Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 307 Is the Grand Master to be checked and balanced?
The Secretariat, Zhaowen Hall.

"call!"

A wisp of Dragon and Phoenix Tea, gently entering the throat, has a light and lingering flavor with a pleasant aftertaste, instantly relaxing the mind and spirit.

Jiang Zhao picked up the document, sat up straight with his armrests, and bowed his head slightly.

Right at his feet, a three-foot-long wooden table was placed alone.

On top of it are fruits, snacks, honey water, fermented rice cakes, and a six-sided Rubik's Cube!
The young prince Zhao Shen was born on January 11th.

In a few days, it will be his fifth birthday.

With nothing else to do, Jiang Zhao made a Rubik's Cube as a temporary congratulatory gift.

So, Prince Zhao Shen of Yan twisted the "Rubik's Cube," occasionally taking a bite of rice cake and sipping honey water, yet he was quite at ease and enjoying himself.

"call!"

Jiang Zhao took another small sip, gently set the teacup down, and continued to focus on the document in his hand.

As the old year departs and the new year begins, the changing of the year inevitably brings with it more complex administrative matters.

In recent days, the number of documents submitted to the cabinet has exceeded fifty for several consecutive days, which is quite a busy time.

Fortunately, it was only busy, not "difficult".

Just like today, there are as many as fifty-seven documents, but only three of them are truly important.

Jiang Zhao laid out all three documents separately and placed them in the center of the wooden table for easy review.

One of them is the one in Jiang Zhao's hand.

These are documents submitted by the Privy Council and the Ministry of War.

Around February, the Privy Council will send 10,000 troops across the sea to Japan to hold the Japanese king accountable.

The most important matters of state are war and sacrifice.

When it comes to war, it must be taken seriously, and the enemy must not be underestimated in the slightest.

As a result, both the Ministry of War and the Privy Council inevitably became very busy.

The documents submitted separately mainly concerned issues related to the supply of provisions and the operation of military equipment, as well as the selection and recommendation of commanders.

Among these, the issues of provisions and armaments are rather unique.

It's simple in some ways, but it's also really difficult in others.

It's simple, mainly because of the monsoon season.

Once the monsoon season arrives, the sea journey from Fuzhou to Japan takes only six or seven days.

Moreover, the supplies were transported by large ships, not by manpower.

In terms of the delivery process, it is destined to be quite easy.

The difficulty is also due to the monsoon season.

What is a monsoon? It is a wind whose direction changes with the seasons.

Around February, the monsoon is suitable for crossing the sea to Japan; conversely, other times are naturally not suitable, and the wind direction may even be the opposite.

In other words, due to the influence of the monsoon, it was impossible to transport food at any time. In case of emergency, it was necessary to prepare enough food for an army of 10,000 for about a year.

Transporting goods is not difficult, but scheduling is anything but easy.

In addition, crossing the sea also involves the problem of gunpowder potentially becoming damp, which is also a difficult issue.

Moreover, the monsoon season involves a major problem—victory is not an option!

The 10,000-strong army crossing the sea to Japan must achieve a great victory and cannot show any sign of defeat.

Otherwise, even if all ten thousand people die, there will be no reinforcements.

After all, due to the influence of the monsoon, there is only one suitable time a year to cross the sea to Japan.

At other times, crossing the sea to Japan is extremely difficult, and if the ship capsizes, the losses outweigh the gains.

There will be no reinforcements, so isn't it a case of "victory is the only option"?
Therefore, the Privy Council attached great importance to this and recommended two candidates for the commander-in-chief for the emperor to decide.

One of them is Zhang Ding, the Duke of England.

After several large-scale expansions, Zhang Ding has honed his skills to a high level, both in combat and strategic deployment.

Defeating a mere Japanese nation is a piece of cake.

One of them was Zheng Xiao, the commander of the infantry and cavalry, also known as General Xiao Zheng.

Zheng Xiao had been the commander of the vanguard for many years and had first-class combat experience. Leading 10,000 troops to attack Japan would not be a problem.

As for why Gu Tingye and Wang Shao were not selected as the main generals?
It's not hard to understand; these two definitely wouldn't go to fight Japan.

On the one hand, Gu Tingye and Wang Shao have both leaned towards the "stabilizing force," focusing on large-scale battles.

Japan's military strength is too weak, and its actions are merely minor skirmishes. There is no need for Gu Tingye and Wang Shao to personally lead an expedition against Japan.

On the other hand, neither of them lacked any merit in fighting against Japan.

As the most prestigious military generals, Gu Tingye and Wang Shao had long since reached the point where they no longer needed achievements to prove themselves.

In their daily lives, both of them have been keeping a low profile, cultivating their character, and maintaining a low profile.

Having achieved numerous merits, there was naturally no need for him to personally lead an expedition across the sea.

"It's not bad."

He glanced at it briefly and set the document aside.

Jiang Zhao reached out and picked up the other two documents.

To be precise, these were two decrees for reform.

One article concerns land reform, and the other concerns scientific research reform.

Both of these are extremely difficult issues to tackle.

According to Jiang Zhao's original plan, each of the two decrees would be implemented once, followed by a year of recuperation and development.

That is, it will take about four years to fully implement land reform and scientific research reform.

Unfortunately, there was a war going on for several years in a row.

Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment, then pulled out the documents concerning land reform.

at this time.

"My lord."

With a soft call, Li Xian, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, entered.

Jiang Zhao was taken aback and looked over.

But then Li Xian approached, picked up his whisk, and bowed.

"Greetings, sir."

Jiang Zhao nodded and raised his hand.

"I wonder if Your Excellency's arrival is due to an imperial decree?" Jiang Zhao asked calmly.

As the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Li Xian was a figure who had reached the end of the eunuch's career, yet he spent many years by the emperor's side.

"Exactly."

Li Xian hurriedly said, "His Majesty is announcing changes in the cabinet personnel and has specially summoned six cabinet ministers to the palace."

"Cabinet personnel changes?"

Jiang Zhao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

Generally, cabinet appointments are announced around May.

This year is a bit unusual!
Li Xian nodded without saying a word.

As the chief eunuch, he had seen everything the emperor did and naturally guessed some things.

But you can't just say things like that!

Royal study room.

On a small wooden table about ten feet tall, the official Zhao Ceying picked up a document and occasionally glanced at it while reviewing it.

Below him were six chairs.

The six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet took their seats in succession.

About ten breaths.

Zhao Ceying raised her head.

He reached out and picked up a sheet of black paper from the corner of the wooden table.

The six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances, their expressions varied, but none of them spoke.

Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao, Grand Academician Han Jiang of the Jixian Hall, and Grand Academician Wang Gui of the Wenhua Hall were all relatively calm, with expressions of serenity on their faces.

The reason for this is obvious to everyone.

Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao will definitely remain in office!

It has only been six years since the first year of the Xifeng reign.

Generally speaking, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet for six years is already considered to be among the longest-serving members of the Cabinet.

Retiring after six years is a relatively common occurrence among high-ranking officials.

However, Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao was certainly not among those who "retired after six years".

Not to mention that Jiang Da Xiang Gong is only thirty-five years old, still full of energy and with great potential, even without considering the advantage of age, the Emperor would not allow him to retire.

After all, in terms of reform and innovation, the Grand Chancellor was indeed the irreplaceable and unique core figure.

In addition, people from the Jiang faction and those from the border regions also form the foundation for supporting the Grand Chancellor's continued tenure.

It is highly unlikely that the Grand Chancellor will retire.

In contrast, there was Han Jiang, a Grand Academician of the Jixian Hall.

This person will definitely not stay in office. As a Grand Secretary who has served in the Cabinet for six years, if he were to remain in office, he would have served for nine years!

Having served as a Grand Secretary in the Cabinet for nine years, he was, to some extent, qualified to oppose Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao.

According to common sense, the emperor would never have allowed Han Jiang to live.

It was precisely for this reason that Han Jiang felt calm and serene.

As for Wang Gui, the Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, he had only been in the cabinet for a year and had not made any political mistakes, so he was naturally able to remain in his post.

On the other hand, Yuan Jiang, Zhang Fangping, and Yu Jing couldn't help but feel uneasy and secretly nervous.

All three of them had only been in the cabinet for three years, and naturally wanted to remain in their posts.

However, it is unlikely that they will all remain in their positions.

so.
What was the final result?
All six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet focused their attention on the principal seat.

Zhao Ceying picked up the list, pondered for a moment, and looked down.

The first person he paid attention to was Yu Jing, a Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion.

"An Dao, you're sixty-four, aren't you?" Zhao Ceying asked with concern.

Oh open!

With just this one sentence, the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet understood immediately.

Yu Jing did not succeed in retaining his post!
Those who entered the cabinet, apart from Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao, were mostly elderly people in their fifties or sixties.

If we really talk about it, who isn't an old person?
This is something that both the emperor and the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet are well aware of.

The emperor specifically asked Yu Jing's age, simply to remind him that he was already old.

When you get old, you naturally have to retire!

really!

Yu Jing trembled, a trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes, as if filled with endless regret and loss.

Immediately, his expression turned serious, and he sighed, "Your Majesty, you have a truly excellent memory."

Zhao Ceying nodded calmly, stopping short of making a point.

Over the course of a century, the cabinet's related systems have become quite sophisticated.

However, the retirement system for Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet remains rather vague.

A typical example is that, theoretically, there is no upper limit to the term of office for the cabinet.

The practice of retiring every three years or every six years is actually a "political tacit understanding," and there has never been a written system in place.

Therefore, under certain special circumstances, a term of office of eight or ten years or more is not impossible.

Just like the previous Grand Chancellor Han Zhang, who served in the cabinet for more than a decade, he was quite "evergreen".

So, under this system, how did the emperor allow Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet to retire?

The answer is to advise!

The emperor offered some subtle hints, mainly through persuasion. The Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, upon learning of the emperor's decision, submitted a document at the meeting, voluntarily requesting to retire.

In this way, the relationship between the ruler and his subjects was harmonious, and they were able to save face for each other.

However, as the saying goes, "a large forest has all kinds of birds."

Even after a century of rule, there are still people who cannot be persuaded.

During the reign of Emperor Taizu, Ju Kejiu, a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, was subtly hinted to Emperor Taizu several times that he hoped Ju would voluntarily retire.

Unexpectedly, Ju Kejiu refused to resign voluntarily and seemed determined to continue working.

As a result, the emperor and his minister were bound to have a showdown.

As a result, Ju Kejiu was defeated and demoted two ranks. Frightened, he voluntarily resigned.

Not only did they lose their official positions, they also lost their dignity.

"Huzhi."

Zhao Ceying paused slightly, then focused his gaze on Yuan Jiang, the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

"His Majesty."

Yuan Jiang felt a chill run down his spine and quickly bowed.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying nodded and said calmly, "You are in your prime, so do your best."

With just one word, Yuan Jiang was startled and quickly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yuan Jiang, stay on!
However, this was within the expectations of several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

Yuan Jiang was only in his fifties, a time when he was full of energy, so it was not incomprehensible that he was allowed to remain in his post.

His gaze shifted upwards, focusing on Wang Gui and Zhang Fangping in turn.

After about three to five breaths, a conclusion was reached.

"Yu Yu, encourage him."

"An Dao, encourage him."

Both of them were startled and breathed a sigh of relief.

This time, the cabinet personnel changes do not seem to be significant.

In terms of the chances of staying on, they are much greater than they imagined.

Of the four Grand Secretaries nominated so far, three have successfully retained their positions, which speaks volumes.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it's likely that only Yu Jing and Han Jiang will retire.

The probability of advancing from six to four is quite high.

"Zihua."

Zhao Ceying looked at Han Jiang.

Han Jiang sat solemnly, already prepared.

Serving in the cabinet for three years is a hurdle, and so is serving for six years.

The difference is that the three-year hurdle is relatively easy; it may be a two-into-one or three-into-one transition.

The six-year hurdle, the century-long reign of the nation, has been overcome by very few.

However, what was surprising was
"Mianzhi."

The sound settled.

All six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were surprised.

Why did Han Jiang stay on?

Furthermore, it is known that Han Jiang has been a member of the cabinet for six years and is already an "elderly person" of sixty-two years old.

So, even with all that, he wasn't allowed to retire?

"this--"

Han Jiang was taken aback.

Not to mention the others, even he, the person directly involved, was extremely surprised.

People are more valuable in having self-knowledge.

Given his achievements and qualifications, is he qualified to serve in the cabinet for nine years?
And
Han Jiang sat upright, glancing discreetly at the eldest son, Jiang Zhao.

Nine years in the cabinet!

This should be enough to keep Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao in check, right?

The two, the emperor and his minister, had not spoken privately beforehand.

Could the Emperor's move be intended to allow him to check and balance the Grand Chancellor?
As Han Jiang pondered this, his heart sank.

The other Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances, their expressions subtly changing.

Although it is merely a personnel change within the cabinet, the implications it contains are truly thought-provoking.

Admittedly, given the Grand Chancellor's political background, it's understandable that he would be viewed with suspicion.

But why did they suddenly start setting up checks and balances without any warning?

Moreover, is it limited to checks and balances, or is it just the beginning?
The struggle between the emperor and his minister is an inevitable part of life, a fact known to all.

However, the real internal strife usually only begins after external threats have been eliminated.

Logically speaking, since the Liao Dynasty had not yet been destroyed, a war should not have broken out!

How did they end up fighting?

The key question is, if this leads to a power struggle, will the reforms continue?
Ignoring the varying expressions of the Grand Secretaries, Jiang Zhao remained calm and unmoved.

However, a hint of seriousness still flashed deep in his eyes.

If things really come to a fight, then there's nothing we can do but fight.

Perhaps we could try to assess the official's competence!
"Zichuan."

Zhao Ceying stared intently and slowly said:

"The rest of you can go about your business."

"Zichuan, stay here. I have something to say to you."

At his command, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances, bowed, and withdrew.

Without exception, they all had solemn expressions and were preoccupied with their own thoughts.

If a power struggle between the emperor and the prime minister truly exists, it would be a complete political earthquake.

Reform and innovation may also collapse halfway through!

The impact of this is enormous!
(End of this chapter)