Chapter 344

Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After reading the case file sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the faces of the high-ranking officials all turned gloomy.

According to the envoys' confession, the King of Annan has called himself the Emperor of Great Yue internally for decades.

In recent years, it has become even more severe; when conquering externally, he also raised the banner of the Great Yue Empire.

He successively annexed more than a dozen countries such as Zhenla and Wanxiang, many of which were vassal states of Great Great Dayu, and now he has started to use troops in the Bamian region.

Compared to these substantive rebellious actions, the negligence in drafting the state letter became a trivial matter.

"Your Majesty, the Annan people are ambitious and have been expanding externally for decades.

If we continue to let them go, I am afraid they will become the second northern barbarians."

Minister of Works Shen Qiyuan was the first to state his position.

One northern barbarian has already made Great Great Dayu restless; if another one comes, then everyone's days won't be easy.

Great Great Dayu has also had many disasters in recent years, with internal and external troubles breaking out together, making this old empire exhausted.

"It is necessary to contain the Annan people from continuing to expand, but the current situation of the imperial court is really not suitable for using troops in the south.

Even if we send troops to deter them, the conditions do not allow it.

The Annan people should have seen our weakness and chose to probe at this time.

The more critical the moment, the more cautious we must be.

Judging from the interrogation results provided by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, after the last expansion, the total military strength of the Annan State approached 400,000.

Once a war breaks out in the southern border, Guangdong, Among Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou will all become battlefields.

It just so happens that among these four provinces, only Guangdong's financial revenue and expenditure can be self-sufficient, and logistical expenditures must rely on the rear.

The Bai Lian Sect rebel army has not yet been suppressed, and the imperial court has no ability to fight on multiple fronts.

Your humble servant suggests handling the envoy team case cautiously."

Pang Pang Chengjie said with difficulty.

In an era that follows "the minister is humiliated when the master is worried, and the minister dies when the master is humiliated," the behavior of the Annan people is undoubtedly challenging the bottom line of feudal scholar-officials.

In the past, everyone only knew that the Annan people were restless, but they didn't know they had such great ambition.

Now that the window paper has been poked, everyone can no longer pretend not to see it.

According to the traditions of the ancestors, they should have sent troops to clean up the Annan people long ago.

Unfortunately, constrained by financial pressure, he, the Minister of Revenue, must call on everyone to maintain restraint.

"Minister Pang's words are not bad; the envoy team case must be handled cautiously.

To reduce the impact, this information investigated by the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not suitable for widespread circulation; suppress it temporarily!

In the border areas, we must also maintain restraint first.

As long as the Annan people do not provoke a great war, other small problems will be endured for a while.

After the situation improves, we will find an opportunity to settle accounts with the Annan people."

Wan Wan Junhui immediately expressed support.

Under the current situation, the best choice is to define the envoy team case as a writing error.

As for other evidence, everyone pretends not to see it.

As for the clouds of suspicion behind the envoy team case, there is no way to dig deep now.

Just interrogating the members of the envoy team revealed so much fierce material; checking further will only make the imperial court more embarrassed.

"The Grand Secretary is steady and prudent; just do it!

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is responsible for supervision, letting all those who know the situation shut their mouths; I don't want this matter to be noisy."

Emperor Emperor Yongning said while suppressing his displeasure.

Deep in his heart, he had already recorded a heavy stroke for the Annan people.

One day when Great Great Dayu completes its revival, the second one he wants to destroy is Annan.

"We obey the decree!"

The ministers answered in unison.

As the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, Wen Wen Siyuan had cold sweat on his forehead.

In order to shirk responsibility earlier, he chose to report it at the first time and forgot to issue a gag order.

It is estimated that the envoy team case has already spread throughout the capital by now.

Only wanting to keep it secret now, the day lily is already cold.

Knowing is knowing, but he dare not tell the emperor.

Originally, the envoy team case made Emperor Emperor Yongning unhappy with the Court of State Ceremonial; finding trouble for the emperor again would make him, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, unhappy.

After a short panic, he quickly calmed down.

Whether it can be kept secret from the outside is not important; as long as the emperor feels that this matter has been suppressed, then this shameful thing is equivalent to not happening.

……

Wuchang City.

More than a month has passed since the end of the Huguang battle; except for a small number of scattered battles, the Huguang region has basically stabilized.

The struggle for Zhejiang and Jiangxi has temporarily come to an end.

The imperial army recovered most of the prefectures and counties of the two provinces, and the remaining prefectures and counties fell into the hands of the State of Wu.

Considering the logistical pressure, the imperial army had to stop the action.

The State of Wu, which picked up a bargain, also encountered trouble.

The State of Wu has a total of more than 300,000 troops, and the strength of the remnants of the State of Chu is about the same as theirs.

With so many troops, if they don't complete the reorganization, the State of Wu has no ability to launch a great war externally.

Both sides have reasons to stop the war, and the flames of war in the region south of the Yangtze River miraculously stopped.

"The result in the capital is out; everything is as we expected, and the imperial court chose to handle it coldly.

Without in-depth investigation, the envoy team case was defined.

The seeds have been buried; next, just wait for them to take root and sprout.

After recovering Nanjing, we can start the Jiaozhi strategy.

However, you must consider clearly that the help the imperial court can provide is limited.

Even the military expenses for the rebellion-suppression army were just given a pile of official positions, letting us find ways to cash them in ourselves."

Hearing the news brought by Li Yuan, Li Mu was somewhat dumbfounded.

Against the background that stability overrides everything, no one cares about the ins and outs of the envoy team case; everyone just wants to suppress the matter as soon as possible.

He was prepared for the matter to be exposed and to come forward to clean up the mess.

As a result, the careful layout earlier was all in vain.

"The imperial court took out the real vacancies; aren't they afraid of local forces growing big?"

Li Mu asked with feigned surprise.

Selling official positions is also a rich historical heritage.

The most well-known official-selling expert can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Clearly marked prices, no deception, and even opened an official position exchange.

At its peak, even the positions of the Three Excellencies were taken out by the emperor for sale.

Subsequent rulers learned the lesson, either banning the sale of official positions or placing restrictions on them.

With the changes in history, by the Mongol Yuan period, the art of selling official positions flourished again.

Compared with these predecessors, the selling of official positions in Great Great Dayu is just a minor trick.

Chaotic pricing, no unified standard, lack of brand effect.

Even if you buy an official position, you will still be despised.

Orthodox civil officials don't look at them, and military generals also dislike them.

If you can get a real vacancy establishment, then that's fine.

At least you have entered the ruling group and obtained the treatment of a formal official.

Those who only bought empty titles are purely honorary.

The privileges obtained are limited to not bowing when seeing officials, wearing official uniforms, living in houses of corresponding grades, and not having to perform corvee labor.

The actual power is approximately equal to zero; the social status has improved, but not by much.

"The real vacancies given by the Ministry of Personnel are mostly low-level positions in remote prefectures and counties, at most seventh-rank county magistrates.

Even if you can master local power, the influence is very limited.

Not to mention that officials have terms of office, and they will be transferred when the term expires.

With the characteristics of that group of civil officials, these officials bought with money are definitely key objects of investigation by the Ministry of Personnel.

It's too simple to find faults.

Most of these people will be driven home after finishing one term.

If they eat too ugly, they can also unite the Three Judicial Offices to investigate corruption and wipe them all out."

Li Yuan said disdainfully.

This kind of low-level official position, whether civil or military, cannot enter his eyes.

Especially in remote areas, positions that no one wants to do. A letter of recommendation sent to the Ministry of Personnel can arrange it.

"Uncle, you guessed wrong this time.

Once such a thing as selling official positions starts, it can't stop.

The road of imperial examination is not easy to walk; even for civil official families, not everyone can pass the Tong Jinshi examination.

Perhaps in the early stage, everyone despised these bought officials, and family children felt that they couldn't afford to lose this person and disdained to do so.

People who buy official positions are merchants and wealthy old landlords, and they can still operate like this.

After a long time, everyone slowly got used to it.

Family children who were previously unable to enter officialdom will also change their concepts.

For the sake of their own family interests, local clans are also happy to insert their own people into the yamen.

Once they enter officialdom through donation, the situation will be different.

The Ministry of Personnel is strict, but that is aimed at outsiders.

When encountering relatives, they will still show mercy.

As time goes by, the number of people entering officialdom through donation will continue to increase, and their ceiling for official career will also be continuously broken."

Li Mu shook his head and said.

These are not his wild guesses, but things that really happened in his previous life.

There are quite a few people who entered officialdom through donation and became Ministers of the Six Ministries and Grand Secretaries.

In the late years of the dynasty, after the imperial examination system was abolished, donation became the mainstream of entering officialdom.

The situation continues to deteriorate, and the imperial court needs money and grain to maintain its rule, so it is inevitable to drink poison to quench thirst.

Developing to the later stage, squeezing the resources of imperial examination entry is almost inevitable.

"Hmm!"

"These problems are indeed possible, but the probability is not high.

You know the emperor's temper; he will not trust these people who entered officialdom through donation.

The hundred officials all climbed up step by step; they will not allow breaking the imperial court's talent selection mechanism.

Adding a few more donation officials won't make a climate.

Forget it, these troubles are things that civil officials should worry about.

The imperial court is selling official positions now, real vacancies are limited to civil positions, military positions are all empty titles, and it has little to do with us."

Li Yuan said with a smile.

The imperial court is selling official positions like this, on one hand, civil positions are easier to sell than military positions, and on the other hand, they dare not.

Real vacancy civil officials can be tossed however they want; at most, the people in one place will be miserable, which will not affect the foundation of Great Great Dayu.

Military generals are different; real vacancies can lead troops.

If they have improper thoughts, they may trigger turmoil at any time.

Especially when signs of great chaos appear, the imperial court's emphasis on military power is far beyond any period in the past.

"Uncle, since the dust has settled, your nephew will go back to Guangdong and Among Guangxi to prepare."

Li Mu said calmly.

In order to gain the support of the meritorious nobility group, all subsequent rebellion-suppression military merits have been traded away.

Against this background, it is obviously inappropriate for him, the ever-victorious general, to stay on the front line.

Otherwise, even if others win the battle, the outside world will suspect that he is commanding.

Preconceived concepts are hard to change.

The best choice is to sit in the rear and let out the front-line command power.

The situation has developed to the present, and the imperial army has already gained the upper hand.

Subsequent only need to fight steadily and strike steadily, gradually compressing the rebel army's activity space, and the enemy army can be wiped out.

Changing others to command is nothing more than a longer rebellion-suppression time cycle, and the losses paid will be greater.

"You should indeed go back; you have been married for several years without a child, what does this look like.

The urgent task is to give birth to an heir as soon as possible and pass on the foundation of your Marquis Hanshui Marquis Mansion.

……"

Hearing his uncle urging birth, Li Mu was full of grievances.

In recent years, he has either been commanding operations or on the way to commanding operations.

Husband and wife have been separated for a long time; it is only problematic if they can give birth to a child.

"Uncle, rest assured, your nephew will hurry up."

He promised refreshingly on his mouth, but Li Mu had no bottom in his heart.

Going back this time, he will rest for a few months at most.

If the war on the front line is not smooth, he still has to go to the battlefield.

Great Great Dayu's medical conditions are limited; pregnancy depends on luck, and no one can guarantee that the task of creating a person can be completed during this period.

……

Nanjing City.

"Your Majesty, the rescue plan failed; the imperial court played a trick of replacing the real with the fake, and the Prince of Chu in the prison cart was impersonated by a death-row prisoner.

The real Prince of Chu was secretly escorted to the capital, and his location is currently unknown."

Yang Yang Jingren said with feigned sadness.

Rescuing the Prince of Chu, Wei Wang Weijiarui, was purely a political show.

The State of Wu ate a large amount of the State of Chu's legacy; the one who wants Wei Wang Weijiarui's life most now is the high-level of the State of Wu.

It was only out of consideration for the feelings of the surrendered officials of the State of Chu that they deliberately concocted a rescue that was destined to fail.

"Brother Wei and I are close friends; no matter what, we must save him from the hands of the imperial court.

Contact the Bai Lian Sect members everywhere, find out the location of the escort team as soon as possible, and send elite troops to save people."

Fu Pingnan Fu Haoxuan ordered immediately.

If one didn't know the relationship between the two, they might really be moved by this brotherly affection.

However, people with discerning eyes know that if the relationship between the two was really that good, the Bai Lian Holy Kingdom would not have split.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, your subordinate will definitely do his best to rescue the Prince of Chu."

Yang Yang Jingren's answer was full of artistry.

It seems that he promised refreshingly, but in reality, he only promised to do his best to rescue, not guaranteeing the final result.

"Your Majesty, this is the latest reorganization plan, please take a look!"

The words of Minister of War Fan Yu Xiuwen attracted the attention of the old ministers of the State of Chu.

The reorganization of the army involves their personal interests, and one by one they can no longer care about Wei Wang Weijiarui.

Caring about the old master is to show that they are loyal people.

But no matter how they show loyalty, they have now defected to the State of Wu.

The Prince of Chu, Wei Wang Weijiarui, dying in the hands of the imperial court is the best choice for everyone.

If he were really saved, the most awkward ones would be these old ministers.

"Hmm!"

"I think the plan is very good; let's discuss it together, and if you have different opinions, you can put them forward.

After today, we must follow the set rules and promote reorganization in the army."

Fu Pingnan Fu Haoxuan said easily, but the generals of the Chu army were very nervous.

Everyone is not a fool and is very clear about their own situation; they have no capital to refuse now.

It seems that they are allowed to put forward opinions, but in reality, it is a test of obedience.

The emperor said the plan is good; saying the plan has problems is hitting the emperor in the face.

Whoever dares to do this doesn't want to mix in the State of Wu.

(End of chapter)