Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 537 Ranking
However, Qian Muzhi's main purpose in doing so was to promote Yuan Shen in order to counterbalance Wang Youchen, who was strongly supported by Shen Duan.

This is the most important goal.

The Yuan family was a prominent clan in Henan, with intricate connections to the literati of Jiangnan. Although there were occasional disagreements, supporting Yuan Shen was both a second-best option and aligned with the Jiangnan faction's fundamental interest in stability.

In any case, we must not allow the pro-war faction to easily seize the top position.

Han Zhang glanced at Qian Muzhi without showing any emotion, and understood what was going on.

Old Qian hasn't changed his nature; his fundamental goal remains the same: stability.

Any decision that could trigger large-scale unrest, especially war, is something that Qian Muzhi and the forces behind him must avoid.

Supporting Yuan Shen was merely a stopgap measure to ensure that the leader did not fall into the hands of the radical pro-war faction, and it could also be seen as a way to check Shen Duan.

However, Qian Muzhi's sudden "intervention" caused a shadow to flash across Xiao Qinyan's eyes, who had originally wanted to use Yuan Shen's power to stir up the situation.

He has carefully laid out his plans; how could he allow others to easily reap the rewards?
"when!"

A crisp clinking of teacups broke the brief silence at just the right moment.

Xiao Qinyan slowly put down his teacup, his face bearing that usual, enigmatic, gentle smile.

“The words of the three ministers were all profound and insightful, and they were all wise and insightful words on governing the country. They enlightened me and made me realize that it is a blessing for His Majesty and a good thing for the country that the court has such pillars of support.”

He first showered the senior officials with praise, adopting an extremely humble attitude and fully demonstrating his respect for them.

"Prime Minister Shen is concerned about the nation's prestige and morale; his sincere heart is evident to heaven and earth. Prime Ministers Han and Qian are concerned about the foundation of the nation and the people's livelihood; their actions are far-sighted and prudent, and I, Xiao, deeply agree with them."

He subtly changed the subject, his voice low but clear enough to reach everyone's ears, as if inadvertently waking them from a dream: "However!"

"Gentlemen, as you weigh the pros and cons and offer your insightful opinions, shouldn't you also carefully consider... where His Majesty's heart truly lies?"

He paused deliberately, pleased to see all eyes focused on him, even the old Hanlin scholar who had seemed to be resting with his eyes closed opened them, before slowly continuing, as if revealing a crucial mystery: "Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been working tirelessly day and night, emphasizing 'striving for good governance.' He has also mentioned the 'humiliation of the Northern Hunt' many times in the inner court. When speaking of this matter, His Majesty's face is often filled with grief and indignation. I believe you gentlemen can understand his state of mind."

His gaze swept meaningfully over Han Zhang and Qian Muzhi, carrying a subtle implication that "I am better able to understand the Emperor's mind."

"Moreover, over the years, the court has been allowing the people to rest and recuperate, and the army has been preparing for war. The morale of the army and the people has been building up and is ready to be unleashed with a thunderous strike. Although the national treasury is not extremely full, it should not be difficult to support a campaign aimed at avenging the humiliation, with a scale and timing that are both controllable."

His analysis, seemingly objective, actually fueled Wang Youchen's argument with every word, subtly linking the document advocating the Northern Expedition to the emperor's will, as if not selecting this document would be going against the emperor's wishes and ignoring the urgency of avenging the humiliation.

"In that case, perhaps the paper recommended by Prime Minister Shen..." Xiao Qinyan drawled out his words before finally stating his conclusion clearly, "...its sharpness, determination, and grasp of timing are more in line with His Majesty's current wishes and also more in line with the current national strength of our Great Hong, which is poised to launch a grand campaign."

His words were like throwing a boulder into a seemingly calm pond!
Han Zhang and Qian Muzhi's expressions tightened almost simultaneously. They quickly exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and scrutiny in each other's eyes. Han Zhang's fingers, which were stroking his beard, stopped, and Qian Muzhi's hand, which was holding a teacup, also hovered in mid-air.

They stared intently at Xiao Qinyan for a moment, then looked at Shen Duan, whose expression had softened slightly and who even gave Xiao Qinyan a subtle "you know what's good for you" look.

"Could it be... that old fox Xiao Qinyan has secretly reached some kind of tacit understanding or cooperation with Shen Duan, or rather with some of the military forces behind Shen Duan?"

The thought flashed through Han Zhang and Qian Muzhi's minds like lightning, bringing a chill down their spines.

If Shen Duan gains the explicit support of Xiao Qinyan, the newly appointed Grand Secretary, then the military faction's power will increase significantly, and Xiao Qinyan will be able to break free from the situation of being subtly sidelined by the old-school Grand Secretaries. The future cabinet structure may undergo dramatic changes!

Upon thinking of this, Han Zhang's white eyebrows furrowed even more tightly, as if they were tied in a knot.

Shen Duan's strong advocacy, coupled with Xiao Qinyan's seemingly impeccable "interpretation" and endorsement of the "sacred will," has instantly turned the current situation extremely favorable to the pro-war faction!
Several Hanlin scholars who preferred Sheng Changquan's grand and balanced writing style, which had the air of a prime minister, also felt immense pressure at this moment.

Although they knew that Sheng Changquan's strategy was more far-sighted and solid, while Yuan Shenzhi's writing was somewhat conservative and lacked sharpness, their voices were so weak in the face of the political game at the Grand Secretary level and this sudden shift in the "imperial will." They could only sigh inwardly and lament that it was all a matter of fate.

These upright scholars and officials ultimately could not withstand the prevailing trends and calculations of the imperial court.

After this intense debate, rife with undercurrents, sharp exchanges, and subtle power struggles among various factions, the atmosphere inside the hall became heavy and tense, as if even the smoke from the agarwood incense had stagnated, carrying the oppressive feeling of an impending storm.

Finally, amidst a complex silence and everyone's mental calculations, the seating arrangement was tentatively determined.

With the seemingly tacit cooperation of Shen Duan and Xiao Qinyan, Wang Youchen's paper advocating a northern expedition to avenge the humiliation was ranked first.

Sheng Changquan's more comprehensive, stable, and insightful paper, which combined "strategic planning," "diplomatic maneuvering," and "building strength," came in second place.

As for Yuan Shen's paper, it ranked third due to Qian Muzhi's insistence and Han Zhang's temporary acquiescence as a check and balance.

The remaining seven excellent test papers were also arranged in order.

However, everyone knew that this was merely the preliminary opinion of the examiners, a product of a temporary compromise among various forces.

The real final decision-making power still rests in the hands of the emperor, who sits high on the dragon throne and whose mind is as deep as the sea.

This preliminary ranking was respectfully presented to the Emperor, awaiting his divine decision. It was the final competition concerning the direction of national policy, the balance of factions, and the future prospects of the newly appointed scholars. Only now was it truly placed on the Emperor's desk, awaiting the decisive stroke of the vermilion brush that could determine the fate of the nation!
As the eunuchs respectfully approached the emperor with the examination papers in their hands, Han Zhang stroked his beard behind them, his gaze deep and unfathomable. He thought to himself, "Shen Duan wants to take advantage of the situation to forcefully push forward, Xiao Qinyan wants to snatch chestnuts from the fire, and Qian Muzhi is retreating to seek stability... How could His Majesty not know what each of them is thinking?"

"We hope Your Majesty can discern the truth, remain unmoved by temporary trends, and clearly identify the truly beneficial policies for governing the country that will benefit future generations..."

Although Shen Duan and Xiao Qinyan have temporarily joined forces to achieve their initial goals, they each have their own ulterior motives. One is thinking about how to explain this to the Wuxun Group and promote subsequent strategies, while the other is calculating how much political capital this seemingly risky "investment" can ultimately bring him.

They all held their breath, just like the civil and military officials in the hall, waiting for the final outcome to be revealed, waiting for the imperial power to make its final move in this grand game.