Fu Shanhe

Chapter 342 Obedience Test

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

After reading the case files sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the faces of all the senior officials turned gloomy.

According to the envoys, the King of Annan had been calling himself the Emperor of Dai Viet internally for decades.

It has become even more powerful in recent years, and when it launched foreign expeditions, it also raised the banner of the Dai Viet Empire.

It has successively annexed more than a dozen countries including Zhenla and Vientiane, some of which were vassal states of Dayu, and is now beginning to send troops to the Bamyan region.

Compared with these substantial misconducts, the mistakes in drafting the letter of credence became a trivial matter.

“Your Majesty, the Annamites are ambitious and have been expanding abroad in recent decades.

If we continue to let this go, I'm afraid we will become the second Northern Tartar."

Minister of Works Shen Qiyuan was the first to express his position.

One Northern Tartar has caused unrest in Dayu. If another one comes, then life will be miserable for everyone.

Dayu has also suffered many disasters in recent years, with internal and external troubles erupting simultaneously, making this old empire run wild.

"It is necessary to curb the continued expansion of the Annan people, but the current situation of the court is not suitable for using troops in the south.

Even if we send troops to deter others, the conditions do not allow it.

The Annanites must have seen our weakness and chose to test us at this time.

The more critical the moment, the more cautious we should be.

Judging from the interrogation results provided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, after the last military expansion, the total strength of Annan was close to 400,000.

Once a war breaks out in southern Xinjiang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou will all become battlefields.

Among these four provinces, only Guangdong's fiscal revenue and expenditure can be self-sufficient, and its logistical expenses must rely on the rear.

The White Lotus rebels had not yet been suppressed, and the imperial court was unable to wage war on multiple fronts.

I suggest that the case of the diplomatic corps be handled with caution.”

Pang Chengjie said with an embarrassed look on his face.

In an era when "when the lord is in sorrow, the minister is humiliated; when the lord is humiliated, the minister dies", the behavior of the Annan people was undoubtedly challenging the bottom line of the feudal scholar-officials.

In the past, everyone only knew that the Annamites were restless, but they didn't know that they had such great ambitions.

Now that the window paper has been pierced, no one can pretend not to see it anymore.

According to the tradition of our ancestors, we should have sent troops to deal with the Annan people long ago.

Unfortunately, due to financial pressure, he, as the Minister of Revenue, had to call on everyone to exercise restraint.

“Mr. Pang Da is right, the diplomatic mission case must be handled with caution.

In order to reduce the impact, the information obtained by the Jinyiwei during their investigation is not suitable for widespread dissemination and should be suppressed for the time being!
In border areas, we must also exercise restraint.

As long as the Annamites do not provoke a major war, we can tolerate other minor problems for the time being.

When the situation improves, we will find an opportunity to settle accounts with the Annan people."

Wan Junhui immediately expressed his support.

Under the current circumstances, the best option is to characterize the Mission Case as a clerical error.

Everyone pretended not to see the other evidence.

As for the mystery behind the mission case, there may be some doubts, but we cannot dig deeper into it now.

So much explosive information was revealed just by interrogating the members of the delegation. Further investigation would only make the court more embarrassed.

"The Prime Minister is mature and prudent, let's do it this way!

Jinyiwei is responsible for supervision, and all those who know about this should shut up. I don't want this matter to become a hot topic."

Emperor Yongning said while trying to suppress his displeasure.

Deep down in his heart, he had already taken a heavy responsibility against the Annamites.

If Dayu completes its revival one day, the second country he will destroy will be Annan.

"I will obey your orders!"

All the ministers answered in unison.

Wen Siyuan, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, had cold sweat on his forehead.

In order to shirk responsibility, I chose to report the incident immediately and forgot to issue a gag order.

It is estimated that by now the news of the diplomatic mission case has spread throughout the capital.

I wanted to keep it secret now, but the opportunity has already passed.

Although he knew it, he didn't dare tell the emperor.

The diplomatic envoy case had already made Emperor Yongning unhappy with the Honglu Temple. If they continued to make the emperor unhappy, then he, the Minister of the Honglu Temple, would be unhappy.

After a brief panic, he quickly calmed down.

It doesn’t matter whether it can be kept secret or not. As long as the emperor feels that the matter has been suppressed, then this embarrassing incident is equivalent to not happening.

……

Wuchang City.

It has been more than a month since the Huguang Campaign ended. Except for a few sporadic battles, the Huguang region has basically stabilized.

The struggle between Zhejiang and Jiangxi has temporarily put an end to the road to unification.

The government troops recaptured most of the prefectures in the two provinces, and the rest fell into the hands of the Wu State.

Considering the logistical pressure, the government troops had to stop the operation.

The Wu State, which had gained an advantage, also ran into trouble.

The Wu State had only a total of more than 300,000 troops, and the remaining troops of the Chu State were almost as strong as theirs.

With so many troops, if they were not reorganized, the State of Wu would have no ability to launch a major war against foreign powers.

Both sides had reasons to cease fire, and the fighting in the area south of the Yangtze River miraculously stopped.

"The results in the capital came out, and everything was just as we expected. The court chose to handle it coldly.

Without any in-depth investigation, the diplomatic mission case was concluded to be a failure.

After the seeds are buried, all you have to do is wait for them to take root and sprout.

After retaking Nanjing, you can start the attack on Jiaozhi.

But you have to think carefully, the help the court can provide is limited.

Even for the military expenses of the army to suppress the rebellion, the court only gave us a bunch of official positions and let us figure out how to sell them ourselves.”

After hearing the news brought by Li Yuan, Li Mu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

In the context of stability overriding all else, no one cared about the ins and outs of the diplomatic mission case; everyone just wanted to suppress the matter as quickly as possible.

He was prepared to clean up the mess if it came to light.

As a result, all the careful planning before was in vain.

"The imperial court has taken out all the vacancies. Aren't they afraid that local forces will become stronger?"

Li Mu asked in pretended surprise.

Selling official positions is also a way to enrich historical heritage.

The most famous expert in selling official positions can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The prices are clearly marked, everyone is treated fairly, and they even have an official position exchange.

During the peak period, even the positions of the three highest officials were put up for sale by the emperor.

Subsequent rulers learned from the lesson and either banned the sale of official positions or imposed restrictions on it.

With the changes of history, the art of selling official positions flourished again during the Yuan Dynasty.

Compared with these predecessors, selling official positions in the Dayu Dynasty was just child's play.

Pricing is confusing, there is no uniform standard, and there is a lack of brand effectiveness.

Even if you buy an official position, you will still be despised.

The orthodox civil officials ignored them, and the military generals also despised them.

It would be fine if I could get a job that actually has vacancies.

At the very least, he entered the ruling group and enjoyed the treatment of a formal official.

If you only buy an honorary title, it is purely honorary in nature.

The privileges obtained were limited to not having to bow when meeting officials, being able to wear official uniforms, living in houses of corresponding grades, and not having to perform corvée labor.

The actual power is almost zero, and the social status has improved, but not much.

“The vacancies offered by the imperial court are mostly low-level positions in remote counties and prefectures, with the highest rank being a seventh-rank county magistrate.

Even if they can gain control of local power, their influence will be very limited.

What's more, officials have terms of office and will be transferred when their term expires.

Given the characteristics of those civil servants, this kind of official who was bought with money must be the focus of the Ministry of Personnel's investigation. It's too easy to find fault with him.

Most of them will be sent back home after serving one term.

If they were more shameless, we could have joined forces with the three government offices to investigate corruption and wiped out all of them.”

Li Yuan said with disdain.

Such low-level official positions, whether civil or military, were not attractive to him.

Especially in remote areas, where no one wants to take a job, a letter of recommendation can be sent to the Ministry of Personnel and the job can be arranged.

"Uncle, you guessed wrong this time.

Once selling official positions starts, it cannot be stopped.

The path of imperial examination is not easy. Even if one is from a family of civil servants, not everyone can pass the examination and become a Jinshi.

Perhaps in the early stages, everyone despised these bought officials, and the children of aristocratic families felt that they could not afford to lose face and were unwilling to do so.

Those who pay to buy official positions are all businessmen and wealthy people in the countryside, and it can be done this way.

After a long time, everyone gradually got used to it.

Those family members who had no chance of entering officialdom in the past will also change their ideas.

In order to protect their own interests, local powerful families were also happy to place their own family members in the government.

Once they enter the officialdom by donating money, the situation will be different.

The Ministry of Personnel is very strict, but that is aimed at outsiders.

If I meet someone with connections, I will still show mercy.

As time goes by, the number of people who donate money to become officials continues to increase, and their career ceiling will continue to be broken. "

Li Mu shook his head and said.

These were not his random guesses; they were things that really happened in his previous life.

There were many people who bought official positions and became ministers of six ministries or grand councilors.

Towards the end of the dynasty, after the abolition of the imperial examination system, donating money to become an official became the mainstream way to enter the officialdom.

The situation continued to deteriorate, and the imperial court needed money and food to maintain its rule, so it had to resort to drinking poison to quench its thirst.

In the later stages of development, it was almost inevitable that the resources for entering officialdom through the imperial examination would be squeezed out.

"Ok!"

“These problems may indeed occur, but the probability is not high.

You know his majesty's character. He will not trust those who buy official positions through donations.

All the officials have worked their way up, and they will not allow the talent selection mechanism of the imperial court to be disrupted.

Even if more people donate money to become officials, it won’t amount to anything.

Forget it, these troubles are what the civil servants should worry about.

The court is now selling official positions, but the actual vacancies are limited to civil positions, and military positions are all nominal positions, which have little to do with us. "

Li Yuan said with a smile.

The court sold official positions in this way, on the one hand because civil positions were easier to sell than military positions, and on the other hand because they did not dare to do so.

No matter how much trouble they cause due to the lack of civil servants, at most the people in the area will suffer, but it will not affect the foundation of Dayu.

It is different for military generals, they are really lacking in those who can lead troops.

If you have any inappropriate thoughts, it may cause unrest at any time.

Especially when there were signs of major chaos, the court attached far more importance to military power than at any previous time.

"Uncle, now that the dust has settled, I will go back to Guangdong and Guangxi to prepare."

Li Mu said calmly.

In order to gain the support of the noble group, the subsequent military merits for suppressing the rebellion have been traded away.

In this context, it was obviously inappropriate for him, a victorious general, to stay on the front line.

Otherwise, even if others won the battle, the outside world would suspect that it was him who commanded it.

Preconceived ideas are difficult to change.

The best option is to stay in the rear and give up command of the front line.

As the situation has developed to this point, the government troops have gained the upper hand.

In the future, we just need to advance steadily and gradually shrink the rebels' space for activities, and then we can annihilate the enemy.

If someone else were to take command, the rebellion would only take longer to quell and the losses would be greater.

"You really should go back. It's ridiculous that you haven't had a child after being married for several years.

The most urgent task is to give birth to an heir as soon as possible to pass on the foundation of your Han Shui Hou Mansion.

......"

Li Mu looked aggrieved when he heard his uncle urging him to have a baby.

In recent years, he has either been commanding operations or on his way to command operations.

If a couple can have children after being separated for a long time, then there is a problem.

"Uncle, rest assured. I will take care of this matter."

Although he agreed readily, Li Mu was completely unsure in his heart.

This time when I go back, I can only rest for a few months at most.

If the war on the front line is not going well, he will still go to the battlefield.

Dayu's medical facilities are limited, and pregnancy depends on luck. No one can guarantee that the task of creating a baby can be accomplished during this period.

……

Nanjing City.

"Your Majesty's rescue plan failed, and the court played a trick of using someone else as a substitute. The King of Chu in the prison cart was actually a condemned prisoner in disguise.

The real King of Chu was secretly escorted to the capital, and his current location is unknown."

Yang Jingren said pretending to be sad.

Rescuing King Wei Jiarui of Chu was purely a political show.

The State of Wu swallowed up a large amount of the inheritance of the State of Chu, and now the people who want Wei Jiarui the most are the top leaders of the State of Wu.

It was only out of consideration for the feelings of the surrendered ministers of the State of Chu that he deliberately planned a rescue operation that was doomed to fail.

"Brother Wei and I are close friends, and I must rescue him from the imperial court at all costs.

Contact the White Lotus sect members in various places, find out the location of the escort team as soon as possible, and then send out elite soldiers to rescue them."

Fu Haoxuan immediately gave the order.

If you don't understand the relationship between the two, you might really be moved by this brotherhood.

However, anyone with a discerning eye knows that if the relationship between the two was really that good, the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus would not have split up.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to rescue the King of Chu."

Yang Jingren's answer is full of artistry.

It seemed that he agreed readily, but in fact he only promised to do his best to rescue, without guaranteeing the final result.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest reorganization plan, please take a look!"

The words of the Minister of War Fan Xiuwen attracted the attention of the old ministers of the King of Chu.

The reorganization of the army involved their vital interests, and they no longer cared about Wei Jiarui.

Caring about the old master is to show that you are a loyal person.

But no matter how much they showed their loyalty, they have now defected to the State of Wu.

It was the best option for everyone that King Wei Jiarui of Chu died at the hands of the imperial court.

If the person was really rescued, the most embarrassed ones would be these old ministers.

"Ok!"

"I think the plan is very good. Let's discuss it together. If you have different opinions, you can raise them.

After today, we will follow the established rules and push for reorganization in the military."

Fu Haoxuan said it easily, but the Chu army generals were extremely nervous.

Everyone is not a fool and is very aware of their own situation. They don't have the capital to refuse now.

It seems to be asking them to give their opinions, but in fact it is a test of obedience.

The emperor has already said that the plan is good. To say that there are problems with the plan would be a slap in the emperor's face.

Anyone who dares to do this doesn't want to stay in the Wu Kingdom anymore.

(End of this chapter)