Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 141 Western Liang (Part 2)

"At that time, the seal of the Liangzhou General's Office will be handed over to you,"

Yang Jian looked at Lü Shang with anticipation and said, "Since the establishment of the General Administration Office in the first year of the Kaihuang era, both General Administrations have been my trusted ministers. Prince Wei Shuang guarded the north for me, and He Lou Zigan guarded the west for me. Now it is your turn."

Lü Shang's Adam's apple bobbed. Perhaps Yang Jian truly considered Lü Shang one of his own, for he was indeed unexpectedly generous to him.

It should be noted that the Governor-General of Liangzhou held the rank of a second-grade official, which was the pinnacle of power in the Northern Sui Dynasty. Gao Jiong, the head of the civil officials, although known as one of the Four Nobles, was only the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, also a second-grade official.

As for the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who held the power of a prime minister and was above the second rank, Yang Jian had long since rendered this position a mere formality and would never grant it to anyone else.

After all, Yang Jian usurped the throne of Northern Zhou as Grand Chancellor, and now that he is the Emperor of Northern Sui, how could he not know the power and influence of the Chancellor? How could he allow anyone else to covet the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?

Above the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, who is of the second rank, the Three Masters and Three Dukes, who are of the first rank and above, are more in name than in reality. They are prestigious, but have no real power.

Lu Shang unconsciously stroked the jade pendant in his sleeve with his fingertips. As the governor of Liangzhou, he held real power over 100,000 infantry and cavalry, the grain tax of fourteen states, and the trade routes of the thirty-six kingdoms in the Western Regions.

Most importantly, one must pass through Qin Prefecture, Liang Prefecture, Gan Prefecture, and Gua Prefecture before exiting Yumen Pass, which is the only way to travel west.

"Your Majesty's entrustment is a great responsibility, and I dare not refuse." Lü Shang thought for a moment, then suddenly raised his eyes, a sharp glint in them.

Yang Jian said softly, "Fei Xiong, after you arrive in Liangzhou, you must keep an eye on the movements of Tuyuhun. Although Datou has ceded three cities, Tuyuhun still occupies Qinghai and blocks our trade routes. If Tuyuhun invades Shanshan, there is no need to ask for permission. You and Helou Zigan can act as you see fit."

“He Louzi is mature and prudent. You should consult He Louzi more often when you encounter problems.”

"promise,"

Lü Shang bowed his head and obeyed.

Yang Jian pondered for a moment and then instructed, "Tomorrow, go to the Imperial Kitchen and get some Shu brocade and tea bricks as a gift for He Louzigan. He has always disliked empty formalities, so just tell him directly that you are 'an official sent by imperial decree to study,' and don't use the roundabout way that Gao Jiong did."

As they were speaking, the sound of pigeon whistling suddenly drifted past outside the hall. Yang Jian looked at the blue phoenix patterned window paper flitting past and said softly, "The Empress has been thinking a lot about your wedding date with Lanling lately. After you take over as the Governor of Liangzhou, I will issue an edict to grant the marriage."

"At that time, you will be both my nephew and my son-in-law, and this important town in the western frontier will be as secure as if I were holding it myself."

Lü Shang said, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your expectations."

Yang Jian was quite satisfied with Lü Shang, his prospective son-in-law. Looking at Lü Shang, who was tall and upright, with a respectful expression but an undeniable air of heroism, he thought to himself, "This young man has both military strategy and decisiveness. Given time, he will surely become a pillar of the court."

Arranging a marriage alliance can both stabilize the court and find a good match for one's daughter, truly killing two birds with one stone.

Yang Jian smiled and nodded, saying, "I look forward to your achievements in Liangzhou."

"Go ahead and prepare for your new post as soon as possible. I await your good news."

"Yes,"

Lü Shang withdrew from the ceremony, his boots making a clear sound on the blue bricks inside the hall.

Only when the vermilion palace doors closed behind him did Yang Jian shift his gaze from the map, his fingers gently stroking the still-warm teacup on the table.

"Your Majesty is serving herbal tea again?" A figure in a moon-white feather gauze suddenly appeared behind the screen. The twelve jade pendants at Empress Dugu's waist jingled softly, and her unadorned face carried a hint of mockery.

Upon seeing that it was Empress Dugu, Yang Jian laughed out loud, put down his teacup, and stood up to greet her, saying, "Jialuo, you've come at the right time. Fei Xiong just left, and I was just about to tell you about my arrangements."

His fingertip traced the vermilion mark of Liangzhou on the map, and he said, "Let him first serve as governor, assisting Helou Zigan. After Helou Zigan's term is over, he will then take over the seal of governor. Do you think this move is prudent?"

Empress Dugu glanced at the circles around Shanshan and Gaochang on the map and said, "My brother spent two years guarding the north, and Helouzigan spent three years guarding the west. Although Feixiong has military achievements in the northern frontier, he is still too young."

"However, he is your maternal relative and will be your son-in-law in the future. It is more reassuring to let him take charge of the military power in the western frontier than to use a general from another family."

The "younger brother" that Empress Dugu mentioned was none other than Prince Wei, Yang Shuang.

Emperor Yang Jian had four younger brothers: two biological brothers and two half-brothers. His biological brother Yang Zheng died in battle in Bingzhou while fighting against Northern Qi with Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, while his half-brother Yang Song died in battle in Pingyang while fighting against Northern Qi.

Of those still alive today, there is only one younger brother and one half-brother.

Unlike Prince Teng, Yang Zan, with whom he had already developed a rift, his half-brother, Prince Wei, Yang Shuang, could be said to have been raised by Yang Jian and his wife from childhood. Empress Dugu was nominally Yang Shuang's brother and sister-in-law, but in reality, she was Yang Shuang's sister-in-law's mother, and Yang Shuang always treated Empress Dugu as if she were his mother.

"It's definitely more reassuring to use than other people with different surnames,"

Yang Jian said quietly, "Family members are always more loyal than outsiders."

"Yes, they're family after all,"

Empress Dugu's gaze swept across the map on the table, pausing on the ink annotations of Jianghuai, and said, "This spring, Shude returned to the capital from Qiaozhou to report on his duties. I read his performance evaluation report. During his tenure, he was kind and benevolent in governing his subordinates, and he was skilled in pacifying and pacifying them. He reduced taxes and levies, attracted refugees, restored their fields and houses, repaired the city walls, dredged the ditches, and encouraged agriculture and sericulture. The granaries in the prefecture gradually became full. In just over a year, the population increased by thirteen percent."

"The assessment of the course should be rated as above average."

Empress Dugu raised her eyes to look at Yang Jian, the pearls and jade at her temples swaying slightly, and said, "Qiaozhou controls the Jianghuai region. Shude has only been in charge of the prefecture for two years, yet he has managed to bring back refugees, fill the granaries, promote etiquette and righteousness, and quell border troubles. If such a talent were to remain in the prefecture for too long, it would not be the way for the court to cultivate talent."

Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude, was the nephew of Empress Dugu and was greatly favored by the emperor and empress.

Unlike other relatives of Empress Dugu, Yang Jian also highly valued this nephew.

After all, he came from the core of the Guanlong Group. His grandfather, Li Hu, was one of the Eight Pillar Generals of the Western Wei Dynasty, and rose to the rank of Grand Commandant. He was posthumously granted the title of Duke of Tang during the Northern Zhou Dynasty. His father, Li Bing, was the Governor-General of Anzhou and a Pillar General during the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and inherited the title of Duke of Tang.

If Li Bing had not died young, the Guanlong Li clan would have been extremely prominent in the court.

Because of his status as a member of the Li family of Longxi and his title of Duke of Tang, Li Yuan entered officialdom as a Qianniu Beishen (a military officer), and three years later he was sent to govern a local area as the Prefect of Qiaozhou.

Yang Jian frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "It's not that I'm unwilling to promote Shude. Last year, the false Chen garrisoned 30,000 troops in Liyang, and this spring they added a ferry crossing at Caishiji. With the north and south facing each other, it's the perfect time for Shude to use his military prowess."

"While serving in Qiaozhou, Shude can reorganize the military and pacify the displaced people. When we march south in the future, I will let Shude accompany the army south. Only with merit in pacifying the south can I entrust him with important responsibilities."

"It would be good to let him hone his skills in the Jianghuai region for a while. Shude is a good administrator in Qiaozhou, but if he is to take on a high-ranking official position, he will eventually need to establish his authority through military strategy. The fact that the puppet Chen army is stationed in Liyang will allow him to experience some real battles."

(End of this chapter)