Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

Author: Hua Xue Piao Piao Fei

Summary:

Summary:

[There is already a high-quality fanfiction of "Do You Know?"]

You ask who I am?

In the eyes of officials, he is a loyal, upright, good and wise minister; in the eyes of civil servants, he is a wise minister who creates "rule by effortless effort"; in the eyes of the people, he is the creator of a prosperous era.

Even though he entered the cabinet six times, served as prime minister five times, supported the emperor four times, and served as regent three times, he carried the emperor on his back and entrusted the country to the care of the young emperor.

However, Jiang Zhao still missed the original title...Little Minister!

In a trance, Jiang Zhao dreamed that a sage was ruling the country with only two people in the cabinet, one was responsible for drafting bills, and the other was responsible for approving them.

The two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Great Zhou Dynasty were all carried on his shoulders!

It's not right, it's not right!

Throughout history, no king has been superior to Xiang, no general to Li, and no prime minister to Jiang. --History of Zhou

Oh, vast sky, who is this person?

.......

Chapter 1 [The Qilin of Huainan]

On the 21st day of the twelfth month of the third year of the Huangyou reign, in Yangzhou.

As dawn breaks, auspicious snowflakes drift down.

Jiang Mansion, Study.

A handsome young boy, about eleven or twelve years old, with his hair tied up in a turban and wearing a light-colored embroidered robe, held a paperweight in one hand and a pen in the other.

The finger is firm, the palm is hollow, and the brush touches the paper.

With its flowing strokes and bold lines, the powerful and vigorous character "知" (zhi, meaning knowledge/knowledge) leaps off the page.

With another stroke of the pen, the character "否" (fǒu) took shape.

Do you know?

With a swift stroke of his pen, Jiang Zhao gazed at the falling snow outside the window and couldn't help but sigh.

Twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye!

At first, he thought he had traveled back to the Northern Song Dynasty.

After all, Fan Zhongyan's experience of studying hard was widely known at that time, and the story of "dividing porridge and cutting pickles" was extremely popular and received constant praise.

But as time went on, Jiang Zhao discovered a problem.

Was the dynasty name not "Song" but "Zhou"?

This era was characterized by a flourishing literary culture, economic prosperity, and a social atmosphere reminiscent of the Song Dynasty.

Civil officials, known for their integrity and uprightness, held sway over the cabinet and engaged in factionalism and suppression of dissent. Military generals and nobles were appointed to assist in the founding of the nation and their titles were passed down through generations, creating a system of officialdom that resembled the Ming dynasty.

A typical example of the combined Song and Ming systems!

The Song Dynasty lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and the Zhou Dynasty also lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.

The Song Dynasty valued literature and suppressed military affairs, while the Zhou Dynasty valued literature and downplayed military affairs.

However, unlike the Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Zhou Dynasty did not release his military power over a cup of wine, and Emperor Taizong did not personally lead the expedition, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

This allowed the military nobility to continue their lineage, accumulating wealth and status over generations, and gradually forming a group of noble families.

Everything was inconsistent with any era in Jiang Zhao's memory.

It wasn't until one day, when Jiang Zhao accidentally learned that there was an official named Sheng Hong in Huainan whose wife, Lady Wang, was the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor, that he truly realized where he had ended up.

Do you know, do you know, it should be green leaves and red flowers!

This was an era in which the monarch had no son, members of the royal family seized the throne, and ministers followed the emperor.

On the surface, it tells the story of the power struggles within the Sheng family from the perspective of Sheng Minglan, the illegitimate daughter of the Sheng family. However, if we broaden our perspective and look beyond the surface to see the essence, we can perceive the hidden changes in the political situation.

It's either a struggle between those in red robes and those in purple robes, or a matter of marquises and dukes. These seemingly minor domestic squabbles actually conceal matters of high-ranking nobles and dynastic changes, making the threshold for such conflicts extremely high.

Even the Sheng family, which doesn't seem to have any prestige, is actually a family that has been officials for generations. The grandfather, father, and son were all officials of the fifth rank or above, and their wives were all noble ladies. They have a well-ordered lineage and a glorious family reputation.

Ordinary people don't even have the right to join in the fun.

"Da da da!"

A knock on the door interrupted Jiang Zhao's thoughts.

"Young master, it is already three-quarters past Chen Shi (7:45 AM)," a servant in black reminded him from outside the door.

Jiang Zhao paused, gently resting his brush on the brush holder, and said in a deep voice, "Hesheng, are the six gifts for the tuition all prepared?"

The study was a restricted area, and ordinary servants were not allowed to approach it. It was his page who knocked on the door.

"Don't worry, young master, everything is ready!" the pageboy Hesheng quickly replied.

Jiang Zhao understood, pushed open the study door, and waved his hand, saying, "Then let's go and visit Uncle Han."

Han Shibo, also known as Prefect Han Zhang.

The Qingli Reforms, spearheaded by Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, and Han Zhang, and supported by the emperor, aimed to reform corrupt practices and were a powerful and influential movement that shook the world.

However, it ended in failure.

When the new policies fail, the officials cannot escape blame.

Han Zhang, as one of the leaders of the new policies, inevitably "recommended" himself to be transferred to a post outside the capital, and has been serving as the prefect of Yangzhou for six years.

For the past six years, Yangzhou officials, fearing the methods of their political enemies, have maintained an attitude of neither offending nor becoming close to them.

Jiang Zhao is different!

He was very clear about just how powerful Han Zhang's future would be.

He was the head of all officials for ten years, a veteran minister of three reigns, a key figure in the succession of two reigns, and a person who was guaranteed a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

If you don't seize the opportunity, then you deserve to never achieve anything great.

Therefore, Jiang Zhao often sought opportunities to learn from him.

A child of a few years old, with a thirst for knowledge, eagerly sought guidance from an elder, and Han Zhang naturally would not refuse.

Everything is difficult at the beginning; once you start, you'll start again.

Gradually, the two became more and more familiar with each other, and after six years, they had become like teacher and student.

As snowflakes drifted down, Jiang Zhao strode forward, his pageboy He Sheng trailing behind. A little behind them were two strongmen carrying the six gifts of offerings.

"Xiao Yi."

After walking a few steps, a son of an official came up to greet them, holding an umbrella.

He was a plump, fifteen or sixteen-year-old scholar, holding a folding fan, his every move exuding boldness and magnanimity.

"Brother Chen."

Jiang Zhao stopped and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

Yangzhou has been prosperous since ancient times, with famous families and wealthy gentry everywhere. Among them, the Jiang, Chen and Zhang families are the most prosperous. The scholar who came forward to greet him was named Chen Fu, the eldest son of the Chen family in this generation.

"Xiao Yi, are you really going to go three times?" Chen Fu leaned closer and asked with a look of surprise and doubt.

Jiang Zhao nodded: "A promise is a promise."

The "three times" that Chen Fu mentioned refers to the time when Jiang Zhao became an apprentice.

Jiang Zhao and Han Zhang spent six years together, their relationship resembling that of master and disciple, but ultimately they were not true master and disciple.

So, with the New Year approaching, Jiang Zhao brought six gifts and paid a visit, intending to foster a teacher-student relationship.

Unexpectedly, what I thought would be a natural progression turned into two separate incidents where I was told I had urgent matters to attend to and was never able to meet him in person.

Nobody's a fool; there's definitely something fishy about not being able to see someone twice.

Therefore, Jiang Zhao felt very bad.

At a poetry gathering a few days ago, Jiang Zhao was slightly drunk and felt truly sorrowful. He openly sighed, "There is an old saying that one should not repeat the same mistake twice. For the sake of a scholar's pride, one should give up if one fails twice."

However, Liu Bei, the founder of the Han Dynasty, broke this precedent by visiting Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage three times to secure a wise minister. I have already failed twice and should give up, but to seek knowledge, what is wrong with abandoning pride and emulating the deeds of the ancients by visiting three times?

After speaking, he burst into tears, his voice choked with sobs, which astonished everyone and sparked a lively discussion.

Even if Jiang Zhao regretted it afterward and begged not to spread the word, it was to no avail.

The news that Jiang Zhao had failed to become an apprentice twice and was now trying to become one a third time had already spread far and wide.

Now, two strongmen are carrying the six gifts of tuition, which is clearly the third time he has become an apprentice!

"Xiao Yi," Chen Fu said softly, hesitating to finish his sentence.

"What?" Jiang Zhao asked gently, his every move exuding gentlemanly grace.

Chen Fu glanced around and whispered, "Xiao Yi, I know you've always been intelligent. Your name, 'Qilin of Huainan,' is known throughout the three states. You always have your own unique insights into everything. But you should be careful about becoming Lord Han's apprentice!"

Jiang Zhao was a child prodigy praised by everyone in Huainan. He could hold a pen at the age of one, learn to write at the age of three, compose poems at the age of five, and "recite hundreds of classics from memory" at the age of seven. He had already passed the imperial examination at the age of ten and was renowned far and wide, earning him the elegant title of "Qilin of Huainan".

"Uncle Han is very knowledgeable. I have been learning from him for six years and admire him greatly. So why shouldn't I become his student?" Jiang Zhao shook his head.

Within the time it takes to exchange two sentences, several more sons of officials approached, all around ten years old, holding umbrellas.

“It’s different!” Chen Fu quickly advised, “Xiao Yi, you have always been good at debating scriptures, and your reputation as a child prodigy has spread throughout the three states. But the matter of taking a master is related to your future, so you should think about it carefully.”

Chen Fu said in a low voice, "It is said that in the imperial court, Lord Han was in a contest of wits with someone and unfortunately lost. He said that he recommended himself to be the prefect of Yangzhou, but in reality, he was demoted. His self-recommendation was just to save face for both sides."

Upon hearing this, several sons of officials who were familiar with him nodded in agreement.

They were all sons of officials, and even if they did not enter officialdom, they would often pay attention to politics.

Jiang Zhao remained silent.

Chen Fu quickly analyzed, "You should know that Lord Han used to be a high-ranking official, a top-notch figure even in Bianjing, a city full of powerful and influential people."

The prefect of Yangzhou was only a fifth-rank official. For such a person to be relegated to such a position so rashly must mean something unimaginable has happened; being demoted was easy, but being promoted was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Chen Fu was telling the absolute truth.

In the officialdom, once a mistake is made and one is demoted, political enemies will seize upon that mistake and launch a fierce attack, making it extremely difficult to regain power and be recalled.

Once someone fades from the king's sight, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to reappear.

Several sons of officials agreed with this statement and quickly echoed their approval:

"From the first rank to the fifth rank, he was demoted eight ranks in one go. It's no exaggeration to say that he fell from the sky."

"Generally speaking, being demoted to Yangzhou is only the first step; further demotions are likely to follow!"

"History teaches us that Lord Han will likely be demoted again, step by step, until he retires and returns to his hometown."

"As far as I know, Lord Han was demoted to Yangzhou because he lost in the factional struggle. Also demoted at the same time were Grand Secretary Yan Shu, Grand Secretary Fan Zhongyan, and Grand Secretary Fu Bi. What a powerful figure!"

They were all from a small circle, so familiar with each other that they spoke quite frankly and without any beating around the bush.

Jiang Zhao was a child prodigy, and the boys who got along with him were naturally all accomplished scholars.

Such children, in their early teens, have been exposed to the ways of officialdom from a young age, and can speak about these matters with remarkable clarity and understanding.

Jiang Zhao stopped in his tracks, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Chen Fu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly advised, "Xiao Yi, your great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all highly renowned figures. The Jiang clan of Huaizuo has nearly a thousand members. With your talent and reputation, you have never lacked a future. If you were to become an apprentice, wouldn't that be like stagnation, adding unnecessary shackles to your career path?"

Jiang Zhao's great-grandfather, Jiang Yuan, retired as a fourth-rank official; his grandfather, Jiang Zhi, held the official rank of fourth-rank Left Vice Censor-in-Chief and still holds a high position in the imperial court; his father, Jiang Zhong, was a third-rank Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and served as a judge in the Huainan East Circuit Censorate, a figure of considerable power.

Jiang Zhao himself is a child prodigy renowned throughout the three states, destined for greatness.

Given these conditions, Chen Fu did not think that it was a good choice for his friend to become Han Zhang's apprentice.

The two grew up together, and he knew very well that his friend was exceptionally talented. He simply couldn't bear to watch his friend's future be hindered.

“Many outstanding people exist in this world, but who can guarantee a smooth and unobstructed career?” Jiang Zhao sighed, looked at the scholar, and said, “Besides, I am studying the way to govern the world and benefit the people, not the high and low positions in the imperial court.”

"My mind is made up, so please don't try to persuade me further." With that, Jiang Zhao waved his sleeve and strode forward.