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

Chapter 300 Jiang Zhao was impeached?

Zhongjing, Dadingfu.

Yong'an Hall.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Yelü Hongji, who was forty-one years old at the time, picked up the document and carefully examined it.

From him downwards, the high-ranking officials, whether from the south or the north, all stood in orderly rows.

"when--"

A single chime of the bell leaves a lingering, resonant sound.

The document was gently placed down, and Yelü Hongji raised his head and sat upright, leaning on the armrests.

Then, his gaze fell downwards, focusing on a few of them. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Have any military reports arrived from Tokyo Road and Changbai Mountain?"

Whenever he entered the court to discuss politics, he would inquire about military reports.

Since the internal strife began, this had become a habit for Yelü Hongji.

When the country is unstable, everyone will feel anxious and uneasy.

Yelü Sala, the Great King of the Northern Court, stepped forward and reported: "The Ordo army is stationed in the Tokyo Circuit, and they are numbing the lowly people with forced labor and hard labor. The situation is somewhat chaotic and the stalemate is still ongoing."

Keeping the people busy, so busy that they have no energy to think about other things, is a relatively common way to maintain social stability.

Changbai Mountain

Yelü Sala lowered his eyebrows slightly, paused for a moment, and then said, "It's really beyond our reach."

Unlike the "Lu" system of the Zhou and Western Xia dynasties, the Liao dynasty's administrative system was "Dao".

Its core mainly consists of the Five Capitals: Shangjing Linhuangfu, Dongjing Liaoyangfu, Xijing Datongfu, Nanjing Xilufu, and Zhongjing Dadingfu.

With these five capitals as the core, the territory was divided into five parts, which resulted in five "circuits": Shangjing Circuit, Dongjing Circuit, Xijing Circuit, Nanjing Circuit, and Zhongjing Circuit.

Tokyo Road was the main living area of ​​the Mature Jurchens.

Changbai Mountain is the core living area of ​​the Jurchen people.

Still at a stalemate!

It's too far away to reach them!

Yelü Hongji, his face grim and slightly displeased, couldn't help but rebuke:
"too slow."

"The Jurchens have long been in turmoil; how can we stabilize the nation and secure the country?"

It has been more than a hundred days since Wanyan Wugunai and his son Wanyan Helibo started their rebellion.

Overall, the resistance was not easy, and May 11th was the "dividing point".

From March 20th to May 11th, the three major regimes of Liao, Zhou, and Xia fought each other. The Wanyan tribe, relying on the lack of powerful figures in the country, was like a monkey becoming king in the absence of a tiger.

Their resistance was so large that it even reached the point of conquering eleven prefectures in the Tokyo area.

Even the 20,000 troops sent from Yanyun to Tokyo only slowed down their westward advance to a certain extent.

However, the situation reversed starting on May 11.

The Yan-Yun Alliance meant that the struggle between the three major regimes of Liao, Zhou, and Xia had come to an end, and the Ordo army stationed in Yan-Yun was undoubtedly freed up.

Thus, the army swept across the land and gradually pushed back.

However, the counter-intuition soon reached a stalemate.

On the one hand, the Jurchens had already widely adopted armor and spears.

Compared to the Jurchens, the main advantage of the Ordo army was its military weaponry.

With the support of the Zhou people, the Jurchens' military weapons became widespread, and the gap between the two sides gradually narrowed.

In fact, when it comes to individual combat skills, the Ordo army may not even be as good as the Jurchens.

After all, the Jurchens truly lived by hunting every day; they couldn't survive without it.

On the other hand, it wasn't just the Jurchens who were making moves.

The Liao Dynasty had a population of ten million, while the Khitan people had a population of one hundred thousand, which was only about one-eighth of the Liao Dynasty's population.

In other words, the Khitan people were a minority ethnic group.

When a minority group rules over the vast majority of people, there is a major inherent challenge – they are very vulnerable to backlash!

Therefore, it is necessary to adopt "oppressive" measures against large ethnic groups.

The Jurchens' unrest naturally inspired other ambitious or oppressed peoples to rebel.

Therefore, it was impossible for the Ordo army to suppress all the Jurchens; they were destined to divide into several routes.

In particular, the Han people of Yan and Yun numbered over four million.

They ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, but did not cede the Han people to them. Instead, they forced the Han people of Yan and Yun to withdraw from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!

Those in positions of power have their own considerations.

For those in power, the people are their sustenance, and are indispensable.

Ceding territory, evacuating the people, and ending a war destined to fail was undoubtedly a sound decision.

However, for the Han people of Yanyun, ceding territory but not their people meant that the people would be forced to become displaced.

More than four million people were displaced and evacuated to other places!

The anomalies involved are far more than just a little bit.
In such a situation, in order to stabilize the Han people of Yanyun, the Ordo army alone needed to number at least 50,000 to 60,000 to guard the area.

Once the forces were divided up, the actual number of troops responsible for suppressing the Jurchens was not very large.

This resulted in the Jurchens experiencing a slight decline, but they still occupied a considerable portion of the territory in Tokyo.

"How many prefectures in the Tokyo Circuit have not yet been recovered?" Yelü Hongji asked, his face grim, as he leaned on his chair.

“Seven states.” Yelü Sala sighed helplessly.

For three consecutive years, there were two major national wars, both of which ended in major defeats.

The annihilation of nearly 60,000 troops in one operation and the cession of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun once brought the imperial authority and Yelü Hongji’s imperial prestige to rock bottom.

In contrast, the Jurchens were well-equipped with weapons and became increasingly courageous in battle.

Some mature female Zhenren were also secretly observing and harboring ulterior motives.

Given this situation, unless additional troops are sent, it is uncertain whether the seven provinces can be reclaimed from the Jurchens.

“Too slow.” Yelü Hongji shook his head again.

This kind of internal strife must be as short as possible.

Otherwise, things might get complicated!
"What about the bombs?" Yelü Hongji's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "Have the Jurchen horses been trained to prevent being startled?"

The core issue in the defeat at Yanmen Valley years ago was the problem of horses being startled.

If the horses that gave birth to the Jurchens had not undergone special training, they might have been able to try to recreate the scene from back then.

"Not afraid of bombs."

Yelü Sala shook his head and sighed, "The Jurchens have somehow obtained a large quantity of specially made fireworks, which they use to train horses' courage, thus preventing them from being startled."

"Has anyone been sent to negotiate?" Yelü Hongji asked again.

He didn't want to waste too much energy on the Jurchens.

Simply put, the Jurchen rebellion was an external threat.

To the people of the Great Zhou and the Western Xia, the Jurchens were the Liao people, and their rebellion was tantamount to an internal strife within the Khitan regime.

However, for the Khitan regime, the Jurchen people were not a tribe directly under its control, but rather a "subordinate" tribe, just like the vassal states of the Zhou Dynasty.

The difference lies in the fact that the Jurchens were a tribe, not a regime.

Resistance from vassal states is naturally an external threat!

At present, the Khitan regime is facing both internal and external troubles.

Internal troubles, namely the weakening of monarchical power and the underlying unrest within the regime.

This included more than four million restless Han Chinese from Yan and Yun.

External threats, namely the resistance of the Jurchen people.

Which is more important?
We cannot concede even a single step to internal troubles.

Otherwise, it is possible to achieve a change of ruler from within.

At best, the monarch becomes a puppet.

In severe cases, the main lineage will be replaced, and a collateral branch will rise to power.

External threats can actually be yielded to.

The main point is that, given the size of the Jurchen population, they were not yet capable of shaking the Khitan regime.

Therefore, Yelü Hongji intentionally tried to appease the Jurchen people through "peace talks".

"Someone was sent to talk to them."

Yelü Sala reported: "The Wanyan tribe hopes to obtain the seven occupied prefectures and establish its own regime."

"Oh!"

A tap on the wooden table.

"Insanity!"

Yelü Hongji said with a dark face, "Make them hand over the seven provinces, and everything will be fine."

Otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything!

The implication was that even the Jurchen people establishing their own regime was tolerable.

"Yes."

Yelü Sala nodded quickly and said, "I will send someone to talk to them again."

With only the emperor and his minister, one asking and one answering, no one else had a chance to interject.

but……

People occasionally frowned and exchanged glances.

If the women of the Zhen people were to become independent, would there really be no major problems?
In 1038, the seventh year of the Chongxi reign, the Western Xia, with the support of the Liao Dynasty, declared itself independent.

In the following twenty years, the two countries fought wars frequently, almost causing the Great Zhou to suffer greatly.

In contrast, the Liao Dynasty remained aloof, acting as if it were none of their business, secretly recuperating and building up its national strength. It can be said that if it weren't for Jiang Zichuan's sudden rise to power and his expansion of territory, the Zhou Dynasty would have had absolutely no chance of turning the tide.

Now, the Jurchens, having received support from the Great Zhou, are showing signs of becoming independent.

How similar are these two situations?
Bianjing, the Imperial Study.

A small wooden table, about ten feet long, was set up with dozens of documents laid out one by one.

Two of the documents were laid out separately.

Zhao Ceying picked up the document and examined it carefully.

Right opposite him sat a man, wearing a green robe and a hat with a mythical beast symbolizing "distinguishing right from wrong and upholding justice," who was none other than the Imperial Censor.

Judging from his appearance, his hands were clasped tightly together, and a hint of tension flashed in his eyes from time to time, indicating that he was uneasy.

"Imperial Censor Huang, the person who submitted the memorial impeaching you is none other than Minister Jiang?"

With a quick glance and a light touch, Zhao Ceying looked down at the document, his face showing a mixture of anger and surprise.

In recent years, the crackdown has been severe, resulting in the demotion of many people and leading to a near-universal consensus that impeaching the Grand Secretary is not feasible.

Therefore, even if there were impeachments against Jiang Zhao, they would only be submitted in writing, rather than being presented to the emperor for an audience.

This time, however, it was somewhat unexpected.

He wanted to see just who dared to enter the palace and impeach Zichuan.
Moreover, the charges against them were listed in a very detailed and organized manner.

Ten memorials advising the emperor to guard against powerful ministers!
"Your Majesty, calm down."

At just one glance, Imperial Censor Huang Lü was greatly alarmed and immediately bowed down.

"Your subject submits this memorial for official business only, and it has nothing to do with official position."

"Business?"

Zhao Ceying raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "The Grand Chancellor governs the country, reforms corrupt practices, and brings prosperity to the people. He has lived up to the expectations of the emperor and the people."

"Impeaching virtuous officials is also for official business?"

Zhao Ceying looked down with a sullen face.

Even those who share the same heart and mind dare to enter the palace to offer advice.

Or they're just really stubborn, like Qi Heng.

Or they are political opportunists.

After all, generally speaking, once unification is achieved, the next step is very likely to be internal strife.

It's not surprising that some people are speculating.

"Yes."

Huang Lu broke out in a sweat and quickly said, "A virtuous minister and a powerful minister are not contradictory."

"In my humble opinion, the Grand Chancellor is indeed virtuous, but he is also a powerful minister."

"Moreover, he is a powerful minister rarely seen in a century-long dynasty!"

"During the two expansions of Xihe and Xifeng, the Grand Chancellor was in charge of both, and made great contributions. From then on, a group of meritorious figures in the expansion was formed, with the Grand Chancellor at the core, regardless of whether they were civil or military officials."

"After that, there were three major campaigns: the expansion of Yan and Yun, the annihilation of Jiaozhi, and the restoration of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. On the surface, the Grand Chancellor was temporarily managing state affairs, but those who went to the border to fight were all former officials who had participated in the expansion of Xihe and Xifeng. In reality, they were also the Grand Chancellor's men."

"Within the country, the Grand Chancellor holds supreme power, even temporarily managing state affairs; on the frontier, those who have contributed to the expansion of territory have all received the Grand Chancellor's favor, or were promoted and gained power by the Grand Chancellor."

"This can be described as possessing both literary and martial talents."

"In addition, there is reform of the bureaucracy, dismissal of officials, and the possibility of the Grand Chancellor promoting his protégés and former subordinates, and appointing people based on personal connections."

"If so, then what is he if not a powerful minister?"

Huang Lü looked anxious and said in a deep voice, "Throughout history, there has always been a struggle between the emperor and his minister. Your Majesty, we must be on guard!"

Zhao Ceying looked down.

To be honest, those words make a lot of sense.

"If that's the case, who do you think Jiang's faction consists of?" Zhao Ceying asked calmly.

Huang Lu was taken aback, then a sudden surge of joy filled his heart.

Could it be?

"With Grand Chancellor Jiang at the core, there are many outstanding figures in literature, such as the Seven Sons of Jiayou, Zhang Fangping, Li Qingchen, Li Chang, Song Huai, Wu Zhongfu, and Han Jiayan; and in military affairs, there are Duke Gu Tingye of Yue, Duke Wang Shao of Dai, Earl Zhong E of Xianning, and Earl Zhong Shidao of Hailing County. There are too many to count!"

Huang Lü kowtowed heavily and said, "Of the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, two are held by the Jiang faction; of the six ministers entering the Privy Council, three are held by the Jiang faction."

"Half the country is gone, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Ceying did not speak.

To be honest, he was indeed a powerful minister!
Moreover, he was indeed a first-rate powerful minister.

Throughout history, among civil officials, only figures like Huo Guang and Yin Yi could likely outrank Zichuan in terms of power.

but
The two, the emperor and the prime minister, are destined never to fight each other.

Firstly, the relationship between the ruler and his subject was highly intertwined.

Once they start fighting, their reputation as rulers and ministers for all time will be ruined.

Secondly, the Western Xia and Liao dynasties had not yet been destroyed.

Both the ruler and his minister were ambitious men, and with external enemies still present, they certainly wouldn't fight each other.

Three
"Ugh!"

Zhao Ceying stroked her left arm and closed her eyes slightly.

Time waits for me!

I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to exchange a few blows with Zichuan in this lifetime.

A sigh made Huang Luwei raise his head and look over.

The dragon robe and crown, the dragon's majesty and appearance—everything was as usual, nothing unusual.

However, I don't know if it's just my imagination.

The official residence actually gives people the illusion of being "decayed and decadent".

The robust man, aged thirty-two or thirty-three, was listless and weak.

"You go down."

"I will not punish you."

Zhao Ceying sighed and waved his hand.

He has never liked political opportunists or those who sow discord between the emperor and his subjects.

However, considering that Huang Lü's words made sense, there was no need to demote him.

"Yes."

Huang Lu was overjoyed, thinking he had succeeded in his speculation, and quickly retreated.

About ten breaths.

"Ugh!"

Zhao Ceying sighed deeply, picked up the impeachment document, and was about to order it to be burned.

However, before she could finish speaking, or perhaps remembering something, she stood up and placed the document on the bookshelf behind her.

Stay in the middle but not send out!

"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician He has arrived."

Li Xian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, entered and respectfully reported the news.

The visitor was named He Hongwen, a physician from a family of doctors with a good reputation.

"Let him in."

Xiangzhou, Han Prefecture.

An incense table was set up, with the fragrance of sandalwood wafting through the air.

"Congratulations, Lord Han, on being granted the title of Duke of Qin." Liu Min, the prefect of Xiangzhou, bowed respectfully.

Originally, the two were playing chess.

But suddenly a palace official arrived midway, saying he came from Bianjing to announce the emperor's bestowal of honors.

In addition, they also brought a handwritten letter from Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao.

Thus, Han Zhang set up an incense table, received the reward, and read the letter, learning the ins and outs of the reward.

The main reward was the title of Duke of Qin.

The letters mainly consisted of greetings from his disciple, Jiang Zhao.

To be honest, the letter was quite long and written in plain language, totaling a couple thousand words.

Even some of them are quite lengthy.

However, it is not difficult to read.

It's easy to read Jiang Zhao's care and gratitude for his teacher between the lines.

It may be long and tedious, but it is full of emotion, which is quite rare.

As the prefect of Xiangzhou, Liu Min held a fifth-rank official position and was considered a shrewd person, so he immediately offered his congratulations.

The retired Grand Chancellor is the Grand Chancellor, and the retired Grand Chancellor Han is the Grand Chancellor Han.

Do you even understand the significance of a retired powerful minister having a powerful disciple constantly adding fuel to the fire?
What's the difference between this and not retiring at all?

"Ha ha!"

"No need for excessive formalities, cuckoo."

Han Zhang, who was sixty-five years old at the time, picked up the document of conferment and reward, and couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile with pride.

Hey!
He had already retired from office, but I never expected to be granted another title.

This is the benefit of having someone to take care of you in your old age!
……

(End of this chapter)