Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 136: Instructing the Prince? (4k)

Early June.

The morning mist had just lifted, but the chill lingered.

Civil and military officials were arranged in an orderly manner.

Jiang Zhao, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, wearing a gold talisman and fish-shaped pouch, and holding a scepter, stood in the front left row.

Three years have passed, and after undergoing a major test of political performance, the ranks of civil and military officials have undergone considerable changes.

Looking around, there were quite a few unfamiliar faces.

Jiang Zhao promoted more than ten fifth-rank officials who were qualified to attend court, all of whom were former subordinates of the Xihe faction.

The remaining officials, who were not qualified to attend court, numbered twenty or thirty.

Besides
Jiang Zhao's gaze sharpened slightly as he glanced at the last person in the rear train.

Zhao Ceying, Zhao Shiyi, Zhao Shiqian, Zhao Zhong, Zhao Shicheng!

These five members of the imperial family appear to have been summoned to court.

However, these individuals were all members of the imperial clan of the "saint's grandson" generation, and held no official positions. Why would the imperial clan be summoned to court?
Jiang Zhao frowned slightly and stood with his hands at his sides.

At the same time, many officials turned their attention to him.

At the age of twenty-seven, he became the Duke of Lu and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel!

A rising evergreen in the officialdom!
"when!"

A bell tolls, its sound long and melodious.

In the side hall, a large door opened, and seven elderly men in purple robes walked out.

Among them, six were civil officials, all wearing brocade ribbons, jade rings, and jade bracelets, and every move they made exuded immense majesty.

Grand Secretary Han Zhang.

Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet: Zhang Sheng, Wu Chong, Zeng Gongliang, Ouyang Xiu, and Wang Yaochen.

These six men were the most powerful literati in the world.

Besides the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the remaining one was the Duke of Yingguo, whose robe was embroidered with a qilin pattern, and who was the head of the military generals.

Previously, the British prince had volunteered to guard the Shaanxi Road and resist the main force of the Western Xia.

However, he was not always stationed in Shaanxi.

In fact, Shaanxi Road has always been guarded by six or seven military generals, including the Duke of Gan and General Bo, in rotation.

The Duke of Ying, the Marquis of Ningyuan, and the Marquis of Zhongjing were the most prestigious military officers. Generally, they were stationed in the capital and were not allowed to leave.

After several years, the border was stabilized, and the Duke of England naturally returned to the capital to take command of the Imperial Guards.

Now that the seven most powerful figures have left the side hall, it means that the court assembly is about to begin.

All the civil and military officials fell silent.

"when!"

A bell rang,

"Summon all officials to the palace—"

As the chimes faded, civil and military officials entered the hall in an orderly fashion.

"May Your Majesty be well!"

"No gift."

On the steps of the imperial palace, Emperor Zhao Zhen folded his sleeves and scanned the surroundings.

After undergoing the triennial performance evaluation, civil and military officials experienced significant personnel changes, with some being promoted, some demoted, and some retiring.

Among them were several fifth-rank officials whom he had never met before.

Zhao Zhen's gaze swept over Jiang Zhao, lingering briefly, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

Looking around, Jiang Zhao exuded composure, confidence, and self-assurance in every move he made.

Occasionally, one or two henchmen would frequently pay attention to him and follow his lead, showing more than just high spirits.

With the achievements of conquering new territories, this 27-year-old third-rank official was someone even an aging emperor would envy.

After a moment, Zhao Zhen looked straight ahead and slowly said, "My beloved ministers, do you have anything to report?"

Jiang Zhao held his tablet and watched intently.

Since the opening of the border in Xihe, he has lived in Xizhou for a long time.

His first real long-term residence in the imperial court was six years ago.

Nowadays, since attending court is a rare occurrence, most people prefer to observe and wait.

"Your subject, Sun Bian, Minister of Rites, has a memorial to the throne."

The newly appointed Minister of Rites, Sun Bian, stepped forward and bowed.

Jiang Zhaoping looked over.

This person is from the Korean style.

After Wang Yaochen entered the cabinet and Zhang Fangping was transferred to a post outside the capital, Sun Bian, who had experience serving as a high-ranking official in a remote region, was naturally promoted to Minister of Rites.

"Your Majesty, I humbly submit this memorial: Your Majesty has ascended the throne and your long life is ever-growing. Today, on the auspicious day of Your Majesty's birthday, I beg you to follow the old rites and prepare auspicious occasions, send an envoy to the southern suburbs to inform Heaven, arrange the eight rows of dancers on the red steps, and prepare the three sacrificial animals at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. If Your Majesty grants this request, we will pray for the prosperity of Your Majesty's heirs and the longevity of the nation, thus demonstrating Your Majesty's benevolence towards the common people. I humbly request Your Majesty's decision."

As soon as he said that, Jiang Zhao knew what it was about.

Happy Birthday!

June 26th is the official's 56th birthday.

Since the Tang Dynasty, the emperor's birthday celebrations have gradually become institutionalized, with the whole country celebrating, also known as the "Holy Festival".

Of course, not every year is a "holy holiday".

Whether or not to hold the event depends on the emperor's attitude.

Jiang Zhao raised his eyebrows and glanced at the old emperor's condition.

His temples were gray, and he was thin. He was in good spirits, but there was an inexplicable sense of weakness about him that sent a chill down one's spine.

A fifty-six-year-old emperor is already considered to have lived a very long life.

"Forget it."

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Zhen leaned on the table and gestured for a moment.

This year, the "Diji" sacrifice is involved.

If birthday celebrations and sacrificial rites are held consecutively, the three departments and six ministries will be extremely busy, which will inevitably be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and wasteful of resources.

These decades of recuperation and development have allowed the Great Zhou Dynasty to flourish.

However, a prosperous nation does not necessarily mean a wealthy court.

In fact, the Great Zhou Dynasty had always been in a predicament where scholars and nobles were wealthy, while the court was poor.

Even the emperor has to consider the court's financial situation when spending money.

We must save money where we can.

The emperor gave his approval, and Sun Bian bowed and slowly returned to his place in the ranks.

"Your subject, Song Xiang, Minister of War, has a memorial to the throne."

Minister of War Song Xiang stepped forward and bowed.

He was an elderly man with graying temples, a thin face, and a slightly hunched posture.

"Granted." Zhao Zhen waved his hand.

"The Pacification Commissioner of Guangnan West Circuit has sent a report saying that bandits are inciting unrest and causing a rebellion. The rebel leader has proclaimed himself Emperor Zhaode and his forces are overwhelming," Song Xiang solemnly reported.

In the imperial court, some fourth or fifth-rank officials who were not well-informed began to discuss the matter, while officials of the third rank and above remained calm, as they had almost all known about the rebellion long ago.

In fact, ever since the news of the emperor's childlessness spread, rebellions have frequently broken out.

In the first year of the Kangding era, Zhang Huaixin, the patrol inspector of Liangzhe Road, was ambushed and killed. The murderer, E Lin, incited the people to rebel and plundered across three major prefectures.

In the third year of the Qingli era, Wang Lun of Jingdong Road launched a rebellion, killing the patrol inspector Zhu Jin and capturing seven prefectures in succession. Wang Lun even wore the "yellow robe" for a time, and was very powerful.

At the same time, the Jingxi Road and Shaanxi Road suffered from severe drought. The pacification commissioner was mediocre in his administration, and there was a rebellion led by Shao Xing, Zhang Hai, and Guo Miaoshan, which swept across ten prefectures.

In the seventh year of the Qingli era, Wang Ze of Hebei East Road established a religion called Maitreya, which led to an uprising. He even established a state called "Anyang" and the era name "Desheng".

In the fourth year of the Huangyou reign, Nong Zhigao of Guangnan West Road rebelled, leading 5,000 troops to easily conquer thirteen prefectures, establish the "Great Southern Kingdom", and take the title "Emperor Renhui" and change the era name to "Qili".

The emperor's name was Qingli, and Nong Zhigao's name was Qili; their arrogance and domineering nature is evident.

The reasons for uprisings and rebellions are relatively complex.

Among them, the E'lin Uprising, the Wang Lun Uprising, and the Wang Ze Rebellion all arose from conflicts over soldiers' pay.

At that time, the emperor had no son and the succession was uncertain, causing unrest among the people. They were easily instigated and rebellions broke out continuously.

The uprisings of Shao Xing, Zhang Hai, and Guo Miaoshan in Jingxi Road and Shaanxi Road were caused by natural disasters. The pacification commissioners failed to provide adequate disaster relief and acted recklessly, leaving the people with no way to survive and forcing them to rebel.

Nong Zhigao's rebellion leaned towards ethnic conflict.

This person was the leader of the Baiyue people in Guangnan West Circuit, and was appointed by the imperial court to serve as the prefect of Guangyuan Prefecture.

Because the court did not support him in resisting Jiaozhi, he harbored rebellious intentions and led 5,000 troops in rebellion, but was eventually defeated by Di Qing.

Besides these large-scale rebellions that are worthy of being recorded in history books, there have also been many smaller rebellions, which were either suppressed by local authorities or failed to gain any real influence.

Since the secret succession law was introduced, people's hearts have become much more at ease, and simple popular rebellions have become very rare.

Even if such a rebellion did occur, it wouldn't cause much of a stir. Now, with someone in Guangnan West Road rebelling and even proclaiming himself emperor, it has naturally caused an uproar among the officials, sparking endless controversy.

Rebellion, declaring oneself emperor, and not declaring oneself emperor are two different concepts.

If he does not declare himself emperor, he can be granted amnesty.

If someone declares himself emperor, the court will almost never grant him amnesty.

Whether or not to declare oneself emperor is a bottom-line issue.

"How are you doing lately?" Zhao Zhen asked.

As emperor, he had to take such a major event involving rebellion and uprising seriously.

“Even Gui and Xun prefectures and counties are included,” Song Xiang replied.

Zhao Zhen nodded and looked down: "Who is capable of quelling the rebellion?"

The fact that the rebellion had reached the imperial court meant that it could no longer be suppressed at the local level.

This is not surprising.

During the reign of Emperor Zhou, the elite troops of the entire nation were gathered in Bianjing (Kaifeng). Except for special places like Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road, the vast majority of places were severely lacking in military strength.

Compared to the Imperial Guards, the local soldiers were far inferior in number, equipment, and weapons.

To quell the rebellion, the Imperial Guards would have to be deployed.

"Your subject, Gu Tingye, is qualified to lead troops to quell the rebellion."

Gu Tingye strode out.

"What do you think, my esteemed ministers?" Zhao Zhen asked slowly.

“General Gu is no stranger to leading troops and is an excellent candidate,” Su Zhe said, stepping forward and bowing.

Many officials glanced at Jiang Zhao, who remained motionless.

Su Zhe echoed, guessing that this was what the young Grand Secretary meant.

"Let's choose General Gu," Wang Yaochen, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, chimed in.

As he spoke, he looked at the other senior ministers.

If Su Zhe's agreement represented Jiang Zhao's meaning, then Wang Yaochen's agreement represented the Han faction's meaning.

As the head of all officials, he held a tripartite position and wielded immense power.

From the moment Wang Yaochen entered the cabinet, Han Zhang had already established himself among the powerful ministers.

The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances and slowly nodded.

Compared to other military generals, Gu Tingye was undoubtedly the best choice to quell the rebellion.

After all, this was a military general promoted by civil officials.

“Alright.” Zhao Zhen nodded.

"By order, Gu Tingye, the commander of the cavalry and infantry, shall be appointed as the commander of the western route of Guangnan, and shall enter the eastern suburban camp with 10,000 troops to quell the rebellion."

"Sir, obey the order."

Gu Tingye was secretly pleased and quickly bowed and withdrew.

"Is there any further memorial to be submitted?" Zhao Zhen asked slowly.

As he spoke, he glanced at the five members of the royal family at the end of the procession, as if he were about to say something.

This action caused many officials to look back.

The issue of the imperial family, concerning the selection of an heir, is extremely sensitive.

Jiang Zhao's heart stirred slightly, and he glanced discreetly at the dragon throne.

Could it be?

"Cough cough!"

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Zhen patted his chest, his face flushed from the persistent coughing.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "Recently, I have been unwell and have ordered five members of the imperial clan, Zhao Ceying, Zhao Shiyi, Zhao Shiqian, Zhao Zhong, and Zhao Shicheng, to enter the palace to study."

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials were stunned.

Entering the palace to study was not simply about reading.

Generally speaking, it also involves the teaching of military and political skills, as well as the art of imperial rule.

This is a privilege reserved for princes, and even the crown prince.

It should be noted that even the five members of the imperial clan who were expected to be made crown princes—Zhao Yunqi, Zhao Yunyuan, Zhao Zongquan, Zhao Zonge, and Zhao Congshi—were not summoned to the palace to study.

How did the younger generation of the imperial family end up studying in the palace?
Jiang Zhao remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

Given the old emperor's health, he can only last a year or two at most.

When a younger generation of "crown princes" ascends the throne, they still need to possess a certain level of real power to keep their subordinates in check.

In particular, the secret succession law meant that the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and several powerful military generals would remain seated in the background, and if the new emperor wanted to seize power, he would have to transfer power from his ministers.

Without any means, progress is destined to be difficult.

To put it bluntly, given the new emperor's situation, if the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet truly intended to usurp his power, even if the emperor had been in his prime thirty years ago, he might not have been able to smoothly transition power.

This can be considered one of the drawbacks of the secret succession law.

Of course, this is a drawback for the emperor; for the ministers, the process of entrusting the young emperor with a responsibility ensures the continuation of power, which is a great thing.

It is not surprising that the old emperor would make a point of setting aside time to cultivate a successor and impart the ways of the emperor.

The officials were stunned, but Zhao Zhen made no attempt to explain.

Grand Chancellor Han Zhang closed his eyes and remained silent.

The remaining five Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all frowned.

What is the purpose of the government's move?
If it were said that the emperor made this decision arbitrarily, who would believe it?
"The Grand Tutor Han Zhang is hereby appointed."

"Jiang Zhao, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, concurrently served as the Grand Master of the Palace."

"Wang Anshi, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, concurrently served as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy."

"The British Duke, an old general, regularly visits the palace to impart military strategies."

"That's fine then," Zhao Zhen waved his hand.

A few words caused a huge uproar.

This configuration is too high-end!

The position of Grand Tutor needs no further explanation; he is one of the Three Dukes and the Crown Prince's nominal supreme tutor.

The Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was the chief official of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, holding the rank of third grade. He was in charge of the education and political instruction of the princes, including but not limited to classics, history, and current affairs analysis.

The specific gold content varies.

Those with higher qualifications would be tutors to the crown prince and could become the core members of the new emperor's team.

The lower-level positions are simply sinecures, with neither high nor low influence.

The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was the highest-ranking official in the academy, and occasionally served as a lecturer to the princes, imparting the ideology of "benevolent rule."

Han Zhang, Jiang Zhao, and Wang Anshi, Duke of Ying!

The Grand Master and the Duke of England were absolutely the standard pairing for teaching the Crown Prince.

Jiang Zhao and Wang Anshi also had significant problems.

Both of these men are young and promising, with the potential to join the cabinet.

Jiang Zhao, in particular, with his achievements in expanding territories, shows signs of becoming a permanent member of the imperial court.

Is this the kind of person who teaches members of the royal family?

Something is wrong!
This is the setup for teaching the Crown Prince!

"The Court of Imperial Sacrifices, with its Junior Chamberlain, Imperial Tutor, Lecturer, and Reader, is of great importance."

Ignoring the reactions of his subordinates, Zhao Zhen looked at Jiang Zhao, who seemed slightly surprised but not astonished: "The lectures and textbooks must be properly arranged. Any incompetent officials will be demoted."

His words, though simple, carried an unyielding power.

Jiang Zhao nodded and bowed.

"His Majesty."

An official exclaimed in surprise, "The arrangement of tutoring several members of the imperial clan with the Grand Chancellor as Grand Tutor, the Duke of Yingguo as Military Strategist, the Right Vice Minister as Grand Tutor, and the Junior Minister as Chancellor is not in accordance with the prescribed etiquette!"

These individuals—the Grand Tutor (who did not teach), the Duke of Yingguo (who taught military strategy), the Junior Grand Secretary (who taught strategic thinking and political maneuvering), and Wang Anshi (who taught the philosophy of "benevolent rule")—were all top-tier, first-rate instructors.

Even the standard equipment for a crown prince couldn't surpass this.

Zhao Zhen waved his hand, offering no explanation.

Since he had deliberately brought it up, he wasn't afraid that his subjects would guess it.

After all, there are five members of the younger generation of the royal family!
"Retreat—"

With a sharp cry, all the civil and military officials retreated one after another.

However, there are still some doubts.

　Today is my CET-4/CET-6 exam day, so I haven't updated much. I'll try to update more tomorrow!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)