Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

According to etiquette, on the morning of the second day after the wedding night, the bride should "visit her parents-in-law," meaning she should pay respects to her parents-in-law. If the parents-in-law are no longer alive, then the bride should visit their ancestral hall three months later, which means she should offer sacrifices at their graves.

Clearly, Chen Zhi had no parents-in-law to visit. It just so happened to be the Lunar New Year, and because of the previous year's incident involving Liu Yan and Hu Shi, ministers' wives were forbidden from paying homage to the Empress Dowager during the New Year, so visiting the Empress Dowager at this time was inappropriate. Furthermore, Chen Zhi was to depart for Hanzhong in a few days, and his parents' graves were in Luocheng, Guanghan Commandery, so there was no hope of visiting their ancestral temple three months later. Therefore, the newlywed couple, Chen Zhi and Fei Zhen, had no other matters to attend to, and it wasn't until three days later, on the first day of the first month of the thirteenth year of Jianxing, that they returned to the Fei residence for their homecoming.

As an official, one should prioritize official business, especially at such an obviously important time.

On the morning of the first day of the first lunar month, Emperor Liu Shan and his ministers went to Wudan Mountain, next to the palace in the north of the city, to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth. At the following grand court assembly, he announced the relocation of the capital to Hanzhong and received New Year's greetings from his ministers.

Of course, many other arrangements were announced at the grand court assembly, such as the changes to the official system of the Secretariat. The most significant of these was the appointment of the crown prince.

At the court assembly, the twelve-year-old eldest son of the emperor, Liu Xuan, was made crown prince and appointed as the governor of Chengdu. He was assisted by Jiang Wan, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Lai Min, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, served as the crown prince's tutor, Meng Guang, the Minister of Agriculture and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, served as the crown prince's household steward, and Huo Yi and Jiang Wan's eldest son, Jiang Bin, served as the crown prince's junior attendants.

In other dynasties, the appointment of a crown prince would have been a major event affecting the court. However, Liu Shan's appointment of Liu Xuan as crown prince was seen as a matter of course by the officials of the Shu Han court. There was hardly any discussion about it; the matter was simply decided after Jiang Wan submitted a memorial in November.

In other words, what could a twelve-year-old crown prince do to remain in Chengdu? It was merely a measure taken by Liu Shan and Jiang Wan to stabilize public sentiment, and had little to do with actual political affairs.

It wasn't until noon that Fei Yi and Chen Zhi, who had attended the morning assembly, returned home.

After a quick lunch, Chen Zhi and Fei Zhen left the mansion by carriage to visit Fei's family.

After entering the Fei residence and paying respects to Fei Yi and Madam Fei, Fei Zhen followed his mother into a side hall for a private conversation. Fei Cheng and Fei Gong, his two brothers-in-law, were also dismissed by their father after meeting their brother-in-law, leaving only Fei Yi and Chen Zhi sitting in the main hall.

Although the two were already very familiar with each other, there was still a slight awkwardness when they had a private conversation, given the change in their identities.

"My lord," Chen Zhi spoke first, addressing official business, "The Emperor will depart the day after tomorrow. Is everything alright in Hanzhong?"

Fei Yi glanced at Chen Zhi's face, stroked his beard, and replied, "The Prime Minister's residence in Mianyang City will be converted into the Hanzhong Regional Headquarters, and His Majesty's imperial carriage will also be stationed in Mianyang. His Majesty has explicitly stated that extravagance is not permitted, so everything will be arranged before His Majesty's arrival in Hanzhong at the end of the first month."

"There are a few things that need to be decided. Although we can discuss them after we get to Hanzhong, it would be good for us, father-in-law and son-in-law, to discuss them in advance so that we can have an explanation if His Majesty asks about them on the way."

Chen Zhi nodded respectfully: "Please speak, sir."

Fei Yi calmly replied, "The first is the bestowal of titles and rewards. The titles and rewards you promised to the generals when you were in Hanzhong should be fulfilled after His Majesty arrives in Hanzhong. We cannot let His Majesty break his promise. Wu Ziyuan (Wu Yi) will be appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wu Yuanxiong (Wu Ban) will be appointed General of the Left, and the remaining generals will either be promoted or given titles. In short, they should all be rewarded."

"Actually, I've been considering this as well." Chen Zhi nodded. "When the Prime Minister was in power, the Prime Minister's office oversaw both internal and external affairs, and there were many official titles. Historically, when troops were dispatched, there were often positions such as Protector of the Army, Commander of the Army, and Supervisor of the Army. If I remember correctly, you previously held the title of Central Protector of the Army, right?"

"Yes," Fei Yi replied. "I have also thought about this matter. The titles of Protector of the Army, Commander of the Army, and Supervisor of the Army should be abolished. All generals should only retain their respective general titles, and their military ranks and fiefs should be adjusted accordingly. In the future, the assignments for expeditions should be clearly determined by His Majesty, and there is no need for such redundant titles."

Chen Zhi nodded: "I understand. Since Your Excellency has made the suggestion to His Majesty, I will follow it."

Fei Yi continued, "Secondly, the court plans to send troops to Qiangzhong this year, with 20,000 soldiers. The commander-in-chief has not yet been determined. Wu Ziyuan has just been promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, is the head of all generals, and is also a relative of the emperor. He should be in charge of the defense of Hanzhong and is not suitable for a distant expedition. Therefore, it would be best for the court to have a plan in mind beforehand regarding the commander-in-chief, the generals to be used, and the number of troops to be deployed."

Chen Zhi thought for a few seconds, then asked, "Whom does Your Excellency intend to choose?"

Fei Yi shook his head and chuckled: "When the Prime Minister was in power, everything was easy; we just had to follow orders. Now that the Prime Minister is not here, I am in charge of Hanzhong, so I must be extremely cautious in my actions. Jiang Boyue is young and inexperienced; he still needs more experience. He can be a general, but he is not suitable to be a commander."

"How about appointing Wu Yuanxiong as commander?"

Chen Zhi pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly: "How can I answer that?"

Fei Yi seemed to remember something and gave a soft snort: "Wu Yuanxiong has promised you his granddaughter as a concubine. When do you plan to bring her into your household?"

Chen Zhi laughed awkwardly, "I really don't know. Although His Majesty has agreed, I just married Zhen'er, how could I possibly take a concubine so soon?"

Fei Yi said, "Taking a concubine is different from taking a wife. What's the big deal? It just means there will be one more person in the family. If you want to take one, then take one. What's there to be coy about? If outsiders find out, they'll think I'm stingy and trying to control you. Wu Yuanxiong might resent me then."

Chen Zhi lowered his head and remained silent.

Newlyweds, it's always difficult to discuss these kinds of topics in front of my father-in-law.

After another silence, Fei Yi finally spoke up: "You can hold the ceremony for taking Wu's daughter as a concubine this autumn. Keep it small and invite only a few families. It's not advisable to be extravagant."

Chen Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile: "Of course, I will obey your words, sir."

Fei Yi shook his head: "What about Wu Yuanxiong? What does Feng Zong think?"

Chen Zhi cupped his hands in greeting: "The matter of appointing a commander should ultimately depend on his own wishes. However, since the main objective is to subdue the Qiang and Hu tribes, the military campaign should be much simpler than that against Wei. Appointing Wu Yuanxiong as commander should be without issue. But this is His Majesty's first military campaign since moving to Hanzhong, and victory is imperative. We must select only the elite troops."

Fei Yi nodded: "Of course, I already have a plan in mind. If Wu Yuanxiong is chosen, then Wu Yuanxiong and Wang Zijun (Wang Ping) can each lead their own troops, Jiang Boyue can lead several thousand Tiger Infantry, and also supervise a military force of the Prime Minister's Office. In this way, there will be no chance of failure."

Chen Zhi hesitated for a moment: "Such an arrangement should be foolproof, but how many troops does Your Excellency want Jiang Boyue to lead? This expedition to Qiangzhong was initiated by Jiang Boyue. If we restrict his military strength, I'm afraid it will disappoint him."

Fei Yi replied calmly, "I understand what you mean. It's true that he initiated the campaign, but he lacks the qualifications. Since he can't be the commander-in-chief this time, with several generals leading the troops, it would be good enough if he could lead a few thousand Tiger Infantry, or four or five thousand soldiers. Leading ten thousand troops is impossible. I've known him for a long time, and I'll explain things to him myself. Fengzong, you don't need to worry about this matter."

"Yes," Chen Zhi replied, bowing slightly. "Does Your Excellency have anything else to say?"

Fei Yi said, "Yes, the third thing is the matter of military farming in Hanzhong, which is also related to the Ministry of Works where you work..."