well... I understand. The number of spies on Wang Mang's side will increase." Xu Li nodded. He is the intelligence chief of the Xu family and is well aware of the internal affairs of various forces in Chang'an.

Now that Wang Mang's power has grown, he is no longer a lone commander. With more people around him, there are naturally good and bad people, making it easier for him to infiltrate his own people.

Therefore, it became easier to plant spies. The reason why they knew so much was because they had arranged a large number of spies in the palace.

Although there were no spies entering the core, it was not difficult to obtain some basic information. The news that Wang Gen was seriously ill and Wang Mang became the heir were almost known to everyone in the Wang family.

Even ordinary maids and servants knew it.

"By the way, do you need to say hello to Li Nianzhao? That guy has entered the Imperial College, so he must be aiming for something big. I guess his goal is to become the first doctor."

Xu Li thought about it and made a suggestion. Everyone knew the news that Wang Mang was recruited as a doctor. After all, it was quite incredible for the Wang family to enter the core layer of the Imperial College.

Everyone knows Li Nianzhao's attitude towards Wang Feng and Wang Gen. He hates and rejects them extremely. No matter how good his reputation is, as long as his surname is Wang, there will definitely be prejudice against him. It is totally unavoidable. It is not impossible to impress him, but it is very difficult.

Extra efforts must be made to reverse this stereotype.

"No need. My father has passed away. It is not in accordance with the rules for us to make requests to Li Nianzhao. On the contrary, it may disgust him and even change his opinion of Wang Mang. Times are different now. Without my father, our voice in Confucianism is not as high."

"Just wait and see what happens."

Xu Hua shook his head. Confucianism was not their family's stronghold. His father Xu Bo, with his great prestige and status as the Imperial Academy Master, could certainly have maintained the upper hand. But things were different now.

The position of Imperial College Commander is currently vacant. Both the Confucian and Legalist factions are eyeing it covetously, especially Li Nianzhao, who is confident and has a great grasp of the situation.

After Xu Bo's death, the most prestigious person in the Imperial College was replaced. Apart from this great scholar who forced the tyrant to abdicate and rebuilt the Han Dynasty, who else could be qualified? Including several doctors in the law school who recognized him.

However, Chen Rong, the chief doctor of the Legalists, would definitely not give up so easily. If he himself could not become the master, he would never let his opponent become the master! Otherwise, he would never have peace.

This is why the Xu family, which is relatively neutral, has been the Imperial Academy Commander for most of the time. The Confucian and Legalist schools have been in a competitive relationship for hundreds of years. If the other party becomes the immediate superior, what will happen? It is impossible not to target them.

Over the years, the only person from both the Confucian and Legalist factions who served as the Imperial Academy Director was Wang Si. Others, even if they were not surnamed Xu, were neutral, studying both Confucianism and Legalism and not siding with anyone.

So it is highly likely that Li Nianzhao will not be able to succeed.

But he might also try to establish a relationship with the Xu family. After all, Chen Rong is a die-hard member of the Xu party. If Xu Hua pleads for mercy, he might not stop him. With the guarantee of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, there would be security.

I believe that Li Nianzhao will not risk offending the prime minister of the dynasty and break his promise. If he can ignore the general and the prime minister, he must be right first! There is no other way.

.........

Imperial College, a Confucian academy.

In order to prepare for the new round of voting for the Imperial College Order, all students became busy and began to prepare and arrange.

Because the day of appointment of the Imperial Academy Director happened to be the day when Emperor Wu established the Imperial Academy, he adopted the advice of the sage teacher Xu Gong on this day and appointed his nephew Xu Zhou as the first Imperial Academy Director.

It is a very important and commemorative day. No one dares to underestimate it. If you show any neglect, you will be reprimanded or even expelled from the Imperial College because it is an act of disrespect for the Imperial College.

"The teacher has basically arranged it." A student trotted into the main hall and said respectfully.

"Well... let's get ready. We will go to pay respect to the ancestors tomorrow. This is an important day and we must not neglect it." Li Nianzhao stood with his hands behind his back, his face full of solemnity. He had almost never had such an expression before. Last time, he decided to march to Weiyang Palace.

"Yes." The student responded and left.

"Huh... Teacher, do you think it's possible for me to take that step? Remember, you are the only one in our Confucian Academy who has achieved this."

"I am not as good as you, but I also want to catch up as much as possible." Li Nianzhao closed his eyes, very nervous.

Now he was only one step away from becoming the Imperial Academy Master. Chen Rong was far inferior to him in prestige, so there was no hope for him anyway.

Unlike him, since he forced the emperor to abdicate, his reputation has reached its peak and he has the opportunity to become the Imperial Academy Master! It can be said that now there is only one step left, that is Chen Rong's permission.

In order to become the Imperial Academy Master, in addition to the most basic voting, two iron rules are required: the emperor's approval, and the support of two chief doctors!

The chief doctor has the veto power, so it is useless even if the emperor supports it. This is extremely crucial. If Chen Rong is unwilling to agree, then there will be no hope anyway. So Chen Rong must first be made to compromise.

"Chen Rong, Chen Rong, you and I have been enemies for many years, but we are also half friends. This is the only wish I have had for all these years. Can't you fulfill it for me? We can discuss the details together."

"You don't have to be like Brother Xu."

Li Nianzhao murmured to himself, feeling very melancholy, because he had tried it before, but was rejected by Chen Rong.

He did not give the other party any face and directly exposed the other party's plan, which almost made the other party lose face.

Obviously, Chen Rong's attitude on this matter was very simple. He did not trust this old enemy and was afraid that the law school would be targeted in the future. The orthodoxy dispute that had lasted for many years had already ended in a bloody battle.

In the early years of Emperor Xuan, two leading figures, Li Ke and Zhao Zhuang, brazenly launched the first Confucian-Legalist dispute! This war without the smoke of gunpowder began. At that time, there was no such thing as the chief doctor, but in essence it was almost the same.

They are both the most prestigious and recognized people in the two academies, and their earliest goal was actually to compete for the title of Taixueling.

This is enough to show the value of this position.

Originally, the official in charge of the Imperial Academy was the Imperial Academy Jijiu. Although he had similar power, his status was far inferior. According to the rules, the status of Jijiu and Doctor was the same, except that Jijiu represented the court.

It was not until Emperor Wu of Han officially reformed the system and appointed the Director of the Imperial Academy that a huge change occurred, because before that, the doctorate was essentially just a degree, and the chief academic officer was responsible for handling the daily affairs of the academy, which were completely unrelated and unrelated. The doctor of the Imperial Academy had no power at the beginning.

The title of Imperial Academy Commander also has the nature of a degree, and is the only degree that surpasses a doctorate. After Emperor Kangdi granted him the power to approve documents, his power expanded rapidly.

A doctor with the power to approve documents can influence the appointment of the Nine Ministers, so one can imagine what the same can be said about the Imperial Academy Director.

Of course, this power is secondary to Li Nianzhao, because even if he becomes the law school, it is impossible for it to obey him unconditionally. It is impossible for it to reach the peak of Xu Ye in the past, and it is even impossible for it to reach the level of Xu Bo.

At most, you are more right when arguing.

But this is an honor! Li Nianzhao also wants to prove himself, to prove that he can stand shoulder to shoulder with his teacher Wang Si.

"Forget it, let's just go to Xu's house. I never thought that there would be a day when I, Li Nianzhao, would have to put down my attitude and ask for help."

He sighed and walked out of the room.

.........

Jingzhou, Prefecture Mufu.

Xu Zhong returned to his base in Jingzhou early and continued his anti-bandit campaign, having successfully obtained permission from Emperor Liu Xin.

Being able to expand the army again is undoubtedly a good thing. In today's turbulent times, military power is the real power!

Only with the military power was he able to subdue the Wang family who controlled the imperial guards. It seemed that Liu Xin still did not trust Wang Mang after all. The Wang family's credibility was still not very good, and they always kept a wary eye on them.

This time, he even agreed to the request of Xu Zhong, Xu Yuan and Xu Min to expand the army, and it was obvious that he was more willing to trust the Xu family.

"Xuzhou Mu, Chunyu Chang, has been dismissed. It is said that Wang Mang now controls the Wang family. It has only been less than a month, and Wang Mang has already climbed to the position of Nine Ministers."

"It's really fast. It seems that Wang Gen has a successor. There will be fun in the future."

Jingzhou Beijia shook his head and smiled.

"This guy is not simple. Don't you forget that he is not just a Jiuqing now? The Wang family has produced many Jiuqings. The really tricky thing is his other identity."

"This is also what I fear the most." Xu Zhong was also on guard against him because his father had also warned him to be careful.

But in the end, he failed to stop it, and Wang Mang, who had been warned many times, became the actual leader of the Wang family. The terrifying nature of this man also began to emerge.

"Where?"

"He is a doctor of the Imperial College! In all these years, has anyone from the Wang family infiltrated the Imperial College? This guy is the first one."

Xu Zhong said meaningfully that he understood the importance of Imperial College very well. Often times, no one took it seriously. For example, Wang Feng was not taken seriously back then, otherwise he would not have cared so little about his reputation.

After all, what's the point of having a high reputation? As a pragmatist, I don't care about a few soldiers and a few sets of armor.

The biggest advantage of the Imperial Academy is that it controls public opinion and has a large number of talented people. This is why even the emperor is afraid of it. Although they don’t have guns, they have pens and can still kill people without bloodshed.

Liu Ao was simply given a bad posthumous title and became an unforgivable tyrant in history books, which was also a disguised way of leaving his name in history.

"Does he... also want to be the chief doctor?"

As for the red power approval, Jingzhou Beijia didn't even consider it. The appointment and removal of officials is sometimes beyond your control.

The Wang family has controlled the government for so many years. Is it useful for Confucianists to oppose it? Even if they don't approve it, the official will still be appointed.

(End of this chapter)