Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 234: Taking sides
Every night, Zhang Rang would go to the Huangmen Office to take charge of affairs.

Zhang Rang's rise to the top position among the inner court eunuchs was not solely due to his kinship with the emperor.

Since taking charge of the Yellow Gate Office, Zhang Rang had to attend to the emperor during the day, and after the emperor rested, he would still organize court affairs in the Yellow Gate Office at night.

The Huangmen Office was originally an institution that managed eunuchs and palace women, but by this time it had evolved into a department that assisted the emperor in handling government affairs, and was no longer just responsible for internal affairs management.

All important matters discussed in the imperial court were compiled by the Yellow Gate Office for the emperor to make decisions on.

Today's court discussion was about to reach a conclusion, but there was no time to make a specific decision. This matter will most likely be implemented by setting up a military agricultural colony in a prefecture as a model. However, who to appoint, how to assign responsibilities and powers, what kind of regulations to establish, and how to handle Liu Yu's request to resign are all up to the emperor to decide.

If these unresolved issues are not addressed, these interrupted official duties may simply drag on and never be resolved.

Zhang Rang gained Liu Hong's trust not because of the slander of courtiers, but because Zhang Rang could indeed always help Liu Hong fill in the gaps and make up for deficiencies.

Because of his long experience handling government affairs, Zhang Rang was able to understand Liu Hong's difficulties, so Liu Hong regarded him as a father.

Zhao Zhong participated in the execution of Liang Ji and was credited with supporting the emperor's personal rule. He was also the one who initially came up with the idea of ​​selling official positions to make money.

After Cao Jie's death, Zhao Zhong became the Grand Chamberlain, not only managing the Changqiu Palace but also overseeing the Yongle Imperial Household Department.

The reason why the emperor regarded Zhao Zhong as his mother was mainly because Zhao Zhong had been helping the emperor manage money and internal affairs.

At that moment, Zhao Zhong was pleading with Zhang Rang for help at the Yellow Gate Office: "Lord Zhang, save me... I just checked the palace servants of the Junior Palace, and Tang Guan of the Yongle Junior Palace has gone missing!"

Tang Guan was the imperial chef, specializing in soups and desserts.

The disappearance of Tang Guan, coupled with the Empress Dowager's poisoning today, makes the implications quite clear.

In those days, there was no imperial kitchen; the meals for the imperial harem were handled by the Yongle Shaofu, and Zhao Zhong was currently in charge of the Yongle Shaofu.

This was undoubtedly a disaster for Zhao Zhong.

"What happened at Yongle Palace today...was it the work of Changqiu Palace?"

Zhang Rang frowned deeply. Empress He had a history of poisoning people... Liu Xie's mother was poisoned to death in the same way.

"Who else could it be?"

Zhao Zhong sighed, “What wouldn’t Changqiu Palace do for the sake of the imperial succession… Marquis Shi is getting older, and the Empress is becoming increasingly anxious. And the Empress Dowager has personally raised Marquis Dong, so how could she possibly back down on this matter? The two palaces have long been at odds… But what can we do? I fear I will be implicated and die in this matter. I beg Lord Zhang to save me!”

Yes, the Empress Dowager and the Empress were at odds, so what could these eunuchs do?

"Does this matter have anything to do with today's court meeting?"

Zhang Rang asked, "You also opposed the appointment of the Agricultural Commandant, but this matter is beneficial to us... There are peasant uprisings in every province, and once the rioters start a rebellion, our clan will be besieged! A few years ago, when the Yellow Turbans rebelled in Ji Province, your Anping Zhao clan suffered heavy losses. At that time, did any gentry help your family? When Huangfu Song quelled the rebellion, he even reported your clan for overstepping their bounds and violating regulations... Why did you oppose this proposal?"

In fact, both Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong came from powerful families—in those days, the powerful eunuchs in the palace were not from poor families, but from collateral branches of powerful clans.

Children from truly poor families had no way to enter the palace.

Especially those like Zhang Rang who cut themselves to enter the palace after reaching adulthood, they all first secured their way into the palace before taking action against themselves. In those days, there were no fools who castrated themselves first and then tried their luck at the capital.

Zhang Rang's power stemmed from Liu Hong's trust, and he also had a son, Zhang Feng. Barring unforeseen circumstances, as long as Zhang Feng lived, his descendants would all hold official positions in Luoyang. He didn't really care much about the land and tenant farmers in the local area.

In the event of a civil unrest, the eunuch families are always the first to be attacked, since everyone says that eunuchs are a scourge to the country and its people.

If the aristocratic families gained power, they would inevitably attack these eunuchs.

Only when the emperor and members of the imperial clan are in power will they refrain from harming eunuchs.

Zhang Rang was quite sensible; even for the sake of his descendants, he had to support a policy that could stabilize the Han Dynasty.

However... most eunuchs did not have Zhang Rang's awareness, nor did they have a biological son like Zhang Rang—without descendants, they could only consider their clan.

The establishment of agricultural commissioners in prefectures and counties would inevitably affect the local interests of powerful clans and families in terms of money and grain. It would not only make it difficult for them to monopolize land, but also make it difficult for them to exploit tenants. Otherwise, the tenants would go to military farms where the rent is more stable and safer.

Moreover, if every prefecture in the country had a military colonel in charge of agricultural settlements and every state had a military colonel, it would be much more difficult for powerful clans to control the emperor through matters such as grain taxes and grain transport.

Once this system is widely adopted, the grain rent from military farms alone will be enough to sustain Luoyang's expenses, and the grain transport from the army to the capital will not be hindered by the canal transport system.

Furthermore, with the starving people having somewhere to go, it became difficult to incite large-scale civil unrest. Unable to coerce the court, it was difficult to wrest power from the emperor's hands.

Powerful clans love chaotic times, so their opposition is inevitable.

The members of the imperial clan all agreed, not because they were morally superior, but because most of them understood that only when the Han dynasty was stable and the world was at peace could the members of the imperial clan have a good life.

Generals in command of troops can wait until the very end to find a way to win over both sides, so most military commanders remain neutral and observe from the sidelines.

But eunuchs had to choose sides; if they stood in the middle, they would be caught in the middle and killed by both sides.

"It's not that I oppose this matter... but that person in Changqiu Palace opposes it. As long as this matter benefits the Emperor, it also benefits us. How could I not know that?"

Zhao Zhong sighed with a bitter face, "But if I agree to this proposal, Changqiu Palace will surely take my life!"

"Then this poisoning is likely the result of several things happening at once..."

Zhang Rang also knew that Empress He was truly difficult to please; she would kill anyone who disobeyed her, and was far more tyrannical than her two brothers, He Jin and He Miao.

This poisoning was somewhat related to the court discussions, but it wasn't solely for the purpose of those discussions.

It was mainly for the sake of the prince.

Just then, Zhang Feng ran to the door in a panic and called out, "Father..."

"Shut up...call me Attendant!"

Zhang Rang turned around and saw his son in a panic, and was very displeased: "What's the matter that you're so flustered? You shouldn't have come here!"

"Ah... Zhao Changqiu..."

Zhang Feng, unaware that Zhao Zhong was present, stammered and dared not speak in front of Zhao Zhong.

Zhang Rang could tell that something serious had happened to his son, so he went outside, pulled Zhang Feng aside, and whispered, "What is it?"

Zhang Feng whispered in His Majesty's ear, "His Majesty's erysipelas is deep and beyond saving... I fear his days are numbered. What can we do?"

Zhang Rang trembled upon hearing this, but he didn't show it on his face.

He waved for Zhang Feng to leave first, then Zhang Rang turned back to Zhao Zhong: "Regarding the poisoning, kill everyone who knows about it immediately... then come with me to Changqiu Palace to cover it up for the Empress. This matter must be hidden; protecting Changqiu Palace will save your life..."

Zhao Zhong nodded: "Thank you, Lord Zhang!"

Eunuchs had to choose sides. If the emperor was in trouble, switching allegiance to Empress He, their relative by marriage, would be the best option.

……

half a month later.

Empress Dowager Dong's health has improved somewhat, and she is now able to move around independently.

The poisoning was pinned on the missing eunuch, Tang Guan. The palace eunuchs all said that Tang Guan had been punished for not pleasing the Empress Dowager with his pastries, and therefore held a grudge.

It is said that Tang Guan's body was found in the well of Yongle Palace, but in reality... Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong found him in the Empress's Changqiu Palace.

After receiving Zhang Rang's report, Liu Hong remained silent for a long time, saying nothing, and let the matter drop.

After that, Zhang Rang no longer served in the West Garden, but was sent to Yongle Palace by Liu Hong on the grounds that "the Empress Dowager needs a capable person to take care of her".

Moreover, the matter of the Agricultural Commandant was not discussed again in the imperial court.

In the Huangmen Office, all the documents and materials originally related to this matter were missing, and the Shangshutai (Imperial Secretariat) did not accept the same matter being submitted twice in a short period of time, so Liu Yu was unable to submit a proposal again.

Liu Hong wanted to bring up the matter again, but after thinking about it for a long time, he gave up and just sighed as he looked at the place where Zhang Rang used to hang out.

Now, that place has been replaced by Jian Shuo, but although Jian Shuo is loyal, he is ultimately not familiar with government affairs and is not as flexible as Zhang Rang.

(End of this chapter)