The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 536 Career choice

After a brief discussion, Chai Rong decided to announce at the next court meeting that he would use these two propositions to collect articles from officials above fifth rank in Beijing.

"This is an open call for suggestions and advice from hundreds of officials. You don't need to participate. Leave the opportunity to others."

Chai Rong took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "It would be unfair for you to participate."

Zhu Xiu said hurriedly: "I promise not to reveal the topic in advance."

Fu Jinzhan, who was sitting at the other end of the long desk, answered with a smile: "Your Majesty is afraid that your article is too good, and in the end the title falls on you, which will inevitably lead to gossip."

Zhu Xiu was stunned and speechless, and said helplessly: "The queen has high regard for me. There are still many talented people among the hundreds of officials in the court, but I have no confidence that I will win the first prize!"

Chai Rong said: "In short, you don't want to participate this time, but you can't be idle either. You will take the lead and organize the secretary and subordinate officials, and then select a few officials from each of the six departments to form a review group to review and select the articles submitted by the officials. , select the best among them and submit them to me for reading.

We must be fair and strict, regardless of the size of the official position or the severity of the authority. We do not need to look at the character and morality of the officials, only the talent and learning of their articles. "

Zhu Xiu said hurriedly: "I obey the order!"

Fu Jinzhan interjected again: "Zhu Xiu is just a scholar in Zhongshushe. If he is asked to take the lead in reviewing the articles of hundreds of officials, I am afraid that his position will be lower."

Chai Rong thought for a while and said with a smile: "What the Queen said is reasonable, then promote Zhu Xiu to the position of Minister of Zhongshu, participate in the affairs of the government, appoint people in Linxuan, and be in charge of Zhongshu together with Wang Pu!"

Zhu Xiu quickly stood up and thanked him: "I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness!"

Fu Jinzhan winked at Fu Jinhuan, and the two sisters laughed playfully.

Chai Rong laughed and said: "This time, the queen has blown my pillow, so I won't allow it next time!"

Fu Jinzhan said angrily: "Zhu Xiu is my concubine's brother-in-law and son-in-law of the Fu family. Can your Majesty take more care of him?"

Chai Rong smiled and said: "Zhu Xiu's ability is obvious to all, but he is young and has little qualifications. Otherwise, I would have let him join the prime minister's class to assist me in handling government affairs."

Zhu Xiu hurriedly bowed to Fu Jinzhan and said sincerely: "Your Majesty's promotion is a great honor. I am already walking on thin ice with fear. The Queen takes care of me, and I can't thank you enough! It's just that the imperial court has its own laws and cannot be discarded due to personal feelings. !”

Chai Rong nodded with satisfaction. The thing about Zhu Xiu that reassured and appreciated him the most was that he knew how to advance and retreat in a measured way, and he would not act arrogantly based on his status as a royal relative and his favor.

Fu Jinzhan smiled slightly and said nothing more.

Chai Rong said: "I have decided to formally establish the Palace Front Division, which will be in charge of the Forbidden Army alongside the Guard Division.

At the same time, it is also necessary to reform the existing forbidden army system, streamline the army and simplify the administration, lay off redundant and tired old soldiers, and select the best soldiers from all over the world to guard Gyeonggi!
Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin suggested that I place you in the Dianqian Division. What do you think? "

Zhu Xiu sat upright, pondered for a moment, and said cautiously: "The Battle of Hedong was a glorious victory, but it also exposed the shortcomings of our army.

The orders of the various armies were inconsistent, the quality of the soldiers was too disparate, the duties and responsibilities of the pro-army and bodyguard departments in front of the palace were unclear, and the administration was chaotic.

The current Guards Department is too large and bloated, and it is indeed time for reform and streamlining.

As for whether the minister should also serve as the front secretary of the palace, it is entirely up to His Majesty to decide!
If you let me take charge of military affairs, I will do my best!
On the contrary, I will also provide suggestions and strategies to assist Your Majesty in reforming military affairs! "

Chai Rong smiled and nodded. Zhu Xiu's attitude was impeccable.

He neither shirks the blame nor does it all, giving people a sense of stability and loyalty.

Chai Rong said with a smile: "Feng Dao has passed away. I do not plan to install Zhongshu Ling in the court in the future. I will only use it as a title of favor and use Zhongshu Shilang to actually manage government affairs, so the burden on your shoulders is not light!"

Since Feng Dao's death, the imperial court has added the title of Zhongshu Ling to a series of vassal governors, which indicates that in the future in the Xiande Dynasty, the position of Zhongshu Ling may no longer exist, and will only be regarded as a title of favor, rewarded to important officials with meritorious services.

Zhu Xiu and Wang Pu, the two ministers of Zhongshu Province, can be regarded as the actual leaders of Zhongshu Province.

Wang Pu also added the title of Tongping Zhangshi and became the prime minister.

Zhu Xiu was promoted to the position of Minister of Zhongshu. If he continued to serve, he might be able to enter the ranks of prime ministers in a few years.

But at the same time, the Dianqian Division was about to be established. As the two highest offices of the Forbidden Army after the reform and the Guard Division, it directly commanded the Gyeonggi Forbidden Army and had profound powers and responsibilities.

Which one is more important depends on how to weigh it.

The meaning of Chai Rong's words was very clear. Zhongshu Shilang and Dianqiansi could only choose one of the two. It was not because he was afraid that Zhu Xiu was not capable, but because he was really too busy to take care of both.

Zhu Xiu pretended to be deep in thought, but Chai Rong did not rush him and drank tea with a smile while waiting for him to think about it.

At the end of the long desk, Fu Jinhuan and her sisters were talking in a low voice, but in fact, Fu Jinhuan was all focused on Zhu Xiu and listened carefully.

After all, this is a major matter related to the husband's career and the wealth of the Zhu family.

After a while, Zhu Xiu held up his hands and said solemnly: "Your Majesty is determined to conquer the world and will inevitably conquer all directions in the future. Therefore, I still want to serve Your Majesty in the army!"

Chai Rong smiled and said: "Have you thought about it? Once you enter the palace, you may not be able to enter the prime minister's class again for a long time.

The front division of the palace is responsible for commanding the troops. Not only is it tiring to go in and out of the military camp, but he also has to fight frequently outside. It is not as easy as staying in the center, and the power is not the same! "

Zhu Xiu grinned and said: "There is a saying that 'from a general to a prime minister', I want to be a good general first and lead the imperial army for your majesty. After the world is unified, it will not be too late to become prime minister!"

Chai Rong laughed heartily and said, "What a great ambition!"

After laughing, Chai Rong said: "Actually, I also hope that you can serve in the Palace Front Division. The reform of the Forbidden Army is not easy. It requires coordination and coordination from top to bottom. Only when the army is strong can the country prosper. I will also use this Forbidden Army to conquer the four directions." Sir, given your ability, I believe you can do a good job!"

Zhu Xiu solemnly bowed his head: "I will live up to your majesty's high expectations!"

"But you should still serve as Minister of the Secretariat of the Secretariat first. After the big test of the Hundred Officials Offering Their Advice, you can then select someone to take over." Chai Rong said.

"The minister obeys the order!"

After talking about government affairs for a while, Chai Rong took the initiative to talk about family affairs: "I heard that many people have come to your house to propose marriage recently? Are the thresholds almost broken?"

Zhu Xiu's face turned bitter and she said helplessly: "I made your Majesty laugh."

Chai Rong joked: "How about I join in the fun and let the emperor and your daughter have a baby kiss? It just so happens that the two little guys are about the same age."

Zhu Xiu's head grew big, and he put on an aggrieved and helpless look: "I am very troubled by this matter, Your Majesty should stop making fun of me!"

Chai Rong pointed at him and laughed, causing people outside the palace to look at him frequently.The new emperor has always been serious and serious, and rarely smiles so heartily.

I don’t know what Duke Zhu County said to His Majesty, which made the Emperor happy.

Your Majesty’s favor towards Duke Zhu is truly extraordinary!

The marriage was of course a joke. The young prince was currently Chai Rong's only son and the lifeblood of the Zhou Dynasty. The future marriage was not a trivial matter, so it was not easy to draw a conclusion.

Chai Rong stood up and took out a few pieces of paper from the imperial cabinet, with several names written on them.

"These are the names I have chosen for the emperor. One of them is quite satisfactory to me and the queen. Can you pick one and see if it agrees with my thoughts?"

Chai Rong smiled enthusiastically.

Fu Jinzhan and Fu Jinhuan both came over, and Fu Jinhuan muttered in a low voice: "Rang, Qian, Xun, Jin, Tuo"

Zhu Xiu pretended to consider it carefully, pointed to one of the precepts and said: "I think this is the best name for the eldest prince! Your Majesty and the Queen should also like this word!"

The couple looked at each other and smiled, Chai Rong smiled and said, "Why?"

Zhu Xiu said sternly: "The little prince is the eldest son, and the word "exercise" shows His Majesty and the Queen's admonitions and expectations for him!
The Book of Songs "Zhou Song·Li Wen" says, "If there is no competition for Wei people, they will be disciplined from all directions." Isn't this the ardent expectation and entrustment of His Majesty and the Queen for the young prince? "

Chai Rong laughed and said, "That's right! You, the Queen, and I are thinking of getting together!"

Fu Jinhuan realized later, and said with a smile: "So the little prince's name is Chai Zongxun! What a good name!"

Zhu Xiu bowed slightly modestly and smiled without saying a word.

The late emperor decided the generation for his descendants early on. There is no doubt that after Chai Rong, he will be the generation of Zong. It is also expected that he will choose Yi Xun.

After dinner, as night fell, Zhu Xiu and his wife bid farewell to the emperor and empress, and left the palace to return home.

The wet nurse brought the little prince Chai Zongxun, and Fu Jinzhan held her in her arms. The couple leaned on each other, teasing the child, laughing constantly.

Fu Jinzhan suddenly said softly: "Who is responsible for the reform of the entire army? Does your Majesty have a candidate in mind?"

Chai Rong hugged his wife and children and said with a smile: "It's still under consideration. Can the Queen make suggestions?"

Fu Jinzhan said: "The rectification of the imperial army is a major matter for the imperial court, and I cannot interfere with it. It is just a matter of great importance and involves military power. I hope your majesty will consider it carefully."

Chai Rong pondered for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and said: "I have been in charge of the army for many years and have personally participated in many battles, but the dangers are not comparable to the battle of Ba Gongyuan!

To this day, when I think back to what happened that day, I am still terrified! "

Fu Jinzhan could feel her husband's body trembling slightly. After all, the emperor was still a human being, and he was inevitably affected by his emotions. The fear of life and death was unavoidable.

Chai Rong, as a ninety-five-year-old man, is not afraid of death, but when it comes to life and death, he will still be instinctively afraid.

Fu Jinzhan is the one who sleeps with her, so she naturally understands her husband.

The Battle of Bagongyuan was still fresh in his memory, so one can imagine how sinister and terrifying the situation was at that time.

Fu Jinzhan didn't even dare to think about what the scene would be like now if Chai Rong was defeated and died.

Chai Rong smiled bitterly and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"At that time, the war was originally in our army's favour, but two incompetent fools, Fan Aineng and He Hui, abandoned the battle and ran away, resulting in the direct defeat of the Dongxiang Army. Zhang Yuanhui, the fierce general of the Northern Han Dynasty, led his cavalry to the Chinese army's position. I watched the battle from a high hill. It was clear that Zhang Yuanhui and his cavalry were like sharp knives, thrusting straight into the heart of the Chinese army!
The army in the East Chamber was defeated, the situation on the battlefield changed, and the soldiers in the Central Army and the West Chamber were panicked. Liu Chong seized the opportunity to press hard. Our army was in danger and could be defeated in an instant!
At that time, I was so impatient and hot-blooded that I didn't care too much. I just drew my sword and led my troops to charge down the high hill, and the supervising troops suppressed the formation!
Zhang Yuanhui attacked my imperial commander, and I attacked the hinterland of Liu Chong's army.
I rushed so fast that Zhang Yongde didn't even react. When I looked back, I saw that the bodyguard beside me was less than fifty. At that moment, I really felt like I would never return.
Fortunately, Shi Shouxin, the commander of the inner palace, led his army to catch up with me. Zhang Yongde, Zhao Kuangyin and others also rushed to kill me. The imperial cavalry formed a formation and followed me to attack Liu Chong's position, causing the Northern Han army to be in chaos!
Later, Zhu Xiu and Liu Ci arrived in time, and when Yelu Enlu saw that our army had backup, he simply abandoned Liu Chong and fled to Diaohuang Ridge. Our army took advantage of the situation and counterattacked, killing the Northern Han soldiers and fleeing."

Chai Rong murmured about the battle of Bagongyuan.

Fu Jinzhan had long known about the war from the Di newspaper and Fu's family letters, but hearing it from Chai Rong's mouth gave him a different feeling.

Chai Rong was silent for a while, calmed down his emotions, and said with a smile: "Queen, do you know who impressed me the most after a battle?"

Fu Jinzhan thought for a while: "Consort Zhang Yongde? Or the general in front of the palace named Shi Shouxin?"

Chai Rong shook his head and said with a smile: "No, it's Zhao Kuangyin and a young general named Ma Renyu under him."

Seeing Fu Jinzhan's eyes full of inquiry and curiosity, Chai Rong recalled: "I remember that I rode in front and was surrounded by soldiers from the Northern Han Dynasty who were clamoring to capture me alive. The nearest Shi Shouxin was still ten feet away. At that time, I didn't think about anything, I just swung my sword to kill, and I could only hear the roar of the wind in my ears.

Suddenly, I heard an angry shout coming from behind. It was the young captain named Ma Renyu. I didn't hear what he was shouting clearly at the time. Later I found out that he was angrily scolding the fleeing Imperial Army soldiers.

Immediately afterwards, I heard Zhao Kuangyin roar: "Your Majesty, if you fight to the death, how can we, the soldiers, spare our lives?"Comrades, follow me and fight to the death! '

His voice is like thunder, I can hear it clearly!This roar not only boosted the morale of our army, but also deterred the Northern Han soldiers.

It was Zhao Kuangyin, Ma Renyu, Zhang Yongde, Shi Shouxin and others who led the troops behind and charged in hot pursuit, attracting most of the Northern Han soldiers. I was able to avoid falling into siege and be able to join up with the pro-army. Otherwise, I would be afraid of a terrible disaster. A lot of luck! "

Fu Jinzhan was frightened and frightened when she heard this. She was also a person who had been in battle and could understand the brutality of the war at that time.

It is truly a blessing to have Chai Rong return to her intact today.

"Zhao Kuangyin is quite ambitious in his official career, but he is also commendable for his loyalty and bravery! If I can make good use of him, the great cause of unification in the future will definitely be even more powerful!" Chai Rong said.

"So, Your Majesty intends to make Zhao Kuangyin responsible for the reform of the whole army?" Fu Jinzhan laughed.

Chai Rong said: "Zhao Kuangyin was born in a military family, he is familiar with military strategy and has high martial arts skills. Let him take charge of this matter. After careful consideration, I think it is the most appropriate!
The Imperial Army also needs to recruit young talents like him. "

Fu Jinzhan reminded: "The establishment of the Dianqian Division and the major reform of the Forbidden Army involve the transfer of military power. It cannot be done by one person. Your Majesty has to consider everything."

Chai Rong smiled and said: "Isn't there your brother-in-law, my good brother-in-law Zhu Xiu? Let them take the lead in this matter!"

Fu Jinzhan smiled and said: "It turns out that His Majesty asked Zhu Xiu to join the Palace Front Office because he wanted him to partner with Zhao Kuangyin to be responsible for rectifying the Forbidden Army."

Chai Rong smiled and said: "Don't let any news leak beforehand. I will also convene the Privy Council and the ministers of the Ministry of War to discuss and listen to their opinions.

In any case, the basic structure of the military affairs office controlling military power, the Privy Council controlling military deployment, and the Ministry of War controlling the appointment of generals will not change. "

Fu Jinzhan smiled and said: "If the military power is divided into three, we will not be afraid of being too big to lose."

The couple talked affectionately, and the baby in their arms was sleeping soundly. Unknowingly, it was the dead of night.
(End of this chapter)