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

What a remarkable achievement in pioneering new land!

Because he discovered a virtuous minister, he became the first monarch in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty to have made contributions to territorial expansion.

"Since the founding emperor, the nation has lasted for a hundred years without any achievement in territorial expansion. Jiang Qing, as a civil official, commanded the three armies, recovered the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties, and expanded the borders by two thousand li. This is truly the greatest achievement in a hundred years!"

In short, it was almost the highest praise given.

Zhao Zhen rose with a flourish, surveyed the officials, and declared in a voice that resounded throughout the palace: "Such achievements should be recorded in history and benefit future generations!"

After speaking, the eunuch stepped forward with the imperial edict and loudly proclaimed the decree:

"The Emperor decreed to the Minister of State:"

I have heard that military prowess and literary skills are the pillars of the state; and that sweeping away the enemy's grave is the ultimate achievement of a subject.

Jiang Zhao, the Transport Commissioner and Pacification Commissioner of Shaanxi, possesses magnanimity and profound wisdom, and is resolute in his strategies. He presented the "Pacifying the Barbarians" strategy to the court and trained an iron-willed army in Xizhou. He pioneered the opening of the border regions and devised ingenious plans to define the territory of seven prefectures. Now, a special honor is hereby bestowed to recognize his outstanding achievements.

He was specially granted the title of Duke of Lu, with a fief of two thousand households, and was permitted to wear a sable crown, a gold talisman and fish-shaped pouch, a purple robe and a jade belt, and to establish an ancestral temple!

He was granted twenty hectares of imperial estate, one hundred mu of imperial garden, one thousand taels of gold, one thousand bolts of brocade, and permission to set aside twenty hectares of land in his hometown for meritorious officials.

He bestowed upon the imperial treasury a number of treasures, permitted the inscription "Merit and Virtue in All Directions" to be engraved on the saddle and sedan chair, and ordered the Hanlin Academy to compile the "Record of the Pacification of the Xihe River" to commemorate his special favor!

Yu Xi!

Your great-grandfather, Yuan, was a man of noble character and virtuous conduct. He was posthumously awarded the titles of Minister of Personnel and Grand Master of the Palace, and was given the posthumous name "Wensu".

Your great-grandmother, née Chen, was a virtuous and kind mother, and was granted the title of Lady of Chen Liu County and bestowed with a pearl and jade pheasant robe.

Your grandfather's ambition and strategic acumen were passed down through generations, and his achievements were outstanding. He was posthumously awarded the title of Minister of Rites and Grand Master of the Palace, and a temple was built for him in the prefecture.

Your grandmother, Zhang, was renowned for her virtuous conduct and unwavering loyalty. She was granted the title of Lady of Xingyang County and bestowed with Chengxintang paper.

Jiang's father was loyal and educated his son well, enabling him to achieve great things. He was awarded the title of Grand Master of the Silver Seal and was granted the inkstone of Li Tinggui.

Jiang's mother, Lady Hai, was diligent, prudent, and capable in managing the household. She was granted the title of Lady of Hedong County and was bestowed with twenty bolts of brocade.

Jiang's wife, Sheng, was virtuous and kind, and a capable assistant to her husband. She was granted the title of Lady of Nanyang County and bestowed with a phoenix and golden hairpin.

He was granted the special privilege of having five sons and grandsons granted official titles, who could be recommended for the imperial examinations and appointed to official positions through hereditary privilege.

By special decree, you are hereby appointed to oversee the seven prefectures of Xihe and to establish the Xihe Circuit, and are hereby granted the titles of Deputy Pacification Commissioner, Pacification Commissioner, and Grand Master of the Silver Seal, with the additional responsibilities of Pacification Commissioner.

I hope you will not disappoint me!

Awesome!

Therefore, this edict is hereby issued so that all may be informed.

The position of palace official has always been associated with the ability to read imperial edicts without stopping.

This time, however, it's completely different!

Reading Jiang Zhao's reward aloud made the chief eunuch blush.

It is easy to imagine how long the rewards would be.

"Your subject Jiang Zhao thanks Your Majesty!"

Jiang Zhao quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply in gratitude.

At almost the same time, officials were discussing the matter, and all of them were envious.

A few days ago, the Emperor openly discussed the matter of bestowing honors upon Jiang Zhao in the imperial court.

However, that's roughly settled.

The specific details of the reward have not yet been determined.

This time, the results have been completely revealed.

Among these, the most important rewards were undoubtedly the title of Duke, a place in history, the privilege of bestowing titles upon his wife and children, and the authority to govern a region.

The title of Duke is the same as the title of Duke of Lu.

As one of only three Dukes among civil officials who had not yet retired, the title was extremely prestigious.

To be remembered in history was to have the Hanlin Academy compile the "Record of the Pacification of Xihe" separately.

To specially commission a book—that would ensure one's lasting fame.

In addition to the "Record of the Pacification of Xihe", there is also a chronicle compiled by the Hanlin Academy, tentatively titled "Zizhi Tongjian", which is even more remarkable.

The bestowal of titles upon his wife and children was a posthumous honor bestowed upon three generations of his family.

From my great-grandfather to my grandfather and father, the posthumous titles were bestowed upon three generations of ancestors.

Among them, the deceased great-grandfather Jiang Yuan was posthumously awarded a title.

Jiang Zhi and Jiang Zhong, who were still alive, received additional gifts.

The bestowal of an official title, though unrelated to real power, was still a first-class honor.

Even his wife, Sheng Hualan, was granted the title of Lady of the County.

Such a title of nobility is rare even among the families of officials in Bianjing.

In addition, a separate quota for hereditary titles was granted.

Even if Jiang Zhao's offspring are incompetent, they can still at least obtain the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). As long as the next generation does not rebel, they will definitely become a first-class prominent family.

Bringing glory to one's ancestors and bestowing honors upon one's wife and children—that's all there is to it!

The most authoritative and powerful reward was the appointment of Jiang Zhaojian to lead the Xihe Road and serve as the Deputy Commissioner for Pacification and Pacification.

This is a third-rank official position, a military and political post in charge of a region, with only a military commissioner above him, making him the undisputed second-in-command.

The position of "acting Pacification Commissioner" means that the emperor has no intention of promoting a Pacification Commissioner who has previously held the position in the short term.

Jiang Zhao, as the Deputy Commissioner for Pacification and Pacification and concurrently the Commissioner for Pacification, was the de facto top leader and a true regional governor.

Moreover, he was not simply a regional governor.

It should be noted that in the past, the seven prefectures of Xihe were all under the rule of foreign tribes.

Now that the foreign tribes have retreated and the seven prefectures have been designated as the Xihe Road, it means that from top to bottom, from high-ranking officials to low-ranking clerks, there are vacant official positions everywhere.

Once Jiang Zhao takes office in Xihe Road, a large number of officials will need to be re-promoted to fill the vacant positions.

As a new route, no matter how much the imperial court intervenes in the transfer of some official positions, the remaining portion is an enormous amount!

With this amount of resources, Jiang Zhao could easily build a new team.

Xihe System!

From top to bottom, the vast majority of officials are his people!

Once the Xihe Group is well-managed, Jiang Zhao will have the qualifications to join the cabinet.

Over time, officials in the Xihe faction were promoted or transferred as appropriate, allowing Jiang Zhao to naturally achieve the goal of having "disciples and former officials all over the world".

The new generation of officials from the Korean faction will surely go to Xihe Road for training, which will become part of Jiang Zhao's foundation and cabinet team.

Throughout history, almost every Grand Secretary of the Cabinet has attempted to control a specific area, using it as a foundation for their entry into the Cabinet.

However, compared to those Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, Jiang Zhao's control over Xihe Road is destined to be far superior.

Ultimately, there isn't a single official in Xihe Road.

What he needs to do is fill in the gaps!

The vast majority of cabinet secretaries are promoted through political infighting, pulling in one group and then attacking another, ultimately placing their own people in positions of power.

This approach certainly offers an opportunity to control the entire route.

But to say that you can completely control a particular path is simply impossible.

No matter how much you promote or suppress officials, at most 40-50% of them will be your own people.

People from powerful local families make up at least 30% of the officials.

Besides these, there must be other factions involved.

Having control over 40-50% of the officials is enough to be considered to have control over an entire region.

Jiang Zhao is different.

Once Xihe Road is established, at least 80% or 90% of the officials, from top to bottom, will be his people!

Furthermore, there was no interference from powerful local clans along the Xihe route.

Others need the support of powerful local families, but he can support powerful local families!

In addition to Xihe Road, there are also Shaanxi Road, Huainan East Road, and Huainan West Road.

Jiang Zhao's business in Shaanxi Province was not established for very long.

However, during Jiang Zhao's expansion of territory, countless officials were promoted by him and became his subordinates.

Once Jiang Zhao gains power, aren't these people just "former officials"?

Huainan East Road and Huainan West Road, also known as Huainan.

Jiang Zhao was born in Huaizuo, and Huainan was his hometown, so he naturally felt close to it.

It can be said that once Jiang Zhao takes control of Xihe Road, he will have disciples and former officials all over the country, and will have the qualifications to enter the cabinet.

Once Jiang Zhao enters the cabinet, he can properly manage Shaanxi Road, Huainan East Road, and Huainan West Road. He will control four of the fourteen roads in the country, making him the head of all officials. Who else but him?

Xihe Road is the key to getting into the cabinet!

He is the seed of the position of prime minister!

The most important reward is the right to dispose of the seven prefectures of Xihe!

One chapter of rewards, and I haven't even finished writing it. I still have to give out rewards tomorrow... cough cough, why do I feel a little uneasy about this?

Chapter 94 The Matter of Rewards!

At the age of twenty-four, he made his mark in history, his wife and children were granted titles and privileges, and he became the ruler of a region!

What does it mean to become famous at a young age?

This is a classic example of early fame!

All the civil and military officials watched intently, and there was no shortage of discussion.

The handling of the seven prefectures of Xihe, in particular, has been a subject of much discussion.

That's the power to control an entire official position!

Once Jiang Zhao takes office, he will appoint his protégés and former officials to consolidate his power base. Calling him the "King of Xihe" would not be inappropriate.

In the past, the term "Little Grand Secretary" was mainly used as a form of praise.

The young official, fresh out of school, showed remarkable talent and naturally received praise.

Things are very different now.

The young Grand Secretary, he really was a "young" Grand Secretary!

Jiang Zhao now truly has the qualifications to join the cabinet!

The sound of discussion never ceases.

Jiang Zhao held a tablet in his hand, stood with his hands at his sides, his expression calm and unmoved.

On the left, the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, representing the pinnacle of power among the officials, stood calmly and solemnly.

The six of them already knew the specifics of the rewards and honors.

On the steps of the imperial palace, Zhao Zhen glanced at the civil and military officials who were discussing amongst themselves, and was not surprised.

The official titles and rewards bestowed upon the Deputy Commissioner for Pacification and the Commissioner for Pacification were indeed first-class rewards, and some controversy was to be expected.

However, while the civil and military officials were constantly discussing the matter, no one stepped forward to question it.

This shows that the civil and military officials were able to accept such a reward.

The reason is very simple:

The seven prefectures of Xihe, covering a territory of two thousand li, definitely need to be established as a separate circuit.

Since it was established as a separate route, the division of the spoils of victory became a matter of concern.

The greatest achievement of this expansion was the appointment of the "highest military and political leader" of Xihe Road.