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

Chapter 6: The Great Confucian Scholar Gains Fame!

Jiang Zhao nodded.

He could naturally see through the official's scheme.

However, the emperor forgot one thing.

The emperor's children died young, and he still had no successor to the throne even when he was in his prime.

This is a truly terrifying situation, and even Fu Bi would find it difficult to handle.

Unless, Fu Bi didn't care about his posthumous reputation and wanted to be a loyal minister who would be "infamous for ten thousand years."

In feudal times, the hierarchy was that of ruler and subject, father and son.

Since the emperor had no sons, it was natural for his ministers to be concerned about the issue of imperial succession.

Therefore, even if it offends the emperor, it is understandable.

This is a point that later emperors were destined to support.

Later emperors were destined to support the idea that "the monarch should resolve the issue of imperial succession as soon as possible." If Fu Bi had been determined to do the opposite, he would have been destined to become a negative example, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he would be infamous for eternity.

As it turns out, what an old minister who has been childless for fifty or sixty years cares about most is his posthumous reputation.

Just as officials today are increasingly concerned about their posthumous reputation.

Fu Bi was destined to never be on the same side as the emperor.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that the government's considerations were inadequate; it could also mean that the government had no other choice.

Advising the emperor to resolve the issue of succession and consolidate the dynasty has become the top priority in recent years.

Regardless of which prime minister or grand chancellor takes office, they will be the main force advising on the succession. Rather than that, it would be better to choose an old minister with similar pain points to take office, at least there would be a chance to appeal to their emotions.

"Is the teacher writing this letter to take advantage of Master Fu's promotion and rise to prominence?" Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment and guessed his teacher's thoughts.

“Exactly.” Han Zhang nodded.

The emperor has his own schemes, and so do his ministers.

This time, he planned to take advantage of the situation and use Fu Bi's status as a former official of the Qingli era to rise again and be recalled to the capital.

Admittedly, Fu Bi's reinstatement had little to do with his status as a former official of the Qingli era.

However, Fu Bi always carried this label.

At least in the eyes of the uninformed common people, Fu Bi was a former official of the Qingli era!
He was a former official of the Qingli era, and the Emperor promoted him, thus elevating a former official of the Qingli era!
In other words, Fu Bi's promotion could, to some extent, be a test of public opinion, to see if the common people were sensitive to the promotion of former officials of the Qingli era.

If there isn't too much uproar among the people, then it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Emperor to appoint another former official from the Qingli era.

This is Han Zhang's "ride-sharing" promotion plan.

As long as the public outcry wasn't too severe, the stain on the "former officials of the Qingli era" wouldn't be so dark anymore. A letter was sent to the palace in Bianjing, reminiscing about the past and discussing the relationship between the emperor and his ministers.

If the emperor still cherishes past favors, he will naturally take advantage of the situation to promote him.

Jiang Zhao understood; this was indeed a rare and excellent opportunity.

Historically, most officials who were demoted were forced into new positions and found it difficult to make a comeback.

But Han Zhang is truly different.

He's too young!
At that time, he was a high-ranking official, only thirty-seven years old. Even after being demoted for six years, he was only forty-three, a period when he was full of energy.

Their willpower, experience, and political skills were all at their peak.

Generally speaking, in the officialdom, one is considered "young" before the age of sixty.

Han Zhang is only forty-three years old, how could he possibly accept his fate?

Having finally gotten a chance, I naturally had to give it my all.

If he doesn't seize this opportunity, he might have to wait until the new emperor ascends the throne and he can win over the old ministers of the previous dynasty before he has another chance to rise again.

How could I possibly wait patiently?
"This letter is to be delivered to your grandfather in Bianjing."

Han Zhang then handed over another letter.

As a fourth-rank official, Jiang Zhi was a powerful and respected censor. Due to his censorate status, he could speak directly to the emperor and recommend others.

To some extent, Jiang Zhi also represented the opinions of the remonstrating officials, which was very important.

Officials who offer advice may not necessarily succeed, but they are certainly adept at causing harm.

Jiang Zhi represented the opinions of the remonstrating officials, meaning that once the emperor had the intention to promote someone, the remonstrating officials would not obstruct it. Jiang Zhao nodded.

"These five letters are to be presented to the five great scholars, to make you famous." Han Zhang said earnestly, "Zhao'er, even if I fail, your widespread fame can mitigate the impact of becoming a disciple."

The master and disciple shared both glory and fortune, and Han Zhang devoted himself to scheming for his disciple.

By using some past favors, one can help the great scholar gain fame, ensuring that even if one cannot reinstate him, the disciple will still have a future as an official.

Jiang Zhao couldn't offer an opinion on this matter, so he could only nod.

In a daze, he saw a familiar name.

Ouyang Xiu!
This is the extent of Han Zhang's influence.

The officials in Yangzhou only focused on Han Zhang's fall from grace and the apparent difference in his official rank, but they did not understand the influence represented by the title "Grand Secretary".

Even if he only held the position for a day, he was still a Grand Secretary, proving that his past influence was enough to make him a member of the Grand Secretariat.

Not to mention a 37-year-old Grand Secretary!
Even if he can't make a comeback, Han Zhang knows top-tier figures, and even if he falls from grace, he's still capable of paving the way for his disciples.

"These three letters are for my old friend." Han Zhang said with a look of reminiscence and a hint of sadness in his eyes, "These past few years, my mentor Yan Shu has been traveling all over the place. He is now over sixty years old. I'm sending him a letter to express my condolences."

Fan Zhongyan was constantly on his way to his new post, rushing between Yunzhou, Yingzhou, and Jingzhou, barely settling in before setting off again. His last letter mentioned a serious illness; with the Qingli Reforms, someone had to take charge, and he feared it would be difficult for him to be reinstated.

Jiang Zhao understood.

No matter how the government tries to downplay the impact of the Qingli New Deal or how it tests public opinion, one thing is unavoidable.

That is to say, the Qingli Reforms were indeed unsuccessful.

The new policies were spearheaded by Fan Zhongyan, with Han Zhang and Fu Bi serving as the leaders.

As for Yan Shu, he was the Grand Chancellor during that period and was indirectly involved, which is why he suffered as a result.

If the new policy fails, someone must bear the main responsibility. Even if it succeeds and the officials have the intention to promote someone, it is inevitable that at least one of the three people in charge of the new policy will not be able to be reinstated or recalled.

If all three are reinstated and recalled, the nature of the matter will be completely different.

Now, Fu Bi has been reinstated and recalled, Yan Shu is old and was once the Emperor's teacher. If the Emperor cares about his reputation, he will not let him take the blame. Han Zhang is in his prime, with rich experience, clear thinking and abundant energy, and is at the peak of his governance.

In contrast, Fan Zhongyan's position was awkward. He was not the oldest, so he was not easily understood; nor was he the youngest, so he lacked energy and was in poor health, yet he was a key figure in the new policies.

Fan Zhongyan was destined never to return to the imperial court.

"This letter is for Fu Bi." As the future Grand Chancellor, Fu Bi's opinion is very important.

"Send these letters to some high-ranking officials in Bianjing." Han Zhang handed over a few more letters.

Where there are people, there will be conflicts of interest, and one person is destined to lose to a group of people, which in turn leads to factional struggles.

The civil service factions of the Great Zhou Dynasty have a long history. The top-level civil service circle consists of only a few people, so those who want to enter the cabinet often have a "faction" to which they belong. Some factions even existed during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong and have continued to be passed down.

Coincidentally, Han Zhang's teacher was Yan Shu, the previous head of all officials!

He was Yan Shu's true disciple, a descendant of Kou Zhun, a famous prime minister during the reign of Emperor Taizong. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the next party leader after Yan Shu stepped down.

Unfortunately, both of them suffered the consequences.

Fortunately, even a centipede with a hundred legs does not die easily. Yan Shu suffered, but he was not the nominal head of the Qingli New Deal, which allowed the faction to survive.

The government was merciful and did not carry out any reckoning.

Therefore, even though Yan Shu retired and Han Zhang was demoted, and even though officials from different factions were suppressed by their political enemies, the remaining influence in the imperial court was still considerable, and there was still room for maneuver.

Once Han Zhang gains power, he is destined to command a huge following and become a behemoth in the imperial court in an instant.

Jiang Zhao put the letters away and glanced at them. The highest-ranking official among the letters was Wen Yanbo, one of the Grand Secretaries.

This man was also a reformist who advocated reform, but Wen Yanbo had not yet joined the cabinet at that time, so he was not qualified to be the head of the Qingli New Deal and was therefore not purged.

However, Han Zhang and Wen Yanbo were not from the same faction; they could only be considered friends.

Besides Wen Yanbo, the highest-ranking official was Wang Yaochen, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was a member of Han Zhang's faction.

A third-rank official!
Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "My mother comes from the Hai family of Jiangning, and my maternal grandfather is the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, a third-rank official. He should be able to say a few words in the court. Since this involves my master's reinstatement and recall, we must not let our guard down. Perhaps my mother could write a letter and send it to Bianjing together."

Jiang Zhao's birth mother was named Hai Xirui, the eldest daughter of the Hai family of Jiangning. The Hai family had produced officials for generations, with five generations of scholars in the Hanlin Academy, and had extensive connections and resources.

"Alright, alright." Han Zhang nodded, smiled with satisfaction, and stood up to look out the window.

Even he couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart.

This time, he had both a legendary story to tell and the support of upright censors, and his cronies remonstrating with him. If even this couldn't work, then...
(End of this chapter)