The Red Mansions

Chapter 1714 Qiande Sixth Year
Shenjing City, Posthouse——

At this moment, Liu Zhen and his granddaughter were sitting in the hall on the second floor, sipping fragrant tea served by servants.

An old servant walked into the room quickly, looked at Liu Zhen, and said, "Master, Mr. Tan is here."

Liu Zhen put down the blue and white porcelain teacup in his hand, stood up and said, "I will go to greet you."

Liu Zhen also knew the name of Tan Jie, or perhaps as both of them were high-ranking officials, they had heard of each other's names a long time ago.

"Lord Tan." Liu Zhen bowed to Tan Jie and spoke.

Tan Jie smiled widely and said, "Mr. Liu, thank you for the long journey."

Liu Zhen extended his hand to invite him, smiled, and whispered, "Master Tan, it's windy outside, let's go inside and talk."

The two men entered the room and sat down beside a lacquered wooden table. After a while, a servant brought them some fragrant tea and then left.

Liu Zhen said: "Mr. Tan has been transporting grain to the imperial court in Nanjing. He has worked hard and made great contributions. I have also heard about it in Zhejiang."

This is the reason why the official edict promoted Tan Jie.

Liu Zhen smiled and said, "Now the court is thriving, and the King of Wei wants to realize his ambitions and create a prosperous era. It is the time for us to show our skills and talents."

From a provincial governor to a prime minister in the imperial court, wearing blue and purple, I wonder how many scholars and writers have dreamed of this.

In other words, this is the ultimate dream of men of letters and scholars to enter politics.

Tan Jie echoed with approval, saying, "Nowadays, the people of the Han Dynasty live and work in peace and contentment, and are thriving. I wonder what Elder Liu thinks of the new learning?"

Both of them were scholars from the south of the Yangtze River. They came to the capital alone, so naturally they wanted to stick together for warmth.

Liu Zhen said: "I have been studying new knowledge all this time and discovered this knowledge. I have explored the principles of things, studied things to gain knowledge, and applied it to the world."

Tan Jie nodded and said, "Yes, I heard that the iron ships built by the navy were obtained through this method of studying things, and there are many novel things, all of which are beneficial to the country and the people. Some great scholars in the southern province may say that they are strange and cunning, but I don't think so."

During these three or four years, although the Han Dynasty could not be said to have undergone earth-shaking changes, the repair of the official road from Shenjing to Luoyang also made Tan Jie and Liu Zhen feel shocked.

The neat and spacious cement official road was lined with green willows, and horse-drawn carriages were passing by in an endless stream, galloping at high speed, but not a single dust was raised. How shocking it must be to see such smooth traffic.

How could Tan Jie and Liu Zhen not be shocked by this kind of infrastructure convenience from later generations?

In fact, this was also the result that Jia Heng wanted to create. In the torrent of the times, his change of destiny was blessed by divine power and his royal authority was granted by God.

Liu Zhen twisted his beard with his hand, nodded, and said: "This new study will greatly benefit the country and the people."

Tan Jie said: "Yes, it can even fly into the sky and hide underground, which is really amazing."

Liu Zhen nodded and said, "The scholars in the southern province have not benefited from the new learning, so it is normal for them to have doubts."

Tan Jie said: "What Mr. Liu said makes sense."

While the two were talking, they heard a young servant come in from outside, bowed to Liu Zhen and Tan Jie, and said, "Sir, the King of Wei is here."

Liu Zhen and Tan Jie looked at each other and said, "You and I will go to welcome King Wei."

In fact, except for Tan Jie who met Jia Heng in Jinling, Liu Zhen had never met Jia Heng before. This was the first time he met Prince Wei.

While the two were talking, they came closer and looked at the young man in the python robe.

Liu Zhen took a few quick steps, bowed to Jia Heng, and said, "This humble official greets the King of Wei."

Jia Heng, on his side, stretched out his two hands to support Liu Zhen, with a warm smile on his resolute and calm face, and said, "Master Liu, there is no need to be polite. Please stand up quickly."

At this moment, Tan Jie also bowed to Jia Heng.

Jia Heng stretched out his hands, lightly supported Tan Jie's shoulders, and said, "Mr. Tan, you must have had a hard time along the way."

Jia Heng smiled warmly and said, "Lord Liu, the cabinet is now overwhelmed with affairs, and we need experienced and capable officials like Lord Liu and Lord Tan to come to Beijing to take charge of the overall situation and handle government affairs."

Liu Zhen nodded and said, "King Wei, you are too polite. The court is now full of people who are proficient in civil and military strategies. We are not talented and have little wisdom. We are rushing to the capital just to help this holy cause."

Tan Jie was quite humble at this moment.

Jia Heng nodded and said, "After Lord Liu comes to the capital, he will assist in the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue. Lord Tan will first take charge of the Ministry of Justice and be in charge of the criminal affairs of the country. You must not slack off."

Tan Jie was silent for a moment, his eyes flickered under his brows, and he asked, "Ministry of Justice?"

Before Tan Jie entered the cabinet, his position was not mentioned in the imperial edict, but some people in the capital predicted that it was most likely related to the Ministry of Justice.

The so-called household affairs, rituals, and criminal law are the top priorities of the court.

According to common sense, the Ministry of Personnel is not included in the Cabinet, and the Ministry of War is included in the Military Affairs Council, so the only option is the Ministry of Justice.

Jia Heng said: "Now that the country is thriving in all industries and the national strength is growing day by day, I originally intended to formulate a "Qian De Hui Dian" to be promulgated throughout the country for officials, merchants, and people to follow. Especially after the new learning became popular, many officials also need to know the law so that they can act according to the law and govern according to the law."

"Administer according to law?" Tan Jiepin thought of these four words and felt that they were meaningful.

Jia Heng said in a loud voice: "I will find a doctor who is proficient in criminal law and compile this great work together. Not only the criminal law, but also the other six regulations should be carefully compiled and used as a guide for affairs."

With six ministries, two academies and five temples, the official system of the Han Dynasty is now quite complete.

Tan Jie's face was calm, his eyes were deep, and he said with a cupped hand: "Don't worry, Prince Wei, I will definitely work hard and live up to your trust."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, and then said, "Now that the new policy has been implemented in the court for a few years, the local land survey still needs to be deepened. After Liu Ge Lao takes charge of the Ministry of Revenue, he will have to slowly count the local land tax books."

Liu Zhen nodded and said gently, "What the King of Wei said is very true."

Jia Heng looked at Liu Zhen with a surprised look on his face, and asked, "Lord Liu, what do you think of Liaodong today?"

Liu Zhen said: "The newly conquered land of Liaodong is an important frontier area of ​​the imperial court. It is inhabited by a variety of tribes and has a complicated situation. It needs both pacification and deterrence to make it a permanent part of the Han Dynasty."

Jia Heng smiled and said seriously, "During this trip, Mr. Liu has read a lot of Liaodong books. Liaodong should indeed be the land of our Han Dynasty forever to protect China."

Liu Zhen felt relieved and said, "Prince Wei, you are overpraising me. Now that I am in this position, I should make plans for the administration. Liaodong border affairs are the most important matters for the court in the next five to ten years. I must pay more attention to them."

I thought to myself that I had finally passed this test.

Afterwards, Jia Heng talked with Liu Zhen and Tan Jie for a while before quickly leaving the inn.

As several cabinet ministers arrived in Beijing, the political situation in the Han court became increasingly stable, and the political shadow of Qi Kun and Prince of Yan's rebellion was swept away.

Not long after, the document issued by the Ministry of Personnel to appoint Yan Hong, the former director of the Imperial College, to the Nanjing Censorate as the Left Vice-Censor-in-Chief was also issued.

When Jia Heng was walking on the extremely spacious street, the Jinyi Guards came to report that the Jingzhao Prefecture was sending people to enforce the curfew.

Queen Song's fourth brother, Song Xuan, has been in charge of Jingzhao Prefecture for four years. It can be said that he has governed Jingzhao Prefecture to the point where no one picks up lost items on the streets and no one locks their doors at night.

When they returned to the mansion, a servant came to report that Fan Yi and Cai Quan were outside the mansion asking to see Jia Heng.

Today, Fan Yi is the chief clerk of the Zongli Yamen. He is in charge of official documents and manages the six recorders under him. He also directly coordinates with the Grand Council on all matters.

Now everyone in the capital knows the name of Fan Yi. He is in charge of cultural affairs and is the confidant of Prince Wei.

The six departments of the Zongli Yamen were all composed of talented people discovered by Jia Heng from the new scholars.

Cai Quan was already the deputy governor of the Beijing Camp, and he and other generals of the Jia family were in charge of the Beijing Camp.

Such as the generals of the Jia family, Jia Fang, Jia Chang, Jia Ling, Jia Qin, and Jia Yun.

For example, Jia Gao, Jia Chen, Jia Qiong, Jia Lin and others mostly worked in civil service in the Beijing camp and had a place in the army.

Jia Dun, Jia Xiao and others all led the troops in the capital camp. Some were military generals, while others were civil officials, and all had their own duties.

Dong Qian, with the title of first-class viscount, was appointed commander of the Five Cities Army.

As for the other officers and generals selected by Jia Heng, they were too numerous to count and were all deployed in the Han army, from border troops to the capital camp, from local military commanders to garrisons.

Over the past ten years, Jia Heng has fought many battles in the south and the north, and his old followers are spread all over the government and the country.

It can be said that after several purges, the Beijing Camp has completely become Jia Heng's direct force.

After a while, Fan Yi walked into the hall with a solemn look on his face, bowed to Jia Heng, and said, "I greet the prince."

Jia Heng raised his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes were warm, and he said, "Master Fan, you came to see me, what is your business?"

Fan Yi suddenly raised his head, looked at the young man in the python robe, and said, "Your Majesty, please excuse me for a moment and talk."

When Jia Heng heard this, he seemed to understand something. He stood up from the table and led Fan Yi to the hall.

Arriving at the back hall, Jia Heng, Fan Yi, Cai Quan and others sat down as host and guest.

Fan Yi said: "Your Majesty, there is no rival for you in the court now, you can start preparing for auspicious signs."

Jia Heng shook his head and said gently: "The time is not yet ripe, it won't be too late to wait a little longer."

As expected, Fan Yi came over to persuade him to come in.

Fan Yi raised his thick eyebrows, and his cold and bright eyes were clear, and he said: "Your Highness, now everyone in the court and the country is your party and confidant. As long as Your Highness makes a call, followers will gather."

Cai Quan's face became solemn, and he said with a folded hand: "All officers and soldiers in the Beijing camp will follow the prince's lead."

Jia Heng said: "Now is not a good time, so we can take our time and not be too hasty."

Cai Quan asked: "What does the prince mean?"

Jia Heng looked into the distance with a sharp gaze and said, "After the Dzungars are pacified, it should be almost done."

Fan Yi paused for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, do you want to legitimately accept the Mandate of Heaven?"

Jia Heng nodded and said, "If people are dissatisfied, even if you sit in that position, you will be accused of having gained the country in an illegitimate way, and it will not be conducive to the long-term stability of the country."

The human heart is an extremely mysterious force. As long as people believe that the person who came to power was not in a legitimate way, no matter how they describe it, it will be of no use.

Fan Yi said, "Your Highness, you are indeed farsighted in thinking this way, but you can't delay it for too long. The young Emperor Qiande is already quite old. In a few years, he will have to rule the country personally. By then, officials from all walks of life will cheer for him. Your Highness has always considered himself a loyal minister. How will he deal with it then?"

As the saying goes, if I am not yet strong, changes will occur when I grow strong.

Jia Heng is raising the banner of a loyal minister and a capable general, and he will continue to keep this memorial archway erected.

Jia Heng was silent for a while, then said, "I always keep an eye on the new emperor, so he's nothing to worry about."

After all, he is my own son, so to some extent, I don't need to worry too much.

Fan Yi said, "King Wei, can we have the Suzaku Guard secretly carry out the report of the auspicious sign from that place?"

The so-called Suzaku Guard was one of the four secret guards that Jia Heng asked Chen Xiao to set up. It was independent of the Jinyifu Guard and mainly absorbed some former secret agents from the White Lotus Sect.

Fan Yi was in charge of the Suzaku Guard, which was used to spy on illegal activities in local prefectures and counties.

Jia Heng looked strange for a moment, and said, "For this matter, just be aware of it, but don't overdo it."

Although he was not planning to usurp the Han Dynasty and establish himself as the emperor for the time being, he still had to create an atmosphere of destiny, at least to let people all over the world know that he had such an idea.

In other words, the Han Dynasty is now thriving, and it is time for God to send down auspicious signs as a sign of recognition.

……

……

Jinling, ferry——

At this moment, officials of all ranks from the Liangjiang Governor's Office were waiting on the ferry embankment for the fleet of Xu Kai, the newly-appointed Liangjiang Governor-General.

"I'm coming."

At this moment, a general who was looking into the distance ran forward quickly, shouting with joy.

Today is the day when Xu Kai, the new Governor-General of Liangjiang, takes office.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a large ship with a tall mast sailing towards the river, braving the wind and waves. A flag with the word "Xu" embroidered on it was hanging on the ship.

Xu Kai, as the Governor-General of Liangjiang, came to Nanjing to take up his post. He also brought some local specialties from Taiwan and planned to discuss cooperation matters with the wealthy businessmen in Nanjing.

Xu Kai was standing at the bow at this moment. He was wearing a crimson official robe and a black gauze hat on his head. His originally fair and elegant face now looked a little darker and more clumsy.

The man raised his sword-like eyebrows that slanted into his temples, looked hesitantly at the officials from Liangjiang in the distance, and a feeling of great heroism surged in his heart.

It has been ten years since Xu Kai was sent to Henan as a local official in the 15th year of Chongping. Now Xu Kai is only 38 or 39 years old, but he is already an important official like the Governor-General of Liangjiang. At his prime of life, it can be predicted that he will have a seat in the cabinet in the future.

The experience of serving as a provincial governor in Taiwan in recent years has endowed Governor Xu with a certain dignity and dignified bearing of a provincial governor.

Now that he is in charge of Liangjiang, the most important vassal state in the world, Xu Kaixin is not so nervous. Instead, he is determined to make a career.

"Lord Xu is here." At this moment, a large number of officials in front of the Liangjiang Governor's Office gathered around and approached Xu Kai's flag ship.

As the ship approached, the sailors lowered the deck, and Xu Kai, surrounded by guards, got off the ship and looked at the officials and gentry who came to greet him.

"Greetings, His Excellency the Governor." Officials from Liangjiang gathered around and saluted.

Xu Kai frowned, his eyes wandered to the officials present, and said, "No need to be polite."

"Thank you, Governor." Upon hearing this, all the officials present stood up.

At this moment, the leading official said, "Sir Xu, we have set up a banquet in the Governor's Office."

Xu Kai had a resolute and calm face, and frowned as he said, "Everyone, this is not the place to talk. Please go to the Governor's Office and have a chat."

All the officials present stood up and headed towards the government office in a mighty procession.

Afterwards, everyone sat down behind a lacquered wooden table, divided into host and guest. Servants from the governor's office brought up cups of fragrant tea, then turned around and left.

Xu Kai said: "Everyone, the court has appointed me as the Governor-General of Liangjiang. I hope you can work together to help me govern this vast land of Liangjiang."

Upon hearing this, the officials below all responded in a low voice.

Xu Kai then attended a welcoming banquet hosted by officials from Liangjiang at the Governor-General's Office. In October of the fourth year of Qiande, he officially took up the post of Governor-General of Liangjiang, starting a six-year official career as the world's number one frontier official.

……

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the end of the fourth year of Qiande passed quietly. The fifth year of Qiande also passed peacefully, and suddenly it was the spring of the sixth year of Qiande.

After nearly two years of internal governance, the Han Dynasty became increasingly prosperous. First, the new policies were fully implemented, and the entire Han Dynasty was filled with an atmosphere of enthusiasm and joy.

After that, the matter of sending immigrants from Liaodong to settle in the border area was quite effective.

In the eyes of some Han officials, the earth-shaking changes in the Han Dynasty are even visible to the naked eye.

Jia Heng still showed no signs of plotting to usurp the throne. He truly acted like a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty. Instead, there were more reports of auspicious signs from various places.

In January of the fifth year of Qiande, the governor of Shanxi reported the sighting of a dragon. In April, traces of a unicorn were discovered in Jiangxi. In June, a five-colored phoenix appeared in Sichuan. In September, officials from Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan reported that engineers repairing the Yellow River found an old crocodile carrying the River Map and Luoshu, and then the Yuwang Ding.

Well, the prefect of Kaifeng, Henan at that time was Fu Shi.

It was not until the spring of the sixth year of Qiande that the auspicious signs began to subside, but everyone in the world knew that King Wei could inherit the Mandate of Heaven.

On this day, an urgent military intelligence report from the northwest once again broke the tranquility of the Han court.

The Junggar tribe and the Yarkand Khanate, with a combined force of 200,000 soldiers and horses, invaded the seven guards of Guanxi in a mighty force and marched straight to the Hami Guard.

Palace Garden, Wuying Palace——

At this moment, all the cabinet ministers and military officials gathered in the palace to discuss military affairs.

At this moment, a white-faced, beardless eunuch stood at the entrance of the palace and shouted in a shrill voice, "The King of Wei has arrived!"

Soon, the young man in the python robe entered the palace gate, surrounded by a group of Jinyi guards.

"Greetings, Prince Wei." Cabinet ministers headed by Chief Minister Lin Ruhai, Second Minister Zhao Yi, and cabinet ministers Liu Zheng, Liu Zhen, and Tan Jie hurried forward to greet him.

Military ministers such as Prince of Beijing Shui Rong and Duke of England Xie Zaiyi also went up to greet him.

Lin Ruhai looked solemn and said, "Prince Wei, something happened in the northwest."

Jia Heng nodded and asked, "Lord Shui, what does the military report say?"

"The 200,000 troops of the Junggar and Khoshut tribes were divided into two groups and advanced. The vanguard has already broken through Quxianwei and Aduanwei, and is approaching Andingwei and Handongwei. The two guards are in danger, and Hamiwei is facing the main force of more than 100,000 Junggars." Shui Rong said from the side.

Jia Heng said, "The Jinyi Mansion also reported this before, and the situation is very similar."

The Jinyi Mansion has been monitoring the enemy situation in the northwest during this period, and Jia Heng is not completely unaware of this.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then asked, "What do the people in Qinghai and General Fuyuan say?"

Shui Rong said, "Zi Yu, General Jin Xuan from Fuyuan sent a message that Qinghai has sent 60,000 cavalry to help Hami."

Jia Heng nodded and said, "The Qinghai troops are capable of defending, but lack the strength to counterattack."

Among the defense structures of the seven guards in Guanxi, Hami Guard, Shazhou Guard and Chijin Mongolian Guard were the main focuses to protect Xining, and all three guards were equipped with red cannons to defend the city.

Shui Rong asked, "King Wei, are you sending troops to Qinghai this time?"

"Of course we have to send troops." Jia Heng said, "Duke Ying, how are the troops in the Beijing camp preparing?"

Xie Zaiyi said in a firm and powerful voice: "Don't worry, Prince Wei. The officers and soldiers of the Beijing camp are ready to fight and can go out at any time."

Jia Heng said: "The Junggar and Yarkand tribes are both brave and good at fighting, and they are in the Western Regions, which is a suitable place for cavalry to gallop. Therefore, this time, our Han Dynasty will use more firearms to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, so as to defeat the enemy."

Kangxi defeated Galdan by using more firearms.

Jia Heng looked at the cabinet chief Lin Ruhai and said, "Mr. Lin, the food and grass must be sent before the troops move. The food and grass supply from the Ministry of Revenue cannot be insufficient for the Beijing camp to send troops this time. It will definitely ensure the safety of the troops on the front line."

Lin Ruhai said: "Don't worry, Ziyu, the Ministry of Revenue will definitely ensure that the army has a complete supply of food and grass."

Jia Heng turned his head to look at Shui Rong and Xie Zaiyi, and said, "As for the Ministry of War, the military armor and crossbows must still be fully supplied. We must not let the army be short of anything."

Shui Rong said, "Zi Yu, don't worry. The Ministry of War has sufficient manpower and the supply of weapons and armor is guaranteed."

Jia Heng said: "Everyone, we must recover the Western Regions of the Han and Tang Dynasties in one fell swoop!"

In fact, from the perspective of later generations, Jia Heng did make great contributions to China. He recovered Liaodong, the Western Regions, Tibet, and Taiwan. In terms of domestic affairs, he governed the country with new learning and developed the country through science and education, which advanced the historical process of China by hundreds of years.

At this moment, Shui Rong was eager to try and asked, "Prince Wei, have you decided on the candidate for the commander-in-chief for this expedition to the Western Regions?"

Jia Heng said: "The commander of this expedition will be..."

Duke Xie Zaiyi of Yingguo looked solemn and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the troops to attack the Western Regions."

He is already a first-class duke. If he wants to become a prince simply by relying on his future support, it will be very difficult.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong was a little disappointed when he saw this, but he still said: "Duke Ying is brave and good at fighting, and he is resourceful. If he leads the troops to attack the Western Regions, he will surely win the battle and achieve great success in the future."

Jia Heng said, "This time, the Beijing camp will raise an army of 100,000, led by Duke Ying, with Shanhai Hou Cao Bianjiao as the deputy general. They will work together with the troops in Xining to pacify the Western Regions."

In order to destroy the nearly 200,000 troops of the two Khanates, it is necessary to raise an army of 100,000 in the Beijing Camp.

It is worth mentioning that in the two major tribes, all adult men mounted horses to fight, so their military forces were huge.