Jiuxi

Chapter 966 964 [Carrying a sharp weapon]

Jiangnan, Beijing.

From December last year to March this year, the news of victory coming back from Jiangbei never stopped. After the death of Emperor Jing and Qing Yugong, the Da Qi army, under the command of Lu Chen, recovered lost territories all the way, from north of Jingzhou to the Heluo area, and then to the three states of Qing, Wei and Ling that were lost twenty years ago.

For the vast majority of young and old men in Beijing, this was the happiest and most joyful New Year in the past twenty years.

The brothels, taverns, and theaters in the capital were packed almost every day. There were even many clever storytellers who began to perform the story of Huai'an Prince Lu Chen killing Emperor Jing and destroying Jing's army, attracting countless spectators.

There is laughter everywhere and everyone is smiling.

However, for many important officials in the court, their mood was mixed.

Recovering the homeland and returning to the old capital is no longer an empty talk. Although most of the credit should be attributed to Lu Chen and the soldiers of the three armies, the civil and military officials in the court also made a lot of efforts in the rear. They are also participants in this great cause and are destined to go down in history in the future. This is naturally a happy event worthy of cheering.

But then there are two problems.

The first is how to reward Lu Chen?

This young prince has made such an unprecedented contribution that the imperial court must give him a reward of corresponding level no matter what. Could it be that a prince of a different surname who holds military power will really appear in the Da Qi Dynasty?

And judging from the current discussions among the people, the title of prince alone may not be enough to match Lu Chen's achievements.

The second is the matter of returning to the old capital.

Moving the capital was both simple and complicated. The simplicity lay in that Heluo City had been the capital of the Great Qi for more than a hundred years, and both its urban construction and palaces and official residences were sufficient to meet the needs of the court, not to mention that outside the city there were the tombs of successive emperors of the Li royal family.

To use Lu Chen's words from his previous life to describe it, this was called moving in with just a bag. All the people in the Yongjia Palace and all the civil and military officials in the court had to set off for Heluo. Moreover, now that the Jing Kingdom had retreated to the north of the Jing River, there was no risk along the way.

The complexity is hard to describe.

The relocation of the imperial court to Heluo meant that the political center of Da Qi moved northward, which was a huge blow to the officials and gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, because at that time the imperial court would certainly recruit talents in the north. With the emergence of a large number of officials in the north of the Yangtze River, there would inevitably be endless power struggles in the court. It would be impossible for the prominent families in the south of the Yangtze River to control the power of the court as they had done in the past twenty years.

Not to mention that Lu Chen now has an astonishing influence on Jiangbei. Once the court moves to Heluo, with his rising prestige and unshakable military power, it is hard to guarantee that there will not be a powerful minister who is truly in charge of military and political affairs. Moreover, the emperor is young now, and the situation is that the ruler is young and the country is in doubt.

Under such circumstances, a small-scale, high-level court meeting was held in the eastern warm room of Wende Hall.

In addition to the two prime ministers Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo, the participants included military ministers Li Jingda and Shen Yulai, six ministers headed by Yao Chong, as well as Imperial Censor Zhang Cang and Hanlin Academician Wang An, a total of twelve important officials.

Behind the imperial desk, Empress Dowager Ning and the emperor sat side by side.

"The reason why I summoned you all to the palace today is because the war in Jiangbei is gradually coming to an end. The Prince of Huai'an will surely complete the Northern Expedition, so there are a few things that must be put on the agenda."

Queen Mother Ning smiled, obviously delighted by the victory achieved by the Jiangbei army, and continued, "The first thing is that the court needs to formulate a regulation on rewarding the soldiers of the three armies."

Actually, this is not a difficult thing.

As long as Lu Chen's memorial requesting merit is submitted and the court sends someone to verify it, rewards can be given according to regulations.

According to the merits of the soldiers, they were granted corresponding titles, military positions and land.

The problem lies in the reward given to Lu Chen himself.

These important officials certainly understood the key points. After a brief silence, the Minister of Rites Kong Yingdong said calmly, "Your Majesty, this battle restored our country and enhanced our national prestige, and the Prince of Huai'an should be the first to make contributions. In my humble opinion, if the reward for the Prince of Huai'an can be decided first, the rest can be rewarded according to the usual practice."

"Mr. Kong has a point."

Queen Mother Ning spoke in a gentle tone, but the words she said next shocked the ministers: "Prince Huai'an has made great contributions, how can the court not reward him? I have carefully considered that although Prince Huai'an did not expand the territory this time, he was able to restore the lost territory of Jiangbei for twenty years to the rule of Da Qi, which is already a great achievement. Therefore, I am ready to confer the title of Prince on Lu Chen, grant him the Nine Gifts, and give him the power to command the military forces at home and abroad. What do you think?"

The title of prince was actually within the expectations of these important ministers, but they did not expect that Empress Dowager Ning would actually propose the last two items.

The so-called Nine Gifts Ceremony is the court's greatest honor to meritorious officials. There is nothing wrong with this matter itself, but in history books, those who received the Nine Gifts were either purged or embarked on the path of usurpation. Even if they themselves could die a good death, it would be difficult for their descendants to live in peace.

As for the power of the commander-in-chief to command military forces at home and abroad, there is no need to elaborate on it. Just understand it literally.

"Your Majesty, I think this proposal is worth discussing."

While others were still thinking, Right Prime Minister Xu Zuo stood up without hesitation.

Queen Mother Ning said calmly, "If Prime Minister Xu has any objections, please feel free to speak up." Xu Zuo bowed his head slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the title is a prestigious institution of the court, and rewards and punishments must be carefully considered. However, given the merits of the Prince of Huai'an, it is indeed possible to make an exception and confer him the title of Prince. However, the Nine Gifts is not a blessing for a minister, but a cause of chaos in the court. Please understand, Your Majesty."

Queen Mother Ning looked at him steadily, feeling slightly relieved, and nodded, saying, "Prime Minister Xu is mature and prudent. I was not thoughtful enough about this matter."

"Your Majesty is open-minded and generous."

Xu Zuo praised sincerely and continued, "The Prince of Huai'an is the commander-in-chief of the three armies, and Your Majesty has given him the power to supervise the military affairs in Jiangbei. This is a temporary measure during wartime and cannot be made a permanent one. Now that the war has come to an end, the court will still rely on the Prince of Huai'an, but the division of power and responsibility should be clarified. I am not a jealous person, but considering the long-term, this matter needs to be treated with caution."

The left prime minister Xue Nanting added: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Xu's idea is to first decide on the title of prince, and then consider other matters in the long run, such as how to adjust the military system of the Great Qi in the future and how to define the power of the Military Academy. These are the foundations of the country and there is no need to make hasty decisions."

Queen Mother Ning glanced at the other important ministers and said, "Okay, let's follow the two prime ministers' advice."

After a brief silence, the Minister of Personnel Yao Chong spoke up, "Regarding the selection of officials for the newly returned territory of Jiangbei, I would like to ask Your Majesty for instructions."

This is a troublesome matter.

Lu Chen acted too quickly, recovering a large amount of lost territory in just a few months. Those areas are now under martial law, but this is obviously not a long-term solution. The court needs to establish government systems at all levels as soon as possible.

Empress Dowager Ning said slowly, "Prince Huai'an requested that all areas in Jiangbei restore the old system first. In addition to the Heluo area, Jiangbei also has seven states, and a large number of officials are indeed needed. However, this matter should not be rushed. Yao Qing can first draw up a list of officials, submit it to the two ministers of the Secretariat for review, and then present it to the emperor."

Yao Chong bowed his head and said, "I obey your order."

Empress Dowager Ning looked at the dozen memorials on the imperial desk and changed the subject, saying, "In the past five days, seventeen court officials have submitted memorials, all of which are about the same thing, which is to ask me and the emperor to follow the will of Emperor Gaozong and return to the old capital. This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone. You may express your opinions and speak freely."

These important officials not only knew about this matter, they even knew the names of the 17 officials, and they have been secretly considering it in recent times.

The left prime minister Xue Nanting said, "Your Majesty, returning to the old capital is the common wish of the people of Daqi, and it is also the last wish of Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Zhezong. I think this is indisputable."

Queen Dowager Ning asked calmly, "So, Prime Minister Xue supports moving the capital?"

"I support moving the capital, but..."

Xue Nanting paused for a moment and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, I don't think this is the right time."

"Tell me the details."

"Yes. Jiangbei is just beginning to be settled, and the situation is rather complicated. If the imperial court rashly goes north, once there are twists and turns, it is very likely to damage its vitality. The Jinglian people have occupied Heluo for twenty years. It is unknown how many spies are hidden among the millions of residents in the city. It will take a long time just to eliminate these potential threats."

Xue Nanting's words drew nods of agreement from several important officials. Seeing this, he said more earnestly, "Your Majesty, what Prime Minister Xu said just now is thought-provoking. Now more than 80% of the military power of Daqi is in the hands of Prince Huai'an, and the generals and soldiers in the army all follow his lead. If this situation cannot be changed, how can Your Majesty and the Emperor easily leave the capital and go north?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang An, a Hanlin scholar standing at the very bottom, could not help but frown slightly.

Xue Nanting pointed out the biggest obstacle to the court's relocation of the capital in just one sentence.

For these important officials who are well-educated and knowledgeable about ancient and modern times, using the emperor to control the princes is not an uncommon story.

It is true that the current situation in Da Qi is not a turbulent era with many heroes rising up, but in essence, there are the same concerns, that is, the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong, and power falls into the hands of others.

If the capital is moved directly, the royal family and the imperial court will have almost no foundation in Jiangbei. How can the tens of thousands of imperial guards led by Shen Yu compete with the 200,000 tiger soldiers under Lu Chen?
It is different if they stay in Jiangnan temporarily. Thanks to Li Duan's diligence and love for the people for more than ten years, and the fact that Li Zongben and Empress Dowager Ning follow his example, at least the people of Jiangnan are loyal to the court, which is the royal family's greatest reliance.

Queen Dowager Ning quickly glanced at the Minister of Revenue Gao Huan, the Imperial Academy scholar Wang An, and the Minister of Military Affairs Li Jingda, and said with a light cough: "The Prince of Huai'an is a loyal pillar of the country, Prime Minister Xue, please do not doubt him."

"Your Majesty, I am not presumptuous in speculating on the loyalty of the Prince of Huai'an. I also know that if my words today were heard by the Prince of Huai'an, it would certainly cause his dissatisfaction."

Xue Nanting bowed and said solemnly, "However, this is related to the safety of the royal family and the stability of the imperial power. It cannot be neglected in the slightest. I dare not not speak out and give advice. If there is really a rebellion that cannot be tolerated, and it puts Your Majesty, the Emperor and the country in danger, I will never be able to absolve myself of my guilt!"

"I second the proposal!"

Minister of Rites Kong Yingdong, Minister of Personnel Yao Chong, Minister of Punishments Yin Bo, Minister of Works Zhu Heng, Minister of War Chen Xincai and Imperial Censor Zhang Cang expressed their opinions one after another.

Gao Huan and the other three remained silent.

Empress Dowager Ning looked at the important ministers who were divided into two factions and sighed inwardly.

(End of this chapter)