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

Chapter 251 Zhao Ceying Wants to Lead an Army Personally?!

The Secretariat, the Hall of State Affairs.

Flying catkins filled the air, and snowflakes drifted gently.

Two cups of honey water, one large and one small, were placed on a wooden table.

"How is it?" Jiang Zhao picked up a document and looked at it.

"It's delicious." Zhao Shen held the honey water in his two small hands, sipped it, and nodded repeatedly. His round face was full of satisfaction, and he looked like he was really enjoying it.

Jiang Zhao raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but shake his head.

How can you enjoy a mere cup of honey water?
King Jing was also in a bad situation; he never got to taste anything good!

"Sweetie, I'll take you to get milk tea later."

Jiang Zhao smiled gently, with a hint of coaxing, and said, "That tastes even better than honey water."

It tastes better than honey water?

Zhao Shen nodded repeatedly and obediently sat on the small stool.

With just a few words, Jiang Zhao calmed the young prince down. His gentle expression turned serious as he looked down at the prince.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were watching this scene with varying degrees of envy.

This is not surprising.

After all, who wouldn't envy someone who could be a favorite minister for three generations?
A true favorite and a political evergreen!

"Recently, in addition to formulating the overall plan for the first half of the year, there have been several documents involving the red flag."

"To make a long story short, let's get the red ribbon on as soon as possible."

Jiang Zhao picked up a document and said calmly, "First, a memorial from the Ministry of Rites."

"The Ministry of Rites has proposed nineteen examiners for the special imperial examination, including two chief and deputy examiners, who have not yet been selected. The Cabinet may recommend candidates for chief and deputy examiners and submit them to His Majesty."

"Minister of Rites, Zhang Fangping," Han Zhang said calmly, his eyes closed.

“Feng Jing, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice,” said Wu Chong, a Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, after a moment of contemplation.

Generally speaking, the Minister of Rites is the chief examiner of the Spring Imperial Examination, with very few exceptions.

Therefore, from the moment Zhang Fangping, the Minister of Rites, was listed, the only thing left for the remaining people to do was to compete for the position of deputy chief examiner.

"Chen Jian, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel," said Han Jiang, a Grand Academician of the Zizheng Hall, after a moment of contemplation.

In fact, compared to Chen Jian, there were even more outstanding people in Han Jiang's lineage.

Minister of Justice, Chen Shengzhi!

The previous case involving Yang Wu was overturned by Chen Shengzhi, the Minister of Justice, with Wang Anshi and Feng Jing assisting him.

However, the deputy chief examiner is usually a third-rank official, and Chen Shengzhi is already a second-rank official in charge of the Ministry of Justice, so it is impossible for him to compete for the position of deputy chief examiner.

"Chen Zheng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue," Tang Jie, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, reported after a moment's thought.

The situation was almost the same, with even more outstanding individuals emerging from Tang Jie's lineage.

Wang Gui, acting prefect of Kaifeng!
However, Wang Gui, who was already a second-rank official, was still unable to compete for the position of deputy chief examiner.

“Wang Anshi, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice,” said Wen Yanbo, a Grand Academician of the Jixian Hall, his face dark.

As they talked, Jiang Zhao recorded their conversation, adding the name of Zhang Heng, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, at the end.

Jiang Zhao glanced at it briefly and shook his head.

With Zhang Fangping, the Minister of Rites, serving as the chief examiner, the likelihood of Zhang Heng being selected as the deputy chief examiner is low.

However, this doesn't affect anything.

Zhang Heng is only in his forties; he can still endure it!

"Secondly, the memorials from the Ministry of Personnel."

"The Ministry of Personnel has provided a list of officials who are likely to be promoted from the third rank or above."

Generally speaking, the results of major performance evaluations for government officials are released gradually starting in March.

However, this only applies to those below the third rank.

Results for grades three and above will be obtained much earlier.

Of course, the list issued by the Ministry of Personnel is not necessarily the final result; the government may remove some people or add others.

In addition, the Ministry of Personnel's list only includes promotions of officials of the third rank and officials of the second rank.

As for the second rank, it was not listed.

The main reason for this is that even officials of the second rank have "no further advancement" and any promotion would inevitably lead to a position in the cabinet.

Therefore, the number of officials promoted to the second rank can indirectly reflect personnel changes in the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

At this level, the list of promotions exists only in the minds of officials and cannot be written down.

Upon receiving the document, Jiang Zhao merely glanced at it before passing it on.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet passed it around for reading.

With just a few glances, the group of people all had a sense of political reshuffling and a feeling that things had changed beyond recognition.

Simply put, judging from the list, a considerable number of reform supporters have risen to power this time.

Chen Jian, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Li Chang, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

Li Qingchen, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Chen Zheng, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhang Heng, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Xu Hui, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Wang Anshi, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice; Feng Jing, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Zhou Mengyang, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

Han Yi, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Wu Kui, Pacification Commissioner of Xihe Road; Song Huai, Acting Pacification Commissioner of Liangzhe East Road; and Deputy Pacification Commissioner of Jingdong East Road.
A long list of names, twenty or thirty people in total.

This promotion is not surprising.

Promotions in official positions have always involved one person moving, followed by a series of others.

In theory, the promotion of one of the six ministers would lead to the promotion of two vice ministers of the third rank below him, with the left vice minister being promoted to minister and the right vice minister being promoted to left vice minister.

After that, someone else will come to fill the position of Right Vice Minister, which is enough to support a third-rank Deputy Pacification Commissioner to come to the capital to serve as an official.

The vacancy created by the third-rank deputy pacification commissioner could have allowed a fourth-rank official to don a purple robe.
A rough calculation shows that the promotion of one minister of the six ministries could enable at least four or five third-rank officials to be promoted at the same time.

Generally speaking, during the major performance evaluation, three or four Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet will retire, which means that three or four Ministers of the Six Ministries will be promoted.

All these factors combined result in a considerable number of people being promoted.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet either looked slightly relaxed or had their brows furrowed.

About an incense stick's time later, the list was returned to Jiang Zhao.

"Thirdly, the bank's memorial concerns the circulation of silver."

As Jiang Zhao picked up the document, his expression became much more serious.

"The Marquis of Ningyuan led his troops across the sea and extracted 570,000 catties of silver from Japan."

"After that, there will probably be around one million catties every year."

"To facilitate the circulation of silver, Zhang Heng submitted a memorial proposing that merchants exchange copper coins for silver, with one and a half strings of copper coins exchangeable for one tael of silver," Jiang Zhao said slowly.

In feudal times, many people did not understand the principles of economic circulation, and only knew that copper coins and silver were refined products.

Copper coins and silver, once refined, become money, which can be used to buy things!
Little did people know that copper coins and silver were essentially just monetary tools, and their value was linked to productivity.

With the total amount of copper coins and silver remaining constant, the higher the productivity, the more materials society produces, the higher the monetary value of both, and the more things one string of coins can buy.

Conversely, if the total amount of copper coins and silver increases dramatically, but productivity and the amount of goods produced by society remain unchanged, it means that copper coins and silver will depreciate significantly, which may even lead to the collapse of the market economy.

Objectively speaking, copper coins and silver can increase dramatically, but the amount of goods produced by society will not increase dramatically in a short period of time.

Therefore, the circulation of silver did not mean that the imperial court could spend money recklessly.

If used properly, 570,000 catties of silver would flow into the market and contribute to the prosperity of the commodity economy.

However, if used improperly, it may cause currency squeeze, silver devaluation, and even the collapse of the market economy.

Therefore, Zhang Heng chose a more conservative approach.

With the total amount of currency as the anchor, one tael of silver in a society could be exchanged for one copper coin in a bank. This allowed the silver in the bank to successfully flow into the market. However, the bank had less silver and more copper coins. With the money going in and out, it was as if it had not flowed into the market at all!

In other words, the total amount of money in circulation has not changed; it is merely a change in the type of currency.

Once silver is circulating in the market, the imperial court can gradually inject more silver and copper coins into the market according to market demand, which carries relatively low risk.

This method is relatively conservative, but it is also less prone to errors.

"can."

"That's fine too."

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet nodded in agreement. "Fourthly, the Ministry of War submitted a memorial regarding the transportation of grain and provisions."

Wenyuan Pavilion.

The charcoal fire burns brightly, and the aroma of tea wafts from the tea stove.

On a small stove, about a foot long, dry bamboo was used as firewood, and a tea kettle, about a foot long, hung above it.

Jiang Zhao held the chopsticks, adding honey and fresh milk from time to time, and stirring gently.

A subtle aroma of milk and a refreshing scent of tea mingled together.

Zhao Shen clutched the hem of her clothes with her small hands, staring intently at the tea kettle, swallowing hard in secret.

Jiang Zhao glanced at him, smiled faintly, and was not surprised.

In fact, due to limitations in productivity, even the most powerful and wealthy could only afford a limited selection of good food.

Especially in terms of seasonings, they are really scarce, and almost all the cooking methods are steaming and boiling.

If this is the case for adults, then the good food available to children is even more scarce.

Generally speaking, they eat things like rice porridge, minced meat, and fresh fruit.

Milk tea, fresh, sweet and fragrant, is not exactly a game-changer, but it is definitely quite tempting.

After about an incense stick's time, the aroma of tea filled the air, the milky white liquid swirled around, and steam rose from the pot.

Jiang Zhao picked up two teacups, one large and one small, and filled them with milk tea.

Zhao Shen had been eyeing it for a long time and could no longer contain himself. He leaned forward slightly, his little hand already outstretched in the air, looking eager to make a move.

Jiang Zhao shook his head, gently patted the little hand, and softly stopped her, saying, "Don't rush. It's too hot, let it cool down."

"Oh."

Zhao Shen stared longingly at the cup of milk tea for a couple of seconds, nodded, and obediently withdrew his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on the cup of milk tea, not even daring to blink.

After about thirty or fifty breaths, Jiang Zhao reached out and touched the side of the cup; the milk tea had gone from scalding hot to lukewarm.

"Hold it steady."

Jiang Zhao handed over a smaller cup of milk tea, saying, "Be careful, it's hot."

"it is good!"

Zhao Shen responded and picked up the milk tea, sipping it slowly.

For a moment, only a faint aroma of milk and tea remained.

After finishing his cup, Zhao Shen quickly leaned closer and said, "Master Jiang, I want to drink more."

Jiang Zhao raised his eyebrows and poured another cup over.

Glug glug, two cups down.

Zhao Shen's belly was noticeably bulging, and he looked satisfied: "Master Jiang, you're so kind."

Jiang Zhaowen nodded gently and waved: "Let's go, let's go to the palace to find your father."

Royal study room.

The charcoal fire burned brightly, and wisps of smoke rose gently.

On a small wooden table, about ten feet long, was a map of the frontier. Zhao Ceying picked it up, lost in thought, and occasionally appeared deep in contemplation.

Just then, the Grand Eunuch in charge of ceremonial affairs announced: "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Jiang and the young prince have entered the palace to request an audience."

Upon hearing the announcement, Zhao Ceying was startled and came to her senses.

Oh right, he also has a son!
"Let them in," Zhao Ceying said, waving his hand as he held up the geomantic map.

About ten breaths.

Jiang Zhao led the young prince inside slowly.

"Your Majesty, this humble subject pays his respects." Jiang Zhao bowed respectfully.

"No need for formalities," Zhao Ceying said, waving his sleeve.

"Father, Your Majesty." Zhao Shen glanced at Jiang Zhao with lingering affection before walking towards his elderly father.

Zhao Ceying glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.

Half a day, just half a day and you're already reluctant to leave?
"Alright, the Empress has already sent people to urge you several times. Go and find your mother obediently."

"It won't be too late to go to Wenyuan Pavilion to play in a few days."

Zhao Ceying instructed, "Have someone send it to Kunning Palace."

To prevent his young son from dying prematurely, Zhao Shen was sent out of the palace to be raised after only about 100 days.

The mother and son probably only see each other about ten times a year.

His mother, Xiang, naturally missed him terribly.

Unfortunately, the child is in Jiang Zhao's hands!

The Empress sent people to urge him several times, but the news was always stuck at Zhao Ceying's point. Jiang Zhao didn't even know that the Empress had come to urge him.

"Yes."

The Grand Eunuch in charge of ceremonies quickly bowed and led the young prince into the palace.

"Wei Chen retire."

Jiang Zhao raised his hand in a salute and was about to leave.

Recently, apart from Enko and the potential border conflicts, there haven't been any major events.

This time, he simply came to return the child.

"No rush," Zhao Ceying quickly stopped him.

"I have a somewhat immature idea in mind, and I'm having trouble deciding on it. Jiang Qing, could you please give me some advice?" Zhao Ceying said, picking up the frontier map.

Jiang Zhao was taken aback, then walked closer and glanced at him.

A feng shui map of Hedong Road!
"What are Your Majesty's thoughts?" Jiang Zhao asked cautiously.

If Zhao Ceying wants to do anything like "remote control," then we definitely have to try to dissuade him.

Zhao Ceying pondered for a moment and then said, "I wish to personally lead the expedition!"

Ok?
Jiang Zhao's eyes widened in surprise.

The emperor himself is leading the expedition?!
This seems even more outrageous than "remote control," doesn't it?

"The emperor is responsible for the country and its people; there must be no mistakes, and he must never personally lead an expedition."

Jiang Zhao quickly said, "Among the military generals, Marquis Ningyuan Gu Tingye and Earl Zhennan Wang Shao are both talented commanders. If they join forces with Duke Yingguo to fight on the border, they will surely win the battle. Your Majesty need not worry."

The emperor personally leading a military campaign is no small matter. If anything goes wrong and a young emperor ascends the throne, the country will definitely be thrown into turmoil.

If you're unlucky, you might get another wave of "kindergarten" emperors.

Who can bear this?
"Do not."

"I am not worried about the chances of victory on the frontier, nor am I about to personally lead an expedition now."

Zhao Ceying shook his head and waved his hand, saying, "Since the development of bombs, Liao's advantage in horses has vanished. With the military talents of Marquis Ningyuan and Earl Zhennan, it is not difficult for the border army to win battles."

"What I mean is..."

Zhao Ceying glanced at it twice and said in a low voice, "If there is an opportunity for unification on the border, I will personally lead the expedition."

"Only in this way can we live up to the reputation of our civil and military achievements, and once the country is unified, we can be ranked among the greatest emperors of all time."

Unification?
Jiang Zhao was taken aback, then understood what Zhao Ceying meant.

Given the current political landscape, once a monarch achieves unification, he will undoubtedly become a great emperor for all time.

However, throughout history, every emperor who has achieved great things has been a figure who possessed both civil and military prowess.

If the process of achieving unification does not involve the monarch's deep involvement and does not demonstrate the monarch's "military prowess," it inevitably makes the monarch appear to have won without any effort.

It was precisely because of this concern that Zhao Ceying wanted to personally lead an expedition to the border should an opportunity arise to achieve unification.

Even if the king is only nominally in charge of a military campaign, it is still a testament to his "military prowess."

"Jiang Qing, is it okay?" Zhao Ceying asked with anticipation.

Jiang Zhao sighed and remained silent.

What does it mean to have a difficult decision? Haven't we already made a decision?
……

The Grand Master may be retiring!

In less than half a day, the news spread among the powerful and wealthy.

For a time, officials of high rank, sons of powerful families, and wives of officials and noblewomen were all discussing it endlessly.

The core of the discussion mainly revolves around two major issues:
Is the Grand Chancellor really going to retire in glory?

And who might be the next head of all officials?
(End of this chapter)