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

Chapter 138 Ding Ming Succession
Wang Mang said calmly, his face calmer than ever before, as if what he said were just some trivial matters.

When these words were spoken, not only Liu Xin, but also Xu Hua on the opposite side was shocked.

Even though Ding Ming was well prepared, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. It was incredible that the current Grand Marshal and General would give up his power so lightly!
Even though he is the person with the highest status in the Wang family, Wang Zhengjun has spoken. You must know that if you really give up on the Grand Marshal, the family will have almost no hope, and your life in the future will be in the hands of the other party!
I didn't expect Wang Mang to be so happy. It seems that he has become completely decadent.

Thinking of this, Ding Ming's heart became hot. If the old foreign relatives' family died out, there must be a new one to fill the vacancy, and that family could only be himself!

He is the General of Cavalry. If the title of Grand Marshal is not his, then who else can it be? A truly independent Grand Marshal should be among the Three Dukes, not an additional title placed before the title of General!
"Why do you say that, Sima Wang?" Liu Xin couldn't believe it. He subconsciously thought that Wang Mang was just angry. After all, he had put too much pressure on the Wang family these days. Wang Li had died a violent death, so he might be the next one.

Therefore, it makes sense to threaten to resign, as this is the final bargaining chip that can force the emperor to make concessions.

Wang Mang bowed and continued, "I have caught a cold these days, and I am afraid I do not have the energy to continue to serve as Grand Marshal."

"I am afraid that this will cause chaos and losses to the Han Dynasty! I will simply give up my position and concentrate on teaching and educating people at the Imperial Academy. This will also be a contribution. Today, I earnestly ask Your Majesty to agree to my resignation and give up my position to teach at the Confucian Academy."

Although his words were perfunctory, there was nothing wrong with them. If he was sick and could no longer handle government affairs, he would just quit.

However, Liu Xin certainly could not agree directly. He still hoped that Wang Mang would hold on for a while longer to prevent the situation from getting out of control and the balance that he had worked so hard to maintain from being lost. It would not be too late to deal with it after his own ministers were helped up.

Moreover, Wang Mang was different from other members of the Wang family. He had political achievements, fame, knowledge, family background and moral character. He was impeccable.

If Liu Xin did not say something to persuade them, he would undoubtedly be criticized by someone with ulterior motives. At least Zheng Liangrong and Li Nianzhao of the Imperial College would not sit idly by and watch their own people being bullied.

We will definitely write a letter to condemn it!
Zheng Liangrong didn't care, at most some rumors would spread, but Li Nianzhao was different. There was no need to say much about what this old guy had done before. Once bitten by a snake, one will fear the rope for ten years. He was still somewhat afraid.

What if he does it again? Although Ding Ming, who holds the military power this time, cannot sit idly by.

"Alas...Sir Wang, that being said, you caught a cold and have no energy to handle government affairs. You want to go home and recuperate. I shouldn't have said anything more. I should have obeyed you out of both emotion and reason."

"What can I do? I have no one to use in this huge court! You are the only one who can truly serve as the Grand Marshal!"

"Your elders served as Grand Marshals for two terms in the past, and their achievements were remarkable both in the previous dynasty and in this dynasty. As their successor, you must have sufficient capabilities. Moreover, you have managed government affairs in an orderly manner these days."

"Everyone in the government and the public gave you a thumbs up and praised you as 'Jing Hou reborn'. If we really leave you, how will the country function?"

"I beg you, Sima Wang, to work harder and wait until you have trained a suitable successor before you can pass it on."

Liu Xin tried to retain Wang Mang with a very sincere expression, as if Wang Mang was a loyal minister and the Han Dynasty would perish without him.

But to be honest, Wang Mang did a really good job during this period. He cleared up the long-standing problems left by his predecessors and completely changed the entire administration of officials. He was skillful and capable, and his morals were also famously noble.

If his surname was not Wang, and if he had less ambition, he might really be able to continue in office, which would be quite good.

What a pity, the Wang family can no longer be used, and must be suppressed! Maybe it can be used in the future, but not now, it is time to reshuffle the cards, otherwise the world will have to change its surname, right?
"Your Majesty, this is wrong. My achievements are actually not worth mentioning. They are the result of the joint efforts of all loyal ministers, not the achievements of me alone."

"So even if I am gone, it won't have much of an impact. It will just take some time to get familiar with the place. I also have an old mother and brother and sister-in-law to take care of at home. Please, Your Majesty, let me go home."

"As for the successor... I recommend General Ding Ming of the Cavalry. General Ding of the Cavalry is already the Grand Marshal of the Imperial Guard, so he must have some understanding of the corresponding operation trajectory. I will teach him a thing or two, and there will be no need to worry."

"Your Majesty, please let me go back home!"

Wang Mang fell to his knees with a plop.

Liu Xin glanced at Ding Ming, who had an innocent look on his face.

It seems that this guy is really determined to leave.

Well, our Han Dynasty does not lack a great Sima like him. We have countless capable ministers. At worst, we can recruit Xu Zhong and Xu Min. As for whether he can dominate the world alone, that will be considered later.

"Since Sima Wang is determined to leave, I will not be able to keep him here. This will make everyone embarrassed."

"I have approved your resignation. I will also give you a thousand households of fiefdom to enjoy your old age. Although I cannot interfere in the internal affairs of the Imperial College, I still have the right to recommend."

"Later, I will issue an edict to recommend you to Dr. Li as the next chief doctor, so that we can better train talents for our Han Dynasty, and it will also be a way to fulfill your kindness."

Liu Xin made a symbolic attempt to retain him, and then approved the request.

In fact, it is not a big deal. If it really doesn't work, you can support others to play a check and balance role. As long as you have real power in your hands, why are you afraid of being sidelined?

After learning from the previous emperor's experience, he realized that it was best to hold power in his own hands. Giving it to others for a long time was a dead end! He could give it to outsiders, but not for a long time. He had to change it frequently.

Unless one has abilities like Emperor Wu, Emperor Kang, and Emperor Xuan, as well as ministers like Xu Gong and Xu Ye who can be fully trusted, it will not work.

Liu Xin thought that he did not have enough ability, and the only minister he trusted was Xu Bo, but he was already dead, so he was not satisfied at all.

If Xu Bo were still alive, he and his subject would have been able to accomplish great things with a united mind, just like Emperor Kang and Xu Ye. Unfortunately, when a person dies, it is like a light going out, and it is hard to find a subject whom you absolutely trust.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wang Mang then stood up. He was actually quite satisfied in his heart, as he had gained something from both sides.

He had resigned to avoid the limelight, but Liu Xin was willing to support him in the Imperial College! This undoubtedly increased his chances of becoming the leader of the Confucian school. With the emperor's support, Li Nianzhao had to think carefully even if he didn't want to run.

This time his fame rose again!
After watching the "former" Grand Marshal retreat, Liu Xin said again: "Sima Wang has resigned from his post."

"But the Grand Marshal is one of the Three Dukes, the most important regent, and must not be vacant. The Grand General is not a big deal. Right now, our Han Dynasty doesn't have many wars, and the Youliang border is guarded by Xu Yuan and Xu Min, so there is no worry for the time being, so I won't appoint one for now."

"I wonder what you think of the new Grand Marshal?"

Wang Mang, who had just sat down, stood up again and said, "I recommend General Ding Ming to take over my position. I believe that General Ding Ming will be able to shoulder the responsibility."

He recommended his arch-enemy without hesitation, which was beyond everyone's expectations.

I thought Wang Mang would take advantage of the situation to stir up trouble, but I didn't expect it to be so clean and neat. Indeed, the position of Grand Marshal was basically held by foreign relatives, with only a very small number of other officials holding it. However, in the 200 years since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there were only four Grand Marshals or Generals who were not foreign relatives or members of the Xu family.

This number is quite small compared to the number of Da Sima.

Such important ministers are often replaced in order to avoid the emergence of powerful ministers, unless they are people the emperor trusts extremely and they will serve for life.

For example, Wei Qing, Xu Ning and Wang Feng.

Therefore, Ding Ming, as Liu Xin's uncle, was a very good choice. Foreign relatives were a characteristic of the Han Dynasty, the golden period when they were the most powerful and trusted by the emperor. In later dynasties, foreign relatives were rarely trusted in this way.

Lü Chan, Wei Qing and Wang Mang of the Western Han Dynasty and Dou Xian and He Jin of the Eastern Han Dynasty were all very famous relatives of the emperor, and all held great power.

But they also have one thing in common, that is, the real leader is the Queen Mother!
The reason why he was able to sit on the high position of general was mainly because he relied on the legal legitimacy of the empress dowager. There were the forces of meritorious marquises in the Western Han Dynasty and the eunuch families in the Eastern Han Dynasty. The empress dowager was alone and the emperor was young, so it was difficult for them to compete with these long-rooted forces, so they could only support their own family members.

In the end, it was a vicious cycle! The Western Han Dynasty was not bad, but it was particularly obvious in the Eastern Han Dynasty. In order to gain a foothold in the court, the empress dowager supported the relatives of the emperor, and when the emperor came of age, he used the eunuchs to help him in order to gain power. The cycle continued in the next generation.

Maintaining a delicate balance, the Eastern Han Dynasty collapsed in the late years. In fact, it was mainly due to various accidents. By coincidence, Dong Zhuo obtained the legal right to enter the palace. By coincidence, the leaders of the foreign relatives, He Jin and He Miao, were all killed. By coincidence, the young emperor was run into by Dong Zhuo who entered the capital.

The intervention of local military leaders successfully broke this cycle.

"Well... I agree. I will use General Ding Ming to officially take over the position of Grand Marshal. I hope you won't let me down."

Although Liu Xin was surprised, he did not say anything, because this was indeed his idea. After all, without the Wang family, Xu Hua's family would be the only one in power in the court!

How could a mere Dong Xian possibly compete with the Xu family, a long-established family of meritorious officials who had been operating in the court for many years? They couldn't even beat the former Wang family, let alone others.

Therefore, it is crucial to quickly support the corresponding forces!

Ding Ming suppressed his excitement, stood up, stepped out of the line and said, "I thank your Majesty, and I will not disappoint your Majesty."

Unexpectedly, it went so smoothly. Wang Mang withdrew from the court and retired to the Imperial Academy.

.........

Wang Mang resigned, and the news soon spread throughout Chang'an! The Grand Marshal was the head of the Three Dukes in the true sense, and his status even surpassed that of the Prime Minister. After being weakened by successive monarchs, the Prime Minister had lost the glory of the early Han Dynasty.

The fundamental purpose of the reforms during the reigns of Emperor Wu, Emperor Yuan and Emperor Li was to weaken the prime minister and elevate the position of Grand Marshal, gradually turning it from an honorary position into a substantive one.

Therefore, the resignation of the current Grand Marshal would naturally attract much attention. Moreover, Wang Mang was a person who was unanimously praised by the Confucian scholars in the court, so many Confucian scholars were indignant.

It was believed that the new chief commander, Martin Ming, had deliberately excluded Ding Ming, so Ding Ming was scolded.

The name of "traitor" had already been reserved before it even started.

"Father, what do you think Wang Mang is planning? Is he really going to give up when faced with difficulties? If he only has this much perseverance, how could he be valued by grandfather?"

After hearing that Wang Mang had resigned, Xu Yuan immediately rushed to Jinghou Mansion from the county where he was in charge. This was beyond his expectations.

Giving up power voluntarily is not a wise choice. It will not be easy to pick it up again. Although the logic of recovering from the illness and returning to power is reasonable, will Ding Ming, who has just become the Grand Marshal, be willing to do so?
Of course, this would not be a problem if Liu Xin was willing to use it. He was no longer a semi-puppet emperor without real power.

However, Liu Xin would not let him come back unless there was really no one else available, even if people from all walks of life in the government and the country would recommend him.

Xu Hua took a sip of tea: "I don't know for now, he should have a bigger plan, I know this person very well."

"He is definitely not the kind of person who likes to give up halfway. Unless he is killed, it will never stop, because Wang Mang is not motivated by selfish motives, but by the desire to change the world."

“The most terrifying people are those with ambitions. Their hearts are terrifyingly strong.”

Xu Hua's vigilance against Wang Mang has not decreased, mainly because of his father's constant warnings, but what is his plan?

"Father, do you think he wants to wait until the emperor dies before returning? His Majesty's health is not very good."

Xu Yuan said subconsciously. He boldly guessed the other party's opportunity. Wang Mang's short-term plan of resigning was to avoid the limelight, and his long-term plan was most likely this!

“If Your Majesty appoints an adult prince as the crown prince, all his plans will be ruined.” Xu Hua actually didn’t quite agree.

He wrote to the emperor more than once, hoping that the emperor would appoint the steady Prince Guangyang as the crown prince in order to stabilize the foundation of the country.

Although he was evaded every time, it was only a matter of time. It was impossible for Liu Xin not to know his own body.

With an adult emperor, the Empress Dowager could not intervene, so what should Wang Mang do? Unless he was gambling! Gambling with the future of his family or even life and death, but was it possible?

He is the head of the family.

"I think Wang Mang is just gambling. If he loses, he can become a powerful family. If he wins, he can make a comeback! Don't forget that he is competing for the position of the chief doctor of the Imperial College."

"With this identity, who dares to touch him?"

Xu Yuan saw through his plan very clearly. Why not take the gamble when there is a way out? After all, His Majesty is very opposed to establishing a crown prince.

If the death is sudden and the country has no heir, then the person who holds the imperial seal is the Empress Dowager!

Are you still afraid that there will be no chance by then? Who can stop him from returning?

"you're right……"

(End of this chapter)