Chapter 205: Bridging the Gap (Part 2)

Zhao Jiu ultimately did not lose his temper at the new metropolitan graduate. At his core and on the surface, he was a man who reasoned things out… Besides, he himself had just spoken openly with Yue Fei and Zhang Rong, making clear that although this matter began with the "seizing of a son-in-law," the hidden danger that could spark conflict lay in the separate systems for civil and military officials.

How could he take out his anger on someone who was rarely younger than himself?

From this perspective, it seemed Zhao the Emperor still understood priorities.

Thus, Yu Yunwen was neither scolded nor dragged out of Daxiangguo Temple to be beheaded. Instead, with a powerful commander guarding the door, he got to enjoy the breeze in the courtyard alongside the Emperor and two Military Governors, and even drank a new beverage developed by Daxiangguo Temple—what the Emperor called "rock sugar snow pear throat-soothing tea"—taking the chance to chat idly.

At that moment, with the Emperor present, everyone spoke with some caution. Only this new metropolitan graduate, still young, having left Shu for the first time and drinking rock sugar snow pear tea with the Emperor for the first time, was unusually excited and candid, basically saying everything straightforwardly.

One could only say, this man was still young.

Still, communication was necessary and quite effective. Since both sides were so understanding of the bigger picture, things became much easier.

In the end, after repeated hints and probing by the Emperor, it was confirmed that the new graduate's talk of "parental command" was not an excuse—he really did seem to be a bit of a mama's boy. So they settled it: let him stay overnight here, put on a proper and courteous show at the gate of Daxiangguo Temple tomorrow, then each go their separate ways, with no further entanglement.

And Zhao the Emperor did not linger either. He simply had the masters of Daxiangguo Temple prepare some "rock sugar snow pear" to take back to the palace, then took his leave directly.

That day passed without incident. The next day, thanks to Yu Yunwen's "clean withdrawal," the matter seemed to cause no waves—merely adding a bit of amusement to this year's exceptionally complete imperial examination, nothing as earth-shaking as Hu Quan's essay.

But on that very day, the young Emperor claimed illness and did not appear at the Qionglin Banquet, which he was supposed to host.

At first, the several chief ministers thought nothing of it, assuming the Emperor was having another episode… Of course, "episode" referred to his heart ailment—he had suffered one before during the sacrifice at the Eight Imperial Tombs of Luoyang, an old problem.

After all, Zhao the Emperor was just a young man in his early twenties. It was normal for him to sulk with his ministers when unhappy; wouldn't a few days fix it?

However, another day passed—the fourteenth of the eighth month, the day for officially appointing the new metropolitan graduates—and Zhao the Emperor still hid inside Yanfu Palace, refusing to come out. He merely had Chief Eunuch Lan Gui deliver two notes.

One note ordered all field commanders to return to their defense zones after the Mid-Autumn Festival and be vigilant against autumn incursions—this was only proper. The other was a special decree appointing Hu Quan as a Compiler in the Bureau of Military Affairs, and Yu Yunwen and Hu Hong as Court Diarists—he did not even interfere with the appointments of the top three graduates.

It was only then that the chief ministers of the Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs learned from Lan Gui that Zhao the Emperor was genuinely ill—listless for two days straight, even giving up archery and calligraphy practice.

At this, the chief ministers finally panicked… With the imperial heir gone, Zhao the Emperor was the sole surviving branch. Though it was only a minor illness, what if it dragged on? Moreover, with the special examination over, the field commanders were about to take their posts. Leaving tomorrow, the fifteenth of the eighth month, Mid-Autumn Festival, would usher in the "post-autumn" period, precisely when they needed to guard against autumn incursions and prepare for the Jin. How could they not take precautions?

Thus, led by Chief Minister Lü Haowen, the three chief ministers held a brief discussion in the Central Secretariat, diagonally opposite Xuande Tower, and immediately submitted a joint memorial. Citing wartime autumn defense and using the precedent of Nanyang, they requested the restoration of the old system where chief ministers took turns keeping night watch in the palace.

Zhao Jiu received the memorial and immediately sent Lan Gui back out to reply: if the three chief ministers had to handle both the Secretariat and Bureau of Military Affairs' military and state affairs, and also serve night duty every three days, it would be too arduous… If inconvenient, perhaps let the six Ministers take turns on palace duty.

This statement was somewhat absurd!

Political tradition and political power hierarchy were clear: chief ministers were chief ministers, and Ministers were merely Ministers. In a real emergency, not to mention a single Minister, even all six Ministers plus the Censor-in-Chief together would be less useful than one Chancellor!

One must understand: chief ministers held the power of policy deliberation. At critical moments, they could make decisions, and both inside and outside the court, the entire state recognized their authority to decide. By contrast, the Censor-in-Chief was only called "half a Chancellor" because he had some power to veto and check the chief ministers. The six Ministers were even more irrelevant.

The matter was grave, so the three chief ministers quickly drafted another joint memorial, directly pointing out the Emperor's error, and asked Chief Eunuch Lan to deliver it back.

Zhao the Emperor, admitting his mistake, immediately sent Chief Eunuch Lan back again, agreeing to the proposal for chief ministers to take turns on palace night duty. But he also pointed out that it would be appropriate to add a Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs to lighten the burden.

This time, because he was ill, he would not directly name an appointee. Instead, he asked the chief ministers, along with the senior officials of the Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs, to immediately deliberate and produce a suitable candidate… But it had to be quick, because tomorrow was Mid-Autumn Festival, and then came the "post-autumn" period.

Hearing this, how could the chief ministers not understand? Even if the Emperor was genuinely a bit listless, it was a mix of real and feigned illness.

Yet, understand as they might, these three could never give up this opportunity… Because this was about recommending a chief minister.

Politics is personnel, and this was the highest level of personnel matters—whether public or private, it touched the very foundation.

The only catch was that Zhao the Emperor had the final say. So they had to do their utmost to recommend from their own "pockets" a candidate the Emperor would approve, or else find within the Emperor's "pocket" the person they most endorsed.

In short, that was the gist of it.

"What a pity."

Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival, yet Privy Councilor Wang Boyan sat listlessly in his study, staring at a blank memorial draft all evening without moving. He even made his newly betrothed young son-in-law Zhao Boyao and his son Wang Yi sit idly for half a day, enjoying none of the family comforts.

"If you, sir, truly have no candidate, why not do a favor or recommend someone the Emperor favors most?" Zhao Boyao, already appointed Vice Prefect of Ruzhou, hesitated a moment before speaking cautiously. Since the marriage was only agreed upon, not yet formalized, this new top graduate respectfully addressed his future father-in-law as "sir."

"That's not it."

Wang Boyan sighed deeply. "After the case of Kang Lü and Huang Qianshan, I have been able to remain long in the Privy Council post only by the Emperor's extraordinary grace and favor. At this point, how could I stubbornly seek my own faction and risk offending the Emperor and my colleagues? It's just that I suddenly thought of someone, and it's truly a pity, hence my sigh…"

Zhao Boyao naturally did not understand, but Wang Yi's heart stirred, and he realized: "Father, are you regretting your senior disciple?"

"Yes. If your senior disciple were here, his seniority, learning, ability, and character would all be excellent grounds to recommend him as Chancellor…" Wang Boyan nodded slightly, then stroked his beard and shook his head. "I still remember back then, when I was young and poor, County Magistrate Wang of our hometown took a liking to me. He built a Talent Hall in the county, specifically letting me, who was preparing for the exams, serve as a tutor there so I could supplement my family income. Your senior disciple happened to be Magistrate Wang's nephew, so he was specially brought to that small hall to study with me. People at the time remarked that this small courtyard would one day produce two Chancellors… Now I have indeed become a Chancellor, but your senior disciple is still lingering in the north, suffering who knows what hardships."

Zhao Boyao was momentarily puzzled and looked toward his brother-in-law.

Wang Yi was straightforward: "That man is none other than the leader of the war faction during the Jingkang Incident, Censor-in-Chief Qin Hui, courtesy name Qin Huizhi… During the Jingkang Catastrophe, to uphold his ministerial integrity, he was taken captive by the Jin army."

At this point, Wang Yi paused briefly, then added: "I don't know the details, but at the very least, when I was ransomed back by my father last year, he and the many ministers and noble sons who accompanied the Two Emperors on their northern journey were all unheard from."

Zhao Boyao was already filled with reverence.

This was only natural… After all, during the shame of Jingkang, it wasn't just the Two Emperors and imperial clan members who were taken north. Many noble sons of the Eastern Capital and numerous ministers were also captured and taken away by the Jin at the time.

These people were all tacitly regarded as models of steadfast loyalty.

Why not?

Were they supposed to be treated as Song traitors?

By the way, among these captured ministers, some, knowing what the Jin were like, ended things early—like Liu Ge, father of Liu Ziyu, the Director of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Others, who initially held some hope but entered the Jin camp only to realize they were deceived, chose a violent martyrdom—like Li Ruoshui, elder brother of Li Ruopu, the Hanlin Academician. But those who steadfastly maintained their integrity, bowed their heads, and accompanied the Two Emperors north were undoubtedly loyal ministers too!

If these weren't considered loyal, then what about Zhang Shuye, who died at Baigou after being captured? How would he be classified?

Would they say that only those who died before crossing the national border were loyal martyrs, while those who died after crossing, or never died at all, were Song traitors?

Those who stayed behind had no face to say such things.

Moreover, Qin Hui was a recognized leader of the war faction before he left. Back then, when the Jin demanded cession of territory and the chief ministers could not agree, Emperor Qinzong ordered all officials in the capital to gather for a public debate. Qin Hui led over thirty people in firm opposition, while Fan Zongyin, now a comfortably seated Secretariat Drafter with a seemingly bright future, led over seventy in favor.

Afterward, Qin Hui was promoted to Censor-in-Chief, solidifying his identity as the leader of the young war faction.

That wasn't all. After the Jingkang Catastrophe, when the Two Emperors were detained in the Jin camp, Ma Shen (now Pacification Commissioner of Hubei), then merely a Censor under Qin Hui, initiated a joint petition. Many loyal ministers signed, requesting the Jin to release the Zhao Song imperial clan and restore a Zhao as emperor. The leaders of that petition were Qin Hui and Zhang Shuye.

This was an even greater merit and clear proof of utmost loyalty.

It could be said that as long as no news of his surrender arrived, he remained a model for all young scholars under heaven.

Returning to the present, Wang Boyan, thinking of his beloved disciple suffering in the north and recalling how unyielding he had been during Jingkang, almost shed tears… If this man were here, why would the Emperor have to rely on the likes of Zhang Jun and Hu Yin as confidants? Why would he himself be left without any faction?

Wouldn't the state's overall situation be at least three parts better?

But the man hadn't returned, had he? His fate was unknown, wasn't it?

Regardless, he still had to get things done. So after a long period of lamentation and grief, Privy Councilor Wang finally calmed down and prepared his candidate list. He picked up his brush and, on a blank sheet of paper before him, wrote down many names one after another.

The first was Chen Gui, Minister of War and Prefect of Kaifeng;

The second was Li Guang, Censor-in-Chief;

Third was Zhu Shengfei, Minister of Rites.

Fourth was Wang Shu, who had just returned from west of the Pass and was the new Minister of Justice.

Fifth was Zhang Jun, former Censor-in-Chief, now Transport Commissioner for the five circuits of Bashu.

Sixth was Zhao Ding, Transport Commissioner for the two Huai circuits.

Seventh was Ma Shen, Military Commissioner of Hubei.

Eighth was Lin Qi, Minister of Revenue.

Ninth was Liang Yangzu, Transport Commissioner for Jiangnan and Superintendent of Tea and Salt Affairs for the Southeast.

Tenth was Lin Jingmo, Hanlin Academician.

Eleventh was Fan Zongyin, a Secretariat Drafter of very senior standing.

Twelfth was Liu Ziyu, a senior official in the Bureau of Military Affairs, in charge of the Directorate of Maps and Records and Chief Recipient of Edicts.

Thirteenth was Yan Xiaozhong, Prefect of Nanyang Prefecture.

Fourteenth was Lu Qing, a veteran general, Yue Fei's former superior, and Zong Ze's former subordinate...

After exhausting his thoughts and writing it all down, Wang Boyan discussed it with his son and son-in-law, saying a name and debating where it might be unsuitable. If it truly was unsuitable, they would remove that name... His son and son-in-law naturally understood their lord's meaning.

"What about Minister Chen?" Wang Boyan pointed at the first name and asked seriously. "This man has the highest military merit among the Six Ministers, his knowledge of military affairs is unmatched among the high officials, and he is His Majesty's trusted confidant."

"Too many concurrent posts," Wang Yi replied solemnly. "Minister of War and Prefect of Kaifeng—the former controls logistics, military equipment, and armaments; the latter is in charge of the capital's defense. Both are critical responsibilities that cannot be easily relinquished at this time. If he were to hold these two posts while serving as a Grand Councilor in the Western Administration, his authority would be far too great."

Wang Boyan nodded slowly, and he knew his son also had a sentence left unspoken... If Chen Gui took these two concurrent posts and became Vice Grand Councilor, then even if this fellow didn't have Lu Yihao's temperament, he would have Lu Yihao's actual power. At that point, wouldn't he, Grand Councilor Wang, be bullied again in the Western Administration?

"Prefect Chen passed the Mingfa Examination, and..." The new top scholar also cautiously offered an opinion, but as soon as he gave one reason, his father-in-law had already acted.

"I almost forgot about that." Wang Boyan raised his hand and made a dot under Chen Gui's name. "The Mingfa Examination is far too low."

Zhao Boyao and Wang Yi nodded in unison... In the Song Dynasty, the Mingfa Examination only tested forty items of written commentary on the classics, plus the three minor classics. Its status was the lowest among all the examinations. Although Chen Gui was a civil official, his standing in the examination system probably couldn't even compare with Qu Duan. It was only that the times had created the hero; otherwise, this Minister of War and Prefect of Kaifeng would have had no future beyond being a County Magistrate.

In a word, this was a fatal flaw!

"What about Censor-in-Chief Li?" Wang Boyan continued without looking up.

"Li Taifa was just promoted to Censor-in-Chief," Wang Yi said with a bitter smile. "Moreover, this man is a close confidant and intimate friend of Grand Councilor Li Gang. After Li Gang left office, making Li Guang the Censor-in-Chief and appointing Li Gang's third brother Li Jing as a Censor was already His Majesty's great appeasement and magnanimity toward Li Gang's faction... How could he be promoted further?"

"Correct." Wang Boyan also laughed. "Not to mention that it was already the utmost of His Majesty's benevolence for Li Gang's faction to hold this much weight—how could Grand Councilor Lu (Lu Haowen) and Chancellor Lu (Lu Yihao) tolerate this faction advancing further? By the same logic, Minister Lin Qi is also not to be considered."

As he spoke, Grand Councilor Wang made a dot under Li Guang's name, then drew a horizontal line directly under Lin Qi's name.

At the same time, the new top scholar finally understood why his father-in-law had made him come specifically to sit here... This was clearly to give him a lesson before he took office, to clarify the situation. And his brother-in-law, having been captured by the Jin and privately ransomed back by his father-in-law, could not be reused in the short term and would likely have to devote himself to assisting his father-in-law—he had come specifically to explain things to him.

With this thought, Zhao Boyao sat up straight.

"What about Zhu Shengfei?" Wang Boyan pressed on without pause.

"Minister Zhu is a good candidate, but unfortunately he is a man in Chancellor Lu's pocket," Wang Yi said readily. "That is the only concern."

Wang Boyan nodded, drew a circle around Zhu Shengfei's name, and then continued asking: "What about Wang Shu, the Minister of Justice?"

"His seniority and status are sufficient, but he is a defeated general, and he has just taken office... It's a pity about the former Minister of Justice, Quan Bangyan, but there's no way around mourning leave, and there's no time."

Wang Boyan's expression did not change. He simply made a dot under Wang Shu's name, then calmly asked again:

"Zhang Jun and Zhao Ding—are they possible?"

"Those two will eventually be promoted to Grand Councilors, but it's absolutely impossible for now," Wang Yi replied quickly. "After Mid-Autumn Festival, we will have to focus all our efforts on watching the Jin army's movements. The various regional chancellors, military commissioners, and prefects are unlikely to be within His Majesty's considerations."

Wang Boyan nodded, drew horizontal lines under the five names of Zhang Jun, Zhao Ding, Ma Shen, Liang Yangzu, and Yan Xiaozhong in one breath, then asked again:

"What about Lin Jingmo?"

"He is slightly young, but that is the only issue," Wang Yi answered fluently.

Grand Councilor Wang nodded repeatedly, but drew a circle around Academician Lin's name, and at the same time drew horizontal lines under Fan Zongyin and Liu Ziyu's names:

"As for these few in the capital who are relatively junior and young, if Academician Lin cannot be appointed, the others cannot be either."

The new top scholar and his brother-in-law both nodded heavily.

"Lu Qing..." Wang Boyan looked at the last name, and as soon as he read it out, he laughed involuntarily and took the initiative to draw a line through it. "We haven't reached that point yet, but it was right to write it down and then cross it out."

The two sitting beside him remained silent.

"So, it's between Minister Zhu and Academician Lin?" Wang Yi asked softly.

Wang Boyan looked at the list and nodded.

And Wang Yi was also relieved: "Those two are enough. Since Father has no preference, just write them both down and send them up. Let His Majesty choose for himself."

Wang Boyan nodded again, but he did not put his brush to paper for a long time.

After a long while, he admitted frankly: "If that were the case, why would His Majesty have waited until today to ask? If he had favored these two, he would have appointed them directly when Chancellor Lu went south."

Having said this, to the slight shock and agitation of Wang Yi and Zhao Boyao, Grand Councilor Wang actually crossed out both Academician Lin and Zhu Shengfei, took a new sheet of paper, and rewrote the three names: Li Guang, Chen Gui, and Wang Shu.

Not only that, but Wang Boyan even asked the two juniors seriously: "Has there been anything improper recently with Censor-in-Chief Li, Minister Chen, or Minister Wang? Any private misconduct or oversight in their actions?"

Zhao Boyao hesitated for a moment, but under the encouraging gazes of his father-in-law and brother-in-law, he spoke up: "Grand Councilor, I was just about to mention this. Minister Chen recently encountered a case."

"...?"

"A man from Dean Prefecture, Wang Zhi, a literary heir of Ouyang Xiu and son-in-law of former Grand Councilor Zeng Bu, recently filed a complaint against Minister Chen. He claimed that his family's forty thousand volumes of books were taken by Minister Chen, then Prefect of Dean, on the pretext of avoiding disaster during the recent chaos, and have not been returned to this day. He could no longer bear it, so he appealed to the Ministry of Justice... Minister Wang Shu, who had just arrived, only sent a letter to mediate. In response, Minister Chen claimed that the forty thousand volumes were scattered while in Dean and Nanyang Prefectures," Zhao Boyao said cautiously. "This matter was widely discussed before, but was temporarily suppressed because of the killing of Wang Xie... Everyone knows that Minister Chen seized the Wang family's forty thousand volumes of books."

"I know about this too," Wang Yi said thoughtfully. "It is said that Chen Gui even cursed privately, saying that Wang Zhi was useless, that the forty thousand volumes would just gather dust in the Wang family, and that they would only be useful in his hands... The talk in the capital is that Minister Chen used clever tactics to seize them, truly stealing forty thousand volumes, and that his magnanimity is insufficient."

Wang Boyan was stunned for a long time, but then suddenly let out a scornful laugh: "How can a scholar's affair be called stealing? And even if he is not fit to be Vice Grand Councilor, can he not be a Signatory of the Bureau of Military Affairs?"

Having said this, the Grand Councilor of the Western Administration directly opened the memorial and carefully filled in the name of Chen Gui, the Minister of War, a Mingfa Examination graduate and a thief, on the recommendation text he had already written.

After writing it, Grand Councilor Wang was momentarily relieved.

At this moment, Wang Yi was already deep in thought, but the new top scholar could not restrain himself in his daze: "Was His Majesty's original intention for you and the two heads of the Department of State Affairs to jointly guarantee and recommend Minister Chen?"

"Exactly, but it's not just that." Wang Boyan turned to his son-in-law, stroked his beard, and sighed. "Given His Majesty's current authority, if he truly wanted to promote someone, he would have done so. Going through this whole circle to have us propose it cannot be explained simply by a desire to protect his reputation."

"Please instruct me, Grand Councilor," Zhao Boyao said with increasing earnestness.

"I venture to guess that His Majesty was originally hesitating between Minister Quan Bangyan and Minister Chen. Since Minister Quan has gone into mourning, Minister Chen should be the one decided upon, and he will be specifically tasked with the defense of the Eastern Capital," Wang Boyan said seriously. "As for this handling, it is because there has been no fighting in the capital for seven or eight months, and people's hearts are set on peace. His Majesty feared that we would stubbornly cling to precedents and regulations, thereby neglecting the overall military situation. So he deliberately went around in circles to remind us... In my opinion, His Majesty's illness—three-tenths of it is due to Minister Chen's lack of self-cultivation, needlessly giving others a handle, and seven-tenths is due to the resurgence of old customs in the court, forgetting that the Jin are coming. Shiyan (Zhao Boyao's courtesy name)!"

"I am here," Zhao Boyao said with a start.

"When you go to Ruzhou this time, you must not speak of any empty formalities. Put the great cause of resisting the Jin first in all matters... If anything is amiss, I hope you can learn from my student Qin Hui and be a man of integrity!" Wang Boyan warned heavily. "Do not forget—you are the first top scholar personally appointed by His Majesty since his ascension, and you are of imperial lineage besides! National enmity and family hatred both hang on a single thought!"

Zhao Boyao rose solemnly and gave a respectful bow.

And at almost the same time, in the Chancellor's residence of the Department of State Affairs, Lu Haowen, Lord Lu, sat alone in his study. He looked at the name Chen Gui, circled over and over on the paper before him, sighed softly, and then began writing a recommendation memorial.

The next day, the fifteenth of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the three chief ministers each submitted memorials. Citing the possibility that the Jin forces might move south after autumn, the complexity of military affairs in the capital, and the vacancy in the Bureau of Military Affairs, they each recommended candidates to oversee the Bureau... Chancellor of the Department of State Affairs Lu Haowen and Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs Wang Boyan both solely recommended Minister of War and Prefect of Kaifeng Chen Gui. Vice Chancellor of the Department of State Affairs Xu Jingheng jointly recommended Hanlin Academician Lin Jingmo, Minister of Rites Zhu Shengfei, and Minister of War Chen Gui.

His Majesty, still ill, followed good advice. Deeming that the majority's will could not be defied and that military matters were serious, he directly issued an edict appointing Chen Gui as Signatory Official of the Bureau of Military Affairs. He also restored the precedent of Nanyang from former days, placing the entire city under military control. The Department of State Affairs and the Bureau of Military Affairs were relocated to the Chongwen Institute within the palace, and the chief ministers were to take turns entering the palace at night to be available for consultation.

That same afternoon, the Department of State Affairs and the Bureau of Military Affairs each issued official orders, which were transmitted throughout the city through the Kaifeng Prefecture... The Department of State Affairs advised commoners, women, and children that if they had relatives in the south to rely on, they might as well leave the capital. However, able-bodied men and military dependents could not leave at will without approval from the Kaifeng Prefecture, nor could they take military supplies or grain with them. The Bureau of Military Affairs declared that all property in the city would be placed under military control effective immediately. If military needs arose—such as demolishing houses or requisitioning goods—no resistance was permitted. All able-bodied men in the city were to be registered for potential mobilization.

Once the edict and orders were issued, the entire city was shocked. The previously swelling population of Dongjing suddenly stagnated, and even began to flow back... In a daze, the prosperity of the past half-year seemed like flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection on water.

Another day passed. The various military commissioners, after taking their leave of His Majesty, who had somewhat recovered, at Yanfu Palace, each led their personal guards, fully armored, out of Dongjing City, returning to their respective defense zones.

The posture of war preparation was no longer concealed.