Prime Minister.

Chapter 44 044 [The Last Blossoms Appear in the Cold of Winter]

"Give the Grand Secretary a seat."

At the emperor's command, Zeng Min immediately brought over a round stool and placed it next to Ning Hengzhi.

Some time had passed since the storm, and more than ten high-ranking officials left the capital with mixed feelings, along with Xue Minglun, whose career had come to an end. Only the Grand Secretary was kept behind by the emperor.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Ning Hengzhi expressed his gratitude respectfully and did not refuse.

Although he is still in good health and usually pays great attention to health preservation, he is still an old man over fifty years old. Standing for too long at the two court assemblies today, he inevitably felt tired.

Compared to his previous ashen and gloomy expression, the emperor's expression had returned to normal.

Zeng Min understood that the emperor and his minister were about to have a more in-depth conversation, so he dismissed the palace servants and stood guard at the outer door of the imperial study.

"Prime Minister, was my punishment of Xue Minglun too harsh?"

The emperor picked up the white jade teacup and asked a question as if it were a casual question.

Ning Hengzhi didn't think much of it and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, Xue Minglun comes from the Xue family of Hedong. Although these powerful families are not as strong as they were hundreds of years ago, they still have some foundation. I don't think he would be so short-sighted as to embezzle so much national funds."

The emperor calmly sipped his fragrant tea, without uttering a word.

Ning Hengzhi, already accustomed to this atmosphere, continued, "However, Your Majesty's words were quite insightful. Xue Minglun's lack of corruption does not absolve him of responsibility. As the Minister of Works, whether he is corrupt or not is not the most important issue; rather, it is whether he can manage his subordinates effectively. From this perspective, Xue Minglun's mistake was extremely serious. Your Majesty merely allowed him to resign, which, in my opinion, is by no means harsh. Your Majesty is truly a benevolent emperor."

"You..."

A smile appeared on the emperor's face, clearly pleased with the Grand Secretary's answer.

If the untimely death of Xue Mingzhang was an irreparable regret in the emperor's heart, then Ning Hengzhi was his partner who stood by him through thick and thin.

The two met thirty years ago, when the emperor was just a prince who had just come of age. He seemed to be one step away from the throne of the crown prince, but in reality, every step was fraught with danger. Ning Hengzhi was a rising young talent in the court. He was more famous than Xue Huai was now because he became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of eighteen.

Ning Heng advised Jiang Chen, and when the latter finally ascended the throne, his career was meteoric. In just seven years, he made a three-level leap from Hanlin Academy Reader to Vice Minister of Rites to Minister of Personnel, transforming from a fifth-rank Hanlin scholar into a high-ranking official capable of rivaling the cabinet ministers.

Time flies, and today Ning Heng's manners are unparalleled among officials, but he never takes his favor for granted and always maintains a respectful attitude before the emperor.

The emperor was somewhat moved as he inadvertently recalled those past events, and then asked, "What do you think of Shen Wang's actions?"

As time passed, the emperor gradually came to his senses.

He was certainly aware of the Ministry of Works' shady dealings. The Jing'an Division wasn't just sitting idly by. Although Han Qian couldn't have absolute control, he wouldn't be completely unaware of the situation.

The emperor was furious because Shen Wang had cleverly used a technique of progressive escalation.

From the initial exposure of corruption in the Water Conservancy Bureau, to the involvement of the Prince of Dai's Mansion and various departments of the Ministry of Works, to Shen Wang's subsequent revelation of the more than ten million taels of silver, the Emperor's anger was uncontrollable, leading him to decisively end Xue Minglun's official career.

Throughout the entire affair, Xue Huai was merely a dagger used as a trailblazer, while Shen Wang was the true helmsman.

He used constant build-up to manipulate the emperor's emotions, ultimately delivering a fatal blow to Xue Minglun.

Ning Hengzhi was well aware of the strangeness of the matter. He had already realized that Xue Minglun was doomed, but Shen Wang's schemes were not malicious framing. On the contrary, they were supported by solid evidence, so there was nothing he could do.

Upon hearing the Emperor's question, he understood that the Emperor had come to his senses, but he did not seize the opportunity to attack Shen Wang. Instead, he calmly said, "Your Majesty, Minister Shen has put in painstaking efforts, solely for the sake of the Great Yan's land and its people. I believe that he has acted entirely out of public interest and there is nothing wrong with it."

The emperor stared at him intently, then said meaningfully, "As expected of my Grand Secretary, your demeanor far surpasses that of ordinary people."

He spoke very directly, and Ning Hengzhi did not try to embellish his words.

Everyone in the court knew that Xue Minglun was the right-hand man of the Grand Secretary. Shen Wang successfully brought down the Minister of Works by taking advantage of the Water Conservancy Bureau case. In this matter, the biggest loser, besides Xue Minglun himself, was Ning Hengzhi, who had pushed him to the position of Grand Minister of Works.

The six ministers were already a small group of people at the very top of the Great Yan court. It was extremely difficult to occupy a place among them. Opportunity, ability, background, and connections were almost indispensable. Most importantly, one had to win the emperor's favor.

Ning Hengzhi has put in a lot of effort over the years to pave the way for Xue Minglun, but now it's all for naught.

Therefore, Ning Hengzhi said frankly, "Your Majesty, Minister Shen's actions this time are not out of a power struggle, but are for the sake of the country. So I hate Xue Minglun for his lack of ambition, and I will not favor him on matters of principle."

He knew what he should and shouldn't say, and he didn't need to deliberately conceal his relationship with Xue Minglun in front of the emperor.

The Emperor nodded slightly. He put down his teacup and said calmly, "I considered giving Xue Minglun another chance, but Shen Wang has turned the Ministry of Works upside down, and I can't just pretend I didn't see it. Xue Minglun is a capable official, but he's a bit too soft-hearted and doesn't manage his subordinates strictly. I hope he can learn from this experience."

"Your Majesty is benevolent and virtuous; I believe Xue Minglun will surely turn over a new leaf."

Ning Hengzhi's heart stirred, knowing that the emperor was giving him a slap followed by a sweet treat, leaving some room for maneuver in his words, not completely extinguishing Xue Minglun's hope of making a comeback.

But he still dared not relax.

Although the emperor seemed to show some dissatisfaction with Shen Wang just now, Ning Hengzhi still had two questions in his mind that he could not find the answers to after recalling the whole incident.

Firstly, Gu Heng stepped forward to accuse Xue Mingzhang of acting under orders from someone.

Secondly, was this scheme targeting Xue Minglun orchestrated by the Emperor and Shen Wang in concert?

Based on these considerations, he spoke up for Shen Wang in front of the emperor, because he suspected that the emperor was still testing him.

Even now, Ning Hengzhi dares not regard the emperor as the dashing prince he was thirty years ago; nearly twenty years of supreme life is enough to completely change a person.

The Emperor looked at the Grand Secretary's calm and composed face, then changed the subject, saying, "Grand Secretary, now that the position of Minister of Works is vacant, who do you prefer to replace Xue Minglun?"

This was another difficult question to answer, but it was no challenge for Ning Hengzhi, who had spent decades navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom and had now reached the pinnacle of power.

He pondered for a moment, then calmly said, "Your Majesty, I recommend Shen Wang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

The emperor was slightly taken aback.

Ning Hengzhi said methodically, “Your Majesty, please allow me to explain. The Ministry of Works is currently facing numerous problems and a major reshuffle of its officials. It urgently needs a capable and shrewd official to oversee it. Vice Minister Shen is learned and capable. As the imperial envoy investigating the case, he is very familiar with the problems in the Ministry of Works. Moreover, he has enough prestige to deter those who are corrupt. I really cannot think of a more suitable candidate than him.”

These reasons are indeed valid, but for Shen Wang, being promoted to Minister of Works is not a good option.

The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites is a third-rank official, while the Minister of Works is a second-rank official. Shen Wang seems to be getting a promotion this time, but the problem is that, judging from the history of the Great Yan Dynasty over the past hundred years, the probability of the Minister of Works entering the cabinet is extremely low.

Shen Wang's original career path was clear and straightforward: from Hanlin Academician to Vice Minister of Rites, the next step would be to transfer to the position of Minister of Rites and then directly enter the Grand Secretariat. This was a standard path to a prestigious and upright career.

If he were to be transferred to the position of Minister of Works now, it would be tantamount to cutting off his hopes of entering the cabinet. Even if he were to make a comeback in the future and use the Ministry of Rites as a stepping stone to enter the cabinet, it would still be a long time before he could do so.

The order of senior cabinet ministers has always been determined by the time they joined the cabinet; being a step behind could mean being overshadowed by others for life.

As you can see, the Second Grand Secretary Ouyang Huiming is older than Ning Hengzhi, yet he has never been able to surpass him. This is because he entered the cabinet later than Ning Hengzhi.

The emperor naturally understood the intricacies of the situation, and he couldn't help but hesitate.

Seeing this, Ning Hengzhi continued, "Your Majesty, Vice Minister Shen is a loyal and upright man. Otherwise, he would not have investigated the problems of the Ministry of Works so thoroughly, and he would not have resisted taking up his post in the Ministry of Works. I believe that under his management, the deep-seated problems of the Ministry of Works will be eradicated. Even if the officials in various departments are not completely cleared up, at least the situation of unbridled behavior in the past few years will not reappear."

He had three purposes in doing this. First, he wanted Shen Wang to clean up the mess left by Xue Minglun, and he was determined not to let the Ministry of Works come to a standstill.

Secondly, it was to test the Emperor's mind. If the Emperor and Shen Wang were to conspire together, he would certainly not allow Shen Wang's career to be greatly disrupted. In that case, Ning Hengzhi would have to adjust his strategy accordingly.

Thirdly, it was to launch a small counterattack against Shen Wang.

Shen Wang humiliated Xue Minglun and ruined his career. If Ning Hengzhi doesn't react at all, how will he manage his subordinates in the future?
This hint of hostility had to be revealed, otherwise the emperor would become suspicious sooner or later. He couldn't let the emperor feel that he was playing the role of a saint.

After much deliberation, the Emperor finally made up his mind and said slowly, "That's fine. Let Shen Wang stay at the Ministry of Works for a while, and then let him return to the Ministry of Rites in the future."

The implication was that he would not cut off Shen Wang's path to joining the cabinet.

Ning Hengzhi had no objections.

The Ministry of Works is a bottomless quagmire; once Shen Wang steps into it, it won't be easy for him to extricate himself.

Furthermore, how could he, as the Grand Secretary, only have this one trick up his sleeve?
It's simply a matter of taking things slowly and gradually.

Upon realizing this, Ning Hengzhi rose and bowed, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree. The court recommendation will be held in the cabinet tomorrow."

His expression was calm, and his eyes were like a deep pool, without any ripples.

(End of this chapter)