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

Chapter 134 Untitled Chapter

The Confucian red-letter approval only serves to make the appointment more legitimate, that is, to win the support of the people and gain the approval of the middle and low-level officials in the world, thereby reducing the cost of governance.

Therefore, they could give up the time to get to know each other, which was the reason why Emperor Kang asked the Doctor of Imperial College to approve it.

Another aspect is to filter out those with bad conduct. If a doctor fills in "no", it means that this person's conduct is not up to standard and will not be recognized.

In this case, the emperor would send someone to re-evaluate him, and after verification he would no longer use him.

Therefore, there was nothing that could hinder the imperial power in feudal society. Centralization was the general trend of the development of the times and it could not be changed by a certain person or a certain group of people. If one wanted to divide the imperial power by relying on some literati, it would not be realistic.

The Western Senate was able to continue because power was dispersed after all and could not be exercised in its entirety. It relied on some nobles. The senators were also nobles and the real controllers of the Roman Empire, so gathering together made power more concentrated.

Once someone has military power, such as Caesar Octavian and others, it immediately becomes meaningless and violence becomes the root of everything.

The reason why the Imperial Academy was so powerful was essentially because of the support of Emperor Kang and Emperor Xuan. Without the emperor's permission, it was just a teaching institution. How could it have such a big presence? A powerful minister like Wang Feng could only barely suppress the previous Emperor Li, let alone the Confucian scholars.

Wang Feng never took it seriously.

Therefore, Wang Mang took great pains to enter Confucianism, aiming for the identity of chief doctor and teacher of Confucian scholars all over the world. After all, the Wang family's reputation was too bad. If he wanted to reform the law without hindrance, he had to get the support and recognition of one of the forces of legal Confucian scholars.

Otherwise, there will be no one to use, and the foundation will be meaningless. After all, powerful officials are just powerful officials. They can hold power for a while, but they cannot hold power forever! They will definitely be liquidated by the new monarch.

In the past, Xu Zhen and Xu Gong were extremely powerful, but their power was weakened by generations. During the reign of Emperor Xuan, the country was in real danger of being destroyed.

The reason why he was able to make a comeback repeatedly was because of his absolute leadership in the two academies of the Imperial College! Being an official has always been easy, and being a high-ranking official also has advantages. The emperor can ignore the recommendations of the doctors, but he cannot.

After all, they control public opinion, and you can't do anything about it if they add a few words to history.

If you dare to stop them, they will be very excited.

In order to ensure his future, Wang Mang set his sights on the Confucian Academy. If he could successfully become the chief doctor, it would undoubtedly be great, as it would mean that the original Liu family foundation would become Wang's! Countless Confucian scholars could be used at their will.

"This is the only possibility. This guy is really aiming for something big."

Xu Zhong nodded in agreement. This was something that was almost completely obvious. Apart from the Chief Doctor, he couldn't guess what else was worth putting so much effort into.

"So what do we do? Continue to impeach him?"

It is certainly possible for local officials to impeach Chang'an officials, but the effect will not be that good.

"Of course, but I'm afraid it's useless. We can only pray that Li Nianzhao doesn't give in. Otherwise, no matter how much we try to stop him, it will be useless."

Xu Zhong could only pin his hopes on this. Apart from Li Nianzhao, no one else could intervene. If Wang Mang wanted to go further, he could only curry favor with him.

Unless the chief doctor suddenly dies and the position becomes vacant, there would indeed be a chance.

Unfortunately, that's unlikely.

.........

In the second year of Yuanshou, the general and the Grand Marshal Wang Gen died of illness in his home. Once the news spread, it immediately caused an uproar. Now the relationship between the various forces in the court is sensitive.

The death of the head of the Wang family will certainly lead to a crazy counterattack from the Xu family. When Xu Bo died of illness, Wang Gen was not merciful.

Thanks to the physical deterrence of Xu Zhong's troops stationed in Nanyang and Xu Yuan's troops stationed in Longxi, nothing happened in the end.

This time the situation has changed, and the Xu family will surely take advantage of the victory.

Jinghou Mansion.

Xu Hua obtained first-hand information with the help of spies who had been planted in advance.

"Tomorrow, the ministers of the Wang family will collectively recommend Wang Mang to be the Grand Marshal in the court. This is a customary practice. This is what Wang Feng did before he resigned."

According to the rules set by Xu Gong, appointments involving the three highest officials must be proposed and recommended by officials above the Nine Ministers in the court. Submitting memorials is not acceptable as it is against the rules.

There were some accidents this time. Wang Gen fell seriously ill and couldn't even get out of bed, so naturally there was no chance for him to be recommended on the spot. To be on the safe side, he could only continue to be the Grand Sima and wait for Wang Li and others to propose him after his death.

By then, all of Wang's followers will be in agreement, and Xu Hua can take this opportunity to trip them up.

Although it may not have much effect, it is good to disgust them. When Xu Hua was appointed as prime minister, Wang Feng also strongly opposed it.

There were also Xu Zhong and others serving as governors, and Wang Gen would impeach them almost every day. In the end, Liu Xin took advantage of the situation and abolished the governors, and continued to serve as provincial governors. However, in fact, there was not much difference between them and governors, after all, they had been in power for many years.

"Should we fight for our father's position as Grand Marshal? Our uncle is the current General of Chariots and Cavalry, so it is reasonable and legal for him to serve as Grand Marshal."

Xu Hua's eldest son Xu Yuan said that he believed his family could also strive for this official position. After Wang Gen's death, the influence of the Wang family was further weakened.

Wang Mang had basically no foundation in the army. Although the imperial guards still obeyed orders, the degree of compliance was definitely greatly reduced. If he could snatch the Grand Marshal away, the Wang family would really have no hope.

Strictly speaking, the power of the general is not too great. At most, it is equivalent to the three highest officials. He only has absolute authority in the field of military generals.

But it would be different if the Grand Marshal was added. He would be able to legitimately interfere in state affairs. This is an essential difference.

Xu Zhong was a general of chariots and cavalry, and a high-ranking official, but he could not reach Chang'an. On the one hand, he had to guard one side, but more importantly, he was not a great military commander, and could not legitimately interfere in government affairs.

Although the Han Dynasty did not make a clear distinction between civil officials and military generals, the division of labor between officials was very important.

Xu Hua shook his head: "No need, we can't force what is not ours. The Grand Marshal will definitely belong to Wang Mang. We can't get it even if we try to snatch it. We can just wait and see."

The next day, the morning court began as scheduled. A few days before, there was the funeral of Grand Marshal Wang Gen, so the whole hall was filled with a very tense atmosphere.

"My Lord, please accept my condolences. Birth, aging, illness and death are the laws of the human world and cannot be changed by human power. Sometimes death is not necessarily a disaster."

Liu Xin, who was sitting in the main seat, comforted him. Although he felt happy in his heart, he couldn't show it on his face.

"Whether my uncle lives or dies, I have no control over it. I can only try my best to fulfill my responsibilities as a junior."

Wang Mang looked very sad. He had acted very mournful these days. He wore mourning clothes all the time and went to the ancestral temple to pay homage. As he said, he fulfilled the responsibility of a younger generation.

Emperor Liu Xin also attended most of the funeral affairs in person. No matter what, he was the Grand Marshal, so he had to do it no matter how much he disliked it.

Otherwise, he would be laughed at by the world. "Your Majesty, the Sima Wang has passed away. Although now is not the right time, the position of the Grand Sima is the foundation of the country after all, and it cannot be left vacant. Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible."

"Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible..."

Officials from the Wang family quickly stepped forward to make suggestions. The situation was already somewhat out of control. If Wang Gen himself had not been holding the emperor hostage, there would have been a high probability of an accident.

If Liu Xin refuses to be persuaded and insists on appointing someone else or simply not appointing anyone, there will be nothing they can do.

This is also the rule set by Xu Gong back then. The Grand Marshal must be proposed in the court! Submitting memorials privately is invalid. Of course, if the emperor supports it, this is just a process.

But the problem is that the new emperor doesn't have much good feelings towards the Wang family, who have been powerful officials for many years. If he disagrees, the Xu family will take the opportunity to pursue their victory.

Maybe he could even capture the Grand Marshal.

Liu Xin pondered for a moment and said, "Do you have any suitable candidates in mind? Please tell me everything you know and I will select the best one."

There was no expression on his face at this moment, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Wang Li, who served as the front general, stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, one should not avoid relatives when selecting talents. I recommend Wang Mang, the doctor-in-chief. He comes from a family of generals, has been with my brother for many years, and is very familiar with government affairs."

"Besides, he is also a current Confucian doctor. His character and ability are known to all the world! In addition, my nephew is the Minister of the Imperial Household, one of the Nine Ministers, so it is perfect for him to serve as the Grand Marshal."

"I also recommend Doctor Wang..."

"I second the proposal."

Officials from the Wang faction expressed their agreement one after another, and kept adding to the benefits of appointing Wang Mang, and their momentum grew stronger and stronger.

"General Wang is wrong. Your Majesty, I personally think that Doctor Wang is not worthy of being promoted to the position of Grand Marshal."

Taizhong doctor Xu Zhen spoke out against it. He was the youngest son of Xu Ning and was quite famous in the court. He also had a hostile relationship with the Wang family.

After all, most of the time, the Xu family members share the same fate.

Liu Xin nodded and asked, "What's the reason? You can't just dismiss it with just one word."

"I disagree for three reasons. First, Grand Marshal Wang Gen just passed away. My uncle was like a half-father to me, so I need to resign and observe mourning for three years before we can discuss promotion."

"Secondly, Wang Mang was relatively young. When the great general Wang Feng was appointed as the Grand Marshal, he was already nearly 40 years old. Not to mention the Grand Marshal Wang Gen, who was already over 50 years old at the time and had enough experience to handle state affairs."

"In comparison, this age of just thirty is not enough."

"There is one last point. Wang Mang has no military experience, nor does he have many outstanding political achievements. Although he is a relative of the emperor, it is no longer the reign of Emperor Li."

"In my opinion, Queen Ding's brother, General Ding Ming, can be promoted to Grand Marshal, General, and take charge of the Secretariat, replacing Wang Gen."

The person recommended by Xu Zhen was none other than the current upstart relative of the emperor, the brother of Queen Ding, who had secretly defected to the Xu family a long time ago. After Xu Bo's death, Ding Ming no longer had to ask about the Xu family's affairs and successfully got rid of his subordinate status. After all, he was a General of Cavalry and a high-ranking official!

But the two remain solid political allies.

Liu Xin nodded and was about to make a decision when Wang Li immediately objected: "Your Majesty, don't be too rigid. There can be only one Grand Marshal."

"Of course Ding Piaoqi can do the job, but so can my nephew Wang Mang. Doctor Xu said that we need to observe mourning for three years. Yes, the etiquette does stipulate this, but the saintly teacher Xu Gong also said that etiquette can be changed according to the situation. If the country needs it, the family will give in."

"Doesn't the country need such a young man? And age is not a problem. How old was Huo Qubing, the champion, when he was appointed Grand Marshal? Didn't Gan Luo, who was appointed Prime Minister at the age of twelve, also win more than a dozen cities for Qin?"

"Age is no measure of character and ability to govern a country."

Of course, Wang Li would never agree with that. The Wang family could accept Ding Ming being appointed Grand Marshal and accept sharing power with him, but they would not allow the family to be destroyed!
Isn't this just pushing your own family into a dead end?

It seems that there will not be only one Grand Marshal in the future. It seems that the Xu family has other intentions and does not intend to prevent Wang Mang from taking the position.

Instead, he helped his allies to rise together! To play a role of checks and balances, it must be said, very smart, at least Wang Li could not find any reason to refute, so he could only settle for the next best thing.

"Well... General Wang Li's words make sense. I will promote Wang Mang to the rank of general and make him a general, and General Ding Ming will also be promoted to a general. But besides these, I have another person in mind."

Hearing this, Wang Mang looked over unconsciously. He had remained silent before because everything was expected, but now it was obviously beyond his expectations.

But it's not a big deal. The emperor just wants to support one of his own. It doesn't matter.

Xu Hua next to him was also surprised for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

Seeing that no one objected, Liu Xin said, "I want to make my close minister Dong Xian the general of the guards and concurrently the Grand Marshal."

what?
Wang Mang was a little upset, not because of anything else, it was normal to let his own people go up, but the point was that Dong Xian was Liu Xin's male favorite! He was always with him and loved him very much.

He gave them titles and financial rewards, and also appointed many people from the Dong family as officials.

The famous "Duanxiu" habit is the masterpiece of these two people, and is as famous as the "Longyang" love.

Xu Hua was not surprised at all, because Dong Xian was his man and the Xu family could find out whatever Liu Xin was going to do.

However, this matter is kept highly confidential and not everyone knows about it.

"Your Majesty, you can't do this!" Xu Zhen certainly couldn't tolerate this and said quickly.

"Yes, this Dong Xian is just a minister, he has no achievements, no ability, and no moral character, how can he usurp such a high position?"

Wang Li also expressed his opposition.

“No, no…”

"This is ridiculous! This is too ridiculous! I cannot agree to this in any way!"

This time, the court officials were unprecedentedly united and firmly opposed the man who only relied on the emperor to become the Grand Marshal!
You have to know that Xu Gong's contribution in turning the tide by beheading Hu Duo, the Chanyu of the Donghu, was rewarded with the title of General Wei, a high-ranking military officer second only to the rank of General, General of the Cavalry, and General of the Chariots and Cavalry!

What right does he have? Any minister with a conscience would not agree to it. It is neither reasonable nor moral.

(End of this chapter)