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

Chapter 313 Jiang Zichuan, you've finally met your match!
Royal study room.

Brocade and bamboo scrolls are laid out and hung in the central hall.

"despair--"

"despair--"

Step by step, up and down, only the faint sound of footsteps remained.

"I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd—"

"Suddenly I turned around, and there he was, in the dim light!"

Zhao Ceying hung his hands at his sides, gazing at the "Green Jade Table Lantern Festival" hanging directly opposite him, and couldn't help but recite it softly.

"despair!"

His steps faltered.

"But there he is, in the dim light!"

Zhao Ceying stared intently, lost in thought, speechless, and motionless for a long time.

Gradually, his eyes regained their sparkle.

"Ugh!"

A sigh escaped her lips, seemingly without a care in the world, yet it also seemed as if something was on her mind.

However, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

Every move he made added a unique sense of loneliness.

"Zichuan is gone?"

Zhao Ceying stood with his hands behind his back, gazing intently at the poem, and asked in a deep voice.

The Grand Eunuch in charge of ceremonies was startled and quickly bowed, saying, "I'm leaving."

As a senior eunuch, he was always by the emperor's side and inevitably came into contact with some secrets that were difficult for ordinary people to know.

Among these secrets, one of the most important is the Emperor's serious illness.

Severe carbuncles are almost incurable!
Your Majesty, you really don't have long to live!
Li Xian was certain that the emperor's reign was declining from its peak.

The Emperor had been suffering from carbuncles since the fourth year of the Xifeng reign.

For the first two years, there were no major illnesses.

In the sixth year of the Xifeng reign, the Yan and Yun regions were restored, and coincidentally, his injuries flared up again.

Little by little, the government became increasingly weak.

Among these, physical decline is a major ailment, but the mental anguish is no less severe.

When one's spirit is tormented, one naturally seeks solace in confiding in others to vent emotions and alleviate pain.

Unfortunately, kings stand too high, making it unlikely that they will have anyone to confide in.

Even the Empress herself cannot do it.

However, in reality, there was indeed someone who was truly recognized by the authorities and could serve as a confidant.

My Lord, Jiang Zhao!

Unfortunately, when the Grand Chancellor was in the capital, the Emperor had reservations and did not have a detailed discussion with him.

The so-called mental torment was naturally not relieved.

Now, the Emperor, upon reading the poem presented by the Grand Chancellor, is naturally moved.

"Let's go!"

Zhao Ceying was taken aback, feeling lost and disappointed.

To be honest, Li Xian's guess is correct.

Zhao Ceying was touched by this.

Thinking back to those days, at the Xiangguo Temple, during the Lantern Festival.

How spirited and vigorous the ruler and his minister were!

Suddenly I turned around, and there he was, in the dim light!
The wise and virtuous ruler whom the prime minister of all ages admires is right beside me!

How wonderful!

In the days that followed, the emperor and his minister worked together with one heart and one mind, expanding their territory twice and once recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, thus achieving a great feat for all time.

Unfortunately, everything changed after I contracted carbuncles.

The king was filled with worry and anxiety, and was tormented by it every day.

When a subject is viewed with suspicion and fear, he is filled with apprehension and has no choice but to demote himself to a lower position.

Everything has changed!
"Ugh!"

Zhao Ceying felt a pang of sadness, a bitter taste in her mouth.

For some reason, from the moment he learned that Jiang Zhao had left, his urge to confide in others reached an unprecedented peak.

Of course, if Jiang Zhao really did turn around and go to the capital, his desire to confide in others might not be able to continue.

In fact, they might just disappear all at once, losing their desire to confide in someone and choosing to remain silent.

Perhaps this is what everyone means by "you only know how to cherish something when you lose it"!

"It's good that they've left."

Zhao Ceying felt very conflicted.

Regret, distress, worry, and fear were all present.

Regret stems from the remorse felt for the southern expedition to Jiaozhi.

In addition, he felt remorse and distress about demoting Jiang Zhao.

The main point is that if they hadn't launched a southern expedition to Jiaozhi, they wouldn't have contracted severe carbuncles.

Jiang Zhao's demotion meant that the opportunity for the emperor and his subject to meet would become scarce.

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect?
Zhao Ceying was a very humane emperor.

Naturally, he also hoped to spend more time with his friend and semi-imperial tutor, Jiang Zhao.

Entrusting an orphan to someone doesn't necessarily mean belittling them.

As for worries and fears, they are nothing more than fears of death and the unknown future.

Who among us is not afraid of death?
Not to mention, his children are all young and incapable of inheriting the throne.

Furthermore, the so-called golden age is also a major concern.

Since the seventh year of the Xifeng reign, the Great Zhou Dynasty has been thriving and flourishing.

However, it's hard to say whether all of this could be maintained if the strong-willed monarch were to die of illness.

Creating a golden age that lasts for thousands of years is even more difficult.

"Oh~!"

Another sigh.

Zhao Ceying shook her head, her unease gradually subsiding.

"Where is the prince?"

Zhao Ceying asked, "Did you see him one last time?"

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince also saw me off on the riverbank," Li Xian said respectfully.

The fact that the Crown Prince escorted them was partly orchestrated by Zhao Ceying.

On the one hand, it was mainly to deepen the bond between the Crown Prince and the Grand Chancellor.

Don't underestimate the significance of the Crown Prince seeing them off.

In terms of the social atmosphere of the feudal era, when the crown prince saw him off, any subject with feelings would definitely be moved and deeply touched.

In this respect, even if one doesn't feel deeply grateful or become a loyal follower, the difference is not significant.

In this respect, there is no distinction between loyalty and treachery.

It works the same for both loyal and treacherous officials.

Hmm. Similar to Sima Yi, those who harbor rebellious intentions are not among them.

On the other hand, it is also a morally motivated scheme.

The five-year-old prince went so far as to leave the city to see him off.

What an incredible favor!
Once the news spreads, it will naturally add another layer of moral blackmail.

In fact, in future historical records, this might even be recorded as a testament to the harmonious relationship between the ruler and his ministers, a story of mutual favor and kindness.

Of course, the so-called "masterpiece" was not some kind of extraordinary method.

Zhao Ceying merely had someone pass this message on to the young crown prince.

Zhao Shen was only five years old.

It can be said that from the time he could remember, he spent at least half of his time by the side of Grand Master Jiang Zhao.

What started as a craving for food gradually evolved into teaching academic subjects.

The young prince might spend two or three hours a day in the Zhaowen Hall.

In terms of the amount of time spent together, the Empress certainly couldn't compare.

The Empress and the Crown Prince only saw each other once every ten days or so.

The elderly father, Zhao Ceying?

That's pretty tough!
It's barely passable, but perhaps it can reach a level that's roughly the same as the others!

Such time spent together, and all of it was quite wonderful, is etched in my memory.

When the young prince suddenly learned that Jiang Zhao was leaving, he was heartbroken and cried for about half a day before he was finally comforted.

Thus, without even needing anyone else to remind him, the young prince hurriedly went out of the city to see him off.

Perhaps the eunuchs and imperial guards were instructed by Zhao Ceying, because the young prince arrived at the riverbank "just in time".

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying understood and knew what to do.

He immediately focused his attention on the poem and fell silent.

"I hope we can meet again!"

Huainan East Road, Huaizuo.

Pacification Division.

A man, about fifty-six or fifty-seven years old, sat upright with his hair slightly gray at the temples, picking up documents and glancing at them from time to time.

This person was Wang Gongchen, the newly appointed Pacification Commissioner of Huainan East Circuit, a powerful official of the second rank.

Theoretically speaking, a 56 or 57-year-old holding the second rank is quite impressive and has the potential to climb higher.

If one is lucky enough to have a successful career, one might even be able to try to compete for the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

After all, it's only two ranks from the second rank to the first rank.

In theory, it takes six years to climb up.

However, Wang Gongchen was not satisfied with this.

The reason is simple: he became a high-ranking official in a region around the age of fifty-four. In other words, he had already been promoted to a second-rank official in the last major performance evaluation.

Moreover, in terms of his rate of progress, he is actually not very fast.

Wang Gongchen was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the tenth year of the Tiansheng era.

That year, he was nineteen years old!

Nearly forty years have passed since the tenth year of the Tiansheng era.

The top scholar, after nearly forty years in office, only held the rank of second grade.

To be honest, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's a process of "accumulating seniority."

In the fourth year of the Xifeng reign, Wang Gongchen was the Pacification Commissioner of Guangnan East Circuit.

Now, three years have passed, and he is still the pacification commissioner, without any change.

Of course, in terms of economic level, Huainan East Road is undoubtedly top-notch and can be called an economic powerhouse.

This transfer to the position of Pacification Commissioner of Huainan East Road can actually be considered a "minor promotion".

However, even if it's a "minor promotion," it's still essentially a second-rank official position.

At 54 years old, he holds the rank of second grader and is a shoo-in for a cabinet position.

At fifty-seven years old, holding the rank of second grade was actually a bit precarious.

A rough calculation shows that at fifty-seven years old one could become a second-rank official, which means one would have to be at least sixty-three years old to enter the cabinet and retire at sixty-six.

But the question is, is it even possible?

In reality, who among those in their fifties would allow a sixty-three-year-old to join the cabinet?

The chances suddenly became slim.

It would be strange if Wang Gongchen were satisfied with this.

The reasons for not being promoted are not surprising.

On the one hand, it is his own problem.

Wang Gongchen's performance during his tenure in Guangnan East Road was not particularly good.

Furthermore, Wang Gongchen opposed the reform at the beginning, which led his superiors to believe that he was poor at judging people and lacked political acumen, so they did not give him the opportunity to be promoted.

Therefore, he inevitably continued to serve as the Pacification Commissioner.

On the other hand, there are no more positions available at the top!
In the seventh year of the Xifeng reign, even including the retired Grand Secretary Jiang Zhao, only two cabinet seats were available.

With fewer changes in Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, naturally fewer officials of the second rank were promoted.

Few people can be promoted to the second rank, so naturally there are even fewer positions available for those who can compete for the second rank.

Moreover, the entire empire comprises one prefecture, two capitals, and fifteen circuits, with a total of eighteen high-ranking officials of the second rank.

Among them were ruthless figures like Wang Anshi.

In addition, there were also some officials of the second rank in the capital who held nominal positions.

Aside from the position held by Wang Anshi, there are probably only two or three other positions that others can compete for.

That is roughly a 10-to-1 chance.

Difficult, difficult, difficult!
If they still haven't been promoted after three years, they will most likely be sidelined and retire from their nominal second-rank position.

Wang Gongchen was not in a very good mood.

"grown ups."

With a soft call, Wu Yong, an official under the Pacification Commissioner, approached.

"how?"

Wang Gongchen didn't even look up, continuing to review the documents.

As an official under the Pacification Commissioner, Wu Yong's role was similar to that of a secretary.

"My lord, a document has arrived from the Imperial Secretariat."

With a solemn expression, Wu Yong presented the document and briefly reported: "The Grand Chancellor has submitted a document, voluntarily degrading himself. Just yesterday, he traveled south by boat from the Bian River."

"Shall we prepare a grand welcome on the riverbank?"

"Um--"

Wang Gongchen picked up the document, glanced at it briefly, and couldn't help but ponder it.

Logically speaking, when the eldest son returns to his hometown, one should definitely try to curry favor with him.

Even if the two are not from the same lineage, it doesn't affect the matter of currying favor.

After all, once the Ministry of Personnel's assessment documents are submitted, if it involves promotion, a few kind words from the Grand Secretary, or even a gentle reassurance, will certainly make the chances of being promoted much easier.

The problem is, the eldest son has been demoted!
In that split second, Wang Gongchen made his decision.

"Wang is a newly appointed official and doesn't know much about the affairs in Huainan."

"Alright, let the deputy envoy go to the riverbank to greet him."

"Yes," the subordinate replied and went downstairs.

Wang Gongchen had no intention of currying favor with the Grand Chancellor.

They don't even intend to make friends with them.

The reason for this is that the Grand Chancellor certainly did not belittle himself without cause.

There is only one person in the world who can make the Grand Chancellor demean himself, and that is the Emperor!

The Grand Master inexplicably belittled himself.

If you said there wasn't a hidden story behind this, even a ghost wouldn't believe it.

If I befriend the powerful official, who knows if I might offend the emperor?

It's best to be cautious.

Besides, as the saying goes, once the person leaves, the tea grows cold.

In the end, my lord, you've actually belittled yourself.

The chosen one has ultimately fallen.

How many years can an influence last if they're not in the halls of power?
In such a situation, why bother making friends?
This is definitely a case of burning the stove when it's cold.

Ah!
His superiors also said he lacked political acumen.

But this time, the fact that he didn't rush to curry favor with her was a very calm move, wasn't it?
Danzhou, Yilun.

"ah!"

"What goes around comes around!"

"Oops!"

A gasp of surprise, filled with delight.

His joy was palpable.

However, she was a woman in her thirties or forties, and every move she made exuded a sense of schadenfreude.

"What are you yelling about?"

County Magistrate Kang Haifeng frowned repeatedly, looking at his wife with some impatience.

The couple were none other than Kang Haifeng and Wang Ruoyu.

Originally, Kang Haifeng and Wang Ruoyu, through the secret efforts of Old Mrs. Wang, had already escaped the misery of Danzhou.

Jiang Zhao tacitly approved of this approach and did not interfere.

But who would have thought that Old Mrs. Wang, perhaps out of her mind, would actually get into a fight with Mr. Jiang.

The final result is, of course, quite obvious.

Grandma Wang's actions were fierce as a tiger, but utterly clumsy.

And then...
Grand Tutor Wang was implicated and was no longer entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, becoming the second person in history to be removed from the temple.

Both Old Lady Wang and Wang Shiping were transferred out of the capital to work in harsh, cold places.

Having escaped their suffering, Kang Haifeng and Wang Ruoyu were forced to return to Danzhou, a truly miserable existence.

As expected, Kang Haifeng was implicated once again, causing him great distress.

The couple had long been estranged, their relationship a mere facade.

Wang Ruoyu suffered a lot of emotional abuse, so naturally she hadn't been happy for a long time.

However, today is an exception.

"Good thing!"

Wang Ruoyu looked excited and said repeatedly, "Great news!"

Kang Haifeng was taken aback, and a thought struck him.

For them, the only truly good thing is that they have the hope of leaving Danzhou!

Kang Haifeng hurried over and asked, "What good news?"

Wang Ruoyu, holding the document and looking delighted, passed the letter over and said emphatically:
"Jiang Zichuan has been demoted!"

"What?!" Kang Haifeng exclaimed in surprise, and quickly picked up the letter to read it carefully.

Surprisingly, the letter contained news about Jiang Zhao's demotion.

"this--"

As Kang Haifeng gazed at it, a glimmer of hope rose in his heart.

Jiang Zichuan has been demoted and lost power!
With the version update, the previous version's star is now obsolete!

"Hahaha!"

"Okay, okay!"

"Quickly." Kang Haifeng quickly found paper and pen: "Write a letter to my mother-in-law."

"In this way, my husband and I can escape from danger and live a life of wealth and comfort."

"Hmph!" Wang Ruoyu nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with the triumph of overcoming hardship.

"What goes around comes around; no one escapes the wrath of Heaven."

"Jiang Zichuan, you've finally met your match?"

The river and sky blend into one color, calm and still.

Board.

Jiang Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

Since entering officialdom in the second year of the Jiayou era, he has rarely returned to his hometown.

To be precise, I only returned to my hometown once.

That is, the time when my grandfather Jiang Zhi was seriously ill.

Now, another seven or eight years have passed.

Finally, I've returned to my hometown once again!

……

(End of this chapter)