Chapter 1376: Factions

After a round of pleasantries, the atmosphere quickly grew warm. Wang Yinwu needed to further confirm the situation of the expeditionary army, while Yang Ye and the others had too many questions they wanted to ask.

Of course, these were all people who had weathered great storms. After a brief surge of emotion, their feelings quickly settled. Indeed, after calm reflection, Yang Ye's gaze toward Wang Yinwu had already taken on a measure of appraisal.

There was no need for excessive doubt about this man's identity — after all, he held the post of Commissioner of the Wude Office for Hexi. Though they had never met him, they had heard of him.

Moreover, this Wang Yinwu was one of the few meritorious officials among the many intelligence officers of the Wude Office. More than a decade ago, it was he who accompanied Lu Duoxun on the first mission to the Western Regions. The journey lasted two years, was fraught with hardships, and they completed their mission and returned, bringing back a great deal of highly valuable intelligence.

In the structure of the Wude Office, the Duzhi (Chief Commissioners) oversaw the intelligence officers and soldiers in various regions, but it was not one Duzhi per circuit. Rather, for ease of unified management, posts were established according to local conditions. In the entire northwest, only two Duzhi were established — Hexi and Guannei. However, Hexi bore a heavier responsibility in the collection and espionage of military intelligence.

And the Commissioner of the Wude Office for Hexi was truly a considerable figure in the northwestern region. Compared to those key military and political officials, his status was somewhat weaker, but in terms of actual power and influence, it was not insignificant.

Inevitably, the Great Han was now riddled with factions both at the central court and in the localities. At the center, the main factions were the consort kin, founding meritorious officials, and the Qianyou-era founding ministers. In the localities, divisions naturally followed regional lines, with the most influential being the Southeast, Southwest, Hedong, Hebei, and Northwest — though these were also deeply entangled with the meritorious officials.

Without the support of aristocratic meritorious officials, it was impossible to form a power faction. Even if one did, it would easily be targeted and suppressed. Of course, this was not absolute — Chancellor Zhao Pu, for instance, rose from the Southwest, yet seemed to be forming a faction of his own.

Back then, Zhao Pu had been sent to inspect and pacify the Southwest, the cause being the Shu rebellion. He went to the Southwest carrying the mission of pacifying the region and checking the generals. As a result, Zhao Pu's relations with generals such as Xiang Xun and Wang Quanbin were mediocre at best, even marked by friction.

Within the military-political system of the Great Han, the influence of military aristocrats was enormous — this was the result of Emperor Liu both compromising with and supporting them. But at the same time, the bureaucratic group had also been steadily growing stronger over the course of more than twenty years of development.

Compared to past chancellors like Li Tao, Fan Zhi, and Wei Renpu, Zhao Pu's bureaucratic nature was even more pronounced. It could be said that from the time Zhao Pu became chancellor, the power configuration of the Great Han had quietly entered a new phase — a group of scholar-official bureaucrats rising and gradually grasping court power, thereby balancing the aristocratic group that had previously seemed somewhat bloated.

One must understand that in the past Great Han, whether chancellors or generals, those who held main power were all nobles and high officials. While Emperor Liu was centralizing power, he also treated the meritorious aristocrats generously, which inevitably allowed them to occupy a great deal of benefit both at court and among the people.

In the past, centralizing power was only for the sake of peace and stability, for centralization of authority, for the supremacy of imperial power. However, on the surface it was imperial centralization, but in reality it was a re-division of power — it was just that the center of power was Emperor Liu.

And to unify the realm, he also needed those founding ministers and generals to serve and exert themselves. Of course, Emperor Liu gave corresponding rewards in return. However, after unifying the realm, Emperor Liu carried out various policy adjustments, including adjustments to the political system and further balancing of power.

When the realm was not yet settled, the career prospects of civil officials had always been weak. This was the reality of the times, compounded by the fact that the strong-willed Emperor Liu held a certain prejudice and was unwilling to have too many constraints in matters of governing the state and commanding the military.

But once the realm was settled, the situation changed accordingly. Though it had not yet reached the point of putting horses out to pasture, and Emperor Liu had not cast aside the bow once the birds were gone, his support for civil officials and the bureaucratic group was certain.

Zhao Pu was the most representative of this. And in the few years he had been in power, certain political intentions had gradually revealed themselves — namely, restraining the powerful, targeting the meritorious aristocratic class of the Great Han for suppression.

If in orthodox history Zhao Pu had assisted Zhao Kuangyin in stripping the military provinces of power, taking back military authority, and curbing the warriors, then in Emperor Liu's Great Han, all those things had already been done by Emperor Liu himself. Under such circumstances, Zhao Pu found a new goal. He was that kind of man — as long as there was an opportunity, he would not lack for action.

And restraining the powerful aristocrats was clearly an extremely arduous and challenging task, one of immense difficulty and full of risk.

Those similar to Zhao Pu were probably Song Qi and Lu Duoxun. Song Qi came from a military province background and always carried the mark of the "Yan faction" on him.

As for Lu Duoxun, he came from an official family, achieved fame at a young age, and was deeply favored by Emperor Liu. Unlike Zhao Pu, however, Lu Duoxun had worked deeply in the northwestern region for over a decade, going from a special envoy rushing about everywhere, step by step accumulating merit, until he became Administration Commissioner of Hexi.

And unlike the inland prefectures, his position as Administration Commissioner of Hexi had influence spanning both military and civil affairs. Over those ten-plus years, he had made the acquaintance of numerous key military and political figures and had cultivated some power of his own. Though a civil official, Lu Duoxun was a core figure in the Northwest's military-political establishment.

Last year, when Guo Jin campaigned westward and pushed into the Western Regions, Lu Duoxun exerted himself to the utmost, arranging logistics and giving full support — this too was done from the perspective of the Northwest's overall interests. And Guo Jin was also a great general of the Northwest.

As for this Wang Yinwu, he and Lu Duoxun were close friends. Though due to the nature of his position he kept a low profile, there was no doubt that he too was a backbone figure of the Northwest faction.

At this point, one must also mention that the Wude Office, this vast intelligence apparatus, was itself riddled with internal factions. Over more than twenty years, these regional Duzhi had almost become warlords in their own right. Though they could not contend with the capital region or the central office, the hard and soft power they possessed was considerable. Naturally, Emperor Liu's balancing maneuvers were also at play in all this.

And for a man of Wang Yinwu's status to leave Hexi, brave extraordinary dangers, and travel far across the desert beyond the borders, personally coming to seek out the expeditionary army — this showed how extraordinarily serious the matter was. Therefore, toward Wang Yinwu, Yang Ye and the others maintained a very good attitude.

"We are grateful to Commissioner Wang for braving danger to come find us. The camp is crude, and we can only offer some milk wine as hospitality. Please forgive any shortcomings!" The group sat down around the heated kang, brought out the mare's milk wine Liu Fang had brought back, and Yang Ye spoke to Wang Yinwu.

"Yang Gong is too kind — I truly do not deserve this!" Facing Yang Ye, Wang Yinwu responded with great humility. He sighed and said: "To have found the officers and men of the expeditionary army is already a source of utmost joy."

Hearing this, Yang Ye nodded. Looking at Wang Yinwu, he wasted no more words and directly asked: "May I ask how Commissioner Wang managed to find this place?"

Upon the question, Wang Yinwu immediately reported: "Since last autumn, when word spread of the expeditionary army's defeat at Wugu Mountain, rumors flew thick and fast, claiming the expeditionary army had been wiped out. Your Majesty flew into a rage and ordered an investigation and search.

Within a few months, the Wude Office dispatched several elite teams deep into Mobei to conduct searches. Later, after much inquiry and synthesizing information, Commissioner Li of the Wude Office determined that the expeditionary army had retreated westward.

Therefore, since the beginning of last winter, the Hexi subordinates received strict orders to investigate the Jinshan region.

I myself also made two detours far north, making inquiries in the surrounding areas, until this spring, when I set foot east of Jinshan and made contact with the local Nianbage tribe, learning clues about the army from their mouths.

Thereupon, I led my men westward, and indeed Heaven showed its pity, allowing us to find the officers and men of the expeditionary army in this land beyond the borders..."

As he spoke, Wang Yinwu also displayed an emotional expression — not only because he had found the expeditionary army, completed his mission, and earned merit, but also because their own journey of searching had been equally arduous.