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

Chapter 264 My Emperor Shizong, the Greatest Emperor of All Time, Was It All Just a Dream?!

The main hall of the Jiang residence.

The candles burned brightly, their smoke curling long and thin.

Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding entered and took their seats one after another.

However, no one was in the main seat.

Several maids approached and offered tea, snacks, and fruits. The head steward, Hesheng, bowed respectfully and said in a humble yet assertive manner, "The master is still changing his clothes. Please have a seat and rest for a while, gentlemen."

"it is good."

Gu Tingye nodded slightly, his face serious.

After that, the maids and servants bowed in unison and withdrew.

For a moment, only Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding remained in the main hall.

The three sat solemnly, exchanging a glance.

"Ugh!"

"A sin!"

Zhang Ding sighed, his face full of sorrow.

Who is the Grand Master?
For civil officials, the Grand Chancellor was the undisputed leader of the scholar-officials, the core representative of the interests of local powerful clans, and a figure who held power over the country at the age of thirty-two.

From the emperor's perspective, the Grand Chancellor was a key minister, a favorite minister, a virtuous minister, and a capable minister who helped the emperor ascend the throne and wield power. He was so much so that he could be considered half an imperial tutor.

For military generals, the Grand Chancellor was the only civil official who was knowledgeable in both military and political affairs, dared to delegate power, and almost never suppressed military generals. He was also the one who led military generals to expand territory and establish meritorious achievements in territorial expansion.

However, such a great figure, who was first-rate in both literature and martial arts, was actually plotted to assassinate by a spoiled brat.

"Ugh!"

Zhang Ding sighed repeatedly and closed his eyes.

Young bastards, do you know just how rare it is to have a Grand Chancellor who is knowledgeable in military and political affairs, dares to delegate power, and almost never suppresses military generals?

In a century-long reign, only one person has achieved this!

If even such a high-ranking official were to be assassinated, the extent of the harm would be unimaginable.

In the short term, there is a high probability that they will be charged with crimes such as exterminating three or nine generations of their family.

Given the connections within the aristocratic group, the continuous marriage alliances will inevitably involve a significant amount of established aristocratic families.

A rough estimate suggests that about half of the people involved would be subject to the "extermination of their entire family."

As for exterminating nine generations of relatives?

I reckon they're all going to be wiped out!
In other words, if the Grand Chancellor were to be assassinated and die, the power and influence of the nobility would certainly be greatly diminished.

From a long-term perspective, the harm caused is no less than that of the "Oath on the Luo River".

Since the late Tang Dynasty, regional warlords have been separatist, and their tyrannical rule and constant harassment have led to widespread chaos. The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was an era of unparalleled disorder, with warlords slaughtering people and treating human life as worthless.

Such a negative impact destined the Great Zhou's national policy to naturally lean towards "emphasizing civil affairs over military affairs" and "sharing the world with the scholar-officials."

This resulted in a lower status for military generals compared to the Han and Tang dynasties.

For a century, there has been almost no instance of a military general being appointed as prime minister.

Even the highest military position—the Privy Councilor—was held by a civil official.

If it weren't for the hereditary privileges of military and noble families, which allowed them to live and die with the nation, they would probably have been torn apart by the scholar-officials long ago.

Throughout the century-long reign of the dynasty, no Grand Chancellor has ever been well-versed in military strategy, and naturally, the focus has always been on suppressing military generals.

Whenever a campaign is launched to conquer the border, one of the top two leaders will inevitably be a civil official, and the top leader will most likely be a civil official.

The extent to which military officers' power was controlled is evident.

Today, it is rare to find a great prime minister who dares to delegate authority, is knowledgeable in military strategy, and is destined to be remembered for eternity. How precious he is!
But if they are not cherished and instead are assassinated by the sons of nobles, how chilling would that be?
For scholars, the nobility group was essentially one entity.

If the Grand Master is assassinated, who knows whether it was a spontaneous assassination attempt by the sons of nobles or a joint assassination attempt by the noble group?
If it's the latter, the impact would be quite severe!

A high-ranking official who was knowledgeable in military and political affairs, expanded territories, and treated military generals well was resented by the nobility group simply because he showed the slightest sign of military reform.

Even the generals who rose to power under his leadership actually chose to tacitly accept the death of their chief minister!

Given this precedent, which civil official in later generations would dare to easily trust a military general?
Swearing an oath by the Luo River, nothing could be more infamous than this!

Wang Shao glanced at it indifferently and couldn't help but shake his head.

Luo Yi and Gan Ning are truly a pair of brilliant strategists!
Actually, the timing of the assassination attempt on the Grand Chancellor was also crucial.

If the late emperor were still in power, assassinating the Grand Chancellor would actually be an option.

Hmm, not bad!

After all, in the eighth year of the Qingli era, even military nobles had committed regicide.

In the eighth year of the Qingli reign, not long after the reforms, there was an assassination attempt in the palace, but the late emperor survived by sheer luck.

However, perhaps due to his soft nature or insufficient power, the emperor chose to remain silent, downplay the matter, and did not investigate the real culprit.

This assassination attempt in the palace remains an unsolved mystery to this day.

Some even suspected that the murderer was a member of the Empress Dowager Cao's faction.

Therefore, if the late emperor were still in power, assassinating the Grand Chancellor might not necessarily be punished.

Unfortunately, times have changed, and the Emperor is now Zhao Ceying!

The assassination of the Grand Chancellor was destined to be a grave crime that would shake the entire world.

Given this historical context, to dare to assassinate the Grand Chancellor, what else could he be but a hidden dragon and a phoenix?
Gu Tingye sat solemnly, not feeling too worried.

As Zichuan's friend, the two have known each other for fourteen years.

No matter what Zichuan does, just support him unwaveringly.

In this life, if you hold on tightly to Zichuan's leg, you can live a worry-free life.

About thirty to fifty breaths.

"cough!"

With a soft cough, Jiang Zhao, dressed in a brocade robe, strode inside.

"I'm bothering you in the middle of the night, so remember to bring some wine to make up for it!" Jiang Zhao waved his hand and said casually.

"Not to mention two cups, three cups are fine too," Gu Tingye said with a smile, nodding repeatedly.

Among all the civil and military officials, only a handful were qualified to invite the Grand Chancellor to the banquet.

This statement is less about "blaming" and more about showing closeness.

"Ah."

Jiang Zhao walked to the head seat and sat down. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, looked down at the person, and asked calmly, "Speak, what is it that is so important?"

Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding were all top-tier nobles and high-ranking officials. Anything that warranted such a visit from all three overnight could not possibly be a trivial matter.

Therefore, as soon as the servant reported it, Jiang Zhao almost immediately got up, dressed, and rushed over.

“Someone wants to assassinate you.” Gu Tingye said in a deep voice with a solemn expression.

Ok?
"Assassinate me?"

Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow.

No wonder the three of them came to bother us overnight.

This is indeed a major event, a very important one!
However, Jiang Zhao was not particularly surprised that someone wanted to assassinate him.

The main point is that he was already mentally prepared to be assassinated.

The new policies and reforms have given the beneficiaries an absolute dominant advantage, but it is undeniable that many people are also victims.

It's not surprising that someone wanted to assassinate him!
Of course, it would be a lie to say there were absolutely no surprises.

Being mentally prepared to be assassinated and actually being assassinated are two different things!
"call!"

With a long sigh, Jiang Zhao asked calmly, "Is it related to military reform?"

The three major reforms are: reform of the bureaucracy, reform of the economy, and reform of the military.

Among the victims of corruption were some civil officials, but their official positions were generally not high.

Any civil official who donned the red robe of the fifth rank or above, regardless of whether he harmed the people or was particularly cunning, was certainly capable.

With the "no punishment for past offenses" golden rule, as long as they stopped in time, they would certainly not lose their positions due to corruption, let alone take risks because of it.

The victims of economic reforms were local village heads, grain officials, and small landowners who were not well-connected with merchants.

These people have too little influence to be qualified to assassinate the Grand Chancellor.

Only the military reforms faced significant opposition from the nobility, who were also among the highest-ranking of the three groups of victims.

Of course, the fact that Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding visited overnight also suggests that it was a result of the military reforms.

"Ah."

Gu Tingye nodded, glanced outside, and waved his sleeve, calling out, "Someone, bring Qin Yan along."

"Walk."

After about three to five breaths, the guard Shi Tou brought over Qin Yan, the second son of the Marquis of Dongchang, who was bound hand and foot.

"Greetings, Your Excellency." Qin Yan quickly bowed and performed the salute while still bound.

"This is Qin Yan, the second son of the Marquis of Dongchang. He was one of the plotters of the assassination and also the informant," Gu Tingye explained.

The second son of the Marquis of Dongchang was a "big shot" to others, but to the head of all officials, he was no different from a commoner.

"Speak, tell me everything."

Jiang Zhao pressed his hand down and said calmly, "If what you say is substantial, you can atone for your crime by performing good deeds."

"Yes."

Qin Yan steadied himself and quickly stated, "Reporting to the Grand Chancellor, this matter originated from..."

As the others watched, Qin Yan revealed the纨绔子弟's (spoiled brat's) scheme bit by bit.

The conversation ranged from a gathering of spoiled young men to Luo Yi, Gan Ning, and the detailed plans for a certain law, with considerable detail.

About half an incense stick's time.

"In this way, the grand ceremony in the southern suburbs, the open killing of the Grand Chancellor, and the suicide of the martyr's orphan, can all be done flawlessly."

After Qin Yan finished speaking, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look directly at her.

My dear husband!
His inherent aura of authority was so imposing that people dared not look him in the eye.

"A grand ceremony in the southern suburbs."

Jiang Zhao leaned back in his chair, frowned slightly, and pondered.

From beginning to end, the entire assassination plan was crystal clear.

As the eldest son, to ensure the grand ceremony in the southern suburbs went smoothly, he would definitely have his father arrive at the sacrificial altar within half an hour and walk around to check everything.

Thus, with the martyr's orphan hidden among the Imperial Guards, the enemy was in the dark while we were in the light, and without any precautions, we could naturally find a suitable opportunity to assassinate him.

"Tsk!"

Jiang Zhao shook his head repeatedly.

There were similar cases in the history of the Northern Song Dynasty regarding this tactic.

However, that time it was an assassination attempt on Wang Anshi, which also failed because someone betrayed him.

Human nature, it just can't withstand the test!

Jiang Zhao narrowed his eyes as he pondered.

There are two ways to handle an assassination attempt by a playboy:
First, turn big problems into small ones and small problems into nothing.

Those spoiled brats were already guilty of capital crimes; all we needed to do was find a pretext to investigate them, convict them, and execute them.

Afterwards, secretly let the families of the spoiled brats know the inside story. Those people will definitely be terrified and dare not say a word.

The downside is that he's too kind.

This method has far too limited deterrent power; handling it lightly would make the Grand Master seem easy to bully.

For a thousand days he guarded against thieves, his heart filled with anxiety; in the end, it was the eldest son who suffered the most.

The eldest son's fate is also fate!

Secondly, they used this as an excuse to make an example of someone.

Recently, military reform has faced considerable resistance, mainly because the families of military elites have not been purged.

The profits from the Iwami Silver Mine further misled the military nobles into believing they had a chance to negotiate a better deal.

Taking advantage of the situation, they killed a group of people, leaving the rest trembling in fear.

Military reform will proceed without any resistance.

Who is it?

Isn't it obvious? "Let's go."

Jiang Zhao stood up and calmly said, "I will go to the palace to meet the Emperor."

"promise."

Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding exchanged glances and bowed in unison.

None of the three were fools, and they naturally knew how this matter might be handled.

They had foreseen this decision.

From the moment such an idea is conceived and widely publicized, it is destined that powerful and noble families will be met with a severe blow.

Of course, if someone informs on someone, the punishment will certainly not be too severe, and the impact will not be as bad as the "Oath of Luoshui".

Royal study room.

The gilded dragon candle burns brightly.

The ruler and his ministers faced each other.

"what?!"

With a loud bang, Zhao Ceying slammed his hand on the long table and abruptly stood up straight.

"Someone dares to assassinate Jiang Qing?"

Being woken up in the middle of the night, Zhao Ceying, who was still a little groggy, suddenly woke up, her face flushed, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

His dragon eyes were filled with fury!
"damn it!"

Zhao Ceying cursed angrily, his face flushed, and pulled out a piece of paper with one hand and picked up a writing brush with the other: "Who are the masterminds?"

"I'm going to wipe out his entire family, exterminate his nine generations!"

Zhao Ceying was truly enraged!

He had never been this angry, not even when the late Empress Gao interfered in court affairs.

Besides anger, there was also a lingering fear.

Without Jiang Qing, who can continue to lead the reform and new policies?

No!

Jiang Zhao's skill, vision, and strategic planning are absolutely unparalleled.

Once Jiang Zhao dies, his successor will only have two choices:

Alternatively, one could strive to maintain the achievements of the reforms.

Or, it's just a poor imitation.

But regardless of which choice is made, it will certainly forcibly interrupt the period of the Great Zhou's rise in national strength.

How can we defeat the Liao cavalry if our national strength doesn't increase?
This also means that the so-called great emperor of all time, Emperor Shizong, and the unification of the empire were all just a pipe dream!
How could this not enrage and terrify people?!

A ruler is above all others.

What monarch with any ambition doesn't aspire to be an emperor for all ages?
And yet you tell me that a mere spoiled brat almost ruined the grand plan for national revival and the process of unification?

kill!

They must all be killed!

"Gan Ning, the eldest son of the Duke of Gan; Luo Yi, the second son of the Duke of Ling; and Chen Biao, the second son of the Marquis of Anning."

Qin Yan recited the names of his "brothers" one by one without the slightest hesitation.

Before long, the names of more than ten people were lined up.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger."

Jiang Zhao stepped forward at the opportune moment and suggested, "In my opinion, we should take this opportunity to make an example of them. Since these spoiled brats are plotting a murder, let them continue their assassination attempts."

"In that case, it's only fair to punish them justifiably."

Jiang Zhao spoke, and Zhao Ceying's anger immediately subsided by three points.

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Ceying frowned and asked, "Does it have to be a legitimate reason?"

Whether it's punishing someone by confiscating their property and exterminating their entire family, or directly confiscating their property and exterminating their entire family, the result is the same: confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family. The only difference is the name.

Right now, he's furious and wants nothing more than to raid their house and wipe out their entire family!
"We have a legitimate reason for this," Jiang Zhaoping said with a smile.

Both involve confiscating property and exterminating entire families, but having a legitimate reason or not makes a significant difference.

Without a pretext, it could simply be the government forcefully suppressing those who oppose military reforms.

If there is a legitimate reason, it is because the military general is arrogant and domineering, and the government will punish him.

The difference is significant.

"Moreover, this allows for three ways to enjoy the fish."

"Three ways to eat it?" Zhao Ceying's face flushed red, somewhat puzzled.

Jiang Zhao glanced at him indifferently, and a eunuch led Qin Yan away.

There are some things he shouldn't hear.

Jiang Zhao explained, "With the Grand Chancellor assassinated, the civil officials will certainly support the military reform, which is the first benefit; punishing the lower officials will deter others, and the military reform will be implemented smoothly, which is the second benefit."

"As for the three ways to eat it—"

Jiang Zhao looked at Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding and said, "Punishing nobles and exterminating their entire families is too harsh. In my opinion, the mastermind should be executed along with three generations of his family, and the rest should be executed along with one generation of their families."

"As for whether it is the extermination of nine generations, three generations, or one generation, the three generals will have to kowtow and beg for mercy, kneeling outside the Imperial Study for several days."

"Winning over the hearts of nobles and dignitaries is the third way to eat fish."

In short, the idea was to spread the word in the palace that nine generations of a family would be executed.

It should be noted that the nine clans of the dozen or so纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) who plotted the assassination were almost entirely among the nobles and officials of the capital.

In other words, if nine generations of a family are implicated and executed, then everyone will die.

In this situation, Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding urgently prostrated themselves and begged for forgiveness, which naturally displayed the demeanor of "noble leaders".

Once they succeed, the three will undoubtedly gain immense prestige and naturally become the leaders of the nobility.

The emperor's military power became increasingly secure.

Gu Tingye, Wang Shao, and Zhang Ding were all taken aback.

How could they possibly benefit from this?
Zhao Ceying frowned deeply.

After analyzing the situation, Jiang Qing calmed down considerably.

At the very least, the execution of nine generations of a family is highly unlikely.

Firstly, Jiang Qing did not actually die.

Secondly, the extermination of nine generations of a family would be tantamount to the destruction of the noble clan, which is definitely not something that can be done.

“But wouldn’t that put Jiang Qing in danger?” Zhao Ceying said with some concern.

Qin Yan's betrayal was like a second chance given to him by God, and he didn't want to put him in danger and lose him completely.

"Then let General Gu accompany you!"

Jiang Zhaoping smiled gently: "General Gu is quite skilled in martial arts and can certainly protect me."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, even if the swords are poisoned, I will certainly risk my life to protect the Grand Chancellor," Gu Tingye quickly replied.

In fact, once preparations were made, and the Imperial Guards were specifically rotated to be their own men, the assassination was destined to fail.

Zhao Ceying was naturally well aware of this.

quite a while.

Zhao Ceying sighed, "Alright then."

Only Jiang Qing, concerned about the country and its people, did not forget to consolidate power for the monarch even in this situation.

With a minister like this, what more could one ask for in life?

That night.

The main hall of the Duke of Gan's residence.

The Duke of Gan and his son Gan Ning gathered together.

In the dead of night, Gan Guogong paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking worried.

He had always known about his son's arms dealing and had provided him with considerable assistance.

The current problem is that with the implementation of military reforms, the sale of weapons is very likely to be discovered.

If it's really discovered, even a Duke would be in deep trouble.

Especially given the powerful nature of the government, it becomes even more difficult to handle.

This is why the Duke of Gan firmly opposed military reform.

"What should we do?" Duke Gan murmured to himself, his hands behind his back.

Gan Ning gazed into the past, taking it all in his eyes.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to lay his cards on the table: "Father, I have a solution."

"Ok?"

Duke Gan was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What solution?"

Military reform is an inevitable trend. Once the higher authorities issue a decree, it must be implemented. This is why the Duke of Gan has not been able to come up with a solution for a long time.

"Assassinate the Grand Chancellor."

Gan Ning made a startling statement: "I have reached an agreement with some noble sons, swore an oath of blood, signed and sealed the document, and decided to assassinate the Grand Chancellor and obstruct the military reform."

"What?" Duke Gan's expression changed drastically, realizing something was wrong.

Assassinating the Grand Chancellor—is that a method even a human could conceive?

"Tell me in detail," the Duke of Gan said eagerly.

"Yes."

“A few days ago, my child,” Gan Ning said, carrying the trays one by one.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

The Duke of Gan's expression darkened slightly.

Assassinating the Grand Chancellor was a path he had never dared to take before.

This path is so brilliant, it's almost a one-hit wonder, making people afraid to gamble recklessly.

But who would have thought that the plan by more than ten纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) to assassinate the eldest son was already quite well-organized?

Now, he has two choices:

First, he knelt down and begged for forgiveness, but the problem was that the crime of reselling arms was too serious.

Generally speaking, those who voluntarily inform on others can be pardoned.

However, his son was one of the masterminds behind the assassination plot!

The Gan family was also involved in arms dealing.

Informing on someone is practically like walking into a trap; it's completely useless!
Second, to actually kill the eldest son.

Then, he killed more than ten noble sons who had conspired with him.

This way, it's flawless!

Which path should we choose?
In a mere instant, the Duke of Gan made his decision.

Kill the Grand Chancellor!
His son was the mastermind; the Gan family had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, leaving them with no way out.

However, this approach must take into account the issue of information leakage.

With more than ten people involved, there's a high probability that no one will leak information in the short term, but things could change over time.

"Even blood oaths and signed contracts are not enough to guarantee a guarantee."

Duke Gan narrowed his eyes, a ruthless glint in them, and ordered, "Gather the sons of nobles and have them kill a fifth-rank official as a pledge of loyalty!"

Killing an official is a most serious crime, and with this as a guarantee, no one else would dare to act recklessly.

Gan Ning suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Father is indeed very thoughtful."

"Humph!"

Duke Gan stood with his hands behind his back, silently considering the matter.

My lord, kill him if you will.

In the eighth year of the Qingli era, even the late emperor almost died!
With a plan in place, the Grand Chancellor might not necessarily be able to die.

(End of this chapter)