RNP Chapter 1551 Jia Heng: When the late emperor was on his deathbed, he held my hand and entrusted the
Chapter 1551 Jia Heng: When the late emperor was on his deathbed, he held my hand and entrusted the
Chapter 1551 Jia Heng: When the late emperor was on his deathbed, he held my hand and entrusted the country to me...
The years do not live, the seasons flow.
Three days had passed unknowingly. It had been three days since Emperor Xianzong was buried, and the situation in the capital seemed to have returned to calm again.
However, just as Jia Heng had expected, the impeachment memorials submitted by the imperial censors in the capital were delivered to the desks of the cabinet ministers through the Ministry of Public Security. The piles of memorials were several layers high, all impeaching Jia Heng for being autocratic and domineering and usurping the title of king.
On this day, Jia Heng, Zhen Lan and Zhen Xi, riding in a carriage with a high shaft and drawn curtains, drove away to the Zhen residence in the capital, accompanied by the Jinyi Guards.
Shenjing City, Zhen's House
Zhen Yingjia sat on a red-lacquered pearwood chair in the hall, his old and elegant face full of satisfaction.
Although the new emperor unfortunately died just after ascending the throne, his grandson ascended the throne and his daughter became the empress dowager, so no one could check and balance the power of the Zhen family's in-laws.
At this moment, Zhen Shao, who was sitting at the side, said in a loud voice: "Isn't Zi Yu going to come here with Lan'er and Xi'er today? They should be here by now."
"He should be on his way." Zhen Yingjia said with a smile on his face, "Zi Yu is no longer the same as before. He has been granted the title of a prince."
At this moment, a young servant entered the hall and said with great joy, "Master, the King of Wei is here."
After a while, the young man in the python robe, holding the hands of Zhen Lan and Zhen Xi, quickly entered the room and looked at Zhen Yingjia and Zhen Shao.
Zhen Lan bowed to the two of them, her fair face beneath her beautiful bun was beautiful and graceful, and she said softly, "Hello, uncle."
Zhen Lan is the daughter of Zhen Xuan, the third son of the Zhen family, while Zhen Xi is the daughter of Zhen Zhu, the fourth son of the Zhen family.
Zhen Yingjia's fair, elegant face was full of smiles, and he said, "Zi Yu is here."
Jia Heng bowed to Zhen Yingjia, called him and said, "Uncle, long time no see."
Zhen Yingjia stood up, with a warm smile on his fair, elegant face, and said loudly: "Zi Yu, there is no need to be polite."
I vaguely remember when I first saw the young man, he was only an earl at that time, but now he is a prince. He can be said to have risen rapidly in his career.
Now he is the Zhen family's right arm.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two sat down again.
Zhen Yingjia nodded, his eyes flickered, and he said in a gentle voice: "Now that Emperor Xianzong has been buried, the new emperor is still young. Ziyu, what do you think should be the priority in the next round of state affairs?"
Jia Heng put down the teacup in his hand, his eyes were as bright as water, and he said in a clear voice: "Now that the court has settled down, we should focus on disarmament, maritime trade, and the nine frontiers. In a few days, the King of Beijing will go to the border to inspect the enemy situation at the border beacons and reduce the border troops as appropriate."
It is impossible for him to leave Shenjing City now, otherwise, the cabinet will definitely take the opportunity to seize the military power, and Xie Zaiyi, Cai Quan and others may not be able to defeat these old foxes.
Zhen Yingjia twisted a few strands of gray beard under his chin and said in agreement: "Zi Yu is right."
Jia Heng said: "Uncle Zhen can also go to the border with us to investigate the situation at the border. In a few years, the imperial court may launch a large-scale military campaign against the Dzungar Khanate."
Zhen Shao nodded, his tiger eyes lit up, and he said loudly: "I have the same idea. When does the court plan to send troops to Dzungar?"
If the imperial court sent troops to attack Dzungar, he would have the possibility of being granted a title of nobility and would be able to lay a foundation for his descendants in the future.
Jia Heng raised his eyebrows, his eyes flickered, and he looked at the rough-looking Zhen Shao, and said in a gentle voice: "It's only been these two or three years. The court just pacified Liaodong two years ago. The soldiers and civilians have been through war for a long time and are displaced. They still need to recuperate."
In fact, the Han Dynasty's treasury was still quite rich. Thanks to the new policies in recent years, the treasury warehouses had abundant reserves. However, the number of soldiers killed in battles in recent years reached more than 100,000.
Especially the Northwest War, when the Prince of Nan'an led the Beijing camp's troops on an expedition and the army went to the grassland, suffering countless casualties along the way.
As the Tang Dynasty poem says: The bones by the river are pitiful, like the person in the dream of the boudoir.
The officers and soldiers are already very tired of war and may not want to fight again.
We have to wait at least another two or three years until everything is settled before we can make any decision.
Zhen Shao nodded, his eyes deep under his old, thin eyebrows, and said, "Then it's all about maritime trade. Maritime trade has been booming in recent years, and customs duties have added a lot of revenue to the imperial treasury. Without customs duties, the imperial court's military operations in Liaodong would not have been so smooth."
Jia Heng said loudly: "Yes, maritime trade tariffs are related to the lifeblood of the imperial treasury."
Zhen Yingjia said: "I am in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and I plan to transport a batch of silk to sea for trade to generate income for the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
Jia Heng paused for a moment and whispered, "The Ministry of Internal Affairs had previously sent people to transport goods and go out to sea for trade. There should be someone specifically responsible for this matter."
Zhen Yingjia paused for a moment, then said softly, "Local gold and copper mines."
While everyone was talking, they sat down at a table, looked at Zhen Yingjia intently, and said in a gentle voice: "It's getting late, let's eat first."
Zhen Yingjia's expression paused slightly, his sword-like eyebrows raised, his eyes flickered, and he said in a gentle voice: "Zi Yu, let's eat together first."
While everyone was talking, they came to a lacquered wooden table and sat down around it. A maid came over and served a variety of dishes. For a moment, the aroma filled the air, making people salivate.
Zhen Yingjia nodded and said loudly: "Zi Yu, in recent years, the land survey in Jiangnan has increased taxes for the court, but the cabinet has urged it several times, and some gentry in Jiangnan have many complaints. Now that Liaodong has been pacified, can we consider exempting the land tax in some areas of Jiangnan?"
Jia Heng said: "This matter should be discussed by the cabinet and other court officials."
Zhen Yingjia raised his thin eyebrows, his eyes flickered, and nodded, "It should be."
Jia Heng said, "My dear uncle, you are now the father-in-law of the emperor. Your status is different now. Even for the sake of the Han Dynasty, you should not listen to the rumors spread by the gentry in Jiangnan."
Zhen Shao thought for a moment and said, "Zi Yu, have you heard about the recent public opinion in the capital?"
Jia Heng pretended to be puzzled, stared at Zhen Shao who was not far away, and said, "I wonder what the public opinion is?"
Zhen Shao was silent for a moment, then said, "The imperial censors in the capital have impeached Zi Yu for being crowned king. There have been many voices of criticism in the capital recently. Do you suspect that Zi Yu has other intentions?"
At this moment, Zhen Lan also turned to look at Jia Heng, her beautiful eyebrows frowned, and a hint of concern appeared in her narrow, clear and sparkling eyes.
Jia Heng said, "That day, in Hanyuan Hall, in front of Emperor Xianzong, I made my words clear. They did not dare to stand up and oppose me clearly at that time, but later they submitted a petition to impeach me, which was a stab in the back. It is really shameful."
Zhen Shao wanted to say that it was the time when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and for the sake of decency, all the censors were dragged away by the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. How could there be no objection?
Jia Heng picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Ignore it for now."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Shao nodded and said nothing more.
Zhen Yingjia said: "The Queen Mother supports the new emperor and governs the country from behind the curtain. She has no one to rely on. Ziyu should assist her well."
Jia Heng's face was extremely solemn, and he said in a low voice: "The new emperor is still young, and the major policies of the court and the country still need the joint efforts of the cabinet and the military ministers."
He will indeed assist them well, as they are his women and children.
Zhen Shao raised his eyebrows, a hint of worry appeared in his calm eyes, and he said loudly: "Zi Yu, Lin'er and Jue'er were implicated in the assassination of the new emperor. Zi Yu, you are now guarding the palace, so you are alone and can't do anything."
Jia Heng nodded and said in a clear voice: "The palace guards are now all selected from the best soldiers in the Beijing camp. The two brothers were previously in Jinling City, mainly engaged in arresting thieves and other matters. Why don't you go to the Five Cities Military Department or Jingzhao Prefecture to serve as officials."
It was obvious that the Zhen family wanted to take back the military power, so they made this request to him.
But he must keep the power of the palace guards in his own hands. Otherwise, when he enters the palace to discuss matters one day, he will be blocked on the palace road by the people in front and behind and be chopped into meat paste.
A sense of déjà vu of He Jin.
Zhen Shao asked, "Then Jue'er and Lin'er went to Wucheng Bingmasi and Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Jia Heng nodded and said, "The Wucheng Military Department is still short of a deputy commander. Brother Zhen can go to the Wucheng Military Department to take up the position."
If he wanted to suppress the civil service group, he had to use the power of the Zhen family's in-laws, or in other words, he could not have too bad a relationship with the Zhen family.
Of course, it is impossible for him to be so bad, as his four women are all daughters of the Zhen family.
……
……
After Jia Heng had his meal at the Zhen family, he did not linger for long. He escorted the two sisters Zhen Lan and Zhen Xi back to Ningguo Mansion.
Ningguo Mansion, in the study room——
Jia Heng picked up a teacup and drank a cup of tea gently, his eyes were warm and his mind was inexplicable.
Zhen Lan put down the teacup in her hand and said in a charming voice, "Your Highness, my father said today that all the censors in the capital are submitting memorials to impeach Your Highness."
Jia Heng said with emotion: "Yes, this is inevitable."
Zhen Lan's eyes were filled with worry. She stared at the young man in the python robe and said, "Your Majesty, are you going to ignore it?"
Jia Heng nodded, his eyes flickered, and he said loudly: "Don't worry about it for now, we can see what happens later."
It was impossible for him to kill people indiscriminately, otherwise, he would have been one of the Four Remonstrants of Yue, and fulfilled the good reputation of the censors.
In other words, this move would arouse the hatred of the enemy among the scholars and officials all over the world, and completely turn him into a treacherous minister.
Zhen Lan's eyebrows were curved like a crescent moon, and her crystal clear eyes were as bright as water. She said with concern: "Your Majesty should also be on guard. Gossip can melt gold, and constant criticism can destroy a person."
At this moment, Zhen Xi came over from not far away while talking, and helped Jia Heng to massage his shoulders. Her beautiful face with lively eyebrows and eyes, flushed as if drunk, looked bright and beautiful from a distance. She whispered, "Brother Heng, go and rest first."
Jia Heng praised, "Xi'er's craftsmanship is becoming more and more skillful."
Zhen Xi's beautiful, bright cheeks blushed as she responded softly and said in a clear voice, "Brother Heng."
Zhen Lan asked with concern: "Brother Heng, how are you going to deal with the recent impeachment by the censor?"
Jia Heng thought for a moment and said loudly: "Ignore it for now and sort out the cabinet later."
Afterwards, he needed an opportunity to clean up the cabinet ministers, or in other words, to expel Li Gao and the other two from the cabinet and establish a cabinet that could fully implement his will.
Zhen Lan nodded her beautiful head, her face thoughtful, and said softly: "In the cabinet, except for Uncle Lin, all the ministers are not in harmony with the prince. The prince needs to replace them with his own people."
Jia Heng said: "First, we must transfer the most hostile Lu Jiang away from the capital and send him to the south to supervise and inspect the implementation of the new law."
Zhen Lan thought for a moment and asked, "Where are Li Gao and the other guy?"
"It's not a good idea to deal with these two for the time being." Jia Heng thought for a moment and said in a low voice.
Li Gao and the other were ministers of state left behind by Emperor Xianzong, veterans of three dynasties, and protected by their new laws and praised by the court and the public. It would be difficult for them to act rashly, and Zhen Qing might not agree either.
……
……
Cabinet, Wuying Hall
Because Qi Kun went to supervise the repair of the imperial mausoleum and Lin Ruhai was in charge of the preparation for the construction of the customs, only three cabinet ministers, Li Zan, Gao Zhongping and Lu Jiang, were left in the palace.
The chief minister of the cabinet, Li Zan, was dressed in a scarlet official robe, a rhinoceros horn jade belt around his waist, and a black official hat on his head. He sat on a pearwood chair beside a small table, and the teacup next to him was steaming.
His brows were grim and his face was as frosty as he was thinking about the recent influx of impeachment memorials.
"Prime Minister, the impeachment memorials of the Censorate are all here." Gao Zhongping walked over quickly and looked at Li Zan who was sitting on a pear wood chair.
Li Zan raised his eyebrows, looked up at Gao Zhongping, and asked, "Has the King of Wei seen these memorials?"
Gao Zhongping shook his head and said, "Prince Wei has been staying at home with his wives and concubines these days. He may not read the palace reports or the palace bulletins."
Li Zan said, "Make a copy and send it to King Wei."
We must transmit this pressure of public opinion, which is criticized by everyone in the world, to King Wei, so that he will realize the pressure of civil officials and will be more cautious in his future actions.
Lu Jiang came forward and said, "The matter of the Imperial Censor supervising the army can no longer be delayed. Without a civilian official to supervise the Beijing camp, if the generals develop the desire to establish themselves, how can we control them? This time, the King of Wei needs to make concessions."
This was a power grab by the civil servants.
In other words, the civil servants' means of struggle are still limited to verbal battles in the court.
Li Zan twisted his beard with his hand, his eyes deep, and whispered: "This matter needs to be planned slowly, but we can't rush it. If we force it rashly, it may backfire."
Lu Jiang hesitated to speak, thinking that Lord Li was always hesitant, which was why Prince Wei pressed on and pressed on.
Gao Zhongping thought for a moment and said in a clear voice: "The palace guards are now mostly trusted followers of Prince Wei. If there is any change, the Queen Mother and the young master in the palace will have no one to take care of them."
"What does the Zhen family say?" Li Zan paused, looked at Gao Zhongping, and said in a deep voice.
Gao Zhongping frowned and said in a clear voice: "Mr. Zhen Yingjia is willing to make a move, but Zhen Jue and Zhen Lin are no longer in charge of the military power because of the crime of negligence in the assassination of Emperor Guangzong. Therefore, this matter depends on the Queen Mother."
Li Zan raised his eyebrows and said softly: "Other nobles, such as the Shenwu General and others, can also lead troops to garrison the palace and check and balance each other."
Gao Zhongping nodded and said in a clear voice: "Most of the nobles in the capital came from the war against Liao. There are very few who can be put to great use."
At this moment, the eunuch outside the palace came in and reported, "Lord, the Prince of Wei has entered the palace."
Several cabinet ministers who were sitting together looked at each other in bewilderment.
Is King Wei here to call for punishment?
After a while, Jia Heng, dressed in a python-like jade robe, came in quickly from outside. His face was clear and handsome, and his calm and cold brows were full of bright light.
Li Zan stood up, stepped out to greet them, and whispered, "Prince Wei."
Jia Heng joked, "My lords, you have been having a good time in the palace recently."
Li Zan's thin, delicate face showed some discomfort, and he said, "Prince Wei is joking."
Gao Zhongping looked at the young man in the python robe with a gloomy gaze, and a chill surged in his heart.
Jia Heng went straight to the point and said, "There are many complaints against me in the capital now. It seems that I have done something extremely treasonous by being conferred the title of prince."
When Li Zan heard this, he was silent for a moment under his thin, clear and slender eyebrows, and asked, "Why did the King of Wei say that?"
Jia Heng nodded, his eyes sparkling, and said, "Don't you know, Lord Li? The Imperial Censor in the capital is judging the mind of a gentleman with the heart of a villain, and even guessing the mind of the king. Why is that?"
Li Zan said, "Prince Wei, the censors are just reporting on hearsay, without any evidence, so Prince Wei should not take it too seriously."
Gao Zhongping said: "If the imperial censors' speculations are correct, they should be corrected; if they are not, they should be encouraged."
Jia Heng snorted coldly, his face showing indifference, showing that he didn't care.
Lu Jiang frowned and whispered, "If the King of Wei feels wronged, he can resign his title to dispel the suspicions of both China and foreign countries."
Jia Heng's face was slightly cold, and he said in a deep voice: "My background is clean, why do I want to resign the title? Now I suspect that Lord Lu has the intention of being disloyal, Lord Lu, will you submit your resignation letter and resign from the position of cabinet minister?"
Lu Jiang's face became anxious, and he argued, "Nonsense! How could I have the intention of being disloyal? Moreover, I am a weak civil official, I do not command a large number of troops, nor do I have power over the government and the country, how could I have the intention of being disloyal? The King of Wei is talking nonsense!"
Jia Heng nodded, his cold and bright eyes flickered, and he whispered, "Wasn't what Lord Lu said just now just nonsense?"
Lu Jiang was speechless for a moment.
Jia Heng's sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples, his eyes were deep, and he said in a clear voice: "Lord Li, the censors in the capital don't care about the real business, but think about catching wind and shadows all day long. It's really puzzling."
Gao Zhongping said: "Just find some things for them to do. They can be sent to the various camps in the capital to serve as military supervisors. The rest don't care about anything else."
Jia Heng: "..."
So, Gao Zhongping is waiting for him here?
Li Zan also took the opportunity to say, "Prince Wei, it has been a custom since the Ming Dynasty to have civil officials supervise the army. Now that our dynasty has settled all the military affairs in all directions, we can send civil officials to the Beijing camp to supervise the army."
Jia Heng's bright eyes flickered under his sword-like brows, and he looked at Gao Zhongping intently, saying loudly: "It is absolutely not feasible to have the Imperial Censor supervise the army, especially since there are still Junggar Mongols in the northwest causing trouble. The court will send troops in the next two years. If the civil officials supervise the army, there will be frequent training affairs. If the civil officials do not know the details, there will inevitably be many inconveniences. Otherwise, like in the Song Dynasty, when the civil officials supervised the army, the army's combat effectiveness was weak and was taken advantage of by the invaders. Lord Li is a well-read man, doesn't he know the disadvantages of the previous dynasty?"
Li Zan was silent for a moment and did not continue speaking.
Jia Heng raised his sword-like eyebrows and looked at Gao Zhongping beside him, his eyes full of worry that a loyal minister would be suspected. He asked, "Does Lord Gao suspect me too?"
Gao Zhongping was silent for a moment, then said, "Prince Wei is a man of high character, but it is hard to say anything else about what will happen in the future."
Jia Heng put on a straight face and said in a clear voice: "When the late emperor was dying, he held my hand and entrusted the country to me. His earnest instructions are still fresh in my mind. How could I ignore the late emperor's kindness in selecting me from a humble background and do something rebellious?"
Gao Zhongping and Li Zan looked at each other and didn't say anything else.
We can't ask Jia Heng to swear on the Wei River.