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

In the twelfth month of the fifth year of the Huangyou reign, Han Zhang was transferred to Zhen Ding Prefecture and appointed as the Pacification Commissioner and Military Governor of Dingzhou, as well as the Grand Master of the Golden Purple Light. He was in charge of both administration and military affairs, managing both military and political matters, and using both kindness and severity to train troops on the frontier.

At that time, the military general guarding Dingzhou was Marquis Wuxiang, Di Qing, a rather remarkable military commander.

However, perhaps because of the custom that the head of all officials should serve as the chief minister of the Privy Council, Di Qing did not take up the position of chief minister of the Privy Council, and thus did not challenge the bottom line of civil officials. Not only was his title bestowed during his lifetime, but it was also a hereditary title.

Of course, the saying "Only those whose names are called out outside Donghua Gate are true men" is no longer used.

Jiang Zhao had met with him before, and the two talked for a while.

To be honest, it's really not easy for a military officer to rise from a lowly soldier to a marquis. He has many hidden ailments, and at forty-seven or forty-eight years old, he looks like he's in his fifties or sixties.

Because the distinction between civil and military officials was clear, there were fewer taboos in some exchanges. Jiang Zhao simply sent Di Qing a poem entitled "To the Tune of 'Breaking the Enemy's Formation' - A Heroic Poem for Di Hanchen".

This poem is a high imitation of Xin Qiji's "Po Zhen Zi: A Heroic Poem for Chen Tongfu," and it is a masterpiece that has been passed down through the ages.

Once the poem was published, it spread throughout the land, and every soldier on the frontier recited it.

Di Qing was very pleased and said he wanted to hang it in the guest room so he could see and read it at any time.

Jiang Zhao gladly accepted.

By the way, what's this called again?

Oh right, rescue plagiarism!

With him as a butterfly flapping his wings, it's uncertain whether there will be a Xin Qiji in the future!

In order to salvage a future masterpiece, I had no choice but to plagiarize and borrow!

In the first year of the Zhihe era, Dingzhou was peaceful and the people were harmonious.

In July, Yan Shu passed away at the age of sixty-five.

The Emperor was deeply grieved and suspended court for two days. He specially appointed the Minister of Works and Attendant-in-Ordinary, and gave him the posthumous title "Yuanxian".

Yuanxian is a relatively special posthumous title.

Generally speaking, the posthumous title of a civil official will include the character "文" (wen).

Literature is characterized by its comprehensive understanding of the universe, its profound moral character and extensive knowledge, and its diligence and love of learning.

The name Yuanxian means "to be benevolent and lead the people well"; "to be able to think critically and understand the masses"; "to be kind and virtuous"; and "to be knowledgeable and wise." Relatively speaking, it leans towards discovering and cultivating talent.

Of course, this posthumous title is not bad for someone who was once the head of all officials.

The last person to receive the posthumous title "Yuanxian" was Zhang Jiuling.

Yan Shu's special posthumous title was probably due to his skill in recommending talented people.

Whether it was Han Zhang, Wang Yaochen, or Kong Daofu, they were all his students.

Han Zhang and Wang Yaochen need no further introduction; both were renowned scholars and officials.

Kong Daofu was the 45th generation descendant of Confucius. He did not hold a high official position or wield great power, but his status was relatively special.

Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, and Sun Fu were all talented individuals he recommended.

Fan Zhongyan and Ouyang Xiu need no further introduction; one once held a high-ranking position in the imperial court, while the other was a leader in the literary world.

Sun Fu, also known as Jiang Zhaoyang, was a renowned Confucian scholar. He had a student named Wen Yanbo, who had already risen to a high-ranking position in the imperial court.

In addition, Yan Shu had a son-in-law named Fu Bi, who was the head of all officials.

The aforementioned individuals alone are sufficient proof of Yan Shu's exceptional ability to recognize talent.

In addition, two more people will emerge in the future to prove how brilliant it was to bestow the posthumous title "Yuanxian" upon all officials.

One was named Zhang Fangping, and the other was Wang Anshi.

Zhang Fangping is not well-known at the moment, but he is very patient and a veteran of three reigns. He is a person who will have the opportunity to enter the cabinet in the future, and he has strongly recommended the "Three Sus"!

In the officialdom, there has always been a strong emphasis on the principle that "not only must you be capable, but those who say you are capable must also be capable."

Zhang Fangping was once a mentor to both Su Shi and Su Zhe in the officialdom.

Furthermore, as far as Jiang Zhao knew, Zhang Fangping was also a member of the Han faction.

The Qingli Reforms led to Zhang Fangping's repeated demotions, serving as an official in several places including Chuzhou, Jiangning, Hangzhou, and Yizhou.

As a result of the failure of the new policy, Zhang Fangping seems to have developed a psychological shadow, and his administrative style has gradually become more conservative.

Wang Anshi possessed the qualities of a prime minister.

Even disregarding Zhang Fangping and Wang Anshi, who were not yet in power, just focusing on Fu Bi, Han Zhang, Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, and Wen Yanbo reveals just how extraordinary Yan Shu's network of connections truly was.

The name Yuanxian is truly fitting.

The passing of such a prominent figure inevitably brings another wave of mourning.

As the rightful grand-disciple, Jiang Zhao naturally deserves to be mourned.

The poem "Partridge Sky - A Sacrifice to the Minister of Works" is of excellent quality. The line "The world calls you a true prime minister" is full of praise and has spread to a considerable extent.

In October, Wang Yaochen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, lost his mother and requested leave to observe mourning.

This is an elderly man from the Korean faction. Han Zhang specially wrote a letter to comfort him, and Jiang Zhao also sent a letter as a junior.

Since it was a matter of mourning, not the death of the person himself, and Wang Yaochen was not a high-ranking official, the news of his mother's passing did not cause much of a stir among the literati.

Jiang Zhao sent a letter, partly at Han Zhang's behest, mainly to let Wang Yaochen know of his existence and leave a good impression.

After all, given Jiang Zhao's reputation, his future potential is limited to becoming a great Confucian scholar in his region, and his ultimate goal is to govern the country as the leader of a political party.

Since the goal is to develop towards the position of "party leader," appeasing the core veteran figures within the party is a necessary step.

Once the veteran figures within the party recognize such a person, a large amount of party resources will be allocated to him.

For example, if a person's career advancement reaches a critical point but their political achievements are lacking, then a few "corrupt officials" from the Korean faction will inexplicably emerge as new achievements, paving the way for a smooth career path.

This is the treatment reserved for the future party leader.

As expected, Wang Yaochen, who was in mourning, replied to the letter.

Jiang Zhao's reputation was so great, surpassing all others among the younger generation, that it was impossible for Wang Yaochen not to accept his goodwill.

Ultimately, the future belongs to the young, and the veterans are also developed by the young. The new generation of young people needs the recognition of the veterans, and the veterans also need the goodwill of the young.

In the first month of the second year of the Zhihe era, Han Zhang was transferred to the position of Pacification Commissioner of Hedong Circuit and Prefect of Bingzhou, holding the title of Minister of War, a rank of second grade.

Bingzhou was a frontier region, and Han Zhang was in charge of military affairs, bordering the Khitan. The Khitan invaded the territory without cause, but Han Zhang defeated them decisively and regained control of the land. There was a corrupt official named Liao, who was greedy and unruly, abusing his power. Han Zhang defeated him in a political struggle, and the emperor summoned Liao to the capital, where he was flogged.

In the same year, Hai Xirui wrote to Jiang Zhao, hoping to find him a marriage partner, and Jiang Zhao did not refuse.

In the first year of the Jiayou era, Han Zhang lifted the ban on farming by border troops, and opened up tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land.

In February, Han Zhang fell ill and was appointed as the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei Circuit. He then returned to his hometown of Xiangzhou and concurrently served as the Prefect of Xiangzhou.

The emperor was very concerned when he heard about it, and Han Zhang was reinstated as Minister of Rites, a second-rank official.

Time flies, five years have passed, and it is now the first year of Jiayou, October.

Chapter 10: Fate of Marriage?

Zhoujin Hall.

Jiang Zhao blew on the tea and drank it all in one gulp.

On the desk were more than a dozen memorials, some marked with red ink and others with annotations.

In recent years, Han Jiayan passed the examination to become a probationary official and entered the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. He also passed the triennial examination and was officially appointed as a seventh-rank Hanlin compiler.

Therefore, Jiang Zhao alone served his mentor day and night, silently observing the political situation.

After Han Zhang explained something that puzzled him, he would often ponder it repeatedly and gain a comprehensive understanding from just one example.

Occasionally, Han Zhang would also involve him in handling certain political affairs to give him practical experience.

Jiang Zhao often benefited greatly from this, and while balancing his studies, he even passed the imperial examination and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations).

Until last year, Han Zhang fell ill and believed that Jiang Zhao was suitable to be a local official, so he simply accepted the position of prefect of Xiangzhou and entrusted him with all the affairs of Xiangzhou, while he secretly oversaw the process.

The position of Prefect of Xiangzhou was merely a fifth-rank official post, but Han Zhang deliberately took it upon himself to give Jiang Zhao a chance to practice and independently try to manage the affairs of a prefecture.

As it turned out, the observation of the government's policies was very effective. Jiang Zhao handled official business in an orderly manner. Moreover, Xiangzhou was Han Zhang's hometown, and there were many former officials and confidants there. With no one getting in the way, it was even easier for Jiang Zhao to handle things.

This routine of governance has continued for nearly a year.

Anyone who has ever been to Xiangzhou knows that Prefect Han doesn't really care about anything; the one who truly manages things is his prized disciple, Jiang Zhao, also known as Jiang Zichuan.

After a while, Jiang Zhaochang breathed a long sigh of relief as he finished his day's official duties.

The pageboy Hesheng seized the opportunity and quickly stepped forward to hand over a letter: "Young master, a letter from the mistress."

"Mother?"

Jiang Zhao was not surprised. He rubbed his Qingming acupoint and got up, taking the letter with him.

In recent years, he has received a letter almost every one or two months.

Ultimately, how could parents not worry about a twelve-year-old child who has been away from home for five years? They would often ask after him and express their deep longing.

Jiang Zhao unfolded the letter and read it as he walked.

When I read the phrase "a woman from the Sheng family," I was taken aback.

“A woman from the Sheng family,” Jiang Zhao murmured.

Sheng Hualan!

Although the letter did not mention the woman's name, Jiang Zhao knew perfectly well that it was Sheng Hualan!

Two years ago, the Vice Prefect of Yangzhou retired due to illness, and a man surnamed Sheng took over the position.

Coincidentally, around that time his mother, Hai, wrote a letter hoping to find him a suitable marriage partner and make preparations as soon as possible.

Jiang Zhao did not refuse, but wrote a letter to discuss his desired criteria for marriage.

She must be gentle and graceful, beautiful, and eloquent, and her family must not be involved in any clear political factions.

If the above conditions are met, the higher the wife's social background, the better.

That letter was for Sheng Hualan.

It's no wonder that people can't help but focus their attention on the Sheng family's children.

Among the Sheng family's children, the two who caught Jiang Zhao's attention the most were undoubtedly Sheng Changbai and Sheng Hualan.

Sheng Changbai needs no introduction; he is exceptionally intelligent, possesses the qualities of a gentleman, and has the bearing of a prime minister.

Sheng Hualan, on the other hand, is intelligent, virtuous, and gentle, making her easy to care for and a suitable wife.

In the drama "The Story of Minglan," there are only four women who are suitable to be wives:

Firstly, Zhang Guifen, the only daughter of the Duke of England, was a woman of heroic spirit, virtuous and gentle nature.

Secondly, Shen Hezhen, the eldest daughter of Grand Secretary Shen, comes from the Shen family of southern Shanxi, a prestigious and renowned family, and is an absolute top-tier lady.

Thirdly, Hai Chaoyun, the eldest daughter of the Hai family, was born into the Hai family of Jiangning. Although she was relatively less beautiful, she was gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable, and capable of handling important occasions.

Fourthly, Sheng Hualan, the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, is elegant, dignified, and well-educated.

To be fair, as the renowned Jiang Lang of Huaizuo and Han Zhang's only disciple, he was qualified to marry any of these women.

Even Zhang Guifen, the only daughter of the Duke of Yingguo, and Shen Shi, the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Shen, were barely worthy of his attention.

When it comes to marriage, one's background is naturally very important, but if the difference in background is not particularly large, then talent and reputation will inevitably become important bargaining chips.

Jiang Zhao, on the other hand, has no shortage of talent and reputation.

However, being eligible to marry is one thing, and being willing to marry is another.

Unfortunately, of these four beauties, only one was suitable for him.

The Duke of England was the head of military nobles. If a scholar married Zhang Guifen, it would be no different from marrying a princess. He would be destined to ruin his career and find it difficult to rise above others.

Shen Hezhen was from a prestigious family, but unfortunately, he could not marry her.

The civil service of the Great Zhou Dynasty was divided into numerous factions. The cabinet consisted of six chairmen, almost all of whom were from the same faction and had been established since the reign of Emperor Taizong.

Officials throughout history have also understood the principle that where there are people, there are factions, which cannot be completely eliminated or contained.

By balancing the factions among those who entered the cabinet, the emperor ensured that these individuals represented the interests of different people. When civil officials fought amongst themselves, the emperor's power prevailed.

One of the six chairmen in the current cabinet is Shin Hwa-jin's grandfather, who wielded considerable influence.

If a marriage involves members of different factions, and neither party is of high status, then there is no need to worry about anything.