Jiuxi

Chapter 967 965 [The Highest Good Is Like Water]

Gao Huan understood that silence meant taking sides, and he also knew that not speaking at this time might make Empress Dowager Ning unhappy, but the fate of him and even the Longlin Gao family had already been tied to Lu Chen, and being indecisive was definitely the stupidest choice.

So even though he was feeling anxious, he could only remain silent.

Li Jingda did not have these concerns, but he was not a stubborn person who only knew how to make a fuss. The current situation was not clear, so he had to wait and see how things developed before deciding how to respond.

"You all are concerned about the country, which is a blessing for the Great Qi. However, I believe that the Prince of Huai'an has no other intentions. He will definitely not let down the trust of the royal family."

Queen Mother Ning was grateful for the firm stance expressed by Xue Nanting and others at this time, but as the highest authority in the court of Da Qi, she could not speak as bluntly as these important officials, because once some words came out of her mouth, there would be no room for maneuver.

Suppressing the turbulent thoughts in her heart, she looked at the Hanlin scholar who had almost no presence at all, and said gently, "Master Wang."

Wang An bowed slightly and said, "I am here."

Queen Mother Ning said, "Regarding the matter of moving the capital, I would like to hear your opinion."

Since entering the capital in the autumn of the 15th year of Jianwu, Wang An has been in the capital for nearly four years and has been in officialdom for three years, but he has always been just an outsider standing in the corner of the court.

Even though he is now a Hanlin scholar, in charge of the Hanlin Academy, a noble place for candidates to serve as prime ministers, Wang An's situation has not changed much.

The officials of the Hanlin Academy respected him very much, even to the point of not daring to get close to him. This was because Wang An was the head of the Wang family of Zhailin in Jiangbei, and was also Lu Chen's uncle and father-in-law. This relationship meant that Wang An could not fit into the circle of officials and gentry in Jiangnan at all.

From this point of view, he is not even as good as Gao Huan, who is, after all, a member of a prominent family in Jiangnan and has some old friends.

Wang An has experienced many twists and turns in his life and witnessed too many storms, so he is naturally able to remain calm. Moreover, being in such a unique position allows him to better observe all kinds of officials in the court.

However, Empress Dowager Ning skipped Gao Huan and Li Jingda and asked him directly, which surprised him a little.

He pondered in his heart, and replied calmly: "Your Majesty, I agree with Prime Minister Xue and Prime Minister Xu. The power of the court cannot be held in the hands of one person, whether it is political or military affairs, otherwise there will inevitably be disturbances."

Queen Mother Ning did not comment on such a conventional answer, and pondered, "So the scholar thinks it is not advisable to move the capital in the short term?"

"This matter concerns the foundation of the country, and I dare not speak rashly."

Wang An lowered his head and brows, then said: "But I have some superficial opinions, please judge for me, Your Majesty."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Your Majesty, returning to the old capital is the national policy set by Emperor Gaozong. I think that rather than saying this is a slogan to promote the Northern Expedition, it is better to say that the purpose of the Northern Expedition is to return to the old capital. When the court moved south, the people left in Jiangbei. Although it was a helpless move, it has already caused a centrifugal trend. As time goes by, the people in Jiangbei will become more and more unfamiliar with the court, and it may be difficult to reverse it in the long run."

Wang An paused for a moment, and under the gaze of Empress Dowager Ning and other important officials, he said slowly, "I have to admit that the Wang family was humiliated by the swords of the Jinglian people and failed to die for the country. It was a shame for our family. Six years ago, when I understood Emperor Gaozong's determination to fight the Northern Expedition and learned that the border soldiers worked day and night, I suddenly realized and decided to do my best for the Great Qi. One reason was to atone for my sins, and the other was that I was inspired by the court and just wanted to be an upright Qi person."

Empress Dowager Ning seemed to have some feelings, and nodded, saying, "I understand what the scholar meant."

"Your Majesty, I'll see you soon."

Wang An said respectfully: "May God bless the Great Qi. The homeland has been returned. The tens of millions of people in Jiangbei will certainly pay attention to the court's every move. Moving the capital will have a hundred benefits and no harm to winning people's hearts, just as I was inspired by the court back then. I dare to say, if the court is unwilling to return to the north, how will the people in the north deal with themselves?"

Li Jingda couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

To be honest, he had some complaints about the famous scholar Wang. When Lu Chen encountered attacks and suspicion in the past few years, he never stood up for him, even if it was just to say a few words of support.

If Wang An's niece had not married Lu Chen, given Li Jingda's temper, he would definitely have scolded him in person.

However, Wang An's words today, especially the last sentence "How should the northerners deal with themselves?", made Li Jingda understand the sophistication and precision of the head of a noble family.

Just look at the solemn expressions of the important officials around him and you will know that if Wang An’s words were to spread, the court would inevitably fall into a very passive situation.

Due to the perverse actions of Emperor Chengzong Li Yu, the people of Jiangbei had already been complaining about Da Qi. However, later on, the Jinglian people became even more unbearable, and coupled with Lu Chen's strict requirements on military discipline, the people of Jiangbei would try to accept the rule of Da Qi again, otherwise there would inevitably be civil unrest.

The situations in the south and north of the Yangtze River are different. Even during the most difficult times of the Great Qi Dynasty, the war did not spread to the south, and the people did not lose their homes or become displaced. Moreover, Li Duan has always implemented benevolent policies since he ascended the throne. Therefore, whether the capital is in the south or the north, it will not cause unrest among the people in the south of the Yangtze River.

At this most sensitive time, whether the court is willing to return to the old capital will directly affect whether the people in Jiangbei can return.

When Xue Nanting pointed out the biggest obstacle to moving the capital, even if Wang An spoke in a grandiose way, he could not deny that the military power in Lu Chen's hands could threaten the imperial power, but he concisely and powerfully argued from another perspective the necessity of the court's move north.

At this moment, no one stood up to accuse Wang An of exaggerating, because he revealed the simplest and most true truth.

That is the people's support. Queen Mother Ning fell into deep thought.

Wang An said, "Your Majesty, this is just my personal opinion. Besides, the concerns of the two prime ministers are not unreasonable, so I think we can adopt a compromise."

Empress Dowager Ning looked at him with more respect in her eyes and motioned for him to continue.

Wang An said slowly: "Your Majesty can order the Textile Bureau to go north and cooperate with the soldiers under the command of Prince Huai'an to eliminate the hidden enemies in Heluo City as soon as possible. At the same time, set up government offices in various places in Jiangbei, and clarify the powers and responsibilities of the Military Academy and the generals. When the time is right, you can start the plan to move the capital."

Empress Dowager Ning praised: "The scholar's words are quite comprehensive. I will definitely consider them carefully."

"Thank you for your compliment, Your Majesty."

Wang An bowed and then stepped back.

"The proposal to move the capital involves a lot of issues. I hope you will give it more consideration. You can submit a memorial to explain in detail, or you can come to me to report in person."

Queen Mother Ning seemed a little tired and said calmly, "Let's stop here today."

"Yes."

Everyone bowed and left.

As soon as the two prime ministers left the Wende Hall, Yuan Yuji came hurriedly and said that Empress Dowager Ning suddenly remembered a government matter and asked them to turn back.

When Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo returned to the East Warm Pavilion, they found that the young emperor was no longer there, and many palace servants had already left. At this time, Empress Dowager Ning said, "The emperor is young and still growing. I want him to go to the back hall to rest for a while. Please don't blame me."

The two of them even said they didn't dare.

"Yuan Yuji, give seats to the two ministers."

Queen Mother Ning did not wait for them to decline and asked, "What do you think of Mr. Wang's advice?"

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo had no choice but to apologize and sit down. The former said calmly: "Your Majesty, what Wang Anzhong said is true, but if you want to win the hearts of the people in Jiangbei, whether the court moves north is not the most important factor. As long as the officials sent to the north are honest and incorruptible, and the corvée and taxes are reduced in war-torn areas, and farming is encouraged to relieve people's livelihood, the people will naturally recognize the court. On the contrary, if the court cannot treat its people well, even if the capital is moved to Heluo immediately, it will be of no use."

Queen Mother Ning asked with a puzzled look, "Why didn't Prime Minister Xue speak clearly just now?"

Xue Nanting said sincerely, "Your Majesty, although I don't have solid evidence, I dare to conclude that the relocation of the capital has become a trend so quickly because people around Prince Huai'an are secretly pushing it. Now the situation is becoming clearer. If the court wants to go north, it must rely on Prince Huai'an. With his current power and prestige, it will be difficult for us to stop him from interfering in government affairs. I didn't refute Wang Anzhong in public because I wanted to see how determined they are."

"I see."

Queen Mother Ning nodded slightly, then looked at Xu Zuo and asked, "Prime Minister Xu?"

"Your Majesty, I have actually been thinking about how the Prince of Huai'an will move the capital as soon as possible."

Xu Zuo said calmly, "In my opinion, apart from the late emperor's will and Wang Anzhong's words about the return of the northerners, the Prince of Huai'an has another reason, which is the imperial mausoleum located in the suburbs of Heluo. He can submit a petition to invite Your Majesty and the Emperor to go to the mausoleum to pay tribute to the emperors of our Great Qi, and comfort the spirits of the emperors in heaven by restoring our country. Of course, Your Majesty can use the excuse that the emperor is too young to travel long distances, and let Prime Minister Xue and me offer sacrifices on his behalf. This is not against the rules."

Queen Mother Ning sighed softly.

Xu Zuo said solemnly, "Your Majesty, don't worry. Prime Minister Xue made the current situation clear before. In my opinion, this is a necessary move. The Prince of Huai'an is a smart man, and the military power in his hands does pose a great threat. Prime Minister Xue's actions can at least make the world understand the concerns of the court. I believe that the Prince of Huai'an has no intention of rebelling at the moment, but the arrogant soldiers and brave generals under his command may not be so honest. The court's blindly covering up and whitewashing the situation will only encourage the ambitions of some people."

"How could I not know your good intentions?"

Queen Mother Ning hesitated for a moment, then said carefully, "I kept you here because I felt that this matter was very likely to cause the North and the South to split, so... I have an immature idea in my mind that I want to discuss with you."

"Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"I'm thinking that since the situation has developed to this point, I might as well just agree to their request and put the relocation of the capital on the agenda as soon as possible."

A hint of determination flashed across Empress Dowager Ning's noble and elegant eyes.

Xu Zuo was slightly stunned.

Xue Nanting frowned and looked at the graceful and elegant Empress Dowager with a little confusion.

(End of this chapter)