The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 454 Transfer and Promotion
"Weak minister Zhu Xiu, respectfully listen to the Holy Instructions!"

Zhu Xiu quickly walked to the hall with his head bowed and small steps.

I only heard a faint voice coming from the ninth-level Emperor's throne:
"Zhu Xiu, do you think you have made any contribution to this trip to Jiangning?"

Not only were all the officials stunned, but Zhu Xiu was also stunned.

What does this question mean?
Let me give credit to myself?
Zhu Xiu's eyes rolled, and she quickly realized what she was doing. She held a wat board in her hand and bowed in salute: "I would like to report to the official family that I have gained a lot from this trip to Jiangning!
The Wei minister successfully broke into the Tang Dynasty court, met the Tang lord Li Jing in the Xingtang Palace, and made friends with important Tang officials such as Li Jingsui, Li Congjia, Xu Xuan, Han Xizai, and Zhou Zong.

I assisted Xue Juzheng and Xue Shilang in reaching a friendly agreement between Zhou and Tang Dynasties, which greatly reduced the pressure on our defense line in Huaibei and allowed Jianghuai trade to flow smoothly again.

The minister also assisted Wang Shisi in instigating the Changsha Rebellion, which plunged the Tang Army general Bian Hao into a quagmire.

What I saw, heard, and thought in Jiangning has been written down in a book. I hope it will be helpful for our court to understand the situation in the south in detail. "

Didn’t you, Uncle Guo, ask me what credit I had for my trip to Jiangning?

Okay, I'll tell you everything I did in Jiangning, every stroke.

Whether these things count as merit or not depends on how you, Uncle Guo, decide.

Guo Wei's smile was a little scary: "Haha, so what you did in Jiangning can be considered a small amount of merit?"

Zhu Xiu solemnly said loudly: "I will never hesitate to do my best to serve the official family and the Zhou Dynasty!

These achievements are by no means attributed to me alone. They are inseparable from the great help of Wude Secretary Wang Shisi, Xue Juzheng and Xue Gong! "

In the front row of the hall, among several rows of red-robed officials, Xue Juzheng and Wang Lingwen turned sideways and saluted Zhu Xiu, and Zhu Xiu also hurriedly returned the salute.

Guo Wei said calmly: "Wang Lingwen and Xue Juzheng each perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities. They are helping you because they are authorized by the imperial court to work together sincerely and serve the country."

"Yes, the main reason is that the officials are in a high position and command properly. They sent Wang Shisi and Xue Shilang at the critical moment to win peace for me in Huaibei for several years."

Zhu Xiu flattered the emperor in front of a crowd of officials, with a calm expression and no psychological burden.

Guo Wei had a faint smile on his face. He had been the emperor for a long time and had heard all kinds of shameless flattery. He had become somewhat immune. Zhu Xiu's tricks were nothing compared to Wang Jun's.

"Haha, according to this, your trip to Zhu Xiu and Jiangning still deserves some credit.

What the ministers don't know is that the "Jiangnan Intelligence Overview" copied by the Hanlin Academy and distributed to the provincial ministries and monasteries was written by Zhu Xiu! "

As soon as Guo Wei said these words, there was a noisy private discussion in the hall, which quickly subsided.

Nowadays, every official of the ninth rank and above in Beijing has a copy of the "Jiangnan Intelligence Overview". I heard that a lot of copies must be made and distributed to all states and armies, so that all civil and military officials in the Zhou Dynasty can study and study it to improve their understanding of Jiangnan.

Ninety-nine percent of the officials in this hall, even if they have not read it in detail, have mostly flipped through it and know that this intelligence overview is extremely complete and covers almost all aspects of Jiangnan's military, military and civil affairs.

Pointing out all the shortcomings and advantages of Jiangnan's governance can be described as hitting the nail on the head.

After reading this book, even those who have no previous knowledge of Jiangnan will have a more comprehensive impression in their minds.

"Officers, Zhu Xiu is the person who is most familiar with Jiangnan in our dynasty! You might as well listen to Zhu Xiu's opinions on Jianghuai politics!" Wei Renpu said loudly.

Zhu Xiu quickly bowed humbly, saying he was ashamed, but actually feeling happy in his heart.

Lao Wei is indeed an old acquaintance and old friend, and he knows how to help at critical moments.

This is to remind Guo Wei that Zhu Xiu's trip to Jiangning was indeed meritorious, and he will be used in Huaibei's military deployment and management of Jianghuai in the future.

Guo Wei didn't react much and said calmly: "Zhu Xiu contributed greatly to the compilation of "Jiangnan Intelligence Overview" and granted Zhu Xiu's mother Wu the rank of fifth-rank official. This edict was later sent to the government by the Ministry of Rites to issue it."

"I would like to express my gratitude to the official family!" Zhu Xiu prostrated.

He didn't expect that Uncle Guo would give his mother a royal decree.

Although it is just an honorary title, you can also receive corresponding rewards and salaries every year.

From now on, Wu Youdi would leave the ranks of the common people, enter the bureaucratic aristocratic class, and become a fifth-grade life wife conferred by the imperial court.

Guo Wei added: "I have decided to establish a Firearms Supervisory Authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry, parallel to the Ordnance Supervisor, with Zhu Xiu as the first Supervisor.

Zhu Xiuquan was ordered to be the Minister of the Ministry of Industry and take charge of both prisons!
In addition, I heard that Zhu Xiu founded a newspaper in Jingzhou and the response from the people was good. I plan to follow suit and set up a similar government agency under the Zhongshu Province to be responsible for the compilation, copying and printing of newspapers and periodicals, and to convey the court's decisions to the government and the public. Watch and listen! "

The officials threw out a series of appointments without warning, catching all the officials in the palace by surprise.

Firearms supervision, newspapers and periodicals are all new things, and they are all left to Zhu Xiu to deal with.

Firearms Supervision, as the name suggests, is responsible for the development, manufacturing and production of firearms.

The Black Fire Thunder is already a major battlefield weapon recognized by both the government and the public. It belongs to the category of firearms, and it is only a matter of time before a special prison is established.

But what the hell is a newspaper? The name is refreshing. I guess it should be something like Di Bao.

The level of government agencies at the department level was not high, but they were under the jurisdiction of Zhongshu Province and directly connected with the imperial policy drafting department. This was what shocked all the officials.

Zhu Xiu was startled and said hurriedly: "Wei ministers have not yet taken office in the North Courtyard of Xuanhui."

Guo Wei waved his hand: "I will remove you from the position of co-president of Xuanhui North Academy and deputy envoy of Xuanhui North Academy, and let me do my best to take care of the firearms supervisor and newspapers.

By the way, what should be the name of this government-run newspaper office? "

Zhu Xiudao: "The official office is called the Information Agency, and the newspaper is called the Tokyo Times!"

"Well, that's right, that's what it's called!" Guo Wei muttered for a moment and nodded with satisfaction.

Zhu Xiu smiled helplessly. He, a colleague of Xuanhui North Campus, didn't even know which way the gate of Xuanhui North Campus opened, so he left his post and was transferred elsewhere.

Perhaps in the eyes of Uncle Guo, the brick I, Zhu Xiu, is really useful, and I can get it together wherever I go.

He raised his eyes and glanced at the throne, only to see Uncle Guo staring at him with a half-smile.

Suddenly, Zhu Xiu understood. No wonder Uncle Guo asked him what credit he thought he had for his trip to Jiangning. He wanted him to tell what he did in Jiangning and let the officials know.

This will facilitate subsequent transfers and promotions.

The Firearms Supervisor is a fourth-rank official, and he temporarily takes the position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works with a low-level title, so he is called "Quanzhi".

Quan means temporarily replacing a high official with a low official rank.

This appointment was considered a well-intentioned move, allowing him to take care of both the Firearms Supervisor and the Ordnance Supervisor.

Black Fire Thunder has been around for a short time, but the changes to the rules of the battlefield are obvious.

With Guo Wei's military vision, he could naturally see that firearms were as important as traditional weapons, so he simply established a firearms supervision department to take charge of the research and development and manufacturing of firearms.

This was the advice Zhu Xiu gave when he first met Guo Wei in Puzhou three years ago. Guo Wei put it into practice three years later.

This change of position was not only due to the trip to Jiangning and the intelligence overview book. Zhu Xiu knew in his heart that the more important reason was probably the nearly one year he spent in Chanzhou.

Because he went north to Chanzhou in time to meet Chai Rong, Chai Rong did not risk the disapproval of the world and left his post and returned to Kaifeng without an order from the court.

Avoiding a turmoil in the court situation also greatly eased and improved the relationship between their father and son.

Comforting Chai Rong was Zhu Xiu's greatest contribution.Of course, these intentions cannot be stated clearly, so Guo Wei used his achievements in Jiangning as an excuse to transfer and promote him.

Zhu Xiu received the order in a loud voice to thank him, Guo Wei twisted his beard and smiled, all without saying a word.

The agenda of the following court meeting was carried out step by step. Most of the time, Guo Wei listened to the reports of the chief officials of various ministries and the third minister Zheng Renjie.

There are only two most important things.

First, Li Chongjin was promoted to the post of inspector of the inner capital, and also the head of the cavalry and infantry army, and led the training envoy of the Enzhou regiment.

When the old eunuch announced the appointment in a high-pitched drake voice, and when Li Chongjin, a black man, knelt down to receive the order in a gruff voice, Zhu Xiu knew that Guo Wei's reform of the Forbidden Army was imminent.

Another major commanding body of the Forbidden Army - the Palace Chief is about to appear!

Wang Yin, currently the commander of the Imperial Guard and Military Division, has asked himself to be transferred to Yedu and serve as the military envoy of the Tianxiong Army.

For the sake of his old friend and Conglong Yuan, Guo Wei allowed him to continue to serve as the commander-in-chief of the bodyguard department.

However, it was impossible for the Imperial Guard to be handed over to an outsider, so Guo Wei gradually replaced the Imperial Guards of the Imperial Guard Department with the Imperial Guards of the Inner Palace.

A large number of officers and soldiers of the Imperial Guards in the Inner Palace were transferred from the Guards Department, which was equivalent to moving their left and right hands around. It seemed to have little impact, but in fact it seriously weakened the authority of the Guards Department.

In the past year, Wang Yin's reputation has gradually deteriorated. There are rumors that he is acting arrogantly in Yedu, squandering Guo Wei's accumulated money and enjoying extravagantly.

The Tianxiong Army was also brought into chaos by him, and many lieutenant generals and lieutenants in the army wrote letters requesting external transfer.

Wang Yin is a veteran of the Long Dynasty, and has been operating in the Guards Department for many years since the Liu Han Dynasty. He has a deep foundation and is considered a powerful figure in the Forbidden Army.

Guo Wei allowed him to act recklessly in Yedu, and Zhu Xiu guessed that he had two intentions.

One is to let him stay away from Kaifeng and not to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Army.

Second, it confirms the saying that if you want to destroy it, you must first make it crazy!

If Wang Yin still doesn't know how to restrain himself, what awaits him will be Guo Wei's thunderous iron fist.

The second thing is to announce that a series of exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes will be abolished with immediate effect.

For example, from the Later Liang Dynasty, Zhu Wen exploited the "niu rent" set up by the people.

In order to replenish the national treasury, Zhu Wen came up with a clever idea. The court would spend money to buy cattle, distribute them to the people, register them according to their household registrations, regardless of whether they wanted to, and then collect cattle rent every year.

Year after year, no matter whether the cow gets sick or dies, the cow rent will always exist, and the state treasury will receive a lot of money, but the people will suffer.

The common people who did not receive cattle from the imperial court at that time were also required to pay cattle rent.

Various taxes and fees have become a heavy burden on the people.

Similar miscellaneous taxes have continued from the back beam to the present.

Now, Guo Wei finally issued an order to abolish these miscellaneous taxes and truly reduce the burden on the people.

I believe that as soon as this decree is issued, the world of Great Zhou Dynasty will be full of joy.

At the beginning of noon, the court meeting ended and all the officials retired.

Zhu Xiu, Chai Rong, Li Chongjin, Zhang Yongde, Fan Zhi, Wei Renpu and others walked at the back, talking and laughing all the way towards Daqing Gate.

"In the future, I will rejoin the imperial army in front of the palace and guard the palace city and Kaifeng. I must fulfill my responsibilities and never show any signs of slacking off."

Chai Rong smiled, his tone was earnest, but there was a little worry deep in his eyes.

Li Chongjin's face glowed with pride, he patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, as long as I, the Black King, are here, the officials and you can just sit high in the imperial city. Kaifeng City and my country are as stable as a rock!"

Chai Rong smiled and said softly: "The officials have high hopes for you, and you are new to a high position. You should guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and be diligent and cautious in everything you do."

"Ouch~ Cousin, you are so verbose!" Li Chongjin yelled carelessly, "The most important thing for you right now is to get married to Mrs. Fu as soon as possible, so that the officials and our brothers will not have to worry about you all day long.
When you get married and have a lovely wife in your arms, I’m afraid you won’t have time to talk to me about my mother-in-law all day long~~”

Everyone laughed lightly.

Chai Rong wanted to give some advice, but Zhu Xiu changed the topic first: "The Black King is married and has a family. He is really more stable. He even talks differently, like a serious person!"

Li Chongjin was just at the moment when he was full of ambition, and this guy was a fool. If Chai Rong said something to throw cold water on him at this time, he might be unhappy.

Li Chongjin said proudly: "That's right! I forgot to tell you that I know a gentleman in Suzhou who is very knowledgeable and talented. In my opinion, his knowledge is not inferior to that of Zhu Xiu. He is now a staff member of my government.

When I have nothing to do, I will chat with him. As time goes by, my knowledge will naturally improve! "

Zhang Yongde said calmly: "Are you sure that he really wants to be your staff? Or is he tied up with a hemp rope by you?"

Li Chongjin said angrily: "I am the nephew of the emperor, the founding Duke of the country, and is in charge of the imperial army. There are a lot of people who want to be my staff!"

Zhu Xiu asked curiously: "Who is this person?"

Li Chongjin said: "My name is Zhai Shouxun. I was unknown in Suzhou before, but if you follow me, you will definitely become famous all over the world!"

Zhu Xiu was stunned when he heard this, but he didn't expect it to be this person.

This Zhai Shouxun will indeed become famous in the future, but it is not a good reputation.

Historically, this person betrayed Li Chongjin and defected to Zhao Song at a critical moment, causing Li Chongjin to miss a good opportunity and eventually be defeated and die.

Zhu Xiu's reaction made everyone feel strange, and they all looked at him.

"Why, have you heard of Zhai Shouxun's name?" Li Chongjin asked suspiciously.

Zhu Xiugan smiled and said: "No, it's just that the name is similar to an old friend from Tanzhou."

"Oh~"

Li Chongjin didn't ask any more questions, and everyone didn't suspect him.

Zhu Xiu silently recorded this matter in his mind. If the Zhai Shouxun mentioned in Li Chong's mouth was the ungrateful villain in history, then such a person must not be allowed to stay with Li Chongjin for a long time.

Li Chongjin put his arms around Zhu Xiu's shoulders and muttered: "Didn't you just say that you wanted your eldest brother Zhu Wu to join the imperial army in front of the palace? Tomorrow I will go to the official offices in front of the palace. You ask him to wait for me at Xuande Gate. Then I will take him with me. When he enters the palace, he will personally arrange for him to be the deputy chief~"

Zhu Xiu whispered: "My brother is a Bai Ding. He has never been an official. He became the deputy head of the capital as soon as he came up. Will it cause criticism?"

"I want to see who dares!" Li Chongjin glared, "I will personally arrange it to see who dares to talk too much!

Don't worry, when the time comes, your eldest brother will be placed in the Xiaodi Army, with Zhang Baoyi taking care of him, and no one will dare to bully him!Do you think so, Prince Consort Zhang? "

Zhang Yongde glanced at the two of them and said calmly: "Since he is his own brother, I will take care of him. However, the training of Xiaodi Army is strict, so your brother should be prepared to endure hardship."

Zhu Xiu hurriedly raised his hands and said: "Thank you for taking care of me, Brother Zhang! My brother has been poor since he was a child and can endure hardships the most. Brother Zhang just needs to practice according to the rules!"

Zhang Yongde nodded and stopped talking.

(End of this chapter)