Frost for a Thousand Years

Six departments.

Song Jing, Minister of Personnel.

Minister of Revenue, Ouyang Ke.

The Minister of Rites, Gu Yixin.

Minister of War, Song Shi'an.

Wang Chen, Minister of Justice.

Minister of Works, Hua Zheng.

Thus, the Six Ministries of the Great Yu were established.

Logically, these six ministries should stand side by side, but according to their order of precedence, they are ranked as follows: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Works.

In other words, the third position in the ranking is not Song Shi'an, but the former chief scholar Gu Yixin.

He was in charge of education and etiquette throughout the country.

He was also a minister with real power.

Moreover, because Dayu had the imperial examination system, this position was even more important.

If possible, Song Shi'an would certainly like to have complete control over these six works, but if he did that, a problem that has been emphasized before would arise—go play by yourself.

For a regime to have legitimacy, it must be representative.

In reality, a one-party system is impossible at any time.

There may be a de facto one-party system, but it will not exist in name only.

Moreover, Song Shi'an's power has not yet reached the point where he can completely control everything.

He didn't drive away the nobles alone; Ouyang Ke also contributed.

Furthermore, given that Gu Yixin was the former commander of the Great Yu army, it was only natural and reasonable for him to be appointed Minister of Rites.

As for Hua Zheng of the Ministry of Works, allowing him to control one of the Six Ministries was a signal to the 'noble' class: the court is not forbidding you from surviving, but it wants stability.

Of course, this position has far less actual power compared to the previous ones. It involves dealing with money and land reclamation, but it is absolutely impossible to be promoted to a high-ranking position and become a central decision-maker in the country.

Then there's Wang Chen from the Ministry of Justice.

Previously, he was not the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but a Vice Minister. However, Song Shi'an cleverly used the method of eliminating redundant officials to give the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who was also about the same age, the honorary title of Chief Doctor, and then let him retire. He then arranged for such a suitable candidate to take his place.

Its suitability lies in the fact that its ingredients are clean.

It falls within the acceptable range.

He also had some old acquaintances with Song Shi'an and Song Jing.

While he was in prison, he personally took care of Song Jing and even joked with Song Shi'an about whether he wanted to marry his daughter.

While such a relationship wouldn't necessarily make him a member of my faction, these past memories are enough to gradually make him one of my own in the future.

Of these six ministries, only three are authorized to establish their own offices.

First, the Ministry of Personnel, headed by Song Jing, was the most important of the six ministries.

Second, the national treasury, the Ministry of Revenue under Ouyang Ke. The reason for granting him this power was that it had been agreed upon with him beforehand, allowing him to gain greater autonomy on top of the existing authority of the Ministry of Personnel.

Third, Song Shi'an's Ministry of War.

The reason he was able to establish his own residence was purely due to Song Shi'an's personal request.

And later, the national policy.

In reality, all six ministries were actually responsible for Song Shi'an's Ministry of War.

The Ministry of Personnel supplied officials to the army, the Ministry of Revenue prepared supplies for the army, the Ministry of Rites selected talents, the Ministry of Justice shut down all those who opposed the Northern Expedition, and the Ministry of Works undertook infrastructure construction.

Finally, there was the first cabinet.

The Grand Secretary was Song Jing.

Second Assistant Minister, Ouyang Ke.

Cabinet ministers, ancient and new.

Cabinet Minister: Song Shi'an.

Honorary member, Wei Wusheng.

The reason this position is honorary is purely because, as the Prince of Qin, his power is above that of the cabinet, so there is no need for him to join the cabinet. However, Song Shi'an considered that if he returned to Sheng'an in the future, there would be meetings that required his presence, so he proposed this idea to the emperor, who naturally agreed.

Inside the palace, the first cabinet meeting was held.

Song Jing sat in the center, and the others sat in order of seniority. Zhang Gonggong, representing the emperor, also sat in one of the rows.

"Today's cabinet meeting mainly covers several topics, some of which are proposals from the cabinet ministers, and others are unresolved disagreements," Zhang Fu guided the meeting's flow, asking, "Gentlemen, shall we discuss the proposals first, or address the disagreements first?"

Song Jing took the initiative to ask Ouyang Ke, "What does Ke Xiang think?"

"Well," Ouyang Ke said with a slight smile, "let's resolve the differences first before establishing new rules."

Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhang Fu spoke up: "One of the disagreements is the suggestion made by the young Grand Secretary to appoint Ye Changqing as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Grand Secretary Ouyang opposes this."

"Please go first, Elder Ouyang," Song Shi'an said politely.

Ouyang Ke was also very direct, abandoning his usual tactful and moderate approach, and said: "The Ministry of War has one Minister, two Vice Ministers, one General of the Central Army, four Departments, and eight battalion commanders in the capital. These sixteen people can enter the court, making it the largest number among the six ministries. And this Right Vice Minister is almost the third most important person in the Ministry of War. If such an important position is not carefully considered, it may be detrimental to the foundation of the country."

After he finished speaking, Gu Yixin also said, "His issues in the Huai County Incident have not yet been clearly explained."

“What the two Grand Secretaries say is absolutely right,” Song Shi’an said. “After all, Ye Changqing is a member of the Wu King’s faction.”

The atmosphere became slightly tense after those words were spoken.

However, after a while, everyone calmed down a bit.

Originally, everyone thought that this cabinet meeting was just a small court assembly, and that it had to be influential.

But Song Shi'an's statement made it clear to them.

The cabinet is responsible for governing the country.

They are the masters of the world.

Therefore, this can naturally be said openly.

"Ran Jin's appointment as Vice Minister of War was also to balance the court, so that the people of Qinzhou would trust the court not to settle scores," Song Shi'an continued. "The same goes for Ye Changqing's appointment as Vice Minister of War. The Wu King's faction occupies almost half of the court. Isn't it also a way to appease the people that the famous Wu King Liao can be used by His Majesty?"

“But the key question is, is it appropriate to use such important positions to appease people?” Ouyang Ke countered.

He was questioning Song Shi'an's personnel decisions.

On the contrary, he used all his trusted confidants, and Ouyang Ke didn't say anything.

But now he is sincerely offering his services everywhere, generously recruiting court officials who do not belong to him.

If those people could submit, Song Shi'an's power would be even greater, and his influence in the court would flourish.

But if these people harbor rebellious intentions and mess things up, leading to another coup, wouldn't that shake the very foundation of their power?

“People’s hearts can be won back,” Gu Yixin said, “but to really get things done, we can’t rely entirely on people’s hearts.”

Both of them seem to be against it.

But it's not that I'm targeting the person or the issue.

It was purely out of fear that the Wu King's faction would make a comeback.

“But Ye Changqing is also a man who understands the bigger picture,” Song Shi’an said. “When the nobles of Sheng’an were in chaos, it was he who went to see the Empress Dowager and explained the seriousness of the situation. He deserves credit for the pacification efforts.”

“But the source of the chaos back then had nothing to do with him, is that impossible?” Ouyang Ke questioned.

Ye Changqing deserves credit for stabilizing Sheng'an and curbing the influence of powerful nobles.

It can be said that he made an indispensable contribution in saving the Great Yu from disaster.

But don't ask where water and fire came from.

“Zhao Yi is dead, yet the Zhao family was still demoted and exiled to Lingnan,” Ouyang Ke said. “Ye Changqing is still in Sheng’an City. His father only retired because of this. The court has been very lenient.”

“But the King of Wu is not the chief culprit,” Song Shi’an reminded him.

"The crimes of the King of Wu are not for us ministers to discuss. Whether he is guilty or not is for His Majesty to decide," Ouyang Ke said. "But isn't it we who will determine the crime of being coerced into submission?"

King Wu was, after all, the former crown prince. If he made a mistake, he cannot be judged according to the bureaucratic system.

But his two trusted confidants need to be properly divided up. It's fortunate Zhao Yi is dead; otherwise, he'd definitely be in jail. If he had escaped, his whole family would have died.

Ye Changqing has done a good job of making amends and atoning for his sins, but it cannot be said that his previous serious crimes have been completely wiped clean.

Moreover, he transformed himself into the Vice Minister of War.

"Minister of War," Song Jing said, seeing his son being besieged like this. "Both Grand Secretaries are right. Why are you so insistent on bringing this former Prince Wu's faction into your office, and even appointing him to such an important position?"

Call your job when you work.

In response, Song Shi'an had to say, "I naturally don't want to use the Wu King's faction, but I really like Ye Changqing. His talent is ten times that of mine."

"Hahaha," Old Qian Ouyang Ke laughed, "Young Grand Secretary, you flatter me. With ten times the talent, how could I possibly lose to you?"

He brought the factional struggle between Jin and Wu for the throne into the open.

The implication is quite clear.

Stop trying to win over the old troops of the King of Wu here.

Don't be reckless.

“Ten times the talent is naturally an understatement. No one in this world can match eight times the talent of the young Grand Secretary, but Ye Changqing is also a capable minister,” Gu Yixin said. “Continuing to use him is fine, but it might not be appropriate to send him to the Ministry of War.”

“I understand the thoughts of the two Grand Secretaries,” Song Shi’an insisted. “But gentlemen, I would like to say something from my heart.”

The group looked at him together and listened attentively.

“If it were in Beiliang, with Ye Changqing by His Highness the Sixth Prince, tens of thousands of civilians could have been saved,” Song Shi’an said firmly. “If it were during the Huai County mutiny, with Ye Changqing by my side, the military settlement would not have fallen into Wu Qing’s hands.”

“Da Yu does indeed have a large army and many generals, but most of them are young master generals like Zhao Xiang and Hua Qu. Can they lead and manage troops? They don’t have that ability. General Xia Chun is a rare honest and kind person among the nobles, and he is loved by the army and the people. However, he can’t win battles.”

At this point, Song Shi'an said, "The weakness of our Great Yu army lies in these mediocre generals. As the saying goes, 'One incompetent general can ruin an entire army.' The late emperor entrusted me with the task of launching a northern expedition to unify the country. Now there is an opportunity to carry out a major overhaul and replace these incompetent noble generals with capable ministers and fierce generals. Why not seize it?"

After a brief silence, Ouyang Ke asked, "Can you control Ye Changqing?"

His silence was an acknowledgment of Ye Changqing's abilities.

When the Empress Dowager summoned him, he even said, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Ye Changqing."

He knew better than anyone else how capable this former Sheng'an magistrate was.

It could even be said that if Yu Xiu had been replaced by Ye Changqing, his beloved disciple would not have died, and Ye Changqing might not have died either.

“Shi An can control him,” Song Shi An said seriously. “Moreover, if he really has ulterior motives, even without solid evidence, as long as you all notice something, I will resolutely cut him off, killing him or imprisoning him as appropriate.”

Song Shi'an's words were not a threat, but rather a guarantee.

As long as Ye Changqing's abilities and actions cause public outcry, and the matter is quite serious, Song Shi'an will cut ties with him.

This is exactly what they are worried about.

Cabinet reshuffle is more important than anything else.

"What do you think, esteemed elders?" Song Jing asked.

Ouyang Ke nodded and said, "Then, let's listen to what the young Grand Secretary says."

“I agree,” Gu Yixin said. “But Ye Changqing is different from others. If he makes a mistake, he will not be able to obtain the Golden Body.”

Politics devoid of human compassion is short-lived.

Everyone has human feelings.

After all, everyone makes mistakes.

However, for these veteran officials, the Wu King's faction had no room for error; if Ye Changqing made even the slightest mistake, he would be fired.

Song Shi'an nodded slowly.

Seeing that the three of them agreed, Song Jing said, "I also agree to the appointment and removal of Ye Changqing."

"Then this clause is approved."

Eunuch Zhang began to approve the imperial edicts.

Then, the meeting continued.

"Regarding the special imperial examination to be held next month, the proposal to add a military examination subject is, in my opinion, a bit too hasty."

"Adding this military scholar would be just the right thing to do to revive the martial spirit of the Great Yu."

"It is unfair that scholars spend ten years studying hard without anyone paying attention, going from Xiucai to Juren, and then to Jinshi, taking the exams step by step, while a mere military man can directly become a Jinshi in one day."

"How about this: first hold a military examination to select military officers below the seventh rank, who can also be recruited into the army?"

"As the Minister of Revenue, I must say that examinations cost money, and if they were to be implemented nationwide, the expenses would be considerable."

"Then I have a compromise. The military examination that the young Grand Secretary mentioned can be done, but it must be done step by step. This year's special examination will only be held in Sizhou, and it will only include the military examination. The initial selection of candidates will be limited to no more than fifty."

"can."

"I agree."

……

The first cabinet meeting was a great success.

Many of the proposals have been resolved.

However, these are mostly compromise solutions.

After all, what Gu Yixin and Ouyang Ke said was the truth.

The implementation of any new policy must be done gradually.

Any policy involving money has to be implemented step by step, unless you can give me the money.

Song Shi'an finally assembled his new team in what was once the General's Mansion, now the Ministry of War.

"Ran Jin, Vice Minister of War, pays his respects to the Grand Councilor."

"Ye Changqing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, pays his respects to the Grand Councilor."

"Zhou Cheng, Director of the Military Selection Department, pays his respects to the Grand Councilor."

"Song Sangou, the Garrison Commander, pays his respects to the Chancellor."

"Wei Le, General of the Left Wing of the Imperial City, pays his respects to the Chancellor..."

During the Ministry of War's court assembly, all the officials standing on both sides paid homage to Song Shi'an.

Song Sangou was none other than the Three Dogs General.

He was given a surname by Song Shi'an, and the power to command the Imperial Guards of the palace was also handed over to him, so he naturally entered the Ministry of War.

The title of "Prime Minister" was given to Song Shi'an because his current official positions were Prefect of Sizhou, Minister of War, Privy Councilor, and Marquis of Huaixiang. He was recognized by the emperor and was one of the only three people in the Great Yu Dynasty who could be called "Prime Minister".

"Gentlemen," Song Shi'an said after they all bowed, "when the Ministry of War was established, you were all personally recommended to the Cabinet by me. If we're talking about confidants, you are the most trusted among confidants. If we're talking about important officials, then in this Ministry of War, you are all key officials of the court, capable of managing at least one department or one battalion. I hope that you can understand my heart and my duty."

Speak it out loud: What is our goal?
No cavities!
No, of course it is—

"Unify the Nine Provinces!"

Everyone in the Ministry of War shouted this slogan together.

Song Shi'an was very satisfied.

"The first court assembly is for everyone to get to know each other. The principle of the Ministry of War is to be pragmatic," Song Shi'an said. "The Military Selection Office, the Military Administration Office, the Carriage and Cavalry Office, the Armory Office, and all the military camps cannot be without leaders. Please perform your duties and, at this time when everything is waiting to be done, manage your own offices well."

"Yes."

It was a busy time, so Song Shi'an didn't invite them to stay for dinner.

They were immediately put to work in their own departments to get the Ministry of War up and running as quickly as possible.

After everyone else had left, Ye Changqing remained alone, looking at Song Shi'an with an embarrassed expression. After hesitating for a while, he said, "Prime Minister, I am a member of the Wu King's faction, and a close confidant at that. Why keep me here... and why are you giving me such an important position?"

“For your sake, I had a huge argument with several cabinet ministers in the cabinet,” Song Shi’an said, trying to manipulate the situation.

"..." Upon hearing this, Ye Changqing slowly walked up to him, knelt down, and prepared to prostrate himself.

At this moment, Song Shi'an suddenly stepped forward, grasped his hand, and said earnestly, "Changqing, do you understand my feelings?"

"Prime Minister," Ye Changqing said somewhat uneasily, "what's wrong with you?"

"Everyone had their own difficulties in dealing with the past."

After helping him up, Song Shi'an smiled with considerable appreciation, then placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "But now, I want you." (End of Chapter)