Chapter 266

And Chen Tingjing's expression shifted for a moment; seeing that several Grand Secretaries had not stepped forward, he took a deep breath, bowed, and said:

'I receive the edict!'

Chen Tingjing was by nature moderate; he never took the lead in opposing Emperor Jing Sheng Di, which is a key reason he has been able to remain Premier for so many years.

And just as Chen Tingjing received the edict and withdrew to his place in the ranks, Xiong Cilu quickly organized his thoughts in his mind.

Hurriedly holding the jade tablet, he stepped forward and presented his memorial:

'Your Majesty! The Minister of War, Lord Qiao, has long been unable to attend to his duties, leaving the head of the Ministry of War vacant for a long time, which is truly detrimental to the court's grand plan of organizing the army and strengthening martial prowess!'

'The Vice Minister of War, Wang Ziteng, possesses both virtue and talent, dares to take responsibility, always harbors strategic insight, and is well versed in border affairs.'

'In past years handling border affairs, he has always been steady and adaptable, not a mediocre person!'

'While serving as Vice Minister, he assisted in managing many affairs of the Ministry of War, ordered the Jingying, and could handle everything appropriately, responding without error.'

'Although he has no achievements in battle, he possesses the talent to stabilize the state and secure the nation! I recommend appointing Vice Minister Wang as Grand Commander of War; I implore Your Majesty to consider this!'

When Xiong Cilu finished speaking, the faces of the civil and military officials present in the hall changed instantly, and they immediately understood his intention.

Emperor Jing Sheng Di had just bestowed upon Jia Jing the additional post of Minister of War, and he immediately followed up by nominating Wang Ziteng to serve as Grand Commander of War,

Is this not an obvious attempt to seize control of the Ministry of War?

Of course, his words are not without reason.

The post of Minister of War is of great importance and cannot remain vacant for too long.

Wang Ziteng has merit in ordering the Jingying; according to court regulations, his promotion is reasonable.

Moreover, there have been rumors to this effect in the court recently; this is also why the Director of War, Kong Ying, just recommended Wang Ziteng.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jing Sheng Di fell silent for a moment, his face showing a contemplative expression.

Seeing that Emperor Jing Sheng Di seemed not to oppose the idea, Fang Congzhe's expression brightened, and he promptly stepped forward to present his memorial:

'Your Majesty! Vice Minister Wang possesses outstanding talent, is wholly devoted to the state, and acts with steadiness.'

'The post of Minister of War oversees the selection and training of the empire's military officers and troops; it is the pivot of national military affairs.'

'Only with the right person can one plan strategies within the tent and win victories thousands of miles away.'

'I believe that Vice Minister Wang's talent is sufficient to bear the duties of Minister of War, and his virtue is sufficient to win the respect of all officials.'

'If Your Majesty promotes him to Minister of War, he will surely rectify military discipline, train the troops, strengthen the frontiers, ensure lasting peace and stability for the state, and let the people dwell in tranquility and prosperity.'

'I have no personal ties or factional connections with Vice Minister Wang; I merely admire his talent and virtue and recommend him for the state's benefit.'

'I dare not act from self-interest or deceit; I only ask Your Majesty to discern.'

Fang Congzhe, in order to promote Wang Ziteng, racked his brains for countless words of praise, lavishly extolling him!

Even to show he had no selfish motive, he directly stated that he had no personal or factional ties with Wang Ziteng, only admiration for his talent and virtue!

Of course, this is also a silent response to Emperor Jing Sheng Di's earlier accusation of 'forming cliques for personal gain.'

Seeing that both Grand Secretaries had nominated Wang Ziteng as Minister of War, the officials in the hall immediately began to whisper among themselves.

At this moment, the Director of War, Kong Ying, also came to his senses; he was the first to have nominated Wang Ziteng just now.

His reasons for recommending him were, on one hand, to counterbalance Jia Jing, and on the other, because he was on close personal terms with Wang Ziteng and wished to do him a favor.

He believed that once Wang Ziteng took charge of the Ministry of War, he would not neglect this person who had recommended him!

At this moment, Kong Ying adjusted his court robes, composed himself, and stepped forward again to speak loudly:

'Your Majesty! I believe that what the two Grand Secretaries said is reasonable; Vice Minister Wang possesses both talent and virtue, and as a civil official taking charge of the Ministry of War, this conforms to ancestral statutes and is proper and legitimate.'

This is a thinly veiled way of saying that Jia Jing is merely a warrior, and his additional appointment as Minister of War is not entirely proper and legitimate!

Compared to Xu Zhuo, who was rebuked by Emperor Jing Sheng Di and frightened into losing his composure on the spot, his reputation ruined.

Kong Ying undoubtedly appeared more composed; although he had just felt his confidence wane, as a descendant of the Duke Yansheng, his confidence is inexhaustible!

Emperor Jing Sheng Di furrowed his brows; he was somewhat reluctant to decide on the Minister of War today.

Although Wang Ziteng has merit in ordering the Jingying, he is not without fault.

According to a report from the Imperial City Guard, these days the officers and men of the Jingying harbor great resentment, and quarrels frequently erupt within the camp.

Thus, Wang Ziteng did not attend court today, but instead remained stationed in the Jingying.

Emperor Jing Sheng Di generally felt that Wang Ziteng's handling of the Jingying affair left him uneasy, and in terms of ability, Wang Ziteng also fell somewhat short.

Emperor Jing Sheng Di still wanted to wait, at least until the Jingying truly succeeded in its military reorganization, before rewarding Wang Ziteng's efforts, which would be more appropriate.

Just as Emperor Jing Sheng Di was pondering, he was about to conclude the audience on the grounds that the eight agenda items for today had been finished.

Suddenly, a hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and an Imperial City Guard messenger rushed in.

The Imperial City Guard messenger's helmet askew and armor disheveled, his face covered in sweat, he knelt straight on the ground, holding up an urgent report with trembling hands, and shouted:

'Your Majesty! The Jingying… the Jingying has mutinied!'

The hall fell silent at once, and the faces of all officials changed.

The Jingying mutinied??

Fang Congzhe, Xiong Cilu, and Kong Ying immediately thought of something, their expressions grim, their minds filled with uneasy doubt.

Could it really be this unlucky!

Emperor Jing Sheng Di's face instantly grew solemn; he slammed both hands on the dragon throne's armrests, rose to his feet, and barked at the Imperial City Guard messenger:

'What's going on? Speak quickly!'

The Imperial City Guard messenger's expression was panicked, his voice somewhat trembling, yet each word was clear and distinct:

'This morning at the mao hour, Zhou Jiwei, commander of the Left Patrol Camp of the Jingying, dissatisfied because General Wei Lie Jia Zhen had accepted bribes and neglected his duties,'

'he gathered over ten thousand discharged Jingying soldiers, and killed the Jingying officials responsible for military reorganization: the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief Song Zhen, the Director of the Palace Domestic Service Li Xingchang, and the Director of War Xing An, among others, a dozen or more.'

'They raised the banner "Purge the ruler's side, execute treacherous ministers Wang Ziteng and Jia Zhen," and are now mustering to march toward Shenjing City.'

The news delivered by the Imperial City Guard messenger shocked the hearts and minds of the civil and military officials present!

Purge the ruler's side?

They even killed the Vice Censor-in-Chief, the Director of the Imperial Ceremonies, the Section Chief of the Ministry of War, and more than ten court officials?

This is no longer a mutiny, but a rebellion!

In the hall, it instantly became deathly silent.

Then, countless eyes turned to Xiong Cilu, Fang Congzhe, and Kong Ying in the hall.

Is this the Wang Ziteng you were just recommending for his supposed merit in restoring order to the Jingying?

You've stirred up such a huge chaos in the name of restoring order, and you still claim to be virtuous and talented? To act steadily? To recommend the worthy for the country?

This must be a joke, right?

If Wang Ziteng is allowed to ascend to Minister of War and take charge of the court's grand plan to restore order and martial preparedness, then the Da Han Empire's realm will surely be engulfed in flames everywhere!

Meanwhile, Fang Congzhe and Xiong Cilu, under everyone's gaze, felt their hearts sink; their faces went from white to green to purple, like a piece of cloth being repeatedly kneaded.

They still harbored a hopeful fluke mindset, thinking that if it were merely a small-scale mutiny, it would cause no serious consequences.

As long as Wang Ziteng can quickly stabilize the situation, he could also offset his crimes with merit; the problem wouldn't be too big!

As it turned out, the Jingying caused such a huge chaos at this very moment!

More than ten court officials have died; this is no longer a small-scale mutiny but a serious rebellion!

Without a doubt, Wang Ziteng, the chief official responsible for restoring order in the Jingying, will surely face severe accountability!

He deserves to die, he truly deserves to die!