Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 438 The Struggle for the Position of Minister of State

Anyi, the General's Mansion.

The officials in the mansion laughed with joy.

Groups of subordinates gathered together, discussing the news of Yuan Shao's death and Zhang Yu's return to the capital. They expressed their amazement at Zhang Yu's achievements during his more than one-year-long expedition.

Last year, when they marched into Hebei, the outcome was still uncertain. Now, they not only occupy Ji Province, but have also worn Yuan Shao down to his death in the army. If it weren't for Yuan Shu and Gongsun Du's intervention, they probably wouldn't have been able to sweep across the coast.

While the officials were discussing the matter, the atmosphere in the council hall became much more somber. Senior advisors such as Zhong Yao, Wang Chen, Xue Xia, Yu Yi, and Li Jian discussed the matter of rescuing Hanzhong.

“Your Excellency wishes to relieve Hanzhong, and has already sent a swift messenger to Shi Yi, ordering him to lead the troops from Longxi to the rescue. You have also been instructed to procure military provisions from Guanzhong to supply the troops,” Zhong Yao said.

“Longyou is one or two thousand li away from Hanzhong. It will take at least a month just to travel there,” Wang Chen said worriedly. “Shi Yi’s troops number only a few thousand. Even if they can reach Hanzhong, it will be difficult to change the overall situation.”

Zhong Yao pondered for a moment, then said, "My lord, shall you dispatch the Zhongtiao Army to join forces with Shi Yi to aid Hanzhong?"

"The Zhongtiao Army?"

Yu Yi exclaimed in surprise, "The Zhongtiao Army consists of only three hundred young men. How can they possibly succeed?"

“Although three hundred men are few, they can be called elite.” Zhong Yao said, “Since being selected by the lord to join the army several years ago, we have practiced military skills every day, diligently practiced riding and archery, and hunted the Hu people at the beginning of the year, beheading more than a hundred without losing a single person. Therefore, three hundred soldiers can hold off three thousand old and weak people.”

After a pause, Zhong Yao said, "Not only that, Your Majesty has appointed Xu Huang as the commander-in-chief and Ke Bi as the deputy commander, to lead the armies of Hezhong and Xianyang, and they are heading from Hebei to Hanzhong."

"This rescue mission is going to be extremely difficult!"

Wang Chen sighed and said, "If Zhang Lu had been able to come to our aid immediately when Sun Ce launched his northern expedition, we wouldn't be in this predicament now. I fear that by the time our troops reach Hanzhong, Nanzheng will have already fallen!"

"Do your best!"

Zhong Yao reassured everyone, saying, "Yuan Shao has died, and Ji and You are now at peace. Hebei has been at peace since then, and you, my lord, have won a great victory in your eastern expedition. Now you control the land of the Yellow River, with a registered population of over a million, and the Xiongnu and Xianbei tribes number over a hundred thousand. The Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuan have submitted to you. Your hegemony is now complete. This time, you should do your best to rescue Hanzhong. If you fail, you can attack them in the future."

Despite Zhong Yao's diligent efforts in organizing Zhang Yu's relief of Hanzhong, he did not believe the relief would succeed. After all, Zhang Yu's army was in Hebei, and the total number of troops sent to relieve the siege was less than 20,000, making it too difficult to fight against Sun Ce's 100,000-strong army.

For Zhong Yao, Zhang Yu's expedition to subdue Hebei and his de facto defeat of Yuan Shao were already beyond his expectations. Therefore, even if the rescue of Hanzhong fails, with Zhang Yu's ability and the territory he controls, it is only a matter of time before he takes over the world.

“In that case, I will transfer military provisions from Anyi to Guanzhong in the morning, and then the military advisor will conscript the people of Guanzhong to transport military supplies for Xu Huang and Shi Yi,” Wang Chen said.

After Du Ji resigned from his post in Hedong Commandery and became the governor of Ji Province, Zhang Yu transferred Wang Chen to be the governor of Hedong Commandery, where he served as the chief secretary to assist Zhong Yao.

"Can!"

Zhong Yao said, "I hereby issue this edict in the name of the General's Mansion!"

As everyone dispersed and busied themselves, a welcoming sound suddenly came from outside the hall.

"Strategist, the lady and the young master have arrived!" the attendant reported.

"lady?"

"Follow me to greet them!"

During Zhang Yu's absence, Wang Ji often "took care" of the General's Mansion. Although he didn't interfere in affairs, Zhong Yao really didn't want to deal with him. After all, Zhang Yu had entrusted him with many matters in the rear, and he couldn't let Zhang Yu down, much less leave him with an impression of arrogance. Therefore, every time Wang Ji came, Zhong Yao dared not fail to bring people to greet him.

Before Zhong Yao could take a few steps, the elegant and dignified Wang Ji appeared on the small square steps outside the hall with Zhang Luo.

"Your Excellency greets Madam and Young Master!"

"Greetings, Chen..."

Even though Wang Chen is the elder brother, he still needs to pay his respects as Wang Ji's status rises.

"You're too polite!"

Wang Ji humbly helped the crowd up and said with a smile, "Your Excellency's campaigns abroad have all relied on your assistance. Now that Your Excellency is returning victorious, I respectfully present you with several kinds of seasonal fruits to reward your hard work."

Knowing that Wang Ji had something to discuss with Zhong Yao, everyone except Wang Chen tactfully thanked him and took their leave.

"I wonder what the Prime Minister was discussing just now?" Wang Ji asked casually.

"I dare not accept the title of Prime Minister!"

Zhong Yao feigned fear and said, "The matter we just discussed is an order from the Lord. Hanzhong is under siege by Sun Ce, and the Lord has ordered me to allocate military provisions and supplies."

Wang Ji smiled and said, "Your Excellency is about to establish the nation. With your achievements and qualifications, if you are not appointed as the prime minister, then no one else can shoulder this important responsibility."

Zhong Yao humbly replied, "I will obey your orders, my lord."

Wang Ji glanced at Wang Chen and smiled, "Sir, you are a confidant of the Marquis, how could you not know who holds the position of Prime Minister?"

Zhong Yao remained noncommittal, but respectfully inquired: "May I ask what brings you here, Madam?"

"Does the gentleman know who will hold the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?" Wang Ji asked meaningfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yao glanced at Wang Chen and secretly groaned. Could it be that Wang Ji intended to appoint Wang Chen as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and now wanted to recommend him to Zhang Yu through him?

"This~" As Zhong Yao pondered how to answer, Wang Chen, who had been silent, suddenly said, "Reporting to Madam, I have recommended Commander Xun You to serve as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ji stared directly at Wang Chen with her phoenix eyes filled with anger and resentment at Wang Chen's lack of ambition.

"Mr. Xun is resourceful and loyal to the emperor; he is certainly capable of serving as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat!"

Soon, Wang Ji composed himself and asked calmly, "I have heard that Your Excellency intends to make Chang'an the capital. I wonder when the relocation to Chang'an will take place?"

Zhong Yao immediately replied, "Your Majesty, due to Dong Zhuo's repairs to the palaces, the palaces in Chang'an are now largely unharmed. I have already sent people to inspect the palaces, and if there are no unforeseen circumstances, we will be able to proceed to Chang'an soon. However, as to when we will move to Chang'an, we will have to wait for your news, Your Excellency."

"good!"

"Sir, you have urgent business to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer!"

Wang Ji glanced coldly at Wang Chen and said, "I'd be grateful if you, Wang Hedong, could see me off!"

Wang Chen calmly accompanied Wang Ji. Along the way, Wang Ji greeted all the officials they encountered with a smile, but he didn't give Wang Chen a very friendly look.

As they approached the carriage, Wang Ji's expression softened slightly, and he questioned, "I sought the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat for my elder brother, so why did you recommend someone else?"

“I understand my sister’s intentions. But it is not my wish to rise to a high position by virtue of being a relative of the emperor. Moreover, among all the families in the world, the most prosperous one now is the Wang family. My father is the tutor of the Marquis, and he has many students and former officials.”

Wang Chen sighed and said, "If I were to become the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the people would spread rumors. Moreover, my talents are inferior to those of Xun You and Du Ji. It would be better for me to step down and yield the position to a more worthy person, so that I can leave behind a good reputation."

Wang Ji was silent for a moment, then said, "The position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat is not something I requested, but rather something for my elder brother. I hope my elder brother will not regret it!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Lao!" Wang Chen said.

After Zhang Yu withdrew his troops, everyone knew that Zhang Yu intended to establish a new dynasty. As a result, many people scrambled for official positions, from high-ranking officials in the Imperial Secretariat to minor local officials. After all, this establishment of a new dynasty would determine the rank of everyone. Even if Zhang Yu became emperor in the future, the positions of civil and military officials would remain largely unchanged, except for a few individuals.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

As soon as Zhang Yu returned to Ye City, Du Ji was the first to pay his respects.

Zhang Yu invited Du Ji to sit down and asked, "What brings you here, Lord Marquis?"

Du Ji took out a memorial from his bosom and said, "Xu You has been hoarding farmland on both banks of the canal under the guise of repairing it. The details are all in the memorial."

"Who reported this?"

"Wang Ling's subordinates reported this, and Wei Commandery Prefect Dong Zhao is preparing to submit a memorial!"

Zhang Yu flipped through the contents of the memorial and sneered, "Based on market prices for fertile land, I'm afraid Xu You could make a fortune from repairing the canal."

"How does Your Excellency intend to punish him?" Du Ji asked.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Let Xu You dredge the old course of the Yellow River first. Marquis, you can secretly collect more information about Xu You's misconduct, and I will punish him all at once later."

Zhang Yu would never hesitate to use Xu You's head. Dredging waterways was no easy task; a single misstep could easily trigger a popular uprising. He would first use Xu You to dredge the canal, then later use Xu You's head to appease the people. He could also distribute the fertile land Xu You had hoarded to the poor, thus eliminating the negative impact of the canal construction.

"promise!"

"How are things going with the various prefectures of Ji Province during this campaign against the coastal areas?" Zhang Yu asked.

"Because the military campaign was short-lived and only involved conscripting laborers for the canal, the counties remained peaceful and no unrest occurred."

After pondering for a moment, Du Ji said, "This matter concerns the governance of Ji Province. I have a suggestion, but I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to accept it?"

"But it doesn't matter!"

"During the Later Han Dynasty, Ji Province had a large population and its commanderies and kingdoms encompassed the territory of two provinces, making it the most prosperous of all provinces. Therefore, if Your Majesty intends to make Chang'an the capital, it would be better to divide Ji Province into two separate provinces with overlapping ancestral origins."

Du Ji said, “Your Majesty can observe the various prefectures in Henan. Henan’s commanderies and kingdoms are not as good as those in Hebei, but it has been divided into four prefectures: Xu, Yan, Qing, and Yu. Hebei, on the other hand, only has three prefectures: You, Bing, and Ji. Considering the four prefectures in Henan, it would be a wise move for Your Majesty to establish another prefecture.”

Zhang Yu pondered for a while and said, "What you say makes sense. Ji Province has a population of several million, and it is not appropriate to gather them all in one province. Now, according to your suggestion, we can divide Ji Province into several counties and entrust you with the task of drafting a rough outline."

"As the governor of Ji Province, it would be better to hand over the subsequent affairs to the Ministry of Personnel or the General's Office!" Du Ji said.

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "If Ji Province is divided up, it would be a waste of talent for you to become the governor. Once the Ministry of Personnel is established, you will need to enter the Ministry of Personnel as the Minister and work together with the Chancellor Zhong Yuanchang to govern the country."

Before meeting Du Ji, Zhang Yu had three candidates for the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat: Guo Tu, Du Ji, and Xun You. Among them, Guo Tu had the most seniority, and Xun You had the best interpersonal relationships. Now, Du Ji, as the Governor of Ji Province, was able to propose to Zhang Yu the division of Ji Province, which showed that he was not concerned with personal favors. Therefore, if Zhang Yu did not appoint Du Ji as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, wouldn't he be failing to make a name for himself in employing talent?

Du Ji bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency!"

Zhang Yu helped Du Ji up and said, "I will lead the army westward afterward. Marquis Lao will govern Ji Province for me and await the imperial edict."

"Does Your Excellency not worry about the military situation in Youzhou?" Du Ji asked.

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "Xianyu Fu will lead his army to confront them. When Gongsun runs out of food, he will lead his army to retreat, and our army will have no major worries. However, Sun Ce is coming with great force, and with only Xu Huang and Shi Yi to come to our aid, I am afraid that things may change. I want to stay in Chang'an to observe the military situation in Hanzhong."

(End of this chapter)