Chapter 1354: Grand Marshal of All Military Forces Under Heaven

It was already August, and the weather was very hot.

Wang Yan rode out of the imperial city and, upon arriving home, saw Shi Your Majesty lying in the shade of the front courtyard, holding a newborn puppy from their old dog and teasing a bunch of the Wang family's children.

"Brother, we haven't met for a long time; your bearing remains as impressive as ever."

"I cannot compare to you, Prince Yan; you have truly accomplished something monumental. Just hearing about it makes my heart tremble with fear on your behalf."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "They were merely a flock of clay chickens and tile dogs; what is there to fear? Brother, wait a moment; I have traveled through wind and dust; let me first wash and groom myself, then we shall drink heavily together."

Shi Your Majesty waved his hand and continued playing with the children.

Wang Yan smiled, patted his sons' and daughters' heads, then, under the watchful eyes of the large dog nearby, kicked two mischievous little brats who were tormenting the puppies; under the satisfied gaze of the jet-black large dog, he swayed leisurely toward the rear courtyard, ordered the kitchen to prepare wine and dishes, and went to draw water for a bath...

Shi Your Majesty had also returned only recently; previously, he had been transferred to fight alongside generals like He Ruobi against the Tuyuhun, so they had not become involved in the power shifts of the Great Sui; however, Shi Your Majesty himself had supported Yang Guang. This time, having beaten the Tuyuhun half to death, everyone had gained a wave of military merit, and Yang Guang had no mind to purge them, so they were all quite safe.

In fact, Shi Your Majesty's fate had already been altered, all due to Wang Yan's influence; otherwise, Shi Your Majesty would likely have suffered the tragic fate of being brutally killed by Yang Yang Jian in the imperial court...

Actually, he had not even done anything targeted; it was merely the impact of some of his actions that allowed Shi Your Majesty to survive. Yang Su was prone to jealousy, but when they destroyed the Turks, they had only provided supporting attacks; Wang Yan was the true main force. Even if Yang Su was green with envy over Wang Yan, there was nothing he could do. In fact, Yang Su even feared that Wang Yan would target him.

With the matter of Yang Su resolved, plus the fact that everyone knew Shi Your Majesty had a good relationship with Wang Yan, and that he had become a supporter of Yang Guang, he naturally became safe and encountered no troublesome matters in official circles.

Unfortunately, Shi Your Majesty did not know these details; Wang Mou had once again done a good deed without leaving his name...

After washing up, Wang Yan, wearing loose silk trousers and an open-front silk short-sleeved shirt made by his junior wives, with his long hair still somewhat wet and hanging loose, sat with Shi Your Majesty in the pavilion to eat and drink.

"Brother beat the Tuyuhun half to death; now everyone can enjoy stability for several more years," Wang Yan said with a smile, offering praise.

"Alas." Shi Your Majesty waved his hand. "I am not as capable as you, worthy brother. What is the Tuyuhun? How can they compare to the great clans of Bingzhou? You truly dared to strike hard; did you not think about the future?"

"Brother still does not understand my situation. I have reached this day relying on the trust and favor of the current Emperor, so naturally, I serve His Majesty with single-minded devotion. If I were to start deceiving His Majesty and colluding with those great clans, I would end up pleasing neither side, and that is when I would die fastest.

As for what to do in the future, Brother should know that whether it was the late Emperor or the current Emperor, both intended to suppress the great clans. As long as I follow His Majesty and eliminate all the great clans, won't everything be fine afterward?

Furthermore, after so many years, I and the great clans are already like fire and water; even if there were a chance for reconciliation, Brother surely does not believe it would be genuine peace? It would merely be a delaying tactic; sooner or later, they would wish to peel off my skin."

Shi Your Majesty sighed and could not help but say, "You have not had it easy either, brother."

"Who has it easy? We are all just struggling for our lives."

Wang Yan chuckled lightly, took a sip of wine with Shi Your Majesty, and while eating asked, "What arrangements has His Majesty made for you?"

"He Ruobi and I audiences with His Majesty together; he spoke of establishing some so-called Privy Council, with you as the Grand Marshal and us as Vice Marshals, to oversee all military affairs and battles under heaven. From now on, birds like Yang Su will no longer be able to interfere in military matters; this is a good thing, brother."

"It is not that simple? Warfare is a matter of collective wisdom and effort. When the time comes, Yang Su and others will still be able to participate in military planning; although the old fellow is not much of a person, he is quite skilled in warfare. Zhangsun Sheng, Pei Ju, and others are all dragons and phoenixes among men who understand military affairs; how can it be said they cannot participate?

Moreover, military supplies and grain are not under the Privy Council; they must be allocated by the state. Who controls military supplies? Is it not all the civil officials? It is all the same. It is just that we brothers will be more comfortable in the future; regarding military matters, whatever we say goes, and they will have no room to interject. It will only be slightly harder when requesting funds and slightly more tedious during actual campaigning."

Shi Your Majesty looked around, leaned closer, and whispered, "Brother, His Majesty surely cannot rely solely on us brothers, can he?"

"He certainly cannot allow us to act recklessly and cultivate our own factions. Without mentioning other things, He Ruobi is definitely not of one heart with us; mutual checks and balances are only to be expected. However, I am utterly loyal to His Majesty and have a clear conscience; I only wish to do things well. His Majesty trusts me, after all, since I have followed him for over ten years. Overall, it is merely necessary checks and balances; His Majesty has no other intentions."

Shi Your Majesty smiled without speaking, the meaning being obvious: if Yang Guang had other intentions, what could we do about it anyway?

However, he naturally would not say this aloud, but instead asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"Warfare requires methods and approaches; in a major campaign, there are dozens or even hundreds of battlefields, and the requirements for officers at each location are very high. We must improve their grasp of the battlefield situation, enabling them to exert greater strength during war.

But they are merely lower-level officers, lacking the overarching perspective that we possess. They are all bitter men who fought their way out with real swords and spears; knowing how to read is already difficult for them, so how could they understand military strategy and tactics?

Therefore, our first task is to teach these officers some military strategies, letting them understand why we fight and how to fight..."

Next, Wang Yan roughly explained some of his ideas to Shi Your Majesty, discussing their feasibility in a serious manner.

Shi Your Majesty expressed great admiration for this: "Worthy brother, after hearing your words, I find you can be called a man of profound knowledge."

Wang Yan smiled and waved his hand: "How many books have I actually read? How dare I claim to be profound? I simply hold the position and plan the affairs; thinking about these things all day has yielded some insights. If we speak of true profundity, how could I compare to those many scions of great clans? The books they have read probably outnumber the steps I have taken."

"Haha, then you are overestimating them; great families also produce many scoundrels and good-for-nothings. If we speak of profundity, it is those old pedants who are truly immersed in books; just as we must drink wine with our meals, they find no joy without books."

The two chatted and drank leisurely like this until evening, finally ending this conversation.

That night, Wang Yan naturally shared affection with Qionghua; having returned after a long separation, he certainly needed to attend to his principal wife. If he had slept with other women, not only would Qionghua be unhappy, but gossip about household affairs spreading outward would also be troublesome. The domestic life of an official is not merely a private family matter.

This point is no different from a thousand years later, as if the organization truly issued wives, and an official's family situation was also a factor in appointments, and so on.

Moreover, relatively speaking, the principal wives of this era are not given for nothing; they are proficient in many affairs, can manage a huge household in perfect order, and possess the deep background of great clans, providing assistance in various aspects.

Of course, Qionghua might be slightly lacking in that regard; being relatively favored, she had not learned these messy matters. But even so, regarding skills for enjoyment and entertainment such as music, chess, calligraphy, painting, song, and dance, Qionghua was quite proficient.

After more than a year, Qionghua had mostly adapted to the departure of Yang Yang Jian and Dugu Qieluo, and her state of mind had improved greatly. She simply looked down upon Yang Guang extremely and firmly refused to go to the palace whether there was business or not.

At the beginning, Yang Guang wanted to demonstrate his favor and glory toward Qionghua and summoned her twice, but Qionghua simply did not go. Yang Guang then understood the situation and never again mentioned meeting this youngest biological sister.

Actually, quite a few things happened during this period; for instance, Yang Yong committed suicide in prison, Yang Liang and Yang Xiu were escorted to Daxing and placed under house arrest, and at the same time, a batch of imperial relatives died, all of whom had bad intentions, committed some acts opposing Yang Guang, and were caught with evidence.

These were all necessary purges; members of the imperial family had titles and status, so they should be dealt with even more; Yang Guang was very clear about this. He even dared to kill his own father, let alone these people seeking death...

Once the night passed and before dawn, Wang Yan had already risen early, practiced two simple sets of fist forms, and ate breakfast with Xiao Mei, who had also risen early.

"You killed so many wealthy households in Bingzhou; this matter will eventually come back to haunt you."

Wang Yan smiled: "It is not a matter of 'eventually'; previously in the imperial court, there was a chorus of voices requesting Wang Yan's execution; I am already guilty of the ten abominations."

"What Husband did this time was indeed somewhat excessive."

"Either do not do it, or do it thoroughly. Being neither up nor down pleases neither side. I rose with His Majesty, not with any particular clan; I must walk this path to the end, killing all the way to the bottom."

"What arrangements are there upon this return?"

"Grand Marshal of the Privy Council, overseeing all military forces under heaven."

"Then the killing was not in vain!" Xiao Mei spoke with certainty.

Hearing the result Wang Yan described, she understood immediately. Without this episode, Wang Yan might not necessarily have been able to sit in this position. Even if there were no one else to use, Yang Guang might have appointed himself Grand Marshal and made Wang Yan the Vice Marshal to specifically lead the troops, but he would not have made Wang Yan the Regional Commander.

A difference in title is a difference of hundreds of thousands of miles.

Yang Guang originally trusted Wang Yan greatly, but as an ascending emperor, he viewed everyone as a potential rebel, so of course, he could not truly feel at ease regarding Wang Yan. Therefore, this time Wang Yan directly wielded the butcher's knife, making his stance clear, completely severing any possibility of reconciliation with the great clans; he could only be a pure lone minister, relying on Yang Guang's grace to live well, with no other path to walk.

Only then did he gain Yang Guang's near-total trust, handing this important position of overseeing all military forces under heaven to Wang Yan, ensuring what Yang Guang believed to be absolute control and absolute safety over military power.

But just as Wang Yan had previously told Shi Your Majesty, there would still be checks and balances; it was impossible to truly let him control all power completely. Otherwise, with a great army in hand, he would simply become emperor himself; why would he need Yang Guang's grace?

Wang Yan smiled: "I am not truly a reckless brute; the establishment of the Privy Council was my proposal anyway. This position of Grand Marshal of All Military Forces Under Heaven belongs to no one but me."

"Husband must have anticipated this long ago."

"How could one predict everything perfectly? I only know that the more ruthlessly I chop at the powerful clans and wealthy households, the more His Majesty trusts me, the safer I become, the greater the power I grasp, and the more convenient it is to get things done."

"Now that my husband has reached the pinnacle of the court, when do you plan to make your move?"

Wang Yan shook his head: "Lady, do not be impatient. As long as power is in hand, the timing of action is unimportant. Anping's governance of military and civil affairs is also what we desire. If fewer people must die, then let fewer die. In any case, Your Majesty also intends to suppress the great families; every emperor must do such things. If possible, I hope nothing ever comes to pass until the day I die of old age."

"That day will never come." Xiao Mei spoke with certainty; she saw it just as clearly.

"Yes, then let us wait for that day to arrive."

After eating, Wang Yan changed into loose, comfortable court robes that were inevitably somewhat stifling in the height of summer, then rode his horse into the Imperial City to attend the morning court.

His position in the ranks remained unchanged; after all, he had neither been promoted in office nor advanced in nobility, and to this day he remained the Minister of Agriculture.

Among the large group of founding meritorious officials, he was relegated to the second tier, standing in the third row, where he was the most senior among all the Commandery Dukes. The first two rows were filled with old fellows.

While waiting outside in line to enter the main hall for the formal commencement, many people affectionately struck up conversations with him, praising his prowess, saying he handled matters efficiently, claiming Yang Guang trusted him most, and begging him to look after everyone in the future.

Wang Yan naturally knew these people wished to devour him alive, yet they all wore false masks, acting as though they revered him immensely. Good heavens, they were trying to kill him with praise.

He did not ruin the atmosphere, however, accepting everything offered without refusal, maintaining an air of perfect harmony among all.

Soon, the appointed time arrived; everyone entered to pay respects to Yang Guang, took their respective seats, and proceeded with the normal formalities.

As the saying goes, hold a large assembly for small matters and a small assembly for large matters; the grand court sessions held on the first and fifteenth days of the month serve either to sing praises and extol virtues or to discuss trivialities, with the greatest spectacles being the desperate scramble for fame and the launching of factional attacks.

Especially regarding factional attacks, since the grand court is so populous and composed entirely of capital officials, the impact and spread are vast; thus, everyone choosing this moment to attack and slander one another is undoubtedly the right choice.

However, with Yang Guang now firmly seated on his throne and Wang Yan gripping his blade tightly, no one was foolish enough to seek fame, nor did anyone wish to launch attacks. After all, the only person worth attacking at this time was Wang Yan himself; he was the common enemy of them all.

But those with clear eyes could see that undermining Wang Yan was useless, as he merely executed Yang Guang's will. At this juncture, anyone daring to attack Wang Yan had better be prepared to die, especially since Wang Yan had only just sheathed his blades a short while ago.

For whom did Wang Yan kill those people? Was it not for them?

Therefore, today's grand assembly proceeded smoothly and peacefully, which naturally included the establishment of the Privy Council, a matter long since decided, with personnel long since selected by Wang Yan.

Ultimately, Wang Yan was appointed Grand Marshal of All Forces Under Heaven of the Privy Council, with Shi Your Majesty and He Ruobi serving as Vice Marshals, alongside a host of Great Generals; Yang Guang had personally finalized the entire roster.

At a glance, it was clear that only Shi Your Majesty belonged to Wang Yan's faction, while everyone else formed another camp. This directly and explicitly demonstrated Yang Guang's high regard for Wang Yan.

Standing in the midst of the court, Wang Yan accepted his new appointment with an expression of utter loyalty, offering Yang Guang a smile that came from the depths of his heart...

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? (End of Chapter)