My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 291 Internal Checks and Balances

I want to quickly integrate into the circle.

A shared identity is very important, and this was actually a minefield planted during Emperor Xiaowen's "Taihe Reforms".

The succession of feudal dynasties was essentially a process of constantly summarizing the experiences of the previous dynasty's demise, then frantically repairing and patching the system to fix any possible loopholes.

During the Han and Jin dynasties, it was too easy for governors to establish their own independent regimes. In response, the Wei dynasty set up three governors in a province, or even three prefects in a prefecture. They also sent members of the Yuan clan to serve in these positions to keep an eye on these local officials. In addition, they rotated the governors every five years to prevent local officials from threatening the central government.

Another issue is interference in politics by maternal relatives. To address this, the principle of "the mother dies when the son becomes noble" was established to prevent maternal relatives from becoming too powerful.

All reforms by feudal monarchs were essentially aimed at maintaining their rule, and Emperor Xiaowen's Taihe Reforms were no exception.

He transferred the Xianbei elite troops, which were originally scattered in various places, to Luoyang. Han people were not allowed to enter the army. Han soldiers could only be used as cannon fodder or miscellaneous soldiers. Moreover, the elite Xianbei soldiers were only allowed to speak Xianbei language among themselves, in order to prevent Han officials from infiltrating the army.

Emperor Xiaowen was indeed incredibly strong and used extremely radical methods, but this also created a significant rift between the Xianbei and Han people, even after living together for so long.

Heading south from Yingzhou, you'll reach Bohai Commandery.

After several days of continuous spring rain, the weather finally cleared up.

"Zhongmi, when you went to Luoyang with Qian Yong, did you meet with General Tian Ce?"

"I've seen it."

"What do you think of this person?"

Gao Shen remained silent for a moment. He had only met Gao Yu a few times. After Gao Yu led his army away, Gao Qian also ordered him to take his personal guards back to Jizhou to prepare for Gao Yu's return to his ancestral home with Gao Yi.

Gao Qian was kept in Luoyang by Yuan Ziyou and served as a Zhongshu Shilang (a high-ranking official in the Imperial Secretariat).

Together with Gao Ang, one a scholar and the other a warrior, they are Yuan Ziyou's most trusted allies in Luoyang.

"He is kind and gentle, a true gentleman, and being with him is like a breath of fresh air."

"Is he really as rumored...?"

“Father, my elder brother asked me to tell you that General Tian Ce is highly valued by His Majesty and is His Majesty’s most trusted foreign minister. There is no need to make unfounded speculations. General Tian Ce’s willingness to come to Bohai to acknowledge his ancestors is a great blessing for our Gao family. Judging from the current situation, our Gao family may well rise to prominence like the Li family of Longxi and become a prominent clan!”

Through the efforts of several generations, the Li family was seen by outsiders as being on par with the four prominent Han families—Cui, Lu, Zheng, and Wang—as designated by Emperor Xiaowen.

In the beginning, the Li family of Longxi was just like the Gao family of Bohai, only having some local prestige, and not particularly prominent.

Ultimately, it still comes down to having someone in the central government who holds a high position.

In the foreseeable future, Yuan Ziyou will surely make good use of the Gao family members, and they will surely be able to replicate the rise of the Longxi Li family.

"Qian Yong is meticulous. Since he said so, he must be right."

Gao Yi nodded, then instructed, "Is everything ready? Has the family genealogy been revised?"

Recognizing one's ancestors is no child's play.

They trace their origins according to the family genealogy, just like Emperor Zhaolie of Han, going back generation by generation. As long as they can be associated with someone, they will acknowledge them.

Given Gao Yu's current status, he doesn't really need to rely on the Bohai Gao Clan to elevate his own social standing; Gao Yu has already passed that stage.

Gao Yulai's attempt to establish kinship was a gesture of respect to the Gao family of Bohai.

Gao Yi and the others were well aware of this, so they dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"Father, please rest assured."

Gao Shen chuckled and said, "Everything is ready. We just need to wait for General Tian Ce to arrive."

………………

Several days of rain delayed Gao Yu's trip.

Otherwise, he should have arrived in Bohai County a couple of days ago.

Gao Yu wasn't in a hurry. After finding a water source, he ordered his men to rest on the spot and get some food.

Gao Yu then climbed into the carriage where Cui Zhifan was, and listened to the celestial music. Cui Zhifan played the zither quite well, and was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It was a pity that there were no beautiful women dancing to entertain them, otherwise it would have been a top-notch visual and auditory feast.

Ok.

After we bring Zheng Dache and Yuan Miao from Luoyang, we can consider it.

Gao Yue and the others could hear the melodious zither music from not far away. The spring breeze added to the pleasant atmosphere.

Yang Yin was right beside him. Gao Yue looked at the carriage and then at the Cui family members who had come with him.

After touring Hebei, Gao Yu initially thought the Cui family of Qinghe was the biggest winner, but after visiting Boling, he was surprised to find that the Cui family of Boling had actually surpassed them.

Cui Xiaofen not only sent her daughter, but also brought her son along.

This boy was named Cui You. He was upright and had loved reading since childhood. He was well-known for his virtue in Boling.

Including Cui Xian and Cui Jishu.

The Cui clan of Boling has essentially formed a small group under Gao Yu's command.

Study both internally and externally.

"Zunyan, there's something I've never been able to figure out. Could you please enlighten me?"

"Feel free to speak frankly."

“My... General, he values ​​the Cui family so much that he went to the trouble of making the trip himself, why not just use the courtesy name that Lord Cui gave him in his early years?”

Yang Yin looked up at him and chuckled, “General, you have already received help from the Cui clan before you even took office in Shandong. If you use the courtesy name given to you by Lord Cui, what will outsiders think? What will the prominent families of Shandong think?”

"The general is guarding the land of Shandong, not the land of Hebei."

"Furthermore, if the courtesy name given by Lord Cui is used, the general's connection with the Cui family would be far too close."

Gao Yue frowned, trying to process what Yang Yin had said.

His brows gradually relaxed, as if he understood something and roughly grasped the meaning behind Gao Yu's actions along the way.

He made a special trip to Hebei for two reasons. First, he had a good relationship with the Cui family and wanted to recruit talented people from within the family to handle internal affairs. Second, he wanted to emphasize his Han Chinese identity and gain the recognition of Han Chinese aristocratic families to minimize the obstacles he would face.

But there's a limit to how much you can win people over.

With Gao Yu now officially possessing his own base, which encompassed three prefectures, the emperor granted him the power to establish his own government.

It's important to know that Gao Yu holds the title of Grand Master of the Palace and also serves as the Grand Administrator of the Eastern Circuit. Theoretically, Gao Yu could assemble two separate teams.

The expansion of his sphere of influence means that Gao Yu's forces can no longer be as 'pure' as before.

In the past, Gao Yu only had a few thousand soldiers under his command, and he used his bravery to unite people's hearts, but a warrior cannot govern a place.

The introduction of civil officials will inevitably lead to the formation of multiple small factions under Gao Yu's command.

Just like when Liu Bei entered Shu, his subordinates were divided into the Jingzhou faction, led by Zhuge Liang, who were the earliest shareholders. In Yizhou, they were even divided into the Dongzhou faction and the Yizhou native faction.

If Gao Yu were to use the courtesy name given to him by Cui Guang, the Cui family's power under his command would be too great, and they would certainly occupy many important positions. Then the prominent families of Shandong would see that they would have no chance.

Why would they genuinely serve Gao Yu?
Those who get on the train first receive preferential treatment; one must seize the opportunity to join the dragon (a powerful and influential family). This is a principle understood by all aristocratic families.

Not only did the Cui family get on the bus early, but they also took up the front passenger seat and the front row seats.

Why would the prominent families of Shandong bother coming here to make a fool of themselves?

Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Gao Yu is indeed famous throughout the world, but there is no need for others to serve him.

"If that's the case..."

Gao Yue guessed, "Would the general find someone in Shandong to give him a courtesy name?"

He even added, "Would the Gao family of Bohai choose a courtesy name for him?"

"That's probably how it is."

Yang Yin nodded. "Although the general has many beauties by his side, there has never been a suitable candidate for his principal wife."

"You mean... they'll also be choosing from prominent families in Shandong?"

"Otherwise what? The general certainly knows how to play the balance of power very well."

According to Yang Yin.

Let things continue as normal.

Gao Yu's forces will be divided into three factions based on their respective interests.

The representatives of the Hebei aristocratic families, led by the Cui family, the representatives of the Shandong aristocratic families, led by the Gao family or other families, plus people like Yang Yin who were sent to seek refuge in places far from Shandong, formed one faction.

Yang Yin's faction was the weakest and could be used as a lubricant.

The main issue is that Shandong and Hebei will check and balance each other.

The Cui family was prestigious and powerful, but the powerful families in Shandong were local bullies.

Each faction has its own interests to consider, so Gao Yu can listen to all sides and avoid being devoured by a single dominant faction.

As for the military?

That is Gao Yu's foundation, and he will not allow anyone to touch it!

"The general is meticulous. Although he has not yet taken office, he has already begun to prepare for the future."

Yang Yin couldn't help but praise, "What foresight! Such a talent is worthy of my service."

Gao Yue, however, glanced at him instead.

He was about the same age as me, yet he could see through Gao Yu's thoughts. Praising Gao Yu was just a way of praising myself.

Gao Yu had many talented men under his command.

The reputations of several talented young men in the Cui family are no less than those of Yang Yin. Working with such a group of outstanding individuals is very stressful.

He secretly made up his mind.

I must also work hard to become Gao Yu's right-hand man and help him solve his problems.

Yang Yin actually had many things he didn't say explicitly.

The art of checks and balances.

That is the way of emperors.

Gao Yu circled the Central Plains, the ancestral homeland of the Han people, to demonstrate his Han identity. What he was truly plotting was something only Gao Yu himself knew.

Under normal circumstances, such behavior would likely have prompted the censors to impeach Gao Yu for harboring disloyal intentions.

But the current situation is chaotic.

Gao Yu was convinced that Yuan Ziyou needed to rely on him. Although Erzhu Rong was suspicious, he wouldn't immediately break off relations with him.

He was able to win over both sides and had a golden opportunity to build relations with Han Chinese aristocratic families!

After resting for a while.

Gao Yu chuckled and pinched Cui Zhifan's cheek. "Once we're settled, I'll come back and ask you for advice on how to play the zither."

Cui Zhifan was clearly uncomfortable with Gao Yu's intimate behavior, and her pretty face flushed red as she lowered her head and said, "If the general is interested, I will certainly tell you everything I know..."

Cui Zhifan was the first Han Chinese woman Gao Yu met who could truly be described as a "lady of a prominent family." Unlike Erzhu Yuechan, who was unrestrained, Cui Zhifan was already married when she met Zheng Dache. She lacked the naivety and shyness that Cui Zhifan possessed.

With her gentle and intelligent nature, she has the air of a literary and artistic young woman.

"Don't worry, I will definitely come to learn from you."

There's no rush to pick unripe fruit.

It needs to be savored slowly to appreciate its most wonderful flavor.

Get out of the carriage.

Gao Yu ordered them to proceed again, this time at a faster pace.

We've finally arrived at Bohai County!
P.S.: These past few days of business trips have really taken their toll on me. Today I spent almost 6 hours on the high-speed train.

There will be another chapter later. Starting tomorrow, I will resume updating three times a day. As for the chapters I haven't updated in the past few days, I will make up for them slowly.

(End of this chapter)