Are You Still Dissatisfied?
At court the next morning.
The customs from the previous dynasty dictated that the court was to remain sealed until the lantern festival, but it was still just the seventh day of the new year.*
It seemed that all of the officials were prepared for the sudden calling of this court session, as they all arrived earlier than usual. They were all wondering what sort of scene would unfold and how they should respond if questioned by His Majesty.
Ning ChengZhi, however, did not appear for a long time.
Just as the military and civil officials were anxiously waiting, they suddenly heard a shrill voice cry out from outside the hall. The young emperor dressed in bright-yellow imperial robes strode into the hall with Eunuch Chi and two other eunuchs behind him.
All three were carrying stacks of reports. The only difference between them was that Eunuch Chi was carrying a bit less, while the piles carried by the other two eunuchs went above their heads.
The two eunuchs moved carefully for fear of dropping the reports.
Ning ChengZhi sat down on the imperial throne at the top of the hall and flicked the hem of his imperial robes, “My dear officials, look at how hard they are working for fear of dropping them on the ground. We truly pity them.”
The officials below exchanged looks, while only Gu HuaiJiang and Gu ShuBai did not react.
What… was His Majesty planning?
During the holiday period, they suddenly received news that court would be in session. Could it be for the sake of telling them that the palace servants were working hard?
The officials did not understand the meaning behind this and had no choice but to timidly agree, “Yes, it’s natural that the palace servants would be working harder than other servants.”
The two eunuchs carefully placed the reports on the imperial desk, but who knew that Ning ChengZhi, who had just been praising them for their hard work, would suddenly throw all of the reports to the ground!
He opened his mouth and bared his fangs, “Since you know that the palace servants have a hard job, have you ever considered how much work it is for Us?! There are so many reports that oppose Us that We don’t even want to look at them! You won’t allow Us to happily celebrate the new year, so We will make sure that you aren’t able to happily celebrate the new year!”
The officials hastily bowed to beg for forgiveness, “We subjects are horrified.”
Ning ChengZhi continued to press the issue, “Horrified? As We see it, you guys are particularly fearless! You repeatedly make use of the late emperor’s name to try and restrain Us. We wanted to appoint an empress, but you would not allow it. We wanted to change the situation in court, but you would not allow it. You just think that We are young and easy to bully. Is that it?”
Nobody below dared to respond. Ning ChengZhi vented his frustrations and let out a loud snort.
Gu ShuBai raised his head to take a look. Ji DaoGong was still claiming to be ill and had not come in. Senior minister Chen had not yet recovered and could not come in. Yin Shuo had injured his leg and could not come in.
This was a critical juncture in deciding whether the cabinet was abolished or maintained, yet these important figures were all missing.
Naturally, everyone in court’s eyes turned to father and son. At a time like this, only Gu HuaiJiang, the head general, could step forward to speak.
Because Marquis Gu’s Manor had refused the empress’ position, they had heavily offended Ning ChengZhi. After being suppressed and suspected, would Gu HuaiJiang still dare to speak up to advise Ning ChengZhi?
Everyone was quietly expectant, waiting for Gu HuaiJiang to make a move.
Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Gu HuaiJiang stepped forward and cupped his hands, “Replying to Your Majesty, since ancient times, there has been a figure to lead the officials and aid the ruler. Some courts had a prime minister, and some courts had a cabinet. Their coexistence will lead to confusion in court, and it will be unclear where the power lies. One must be abolished.”
Ning ChengZhi sneered, “Then in Marquis Gu’s eyes, which one should be abolished?”
All of the high-ranking officials hoped that he would advise him to abolish the prime minister’s position and keep the cabinet. The reason for this was that when the late emperor was still alive, his actions clearly indicated that he no longer trusted Yin Shuo. That was why he chose to establish a cabinet to replace the prime minister.
Unfortunately, before the cabinet could be completed and before Yin Shuo’s position as prime minister was abolished, the late emperor suddenly passed away.
Gu HuaiJiang said: “Between the cabinet and the prime minister, which one is abolished does not truly matter.”
This caused a discussion to erupt below, and even Ning ChengZhi was stunned.
No, this was wrong. If Gu HuaiJiang was the type to bend to the ruler at every turn, he would not have refused to allow Yu Fu to be appointed empress.
He was a man with an iron will from the Gu family’s army. He was someone who had become fiercely resolute from his time on the battlefield. How could he say something so ambiguous?
Gu HuaiJiang looked around.
Some people thought that he was surrendering to the new ruler, while some believed that he was trying to employ some sort of trick. There were even some who were just looking at him in complete disbelief.
He turned back and spoke toward the top of the hall, “This subject means to say that regardless of whether it’s the cabinet or the prime minister, it all depends on what sort of people Your Majesty seeks to make use of and not what sort of system. The officials sent in reports to advise Your Majesty to abolish the prime minister and establish the cabinet for the sake of the late emperor’s will. Your Majesty wishes to abolish the cabinet and keep the prime minister because Your Majesty trusts Prime Minister Yin. Is this not the case?”
The hall suddenly fell silent.
It turned out that this was what Gu HuaiJiang had meant!
How could they not have thought about this? Even if Ning ChengZhi abolished the prime minister’s position and establish the cabinet, he would surely appoint Yin Shuo to lead the cabinet. It would not affect the situation in court in the slightest.
The officials who had yet to pick a side were pushing for Ning ChengZhi to abolish the prime minister’s position and establish the cabinet; however, this did not have any benefits. On the contrary, it increased Yin Shuo’s influence.
Ning ChengZhi carefully thought over what Gu HuaiJiang said and wondered to himself why he had not been able to see things this clearly.
There was absolutely no need for him to get angry with the officials. If he was to abolish the prime minister’s position, he could just have Yin Shuo become the leader of the cabinet. Would influence not remain in his hands with this arrangement?
What he wanted was to take the power back from the older officials. What method he used was not important.
Gu HuaiJiang’s words allowed both the ruler and the subjects to come to a sudden realization, and they all started to think about their own plans.
He fell silent for a moment, giving everyone some time to think. He then continued: “Since Your Majesty asked this subject which one should be abolished, this subject will speak strictly on the positions and not the person. What does Your Majesty think about this?”
“Good, then just speak on the positions!”
Ning ChengZhi was a little expectant. At the same time, he secretly admired Gu HuaiJiang. He truly was a scholarly general, proficient in both civil and military matters. Not to mention military officers, but even the court’s high-ranking officials might not be this insightful.
Gu HuaiJiang continued: “The main difference between having a cabinet and having a prime minister is the distribution of power. A cabinet usually has seven or eight members, while some dynasties distributed influence across as many as ten members. They serve to check and supervise each other, which results in their courts being relatively stable. With a prime minister, there is just one person. If there is anyone with wicked intentions, all of the court’s power will be in their hands, and it would be inevitable that there would be another Wang Mang.”
Ning ChengZhi furrowed his brow and looked at Eunuch Chi. Eunuch Chi had a troubled look but shook his head. He had no choice but to look at Gu HuaiJiang, “What does Marquis Gu mean by another Wang Mang?”
It turned out that he did not know about Wang Mang.
Gu HuaiJiang glanced at Gu ShuBai, and the latter stepped forward to explain: “Your Majesty, Wang Mang was the commander of the army of Western Han before the establishment of the Xin dynasty. At that time, the commander held a similar position as the prime minister, and he monopolized that power.”
Ning ChengZhi shuddered.
The prime minister accumulated influence and then assassinated the ruler. He had a faint memory of this, and this was not the only example of it in the history books.
Yin Shuo’s talent was no less than that of Wang Mang’s. If he…
Though he did not like Gu HuaiJiang and his son, he took what they had just said to heart. He pondered what they had said while observing the other officials in court.
After a long pause, he cleared his throat, his expression completely different from before.
It changed from furious to calm, “Marquis Gu is right. We were too impulsive. After hearing what Marquis Gu had to say today, We have suddenly become enlightened. Marquis Gu, why did you not write a report to Us? If We had seen your report, We would not have called everyone in to talk about this.”
Gu ShuBai frowned.
In trying to create a diversion, they were given a slap instead.
Ning ChengZhi benefited but still sought to place blame. He blamed Gu HuaiJiang for not sending in a report to advise him. He really had no sense of right and wrong.
Gu HuaiJiang did not seem to mind in the slightest, “This subject is just saying whatever comes to mind and do not feel that my opinions have any particular merit. Your Majesty is praising it too much. Had this subject known that Your Majesty would come up with some ideas based on what this subject said, this subject would have sent a report much sooner.”
His tone was as humble as ever.
The members of court let out sighs of admiration. What nonsense was this about his opinions not having any particular merit? Marquis Gu must have been too afraid to send another report since infuriating His Majesty over the matter of the empress’ position.
Since His Majesty had no chance to vent his anger, he decided to abolish the cabinet instead.
Ning ChengZhi smiled, “Since my dear officials have advised Us to abolish the prime minister’s position and establish a cabinet, it would not be good for Us to ignore that advice. We shall agree to abolishing the prime minister’s position and establishing a cabinet, but…”
Everyone’s ears perked up.
“But We are not afraid of you. Instead, it is to respect the advice that my court has given me. You must remember that We respect you, and you must respect Our wishes. We are not so patient and will not compromise every time!”
Ning ChengZhi issued this threat to everyone, and Gu ShuBai paid close attention to the underlying message. He thought to himself that this was quite ridiculous.
In the end, whether he chose to accept advice or not depended on if it benefited him in some way. It was completely unrelated to governing or the well-being of the country.
The members of the cabinet let out sighs of relief, while one asked: “Since Your Majesty intends to establish the cabinet and abolish the position of the prime minister, it would be best to finish approving of cabinet ministers as soon as possible. The seat as leader of the cabinet is vacant, and this subject recommends senior minister Chen to that position!”
“This subject agrees!”
“This subject also agrees!”
Senior minister Chen had made many great contributions during the trial for the assassination of the late emperor. From that moment on, the cabinet had followed senior minister Chen’s lead.
He was a deserving candidate for that position. Not only were the cabinet ministers satisfied with this idea, but the normal officials were also satisfied with it.
Ning ChengZhi’s mood immediately changed, “We already said it earlier. We do not intend to compromise on every little thing. The position as the leader of the cabinet is closely related to the well-being of the country. We will make sure carefully consider this matter, and there is no need for your recommendations!”
After saying this, he stood up and flicked his sleeves, “You may all leave!”
He strode out of the imperial hall without giving the officials any time to respond. Behind him, Eunuch Chi quickly announced the end of the court session.
Gu HuaiJiang turned around and glanced at Gu ShuBai. Father and son reached a quiet agreement and started walking out.
“The position of leader of the cabinet, in the end, His Majesty intends to keep that for Yin Shuo.”
“We expected that this would be the outcome, but allowing Yin Shuo to become the leader of the cabinet is better than allowing him to continue to monopolize power as the prime minister…”
Father and son quietly discussed the matter. After receiving word of today’s morning court session the previous night, the two spent the entire night discussing the matter.
After much discussion and analysis, they came up with an idea. They would preserve the cabinet and allow Ning ChengZhi to have Yin Shuo as the leader of the cabinet. It would be better than having the officials be completely opposed to the ruler, and it would allow Yin Shuo to benefit slightly.
“What did you say?”
When the news arrived at the prime minister’s manor, Yin Shuo was partially laying down in bed and having medicine applied. Not paying attention, he accidentally bumped his wound, causing him to frown.
The servant bowed and did not dare speak.
He forcefully slammed the small table, and the teacups clanked, nearly crashing to the floor.
“His Majesty actually believed Gu HuaiJiang’s words! How unreasonable!”
The doctor changing the dressing was so frightened that his hands froze, and Yin Shuo impatiently waved his hands, “You may go. There’s no need to change it!”
He quietly felt regretful, “If not for me being unable to go into court because of my injured leg, I would surely have made sure to stop His Majesty from doing this. Who knew that His Majesty would announce the decision to abolish the prime minister’s position in court without even discussing it with me first. Would this not just result in my influence being taken away by those old officials in court?”
The cabinet had a leader, which meant that there would be a deputy leader and normal cabinet ministers.
Not to mention how the deputy leader would have almost as much influence as he did, but even the normal cabinet ministers would have the right to make decisions. He could foresee that his future actions might be restrained.
Perhaps it was the will of the heavens. He hurt his leg for the sake of Yu Fu and did not go into court because of his injured leg; however, this gave Gu HuaiJiang and his son the opening to counterattack.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, “Quickly, prepare the carriage. I will be going into the palace!”
The servants noticed that the medicine on his leg had only been partially applied, and they wanted to finish applying it before going into the palace. Seeing his deep frown, they did not dare speak and hastily ran off to prepare the carriage.
Not long later, the red carriage entered the palace, attracting the attention of many.
Standing next to the palace wall, Meng Fei looked below, “Hmph, Lord Marquis Gu received permission to enter the palace in a carriage from the late emperor, yet he never made use of that right. Yin Shuo really is something special. Just a few days after receiving permission, he immediately makes use of it repeatedly. It looks as if he’s worried that others won’t know that he’s the one favored by His Majesty!”
The lower-ranked military officer nearby consoled him, saying: “Commander, it’s fine to say a little less. That’s Prime Minister Yin!”
Prime Minister Yin, these words represented loftiness and power. He was not someone to take lightly.
Meng Fei, however, did not seem to care, “He is a frivolous young man whose only talent is manipulating others for influence and power. How exactly should I think highly of him? Only someone like Lord Marquis Gu is worthy of my respect, while Yin Shuo, no matter how noble he might be, is not worthy!”
The lower-ranking officer looked around and suppressed his voice, “Commander, what would we do if someone heard you directly call Prime Minister Yin by his given name?”
“It is what it is!”
Meng Fei spoke even louder, “His Majesty has already decreed the establishment of the cabinet and the abolishment of the prime minister’s position. He is no longer the prime minister. How is it that I can’t call him by his name?”
He was a man in his thirties. Was there a need for him to show respect to a young man who was just starting out?
The other officer said: “Did commander not know? News has come from the palace. Though His Majesty has abolished the prime minister’s position, Prime Minister Yin will continue on as the leader of the cabinet. This is like pulling up a radish and planting it in a different hole. Is there any difference?”
…
Yin Shuo hastily entered the imperial study. The servant quickly pushed his wheelchair for fear of being reprimanded.
Hearing the sound of wheels, Ning ChengZhi raised his head and laughed, “We knew that you would come into the palace. How is it? Were you scared?”
Yin Shuo’s expression was chilly, “Your Majesty, do you not trust this subject? Why would you make such a big decision without talking to this subject?”
Ning ChengZhi thought that he was worried because of the abolishment of the prime minister’s position, thus he said: “Don’t worry. The position as leader of the cabinet has been left for you. Once the lantern festival has ended and the court is re-opened, the announcement shall be made!”
Yin Shuo’s expression did not soften. This was within his expectations.
Ning ChengZhi suddenly understood. He wanted to have the cabinet abolished and the prime minister’s position maintained. He wanted to have all of the court’s influence in his own hands and not share it with a group of cabinet ministers.
Gu HuaiJiang’s words about spreading out power and monopolizing power resonated in his mind, while Gu ShuBai’s words about Wang Mang caused him to feel even more uneasy.
He suddenly spoke in a very formal tone: “What? Are you unhappy with Our plan for you to be the leader of the cabinet?”
*TN: The lantern festival or shangyuan festival takes place on the 15th day of the new year.
Are You Still Dissatisfied?
At court the next morning.
The customs from the previous dynasty dictated that the court was to remain sealed until the lantern festival, but it was still just the seventh day of the new year.*
It seemed that all of the officials were prepared for the sudden calling of this court session, as they all arrived earlier than usual. They were all wondering what sort of scene would unfold and how they should respond if questioned by His Majesty.
Ning ChengZhi, however, did not appear for a long time.
Just as the military and civil officials were anxiously waiting, they suddenly heard a shrill voice cry out from outside the hall. The young emperor dressed in bright-yellow imperial robes strode into the hall with Eunuch Chi and two other eunuchs behind him.
All three were carrying stacks of reports. The only difference between them was that Eunuch Chi was carrying a bit less, while the piles carried by the other two eunuchs went above their heads.
The two eunuchs moved carefully for fear of dropping the reports.
Ning ChengZhi sat down on the imperial throne at the top of the hall and flicked the hem of his imperial robes, “My dear officials, look at how hard they are working for fear of dropping them on the ground. We truly pity them.”
The officials below exchanged looks, while only Gu HuaiJiang and Gu ShuBai did not react.
What… was His Majesty planning?
During the holiday period, they suddenly received news that court would be in session. Could it be for the sake of telling them that the palace servants were working hard?
The officials did not understand the meaning behind this and had no choice but to timidly agree, “Yes, it’s natural that the palace servants would be working harder than other servants.”
The two eunuchs carefully placed the reports on the imperial desk, but who knew that Ning ChengZhi, who had just been praising them for their hard work, would suddenly throw all of the reports to the ground!
He opened his mouth and bared his fangs, “Since you know that the palace servants have a hard job, have you ever considered how much work it is for Us?! There are so many reports that oppose Us that We don’t even want to look at them! You won’t allow Us to happily celebrate the new year, so We will make sure that you aren’t able to happily celebrate the new year!”
The officials hastily bowed to beg for forgiveness, “We subjects are horrified.”
Ning ChengZhi continued to press the issue, “Horrified? As We see it, you guys are particularly fearless! You repeatedly make use of the late emperor’s name to try and restrain Us. We wanted to appoint an empress, but you would not allow it. We wanted to change the situation in court, but you would not allow it. You just think that We are young and easy to bully. Is that it?”
Nobody below dared to respond. Ning ChengZhi vented his frustrations and let out a loud snort.
Gu ShuBai raised his head to take a look. Ji DaoGong was still claiming to be ill and had not come in. Senior minister Chen had not yet recovered and could not come in. Yin Shuo had injured his leg and could not come in.
This was a critical juncture in deciding whether the cabinet was abolished or maintained, yet these important figures were all missing.
Naturally, everyone in court’s eyes turned to father and son. At a time like this, only Gu HuaiJiang, the head general, could step forward to speak.
Because Marquis Gu’s Manor had refused the empress’ position, they had heavily offended Ning ChengZhi. After being suppressed and suspected, would Gu HuaiJiang still dare to speak up to advise Ning ChengZhi?
Everyone was quietly expectant, waiting for Gu HuaiJiang to make a move.
Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Gu HuaiJiang stepped forward and cupped his hands, “Replying to Your Majesty, since ancient times, there has been a figure to lead the officials and aid the ruler. Some courts had a prime minister, and some courts had a cabinet. Their coexistence will lead to confusion in court, and it will be unclear where the power lies. One must be abolished.”
Ning ChengZhi sneered, “Then in Marquis Gu’s eyes, which one should be abolished?”
All of the high-ranking officials hoped that he would advise him to abolish the prime minister’s position and keep the cabinet. The reason for this was that when the late emperor was still alive, his actions clearly indicated that he no longer trusted Yin Shuo. That was why he chose to establish a cabinet to replace the prime minister.
Unfortunately, before the cabinet could be completed and before Yin Shuo’s position as prime minister was abolished, the late emperor suddenly passed away.
Gu HuaiJiang said: “Between the cabinet and the prime minister, which one is abolished does not truly matter.”
This caused a discussion to erupt below, and even Ning ChengZhi was stunned.
No, this was wrong. If Gu HuaiJiang was the type to bend to the ruler at every turn, he would not have refused to allow Yu Fu to be appointed empress.
He was a man with an iron will from the Gu family’s army. He was someone who had become fiercely resolute from his time on the battlefield. How could he say something so ambiguous?
Gu HuaiJiang looked around.
Some people thought that he was surrendering to the new ruler, while some believed that he was trying to employ some sort of trick. There were even some who were just looking at him in complete disbelief.
He turned back and spoke toward the top of the hall, “This subject means to say that regardless of whether it’s the cabinet or the prime minister, it all depends on what sort of people Your Majesty seeks to make use of and not what sort of system. The officials sent in reports to advise Your Majesty to abolish the prime minister and establish the cabinet for the sake of the late emperor’s will. Your Majesty wishes to abolish the cabinet and keep the prime minister because Your Majesty trusts Prime Minister Yin. Is this not the case?”
The hall suddenly fell silent.
It turned out that this was what Gu HuaiJiang had meant!
How could they not have thought about this? Even if Ning ChengZhi abolished the prime minister’s position and establish the cabinet, he would surely appoint Yin Shuo to lead the cabinet. It would not affect the situation in court in the slightest.
The officials who had yet to pick a side were pushing for Ning ChengZhi to abolish the prime minister’s position and establish the cabinet; however, this did not have any benefits. On the contrary, it increased Yin Shuo’s influence.
Ning ChengZhi carefully thought over what Gu HuaiJiang said and wondered to himself why he had not been able to see things this clearly.
There was absolutely no need for him to get angry with the officials. If he was to abolish the prime minister’s position, he could just have Yin Shuo become the leader of the cabinet. Would influence not remain in his hands with this arrangement?
What he wanted was to take the power back from the older officials. What method he used was not important.
Gu HuaiJiang’s words allowed both the ruler and the subjects to come to a sudden realization, and they all started to think about their own plans.
He fell silent for a moment, giving everyone some time to think. He then continued: “Since Your Majesty asked this subject which one should be abolished, this subject will speak strictly on the positions and not the person. What does Your Majesty think about this?”
“Good, then just speak on the positions!”
Ning ChengZhi was a little expectant. At the same time, he secretly admired Gu HuaiJiang. He truly was a scholarly general, proficient in both civil and military matters. Not to mention military officers, but even the court’s high-ranking officials might not be this insightful.
Gu HuaiJiang continued: “The main difference between having a cabinet and having a prime minister is the distribution of power. A cabinet usually has seven or eight members, while some dynasties distributed influence across as many as ten members. They serve to check and supervise each other, which results in their courts being relatively stable. With a prime minister, there is just one person. If there is anyone with wicked intentions, all of the court’s power will be in their hands, and it would be inevitable that there would be another Wang Mang.”
Ning ChengZhi furrowed his brow and looked at Eunuch Chi. Eunuch Chi had a troubled look but shook his head. He had no choice but to look at Gu HuaiJiang, “What does Marquis Gu mean by another Wang Mang?”
It turned out that he did not know about Wang Mang.
Gu HuaiJiang glanced at Gu ShuBai, and the latter stepped forward to explain: “Your Majesty, Wang Mang was the commander of the army of Western Han before the establishment of the Xin dynasty. At that time, the commander held a similar position as the prime minister, and he monopolized that power.”
Ning ChengZhi shuddered.
The prime minister accumulated influence and then assassinated the ruler. He had a faint memory of this, and this was not the only example of it in the history books.
Yin Shuo’s talent was no less than that of Wang Mang’s. If he…
Though he did not like Gu HuaiJiang and his son, he took what they had just said to heart. He pondered what they had said while observing the other officials in court.
After a long pause, he cleared his throat, his expression completely different from before.
It changed from furious to calm, “Marquis Gu is right. We were too impulsive. After hearing what Marquis Gu had to say today, We have suddenly become enlightened. Marquis Gu, why did you not write a report to Us? If We had seen your report, We would not have called everyone in to talk about this.”
Gu ShuBai frowned.
In trying to create a diversion, they were given a slap instead.
Ning ChengZhi benefited but still sought to place blame. He blamed Gu HuaiJiang for not sending in a report to advise him. He really had no sense of right and wrong.
Gu HuaiJiang did not seem to mind in the slightest, “This subject is just saying whatever comes to mind and do not feel that my opinions have any particular merit. Your Majesty is praising it too much. Had this subject known that Your Majesty would come up with some ideas based on what this subject said, this subject would have sent a report much sooner.”
His tone was as humble as ever.
The members of court let out sighs of admiration. What nonsense was this about his opinions not having any particular merit? Marquis Gu must have been too afraid to send another report since infuriating His Majesty over the matter of the empress’ position.
Since His Majesty had no chance to vent his anger, he decided to abolish the cabinet instead.
Ning ChengZhi smiled, “Since my dear officials have advised Us to abolish the prime minister’s position and establish a cabinet, it would not be good for Us to ignore that advice. We shall agree to abolishing the prime minister’s position and establishing a cabinet, but…”
Everyone’s ears perked up.
“But We are not afraid of you. Instead, it is to respect the advice that my court has given me. You must remember that We respect you, and you must respect Our wishes. We are not so patient and will not compromise every time!”
Ning ChengZhi issued this threat to everyone, and Gu ShuBai paid close attention to the underlying message. He thought to himself that this was quite ridiculous.
In the end, whether he chose to accept advice or not depended on if it benefited him in some way. It was completely unrelated to governing or the well-being of the country.
The members of the cabinet let out sighs of relief, while one asked: “Since Your Majesty intends to establish the cabinet and abolish the position of the prime minister, it would be best to finish approving of cabinet ministers as soon as possible. The seat as leader of the cabinet is vacant, and this subject recommends senior minister Chen to that position!”
“This subject agrees!”
“This subject also agrees!”
Senior minister Chen had made many great contributions during the trial for the assassination of the late emperor. From that moment on, the cabinet had followed senior minister Chen’s lead.
He was a deserving candidate for that position. Not only were the cabinet ministers satisfied with this idea, but the normal officials were also satisfied with it.
Ning ChengZhi’s mood immediately changed, “We already said it earlier. We do not intend to compromise on every little thing. The position as the leader of the cabinet is closely related to the well-being of the country. We will make sure carefully consider this matter, and there is no need for your recommendations!”
After saying this, he stood up and flicked his sleeves, “You may all leave!”
He strode out of the imperial hall without giving the officials any time to respond. Behind him, Eunuch Chi quickly announced the end of the court session.
Gu HuaiJiang turned around and glanced at Gu ShuBai. Father and son reached a quiet agreement and started walking out.
“The position of leader of the cabinet, in the end, His Majesty intends to keep that for Yin Shuo.”
“We expected that this would be the outcome, but allowing Yin Shuo to become the leader of the cabinet is better than allowing him to continue to monopolize power as the prime minister…”
Father and son quietly discussed the matter. After receiving word of today’s morning court session the previous night, the two spent the entire night discussing the matter.
After much discussion and analysis, they came up with an idea. They would preserve the cabinet and allow Ning ChengZhi to have Yin Shuo as the leader of the cabinet. It would be better than having the officials be completely opposed to the ruler, and it would allow Yin Shuo to benefit slightly.
“What did you say?”
When the news arrived at the prime minister’s manor, Yin Shuo was partially laying down in bed and having medicine applied. Not paying attention, he accidentally bumped his wound, causing him to frown.
The servant bowed and did not dare speak.
He forcefully slammed the small table, and the teacups clanked, nearly crashing to the floor.
“His Majesty actually believed Gu HuaiJiang’s words! How unreasonable!”
The doctor changing the dressing was so frightened that his hands froze, and Yin Shuo impatiently waved his hands, “You may go. There’s no need to change it!”
He quietly felt regretful, “If not for me being unable to go into court because of my injured leg, I would surely have made sure to stop His Majesty from doing this. Who knew that His Majesty would announce the decision to abolish the prime minister’s position in court without even discussing it with me first. Would this not just result in my influence being taken away by those old officials in court?”
The cabinet had a leader, which meant that there would be a deputy leader and normal cabinet ministers.
Not to mention how the deputy leader would have almost as much influence as he did, but even the normal cabinet ministers would have the right to make decisions. He could foresee that his future actions might be restrained.
Perhaps it was the will of the heavens. He hurt his leg for the sake of Yu Fu and did not go into court because of his injured leg; however, this gave Gu HuaiJiang and his son the opening to counterattack.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, “Quickly, prepare the carriage. I will be going into the palace!”
The servants noticed that the medicine on his leg had only been partially applied, and they wanted to finish applying it before going into the palace. Seeing his deep frown, they did not dare speak and hastily ran off to prepare the carriage.
Not long later, the red carriage entered the palace, attracting the attention of many.
Standing next to the palace wall, Meng Fei looked below, “Hmph, Lord Marquis Gu received permission to enter the palace in a carriage from the late emperor, yet he never made use of that right. Yin Shuo really is something special. Just a few days after receiving permission, he immediately makes use of it repeatedly. It looks as if he’s worried that others won’t know that he’s the one favored by His Majesty!”
The lower-ranked military officer nearby consoled him, saying: “Commander, it’s fine to say a little less. That’s Prime Minister Yin!”
Prime Minister Yin, these words represented loftiness and power. He was not someone to take lightly.
Meng Fei, however, did not seem to care, “He is a frivolous young man whose only talent is manipulating others for influence and power. How exactly should I think highly of him? Only someone like Lord Marquis Gu is worthy of my respect, while Yin Shuo, no matter how noble he might be, is not worthy!”
The lower-ranking officer looked around and suppressed his voice, “Commander, what would we do if someone heard you directly call Prime Minister Yin by his given name?”
“It is what it is!”
Meng Fei spoke even louder, “His Majesty has already decreed the establishment of the cabinet and the abolishment of the prime minister’s position. He is no longer the prime minister. How is it that I can’t call him by his name?”
He was a man in his thirties. Was there a need for him to show respect to a young man who was just starting out?
The other officer said: “Did commander not know? News has come from the palace. Though His Majesty has abolished the prime minister’s position, Prime Minister Yin will continue on as the leader of the cabinet. This is like pulling up a radish and planting it in a different hole. Is there any difference?”
…
Yin Shuo hastily entered the imperial study. The servant quickly pushed his wheelchair for fear of being reprimanded.
Hearing the sound of wheels, Ning ChengZhi raised his head and laughed, “We knew that you would come into the palace. How is it? Were you scared?”
Yin Shuo’s expression was chilly, “Your Majesty, do you not trust this subject? Why would you make such a big decision without talking to this subject?”
Ning ChengZhi thought that he was worried because of the abolishment of the prime minister’s position, thus he said: “Don’t worry. The position as leader of the cabinet has been left for you. Once the lantern festival has ended and the court is re-opened, the announcement shall be made!”
Yin Shuo’s expression did not soften. This was within his expectations.
Ning ChengZhi suddenly understood. He wanted to have the cabinet abolished and the prime minister’s position maintained. He wanted to have all of the court’s influence in his own hands and not share it with a group of cabinet ministers.
Gu HuaiJiang’s words about spreading out power and monopolizing power resonated in his mind, while Gu ShuBai’s words about Wang Mang caused him to feel even more uneasy.
He suddenly spoke in a very formal tone: “What? Are you unhappy with Our plan for you to be the leader of the cabinet?”
*TN: The lantern festival or shangyuan festival takes place on the 15th day of the new year.
