Chapter 115: A Trip to the Capital

The next day, Li Mu rose at the crack of dawn.

Today's schedule was somewhat tight.

According to the Great Dayu Code, military officers arriving in the capital to report for duty must first register with the Ministry of War and the Five Chief Military Commissions before they can move about the capital freely.

After running between these two government offices in the morning, he still had to visit his old superior, Marquis Wuyang, in the afternoon to express his gratitude for the recommendation.

Although he had only obtained the position of acting Assistant Regional Commander due to special circumstances, on the surface, it was still Marquis Wuyang who had recommended him to the imperial court.

In officialdom, a recommendation is a great favor; according to unwritten rules, one must pay a visit as soon as possible.

The Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion is a relative of the family, so that visit could be scheduled for the evening.

Although others might not necessarily care about these things, as the person involved, he had to know the rules.

The most important connections must be maintained immediately to show one's attitude of importance.

It wasn't just the first day that would be busy; the schedule for the following several days was also packed.

He needed to find time to visit superiors and colleagues at the Ministry of War and the Five Chief Military Commissions.

According to the unwritten rules of officialdom, one also had to present "local specialties" from Yangzhou, prepared in advance, according to each person's rank.

If there were no "local specialties," one could also simply send money.

According to official parlance, this was called "ice and charcoal tribute."

It was an indispensable procedure for local officials arriving in the capital.

One had to visit superior officials in person, while for those of equal or lower rank, one could simply send someone to deliver the gifts.

Only after smoothing over these relationships could one be considered "one of their own."

The items weren't taken for nothing, either. After accepting the gifts,

if one encountered minor problems in officialdom later on, those who could help would lend a hand.

Of course, the premise was that you knew the rules and didn't let people work for nothing.

Besides these connections, he also needed to visit the elders of various branches of the clan and his former colleagues.

At the mere thought of these complex interpersonal relationships, Li Mu felt a headache coming on.

"Mr. Lan, is everything prepared?"

Li Mu asked with concern.

In government offices, the 'little devils' are always the hardest to deal with; these fellows couldn't kill you, but they could certainly make you sick.

If you didn't smooth over the relationships, it would be very easy to run into trouble when trying to get things done later.

"My lord, please rest assured.

Silk is a hard currency in the capital and is most favored by the ladies of the inner chambers.

This student has sent people to inquire, and the price of silk in the capital is quite a bit higher than in Yangzhou.

The value of this silk in the capital is higher than the standard for 'ice and charcoal' tribute; there will be no problems."

Lan Linjie guaranteed immediately.

When smoothing over relationships for the first time, the most important thing is to avoid problems.

Although he was a man with connections and ordinary people wouldn't dare look for trouble, that didn't mean maintaining relationships with superior offices wasn't important.

"Mm!

After I go to register, you immediately arrange for people to send the items out.

For officials in some important positions, I must trouble Mr. Lan to make the trips yourself; it would be best if you could take the opportunity to establish a connection."

Li Mu said slowly.

Local armies rely mainly on coordinated pay, and the court doesn't allocate much in the way of money and grain, but even a mosquito is meat, no matter how small.

Moreover, besides the pay, daily replenishment of weaponry also required the support of superior offices.

Compared to ordinary armies, Li Mu's training was stricter, and the corresponding consumption of weapons and equipment was also slightly higher.

Especially the consumption of gunpowder; he had used up a year's quota in just a few months.

Previously, he had relied on the excuse of suppressing rebels to get supplies from the Ministry of War.

With the stabilization of the situation and no more rebels in Yangzhou to suppress, if he wanted to obtain more supplies, he would have to rely on connections.

In any case, obtaining supplies from the court through connections was always cheaper than trying to get them yourself.

In the Imperial Palace.

"Have the officials from various regions arrived in the capital yet?"

Emperor Yongning asked with concern.

According to the Great Dayu Code, local officials were required to take turns coming to the capital to report for duty.

When high-ranking local officials came to the capital, they not only had to report on past achievements but also expound on their future administrative philosophies.

Usually, at such times, the court would carry out a round of personnel adjustments.

Those who performed well were promoted or transferred, those with average results were retained at their original rank, and those who caused trouble were held accountable according to the severity of the circumstances.

"Your Majesty, everyone has arrived.

These are the memorials from officials of Rank Three and above requesting an audience with you."

Zuo Guangen replied slowly.

He did not add any superfluous words, nor did he express his own opinions without authorization.

Having followed Emperor Yongning for many years, he knew very well how headstrong his sovereign was in this regard.

"Arrange a time; you can see them on my behalf.

It's already this time of year, and it hasn't snowed in the capital yet; I fear it is an ominous sign.

Guangen, keep a closer watch for me; don't let any more trouble break out around the end of the year."

Emperor Yongning said with a look of exhaustion.

Since the beginning of winter, his health had become increasingly poor, and he didn't want to move at all.

Under normal circumstances, the work of receiving high-ranking local officials was something he did himself.

Now that his body could no longer bear the burden, he could only let those around him do it for him.

Even knowing that doing so would let the outside world know his health was failing, Emperor Yongning had no choice.

For a diligent emperor to suddenly stop holding court, without indulging in pleasure, was to clearly tell the outside world that the Dragon Body was ailing.

Hearing Emperor Yongning speak of an ominous sign, Zuo Guangen's expression shifted.

This year was more than just ominous; it was absolutely terrible.

The natural and man-made disasters in the first half of the year were one thing; minor troubles couldn't shake the foundations of the Great Dayu.

But the great explosion in the capital in the second half of the year had shaken the very foundations of the nation.

Not only did it take away a group of key officials, but it also dealt a heavy blow to the Emperor's health.

That no chaos had broken out was entirely due to the effective response of the court officials.

Of course, the most important thing was that the court's authority had not been lost, and it still held the guns.

The military operations in the Huai region had intimidated the gentry and powerful clans everywhere, salvaging the impact of the previous disastrous defeat in Liaodong.

As long as a feudal dynasty did not provoke the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and the court firmly controlled the military, there would be no major problems.

"Your Majesty, we must not listen to the nonsense of those scholars.

Whatever 'ominous sign'—it is purely meant to deceive people.

There have been so many enlightened monarchs in ancient times, and they didn't encounter fewer natural disasters.

The theory of 'Heaven-Man Resonance' is just a rumor concocted by those scholars to shirk their responsibilities.

Things like delayed snow happen every few years.

It hasn't snowed yet, but it might just fall tomorrow; it won't affect farming."

Zuo Guangen immediately retorted.

Regardless of whether he believed it in his heart, he firmly opposed the "Heaven-Man Resonance theory" with his words.

Standing from his perspective, Emperor Yongning was the Yao or Shun of the current age, and he would never allow a stain to appear on the Emperor's reputation.

An enlightened monarch is surrounded by virtuous officials.

He himself was that virtuous official assisting the sovereign; this was a matter of principle.

"These are not important; in any case, I feel that winter is getting colder and colder.

Especially in the northern provinces, the frequency of droughts has clearly increased significantly.

If this situation continues, it will be very easy for chaos to break out.

For the long-term stability of the Great Dayu, we must solve the border problems as soon as possible.

I don't expect to wipe out all the Hu Ren, but at the very least, we must fight for twenty years of peace!"

Emperor Yongning said with a firm tone.

This was the first time he had stated his position to use troops against Liaodong; before this, it had only been implied.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured; the court has already increased military investment.

The various regiments lost previously have now all been replenished, and five new regiments have been added.

With the improvement in the court's fiscal revenue, next year we will be able to invest more financial resources into the military.

Recovering Liaodong is absolutely not a problem!"

Zuo Guangen immediately stated his position.

As a eunuch, his code of conduct was: always remain consistent with the Emperor in politics.

If political views conflicted, everything was based on the Emperor's will.

Marquis Wuyang's Mansion.

"I heard you kid has been doing quite well in Yangzhou; the memorials from the censors impeaching you are almost three feet thick."

Hearing Marquis Wuyang's teasing, Li Mu's face turned black.

Heaven and earth be my witness, he had indeed tossed and turned a few times in Yangzhou, but it was only a few times.

There were countless acts that crossed the line, and quite a few that violated the Great Dayu Code, but what he did, others were doing too.

It belonged to the kind of situation where the law cannot punish the masses, and there was absolutely no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.

It was understandable to be impeached by a censor occasionally; after all, that was their job, and they had to do something.

But for the impeachment memorials to be three feet thick—that was just too much, making him seem like a great traitor to the country.

"Marquis, you must put in a good word for your subordinate.

That group of censors is best at exaggerating; they impeach whoever is doing things.

In the Great Dayu Dynasty, the only ones who haven't been impeached by censors are those corrupt scholars who just take money and don't do any work!"

Li Mu immediately retorted.

As a loyal official of the Great Dayu, being impeached felt like the work of petty people, and it had nothing to do with him.

"Not bad, you are still as eloquent as ever; it seems your position as Assistant Regional Commander is secure.

As for the censors' impeachments, those are all trivial matters; there's no need to take them to heart.

If there were really a problem, the court would have sent people to investigate long ago.

The things you've done are no secret at all in the eyes of the court's dignitaries.

State affairs are difficult; self-funding the military is a last resort!"

Marquis Wuyang's words made Li Mu feel much more at ease.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 116 =====