The Struggle for Power in Court (Part Two)
Ji DaoGong and Gu HuaiJiang finally came out after the sun was fully in the sky.
With the way that the two were dressed, it was clear that they would be going to court. Yu Fu quickly stepped forward to greet them.
“Lord Ji, head general.”
Ji DaoGong cupped his hands, “Princess ZhenJiang.”
Yu Fu said: “Head general, will you two be going to court?”
Gu HuaiJiang nodded, “ShuBai will be going with us, while JiuGe will stay in the manor to handle the manor’s affairs. You have had to suffer from the long trip. Quickly go and get some rest.”
“I can’t do that yet. Head general, I want you to lend me 500 of your best troops and have them help restore order in the capital to provide the citizens with peace of mind.”
Gu HuaiJiang remembered that Ji DaoGong had said that he had run into the governor of Lin’An and the general of public safety when he first arrived. It seemed Yu Fu had already seen them.
He nodded, “Assisting in maintaining law and order in the capital is the reason for the Gu family’s army’s existence. Where is there any need to talk about borrowing?”
Yu Fu glanced at Ji DaoGong, and the latter looked at her with a smile. His eyes were full of praise.
She said: “I will be the one handling this matter, and I was the one who made wild claims to Mo HuangSha about helping him secure the capital, but just the 200 troops from my personal guard are not enough. That’s why I have come to ask head general to borrow your troops. Though you and I are father and daughter, it would be best to have some clear distinction in who has control over which troops. Lord Ji, don’t you think so?”
Ji DaoGong ran his fingers through his beard, “Princess is right. Though head general is princess’ father in name, there is a clear distinction between ruler and subject. Head general, quickly lend the soldiers to princess, so we may quickly go to the palace.”
The two really were like father and daughter, acting in perfect harmony. How could Gu HuaiJiang not understand what they meant?
Yu Fu had brought up in front of Ji DaoGong as a precautionary measure. If anyone wanted to point at the Gu family’s army to say that he was overstepping his authority, Ji DaoGong would be able to act as a witness.
Gu HuaiJiang looked at Yu Fu for a long time but could only muster one word, “You…”
The current Yu Fu was a little unfamiliar. She was well-versed in political affairs, and all of her actions were well-planned. In an instant, she had become an adult.
The current Yu Fu was also very familiar. She was still the warm and gentle girl who did everything that she could to protect him and the members of Marquis Gu’s Manor.
“Father, Lord Ji, the sedan has already been prepared and is ready to leave for the palace.”
Gu ShuBai came back in and gave Yu Fu a reassuring look before the three left.
Once the sedan left her line of sight, Yu Fu finally covered her mouth and let out a yawn, “Yao Lan, I’m going to sleep. Remember to wake me up when head general gets back.”
After saying this, she headed toward the Western Wing, her eyes struggling to stay open. When she arrived at the Western Wing, she suddenly remembered something, “Forget it, have Lian Zhu and the others wake me up.”
…
Word of Gu HuaiJiang’s return had already spread through the entire capital. For today’s court session, the officials arrived a little earlier than usual.
It was such that all court officials arrived an hour before court opened. Senior cabinet minister Chen simply decided to move to have the court proceedings begin early.
Emperor Ning had already passed, thus the time at which court started was not important.
“Senior cabinet minister Chen, please wait a little longer. Prime Minister Yin has not yet arrived, so how can we have a proper discussion?”
A hint of embarrassment appeared on senior cabinet minister Chen’s face when a member of the eldest prince’s faction spoke up.
He was the cabinet minister whom His Majesty trusted the most, but because His Majesty had passed away so suddenly and before completing the cabinet, he was left in an awkward position.
When it came to true influence, in front of His Majesty, he had the influence that a senior member of the cabinet would have, and the other members of the cabinet thought of him as the head of the cabinet. This put him on equal footing with the prime minister.
But when it came to titles, while the cabinet could be said to be equal to the prime minister, just having one cabinet minister on his own was not enough to be equal to the prime minister.
He deeply regretted that His Majesty did not have a chance to decide on a new ruler and finished appointing members to the cabinet before he passed. At the very least, it would not allow for those with ulterior motives to put Yin Shuo ahead of him.
What sort of person was Yin Shuo?
He was a prime minister who had lost His Majesty’s faith. How could he possibly be worthy of His Majesty’s trust?
“Oh, Prime Minister Yin has arrived.”
The sound of discourse suddenly rose from the crowd, as they saw Yin Shuo enter the hall in his red court clothes, “Apologies, I did not know that my lords would come so early today. This prime minister seems to have come late.”
“It was we who came early. Prime minister, there’s no need to be courteous. There’s still quite some time until the hour that we usually begin!”
Quite a few people tried to fawn on him. As for senior cabinet minister Chen, he stood at the top and felt that he could neither remain in place nor leave, as he saw Yin Shuo walk over to him.
The handsome young man gave him a smile that did not reach his eyes, “Minister Chen, please take your place. This prime minister will begin today’s court proceedings.”
Senior cabinet minister Chen’s aged face turned red and looked down. Most of the officials supported Yin Shuo.
Proof of the second prince assassinating His Majesty was conclusive. Those who supported the second prince or maintained their neutrality turned to support the eldest prince, as he was now most likely to become the new ruler. As a result, Yin Shuo’s status in court rose.
He and the eldest prince had formed a partnership, and those who were sharp noticed this.
“You…”
Senior cabinet minister Chen was so furious that he did not know what to say. After a long pause, he finally managed to say: “His Majesty already established a cabinet and already started handing important affairs to the cabinet, and this was done because His Majesty no longer trusted prime minister. Now, before His Majesty’s body has even become cold, Prime Minister Yin intends to take that power back from the cabinet?”
Gu HuaiJiang had just returned, and he was coldly looking around. He did not think that the situation in court would end up like this.
Now was not the time for him to step forward. He needed to see the situation fully before he could make a judgment.
Yin Shuo had come up with a rebuttal to senior cabinet minister Chen’s words long ago, as he casually smiled, “Did His Majesty ever say that he no longer trusted this prime minister? Since time immemorial, the prime minister has been the one to lead the other officials. In a court without a ruler, it’s natural that the prime minister would lead court proceedings. As for His Majesty establishing a cabinet…”
It was as if Yin Shuo had only just thought of the cabinet, “There is indeed precedence of a cabinet taking over the prime minister’s duties in previous courts, and the leader of the cabinet held power similar to the prime minister’s. Senior minister Chen, may I ask where the leader of the cabinet is?”
“You…”
Senior cabinet minister Chen came from a family of scholars, yet after being humiliated by Yin Shuo, he was left completely speechless. He could do nothing but look below, “Lord Marquis Gu, Lord Ji, would my lords please provide an objective view?”
Aside from the time that Ji DaoGong had spoken up at the hunting ground, after returning to the capital, he returned to maintaining a low profile. Seeing senior cabinet minister Chen ask him, he quickly waved his hand.
“This old one is just a member of the Imperial Censorate and, in truth, cannot be considered an integral part of the court. The reason that my lords came in so early, was it not just to hear what Lord Marquis Gu has to say? This old one trusts that based on Lord Marquis Gu’s loyalty, he will definitely be able to provide everyone with a convincing answer.”
If Ji DaoGong could not be considered an integral part of the court, who could?
Senior cabinet minister Chen had once been his subordinate in the Imperial Censorate, thus Yin Shuo was his junior. No matter how one looked at it, he was qualified to speak on this matter.
It sounded as if he did not express his attitude on this matter, but when everyone thought about it carefully, they felt that he had still expressed something. At the very least, he was saying that he had absolute faith in Gu HuaiJiang.
This was to say that what Gu HuaiJiang had to say was absolutely vital.
Gu HuaiJiang looked at Gu ShuBai, and the latter stepped forward with a smile, “I have a foolish opinion. I wonder if Lord Ji would like to hear it?”
“Eldest young sir, please speak without worry.”
Gu ShuBai looked up, “I feel that what Prime Minister Yin just said makes sense.”
The officials were surprised. When the Gu family’s army had gone to fight and crossed the border to eliminate Western Kun’s army, Yin Shuo had fervently opposed Marquis Gu’s Manor.
Those with sharp insight could tell that he had antagonistic feelings toward Marquis Gu’s Manor. Who knew if it was a result of a personal grudge or an official matter.
Gu ShuBai, however, agreed with Yin Shuo. His opinion was likely to represent Gu HuaiJiang’s opinion. Could it be that a hero like Lord Marquis Gu had also been overwhelmed by this situation?
The part of the court that had remained steadfast like senior cabinet minister Chen now turned ashen.
Marquis Gu was an upright person, and they believed that they still had a chance. If Marquis Gu had been compromised, would they still have any chance of winning?
Yin Shuo’s eyebrow slightly twitched, as he looked at Gu ShuBai with a smile.
He did not believe that the people from Marquis Gu’s Manor would be so easy to compromise. Gu HuaiJiang had been a soldier for his entire life. His resolve was not something that could be shattered.
Sure enough, Gu ShuBai’s next words completely flipped the script, “His Majesty established a cabinet to handle the prime minister’s matters but did not appoint anyone to the position of leader of the cabinet. Senior cabinet minister Chen naturally cannot lead hundreds of officials on his own, thus all members of the cabinet should stand at the top for things to be proper. What does everyone think?”
Ji DaoGong smiled while running his fingers through his beard. While smiling, he nodded his head, clearly approving of what he said.
He was very reasonable, and the dying embers in senior cabinet minister Chen’s heart came roaring back to life, as he spoke to the ministers below: “Minister Wang, Minister Liu, and everyone else, please come up. We are ministers who were personally appointed to the cabinet by His Majesty. If we back down at a time like this, how could we have the face to see His Majesty when we have passed!”
The ministers were a little timid. If they stepped forward now, they would surely offend the eldest prince.
Once the eldest prince ascended to the throne, would he put them in troublesome situations?
The Struggle for Power in Court (Part Two)
Ji DaoGong and Gu HuaiJiang finally came out after the sun was fully in the sky.
With the way that the two were dressed, it was clear that they would be going to court. Yu Fu quickly stepped forward to greet them.
“Lord Ji, head general.”
Ji DaoGong cupped his hands, “Princess ZhenJiang.”
Yu Fu said: “Head general, will you two be going to court?”
Gu HuaiJiang nodded, “ShuBai will be going with us, while JiuGe will stay in the manor to handle the manor’s affairs. You have had to suffer from the long trip. Quickly go and get some rest.”
“I can’t do that yet. Head general, I want you to lend me 500 of your best troops and have them help restore order in the capital to provide the citizens with peace of mind.”
Gu HuaiJiang remembered that Ji DaoGong had said that he had run into the governor of Lin’An and the general of public safety when he first arrived. It seemed Yu Fu had already seen them.
He nodded, “Assisting in maintaining law and order in the capital is the reason for the Gu family’s army’s existence. Where is there any need to talk about borrowing?”
Yu Fu glanced at Ji DaoGong, and the latter looked at her with a smile. His eyes were full of praise.
She said: “I will be the one handling this matter, and I was the one who made wild claims to Mo HuangSha about helping him secure the capital, but just the 200 troops from my personal guard are not enough. That’s why I have come to ask head general to borrow your troops. Though you and I are father and daughter, it would be best to have some clear distinction in who has control over which troops. Lord Ji, don’t you think so?”
Ji DaoGong ran his fingers through his beard, “Princess is right. Though head general is princess’ father in name, there is a clear distinction between ruler and subject. Head general, quickly lend the soldiers to princess, so we may quickly go to the palace.”
The two really were like father and daughter, acting in perfect harmony. How could Gu HuaiJiang not understand what they meant?
Yu Fu had brought up in front of Ji DaoGong as a precautionary measure. If anyone wanted to point at the Gu family’s army to say that he was overstepping his authority, Ji DaoGong would be able to act as a witness.
Gu HuaiJiang looked at Yu Fu for a long time but could only muster one word, “You…”
The current Yu Fu was a little unfamiliar. She was well-versed in political affairs, and all of her actions were well-planned. In an instant, she had become an adult.
The current Yu Fu was also very familiar. She was still the warm and gentle girl who did everything that she could to protect him and the members of Marquis Gu’s Manor.
“Father, Lord Ji, the sedan has already been prepared and is ready to leave for the palace.”
Gu ShuBai came back in and gave Yu Fu a reassuring look before the three left.
Once the sedan left her line of sight, Yu Fu finally covered her mouth and let out a yawn, “Yao Lan, I’m going to sleep. Remember to wake me up when head general gets back.”
After saying this, she headed toward the Western Wing, her eyes struggling to stay open. When she arrived at the Western Wing, she suddenly remembered something, “Forget it, have Lian Zhu and the others wake me up.”
…
Word of Gu HuaiJiang’s return had already spread through the entire capital. For today’s court session, the officials arrived a little earlier than usual.
It was such that all court officials arrived an hour before court opened. Senior cabinet minister Chen simply decided to move to have the court proceedings begin early.
Emperor Ning had already passed, thus the time at which court started was not important.
“Senior cabinet minister Chen, please wait a little longer. Prime Minister Yin has not yet arrived, so how can we have a proper discussion?”
A hint of embarrassment appeared on senior cabinet minister Chen’s face when a member of the eldest prince’s faction spoke up.
He was the cabinet minister whom His Majesty trusted the most, but because His Majesty had passed away so suddenly and before completing the cabinet, he was left in an awkward position.
When it came to true influence, in front of His Majesty, he had the influence that a senior member of the cabinet would have, and the other members of the cabinet thought of him as the head of the cabinet. This put him on equal footing with the prime minister.
But when it came to titles, while the cabinet could be said to be equal to the prime minister, just having one cabinet minister on his own was not enough to be equal to the prime minister.
He deeply regretted that His Majesty did not have a chance to decide on a new ruler and finished appointing members to the cabinet before he passed. At the very least, it would not allow for those with ulterior motives to put Yin Shuo ahead of him.
What sort of person was Yin Shuo?
He was a prime minister who had lost His Majesty’s faith. How could he possibly be worthy of His Majesty’s trust?
“Oh, Prime Minister Yin has arrived.”
The sound of discourse suddenly rose from the crowd, as they saw Yin Shuo enter the hall in his red court clothes, “Apologies, I did not know that my lords would come so early today. This prime minister seems to have come late.”
“It was we who came early. Prime minister, there’s no need to be courteous. There’s still quite some time until the hour that we usually begin!”
Quite a few people tried to fawn on him. As for senior cabinet minister Chen, he stood at the top and felt that he could neither remain in place nor leave, as he saw Yin Shuo walk over to him.
The handsome young man gave him a smile that did not reach his eyes, “Minister Chen, please take your place. This prime minister will begin today’s court proceedings.”
Senior cabinet minister Chen’s aged face turned red and looked down. Most of the officials supported Yin Shuo.
Proof of the second prince assassinating His Majesty was conclusive. Those who supported the second prince or maintained their neutrality turned to support the eldest prince, as he was now most likely to become the new ruler. As a result, Yin Shuo’s status in court rose.
He and the eldest prince had formed a partnership, and those who were sharp noticed this.
“You…”
Senior cabinet minister Chen was so furious that he did not know what to say. After a long pause, he finally managed to say: “His Majesty already established a cabinet and already started handing important affairs to the cabinet, and this was done because His Majesty no longer trusted prime minister. Now, before His Majesty’s body has even become cold, Prime Minister Yin intends to take that power back from the cabinet?”
Gu HuaiJiang had just returned, and he was coldly looking around. He did not think that the situation in court would end up like this.
Now was not the time for him to step forward. He needed to see the situation fully before he could make a judgment.
Yin Shuo had come up with a rebuttal to senior cabinet minister Chen’s words long ago, as he casually smiled, “Did His Majesty ever say that he no longer trusted this prime minister? Since time immemorial, the prime minister has been the one to lead the other officials. In a court without a ruler, it’s natural that the prime minister would lead court proceedings. As for His Majesty establishing a cabinet…”
It was as if Yin Shuo had only just thought of the cabinet, “There is indeed precedence of a cabinet taking over the prime minister’s duties in previous courts, and the leader of the cabinet held power similar to the prime minister’s. Senior minister Chen, may I ask where the leader of the cabinet is?”
“You…”
Senior cabinet minister Chen came from a family of scholars, yet after being humiliated by Yin Shuo, he was left completely speechless. He could do nothing but look below, “Lord Marquis Gu, Lord Ji, would my lords please provide an objective view?”
Aside from the time that Ji DaoGong had spoken up at the hunting ground, after returning to the capital, he returned to maintaining a low profile. Seeing senior cabinet minister Chen ask him, he quickly waved his hand.
“This old one is just a member of the Imperial Censorate and, in truth, cannot be considered an integral part of the court. The reason that my lords came in so early, was it not just to hear what Lord Marquis Gu has to say? This old one trusts that based on Lord Marquis Gu’s loyalty, he will definitely be able to provide everyone with a convincing answer.”
If Ji DaoGong could not be considered an integral part of the court, who could?
Senior cabinet minister Chen had once been his subordinate in the Imperial Censorate, thus Yin Shuo was his junior. No matter how one looked at it, he was qualified to speak on this matter.
It sounded as if he did not express his attitude on this matter, but when everyone thought about it carefully, they felt that he had still expressed something. At the very least, he was saying that he had absolute faith in Gu HuaiJiang.
This was to say that what Gu HuaiJiang had to say was absolutely vital.
Gu HuaiJiang looked at Gu ShuBai, and the latter stepped forward with a smile, “I have a foolish opinion. I wonder if Lord Ji would like to hear it?”
“Eldest young sir, please speak without worry.”
Gu ShuBai looked up, “I feel that what Prime Minister Yin just said makes sense.”
The officials were surprised. When the Gu family’s army had gone to fight and crossed the border to eliminate Western Kun’s army, Yin Shuo had fervently opposed Marquis Gu’s Manor.
Those with sharp insight could tell that he had antagonistic feelings toward Marquis Gu’s Manor. Who knew if it was a result of a personal grudge or an official matter.
Gu ShuBai, however, agreed with Yin Shuo. His opinion was likely to represent Gu HuaiJiang’s opinion. Could it be that a hero like Lord Marquis Gu had also been overwhelmed by this situation?
The part of the court that had remained steadfast like senior cabinet minister Chen now turned ashen.
Marquis Gu was an upright person, and they believed that they still had a chance. If Marquis Gu had been compromised, would they still have any chance of winning?
Yin Shuo’s eyebrow slightly twitched, as he looked at Gu ShuBai with a smile.
He did not believe that the people from Marquis Gu’s Manor would be so easy to compromise. Gu HuaiJiang had been a soldier for his entire life. His resolve was not something that could be shattered.
Sure enough, Gu ShuBai’s next words completely flipped the script, “His Majesty established a cabinet to handle the prime minister’s matters but did not appoint anyone to the position of leader of the cabinet. Senior cabinet minister Chen naturally cannot lead hundreds of officials on his own, thus all members of the cabinet should stand at the top for things to be proper. What does everyone think?”
Ji DaoGong smiled while running his fingers through his beard. While smiling, he nodded his head, clearly approving of what he said.
He was very reasonable, and the dying embers in senior cabinet minister Chen’s heart came roaring back to life, as he spoke to the ministers below: “Minister Wang, Minister Liu, and everyone else, please come up. We are ministers who were personally appointed to the cabinet by His Majesty. If we back down at a time like this, how could we have the face to see His Majesty when we have passed!”
The ministers were a little timid. If they stepped forward now, they would surely offend the eldest prince.
Once the eldest prince ascended to the throne, would he put them in troublesome situations?
