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

Chapter 77 If he holds the official position of Deputy Transport Commissioner, does that mean even I have to listen to him?
Transport Commissioner's Office.

Jiang Zhao squinted.

Empty!

Unfamiliar words!

If it were an ordinary person trying to figure out the rules of officialdom on their own, they might really not know how to deal with being sidelined.

Unfortunately, his teacher was Han Zhang.

If we're talking about which prime minister or chancellor has the most experience in undermining others, Han Zhang is undoubtedly the one.

During the Qingli Reforms, Han Zhang used methods such as "recommendation" to bring Zhang Fangping, Wang Yaochen, and others under his command.

These officials gradually replaced the prime minister and chief minister, Zhang Dexiang.

An essay titled "Ode to the Virtues of Emperor Qingli" successfully packaged the new policies as a "timely solution," manipulated public opinion, and attempted to sideline the head of all officials.

In the fourth year of the Qingli era, Han and Fan had a disagreement over the construction of Shuiluo City. Han and Zhang decided to take a two-pronged approach, joining forces with Wen Yanbo and Di Qing to suppress Fan Zhongyan and successfully weaken his power. They also portrayed Zhang Dexiang as an incompetent prime minister who could not reconcile the contradictions.

Kill two birds with one stone!
This person's ability to create fictional worlds is truly remarkable.

As a student, Jiang Zhao also learned some basics.

Not only did I learn the forehand—to deflect opponents' attacks, but I also learned the backhand—to prevent deflections!
When it comes to the process of sidelining someone, it's nothing more than power isolation and manipulation of public opinion.

Power isolation means either pulling one group or hitting another.

Through a certain degree of power struggle, the chief official's power is reduced to that of the deputy, while those trusted by the chief official are suppressed, those with wavering will are won over, and subordinate officials are united to gradually isolate the chief official.

As a result, the chief official gradually lost access to information from his subordinates, eventually leaving him with no one to rely on, and even leading to wrong decisions.

Once the leader makes a wrong decision, it can be used as an opportunity to create some major events, causing the leader's prestige to plummet and creating public opinion that the leader is "incompetent and mediocre".

Simple combos, unpretentious yet practical.

From petty officials fighting amongst themselves to Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet usurping the power of the top officials, this is the pattern.

Of course, once an official position is high, the existence of a "referee" must be considered, namely the will of the monarch.

The process of reversing fictional narratives is actually the same.

The purpose of "opposing the subordinate" is to seize power; in reality, it means that the principal official turns the tables and sidelines the deputy official.

Pull one group in, then strike another; gradually replace the adjutant with his men, seize power, and, combined with public opinion, deliver a fatal blow.

The chief officer and the deputy officer have always been of different strengths, with one being stronger and the other weaker.

Even the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and the Grand Chancellors, who represented the pinnacle of power among the officials, were subject to manipulation and were essentially sidelined.

The concept of "fictionalization" and "counter-fictionalization" is a double-edged sword, nothing unusual.

Very simple!

Jiang Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, looking out.

But why did Sima Guang sideline him?

He just came down here to gain experience and accumulate power.

Furthermore, this was his first time leaving the capital since he became an official, and he had never had any interaction with Sima Guang before!
Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment, then beckoned and said, "He Sheng, have the two transport judges come over."

Hesheng nodded and walked out.

Jiang Zhao paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Sima Guang's deliberate display of power must have been motivated by something.

Otherwise, there's no need to go to such lengths.

Since you have something to ask for, you should say it.

The Transport Bureau has four core officials: the Transport Commissioner and the Deputy Transport Commissioner make the decisions, and the two Judges are in charge of implementation.

Sima Guang dared to defy authority and demonstrate his power, so at least both judges had to be his men.

Is it possible that there are officials in the Transport Department who are biased towards neutrality?
Yes, but it certainly won't be two judges.

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, two officials in their fifties walked in.

"Your humble servant Liu Ping greets Your Excellency."

"Your humble servant Chen Xin greets Your Excellency."

"Sit down," Jiang Zhao said, gesturing with his hand.

"I am new here and have been subjected to a show of force by Deputy Envoy Sima. I am puzzled and have asked you two to come here to find out the reason."

Jiang Zhao looked at the two men and said calmly, "The Transport Commissioner is responsible for the finances of the entire route, which concerns the livelihoods of millions of people. If there is any misunderstanding between the chief official and the deputy envoy, it would be best to clarify it."

He spoke his mind directly, without any beating around the bush.

Jiang Zhao felt that Sima Guang's usurpation of power was somewhat troublesome, but not insurmountable.

There are two reasons why the two transport judges were specifically summoned.

Firstly, to have the two convey a message.

If there is any misunderstanding, he has not yet taken any action, so he can still give Sima Guang a chance to repent.

Once the chief envoy and the deputy envoy reach a peace agreement, he can gradually replace some officials and easily seize power.

He could choose not to take Sima Guang's demonstration seriously.

The new commander is a good commander, and the deputy commander is also a good deputy commander. The two can still work together for three years and have become acquainted.

Of course, this result, which was almost a "persuasion to surrender," would undoubtedly have greatly reduced the power in Sima Guang's hands.

Secondly, he genuinely wanted to know why Sima Guang was targeting him; it was purely out of curiosity.

Liu Ping and Chen Xin exchanged a glance.

Liu Ping's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "My lord, Lord Sima's actions are actually due to resentment."

Complain?

Jiang Zhao looked over, gesturing for him to continue.

"Originally, Lord Sima was recommended by a certain Grand Secretary and was expected to be promoted to the position of Transport Commissioner of Shaanxi Circuit. However, due to bad luck, you beat him to it."

"After that, the Grand Secretary recommended Lord Sima to serve as a collator in the Imperial Academy in the capital once again. However, the appointment did not go as planned," Liu Ping said truthfully.

Jiang Zhao frowned slightly.

No wonder!
During their conversation in the Imperial Study, Pang Ji gave him a special look.

Before leaving, he met Wang Anshi again.

In other words, Sima Guang was unlucky. He was supposed to be promoted to Transport Commissioner, but his resume and background were inferior to Sima Guang's, so he failed to get the position.

Furthermore, the time he appointed the position of Transport Commissioner was relatively earlier than the time Pang Ji recommended him.

After failing to secure a recommendation for the position of Transport Commissioner, Pang Ji specifically recommended Sima Guang for the position of Imperial Collator, hoping to help him build his reputation.

As luck would have it, Wang Anshi, who had twice refused the position of collator in the imperial library, surprisingly agreed to it. Naturally, the offer didn't come through.

After both attempts failed, Sima Guang had no choice but to continue serving as "Deputy Transport Commissioner".

Eleven years of stagnation have built up enough anxiety to drive someone mad.

Sima Guang's two consecutive unsuccessful recommendations as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet left him with no hope of promotion.

Sima Guang could no longer bear it, and in order to make progress, he decided to take a risk.

The deliberate demonstration and attempts to undermine him were intended to force him to leave.

Once he is driven away, Grand Secretary Pang Ji will surely do his utmost to recommend Sima Guang.

Sima Guang, who has never received much attention, will surely attract the attention of the Pang faction.

After all, defeating Jiang Zichuan was destined to be a rare achievement.

Now, Jiang Zhao's teacher, Han Zhang, is undoubtedly the most powerful minister.

But it's not that it's without rivals.

Having just ascended to the position of Grand Chancellor, Han Zhang's power had not yet reached its peak.

The peak of Han Zhang's power should be the period when the new emperor ascended the throne and the empress dowager ruled from behind the curtain.

At that time, the Empress Dowager was a woman with insufficient prestige and power; the new emperor had just ascended the throne and had no foundation. Neither of them had the power of the powerful head of the officials.

The Empress Dowager and the new emperor were unable to control the officials, and the power of the head of the officials was amplified to an unlimited extent.

During that period, Han Zhang didn't even need to consider the opinions of the other civil officials; he was the most powerful person in the world.

However, at this stage, Han Zhang is only the most powerful minister, and there is still an emperor above him.

The emperor's presence prevented Han Zhang's power from expanding rapidly.

There were also five Grand Secretaries in the cabinet who could check and balance him.

Han Zhang has to respect the rules when he wants to do certain things.

If Jiang Zhao suffers a setback, he certainly won't be demoted.

However, the position of Transport Commissioner became vacant, which gave Sima Guang the opportunity to be promoted, which was exactly what Sima Guang wanted.

If Sima Guang were to leave based on air conditioning, Pang Ji's faction would certainly try to secure appropriate compensation for him.

However, the compensation at this stage is one thing, and the clearing after the compensation is another.

Compensation and liquidation are not contradictory.

Whether Jiang Zhao was forced to leave or Sima Guang was transferred, both were outcomes acceptable to Sima Guang.

Sima Guang wanted to improve himself!
Of course, if he loses to Jiang Zhao, that would be a different story.

It must be incredibly tragic!

Even so, Sima Guang, who had not made any progress for a long time, was willing to take the gamble.

Jiang Zhao shook his head inwardly.

"Deputy Envoy Sima is quite assertive as an official," Jiang Zhao commented casually.

Transport Judge Liu Ping nodded and said, "Lord Jiang is right. Lord Sima is indeed relatively assertive as an official."

In the past, when Sima served as an official in a prefecture or county, if he was a Tongzhi (assistant prefect), then the Tongzhi was the chief official of that prefecture. If Sima served as a Zhizhou (prefect), then the Zhizhou was the chief official of that prefecture.

Lord Sima is accustomed to a forceful approach, so his somewhat forceful manner is quite normal.

"Ah!"

Jiang Zhao shook his head: "If he holds the official position of Deputy Transport Commissioner, does that mean even I have to listen to him?"

Liu Ping was taken aback, unsure how to respond.

Just as he was wondering how to answer, Jiang Zhao waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Sima Junshi, what a remarkable man!"

"You two may leave now!" Jiang Zhao smiled, showing no intention of saying anything more.

"Your humble servants take their leave." Liu Ping and Chen Xin left one after the other.

Jiang Zhao looked out twice.

There are two interpretations of Sima Guang's alleged manipulation of power.

One, fight.

In the turbulent world of officialdom, political struggles are commonplace.

Since it involves fictional elements, one can also appropriately develop the ability to counter fictional elements.

Second, he recommended Sima Guang.

Sima Guang's goal was to get promoted. Once the leader left, the power was effectively eliminated.

Compared to Han Zhang personally transferring Sima Guang, this method of recommendation was much more respectable.

However, this allowed Sima Guang to achieve his goal of promotion.

In almost a moment, Jiang Zhao made his decision.

Fight!
Who in the world would recommend someone who is about to sideline them?
Moreover, even regarding the position of transport commissioner, it was he who was recommended first.

His official position was already decided in early January.

Pang Ji was not well-informed and only recommended Sima Guang three months later.

Sima Guang was a latercomer and was less skilled than others.

Since he had already taken this step of circumventing the established order, there was no need for him to be polite.

Jiang Zhao turned around and said, "Hesheng, take my token and go to the Pacification Office to get the list of newly promoted Jinshi who have served in Shaanxi Province for the past three years."

Over the course of nearly three years, there were two imperial examinations. He was a fellow examiner in the second year of the Jiayou reign and served as an examiner in the fifth year of the Jiayou reign.

Neither of the candidates in these two cohorts had yet assumed power, nor had they served in office for long; their backgrounds could be considered "clean."

"Yes," He Sheng replied and went out.

Jiang Zhao put his hands behind his back, his eyes gradually becoming serious.

Dare to sideline him?

Sima Guang chose the wrong person!

The saying goes, "A new broom sweeps clean."

Making an example of someone has the same effect.

His visit to Shaanxi Road was both a chance to gain experience and a means to get things done.

Without authority, one cannot stand firm. If even Sima Guang cannot control the situation, how can one control the three prefectures, two supervisory commissions, two military commands, and twenty-four states in Shaanxi?

(End of this chapter)