Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 441 Zhao Yuan (1)

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of all taxes and levies in the northern regions, making it the most important of the six ministries.

The Ministry of War is in charge of twenty armies, and it manages all supplies, logistics, and military provisions. The north is not yet at peace, and further major battles are certain, making the position of Minister of War extremely crucial.

People in the north had speculated about the candidate for Minister of War, assuming it would be Pei Yun or Mao Hongling. After all, the Zhaoyuan Emperor on the dragon throne was a woman, so it was only natural for several high-ranking female officials to appear in the court.

Who would have thought that such an important official position would fall into the hands of Meng Bing, the son-in-law of the Pei family?
While Meng Bing was still in shock, the civil officials led by Prime Minister Pang and a group of military generals had already bowed and congratulated the newly appointed Minister Meng.

Meng Liulang was overjoyed: "Minister Meng, don't just stand there, quickly thank the Emperor for his great favor!"

Meng Bing reflexively cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

Emperor Zhaoyuan smiled slightly: "From now on, I will entrust the Ministry of War to Minister Meng. I hope Minister Meng will manage the Ministry of War well for me."

Meng Bing suppressed the myriad thoughts surging in his heart, and solemnly bowed, saying, "Your subject will certainly do his utmost."

Next, there were some personnel changes, but compared to the appointments and assignments of the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War, they were nothing. The military generals who commanded troops remained in their original positions. They were all promoted one rank, so their trip wasn't entirely in vain.

After the grand court assembly concluded, Emperor Zhaoyuan hosted a banquet in the palace, which all the officials attended together.

Unable to contain himself, Meng Liulang leaned close to his elder brother Meng Bing and whispered excitedly, "Brother! I never expected the Emperor to trust and value you so much! From now on, when you go to burn paper money at Father's grave during festivals, you can hold your head high."

Meng Bing was amused by her anger: "I never felt guilty or remorseful. Marrying into the Pei family was my own choice. If my father knew this in the afterlife, he would only be happy that I found a good match."

Meng Liulang grinned: "That's not as enjoyable as being the Minister of War! A real man has a beautiful wife and children, and can also make great achievements. What could be more delightful?"

Yes! He, a military general who had been seriously wounded and crippled, unable to lead troops into battle again, has now been promoted to Minister of War, in charge of the imperial army. How could he not be overjoyed by such an opportunity?
Meng Bing laughed and casually added, "I'll be sitting at the same table as Fashion Books later, so don't come over."

Although the Minister of War was in charge of military affairs, he was considered a civil official. Furthermore, at their first formal palace banquet, the brothers had to demonstrate that they would not collude in private.

Meng Liulang almost rolled his eyes: "Yes, yes, I won't bother Minister Meng any longer."

At the palace banquet, two people sat at each table, with civil and military officials seated on either side. Prime Minister Pang and Minister Qin sat at one table... That's right, the diligent and conscientious Minister Qin had been promoted to Minister of Rites. People are in high spirits when they have good news, and Minister Qin, who should have looked tired, was full of energy, chatting and laughing quietly with Prime Minister Pang.

Meng Bing and Shi Yan sat in the second seat on the left.

"Congratulations, Minister Meng!" Shi Yan said, bowing respectfully.

Meng Bing chuckled and returned the gesture with a cupped hand: "Congratulations to you too!"

In the third seat for civil officials sat two senior civil officials. One was Minister Qian, who was in charge of the Ministry of Justice, and the other was Minister Jiao, who was in charge of the Ministry of Works.

Both men were veteran officials who had fled the capital years ago. After Emperor Jian'an's death, they were panicked and disoriented, following Prime Minister Pang's lead in everything. Now that the new dynasty has been established, they have the merit of supporting Emperor Zhaoyuan, and thus their positions are secure and comfortable.

On the military side, the seating arrangement was also carefully considered. Seated in the first seat were Pei Yun and Mao Hongling. In terms of both military achievements and seniority, these two female generals were second to none, and they took their seats with composure amidst the complex glances of the other generals. Seated in the second seat were Meng Liulang and Yang Hu. The Beiping Army was the elite force under the Pei family army, and the Guangning Army was among the first to join the Pei family army, having repeatedly fought against the Xiongnu barbarians and amassed numerous victories.

The third seats were occupied by Li Chi and Pei Xuan. Lu Erlang, as a deputy general, sat in the second row of military officers. He wouldn't be seated in the first row.

Next were General Song of the Pingyuan Army and General Fei of the Taiyuan Army. General Lu of the Puyang Army and General Ge of the Changshan Army sat at the same table.

Although Pei Feng was young, he was a legitimate male descendant of the Pei family and the direct cousin of Emperor Zhaoyuan. He was currently the commander of the Daifang Army. At the palace banquet, he also occupied a seat, ranking only after Gu Lian and Sun Cheng.

Pei Yan is also attending the palace banquet today; his official position is Commander of the Emperor's Personal Guard.

Everyone knew that this was Emperor Zhaoyuan's true confidant and beloved general. Furthermore, Pei Yan's ruthless and unpredictable nature, his ability to turn on someone instantly and seek revenge on the spot, was renowned far and wide. While the generals dared to speak ill of the young Pei Xuan and Pei Feng, or even Gu Lian from the bandit stronghold, no one dared to provoke Pei Yan. They didn't even dare to glance at him, lest Commander Pei suddenly turn on them.

Emperor Zhaoyuan sat alone in the center, raised his wine cup, and smiled at his ministers, saying, "My beloved ministers, please drink this cup to the brim! From this day forward, I and you will work together to govern the country, stabilize the realm, and ensure that the people live in peace and prosperity, and that the nation enjoys peace and tranquility!"

All the civil and military officials rose and raised their cups in unison: "To the Emperor!"

The clear and resonant voices echoed in the grand hall, lingering for a long time.

Emperor Zhaoyuan smiled and drank the wine in his cup.

After drinking three cups, Emperor Zhaoyuan, whose alcohol tolerance was not high, put down his cup. Among the ministers, several knew that the emperor had a low alcohol tolerance, so they naturally did not want to embarrass themselves by urging him to drink more. Instead, they offered a toast to the Imperial Secretary.

"Shangshi Shu is only twenty-five years old this year, yet he has already become the Minister of Revenue, in charge of money, grain, and taxes. It can be described as a meteoric rise, which is truly commendable. I raise a glass to Shangshi Shu!"

The first person to offer a toast was Minister Qian, who was fifty-six years old this year, about the same age as Shi Yan's grandfather. It wasn't unreasonable for him to put on airs of an old minister at this time.

Shi Yan smiled and replied, "I am deeply honored to have been favored by the Emperor and given this important responsibility. I will need to consult with Minister Qian more often in the future. Minister Qian, please do not be stingy and give me your guidance."

Then, he took the initiative to offer a toast to Prime Minister Pang.

Prime Minister Pang, concurrently serving as Minister of Personnel, was undoubtedly the head of all officials. His age, seniority in office, and character were all beyond dispute. All the ministers were convinced of his superiority.

Prime Minister Pang chuckled and drank a cup.

Shi Yan rose again and raised his glass: "Minister Qin is loyal and righteous, and I have always admired him. I toast to Minister Qin."

Minister Qin happily raised his cup and drank with Minister Shang.

The civil officials, shrewd and calculating, exchanged veiled accusations while drinking. This fashionable official was the young master of the Shi family, a major grain merchant in Youzhou. Years ago, with his keen insight, he made a significant investment in the Pei family when they were still struggling. He later abandoned his family and business to join the Pei family army, diligently raising funds and purchasing provisions for them, earning great merit. He also gained the favor of Pei Qinghe and became her son-in-law.

Pei Qinghe became Emperor Zhaoyuan, and this steward, who came from a merchant family, also rose rapidly to become the Minister of Revenue. Such good fortune was truly unparalleled.

(End of this chapter)