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

Chapter 47 Han Zhang Enters the Cabinet! (4k)

Liu Hang has lost!

From the moment the emperor said he was "old," his position as a Grand Secretary of the Jixian Hall had already reached its end.

This political struggle is not as simple as it seems; it is actually the result of several factors.

From the beginning of the Qingli Reforms, Grand Chancellor Yan Shu and Han Zhang were successively demoted, which created a grudge between them and destined them to have a peak political struggle.

Subsequently, when Grand Chancellor Fu Bi governed the country, two Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, Liu Hang and Wang Qinruo, came from the same faction, which meant that Fu Bi might take sides.

As time went on, Han Zhang went to Beijing, gathered Han's faction, and won over old friends, gradually increasing his influence.

At that time, if Liu Hang had abdicated and yielded the throne to a more capable person, it would have been a scene of harmonious coexistence.

Unfortunately, who would willingly relinquish the position of Grand Secretary?

Liu Hang's refusal to abdicate marked the beginning of this political struggle.

As the Han faction gained increasing power, even the Grand Chancellor took sides, leaving Liu Hang with almost no hope of winning the political struggle.

Liu Hang was naturally unwilling to accept this, which led him to plot against the emperor.

It's done. Han Zhang's entry into the cabinet has been postponed, and he can stay in the position of Grand Secretary for a few more years.

If that fails, there is still a chance to gain an advantage for either the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Yong by subtly framing him, thus gaining merit in the process of supporting the new emperor.

Even if the government is slightly biased, it's still a win-win situation!
As it turned out, Liu Hang made a fatal mistake and was defeated.

When planning his scheme, Liu Hang must have schemed against many people and considered the possibility of many twists and turns.

But he overlooked one thing:

Jiang Zhao's political acumen!
No one had ever imagined that Jiang Zhao would be such a formidable fighter.

Even Han Zhang, who had personally trained Jiang Zhao, was very surprised.

If one thing is overlooked, everything else will be overlooked.

If Jiang Zhao isn't dragged into this mess, then Han Zhang won't get involved in the political struggle.

If Han Zhang doesn't leave the field, then Liu Hang can't leave either.

This involves a question of sequence.

If Jiang Zhao were to enter the fray, it would be only natural for Han Zhang to step in first to save his disciple.

Thus, it was only natural that Liu Hang would step into the fray again, with kings facing kings and generals facing generals.

However, if Han Zhang did not step down, and Liu Hang stepped down as a Grand Secretary, it would undoubtedly be a self-inflicted wound, telling the emperor that he had a problem.

However, Jiang Zhao managed to withstand the attacks from several high-ranking officials in purple robes and gold belts.

Therefore, Liu Hang's plan failed.

As for whether it was a complete failure, we must look to Liu Hang's scheme of "the struggle between the two kings".

With Liu Hang's deeds exposed, the infighting between the two kings' factions was inextricably linked to a lack of real resolution.

You say I framed you, I say you framed yourself, and in doing so, framed me.

The argument is always valid, so naturally there's no resolution.

Only the emperor himself knows whose side he truly favors.

But one thing is certain: Liu Hang must have secretly favored one of the two kings.

As for whether the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Yong is favored, everyone has their own opinion.

Whether Liu Hang's plan was effective or had the opposite effect remains unknown.

If Liu Hang doesn't speak, even the emperor won't be able to get the answer out of him.

The principle that "the law does not apply to officials and scholars" is not just an empty phrase.

Not to mention, this is the pinnacle of civil service.

After leaving the imperial study, the thirty-odd high-ranking officials in purple robes dispersed and then gathered together again.

The gatherings range from two or three people to nearly ten people, and so on.

Among them, several officials in purple robes and jade belts, led by Liu Hang, had somber faces and empty steps, their hearts clearly not as calm as they appeared.

After this moment, undercurrents are bound to surge, and impeachments and attacks will continue.

On the other side, Han Zhang walked with ease, stroking his beard and smiling, his gestures measured and relaxed, exuding composure.

In fact, an indescribable aura suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Jiang Zhao, Jiang Zhi, Wang Yaochen, Zhang Fangping, and several high-ranking officials in purple robes from the Korean faction followed half a step behind, strolling leisurely and quite relaxed.

The light boat has passed ten thousand mountains!
“The situation here is extremely dangerous!” Zhang Fangping stood upright with his hands behind his back, his every move relaxed, clearly displaying the demeanor of a victor.

Han Zhang nodded, stroked his beard, and said with emotion, "Fortunately, Zhao'er is exceptionally skilled and has been able to dominate the battlefield."

Several officials in purple robes nodded repeatedly, their gazes towards Jiang Zhao now filled with more respect.

With such a faction of successors, there's no need to fear the decline of the Korean faction once they step down.

As long as the Korean entertainment industry doesn't decline, they can reap certain benefits, and their words will carry weight.

"It's all thanks to the teacher's excellent teaching." Jiang Zhao smiled warmly and nodded respectfully to the others.

The proper manners of a junior should still be observed.

"These next few days will probably be quite busy." Han Zhang looked at the group and instructed them, "Whether it's an official sacrifice or a banquet for officials, everything here must be handled properly, and no mistakes should be made."

Wang Yaochen, Zhang Fangping, and others all nodded.

Having weathered this political infighting, the birthday celebration should simply be conducted properly.

Having lost the political struggle, Liu Hang and his associates would certainly not dare to resort to any more underhanded tactics.

Otherwise, even a stable official career would be a problem.

On June 25th, the emperor held a ceremony to present a congratulatory memorial to all officials, praying for divine favor.

"Since assuming the throne, I have worked tirelessly day and night, wishing only for the eternal stability of our land and the well-being of our people. However, the lack of an heir is a great concern to me. On this auspicious occasion of my birthday, I respectfully pray to Heaven and our ancestors for a son to inherit our throne and ensure the continuation of our dynasty. I also wish for peace throughout the land and favorable weather for crops!"

After speaking, he burned the congratulatory memorials from all the officials and offered sacrifices to Heaven.

The civil and military officials viewed it with different interests.

The key point is Huang Jingbu's congratulatory letter!

Huang Jing wrote two congratulatory memorials. The first one he presented was a disobedient statement, but the timing was not a problem.

Jiang Zhao went to retrieve the congratulatory letter and presented it at the end of the morning; the procedure was without any problems.

What's special is that even if the word "complete" is added to make up for the disobedient words that angered the emperor, it certainly wouldn't be considered an auspicious omen.

The second congratulatory letter presented by Huang Jing was written after the trial. It followed a standard congratulatory letter template, was proper and straightforward, and had no problems.

This congratulatory message was also used by the government for sacrificial rites.

However, it's unclear whether the first congratulatory message, which was considered disobedient and disruptive to the joy of birthday celebration, or the second, more proper one, should be taken as the standard.

Whether disobedient words broke the tradition of celebrating birthdays and bringing good fortune is a matter of opinion.

Many people believe that worshipping the heavens is no longer effective, and that Huang Jing's congratulatory letter has already broken the auspicious omen.

These people were almost all fourth- or fifth-rank officials, led by the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong. They harbored ambitions to follow the emperor and did not wish for an imperial heir.

Some people believe that offering sacrifices to the heavens is still effective.

These people are often high-ranking officials of the third rank or above.

A third-rank official has a completely different perspective on the big picture.

To date, relatively few high-ranking officials of the third rank have truly pledged allegiance to the Prince of Yan or the Prince of Yong.

Because of their sense of the bigger picture, these people still hoped that the emperor would have a son.

Of course, this was also because of the precedent set by Emperor Zhenzong.

The late emperor also faced the problem of his princes dying young and having no son to inherit the throne, but due to good fortune, he eventually found an heir.

With such a precedent, it's no wonder that some officials harbored expectations.

June 26th, Daqing Hall.

The emperor celebrates his birthday, and the whole country rejoices.

Inside the Daqing Hall, Zhao Zhen wore an ochre-yellow gauze robe, a crown with twenty-four ridges, over a foot long, and adorned with jade and rhinoceros hairpins, a gold belt, and jade pendants. Even his usually serene face showed a hint of a smile.

Further down, the seats are divided to the left and right, and those qualified to sit in the main hall are all top-notch figures.

They were either the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, or high-ranking officials of the third rank or above, such as the six ministers, vice ministers, and regional governors, or members of the imperial family, powerful dukes, and marquises.

To the left and right of the main hall seating area are several open doors. Through these doors are the seating areas in the two corridors, where you can still see the emperor, but the view is much worse.

The Hanlin Compiler was a sixth-rank official, and Jiang Zhao sat in the seats in the two corridors.

"My lords, please enjoy yourselves." Zhao Zhen sat upright on his throne, raising his cup to indicate to his officials that they should not be too restrained.

"May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

Led by the Grand Chancellor, all the officials raised their glasses in a toast.

"May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

"May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

"May Your Majesty live a long and prosperous life!"

After finishing the drink, the atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed considerably.

Holding bamboo chopsticks, Jiang Zhao looked at the staple foods and pastries such as rice noodles, boiled rice, cooked rice, tripe soup, fried meat, and flatbread in the silver bowl, but he couldn't muster any interest.

It's not that the food is bad!

In fact, given the limitations of productivity development, this dish is already quite good.

However, it's only just good.

Jiang Zhao sighed.

This is an imperial banquet!
Is this all the food served at the imperial banquet?
I thought we were going to eat some rare delicacies!

As a result, this is it?
He can buy these things to eat when he goes shopping!
However, it is an imperial banquet after all; what if it's different?

With this thought in mind, Jiang Zhao tried picking up a piece with his chopsticks, sipped it, and savored it.

One taste, and I was greatly disappointed!
It tastes just average, nothing special.

"The Emperor is so frugal!" Even Jiang Zhao couldn't help but exclaim.

For a monarch to celebrate his birthday, the food was rather meager.

No wonder it was Emperor Renzong!
Jiang Zhao glanced at Zhang Heng at the end of the table and raised his glass: "Ziping."

As a Hanlin Academy scholar, Zhang Heng's daily work involved recording the emperor's daily activities.

They were not qualified to attend court in person, but were allowed to do so only because of the special nature of the position of Imperial Diarist.

Logically speaking, he should not have been entitled to a separate seat at such an imperial banquet.

However, the emperor was always benevolent, so he simply allowed the second-place scholar Zhang Heng and the third-place scholar to take their seats.

After all, Zhang Heng's daily records were not difficult to compile.

As this time, the daily records probably only contain a few words: "The Emperor congratulated the Emperor on his birthday and granted a banquet to all officials."

Just those few words.

However, even though only a few words were recorded, Zhang Heng had to be present for the entire process.

It would be too pitiful to just watch others eat without being able to participate.

Besides Zhang Heng, several other officials who had to accompany him at all times due to their duties were also granted the right to attend.

During the imperial banquet, it was inconvenient to move around, so Zhang Heng gave a wink and raised his cup.

The two looked at each other and drank it all in one gulp.

When the emperor celebrated his birthday, he bestowed a royal banquet upon all his officials, with singing and dancing filling the air. How lively and joyous it was!

About half an hour later, the drinking and eating had almost finished.

In the third seat from the left, Grand Secretary Liu Hang put down his cup, glanced at the table with a look of appreciation, and then decisively stood up.

As a result, many officials realized what was happening and quickly reduced their movements.

"Your Majesty, this old minister has been unwell lately, and the affairs of the cabinet are too heavy for me to bear. Given this situation, it would be a great pity to delay the affairs of the state. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to retire to my hometown and enjoy my remaining years."

After speaking, Liu Hang bowed deeply.

At the same time, all the officials watched intently, none daring to make any big moves, for fear of affecting the important matter.

In the main seat, Zhao Zhen looked at Liu Hang, whose temples were slightly gray, and sighed deeply.

He was once a loyal minister who devoted himself to serving his country.

What a pity!

"allow!"

Zhao Zhen's gaze did not linger.

Such ministers who scheme against the king are destined to be disliked by the king.

Therefore, not a single word was offered to persuade them to stay.

Liu Hang was not surprised. He got up and ate his food as usual, but his movements were very slow and gentle.

This was destined to be the last imperial banquet he ever ate!
After the imperial banquet, Bianjing became completely turbulent and unpredictable.

In the imperial court, memorials and impeachments poured in, all pointing to the stains on the Liu faction of officials.

Huang Jing, a secretary in the Ministry of Rites, was impeached for "forming cliques for personal gain," "slandering the emperor," and "disobeying his superiors." He was sentenced to ten years in prison and exiled three thousand li after serving his sentence.

This charge is actually quite appropriate for what he did.

Since the Qin Dynasty, "slandering the monarch" has been a serious crime.

During the Qin Dynasty, the punishment was beheading and extermination of three generations of the family.

During the Han Dynasty, the specific circumstances varied depending on the case, but all were serious crimes.

During the Tang Dynasty, this was punishable by death.

During the Zhou Dynasty, punishment was based on the consequences of slander. Minor offenses resulted in imprisonment, while serious offenses led to the death penalty.

Huang Jing's congratulatory letter did not cause much of a stir, but it did not change the emperor's dislike of him, and he was sentenced to ten years in prison.

Chen Ting, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was impeached for "ineffective administration," "forming cliques for personal gain," and "dereliction of duty," and was demoted to Danzhou.

Danzhou is also known as Hainan.

Danzhou is always hot and humid, with many snakes and insects, and it is also prone to typhoons and torrential rains, which most officials find difficult to adapt to.

Furthermore, to date, Danzhou has never produced a single Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in its entire history.

This shows how much suffering they endured.

Right Vice Censor-in-Chief Feng Yuan was impeached for "forming cliques for personal gain" and "embezzling and accepting bribes," and was demoted to prefect of Xiongzhou.

Xiongzhou was a frontier prefecture, extremely cold and far from Bianjing.

If nothing unexpected happens, in a month or two, just as Feng Yuan is about to arrive in Xiongzhou, there will be another decree appointing him to a post far away from Xiongzhou.

This cycle repeated itself, with either Feng Yuan voluntarily retiring to his hometown or embarking on a series of journeys until he fell ill.

This is the fate of losers!

On the first day of the seventh month, Han Zhang entered the cabinet and was appointed as Vice Chancellor and Grand Secretary of the Zizheng Hall!
Jiang Zhao now officially has a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet as his teacher!

On the same day, Jiang Zhao was promoted to the rank of sixth-grade Imperial Attendant and concurrently served as a Hanlin Academician.

The Crown Prince's Attendant was primarily responsible for assisting the Crown Prince, assisting him with etiquette, and managing the Eastern Palace's documents. He was an important subordinate official by the Crown Prince's side.

However, the emperor has been childless for a long time, so where will the crown prince come from?

The position of Crown Prince's Attendant was a leisurely and unassuming one.

Compared to the Crown Prince's Attendant, Jiang Zhao's actual position was that of a Hanlin Academician.

The position of Hanlin Zhigaozhi has always been vacant and has no official rank.

This official position was originally a transitional position temporarily promoted to a Hanlin Compiler after completing his three-year term. Just like the former Hanlin Compiler Zheng Xie, during the period when his work was handed over, he held the position of Hanlin Zhigaozhi.

An official's rank was determined by his position within the Hanlin Academy.

However, compared to the position of Crown Prince's Attendant, Jiang Zhao's position as a Hanlin Academician was a truly substantive post.

Because of his promotion, the Hanlin Academy no longer had any Hanlin Compilers.

The duties of the Hanlin Academy members also included drafting imperial edicts and decrees; naturally, he was responsible for doing the work that was assigned to him.

There is nothing we can do about this.

Generally speaking, the top scholar in the imperial examinations started from the sixth rank and was promoted to the sixth rank of Hanlin scholar after three years. He was then appointed as the prefect of a prefecture with the rank of fifth rank.

Who would have thought that Jiang Zhao would be promoted?

Sixth-rank officials were rare in Bianjing; they were either honest, hardworking officials or honorary positions, making it difficult to broaden one's horizons and perspective.

In order to hone Jiang Zhao's abilities, the transitional official position of Hanlin Imperial Edict Drafter naturally fell to him.

Even so, Jiang Zhao was very happy.

At least I'll get an extra salary!

(End of this chapter)