spend time

In just two days, Minister Ding submitted a memorial to the emperor.

This time, only Minister Ding went to the palace to meet the emperor, while Minister Wang was nowhere to be seen.

While reading the memorial, Jiang Shaohua casually asked, "Why didn't Minister Wang come to the palace with me today?"

Minister Ding said with a thick face: "Your Majesty, Minister Wang heard the emperor's admonition in the palace the day before yesterday and felt deeply ashamed. Today he has no face to enter the palace to make a report. I can't call him, so I have to come to the palace alone."

Jiang Shaohua smiled and glanced at Minister Ding: "Minister Wang is a tough guy, it's not easy to control him. This time he rarely bowed his head, Minister Ding should not miss this good opportunity."

Needless to say, the grand court meeting was solemn and dignified. At the small court meeting, a group of important officials reported and discussed important state affairs, and there was no room for laughter.

Only when he summoned his ministers individually would the emperor reveal his approachable, humorous and easy-going side. This was also the treatment only the emperor's trusted ministers had.

Minister Ding's heart warmed, and he clasped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty is busy with government affairs every day, and you still have to worry about such a small matter as how I manage my subordinates. I am really ashamed."

Jiang Shaohua smiled and said, "There is nothing to be ashamed of. I have promoted you to the position of Minister of War, so I have to let you hold this position firmly and look after the Ministry of War for me."

"Among the six ministries, the other five are all civil officials, each with their own duties. Only the Ministry of War is in charge of military affairs and all the armies of Daliang. To me, the Ministry of War is the most important of the six ministries, even more so than the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel. I chose you to take charge because I trust you. I also believe that you can do a good job as the Minister of War."

A scholar dies for a confidant.

Minister Ding, a veteran who had been in the officialdom for decades, felt a long-lost passion after hearing the emperor's words, and responded firmly: "I will definitely live up to your Majesty."

Jiang Shaohua looked at Minister Ding and said slowly, "I don't listen to empty words. No matter how good the words are, it is better to do things down to earth. Minister Ding, next August, the military camps will have a military exercise. I want to see four real elite troops, with no vacancies and no empty salaries."

Minister Ding solemnly replied, "I understand. I will definitely keep an eye on the Imperial Guards' Divine Might Battalion, Brave Martial Battalion, and Invincible Guard Battalion, and urge them to recruit new soldiers and train them on a daily basis."

That's right, this is what the Ministry of War should do. If the emperor has to be involved in everything, what is the point of having a minister of war?
Minister Ding was used to being the third in command, and although he was diligent, he lacked the dominance and responsibility of the head of the Ministry of War. Only then did he begin to show the demeanor of a Minister of War.

Jiang Shaohua nodded approvingly: "Okay, I'll remember what Minister Ding said. After the military exercise, I'll let you, the acting minister, be the real minister of the Ministry of War."

"My dear Lord Ding, I will entrust the entire Ministry of War to you from now on. Please don't let me down."

Minister Ding's blood boiled, and he responded loudly: "I will serve with all my heart, exhaust my energy, and devote myself to the service."

Jiang Shaohua laughed: "The last four words are not auspicious. Just do your job with all your heart, but devoting yourself to it is too much. Take good care of yourself and serve me as the Minister of War for twenty years."

Minister Ding is already fifty years old this year. According to court practice, important officials above the third rank can continue to serve. For example, Minister Dai is already seventy years old, but he has not resigned yet!

The emperor himself made the promise, and Minister Ding gladly accepted it: "Your Majesty, I have listened to your words and kept them in my heart. I wish that Daliang will be peaceful and prosperous, and that your Majesty will become a wise ruler. In the future, when the history books record it, I will also be able to leave a good story of the emperor and his subjects getting along well with each other."

Who said that Minister Ding was silent? This ability to be a saint cannot be developed without decades of experience in officialdom.

Jiang Shaohua smiled again, lowered his head to read the memorial, and then pointed out two or three inappropriate parts in the memorial: "This one is inappropriate, it needs to be changed." "And this one is not quite right either. We need to discuss it again."

Minister Ding returned to the Ministry of War with the memorial personally approved by the emperor, summoned all the officials of the Ministry of War, and worked together to continue to revise the proposal.

The officials of the Ministry of War have been busy for many days in a row, and today they will have to work overtime and stay up late again, and they are all complaining in their hearts.

In the past, Minister Ding was known as a good man, and he was very tolerant to his colleagues and subordinates. Now that he has become the acting minister, he still has a good temper and never slams the table or scolds anyone. Even if he suddenly becomes diligent in his work, they will also keep busy. Just like a donkey pulling a millstone, it keeps turning.

Think about it, when Emperor Taihe was still alive, which task would take ten days or half a month to get a result? It's not like now, where we have to hold meetings almost every day to arrange tasks, and the rules and regulations are required the next day...

Look at how energetic Minister Ding is. He seems to be full of energy just after entering the palace to meet the emperor!

Everyone in the Ministry of War was complaining in their hearts but they didn't dare show it on their faces.

A higher-ranking official can crush a person to death. Hasn't the ever-jumping Minister Wang become obedient? They are not so stubborn. They should bow their heads when they should, and do things when they should!

……

In the Zhaohe Palace, Chen Sheren said with a smile: "The emperor is indeed very kind to Minister Ding. If I were Minister Ding, I would definitely be grateful to the emperor and go through fire and water for him."

Jiang Shaohua put down the memorial, stood up and walked back and forth in the hall twice, resting for a while with the baby in her belly. Hearing this, she laughed: "How can it be so exaggerated! An old official like Minister Ding is the best at judging the situation. Now the Ministry of War is short of people, and I have no other available people, so I can only let him take the position of Minister of War for now."

After a few years, when the court is stable, those who are useful will be retained. As for those who are still troublesome, they will be removed one by one to make room for new positions.

During these few years, the monarch and his subjects need to get to know each other and work together.

In fact, managing the government affairs of the imperial court is somewhat similar to managing the inner house. The important officials with different thoughts are like the stewards in the back house. They have their own factions, their own interests, and their temperaments are different.

If you want to grasp and control them, you have to carefully study their temperament, strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, grasp their weaknesses and pain points.

First use intimidation, then use appeasement, kindness, or pressure to slowly win over the ministers.

This is destined to be a long struggle between the emperor and his ministers. The emperor must be powerful to subdue his ministers and use them for his own purposes. On the contrary, like Emperor Taikang and Emperor Taihe, he could not control his ministers and became a wooden sculpture on the dragon throne. He could even be controlled by his ministers, and his decrees would be distorted when they left the palace and reached the six ministries.

Among the six ministries, Jiang Shaohua first attacked the Ministry of Revenue and then the Ministry of War. He wanted to keep both money and troops firmly in his hands.

It is not convenient to say more about these emperors' mindsets and ways of controlling their subjects.

Jiang Shaohua said a few jokes and then stopped talking. With Chen Sheren's intelligence, he should slowly figure it out in private! (End of this chapter)