White-robed Minister

Chapter 226-0224 [Prospective Vice Prime Minister and the Granting of Titles to His Wife and Children]

Kaifeng.

When the court officials learned that the Western Xia had launched a full-scale attack on the Song Dynasty, they were in a state of panic.

While actively preparing for war, they also sent envoys to negotiate peace.

Gradually, as good news from the front lines began to arrive, disagreements soon arose among the court officials.

Some wanted to continue fighting until the Western Xia surrendered, hoping to gain more benefits in subsequent peace talks.

Some people believe that it's best to quit while you're ahead, fearing that you might suffer another major defeat if you're not careful.

Some people considered it from the perspective of money and supplies, even saying that places with long and rugged supply routes would be of little use even if captured. They suggested using these as leverage to negotiate with the Western Xia and return the useless areas to them.

After a series of defensive victories, Guo Kui was the first to report the recovery of a large area of ​​lost territory.

Zhao Xu, Zeng Gongliang, Wen Yanbo, and others, representing the imperial power, the prime ministers, and the Privy Council respectively, believed that Guo Kui should be given a generous reward. Wang Anshi, however, strongly opposed this!

This phenomenon is very strange.

For the past few years, Zeng Gongliang and Wen Yanbo have been at odds, frequently causing trouble and contradicting each other. Wen Yanbo also has a bad relationship with Guo Kui. However, they now unanimously recommend giving Guo Kui a generous reward.

Wang Anshi had no prior grudge against Guo Kui, yet he unusually stepped forward to suppress Guo Kui.

Because if Guo Kui were to be promoted again, he would become a military governor.

Although the title of "Jiedushi" did not have real power in the Song Dynasty, it was usually only granted to members of the imperial family, relatives of the empress, high-ranking civil officials, and military generals who no longer actually commanded troops.

As for military generals who were leading troops, by the mid-to-late Northern Song Dynasty, they would generally not grant the title of "Jiedushi" (military governor) to Di Qing as an exception.

Historically, Wang Anshi firmly opposed promoting Guo Kui to the rank of military governor. This caused Guo Kui to harbor resentment, leading him to strongly oppose the reforms and deliberately obstruct Wang Shao's expansion of the border regions.

Although Guo Kui's military achievements are greater than those in history, Wang Anshi still refuses to promote him to the rank of military governor. He prefers to reward him with more money and other honorary titles.

Zeng Gongliang and Wen Yanbo, these two political rivals, had already joined forces, and they would definitely support whatever Wang Anshi opposed.

Wen Yanbo also started messing around!

Wen Yanbo even cited reasons from the *Book of Tang*: "The military governors of the Tang dynasty were all promoted from the position of Shangshu (Minister) to Puye (Assistant Minister). The *Book of Tang* states that in the army, only those promoted from Shangshu to Puye were recognized." Military officers are different from civil officials. Civil officials don't care about rank but only about serving the country, while military officers are naturally concerned with the size of their rank. If you don't promote military officers enough, they will inevitably develop rebellious intentions.

Wang Anshi retorted, "Can the Tang Dynasty's regional warlordism be compared to the present? Back then, Emperor Taizu sent generals to pacify Jiangnan, and even those who made great contributions were only rewarded with money. With Guo Kui's current merits, how dare he covet the military governor's insignia?"

Wen Yanbo retorted, "The situation during the reign of Emperor Taizu is different from today. When the dynasty was first established, in order to reverse the situation of military tyranny, the position of Jiedushi (military governor) could not be easily granted. Now, with civil officials controlling the military, it is difficult for military generals to rebel again, so of course the position of Jiedushi can be granted."

This is not something Wen Yanbo would say. In order to oppose Wang Anshi, he changed his previous attitude towards military generals.

The debate lasted for several days, and Zhao Xu could only step in to mediate.

Therefore, Guo Kui's position as Commissioner of the Southern Court of Xuanhui remained unchanged, and in addition to his existing position as Military Governor of Jingnan Army, he was further granted the titles of Grand Commandant, Military Governor of Wuxiong Army, and Military Governor of Anguo Army. He was also rewarded with a large amount of gold, silver, and other valuables.

Guo Kui later learned of this dispute in the imperial court.

From then on, no matter what Wang Anshi did, Guo Kui would always jump out to oppose him. When Wang Anshi supported the careful management of Xihe Road, Guo Kui seized upon the civil and military officials of Xihe Road to launch a frenzied impeachment campaign, and even deliberately refused to cooperate with Xihe Road in its military operations.

For a military general in the Northern Song Dynasty, becoming a Jiedushi (military governor) was even more difficult than serving as a Deputy Privy Councilor. This deepened the enmity between Wang Anshi and Guo Kui!

Wang Anshi was also very generous to the meritorious military officers under Guo Kui. For example, Yao Si was directly promoted four ranks this time.

Lin Guang, a general under Li Fugui, performed exceptionally well this time. Wang Anshi promoted him five ranks and appointed him as the military commander of Huanqing Road.

All the generals who made meritorious contributions have been promoted very quickly this year, with many being promoted two ranks and several even three ranks.

"Your Majesty, a great victory!"

"Zhang Shouyue led troops from Qin Prefecture, and Liu Changzuo led troops from Gong Prefecture. Together they attacked and captured Xishi City, then marched west to join forces with the troops from Xi Prefecture. Xu Lai led the troops from Xi Prefecture, also defeating the Western Xia army. After joining forces with the troops from Qin and Gong Prefectures, they captured Lanzhou City, forcing the Western Xia to withdraw their troops from the border of Hezhou!"

"Gao Zunyu advanced his army in Hezhou, forcing Mu Zheng and Dong Zhan to surrender. The Huangshui Valley and Qinghai Lake were all brought under the control of the Song Dynasty!"

After hearing the battle report, Zhao Xu felt as refreshed and invigorated as if he had drunk ice water on a sweltering summer day.

I've had it so easy!

Under my rule, the army's combat effectiveness has been steadily increasing, and on all fronts, they have been overwhelming the Western Xia.

Zhao Xu immediately summoned the prime ministers, the Privy Council, and the three high officials: "Western Xia has won consecutive victories, exhausting its military strength. This war has caused Western Xia to suffer heavy losses, deplete its population, and face severe shortages of food and supplies. Can we continue the military campaign next year and take the opportunity to recover more lost territory?"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

The ministers who had previously been sabotaging each other are now unanimously offering their advice.

Wu Chong, the Commissioner of the Three Departments, said, “Your Majesty, the implementation of the Green Sprouts Act this year has already consumed too much money and grain. Furthermore, the large-scale military campaign in the Northwest has depleted the grain reserves of Shaanxi and Henan. Moreover, drought has struck many areas, resulting in poor harvests. We absolutely cannot afford to wage war again; the Three Departments cannot provide the necessary funds and grain.”

Wen Yanbo continued, "The Western Xia is a land of beasts, which is why it is so warlike and reckless, completely disregarding the lives of its people. The Great Song is a land of propriety and should prioritize the well-being of its people."

Zeng Gongliang said, "We should build more fortified villages in the newly recovered areas to consolidate our gains and gradually stockpile military provisions. It's not too late to fight again in a few years."

Wang Anshi said, "This time, all sides were victorious, and firearms played a huge role. But if we continue the attack and leave the Hengshan mountain area, firearms will not be as effective."

Zhao Xu was deeply disappointed that all his ministers opposed him. However, he was also one to listen to advice, so he turned his attention to firearms: "Since firearms are useful, we should manufacture more of them. Shen Kuo, who has been researching, improving, and manufacturing firearms, should be well rewarded."

Wang Anshi and Shen Kuo's father were friends who were born in the same year. Shen Kuo also tended to support the new laws. So Wang Anshi said, "Shen Kuo has made great contributions and can be promoted three ranks and transferred back to the capital."

"Alright." Zhao Xu nodded.

The other ministers did not object, because the reward was quite normal.

But Wang Anshi continued, "The current Three Departments' Bureau of Armor Management does not specifically manage military equipment. Its affairs are numerous and its officials change frequently, leading to chaotic management and questionable quality of military equipment. I request that the Bureau of Armor Management be separated from the Three Departments and replaced with the Bureau of Military Equipment. Shen Kuo should be appointed to oversee the Bureau of Military Equipment."

Wang Anshi had long wanted to implement military reforms. Even before he became vice prime minister, he requested the reduction of 20 old and weak soldiers in the local militia. However, the task was too difficult, and all the ministers opposed it, so he had to temporarily abandon the plan.

Now he is taking control of the arms manufacturing department and attempting to reform the chaotic arms system.

Upon hearing this, Wu Chong, the Commissioner of the Three Departments, felt a strong sense of dissatisfaction. He belonged to the centrist faction, maintaining good relations with all sides, but now he had become somewhat hostile towards Wang Anshi.

Because the former ordnance department was under the Three Departments system, Wang Anshi wanted to separate it, which would inevitably weaken Wu Chong's power.

Wen Yanbo, who opposed Wang Anshi in everything, knew that Wang Anshi was right this time, but he still objected without thinking: "Your Majesty, manufacturing weapons requires a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources. It would be most convenient for the Three Departments to be in charge. Separating them would be worse."

Zeng Gongliang began to hesitate. Although he was on the opposite side of Wang Anshi because of the Green Sprouts Act, he was unwilling to oppose for the sake of opposing on some matters.

Wang Anshi was right this time, so Zeng Gongliang couldn't say anything.

Therefore, Zeng Gongliang chose to remain silent.

Chen Xu (Chen Shengzhi) has a very bad reputation because he initially supported Wang Anshi, then opposed him, and even wavered in his stance in between. He is now disheartened and has repeatedly requested to resign, wanting to get involved in nothing anymore.

Fu Bi thought for a moment and then chose to remain silent.

Han Jiang spoke up, saying, "I support separating the Armory from the Three Departments and establishing a separate Ordnance Bureau. If it's not separated, the Three Departments will still provide the funds and materials, and they will still be responsible for manufacturing the weapons. Corruption is too easy to spread, leading to most weapons being poorly made. It must be separated to eliminate this problem."

Wen Yanbo said, "Since there are drawbacks, we should strengthen oversight; there's no need to strip it away."

After some thought, Zhao Xu supported Wang Anshi's proposal: "We have strengthened supervision in the past, but it hasn't been very effective. We should separate the Three Departments' responsibilities and establish a Military Equipment Bureau instead. Shen Kuo should be transferred back to the capital, appointed as a compiler at the Jixian Academy, and then transferred to be the director of the Military Equipment Bureau."

Wang Anshi said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Wen Yanbo stopped speaking, his face extremely gloomy.

Wu Chong lowered his head and remained silent. He was the biggest "victim" in this matter, but ultimately he did not clash with Wang Anshi. However, in the future, when Wang Anshi needed his help, Wu Chong could choose not to cooperate.

Next, the discussion will focus on bestowing titles and rewards upon Qin Fengxihe officials.

Gao Zunyu was only defending a fortified village this time, but because he "forced" Mu Zheng and Dong Zhan to surrender, he was surprisingly awarded the title of Envoy of the Northern Court of the Xuanhui Academy.

He was promoted to the position of military governor of Zhaode Army.

Zhang Shouyue also received the title of Military Governor of Wuning Army.

Many civil and military officials, as well as eunuchs, have been promoted.

In Xu Lai's military command, Wang Shao, Yang Shu, Liao Zhenggu, Zhang Shangying, Yu Shanyuan, and others were all promoted. Even those without official titles, such as Gong Fugui, Ding Zhengchen, and Li Shen, were granted the lowest rank of official selection.

However, Xu Lai himself is highly controversial because he was promoted twelve ranks last year.

After half a month of repeated arguments, the rewards for Xu Lai were finally decided: his official rank would be raised by one level, and his honorary rank by three levels. He would also be promoted to Academician of the Imperial Academy.

The eldest son of Xu Lai, an official granted through patronage. Xu Lai's wife was bestowed with the title of Imperial Noblewoman.

This was meant to solidify Xu Lai's nominal promotion of twelve ranks last year, and also to bestow titles and rewards upon Xu Lai's wife and children. It was a classic case of bestowing titles and privileges upon one's wife and children.

Next time, Xu Lai's parents will probably be rewarded again.

Next, they discussed whether to transfer Xu Lai again, a proposal that was easily passed. Everyone felt that Xu Lai couldn't be kept on the front lines indefinitely.

Xu Lai received the imperial decree and had no objections, but proposed separating the newly restored area from Qin Feng Road and establishing a separate Xihe Road.

Furthermore, he believed that the administration of Xihe Road should be moved directly to Lanzhou. He also requested the court to mobilize laborers and provisions to Lanzhou to repair the city walls. After the construction was completed, the laborers should be left in Lanzhou to bolster the border region.

Regarding the selection of the Military Commissioner of Xihe Road, Xu Lai first recommended Wang Shao, and secondly Zhang Heng. In addition, Xu Lai recommended Gao Zunyu as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Xihe Road, Zhang Shouyue as the Military Commander of Xihe Road, and Yang Shu as the Supervisor of the Recruiting of Barbarians and the Construction of the City in Xihe Road.

After all, the reward given to Xu Lai this time was too lenient, and he was also to be transferred away. In order to appease him, the court agreed to all of Xu Lai's suggestions.

The imperial court appointed Zhang Heng as the military commissioner of Xihe Circuit. Wang Shao was transferred to the position of acting military commissioner of Huanqing Circuit, replacing the disorganized and reckless Li Fugui.

Of Xu Lai's military command staff, apart from Yang Shu remaining in Xihe Road to oversee matters related to recruiting barbarians and building fortresses, the rest are available for Zhang Heng to select. If Zhang Heng wishes to appoint them himself, the remaining personnel can be transferred back to the capital to await vacancies; new substantive positions will be assigned to them as soon as possible.

Xu Lai's new official positions are: Right Grand Counselor (his primary title), Grand Master of Ceremonies (a nominal title), Academician of the Baowen Pavilion (a secondary title), and Academician of the Hanlin Academy concurrently serving as Lecturer (on official assignment). He is granted a purple-gold fish-shaped pouch.

This series of official positions, combined with Xu Lai's age, makes him a shoo-in for vice prime minister.

Pianpian's title was: Lady of Shixing County.

Her father, Yu Jing, was posthumously granted the title of "Duke of Shixing County".

Xu Lai's elder brother was repairing the plank road when he fell into the Shixing River and died.

The entire area from Shaozhou to Qingyuan County was called Shixing Prefecture in ancient times.

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